VEGETABLE GARDENS

Far too often, new gardeners give up before they even get started because of the cost. Seedlings, bags of compost, hand tools, fertilizers, it all adds up quickly. But most of that stuff is completely unnecessary. (Shhh, don’t tell the gardening industry.) You can start a garden on the cheap. I’ve been gardening for decades […]

Don’t do it, you’re going to regret it. Every year, well before the growing season starts, gardeners everywhere decide to waste their time and money starting seedlings for their garden. These gluttons for punishment never seem to learn that there are perfectly good seedlings waiting for them at every big-box home improvement store and garden […]

It’s easy to think that nature will just take its course when you’re planting a tree. After all, forests have been growing for millions of years without human help, right? But there are a surprising number of tree-planting mistakes that can turn your dream of nurturing a mature tree from a tiny sapling into a […]

Perhaps the main reason why I love houseplants is because they can make any house feel like a home. Bring a houseplant into a room and it will instantly create a cheerful, cozy and welcoming atmosphere. As usual, I speak from experience here. Over the course of about six years, my husband and I hopped […]

More than a handful of my gardening friends have expressed envy at my mild subtropical climate. However, gardening in a hot and humid region is fraught with challenges. One of the most frustrating issues I’ve had to deal with is powdery mildew. I’ve tried many homemade and commercial remedies in the search for a successful […]

Raised beds are the darling of the gardening world – tidy, charming, an entire ecosystem contained in a neat box. They lend a sense of orderliness and control to a hobby that is rarely either of those things. It’s no wonder they’re so appealing. But is a raised bed garden the right choice for you […]

Starting seeds in the middle of the winter is the best way to satisfy “the green itch.” You can extend a short growing season, enjoy things like tomatoes or peppers a little earlier and try varieties you can’t get in your local garden center. Over the years, how I start seeds and the equipment I […]

I write a lot about saving plants, fixing plants and solving plant problems. I love plants and hate waste, so whenever one of my green babes is going through a hard time, I try all the tricks in the book (in all the plant books, actually) to get it back on its feet. Most of […]

One of my biggest complaints since evolving from growing a garden to homesteading is not having the land to grow more food for my family. While I can grow a wide variety of different fruits and vegetables, it’s impossible to plant enough of those staple crops that offer a steady and reliable source of calories. […]

It’s disappointing to find pests in the garden or that your long-awaited produce is suffering from a disease, but it’s downright crushing when the start of the season is, well, a non-starter. Sowing seeds and finding no green sprouts coming from the soil means something has gone wrong. Learn the most common causes of no […]

Whether you’re new to peperomia or you’re just clicking out of curiosity, there are a few interesting things you need to know about keeping them as a houseplant. Because as we all know, it’s one thing to keep a plant alive; it’s another to get it to thrive. So here are seven cool things you […]

The growing season is still a couple of months away, but I can’t wait. So why not start right now? There are a number of important gardening chores you need to do while it’s still winter before you even set foot in the garden. Grab a notebook and pen, and let’s prepare for a successful […]

Salvia brings color and fragrance to garden borders, patio pots, meadows, wildflower patches, or challenging, dry areas. These tough plants come in a massive range of colors and sizes, with some perfect as groundcovers and others growing 10 feet tall or more. In the right conditions, this versatile plant can provide compact greenery and pockets…

Even our editor, Tracey, has been known to sniff her houseplants. If you asked me to think of a smell I associated with plants, my first thoughts would fly to scented garden darlings such as jasmine, honeysuckle and fragrant roses. It wouldn’t cross my mind to recall the musty soil smell that, despite my best […]

Creating an ecological garden is a lofty pursuit indeed, but an immensely worthwhile one. With the 12 principles of permaculture to guide us, there are plenty of things we can do to make our gardens more natural, less wasteful, and better integrated into the ecosystem. A permaculture garden isn’t built in a day. It’s a […]

It’s about this time of year that every gardener gets what I refer to as “the green itch.” The holidays have come and gone. Things have gone abruptly quiet, and spring is still quite a way off. It’s when we start daydreaming of bright sunshine, warm earth and the smell of tomato leaves. That is […]

Many of us have had terrible experiences with vines we plant without realizing it will eventually take over an area. We plant them when they’re petite, but you turn your back, and they’re climbing everywhere. The problem becomes too big to deal with, and we end up leaving them to take over the garden. Don’t…

When the dark nights draw in and the winter months begin in earnest, my favorite thing to do is get cozy on the couch and take a well-deserved break. It’s the perfect time for your houseplants to have a nice rest, too. But in order to make that happen, there are a few changes you […]

Saving seeds from your own garden is a valuable skill that every gardener can easily acquire and learn, even in their first growing season. Storing them, however, is a slightly different story. Yet, that’s an easy enough to manage aspect of seed saving too. You don’t need any fancy storage containers with humidity control to […]

I first ran into the concept of using soil blocks when binging market gardening videos on YouTube. Like most home gardeners, I’d originally been introduced to seed starting in cells or plug trays, those modular plastic containers that produce divided plugs for planting out. I also watched a few gardening shows that featured tips on […]

You’ve taken down and disposed of your Christmas tree. The Christmas cookies are long gone. You’ve vacuumed up the confetti from New Year’s Eve. And your Christmas cactus blooms look as though they’ve seen better days. But what do you do with a holiday cactus after it flowers? Just like we all need rest and […]

Congratulations are in order. You’re planning the big day, and the dream wedding is in the not-too-distant future. Weddings are a special day, but they can also be stressful, especially when it comes to money. Flowers can make or break budgets. Sourcing them locally is one step to reduce the impact, but have you considered…

Yellow leaves on your houseplant are aggravating. Why are you yellow? Are you dying? Have I killed you? Is something else killing you? What’s going on? And have you ever noticed that it’s never your whole plant that turns yellow? It’s always one or two leaves, which makes the whole thing even more confusing. The […]

It always starts the same way – we buy a small houseplant or start a cutting with plans of tending it into this massive, bushy plant. We picture a hanging plant so full that you can no longer see the pot because it’s buried in glorious, lush foliage spilling down the sides. And the reality […]

Once you have mastered the standard vegetables most gardeners grow, you may want to branch out into lesser-known, heirloom edible plants. Taking a leaf out of our ancestor’s book or trying something new is a rewarding challenge and introduces you to food you might never have tried. Often, uncommon plants aren’t overly palatable or easy…

No matter your stage in life, circumstances, abilities, skills, or physical limitations, there are ways to enjoy gardening. Accessible gardening is all about finding ways to make growing food and ornamentals more available for everyone. The benefits of getting your hands dirty growing houseplants, flowers, and vegetables are enormous. No one should miss out on…

Wintergreen – Gaultheria procumbens – has been showing up this holiday season in all the stores. With its bright red berries and glossy red and green leaves, it’s a natural choice for Christmas. Go ahead and grab one, as this hardy little plant might be the perfect houseplant for those without perfect light conditions. So, […]

We have friends living in warm climates. Their home is deep in the Florida heat and their garden is full of mangos, papaya, grapefruit, and avocados. One year, they sent us a box of sunshine at Christmas – grapefruits, starfruit, and oranges from the trees in their yard. It almost made me want to pack…

The pride we all feel in our gardens, yards, and homesteads comes from the hard work it takes to set them up and maintain them. It comes as a shock when creatures we don’t want around take up residence and destroy all our toil. Gophers come to mind for many people when they think of…

If you’ve read this article in the past, chances are pretty good you’ve got an amaryllis bulb from the previous holiday season. But what do you do with it now that Christmas is approaching? How do you go about reviving an amaryllis bulb to get it to bloom for the holidays? The whole process is […]

The most important thing you can do to get your Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera) to bloom each year is to ensure it goes through a proper dormant phase with shorter days and cooler nights. I talk about that more in my guide for caring for your Christmas cactus here. However, closely behind that in importance is […]

I’m always nervous when I have to repot a cactus. I despair. Then I prepare. Then I collect everything that could ever be of use to transplant my cacti safely.  Do you know that internet trend of experiential articles following the formula “I did such and such, so you don’t have to”? I briefly considered […]

Congratulations! You’ve gotten your hands on an allotment space that you can transform into your dream garden. Now what? In this article, we will help you learn how to make the most of your community plot. We’ll cover key aspects to consider and suggest a list of plants that’ll give you the most bang for…

If you have a holly bush or tree, then you’ve probably noticed the leaves tend to be, for lack of a better word, “stabbier” toward the bottom of the tree. But the leaves are less spiky as you go further up the tree. Some are even rounded, lacking the characteristic shape holly is known for. […]

Would you like to see a really cool plant? Because I would very much like to show you the coolest-looking plant I found. It’s definitely the weirdest plant I’ve bought since the super popular pickle plant succulent that I wrote about a while ago.  Begonia ‘Ferox’ is a newcomer in the houseplant world. This one […]

To make sure your Christmas tree lasts throughout the holidays, always add half a cup of sugar to your Christmas tree water. No, no, no, everyone knows it’s a can of Mountain Dew. Are you sure? I thought it was a can of Sprite. Does Sprite even exist anymore? I thought it was Starry now? […]

The most common complaint from Christmas and other holiday cactus owners is they can never get their plants to bloom. But a close second is having a Christmas cactus drop all its buds for no apparent reason. Fortunately, by remembering the 3 Ws, dropped buds will be a thing of the past. Bud Blast While […]

I often see peace lilies make it to the top of lists of houseplants that thrive on neglect. I believe – and you can disagree – that no plant thrives if it has been neglected. It merely survives. And that includes the sturdy Spathiphyllum, no matter how many lists of low-maintenance plants it’s featured on.  […]

Incandescent holiday string light provide some warmth to this tropical hibiscus plant. Over the years, I’ve come to appreciate the mild winters we enjoy in the southern United States. However, I’ve also learned the importance of being prepared for those occasional cold snaps that can catch us by surprise. Even in Central Florida, I have […]

Image Credit: US Census Bureau / Esri If you’ve been gardening in the United States, you’ve probably consulted the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map at least once. The PHZM or, as gardeners lovingly call it, the USDA gardening map is the standard yardstick in gardening. It helps us figure out what plants will thrive in […]

Is it just me, or are poinsettias showing up in stores earlier each year? I went to the grocery store last week and was met with a wall of red and green foliage as I entered. It was the week before Thanksgiving. Of course, I smiled and walked right past them, making a note to […]

In your houseplant-keeping journey, you’ve probably noticed that your foliage plants are all some variant of green. Emerald green, yellow-green, pale jade green, sage green; you get the idea. Pink, burgundy and white also come into play. Green houseplants, you don’t say, Trace? Um, yeah, Tracey. I did notice that. Thanks? You also probably noticed […]

Hoyas are an attractive tropical houseplant with shiny, thick leaves, which are the obvious inspiration for its common name – wax plant. It’s this beautiful, lush foliage that makes it a popular choice among houseplant lovers. But scads of hoya owners have never seen the gorgeous umbels filled with tiny star-shaped flowers that elicited its […]

Let’s face it: Christmas shopping is hard. It can be tough to come up with gift ideas for friends and family if you don’t share the same hobbies. If you’re not a gardener, how are you supposed to know what’s a good gift or what will end up collecting dust in the corner of the […]

If you’re looking for something unique to grow on your homestead, check out snail vine. Also known as the “corkscrew vine,” this beautifully strange flower is easy to care for and produces bright, eye-catching blossoms. With its unique beauty, it’s the perfect thing to add some life to a fence, trellis, or wall, and the…

Southern gardeners in Zones 8 to 11 often wonder what, exactly, is winter? We get no (or rare) freezing weather. A light snowfall can make news headlines. For the most part, wintertime chores just mean trying to get everything done with shorter days to do it. It certainly doesn’t mean an end to our gardening! […]

We started our gardening journey fourteen years ago, growing all of our vegetables and fruits in pots on our tiny city lot. Then we moved to a large homestead and were lucky to have a giant vegetable garden, but then… we moved again, and now we’re back to growing in pots until we have time […]

It’s one thing to find a mushroom on your walk in the woods; it’s another to find one peeking out of the potting soil of one of your houseplants. How did it get there? Does it mean something is wrong? And most importantly, what the heck should you do with it? Believe it or not, […]

Easter cactus, or Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri, are often confused with their cousins – Christmas and Thanksgiving cactus. Maybe that’s why you’re here. You read this article about Christmas cactus and realized you actually have an Easter cactus. It’s an easy mistake to make. They all kinda look alike. But read on, and we’ll explore some of […]

If you love flowers, you likely look forward to seeing them spring up again after winter’s long chill. Some of the most beautiful harbingers of spring are snowdrops: stunning milk-white blooms that cheer up the late winter landscape with their drooping, bell-like blossoms. Read on to learn how to cultivate these bulbs so you can…

So, what’s for lunch? Bears on the homestead is a unique problem to have, but a challenging one too. These predators are big, strong, scary, and can be incredibly persistent. If you have bears frequenting your homestead, it’s time to get it on lockdown. Take every step possible to encourage them to move on. I […]

Growing a peck of peppers doesn’t appeal only to guys named Peter. Many gardeners grow these popular nightshades every year. Whether you prefer the cool, juicy crunch of a sweet bell pepper or the face-melting heat of hot peppers, you’ve likely come across a few specimens with strange woody scars across their surface – pepper […]

So, you finally discovered the secret to getting your Christmas (or other holiday cactus) to bloom. Do you want to know another secret? You can get it to bloom again a few months later. In fact, you can get it to bloom anytime you want to. Curious? Keep reading. For many folks, getting their holiday […]

Is it a Christmas cactus or a Thanksgiving cactus, or an Easter cactus? Is it even a cactus? I’ll bet I know why you’re here. Some well-meaning friend or family member told you your plant wasn’t a Christmas cactus. Or maybe you’ve had a Christmas cactus for ages, but you’re struggling to get the silly […]

We’ve had a very warm October this year, so I’ve postponed the task of planting spring bulbs from one Saturday to another until November rolled around.  On the one hand, my fingers were itching to start digging and get bulbs in the ground. But on the other hand, I knew that biding my time now […]

I have been growing (and killing) houseplants for decades, and after years of experience, pothos has become my go-to houseplant. They’re beautiful, lush, easy to get your hands on, even easier to make more of, and nearly indestructible. Whether I need a nice last-minute gift for someone or there’s a corner that could use (even […]

Few plants bloom as early as primroses do. By early spring, they’re alive with bright colors. They’re attractive, compact plants you can plant in borders, containers, partially shaded gardens, and in mass groupings. The sheer variety is astounding. Some have clusters of flowers on one stem, while others have a single flower on the stem….

Snake plants are popular houseplants for many reasons. Lovely to look at, easy to keep alive, and slow growing enough to maintain their shape long-term, there’s much to like about this plucky plant. If you’re new to snake plants, you likely have some questions. How much water do they need? Do certain varieties make for […]

When we think of gardening, leafy greens with vibrant flowers and delectable fruit are usually what come to mind. Most herbaceous plants have the typical care requirements of lots of sunshine, fertile soil, and good drainage to take root and give us that show. Mushrooms are unlike traditional plants, an oddball distant cousin that doesn’t […]

I winced a bit as I watched my partner lower the spinning tines into the soil in our garden. Dark, brown earth immediately turned up behind him as he walked next to the lumbering rototiller. “That’s years of hard work down the drain,” I thought. Or is it? This fall, we made the tough choice […]

Winterizing your garden can be an enjoyable endeavor. Despite the sadness of bidding farewell to the bright colors and lush vegetation of the warmer months, being able to tidy away and prepare for next season is satisfying in itself, plus it allows you to think ahead long-term.  The first frost date of the season is […]

When you think of blooming houseplants, I’ll bet you don’t think of snake plants. Yet, the recently reclassified Sansevieria trifasciata does, in fact, flower. They can bloom, usually once a year in the spring. But you wouldn’t think so to look at them. The (now) Dracaena trifasciata are tough plants. Everything about these succulents comes […]

Many years ago, when I first discovered that a surefire way to get free houseplants was to bring some in from the garden, you would have thought I’d hit the jackpot. When you’re a plant-obsessed student on a half-a-shoestring budget, it does feel like winning the lottery when well-meaning family members give you plants from […]

Leafminers are sneaky pests that can make a mess of your garden. The worms themselves are hardly noticeable as they hide inside leaves, but the damage they do to plants is apparent. Leafminers aren’t a species of insect. They’re a collection of different species that all share a destructive tendency to live in and eat…

Hydrangeas are fun, pure and simple. What else can you say about a shrub with blooms that look like cheerleading pompoms? It’s no wonder they’re a summer mainstay in front yards everywhere. But as the leaves on the trees begin to change color, the flowers of a hydrangea begin to fade. With the arrival of […]

Snapdragons (Antirrhinum spp.), have been cultivated and hybridized since the Romans and Greeks used them to keep evil spells and witchcraft at bay. Prized through the years for their beauty, delicate scent, long vase life, and elegant form, these plants are a common sight in most gardens. This short-lived tender perennial is treated as an…

There’s always a certain sadness when the gardening season comes to an end, but don’t despair quite yet – there are still a number of pleasurable chores to get done in your no-dig garden. Take in a sweeping view of your garden and look at the work to be done. It may seem overwhelming at […]

All-purpose potting soil has been around for quite some time. Its invention changed how we garden. It has made growing plants easy and accessible, whether you have a large plot of land or a small terracotta pot. But the name can be misleading. Is all-purpose potting mix really all-purpose? Not where most houseplants are concerned. […]

We all know that gardening is a labor of love. After all the hard work and the many hours spent planning, planting, watering, and caring for plant life, there is something so profound about watching the soil produce beautiful and delicious things.  Being outside in the sunshine and fresh air, with the sounds and smells […]

As summer fades and autumn takes center stage, big changes start happening in the world of our feathered friends. Some species prepare for migration and take flight, while others get ready for colder weather. Both require a change of diet. Whether you feed the birds all year long or break out your feeders in the […]

Why isn’t my peace lily blooming? It’s the most commonly asked question about this popular beginner’s houseplant. And while Google will throw numerous articles at you with numbered lists suggesting why your plant won’t bloom, few get it right. You see, they fail to address something plant breeders have known since the 80s about the […]

When it comes to caring for your lawn, there are two kinds of people. First, there’s the Lawn Warriors. You know the ones. They own every gadget ever created to help grow the perfect carpet of lush green grass. Weed whacker, edge-trimmer, seeder, zero-turn lawn mower, custom grass blend, combination ear protection and Bluetooth headset […]

Fall is in the air. The garden is slowing down, and the days and nights are getting cooler. Before you know it, we’ll be reaching for our sweaters. Unfortunately, as weather patterns change each year, that first foray into sweater weather can take gardeners by surprise. So, what do you do when you wake up […]

Fall is here! It’s time to put away your gloves, put your garden tools in the shed and call it quits. Whether you had a banner of a year or a bummer of a harvest, most of us are ready to be done with all the seasonal work that comes from growing our own food. […]

It’s never too late to leave the leaves on the ground, right where they belong. That is, unless you’ve already raked them up, stuffed them in bags and sent them wherever the truck takes them – to a composting facility or a landfill. If the latter is the case, perhaps it’s time for a new […]

While orchids are becoming increasingly common in garden centers (and even grocery stores!), an aura of mystery remains around them. Their svelte form and tropical plumage can feel intimidating for beginning home horticulturists. But that’s a misconception. Orchids thrive under the proper care, and it’s surprisingly easy to provide (especially if you can avoid these […]

Inch plant, spiderwort, Wandering Dude, whatever you call them, tradescantia is the perfect houseplant for when you get tired of all the philodendrons that look the same. Tradescantia, which are native to the Americas, have striking foliage. Some have leaves that seem to shimmer, and others have leaves of the deepest emerald on one side […]

Repotting a monstera is one thing when they’re still small; repotting them once they’ve been staked and growing up a support is another. But it’s not difficult; it just takes a little extra time and patience. Monstera deliciosa are a favorite among plant enthusiasts for their extra-large, windowed leaves. But many plant parents are guilty […]

Create a weighted monstera pot with an embedded support pole in an afternoon, and grow the monstera of your dreams. There is great pride in growing a massive Monstera deliciosa that creeps and climbs up a tall support. It can take years to grow one to that point. And there’s nothing quite as heartbreaking as […]