Gardening Basics
Soil and Composting
How to Improve Sandy Soil to Grow Healthier Plants
Tips on how to improve sandy soil for better moisture retention and healthier plants.
Pallet Raised Garden Bed – Build it Yourself!
DIY pallet raised garden beds are a simple, budget-friendly way to build your own raised garden beds for flowers and vegetables. Learn how easy they are to construct with our step-by-step directions!
Potting Soil vs Potting Mix: What’s the Difference?
Is potting soil the same as potting mix? Learn how to read soil product labels and which ingredients to look for to help your potted plants grow and thrive.
All About Garden Soil and Mulch
Find out what types of soil is best for growing plants and what mulch you should use. Along with tips for making healthy soil, use our soil and mulch calculators to find how much you need for pots, gardens, and raised beds.
How to Amend Clay Soil
Clay soil can be hard to work, have poor drainage and lack nutrients plants need to survive. Learn how to amend clay soil into workable, healthier soil.
Compost Tea – Step by Step
Compost tea is an easy option for gardeners and a healthy choice for plants. Learn how to make compost tea (aerated and non-aerated), and how to use it.
A Soil Calculator for Raised Beds and Containers
Before you make the trip to the garden center to buy potting or raised bed soil, you can easily determine how much you'll need using a simple soil calculator formula.
How to Change Your Soil pH
Soil pH is an essential factor in a plant's ability to grow. Learn what it means, why it's important, and how to change your soil pH to help plants thrive.
How to Test Soil pH
Here’s how to do a simple soil pH test from items you probably already have in your kitchen. Once you determine whether your soil is acidic or alkaline, we have recommendations for soil amendments that can bring the soil back into the neutral pH range.
Tips for Fertilizing Houseplants
Most houseplants need feeding with a fertilizer from time to time to replenish the soil’s nutrient levels and keep plants thriving. Get answers to some of the most common questions around what to feed, and when to fertilize, your houseplants.
Straightforward Tips for Soil Improvement
Good soil is essential for healthy plants. If your yard’s soil is less than perfect, you can improve it by digging in fresh materials to make up for what it lacks. But which materials should you add? This article describes seven of the most useful natural soil improvers.
5 Ways to Use Eggshells for Plants
Eggshells are packed with calcium and other minerals, and this makes them too valuable for a gardener to throw into the waste disposal. When put to imaginative use, they can make a great contribution to your yard’s health and productivity.
Biochar: A New Trend in Soil Amendment
What if we told you there was a substance you could add to your garden that would improve the health of your plants, increase flower, fruit, and vegetable production, recondition barren areas, all the while helping to stop climate change by sequestering carbon and encouraging the production of alternative fuels? Interested? Then read on for nine questions, and answers, about the super soil amendment--biochar.
The Dirt on Garden Soils
Digging through the many planting soils at your local garden center can be daunting. This article will help you figure out what sort of soil you need right now.
How Much Mulch Do I Need?
It’s important to apply enough mulch to reap the benefits. Learn how to quickly calculate the amount of mulch you need for your space.
Guide to Direct Composting
Try direct composting: the no-mess, no-fuss method for making compost from your kitchen food waste.
How to Stop Soil Erosion
Topsoil being carried away by rainfall can be a serious problem. Here are methods to control erosion, including the strongest deterrent, plants.
Compost Tips for Beginners
Start composting with these tips and basic steps!
Plant Food 101
Explanation of the most important nutrients plants require to thrive and how those nutrients influence plant growth and development.
How to Evaluate Your Soil Type
Believe it or not, plants in the garden do better if the soil is healthy. Focus on a single aspect of soil health and perform this simple jar test to determine the composition of your garden soil.
Time-Saving Tip: Mulch
Mulch is more than an attractive finishing touch in a garden. Adding mulch to the garden is a time-saving, water-saving, weed-minimizing, and soil-improving step that is worth the effort.
Types of Plants
All About Growing Annual Plants
The info you need to know to grow annual plants. We gathered all our tips about choosing which flowers to grow and how to take care of annuals.
All About Growing Perennial Plants
The information you need to know to grow perennial garden plants. We’ve collected some of our best tips for growing perennials in pots and in your garden, including a list of popular plants and how to care for them.
All About Growing Cactus
We’ve gathered our most helpful care tips and inspiring project ideas for growing cactus plants, whether it’s as a potted houseplant or displayed outside. A list of eight popular cacti is also included.
All About Growing Succulents
We’ve gathered our most helpful care tips and inspiring project ideas for growing succulent plants, whether it’s as a potted houseplant or displayed outside. A list of 10 popular succulents is also included.
Know Your Plants – Annual vs. Perennial
Learn the differences between annual and perennial plants and how to decide which type of plant is best for your gardening needs.
How to Plant
12 Fast-growing Trees to Quickly Update Your Landscape
Whether you’re planting a new landscape or replacing a tree that was lost to natural causes, we’ve got tips for selecting and nurturing fast-growing trees.
How to Plant Ground Cover Plants
Low-maintenance ground cover plants prevent weeds and provide erosion control on slopes. Here are tips for planting garden ground cover that return year after year on hillsides, around trees and between pavers.
How to Plant a Shrub
Learn how to plant a shrub with these illustrated steps.
How to Plant a Vine
Learn how to plant a vine with these illustrated steps.
How to Plant a Tree
Learn how to plant a tree with these illustrated steps.
How to Plant a Perennial
Learn how to plant perennials with these illustrated steps.
How to Plant an Annual
Learn how to plant an annual plant with these illustrated steps.
Fall Planting of Trees and Shrubs
Fall is the perfect time for planting trees and shrubs!
Gardening Styles
Growing Edible Fig Trees: Variety Selection and Care Tips
Did you know that many varieties of edible fig trees can be grown in North American gardens? Learn how to grow your own fig tree and harvest delicious fresh figs!
60 Red Flowers for Show-Stopping Garden Designs
A list of our favorite plants with red flowers that are sure to add some sizzle to your flower border, window box, or patio pots. Instantly transform any space from blah to bold with red flowers!
12 Tips for Growing Healthy Potted Azaleas
Potted azaleas are popular gift plants and make beautiful flowering houseplants. We’ve got tips on how to care for your potted azalea to keep it healthy and happy!
Herbs for Bearded Dragons: Help Keep Your “Beardie” Happy and Healthy!
Fresh herbs and greens are a great way to supplement your bearded dragon’s need for a nutritious balanced diet. Check our list of herbs for bearded dragons with many that you can grow yourself!
How to Grow and Propagate Spider Plants (Chlorophytum species)
Spider plants are fun and easy to grow and propagate! Learn how to care for your spider plant and add new Chlorophytum species to your collection.
Top 12 Houseplants for a Housewarming Gift
Houseplants make great housewarming gifts if you stick with varieties that are easy to care for. Here’s our list of the top 12 houseplants best suited for gifting.
50 Plants with Orange Flowers to Energize Your Outdoor Spaces
Orange flowers make a bold statement in any setting. We’ve made a list of 50 orange flowers that are sure to add vibrancy to your garden, edgings, and patio pots.
Guide to Azalea Shrub Care
Proper azalea shrub care can ensure vibrant blooms and healthy shrubs all season long. Get tips on azalea planting, watering, fertilizing, pruning and more.
How to Grow and Use Calendula Flowers
Learn why calendula flowers, also known as “pot marigolds” or “English marigolds”, are one of the most versatile, long lasting, and useful plants in the garden!
70 Cheerful Plants with Yellow Flowers
Yellow is a color associated with sunshine, optimism, and happiness. Here are 70 yellow flowers you can use to transform your garden, patio, or balcony into your happy place!
12 Fast-growing Trees to Quickly Update Your Landscape
Whether you’re planting a new landscape or replacing a tree that was lost to natural causes, we’ve got tips for selecting and nurturing fast-growing trees.
How to Improve Sandy Soil to Grow Healthier Plants
Tips on how to improve sandy soil for better moisture retention and healthier plants.
45 Plants with Pretty Pink Flowers
Whether you prefer a soft pastel pink or a vibrant hot pink, you’re sure to find one of these 45 pink flowers perfect for your design scheme.
Foundation Planting Ideas to Transform Your Home’s Curb Appeal
Find the perfect plants to design a foundation planting around your home that enhances the landscape and complements your personal style.
Pallet Raised Garden Bed – Build it Yourself!
DIY pallet raised garden beds are a simple, budget-friendly way to build your own raised garden beds for flowers and vegetables. Learn how easy they are to construct with our step-by-step directions!
Guide to the Safe Use of Home and Garden Chemicals
Sometimes chemical solutions are necessary to control severe infestations of plant pests or diseases. Learn how to safely handle home and garden chemicals to protect yourself and the environment.
Ornamental Grasses: Selection, Design Ideas and Care
Ornamental grasses are a gardener’s dream! We feature 15 of the most popular varieties plus tips on selecting and growing grass.
How to Improve Soil Drainage
Healthy soil drainage is essential for your plants to thrive. Learn how to make soil drain better with these tips.
Discover 80 Beautiful Plants with Purple Flowers
Purple flowers have a certain allure and mystique. You can add elegance and rich color to your garden with some of these plants with purple flowers.
Gravel gardens: benefits, design tips, and best plants
Discover the beauty of gravel gardens! Learn about the benefits, design tips, and best plants to create a stunning and low-maintenance gravel garden.
Daylily Care: Planting, Growing, and Maintenance
Daylilies are often called “the perfect perennial”. Learn about daylily care and how easy it is to plant, grow, and care for daylily plants.
Gardening Tools
Guide to the Safe Use of Home and Garden Chemicals
Sometimes chemical solutions are necessary to control severe infestations of plant pests or diseases. Learn how to safely handle home and garden chemicals to protect yourself and the environment.
How to Trim Hedges: A Guide to Perfectly Pruned Hedges
Learn how to trim hedges like a pro! Get tips on when to trim, what tools you need, and how to create even shapes for perfectly pruned hedges.
Gardening on a Budget: 7 Ways to Save Money
Gardening doesn’t have to be an expensive hobby! Save money on gardening by growing plants from seeds, making your own compost, and buying used gardening tools.
Best Gifts for Gardeners Under $10
If you’re gift shopping for your gardener friends, you don’t have to break the bank to find them a gift that they will enjoy or find useful. We have gift ideas that will work for any gardener.
How to Sharpen Garden Tools
Learn how to sharpen garden tools safely and maintain them so they're ready to use when needed.
Taking Care of Garden Tools
If you’re an active gardener then it’s likely that your garden tools show it. Fortunately, it doesn’t take a lot of time or effort to keep your garden tools in tiptop shape. By managing wear and tear, you can get years of use out of your tools.
7 Simple Lawn Mower Safety Tips
Whether you find mowing the lawn a boring chore or a relaxing pastime, it’s important to do it safely. Here are seven simple, but essential, lawn mower safety tips to keep you and your family safe.
The Basic Gardening Tools Everyone Needs
A list of necessary gardening tools, no matter what your garden's size.
How-to: Pruning Landscape Trees & Shrubs
Regular pruning of trees and shrubs offers many benefits to help your plants grow strong and healthy. Learn more about how and when to prune trees and shrubs.
All About Seeds
Different Seed Types You Can Grow
One of the first steps for growing plants is selecting from different seed types. Learn about the different heirloom, hybrid, standard, certified organic and non-GMO seeds.
Seed Storage – How Long Do Seeds Last?
Careful seed storage is vital if you want to enjoy good germination rates. Learn how to store seed to preserve them as long as possible.
Tips for Seed Germination
Seed germination is the first step toward growing a healthy plant, and here's what you need to know to encourage high germination rates from the seeds you sow.
Seed Exchanges – How to Find or Organize a Seed Swap
Celebrate National Seed Swap Day at a seed exchange or better yet organize your own seed swap. Discover how to share seeds and dreams of spring!
Make Your Own Envelopes for Saving Seeds
Saving seeds is a great way to make sure you always have access to some of your favorite plant varieties. Keep your seed storage organized with our handy, easy to make seed envelopes.
DIY: Homemade Seed Paper
Eco-friendly crafts and gifts are all the rage, and this plantable seed paper fits the bill. The DIY project uses recycled paper to create homemade paper embedded with seeds. Plant the paper in a pot or outside for an instant garden!
Hardening Off Plants and Seedlings
Moving plants and seedlings directly outdoors in the spring can be a shock to their systems, even to the point of causing damage or death. “Hardening off” is the safe way to introduce plants to the outdoors. Follow these simple steps to introduce your plants to spring safely.
Vegetable Garden Basics – Start Seeds or Buy Plants?
Learn what you need to consider when deciding whether to plant your vegetable garden from seed or get a jump-start by purchasing plants.
When and How to Harvest Sunflower Seeds
Sunflowers are a fun garden flower and their seeds are a popular snack. Learn how and when to harvest sunflower seeds in six easy steps.
Have the Greenest Lawn on the Block
It’s easy to seed a new lawn, thicken an existing lawn, or patch bare spots if you know the right steps to follow. You'll have the greenest lawn on the block in no time!
What to Grow
5 Easy Flowers for Kids to Grow
Kids love any opportunity to get their hands in the dirt! Discover our top tips for gardening with little ones and 5 easy flowers for kids.
10 Plants for Wet Areas
If areas of your landscape are on the soggy side, you’ll want to select plants that can thrive in wet soil conditions. We’ve got a list of ten water-tolerant plants that can handle your landscape’s wet spots.
What to Plant in Summer
What do you do when the flowers you planted in spring are fading, and your early season crops are picked through? You plant a fresh batch of heat-loving plants that will thrive through the summer into fall. Here are twelve ideas for flowers and vegetables to plant in summer.
All About Homegrown Vegetables, Fruits, and Berries
Growing food at home is a great way to cut your grocery budget and enjoy fresh fruits, vegetables, and berries at the peak of their color, flavor, and nutrition.
All About Growing and Using Herbs
All the info you need to choose, grow and care for herbs planted in a garden or in pots. We also have helpful ideas for harvesting, cooking and using homegrown herbs.
Turn Your Garden into a Wildlife Habitat
Just about any outdoor space can become a sustainable food source and safe living area for wildlife. With the right plants and planning, you can encourage all sorts of birds, frogs, small animals, and beneficial insects to visit your yard.
Plant a Pollinator Garden
Bees and other pollinating insects are an important part of the ecosystem. You can plant a garden that provides a food source for pollinators and adds beauty to your yard.
4 Plants for Reducing Stress and Anxiety
For centuries, people have turned to herbal remedies to soothe frayed nerves and lessen anxieties. In this article, we look at four easy-to-grow herbs known for their calming properties.
How to Plant a Fragrant Shade Garden
Imagine a cool corner of the forest, green leaves above, soft earth below, a carpet of flowers, the air heavy with floral perfume. Actually, don't imagine it--build it yourself! In this article, we'll show you how to grow a heavenly-scented shade garden.
Create a Fragrance Garden
Flowering plants are all beautiful, but some are more fragrant than others. Discover ten plants that will add exceptional fragrance to your landscape.
Finding Perfect Companion Plants
These tips will have you designing like a pro!
Pest and Disease Control
Guide to the Safe Use of Home and Garden Chemicals
Sometimes chemical solutions are necessary to control severe infestations of plant pests or diseases. Learn how to safely handle home and garden chemicals to protect yourself and the environment.
Invasive species in the U.S. – 5 Insect Pests That Damage Trees
There are many invasive insect species in the U.S. that damage trees. Their impacts are widespread. Let's look at five of the most destructive of these pests, the damage they do and what, if anything, we can do to stop them.
How to Get Rid of Slugs in the Garden
In most instances, you can get rid of slugs in the garden without the need to use toxic chemicals or baits.
9 Methods to Control Insect Pests
Are bothersome bugs ruining your outdoor fun? Insects can be annoying when you are trying to enjoy time spent outside. Here are nine tips for keeping unwelcome insects away from your yard.
Frost Map with Dates
USDA Zone Finder
