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After all, she’s brought so many gifts to the world, whether by growing vegetables or flowers, improving the soil, beautifying the landscape – or maybe weeding. Now’s your chance to give back. Show her you appreciate her and her gardening efforts, even if the hobby can get a bit involved! Give her a garden-themed gift, and feel the love. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

Then planting heirloom varieties is the way to go. These are plants that hark back to the days when food crops were about nutrition and flavor, not rushing an unripe, tasteless, and vitamin-deficient crop to market. Stop subjecting your family to the ordinary, pale-fleshed, flavorless fruits that dominate grocery store shelves, or paying premium prices to experiment with gourmet varieties. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

There are also compact varieties suitable for small spaces and container growing. It’s easy to overlook the bushes in our yards as nondescript blobs that we garden around. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Foliage that is variegated has more than one color on each leaf. A pattern may be uniform, with all leaves the same, or random, with variation among the leaves....

I find it especially gratifying to map out companion planting ahead of time. It’s like a game, deciding which plants will go where based on their potential to coexist or maybe even enhance each other’s growth. It doesn’t make a huge difference for some vegetables or flowers, like okra, which grows well next to almost any other plant. But picking appropriate companion plants for mustard greens, one of my favorite veggies, really pays off....

Or maybe they’re only palatable at certain times of the year? But you’ve also heard that maybe some species are toxic? Or was it just if you ate too many berries? Yep, it can be confusing. Most people know those little blue wonders as a flavoring for gin, and some adventurous eaters may have even used them as a seasoning for meat. Obviously, some juniper berries are edible or we wouldn’t have gin....

Tomatoes commonly split on the vine, creating an open gash. But are these still safe to use and eat? We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Why Do Tomatoes Split? Fruits may split while they’re growing due to changes in their hydration status. Much like when our skin is dry, when a plant lacks water, the skin of the developing fruit may crack....

I am fortunate to live on a plot of land of more than an acre, and each spring a succession of daffodils shoot up and burst forth in glorious gold, yellow, deep orange, and cream. A number of these bulbs came from my mother, who faithfully divided her naturalized planting of dozens until it became hundreds. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

One that has the ability to house those odd-sized blades and long-handled tools? And the quality to last more than a single season? Then you’ve come to the right place! We’ve sifted through the many available options online to find those that offer only the best in design, materials, and construction. There’s a Difference in Quality? Yes, indeed. To be honest, there are many garden totes on the market that are flimsy and cheaply made, lacking the details that give a bag strength, durability, longevity, and a professional-looking finish....

A popular member of the cabbage family, Kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala) is a cruciferous vegetable, like broccoli, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts. It is available in a variety of types, including lacinato, curly, ‘Red Russian’, and Chinese kale. While all are highly nutritious, they vary in color, shape, texture, and even flavor. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

HOA rules aside, a couple of my neighbors raise these birds, and I just didn’t get the appeal. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Are These Birds Right for You? Right off the bat, Mormino confronts the issue that many of us encounter in our towns and neighborhoods: These generous and even friendly birds are often illegal to keep....

Some look like succulents, while others are bushy and lush. What they have in common is that they’re all tolerant of drought, don’t demand much light, and they add gorgeous greenery to your home without much maintenance at all. Propagating them is easy, and they won’t be upset if you take a vacation and leave them to their own devices. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

There are plenty of issues concerning the use of these synthetic compounds in world that’s saturated with industrial chemicals. For the gardener wary of contributing to these problems, applying pesticides and fertilizers can be a scary thing. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. I think there’s room for both people out there in the world....

There comes a moment when a gardener discovers they’re also a magician. When you plant the seed, water just right, and watch the tiny sprout emerge from beneath the soil, you feel the power of participating in nature. Every plant is enchanting, but there’s something extra special about growing wildflowers, found in abundance in storybook magical meadows. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

With its elegant (it’s right there in the botanical name!) foliage that resembles dark-colored lace or tiny feathers, it’s instantly recognizable. While it’s sometimes mistaken for marijuana or a finely serrated Japanese maple, it has a look all its own that never fails to draw comments. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. To bring you up to speed on what these plants need, here’s what we’ll discuss coming up: Ready to add this tropical beauty to your home?...

The mounding, full, and frilly display of these fantastic flowers is a staple in gardens across the country – and no wonder, because it would be hard to find a flower this bold that is easier to grow. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. While you can grow a beautiful display from any of the various species, French marigolds have something a little special going for them....

That’s why ornamental flowering alliums are exceptional. They make a bold, architectural statement in the garden and they’re the very definition of fuss-free. Plus, pollinators love them and they grow well in a variety of climates, down to USDA Hardiness Zone 3. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. In spite of all these attractive features, I’d plant them even if they were fussy and positively irresistible to animals....

Though they are fairly commonplace as far as houseplants go, for me, spider plants have always instilled a sense of awe. When I was a child, my mom’s friend Sue had a beautiful mature spider plant. I’ll admit, I fell in love with it. I remember going to her home, where I would gaze up at this houseplant hanging from the ceiling, bathed in afternoon light, and admire the seemingly countless masses of little spider babies cascading down from it....

This heirloom variety has large leaves that are softer than other varieties, making it a welcome change from fall greens that require lots of cooking. This variety also has a unique appearance with its frilly green leaves and purple-red stems. In fact, some people even cultivate it just for ornamental purposes, adding rich color to their fall gardens. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

In my opinion, there is nothing quite as juicy and flavorful as a freshly sliced ‘Brandywine.’ And I am not the only one who thinks so. Perfect on a sandwich or tossed in a fresh summer salad, the large juicy fruit of this popular heirloom is widely regarded as one of the tastiest tomatoes. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

But my personal favorite garden surprise involved vegetables, during the first season I grew ‘Chantenay’ carrots. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. That fall, I was racing home late for the board game night our family was hosting. I fretted that I wouldn’t even have time to get a frozen lasagna in the oven before the guests arrived....