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by Bethany Hayes Are you dying to add fruits to your backyard garden but have no idea where to start? Most fruits aren’t as easy as growing vegetables; many are perennial trees and shrubs that require pruning and extra maintenance to keep them thriving throughout the years. For beginners, this is intimidating, so you’ll want to find some of the easiest fruits to grow in your backyard. The first fruits I ever grew in my backyard were strawberries....

by Jennifer Poindexter Perennials are a wonderful way to landscape your home without having to worry about replanting each year. If you’re in the market for a colorful perennial flower, don’t overlook big betony. This plant has mounds of leaves which produce long stems. From the stems, vibrant blooms produce in pink, white, and lavender. If you could use a pop of color around your home, big betony could be a great choice for you....

If you want to try your hand at growing fruit in your garden, then blueberries are an excellent choice. They are fairly easy, and can be planted in most climates. Plus, with the proper care, they will continue producing for several decades. Many people are afraid to try growing blueberries because they seem like a lot of work. And well, they can be. But one thing is for sure. For the small amount of effort you need to put in, you will be handsomely rewarded with a large bounty year after year....

Whether from your garden or the grocery store, it’s easy to preserve and store fresh parsley for later use. Preserving it in a variety of ways means that you will have exactly what you need, no matter what dish you might be making. There are several different methods that you can use to preserve parsley. Below I will walk you through all of the necessary steps for each one. How Long Does Parsley Last?...

Propagating spider plants is super easy, and there are a few ways to do it. In this post, I will talk about the different methods, and then show you exactly how to root the babies step by step. A reader on my Facebook page recently asked me to write a post about how to propagate spider plants. Well, the good news is that spider plants are one of the easiest houseplants to propagate....

QUESTION: I want to start a vegetable garden, but I’m limited to what I can grow in containers. What vegetables can I grow that will do well in a container garden? — Teresa A. ANSWER: While it’s possible to grow most vegetables that aren’t super large in containers, some just aren’t suitable. We’ve made a list below of the vegetables that perform best in containers. Be advised that some of the plants we list here have been selected because of certain varieties that are best suited for container gardens....

By Erin Marissa Russell Many gardeners are searching for alternatives to peat moss because of concerns about peat moss’ sustainability. We’ve got the scoop on all the different materials you can use in place of peat moss in your garden. Just keep reading to learn what you can use instead of peat moss, so you can garden sustainably. Biochar Biochar is a charcoal product that helps soil to hang onto more water and nutrients, keeping them available for your plants....

Growing beets from seed is quite challenging because beet seeds are incredibly small. However, if you start your beet seeds indoors to germinate and transplant the seedlings into your garden outdoors, it will be much easier to manage your garden layout. Most root crops have trouble adjusting to new homes when they are transplanted as seedlings. Because of this general rule, most people think that beets are also tough to transplant, which is just not true....

Canning cherry tomatoes isn’t difficult, and it’s a great way to use them throughout the year. Once you learn how, you’ll have plenty on hand whenever you need them. Learning how to can cherry tomatoes is an important skill, especially for gardeners, since they are so prolific. That way you can use them up without any waste, and enjoy them year round. There are many recipes you could add them to, or you can simply eat them right out of the jar....

By Jennifer Poindexter When I think of a beautiful flower garden, I frequently think of the cottage surrounded by wildflowers complete with a picket fence and gorgeous walkway. Is this the look you’d like to create around your home? If so, you should consider growing blue vervain in your garden location. Blue vervain is a wildflower that’s native to North America. It also sometimes goes by the name wild hyssop....

Choosing a Location for your Fairy Garden A fairy garden should be planted in an area that gets at least six hours of sunlight each day. Plants that attract fairies are mostly sun-loving plants. If you’re only spot in for a fairy garden is in the shade, check out some shade tolerant plants. Flower and Plant Ideas For a Fairy Garden Brightly colored flowers that produce juicy nectar draw fairies and butterflies to gardens....

If you’re adding a rain garden to your landscaping this year, then you may be feeling a bit overwhelmed trying to figure out the best pants to use. I completely understand, because I’ve been there, and it can be so difficult! The reason picking rain garden plants is so complex is because there are three very different sections to fill. These areas are the top of the berm, the basin, and the inside slope, and each one offers its own unique growing conditions....

By Matt Gibson There are many people that would love to start a vegetable garden but simply don’t have the outdoor space to do it. These days, many people live in apartments and high rises and simply don’t have any outdoor space to work with for gardening. Luckily, gardeners are no longer relegated to building raised beds or starting in-ground gardens, and there are a wide variety of vegetables that are well-suited to container gardening....

By Julie Christensen If you grow no other herb, you must grow chives (Allium schoenoprasum). These undemanding plants are as beautiful in a perennial bed as they are in the vegetable or herb garden. They have slender, bright green foliage that stays attractive throughout the summer, as well as tufted lavender or white flowers that appear in early summer. All parts of the chive plants are edible, including the flowers, and they add a subtle, delicate onion flavor to any dish....

For gardeners that are used to growing in cold climates, frost is just something we know we have to deal with every year. But for new gardeners, it can be a very confusing topic. Why do you need to worry about frost-proofing plants? What does frost do to plants? How cold does it have to be for frost? How do you cover plants to protect from frost? And how the heck do you know what plants should be covered for frost anyway?...

By Erin Marissa Russell The structure and root system of cedar trees can make it a bit of a challenge to landscape underneath them. That’s why we’ve put together this list of ideas for 18 different plants you can grow underneath cedar trees. Take a look at the plants listed here to find out which will work the best in your garden. Astilbe Astilbe is a delightful perennial that will reward your investment of time and energy with tall spires of blossoms in pink, red, or white....

by Matt Gibson Worm composting, or vermicomposting, is a great way to recycle your kitchen trash while creating a microorganism-friendly and nutrient-rich soil for your garden that is almost completely made up of worm castings. Not only will you be making your garden more luscious and vibrant, but you’ll no longer have to deal with stinky garbage bins now that you are repurposing your kitchen waste. The only kitchen scraps that don’t go in the compost bins are waste from animal products, such as meat and dairy products....

You can find this myth almost anywhere you read about repotting plants or growing vegetables in containers. Add a layer of gravel at the bottom of the container to “improve drainage.” The problem is, this simply isn’t true. It’s not helpful at all, and it can also be harmful. You’d be forgiven for imagining that by adding gravel to the bottom of your container, the water would pass through the soil and then drain down into the gravel, keeping your plant safe from getting “wet feet” where the roots are too wet....

QUESTION: How do you keep tomatoes from growing too tall? ANSWER: You can prevent your tomatoes from growing too tall by pruning them. Pruning also encourages the plant to grow fruits instead of creating more foliage. Always use clean, sterilized shears when you prune to avoid spreading disease in your garden. Prune so that leaves do not throw shade onto other leaves, but do not prune away the leaves that shade flowers or clusters of fruit, as the shade will protect them from the heat....

By Matt Gibson & Erin Marissa Russell The microscopic pests known as root knot nematodes are tiny worm-like creatures that dwell within the soil and eat through the root systems of many garden plants. The feeding causes unsightly galls, or knots to form on the roots, which is where the pest gets its name. Root knot nematodes are one of several species of Meloidogyne and are also commonly called the southern root-knot nematode....