If we dissect the word, the prefix “xero-” means dry, and the suffix “-phytic” means plant. Simply put, it’s the process of designing a sustainable, environmentally-friendly garden or landscape that works to conserve water, and this type of design is usually employed where liquid water is scarce. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....
When they start consuming such large portions of your precious flowering plants that you stop using the word “cute” to describe the babies, or you don’t find Bugs Bunny to be quite so funny anymore, well, it’s time to take action. While there are lots of planting, maintenance, and fencing strategies that might keep rabbits out of your garden, one of the easiest tactics is simply to grow flowering plants that the rabbits will leave alone....
We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. 1. Calendula Calendula, Calendula officinalis, aka pot marigold, is actually a tender perennial in warm climates, but it is widely grown as an annual in cool locales. Sow seeds in spring for richly-hued orange, yellow, and peach blossoms right through fall. Heights range from dwarf to approximately two feet....
But the best radish variety to enjoy for that spring ritual? You’ll get no argument from me there. Nor will I quibble if you prefer a type known as a “winter” radish. They’re planted in the late summer, mature in fall, and can be stored for months in the winter, hence the name. Spring or winter, I’m the first to say there are literally dozens of wonderful varieties of Raphanus sativus available for the home gardener....
Are you a keen observer? Do you keep a gardening journal where you note natural phenomena like the appearance of the first spring crocus, summer Japanese beetle, autumn geese flyover, and winter snow? There are loads of long- and short-term opportunities available through organizations such as conservancies, universities, and science foundations. Participants perform a valuable service by helping to expand existing bodies of knowledge. In this article, we present five citizen science apps that give participants the chance to make their observations of the natural world count, and contribute to scientific research....
Naturalist Nancy Lawson’s primary purpose is to help animals. She writes a column called Humane Backyard for the Humane Society publication All Animals, and is the founder of The Humane Gardener, a comprehensive website and outreach initiative focused on gardening for animals. A Little Book with a Big Idea I selected Nancy’s book for review because her compassionate ideals are applicable in any garden setting – from apartments with balconies to rural farmsteads – and her writing is an inspiration....
Ready for a quick and simple answer? No, they’re not! We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Broccolini Although sometimes called “baby broccoli,” broccolini is not simply an immature version of broccoli. While it’s leaves look an awful lot like those of broccoli, its stems are longer and thinner, and its florets are smaller, looser, and more open....
There is some truth to this common recommendation because carrots, and several other types of vegetables, happen to be a good source of vitamin A. 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 Vitamin A? Starting with the basics, let me explain what vitamin A is. This fat-soluble vitamin is made up of several chemical compounds....
But it can be difficult for the home gardener to achieve this without applying a little extra attentive care. Done wrong, celery’s either too watery and stringy to enjoy, or so bitter you’re tempted to spit it into a napkin. Cooking might reduce its bitterness, but that’s not the type of blanching we’re talking about here. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....
These green inchworms feed on a variety of garden crops, from kale to tomatoes, but as their name suggests, are particularly partial to your cabbages and other cole crops. And like the Very Hungry Caterpillar, they can make an almighty mess. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. When you have identified that it is in fact cabbage loopers and not some other type of pest that you’re dealing with, they’re pretty easy to control with a variety of methods....
Even deep shade doesn’t phase them much. And we aren’t talking about adding just a bit of greenery to a shady spot. Oh no, we’re talking vibrant mounds of pink, white, and purple. Apparently, there are a lot of people who are looking to add easygoing color to their shady spots, because impatiens used to be the most popular bedding plant in the US. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....
Probably my all-time-favorite things to eat straight out of the garden are bunching onions! At the peak of the season, I’d estimate that eat a handful of the leafy tops each day during my garden walks, not to mention the bundles that I chop up and sprinkle in soups, stir fries, and sandwich fillings. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....
Azure monkshood is a perennial flower with stunning purple-blue blooms and entrancing foliage, perfect for adding interest to a fall garden. Though it prefers moist soil, it can grow in shade or sun. And best of all, all species of monkshood are resistant to deer, rabbits, and most insects, thanks to the toxins they produce. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....
The particular weave used to craft linen fabric, combined with the fiber’s inherent qualities including high absorption rate and heat conduction, render the textile well-suited for use in summer clothing. But the specific plant whose stalks are used to create linen — L. usitatissimum aka common flax, or linseed — is just one of about 200 plants in the Linum genus, which is part of the flowering plant family Linaceae....
We used a loofah sponge, and it wasn’t until I was a grownup that I realized we grew these in our backyard garden! Loofahs on the market today are sometimes synthetic, meaning they are not made from the gourd plant that these were originally modeled after. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Loofahs obtained naturally from the garden can be of many sizes and shapes, and are great for several household uses beyond washing up in the tub....
I associate it with a magical New Year’s Day party in 2016. A chef friend made us all a braised vegetarian dish with this leafy Asian green, as part of the good luck meal that also featured black-eyed peas. That dreamy gathering also included a lop-eared dog underfoot, singing and mandolin music, and the best of friends all spending time together. But there are plenty of reasons to love mizuna that any vegetable gardener or home cook can get behind....
Just one of the many members of the summer squash family, zucchini is a fair representation of the qualities we love about these fruits. Thin skins, versatile flavors, tender flesh, and bold colors are just a few of the reasons why gardeners across the United States are in love with every kind of summer squash. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....
Such a robust population can strip your garden of cole crops and other veggies. And each of these terrestrial gastropod mollusks can produce 400 eggs a year; and they are hermaphrodites meaning they all have both male and female sexual organs and can lay eggs. However, you can fight back and prevent the slimy fiends from damaging your precious plants. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....
I remember thinking it tasted a bit like a sad version of root beer candy. Despite our inauspicious start together, horehound has become a must-have herb in my garden. That’s because, besides being an essential ingredient in making the candy (which I’ve grown to love), it’s one of those plants that gives more than it takes. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....
But that changed a few years ago, when a friend shared a batch of stovetop parsnip fries with me. A little bit of coconut oil or olive oil, maybe some ghee heated up in a skillet, parsnips cut into thin strips and tossed in, and a little salt and pepper to taste. Wow! I never ignored parsnips again after that. In fact, I started growing my own. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....
