Sure, you can buy elderberry plants. But it’s so easy to propagate them from cuttings that there’s no reason not to give it a go. Incidentally, if you’re new to rooting cuttings taken from trees and shrubs, then you’ve picked the right plant to start with. Elderberry is one of the most reliable plants I have ever propagated this way. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....
They started from such tiny seeds. How could they possibly grow to be so enormous and strong? But that’s the magic of gardening, isn’t it? I ended up leaving just one plant inside a container and transplanting the rest to my garden. Even then, I planted them too close to the other vegetables. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....
These ants eat an unusually broad variety of foods, which often brings them into houses and in conflict with humans. They are one of the most common types of ants found in houses. Odorous house ants can bite, but this doesn’t usually hurt badly. While they will nest outside, they often enter houses in the fall or when it rains. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....
This is the dreaded and misnamed blossom-end rot. Why misnamed? Because this “rot” has nothing to do with an infection and everything to do with the misallocation of calcium in the plant. It’s not technically a “disease” at all, since no pathogens are involved. But don’t just assume that your soil is low in calcium. 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 about pecan trees? Do they have the same effect? They are members of the same family as walnuts (Juglandaceae), although that doesn’t necessarily mean that they have the same chemical properties. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. But yes, pecans can also inhibit the growth of other plants in the vicinity to the extent that you should avoid planting certain species under or near pecan trees....
Some gardeners might question whether growing this cheap and plentiful crop is worth the hassle, space, time, and energy required. But while it’s true that growing your own potatoes comes with its challenges, there is nothing better than a freshly harvested spud. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Whether you’re not sure where to begin or you’re already close to narrowing down your final selection of tasty cultivars, take a look at this roundup of the most unique, delicious, and visually appealing varieties of spuds that you can grow in your own backyard for our favorite suggestions....
Take this scenario, for example: You’ve been growing several gorgeous gourds on a strong, hardy vine, and they’re getting larger every day. You dream of making your own homegrown pumpkins into pie, or of carving your giant squash into the most delightful jack-o’-lanterns. But then, something terrible happens. Maybe it’s caused by an early frost, an extreme case of powdery mildew, or an energetic young helper in the garden who accidentally broke the vine....
Many strains of these bacteria enhance plant growth and inhibit plant pathogens, greatly improving the health of plants. They colonize the roots of plants and reduce plant disease by both direct and indirect action. BAA strains produce a number of chemicals, including a number of antibiotics that inhibit the germination of fungal spores and the growth of the fungi. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....
Or at least it’s much better for those of us who don’t like eating tomatoes out of hand like apples, and who do love the sweet tang of this unique fruit. Asian persimmons (Diospyros kaki) are best suited to growing in USDA Hardiness Zones 7-11, while American persimmons (D. virginiana) are hardy to Zone 5. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....
Sure, we have fall foliage, sunny chrysanthemums, and moody asters to look forward to. But sometimes I know I’m just not ready to let go of the floral abundance of the warmer months. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. When many people think of clematis, they picture spring-blooming beauties that fade as summer progresses....
Finally, after months and months of dreary winter and mushy spring, the flowers had arrived. I turned into the parking lot and practically sprinted to the colorful array of blooms. I often choose flowers by color and hardiness. Yellows, purples, pinks, and blues are my favorites, even better if they’re perennial and hardy to winter temperatures that reach -20°F and below. That day, I stumbled upon a row of flowers that made my breath catch in my throat....
We had a clump of pansies in our flower garden in Montana when I was growing up. I don’t know if they were wild or if we planted them there, but I do remember how much their colorful little faces cheered me up. Recently, I’ve found myself in need of some cheer. So I set out to find out more about the little Johnny-jump-up and the rest of its family....
Sour cherries, Prunus cerasus, tend to be hardy only to Zone 4 while sweet cherries, P. avium, are generally only hardy to Zone 5. So what are we cold-climate gardeners to do? Luckily, we northern gardeners tend to be the stubborn type. While standard sweet cherry trees may not bear fruit in our northern climates, we do have other options. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....
Me, I’d argue only that they could have been talking about oleander when they said it. Like a fine fabric, these evergreen flowering shrubs are beautiful and luxurious, with their profusion of colorful blooms and blade-shaped green or variegated leaves. But, like that iron fist, Nerium oleander are also tough as nails. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....
In 1959, the first edition of The Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening was published. It advocated the cost-effective, healthy practice of growing home food crops without chemicals – a radical idea! Rodale’s Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening: The Indispensable Green Resource for Every Gardener Let’s jump right in! Inspiration for Healthy Living A manufacturing company, the Depression, and health issues led J. I. Rodale to Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley in the 1930s, where he and his brothers started Rodale Press with a focus on healthy living....
Time-consuming demands on today’s busy homeowners don’t leave much spill-over for outdoor necessaries such as mowing, fertilizing, mulching, and weeding, let alone flower gardening! So you might think the very idea of attempting one of those flower-filled, meandering, paths-crossed, bench-friendly cottage gardens is ludicrous. But you’d be wrong! Now, even the busiest weekend gardener can stop to smell the roses. And the sweet peas. And the bee balm. And the cottage pinks....
This peppery plant brings a unique flavor and vital nutrition to any meal. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. What Are Mustard Greens? Mustard greens are similar to kale and collard greens, which are all a part of the Brassica genus. Brassica juncea, or brown mustard, is commonly grown for its seeds. These can be used whole in cooking, or ground to make – you guessed it – brown mustard, a tasty and beloved condiment....
If conditions permit, adding a bat box to the garden is a great way to invite our flying friends into a safe home. It is a project that requires some basic carpentry skills, but once you’re finished, it is such a rewarding experience. These shelters need to be placed in a sunny location, but not too sunny. East-facing is usually best, where it will get morning light while being protected from afternoon sun....
It’s time to consider cover cropping. Part art and part science, it’s an environmentally friendly, rewarding way of providing your plants with natural fertilizers and nutrients, disease and pest management, and improved water penetration and retention. Cover crops are also time savers, and they help gardeners to cut down on the tough manual work of erosion control, mulching, and weeding. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....
Whatever the reason, you have more herbs than you’re able to use fresh and you need to figure out a way to make them last. Drying herbs to preserve them is a practice that has been around for as long as cultivation has been a part of human civilization. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....
