Making Things Grow

Article / Updated 06-06-2023

Before you reach for the insecticide sprayer to attack pests in your vegetable garden, try some of these lower-impact methods to reduce problems from harmful insects and diseases. Often, a pest problem in a garden can be averted before it actually becomes...

Article / Updated 04-24-2023

After clearing your garden area in preparation for planting, you need to take a close look at your soil — give it a good squeeze, have it tested, amend it, and then work it out to make sure it’s in shipshape.Good soil gives vegetable roots a balance o...

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-01-2022

To have the garden of your dreams, make sure you pick the right plants for your hardiness zone and select the right fertilizers for your plants. If your garden is shady, this Cheat Sheet offers a list of plants made for the shade. When you're planning and...

Article / Updated 03-31-2022

Gardeners in northern regions deal with warm summers and cold winters. But there is work to do in your garden through most of the year. Here is a month-by-month guide that keeps you in the gardening frame of mind, even through the dreary months of winter....

Article / Updated 03-31-2022

The best and most refined of organic matters is compost, which is organic matter and/or manures that have decomposed until they resemble loamy soil.Thoroughly decomposed compost contains lots of humus — the beneficial, soil-improving material your plant...

Article / Updated 03-30-2022

Insect and disease killers that come from plant extracts are called botanical pesticides or botanicals. Although derived from natural sources, botanicals are not necessarily safer or less toxic to non-pest insects, humans, and animals than synthetically d...

Article / Updated 03-30-2022

When you create a rain garden, you situate your garden to use rainfall and runoff from gutters and storm drains. Planning a rain garden is water-wise and ecologically low-impact, and it produces a beautiful garden that provides a home to birds, butterflie...

Article / Updated 03-30-2022

Flowering annuals have the same basic needs as other garden plants. Providing proper care to your flowering annuals results in prettier, healthier plants that last longer and provide a most impressive display.Maintaining flowering annuals involves four si...

Article / Updated 03-29-2022

If you want to be green and grow your own food but have only a small space, you can still garden in containers. Container gardening offers the advantages of fewer insects and weeds to deal with and can be placed right outside your door or on your kitchen ...

Article / Updated 03-29-2022

When deciding where to plant your vegetable garden, assess sun exposure, soil quality, and water access. Choosing a garden site that's best for growing vegetables is based on good old common sense, as these tips reveal: Keep it close: Plant your garden w...