Jul 12 2025
Few things capture the flavor of summer quite like an heirloom tomato picked at the height of ripeness. They can be rosy pink, golden yellow, deep burgundy, striped green, nearly purple, or a combination of colors that looks almost too beautiful to slice. Unlike the uniformly round red tomatoes we are accustomed to seeing at …
Jul 04 2025
Tall purple flower spikes rising above narrow, grass-like foliage make blazing star one of the most distinctive perennials in a summer garden. Also known as Liatris or gayfeather, this North American native is especially valuable when you want a plant that looks dramatic without demanding constant attention. Blazing star is also a wonderful choice for …
Jun 24 2025
If you already have one healthy basil plant, you can turn it into several more without buying another packet of seeds or waiting for seedlings to grow. Basil is one of the easiest culinary herbs to propagate from stem cuttings, and a simple glass of water is often all you need to get new roots …
Jun 18 2025
Fresh ginger may look like something that belongs exclusively in the produce aisle, but it is surprisingly rewarding to grow at home. Those knobby pieces we commonly call ginger root are actually rhizomes—underground stems capable of producing an entire plant when given warmth, moisture, and enough time. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a tropical plant, so …
Jun 16 2025
A garden filled with flowers is beautiful to us, but to a bee, butterfly, hummingbird, or moth, it can also be a place to eat, rest, reproduce, and survive. That makes National Pollinator Week a perfect time to look at the yard a little differently. Instead of thinking only about what makes a landscape neat …
Jun 12 2025
Tomatoes and basil belong together on the dinner table, but should they grow together in the garden too? Gardeners have paired these two warm-season plants for generations. Traditional companion-planting advice credits basil with everything from repelling tomato pests to improving the flavor of ripe tomatoes. Some of those claims have been repeated so often that …
Jun 10 2025
Starting a vegetable garden can feel surprisingly complicated when you first begin. Seed catalogs offer hundreds of varieties, garden centers are filled with fertilizers and tools, and online advice can make it seem as though you need to understand soil chemistry, crop rotation, companion planting, irrigation, and pest management before putting a single seed in …
Jun 10 2025
Homesteading can look very different from one household to another. For one family, it may mean several acres, chickens, fruit trees, and a pantry filled with home-canned vegetables. For someone else, it might mean a suburban backyard with raised beds, a freezer full of summer produce, homemade bread, and the ability to repair rather than …
Jun 04 2025
Gardens have inspired writers, poets, philosophers, and artists for centuries. Some have seen gardening as a form of art, others as a lesson in patience, and still others as a refuge from the noise and demands of everyday life. The best gardening quotes capture something gardeners already understand: growing things changes the way we notice …
Jun 02 2025
Houseplants can transform a room surprisingly quickly. A trailing vine softens a bookshelf, a tall palm brings life to an empty corner, and a collection of leafy plants can make even a small apartment feel more connected to nature. Indoor plants are sometimes promoted as miniature air purifiers capable of removing pollutants and allergens from …
