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Gardening Advice
You go to a farmers’ market for the freshest, best-tasting fruits and vegetables at the peak of the growing season. You’re hoping to avoid shady characters. Here are tips on getting the best bounty—with six ways to spot a fake farmer. (And tell us your stories!)The town I grew up in had lots of farms, mostly dairy, but there were some truck farms, too, that grew all kinds of vegetables for…
Late summer and fall is the ideal time to take cuttings of many plants! Many of our favorite tender plants (such as coleus and geraniums) may not survive winter. It’s fun and quite satisfying to multiply your favorite plants—for free! Learn how.One of my favorite aspects of gardening is plant propagation. Whether it’s from seed or from a cutting, I love seeing a new plant emerge and…
When we see a green tomato, it’s usually just unripe and will eventually turn red with a bit of patience. However, there are green tomatoes that are meant to stay green! The taste is very different. Learn more about true green tomatoes and how to ripen them.If you’ve had an unripe red tomato, it’s usually very hard with a tart taste. We either wait for the tomato to turn red, ripen the…
Fall is the best time for shrubs. As the gardening season winds down, it’s the last call for filling in those bare spots in your landscaping with a beautiful shrub or two. Discover six shrubs that add those beloved colors of autumn right to your own yard!Many gardeners prefer autumn to any other season. The heat and humidity of summer have passed, biting insects are gone, and the leaves of many…
Here’s a foolproof approach to making a flower bouquet—whether you grow your own flowers or are selecting flowers at a local market. Also, see which flowers are best for long-lasting bouquets.In making a hand-tied bouquet, select flowers that have good stem strength, color, and vase life.Avoid having boring bouquets! Try to pick a variety of flower forms, shapes, sizes, textures, and…
We should always consider our feathered friends! Making your garden bird-friendly takes more than just hanging a feeder or two. Here are five tips for making your backyard more welcoming to birds.Why Help Our Birds?Just being outside in the garden surrounded by birdsong is a wonderful way to spend the day. Listening to the chirping chickadees and loud laughing call of the pileated…
By midfall, most plants have stopped flowering. However, if you’d like an autumn bloomer, look no further than the hardy hibiscus and beautiful Rose of Sharon. Discover varieties of hibiscus flowers and planting tips!
Rose of Sharon
Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) is one of my favorite late summer shrubs. Hardy hibiscus is so tough the plant will come back year…
It’s tomato harvest time! See my tips on how to encourage the ripening of tomatoes, rescue imperfect tomatoes, and what to do with all those tomatoes—from roasting to other delicious ways to enjoy!Rescuing Imperfect TomatoesTomatoes do not need to be those perfect, round (and often tasteless) specimens you find in the grocery store. Don’t throw a tomato because it’s “wrinkly” or a weird…
Imagine how many more vegetables you could grow if you just had a few more weeks of warm weather. That’s what season extenders are for. From plastic tunnels to floating row covers, here are my favorite ways to get a jumpstart on spring planting to lengthen the growing season!
In many areas of the country, the gardening season is in full swing, but spring is so fickle! While I always…
Monarch butterflies are officially endangered, which means that they’re at a real risk of extinction if we don’t take action. One thing we can do is to plant colorful, compact milkweed, a monarch’s favorite food. However, it’s important to choose the right variety.Not only does milkweed provide nectar for the adult butterflies, but also it is the only plant on which they…
If you like to garden, be careful in extreme heat. Here are seven sensible tips to keep in mind during hot and humid weather. Whether you like it hot or not, it is important to be aware and take care while working outside.Gardening in the HeatI like hot summers, but I know that my opinion is in the minority when I hear my fellow gardeners complaining about the heat and humidity.…
Daisy-shaped flowers are the cheerful workhorses of the flower garden. Daisies remind of the sun and have an energizing effect on us. Since the daisy family, Asteraceae, is one of the largest plant families, there are more daisy-shaped flowers to choose from than any other shape! Let’s explore the different kinds of daisies from the classic to the colorful! The name daisy comes from the…
