Jodi Torpey

Jodi is a garden writer, certified master gardener and author of “The Colorado Gardener’s Companion: An Insider’s Guide to Gardening in the Centennial State.”

She has a special interest in helping other gardeners learn how to cultivate successful gardens in challenging environments. As a Colorado native, she has first-hand gardening experience dealing with poor soil conditions, extreme temperature fluctuations, intense sunlight and the lack of reliable precipitation.

Her favorite topics include xeriscaping, using native plants in the landscape, planting vegetable and container gardens, conserving water in the landscape, creating backyard habitats and gardening with her dog, Rufus T. Smudge.

In addition to her book, Jodi’s writing is published on home and gardening websites, in national magazines and regional newspapers. She also manages her own website and blog, www.WesternGardeners.com, an online guide to gardening in the West. Follow her on Twitter @WesternGardener

  • Garden Lifestyle

    Perfect Pickled Peppers: Recipes for the Garden

    Pepper plants will keep producing as long as you keep picking the produce. Pickling is an easy way to preserve the flavor of freshly picked peppers.

  • Garden Lifestyle

    Fonio is a New Grain for the Future

    One of the top 10 food trends for 2020 is re-discovering ancient grains from West Africa. Fonio is a cereal grain that’s being hailed as a new gluten-free super grain…

  • Kitchen Gardening

    Rosemary is Still Rosemary Despite Name Change

    Rosemary by any other name is still rosemary, unless the Royal Horticultural Society decides to change its name. What will its scientific name change mean for vegetable and herb gardeners…

  • Garden Lifestyle

    Cabbage is Overlooked Vegetable at Holiday Time

    Would you include cabbage as a side dish at Thanksgiving? The answer is yes! This good-for-you vegetable is perfect for adding some low-calorie healthy vitamins and minerals to holiday meals.

  • Garden Lifestyle

    Bake Bread with Homegrown Grains

    With a little planning and a lot of gumption, vegetable gardeners could be breaking bread next Thanksgiving with the flour they grew from wheat seeds. A garden of grains is…

  • Garden Lifestyle

    Use Green Tomatoes Instead of Tomatillos

    When the weather forecast calls for an early-season hard freeze, most vegetable gardeners have to make a quick harvest. While some of the green tomatoes will ripen indoors, others need…

  • Kitchen Gardening

    Happy Birthday Johnny Appleseed

    One of America’s great folk heroes is celebrating his 245th birthday on September 26. Let's take a moment and raise a glass of sweet apple cider to honor the real…

  • Garden Lifestyle

    Must Have Shishito Peppers for Foodies

    The IT pepper this season is an old Japanese variety that's quite a tasty tidbit. If you like growing vegetables for munching, this is the one to have.

  • Kitchen Gardening

    Fire Fly Tomatoes Light Up the Garden

    Fire Fly tomatoes live up to their All-America Selections billing as 2019 winners. It’s easy to see how these yellow-white fruits earned their name.

  • Garden Lifestyle

    Slow Food Nations Grows Healthy Kids

    As in past years, the Slow Food Nations festival featured special displays to encourage kids to eat their vegetables. Part of that strategy is to help them learn to grow…