Gardening Advice

There is a lot of buzz out there about sterilizing the soil you use for starting your seedlings and potting them up, especially if you are reusing old soil. See how to sterilize soil in the oven, microwave, or pressure cooker. But let’s also ask ourselves, Is this really necessary?Soil can harbor diseases, insect pests, and also weed seeds. If you purchase new potting soil, it’s…

For centuries, gardeners took their cues for planting times from nature—a field of knowledge called phenology. For instance, one piece of advice said to “plant potatoes when the first dandelion blooms.” Learn more about planting by nature’s signs—and see more examples!Most of us may not be familiar with the term, “phenology,” even though it’s been part of The Old Farmer’s Almanac…

Primroses are hearty, rugged little perennial flowers that come in a rainbow of colors! These shade-lovers bloom from early spring through summer—for color all season long. Here are 9 types of pretty primroses.There is nothing demure about primroses; they light up the landscape with carnival bright colors like egg yolk yellow, royal blue, magenta, and bright crimson.Plus, they are hardy…

A hot, dry summer can be tough on gardens, but lawns are suffering as well. If yours looks like the winner of an ugly lawn contest, don’t despair: There are a few things you can do to help it recover and improve its looks for next year.Start with healthy soil. Fall is the perfect time for a soil test to see what nutrients yours is lacking and fertilize accordingly. Add lime or wood ashes if…

Flowers are starting to appear for sale in the garden centers—and that means pansies. Get to know this old-fashioned “flower with a face” and discover 10 different varieties! Growing Pansies Often, gardeners overlook pansies as being temporary “throw-away” plants, but most are actually half-hardy annuals, which means that you should get at least two seasons of bloom from…

Many of us remember hunting for that elusive “four-leaf clover” as a child, and we’ve all seen that green shamrock on St. Patrick’s Day. That brings us to today’s garden musings. Let’s talk about what a shamrock really is—and what it isn’t!What Is a Shamrock?The shamrock is a symbol that we commonly associate with St. Patrick’s Day and with Ireland.…

Being able to pick flavorful, ripe, homegrown tomatoes is one of the main reasons for having a summer garden. But what if you lack the space for a garden? Have no fear, containers are here!Keep in mind these few simple tips for success and you’ll be on your way to a handy harvest of summer goodness right on your sunny patio, porch, deck, or balcony.What type of container is best?Unless you…

In late winter, the earliest of spring bulbs pop their heads out of the snow, bringing a smile to our faces. See seven flowers which will be up and blooming long before other plants have begun to stir!Snowdrops (Galanthus)January’s birth flower, snowdrops are the first to appear in my yard, even though they have to push the top crust of snow up and away as they reach for…

Here are some tips on which perennial flowers to plant in your yard to keep constant color all summer! Whether you live in the South, Northeast, Midwest, or West, here are a some long-blooming perennials for gorgeous garden displays wherever you live.Perennials That Bloom All SummerNonstop bloom is easy to create just by planting the right varieties for your location. Try some of these…

When do you plant flowers in the garden? It depends! Is it a perennial flower, annual flower, or bulb? Is it frost-sensitive or not? As with vegetables, there’s a right and a wrong time to plant your beloved blooms. Here’s when to start seeds and when transplant young plants outdoors.Different plants need a different amount of lead time before they are ready to transplant into…

Before you pour salt on your driveways to melt snow and ice, consider the impact it has on your plants, pets, pavement, and water quality. Explore seven less harmful ways to melt ice—as well as ways to use less salt!Rock salt (sodium chloride) has been the conventional choice to melt ice on driveways and sidewalks as salt has a lower freezing point than water. Rock salt is effective to…

When there's snow on the ground, it's easy to see who has been visiting the garden when we're not looking. This week, we discovered a number of white-tailed deer. Here are tips for identifying your winter visitors and coexisting with wildlife. Deer are on the move. The first inkling we had that they were in our yard was when the seven-foot-tall plastic mesh fence surrounding the vegetable…