Planting marigolds around our vegetables to deter pests. Getting potatoes in the ground on Good Friday. Using beer as a bait trap for slugs. Is there any truth to these recommendations? Are marigolds really effective at deterring annoying critters, and doesn’t the date of Good Friday change yearly? And, most egregious of all, have I been wasting perfectly fine beer as slug bait? We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

While there are many types of beneficial nematodes, insecticidal ones are naturally occurring microscopic organisms that live and feed on insects in the soil. There are different types of nematodes that kill insects. However, many of them are difficult to mass produce or have very narrow host ranges. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

But what are wild chives, exactly? Will they spread everywhere? Can you eat them? What do you do with them? We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Here’s what we’ll dig into: What Are Wild Chives? These succulent, hardy members of the Allium genus grow along rocky creek banks and lakes, as well as in marshy meadows and grassy yards, from Zone 3 in Alaska down into the lower 48 states, as far south as Zone 8 and sometimes Zone 9....

At what point are they actually ready? How do you separate the berries from their thorny canes? In this guide, I’ll give you all the answers. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Here’s what I’ll cover: When to Harvest Boysenberries The first thing to know is that boysenberries, the rare hybrid of blackberries, raspberries, loganberries, and dewberries, produce fruit on floricanes – the second-year growth....

When they are bitter, they’re the worst. Maybe that’s a bad joke, but I tell it to remind you to take all the necessary precautions to assure your Lactuca sativa is tender and mild, not bitter, like some grumpy friends I could mention… A hint of heat is okay, and homegrown varieties do tend to have more flavor than supermarket iceberg and the like. But once this green vegetable starts developing a pervasive off-taste, the jig is up....

These plants aren’t like squash or strawberries. You don’t plant them and then wait for the fruits to develop so you can pluck them off. With asparagus, you harvest the stems of the plant, and then you wait for more stems to return so you can do it again. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

There’s still some work to be done, and the garden needs a bit more of your attention and TLC before it can rest quietly for the winter. By taking care of these late season tasks, you’ll ensure that your plants and soil stay healthy during the cold, dark months. And your garden will be primed and ready for action when spring arrives, so you can jump right in! We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

With a varied palette of lights and darks, they can cool down or heat up their surroundings with swaths of color that mix well with other seasonal hues. “Aster” refers to a number of members of the large Asteraceae family of flowering plants. But many of the plants we commonly call “asters” are not in fact classified in the Aster genus. This is because, over the years, this plant family has been fine tuned to distinguish “true” asters from other closely related flowers....

A throwback to simpler times, rocking on a swing is a great way to relax. The soothing motion is ideal for reading or an afternoon nap, and the easy comfort of this simple piece of outdoor furniture provides the perfect spot for a leisurely chat with friends, family, and neighbors. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

Sure, you can buy these cruciferous treats year-round at the grocery store. I won’t lie, I enjoy them shaved into wispy threads and tossed with a vinaigrette in the summer. But they are so much more delicious pulled straight out of the garden after a frost than anything you’ll find at the supermarket. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

Even at eight years old, my daughter Lucy could sprout this gorgeous tropical flower on her own. In later years, the amaryllis bulb holiday gifts followed her to college to brighten the icy Chicago winter. Now that she lives in New Orleans, she can plant the spent bulbs outdoors to bloom the next spring. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Dahlias bloom from summer to fall. They prefer full sun locations and organically rich, moist, well-draining soil with a slightly acidic to neutral pH of 6.5 to 7.0. The sizes of cultivated varieties range from nine to 60 inches tall and 12 to 24 inches wide. At season’s end, many devoted gardeners lift their much-loved tubers to store for the winter, divide as needed, and replant the following spring....

We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Others, like lavender, are woody and drop their leaves but retain a winter “skeleton,”unless they are pruned at season’s end. There are also evergreens, like thyme and rosemary, with woody stems and leaves year-round in the warmest regions of their appropriate growing zones. Get ready to take your herb gardening to the next level with the following 23 cold-hardy culinary and medicinal herbs that withstand winter freezing temperatures and return with vigor....

And there is a huge variety of cultivars out there – over 200 currently – for your fresh eating, jam-making, and pie-filling pleasure. We’ve put together a thorough roundup of 35 of what we believe to be the best types, with information on growing zones, growth habits, berry quality, disease resistance, and more. This will make it easier for you to pick the best strawberry cultivars for your location and gardening style....

Insects, as well as some larger visitors to your garden, may enjoy feasting on the tasty nuts, wood, or leaves. Or perhaps they’re after a cozy place to lay their eggs. But what’s a home orchardist to do? We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Here, we’ll go over the most common pests in a bit more detail so you’ll know what to be on the lookout for, with tips for preventing and mitigating damage and infestations....

They are also available in a dazzling array of unique cultivars. In our guide to growing spiderwort, we cover how to cultivate this tropical plant indoors. And in this article, we look at the diverse varieties that come in both solid and variegated foliage, and some truly lovely color combinations. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

If your home is full of – pardon the pun – unvetted plants, the situation may land you at the emergency animal hospital with a very sick pet. Luckily, Chlorophytum comosum, commonly known as “spider plant” or “spider ivy,” is not harmful to your feline friend. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Should you give your kitty free rein to chew away at this houseplant?...

Gardening is for everyone, and no one states that more clearly than Matt James, in his book The Urban Gardener. About the Author You may recognize award-winning designer and Cornwall native Matt James from several UK public television gardening series, including “The City Gardener,” “Love Your Garden,” and “Great British Garden Revival.” From sleek sophistication to cottage-style charm, this how-to guide is packed with photos and directions for making the most out of whatever outdoor space you have....

As with pruning trees in general, some experts advise extensive pruning to stimulate growth, while others recommend clipping just a few branches here and there. Still others advocate for throwing your shears away entirely, and doing away with pruning altogether. All of this contradictory advice is enough to drive a person nuts (no pun intended). The truth is, the best way to prune an almond tree all depends on who’s doing it....

Producing tender spears early in spring, this veggie makes for delicious seasonal meals – and a sensational start to the year’s growing season. Unlike some garden vegetables such as peas, which are self-pollinating, asparagus is dioecious, meaning some plants are male and some are female. To reproduce, a honeybee or some other pollinator has to visit the flowers of both male and female plants. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....