If you have perennials in your container garden or plan to overwinter some plants in a warmer climate, winterizing a container garden is important. It helps protect your plants from the colder temperatures, wind, and frost most zones will get at least a few times during the winter months. If you’re wondering how to prepare…
You’ve probably heard about the “Dirty Dozen,” but do you know what produce is on the list and why? If you’re concerned about exposure to pesticides and other chemicals, you’re in luck: Many of these fruits and veggies can be grown organically in containers! What is the Dirty Dozen? The Environmental Working Group (EWG) puts…
4 things to do NOW to prep for a summer patio garden If you’re planning to grow yummy herbs and veggies on your patio or deck this summer, you might be looking for a container garden planner to get things ready to go. There are lots of garden planners out there, but if you want…
Hardening off is the process of adapting seedlings to the outside to get used to sun, wind, rain and more extreme temperatures. If you start seeds indoors or buy young seedlings from a retailer or farmers market, you’ll need to know how to harden off seedlings! Hardening off is important because without taking that important…
Whether they have some scientific basis or they’re purely folklore, there are some WEIRD fertilizers out there! From banana water to aquarium water to weed tea to buried pennies … gardeners are willing to try just about any home remedies for plants to boost their veggies and increase yield. Not all of these have scientific…
I don’t know about you, but for me, gardening is pure therapy. Digging my hands in potting soil literally grounds me, connecting me to the earth. Starting seeds and transplanting seedlings gives me a front-row seat to the life cycle of plants. Watching things grow, slowly, teaches me patience and reverence. Tending to my plants…
If you’re growing veggies in your container garden, you most likely need pollinators! They’re vital for flowering plants to produce fruit and play an important role in plant life … and all life, for that matter! Seventy-five percent of our food depends on pollinators. Once you know how to attract pollinators to your vegetable garden,…
Composting is a great way to improve your container garden, save some money, reduce your carbon footprint and do something good for the environment. But wait! If you’re picturing a huge yard with big compost bins … or walking out to the back acreage with a pitchfork to turn the pile … never fear. You…
Compost sounds like something you find on a farm or near a big, in-ground garden. But that’s not always the case! Small compost bins can make it possible for just about anyone to make their own “black gold.” Composting is a great way to save some money, reduce your carbon footprint and do something good…
Many vegetables commonly grown in container gardens need help with pollination. Learning how to hand pollinate vegetables will help you make the most of your growing garden. Bees, wasps and other pollinator insects (and even some birds) usually do most of the work. One early morning this summer, I was checking my plants and happened…