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Table of Contents While there are many types of hydroponic lighting, there’s a lot of talk in the hydroponics world about LED grow lights and how they just might be the “next big thing” in indoor garden lighting. Like a lot of products in the hydroponic market, there is a lot of marketing and hype behind LEDs. Sometimes it’s hard to know for sure if LEDs are a good solution for your garden when you’re slathered in marketing and the anecdotal evidence of hydroponic growers online....

Are you thinking about ditching your lawn and going with a more exciting ground cover plant? Blue star creeper is a tempting lawn alternative, but you might not know exactly how to grow and care for it. Table of Contents Well, we’ve got the answers to your questions. First things first: blue star creeper is super easy to plant and maintain. Botanically known as Isotoma fluviatilis, it’s a popular ground cover to work into an ornamental landscape....

Companion planting is the simple process of growing two or more plants in close proximity for mutual benefit. This benefit can take place as pest control, a way to attract beneficial insects, to provide shade, or even as sacrificial plants. Today, we will discuss the best cilantro companion plants to grow in the garden for healthier fruit and vegetables. But first, a bit of background information on the herb cilantro!...

We’re going to get up close and personal and learn the difference between these two veggies – and look at their origins, growing conditions, flavor, and uses in the kitchen. If you’re the adventurous foodie type, broccolini might be something you’ve not only heard of, but cooked at home or eaten in a restaurant. But what about the similarly named broccoli rabe, also known as rapini? Are these two vegetables the same thing?...

For many gardeners, the idea of having a lovely small orchard of nut and fruit trees is a major enticement. But before you can start that food forest, you have to do a little extra planning so that you know the fruit tree chill hours for the varieties you want. Table of Contents Why do the chilling hours matter? Are chill hours important? Is there a reason that you couldn’t just plant any tree anywhere?...

If you already grow hardy hellebore, or are considering planting it, read on to learn how to gather seeds for the propagation of new plants. Hellebore, Helleborus spp., is a flowering perennial that blooms long before the arrival of spring. A member of the Ranunculaceae family, it’s available in colors ranging from yellow and green to red and pink, and even purple or black. Blooms may be seen peeking through the snow as early as January in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 9....

A lesion forms around the collar of the tomato stem, usually covered in a white mold. Within the patch of mold, round beads of a white or brown color resembling mustard seeds can be seen lying in the soil. Sclerotium rolfsii Southern blight is dreaded by home gardeners and commercial growers alike. The fungus that causes the blight is believed to be able to lie dormant in the soil for up to four years....

After all, ideal storage for your carrot harvest involves covering them with sand and storing them at 32-40°F with a relative humidity of 90-95%. You’ve harvested the last of your squash, beans, and tomatoes. And now you are thinking about your more cold hardy crops. You may have heard that you can store carrots in the ground over winter – and perhaps you could use some pointers on how best to do this....

Jade plants are lovely succulents. Their small and fleshy oval leaves are appealing, and they perform well both inside and outside. It should come as no surprise that many people want to learn how to do jade plant propagation to expand their collection! Table of Contents Sometimes called money plant or lucky plant, this easy-care, low-maintenance plant is well worth growing. And money tree propagation is surprisingly easy. Let’s talk about everything you’ll need to propagate jade plant cuttings and how it’s done!...

You can pick retro cars from the junkyard and use them in creative ways! We have some exclusive Old Car Garden Art ideas that’ll help you enhance the curb appeal of your yard! 1. A Retro Car Bouquet Get an old station wagon from a salvage yard and utilize it in your garden by placing painted stones around it. You can also grow flowering plants like marigold to complete the look!...

Many gardeners are interested in achieving self-sufficiency and living off of their own abilities and the land. To cultivate a successful garden, we often need to include additional inputs like compost and fertilizers to keep up with the demand on the soil nutrients to grow crops. Store-bought fertilizers and manures often contain waste products from other animals like worms, chickens, and even bats. What if we can produce our own endless and free supply by using our urine as fertilizer?...

Here’s what we’ll cover: Eating your veggies comes with a host of benefits, and homegrown produce serves as a valuable source of essential vitamins and minerals – like zinc. This mineral may come to mind most commonly when you’re trying to fight off a cold, but what is its role in our bodies beyond immune support, and how can we get more of it from our home vegetable gardens? We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....

Crowded plants can never reach their full potential, and let’s be honest: crowding defeats the purpose of growing ornamentals. Without enough space, plants look shabby and detract from the overall appearance of your garden. Of all those garden chores we do, dividing plants might be one of my favorites. Not only does it make my hostas happier and healthier, but I get a bunch of new plants to fill up empty spots in my garden… for free!...

​Most of us gardeners, whether beginners or veterans favor annual veggies that we have to re-start year after year. While this is great for some of the classic veggies that you’ll want to have every single year, you can take a load off of your gardening shoulders by incorporating more perennial vegetables into the mix. There are plenty of vegetables that you can overwinter that will go dormant during that time and come back to life in the early spring…completely deleting the seed starting phase for you!...

1. Mint Growing mint is super easy, and if you’ve planted this aromatic herb, use it to make mint ice cream. Pick a handful of fresh mint leaves and tear them into small pieces and use as directed here. 2. Thyme Thyme is a perennial herb and can be grown even indoors if you’ve got a sunny window. Use it to flavor your ice creams. This honey-thyme ice cream requires the fresh sprigs to simmer with milk....

Learning how to harvest mint is essential if you’re a mint-lover! Table of Contents Cool, aromatic, and refreshing, mint is one of the most popular herbs in the world. From delicious sauces to desserts, cocktails, curries, and mint tea, mint can be used in many recipes. It even finds uses beyond the kitchen. For example, it is a common ingredient in beauty products. You can also find it in toothpaste, mouthwash, chewing gums, etc....

And although it doesn’t need a lot of help spreading to nearby places in your garden beds via underground rhizomes, sometimes it can use a little help in terms of rejuvenating older plants, which tend to become crowded and lose their vigor with age. As a member of the notoriously fast-spreading mint (Lamiaceae) family, bee balm (Monarda spp.) is about as easy to propagate as it gets. This is a good thing because it’s also a plant that you can’t really ever have too much of – unless it starts taking over other plants in your garden, of course!...

Here, we’ll cover the basics of collecting, drying, and storing, whether you’re growing a cultivar of Cucurbita pepo, C. moschata, or C. maxima. Here’s what to expect: Friends and neighbors who have you in their lives to grow pumpkins to share with them are fortunate indeed. Pies, fall displays, jack-o’-lanterns – all are provided for. You can extend this good fortune by saving seeds, too, so all of you can plant them in the garden next year....

Love cilantro but hate its fast-to-bolt personality? Hate cilantro but crave an herby element in your homemade salsa? Up your culinary game with unsung garden hero, Vietnamese coriander! Table of Contents Vietnamese coriander, or Vietnamese cilantro, is a heat-loving perennial with slightly spicy, flavorful leaves that are a great culinary substitute for cilantro or mint. If papalo herb isn’t your thing, this may be the cilantro alternative for you! It thrives in warm climates spring through fall (zones 9-11) and in pots in cooler climates until the first frost....

We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Gardening is for everyone, and no one states that more clearly than Matt James, in his book The Urban Gardener. About the Author You may recognize award-winning designer and Cornwall native Matt James from several UK public television gardening series, including “The City Gardener,” “Love Your Garden,” and “Great British Garden Revival....