everything garden
garden planning
Before you sow that first seed, grab a piece of paper and pencil and spend some quality time thinking about your garden goals. Do you want to maximize your growing space?
Will your saved garden seeds grow?
Grab all those seed packets from past years, we’re chatting all about seed viability and how to easily test your seeds for germination. It’s good info to know before you sow.
seed viability
As you curl up in a ball of happiness with your newly-delivered seed catalog, you might be wondering about how long your leftover seeds are good for. Seeds have a shelf-life as to how viable (able to germinate and grow) they are.
When to start sowing
Before we dive into seed-starting dates, please note that these dates can be very subjective. First up, find out your last and first frost dates.
start indoors or direct sow
To know what seeds you’ll need to get growing, you’ll first have to figure out which seeds will fare better sown directly into the ground, and which seeds are better suited to be transplanted.
seed starting set-up
Like some funky art installation, over a dozen shop lights hang at various heights above ready to be choreographed to the seedling’s height as they grow. It’s not pretty, but it works like a charm!
What containers work best
In reality, you can pretty much grow in any kind of container…even an old shoe. But, some containers fare better than others for your seedling’s needs. Find out which work best!
thinning seedlings
Hands down, one of the toughest parts of gardening. Thoughtfully sown seeds that you now must snip out in their prime. It’s a harsh reality, but an important one to do.
succession sowing
Succession sowing = three season growing…rejoice come September and October that your garden is still putting out basketfuls of harvests.
propagating via stem cuttings
I love rosemary and lavender…but they can be very frustrating to start from seed. Poor germination and snail slow growth often makes these feel like more work to grow than they’re worth. But then I tried growing them from stem cuttings…it changed my garden life!
companion planting
Sow happy together! As an organic gardener, you need to arm yourself with whatever tools are available in the battle against garden foes like the dreaded cabbage worm, or the beastly borers, or those huge, hulking hornworms.
attracting pollinators
Incorporating a pollinator garden is a winning strategy to garden success. The pollinators get to fill their bellies and the veggies get fabulous companion plants and pollination.
edible flowers
Toss a few into an ice cube tray and transform any drink instantly. Sprinkle onto salads or sip as soothing elixirs for the soul.
garden pests + Diseases
There you are out in the garden, soaking in your self-created Eden, when bam…out of the corner of your eye, you spy a cucumber beetle nestled in your squash blossom. As you go to nab it, your arm brushes against your beloved rosemary that is now coated in mildew.
top tomatoes to grow
Who doesn’t love fresh garden tomatoes? Join us as we chat favorite varieties to grow, what variety works best for you, the difference between determinate and indeterminate, secrets to seedling success and more!
favorite varieties
After over two decades of gardening, there are certain varieties that have grown on me. Here are some of my absolute favorite veggies, herbs & flowers to grow.
HOW TO BUILD A GARDEN TRELLIS OUT OF BRANCHES
Adding trellises to my landscape transformed my garden from a veggie patch to a wondrous new world. Plus, it also allows me to produce a lot more without having to add in more growing space.