Welcome to our blog’s advice on growing plants. Here you’ll find tips to green your thumb, whether you’re new to gardening or want to take your skills up a notch.
We dish practical guidance from planting to harvest. Learn how to start seeds, deal with pests safely, and reap abundant veggies and blooms.
Our farming experts break information down into simple steps. Follow their instructions to grow thriving container or raised bed gardens that fit your space.
Stop by regularly as we add new posts to help your garden thrive! We want to see you succeed at urban farming right at home.
Squirrels are tenacious rodent pests, and it’s reasonable for gardeners to expect control rather than eradication from their efforts. It’s one thing to battle with a squirrel who insists on hogging the garden birdfeeder. It’s another matter when squirrels, not the gardener, enjoy summer’s first tomato from the vegetable patch. Squirrel Facts Like them or…
Greenhouses are great, but if your budget doesn’t permit that just yet, try a hoop house. You can start your spring garden and begin your harvest early. Gardens are increasingly popular as families try to stretch budgets. Extending the growing season, even if just by a couple of weeks, can mean more delicious salads and…
A welcome delicacy from the spring garden, hardy perennial asparagus grows easily from seed. How To Grow Asparagus Native to the Mediterranean and eaten by the ancient Egyptians and Greeks, succulent asparagus spears are ready for harvest when most other plants in the vegetable garden are just getting started. Saving Seeds From Your Own Plants…
If you’ve ever admired a pumpkin that looked like Cinderella’s coach or a giant tomato that resembled a softball, learn how you can grow giant produce without chemicals. Giant vegetables are not the delicacies of the garden. Mammoth zucchinis are pithy, colossal tomatoes are watery, and 1200 pound pumpkins are hardly fit for carving a…
Organic gardeners who think celery is difficult to grow in the natural vegetable garden can grow healthy plants by following a few rules. When choosing seeds and plants for the organic vegetable garden, many gardeners overlook the possibility of growing celery. After all, celery is cheap at the grocery store, and the flavor difference between…
These plants are famously known as shamrocks or four leaf clovers but they are so much more. Read on for more info on this outstanding houseplant! Oxalis, known best as Shamrocks or Four Leaf Clovers, are an enduring symbol of Irish pride and can be found almost anywhere during the month of March, when St….
The Maranta family consists of 4 closely related plants. While often challenging to grow they are prized for their colorful foliage. Read on for more! Maranta is actually the name given to a group of plants, which include Calathea, Ctenanthe, Stromanthe, and yes, the Maranta.. Of all of these, only Marantas and Calatheas are widely available…
The holidays are over and the winter doldrums are setting in. To help, here’s a list of 5 fun plants for your kids to grow and care for! The holidays are over and the winter doldrums are settling in. For kids, it often means boredom and post holiday let down. For a fun and educational activity,…
Aloe, Geraniums and Cast Iron Plants-grow these plants and more, even if you think you have a black thumb! Think you’ve got a black thumb? Try these plants, which are guaranteed easy to grow: 1. Aloe No kitchen should be without one of these hardy succulents. The gel inside the long spear like leaves is…
Having to go away for days or weeks can be worrisome for houseplant lovers, but this guide will provide some simple tips on how to keep your plants heathy and happy! Vacations, holidays, family emergencies, business trips. All these things may require a lengthy absence from home. For houseplant lovers, this can be worrisome. Finding…
You can’t eat green manures, but if you know which crops to grow, where, when and how to cultivate them you will improve your soil for the benefit of future edible crops. Crops of green manures can be cultivated throughout the growing season from early spring onwards on any piece of empty ground, but most…
Every homeowner should take steps to kill crab grass in order to maintain a beautiful lawn. Herbicides are a simple way to kill the weed and prevent its recurrence. Killing crab grass (also known as “finger grass”) is an easy process if it is done properly. Left to its own devices, this unattractive weed can…
Few pizza chains offer pizzas with organic toppings, but home gardeners can grow a natural pizza garden in a sunny back yard spot. A pizza garden is a good theme garden for beginners, children, or anyone who loves pizza. Filled with fresh organic vegetables and herbs, this garden will produce all summer long. Pizza Garden Plan…
Popular spring blooming perennials, such as Bergenia, Dicentra and Helleborus are long lasting plants, easy to care for, and makes for colorful New Year Gardens. Perennial plants live for many years and get better with each passing year. They are best planted in the spring or fall and they grow and bloom through the spring…
Start flower seeds indoors to have seedlings to transplant. Accurate seed preparation by timing flower seed development offers a head start to gardening outside. Timing is essential to take maximum advantage of starting seeds indoors. Gardeners can use several strategies to determine when to plant seeds indoors and hardening off seedlings, thereby readying transplants for…
There is always a new idea or feature to add to the garden. Some projects require a lot of time and others, a moment, but they all add something special. Gardeners love designing their gardens, dreaming about them during the cold days of winter and planning them well in advance. They can’t wait for the…
Crushed stone walkways are easy to install, and will make strolling through the garden a pleasure. Stone paths are loved by gardeners. They add structure and beauty to a garden. They make a wonderful sound when walked on, and the stone helps to keep your shoes free from mud while doing your garden chores. Constructing…
Some people see chemicals as a quick & easy fix for lawn problems, but the chemical approach addresses the symptom, not the problem. Instead, go for an organic lawn! The signs of a chemically-dependent lawn are obvious – sparse grass, moss & mildew, yellow spots, insect damage and a spongy feel underfoot caused by a…
Five super-easy ideas to keep a lawn healthy, lush, green, and safe for kids and pets! A green carpet of lawn adds beauty & functionality to a landscape. It can also wreak havoc on both the environment and the homeowner’s wallet. Synthetic fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides only appear to help lawns thrive. In reality, they degrade the…
To revamp your landscape, know your obstacles, don’t rush the process and put the right plant in the right place. The tools you’ll need are: a metal measuring tape a pencil with eraser a ruler a notepad graph paper a digital camera (helpful, not required), and a clear vision of what you want to end…
Find out how to prepare herb gardens to survive till spring in cold-winter climates. With a little planning and a little work, gardeners can significantly improve the health, survival, and quality of their herb gardens through wintertime. Proceed Carefully in Autumn Many perennial herbs will be more likely to survive the winter if the gardener…
