Gardening

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 …

Considering the houseplant craze that’s continued over the past few years, it’s not hard to think most people now have at least one plant in their home. When it comes …

We always dreamed of establishing an orchard at Pencil Creek, our little farm in southcentral Pennsylvania, but for more than ten years, other projects took priority. It wasn’t until we …

Chives are not necessarily the most popular herbs to grow in the garden, but they certainly should be. They look fantastic, whether in a herb patch or as a stunning …

Sage is a favorite herb among gardeners, home DIYers, and home cooks alike. Not only is it an incredibly easy herb to grow, thriving in the worst of conditions, but …

In the world of horticulture, peat moss possesses many qualities we want in a growing medium. Peat moss has a lightweight and spongy texture. It has the uncanny ability to …

You’ve pulled a year’s worth of produce from your garden. Now it’s time to give your soil a rest. Today, your goal is to learn how to mulch your garden …

I want you to take a moment to peek out the window at your garden. Specifically, look at your tomatoes. If it’s late summer, you’re probably wondering when your tomato …

Rhubarb is an easy to grow vegetable that’s right at home in the perennial food garden. Plant it once and it will produce for decades, growing nicely alongside other forever …

Exuding that telltale sweet piny fragrance, rosemary is an easy plant to grow that demands very little from the home gardener. And because a single plant can grow at least …

Nature really is a mad scientist. Take the litchi tomato as a prime example of a smattering of weird and wonderful traits, all in one plant. With its deeply lobed …

Container gardening can be a rewarding pursuit that can really help you make the most of all the space you have available. A container garden can be indoors, under cover …

Widely cultivated as an herb, spice, and vegetable, parsley (Petroselinum crispum) is so much more than a decorative garnish. Native to the Mediterranean region, its name is derived from Greek …

Gardeners are always on the search for a few fast-growing plants to add to their vegetable patch. Those which germinate easily and are quick to harvest. Why? Simply because we …

There’s an app for that. Yeah, it seems like there’s an app for everything these days. And those of us with green thumbs aren’t being left out. There are quite …

When you think about a food-producing garden, it’s likely that you imagine neat beds with rows of fruits and vegetables. But a typical kitchen garden is only one type of …

Native to the Mediterranean, rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is a woody perennial herb in the mint family. The plant’s genus, ros marinus, is derived from Latin and means “dew of the …

The wisdom to use trap crops in your garden is free for the taking. Only you have to be introduced to the concept first, to understand why it’s so important. …

Learning how to propagate your plants is easily one of the most rewarding (and cheap!) ways to multiply your collection. Dividing, grafting, layering, and cutting are among the horticultural skills …

No garden is complete without a set of garden pests. That is if you are growing organically. There is no possible way to be entirely bug-free. But, why would you …

Honey is, of course, a delicious ingredient. It has a range of culinary uses and can be spread on toast, drizzled over yogurt and fresh fruit, and be used in …

Carrots are popular crops to add to home veggie patches. There is nothing greater than pulling out crunchy carrot roots. But, planting root crops is a gamble, no matter how …

Serious gardeners are forever looking for new ways to improve their growing strategy. One time-tested method is adding blood meal to garden soil. Despite this amendment’s off-putting name, it’s an …

You’ve picked up every houseplant on every beginner’s list, dipped your toe into some rare indoor plants, even started an expansive succulent garden on your windowsill – but you’re still …