Growing Lavender Successfully In Heavy Clay SoilLavender brings silvery foliage, fragrant flowers, and valuable habitat for bees, but it dislikes the conditions often found in heavy clay. Dense soil can hold…
How To Protect Your Garden From Late Spring FrostsLate spring can bring bright days, mild afternoons, and unexpectedly cold nights. A clear sky and calm air may allow temperatures near the ground to fall below…
When to harvest your pumpkins for the best flavorA pumpkin reaches its best eating quality when the flesh has developed fully, the natural sugars have concentrated, and the rind has hardened enough to protect…
How to design a cottage garden in a small spaceA cottage garden brings together flowers, herbs, foliage, and informal paths in a relaxed planting scheme. Its charm comes from abundance and personality…
The Best Low-Light Houseplants for BeginnersA dim room does not have to be a plant-free room. Many indoor plants tolerate indirect light, shaded windows, and corners that receive only a few hours of…
Bring spring bulbs indoors for winter colorWhen outdoor beds are dormant and daylight is scarce, flowering bulbs can bring fresh color, fragrance, and the promise of spring into your home. Forcing bulbs…
What Every Gardener Should Know About Hardiness ZonesA garden’s success often begins before the first seed goes into the soil. Climate, winter temperatures, frost dates, sunlight, soil, and available moisture all…
How to Control Aphids Without Harsh ChemicalsAphids are small, soft-bodied insects that can multiply quickly on vegetables, herbs, flowers, shrubs, and young trees. They feed by drawing sap from plant…