Like most green thumbs, I rarely say no to a trip to the garden center. Who doesn’t love the smell of damp earth and growing things? But like most skills …
When it comes to Spirea, most of us are familiar with Spirea Japonica. Go to any garden center each summer, and you’ll find hundreds of them. Take a drive around …
There’s an episode of the beloved 90s sitcom Friends, where it’s revealed that Monica (self-proclaimed neat freak) has a secret closet jam-packed with stuff. A hodgepodge of knick-knacks, tucked away …
In the early days of spring, few of us are thinking about the aphid infestation that’s looming come July, or the never-ending battle of the brassicas and the cabbage worms. …
Hold up! Before you put that pepper seedling in the ground, read this. There are a few important things you need to do when it comes time to transplant your …
Get on board with my favorite way to grow spuds – the 5-gallon bucket. Inexpensive and accessible, easy and satisfying, there’s no better way to grow spuds than with the …
Now that my tomato seedlings are underway, I’m turning my attention to planting flowers once again. I have two large boxes of flower seeds that I’ve saved over my years …
Spring is here, and gardeners everywhere are shaking off the winter doldrums and heading out to their gardens. It’s finally time to get cool-weather seeds in the ground. But too …
This might be an unpopular opinion, but I believe every single garden needs at least one shrub. I still like perennials and annuals, but shrubs just tie the room together. …
Whether it’s your first time growing onions and you have no idea where to start, or you’ve never had good luck growing them in the past, we’re going to get …
The days are getting longer, the light is softening, and there’s a warm breeze in the air. It must be April. April is one of those months when I catch …
Rosemary is a popular culinary herb from the Mediterranean, and it always seems to taste better fresh. Luckily, propagating rosemary from stem cuttings is incredibly easy to do. It only …
I must have been ten years old the first time I learned about bonus harvest. Except, of course, nobody called it that, and the lesson came in my life in …
Each spring, as we move our seedlings out into the garden, we have a once-a-year opportunity. But so many gardeners let it pass by. This is your chance to put …
As most of our readers know, when it comes to anecdotal gardening lore, I approach it with a raised eyebrow and a grain of salt. But there is one truly …
Marigolds always hog the spotlight when it comes to tomato companion plants. Unfortunately, most of their tomato-protecting traits are severely over-hyped, yet they continue to be the gold standard when …
Bleeding hearts (Lamprocapnos spectabilis) are some of the most magical springtime perennials in the garden. With their large, feathery leaves that dance on the spring breeze and their dramatic arches …
It’s mid-March, and the soft magnolia buds are getting plumper and plumper. Any minute now, the fuzzy shells will no longer be able to contain them, and every single velvety …
One of my biggest pet peeves with kale is the long, hard stem that runs up the center of the leaf. It’s the most bitter part of the leaf, and …
This past weekend, I found myself dangerously close to buying a bucket of dahlias. I didn’t realize dahlias came by the bucket. It only took a couple of strolls down …
I love the steadfast nature of perennials. After another winter of cold, harsh weather, my plants yawn and stretch each spring, as they wake for another season of beautiful blooms, …
Zinnias are such dependable flowers, yet I didn’t think I could grow them for longer than I care to admit. I may have been a bit biased against them because …
Every spring, gardeners across the Northern hemisphere receive the same back-o’-the-seed-packet advice: “Sow as soon as the soil can be worked.” Okay, that’s cryptically vague. Workable how? I have a …
By the time daylight saving time begins, I am done with winter. I’m dealing with major cabin fever, and I am ready to get outside and get gardening! This year, …
As soon as spring rolls around, you’d think I’m running a plant nursery out of my suburban back yard. Surprisingly, I’m not. (I’ve never sold plants, but did my fair …