Welcome to my farmhouse
A tidy home and a happy garden — the old-fashioned way.
I am Grandma Gigi Ashford, and I live in an old farmhouse in Vermont. For over sixty years I have scrubbed, mended, planted and harvested for my family. Here I share the household and garden hints that really work — simple, thrifty, and always with a pot of coffee on the stove.
Around the house this month
My three little obsessions of the moment, to put into practice without delay.
Explore the hints
Choose where to begin the stroll.
Latest posts
The posts I have just added here, still warm from the oven.
9 October 2026
7 Cleaning Jobs Vinegar and Baking Soda Do Better Than Store Sprays
9 October 2026
10 Vegetables That Beat a Short Growing Season
9 October 2026
How to Start Tomato Seeds on a Windowsill
9 October 2026
Signs You’re Overwatering Your Houseplants (and How to Fix It)
9 October 2026
Saving Seeds From Beans, Peas and Tomatoes
9 October 2026
How to Repot a Root-Bound Houseplant, Step by Step
About us
A life spent in a Vermont farmhouse
I was born on a dairy farm in Vermont, and for over sixty years I have kept house and garden through long winters and short, bright summers. I learned from my mother and my grandmother, from the church sewing circle and the county fair, and today I share here every hint that a long country life has taught me.