Today we’re getting back to basics and covering everything a complete beginner needs to know about starting a vegetable garden. Because that’s a question I get often…how do I start if I’m starting from the absolute beginning? This guide covers everything I think you need to know so you can grow a vegetable garden with …
In the Garden
This article contains affiliate links Shopping for garden tools can be overwhelming. What is worth it, and what isn’t? What will last? A lot of the answers to those questions will be based on personal preference, and this article is certainly my personal preference. But I’ve used a lot of tools and garden-related things, and …
It’s time for another garden tour! I did a quick little fall garden tour a few months ago, and before I knew it, it was Christmas! I did this tour around Christmas in Maryland zone 7A—so squarely in winter! We’re seeing temperatures down into the 20s and even teens some nights with typical yo-yo daytime …
Have you ever gotten a seed catalog in the mail?? There’s nothing like getting a beautiful seed catalog in the mail to make you drop some serious cash on seeds. But over the years, I have narrowed down some of the things I like to grow and the places I like to get seeds from. …
Hey all! Today we’re covering how to winter sow seeds in jugs. Well—you can use other stuff like takeout containers with clear plastic lids or clear plastic clam shell salad containers. But I’m using old mild jugs for mine because we always have them. Winter sowing seeds is a great way to efficiently start seeds …
Hey there! Today we’re talking about how to extend the growing season by using low tunnels and mini hoop houses 🙂 Also referred to as grow tunnels (and similar to cold frames), low tunnels use a semi-circle frame and either frost cloth or some sort of plastic sheeting to protect crops you’re growing. They work …
Hey all! Today I’m sharing all about my experience with the Gardyn 4.0, a completely hydroponic indoor gardening system designed to help you grow fresh produce at home. Huge thanks to the folks at Gardyn for sending me a Gardyn 4.0 to review! I’d actually gotten a chance to see one of these gorgeous growing …
If you use a lot of potting soil when gardening, you know that you can end up spending a lot of money very quickly when buying it in bags. But buying the ingredients separately and mixing up big batches isn’t hard—and it can save you some money! Especially if you find raised bed soil on …
Want to grow food or ornamental plants instead of grass? Me too! But the first step to doing that is getting rid of your grass and preparing the soil. Sure, you can dig the grass out…but I don’t recommend it. Why? Well, it’s a lot of work, it’s less sustainable, and it doesn’t do anything …
Catmint is one of my favorite perennials. Its hardy, mounding growth makes it a solid choice for filling in areas under taller plants—or just for ground cover in general. And its small flowers are highly attractive to beneficial pollinators. It’s part of the genus Nepeta, and its leaves have a slight minty fragrance because Nepeta …
I don’t want to think about how much money I’ve spent on leaf compost as a gardener. Why? Well, because we don’t have many trees! And the few trees we do have…I just leave the leaves where they fall to decompose. But not everyone can do that. Some people live in neighborhoods with by-laws requiring …
Marigolds are some of my absolute favorite annuals to have around the garden. They grow in a variety of soils, don’t need a ton of water, and come in vivid shades of orange and yellow. As a bonus, they are great pest repellants. Their distinct, strong scent is what helps repel pests. It’s a scent …
Today we’re talking through planting our mini orchard in our backyard. One of the things I always hear from people who are looking to expand their gardens and increase their self-sufficiency is to plant more fruit trees. So how that we’re somewhere with a little yard, we decided to get some trees in the ground. …
Let’s walk through how to dig up & cure sweet potatoes! In our back garden update this year, I wrote about converting a 15×15 patch of grass to growing space, primarily to grow asparagus. But we had a third row that was up for grabs, and I decided to do sweet potatoes. I find that …
The new in-ground beds we put in this year are putting in some serious work…the first two rows are for asparagus, but I’ve been doing greens and fava beans between those plants. The third row had sweet potatoes in it. But now that I’ve dug those up, it’s time to plant my garlic cloves! I’m …
Learn how to grow lavender from stem cuttings! I recently did a tutorial on how to propagate rosemary, and today’s post is similar! We’re talking all about how to propagate lavender from stem cuttings. I love the smell of lavender and find that it’s extremely easy to grow. It doesn’t require much pruning, it throws …
Learn how to save asparagus seeds from your plant! One of the greatest surprises in our little asparagus patch was realizing we had a female plant. Some aren’t big fans of female asparagus plants because they generally don’t produce as much or live as long as male asparagus plants (source). But they do produce asparagus …
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is one of my favorite perennials. It has feathery green foliage and produces clusters of bright flowers that bloom from late spring into fall. Pollinators love the flowers, too—I have yarrow in my roundup of plants that attract beneficial insects in the garden! I also love it because it’s low-maintenance, and once …
What I’m growing this fall in Maryland Zone 7A! Hello hello! Welcome to the first-ever tour of my fall garden! It isn’t my first fall garden…just the first time I’ve documented it. Because you don’t have to stop growing just because it’s fall 🙂 As I write this post on November 5th, we still have …
We have been absolutely loving our greenhouse—but the first winter with our greenhouse means that we have to figure out how we want to heat it! We’re in Maryland zone 7A, which means it can get very cold during the winter here. We’re approaching heating the greenhouse conservatively—I don’t want a huge power bill, nor …
Learn how to propagate sage from stem cuttings! Sage is one of those plants that you either love or hate the smell of. While I don’t eat a ton of sage, I love the smell of it! And I love growing perennial sage in my garden because it looks great for a large portion of …
Learn how to save malabar spinach seeds! Have you heard of malabar spinach? It’s a staple in my garden these days since it’s a wonderful spinach alternative that loves hot, humid weather. Unlike traditional spinach, which will bolt and go to seed at the first hint of heat, malabar spinach thrives! It’s also prolific in …
How to propagate rosemary from stem cuttings Rosemary is one of my favorite perennial herbs to have around the garden. The plants are prolific and look beautiful all year. Learn how to take cuttings from existing rosemary plants to turn into new ones through the power of propagation! Supplies you’ll need Step 1: Take a …
Here’s what we’ve done in the garden this season! Every year I do an update about the changes we’ve made in the garden. This is our third update for this house—here are the first two: And for year 3…well, we really went off the deep end. I thought it was going to be a chill …
Have you ever grown lemon verbena? I usually grow it as an annual where I’m at since it is sensitive to frost, and I’m in zone 7. Otherwise known as Aloysia citrodora, lemon verbena is a species of flowering plant with pointed green leaves that have a district lemon scent. It’s different from lemon balm, …
Elephant ear plants are one of my favorite plants to decorate our patio with. I sometimes plant them in the ground, too—and they can get quite large! Regardless of whether you plant them in the ground or in pots, you’ll likely need to dig up your elephant ear bulbs in the fall if don’t live …
Learn how to dry or preserve eucalyptus branches I have an article all about how to care for potted eucalyptus that’s one of my most popular. I love growing eucalyptus in pots every year—and based on the number of emails I get about eucalyptus, you all do, too! As we near the end of growing …
Here are my favorite sources for cheap and free plants! Man, I meant to write this post earlier in the growing season, but here we are knocking on June’s door. And I’m just now sitting down to write it! It’s okay though, because it’s not completely too late. And these will still be my favorite …
I usually do a yearly yard update post closer to the end of the growing season—usually in late August or early September when the garden has really filled in and there’s lots to look at. This will be our second full growing season in our current yard. The first year we focused on putting in …
A step-by-step tutorial for preserving insects in resin There is a lot of overlap between bug people and plant people. I’m a plant people, but I am not a bug people. I am actually a bit squeamish about bugs, even the ones I know are beneficial. But I’m on the East Coast, which means we …
Flowers & plants I’ve added to attract beneficial insects! I’m not anti-pesticides—they certainly have their place in gardening. But I try my best not to use them. Instead, I try to companion plant my food crops with plants and flowers that attract beneficial insects. That way, when pests try to move in, there is a …
How to make seed bombs at home! Last year I did a post on How to Save Milkweed Seeds…and I saved a lot! I spread some in fields near my house last fall. I also started some in my own yard and gave a bunch away. I figured the ones I had left after all …
Seed starting 101 & how I start my seeds! Today’s post really gets back to basics, because I’m walking you through how I start my seeds indoors. If you’re wanting to start gardening and starting some seeds, you might be a bit intimidated. I know I was. In this post, I’ll walk you through what …
How to grow gorgeous alocasia odora Alocasia odora is probably the first elephant ear plant I ever grew. It’s definitely a “gateway” elephant ear plant because it’s so easy to find in garden centers in nurseries. You’ll often find it either as a potted patio plant or a corm (similar to a bulb). Odora is …
Today we’re talking about how to propagate basil from stem cuttings. It’s a super easy thing to do if you want to enjoy fresh basil for your whole growing season. And you can continue chopping and propping basil stem cuttings pretty much indefinitely, meaning you really only need to buy basil once! I know herbs …
How to grow gorgeous sunflowers from seed I have been mentally writing this article for a while now—you all know I only write about plants that I have personally cared for or grown. And I hadn’t grown a ton of sunflowers because I didn’t like how floppy and messy they looked. That is, until I …
How to grow moonflower vine in your garden Today I am talking about one of my favorite plants to grow in my garden: ipomoea alba, otherwise known as moonflower vine. I absolutely adore this plant because I love anything vining and climbing. And I grew this plant in containers before I moved to our current …
Vinegar weed & grass killer…yes, it definitely works! We are deep into yard work season over here, and I wanted to share a quick post on one of the delicious-smelling things I’m using to kill off weeds and grass: vinegar! Yes, I love the smell of vinegar. Reminds me of potato chips and fries. And …
All about caring for Meyer lemon trees in pots Growing a Meyer lemon tree in our garden is something I’d wanted to do for years before finally getting one. Because it gets very cold where we live, we can’t have certain fruit trees in the ground. So this guide focuses on growing Meyer lemon trees …
My tips for growing gorgeous zinnias! Zinnia flowers were one of the first things I ever grew from seed. My mom recommended them to me as a beginner because they are so easy. And she was right—they are a total confidence booster for new gardeners. But they are also perfect for experienced gardeners. They grow …