From safe clearances to customization, you’ll find everything you need to know in this article. Plus, we share 17 of our top picks, with favorites based on age group and materials. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. A fortunate few of my friends, however, had their own gym sets that consisted of metal poles that supported swings, slides, and gliders....

We enjoy the beautiful flowers in our gardens but most of them need to be pollinated to survive. Without pollination, the plants would not be able to reproduce. The recent decline in the number of pollinators is a sad fact in itself. But did you know that bees actually pollinate about a sixth of the world’s crops, or around 400 of the agricultural plants we harvest? We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

But you don’t hear as much about mosaic viruses – especially when it comes to certain brassicas, like cabbages. The truth is that mosaic viruses are really common. Up to 10 percent of cabbages are infected with this disease. It’s one of the most destructive viral diseases of commercial veggies out there. So if you haven’t run across this issue yet, chances are you will at some point. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

When I was a kid, I celebrated Thanksgiving with unusual aplomb. Part of it was recognizing the few days off from school as a prelude to a longer winter break, but the memories I hold most dear involve bundling up and taking a post-dinner hike into the woods. Here I would skirt the tree lines separating farmers’ fields and stomp my way through the snow. Eventually I’d find myself standing square in the center of a barren field, surrounded by yellow and gray grasses and bordered by leafless trees....

Or, more accurately, the greens. And one way I like to conveniently and inexpensively enjoy quite a few homegrown leafy vegetables at the peak of freshness, long before most other types of produce are ready for picking, is by growing mesclun. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Spicy mixes are commonplace, as are combinations of tender young lettuces with other colorful leafy vegetables like spinach, beet greens, Swiss chard, arugula, endive, and radicchio....

There are few things more satisfying than pulling up a pristine, brightly colored, edible plant. While I’ve enjoyed laughing at uniquely shaped vegetables and have an odd love for intertwined roots, I’d much rather uncover something that looks like it came from the grocery store. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Maturing roots are sensitive to varying degrees of moisture and prefer to be kept at a constant level....

We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Pampering Pays Off Broccoli is a prima donna. There’s no two ways about it. Give it what it wants, and it’ll sing its little green heart out for you. If you don’t, you’ll be lucky to have a basket of leaves to show for your efforts. Here are the 9 essentials broccoli must have to produce heads:...

It’s true, black-eyed Susans don’t have the variability that something like roses or poppies do. People might assume the blooms generally have the same appearance and a similar color. But there’s actually quite a bit of variety available. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. In other words, you don’t have to assume that you’ll only be able to find one general appearance if you’re hoping to add this hardy North American native to your garden....

There’s something refreshing about having greenery and flowers inside that elevates the mood, especially on dreary days. However, this may not be due solely to their beauty. You may know that when plants convert sunlight to energy in the process of photosynthesis, they contribute oxygen to our indoor environments. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

Reliable, vivid colors, masses of blooms, and easy-care maintenance make them a favorite among flowering shrubs. While most folks tend to think of azaleas as spring flowering, there are many types that bloom in summer and fall as well. And that means, with a little planning and a bit of space, you can enjoy their spectacular floral displays for months at a stretch, rather than just a few weeks per year....

But this is one of those times when you should hold out for the long answer. While it’s technically possible to stash homegrown produce in your cold storage appliance until it can hold no more, there are often better options for preserving a glut of tomatoes. I’m not going to hold back with my advice on this matter. I have opinions – strong opinions, which I’ve formed over many years of being a gardener, cook, food preserver, and frugal-but-generous person....

They are members of the large Proteaceae family that includes exotic protea flowers. This majestic tree provides ample shade, spring blossoms, and nuts that contain deliciously smooth, sweet kernels that fetch a king’s ransom in the grocery store. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Meet the Macadamia The macadamia is a glossy broadleaf evergreen with leaves that resemble holly, flowers ranging from pink to white, and edible nuts that ripen at random times during the growing season....

Native to just a single small patch of California, this woody shrub grows up to ten feet in height with an equal spread, and has the drought and wildfire tolerance necessary for surviving SoCal’s unique climate. Carpenteria californica has beautiful white blooms which attract pollinators, and the evergreen foliage ain’t nothing to sneeze at, either. Pretty awesome, right? And despite its rarity, it’s not too rare to grow for yourself....

It makes sense, then, that this popular perennial has transitioned from a humble prairie flower to a mainstay across the country. It’s hard to comprehend how many plants we use in the US that aren’t native here. Most of the things filling our gardens come from other places, not to mention the many foreign plants growing in our wilderness areas. But the coneflower is a true American original. Native to the plains region, you can find them growing wild everywhere east of the Rockies except for New Hampshire and Vermont, and they’re cultivated from coast to coast....

Native to North America, China, and Indochina, the Carya genus is composed of three subgenera consisting of typical hickories, pecans, and Asian hickories. In total, the Carya genus includes 19 different species of hardwood, deciduous trees characterized by their pinnately compound leaves, yellow-green flowering catkins, and hard-shelled nuts filled with tasty, edible seeds. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

Blooming from midsummer onwards, many varieties flower into October and even November. Flowers come in tones of creamy to pure white, purple, and a range of luscious pinks – from the palest blush to vivid coral and two-toned berry pinks! We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Easy to grow, they’re adaptable to a variety of growing conditions and thrive in a part sun location....

Blooms of this vine are flamboyant and complicated, with a large crown of corona filaments reaching from the stamen that make identification easy. This genus also includes a whopping selection of more than 500 species separated into three main types: purple, yellow, and granadilla (red). We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. What Is Passionflower or Passion Fruit?...

Succulents are easy to care for, extremely portable, and can handle the harsh growing conditions that would bring other plants to their proverbial knees. But as exhibited by the nonstop stream of superhero flicks that grace the silver screen nowadays: with great popularity comes the potential for great burnout. Sometimes we need a break from costumed do-gooders always winning, and sometimes we need to switch things up from a standard aloe vera or cactus....

Each day I am pleasantly surprised to see a collection of new buds developing on my plants. An herb that keeps on giving, the showy flowers of calendula bloom well into the fall. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. What Is Calendula? Pot marigold, Calendula officinalis, also known as calendula or English marigold, is a member of the Asteraceae family, which includes asters, chrysanthemums, sunflowers, and true marigolds....

This pathogen infects not only apples and crabapples but also a number of woody plants. These include such economically important species as pears, chestnuts, and grape. Fortunately, this fungus is not much of a predator. It primarily affects trees in a weakened state. A large number of factors can predispose trees to bot rot. These include winter injury, fire blight damage, insect damage, and drought. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....