Gardening

As the holidays approach and we begin to decorate our homes, stringing lights and hanging wreaths, I have to wonder what our pets think of all this. I’ve always imagined …

The basic recipe for making soap has been the same for thousands of years. Combining plant or animal fats with an alkali causes a chemical transformation, a process known as …

Most everyone loves a good strawberry. These sweet-as-can-be, red-fleshed fruits are as sumptuous eaten out of hand as they are prepped into a smorgasbord of yummy recipes. There are hundreds …

Sphagnum mosses are an utterly unique and fascinating genus of bog-dwelling plants. Perhaps you’re most familiar with them in their dried form. The light brown, fibrous, stringy bits are widely …

The Christmas cactus, or any of the holiday cactuses in the Schlumbergera family, have earned a reputation for being finicky plants. But most of that frustration comes from not understanding …

Eons ago, fire was one of humankind’s most life-altering discoveries, so it’s no wonder that even today, we find comfort around the warm glow of a fire. Getting an invitation …

Many houseplant lovers enjoy propagating and sharing their plants. But Christmas cactus, in particular, are often part of a family legacy, with cuttings handed down from a family member’s plant …

Pop, pop, pop, a hundred kernels in a hot pot. If a bowl of perfectly popped popcorn with a hint of butter and a dash of salt sounds delicious, now …

Soil health is a topic that’s coming up more and more over the years. It seems we’ve finally come around to the idea that what’s going on beneath the soil …

By now, things are starting to wind down in the garden. There’s a nip in the air and soon you’ll be harvesting your last vegetable and pulling up your spent …

Spider plants (Chlorophytum comosum) are one of the most popular houseplants out there. When it comes to indoor gardening, it’s hard to beat the spider plant where ease of care …

The craft beer movement has caught the world by a storm, and it shows no sign of slowing down. However, the global hops supply is struggling to keep pace, and …

Once dubbed the “elixir of life”, lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is an ancient herb from the mint family that has been used as a medicine, and as a flavoring for …

Basil is sometimes referred to as “the king of herbs”. And no wonder. Basil is easy to care for and will quickly grow into big, bushy plants that abound in …

Foraging can be a great way to supplement a homegrown diet. When foraging, you may be surprised by some of the great wild edibles you can find. For example, did …

When it comes to growing food, there is one plant that seems to baffle gardeners more than any other – tomatoes. I have no idea what it is about these …

The aroma of thyme is pleasant and complex – peppery and a little sweet with woody, earthy, minty and flowery notes. Flavor-wise, it lands somewhere between lavender and rosemary. For …

Carrots are tricky little roots to grow. Often they come out of the ground as cute, characteristic, knobbly bite-sized chunks of carroty goodness. For many of us gardeners, somehow our …

The end of the gardening season comes as a relief to most of us. After months of managing massive daily harvests of zucchini and tomatoes, cooler weather and slower growing …

There is something inherently fun about seeing everyday objects in miniature. Whether it’s a model railroad with impressive detail or a tea set made smaller for a child, these items …

If you’ve been following the avocado’s steady rise to internet fame, I’m sure you’ve seen the viral trend of growing your own avocado tree from the seed or pit of the …

The snake plant is one of the most popular houseplants because it is easy to care for and how dramatic and showy it is. Dracaena trifasciata is most commonly known …

It’s mid-September; prepare for the invasion of the eight-legged freaks! Does anybody get that reference? No? Lucky you. I had the supreme misfortune of seeing that movie in the theater, …

Recently, I found myself in a plant nursery looking over their selection of tropical houseplants. A sales associate approached and asked if she could help me. I told her I …