Winter is a great time to plant for next year’s garden. Did you know that it can also be a great time to sow some seeds outdoors? Winter seed sowing is a relatively new method of planting certain types of seeds for the following season. It greatly simplifies planting, and even improves germination rates of …
Garlic is one of our favorite hands-off crops to grow every year. It requires very little in the way of maintenance. However, one of the tasks we have to do each year is harvest garlic scapes from hardneck varieties. In this article, you will learn when and how to harvest garlic scapes. I will also …
During the winter months when the garden is bare, it’s nice to look up and see some fresh flower blooms. Growing paperwhites in water, also known as forcing, is a fun way to bring a little bit of spring into your home – even if it’s snowing outside. Basically, you are forcing the flowers to …
There are many reasons you may wish to grow plants indoors. Whether it is winter and plants can’t survive outdoors, or you simply don’t have the outdoor space, indoor growing can be a great remedy. I particularly like to grow certain herbs indoors hydroponically to have year round harvests. Almost any herbs can be grown …
Eggplants are in the same plant family as peppers, tomatoes, and potatoes. Known as nightshades, these plants are all fairly easy to grow in the home veggie garden. However, when it comes time to harvest your eggplants, you may be a bit uncertain. Do I pick it while it’s purple? Should I wait until it …
Harvesting seeds is almost like browsing a seed catalogue, but without the cost! If you have a bit of extra time, and the knowledge, you can save zinnia seeds from your flower garden. In this article, I’ll share how to harvest zinnia seeds properly for the longest shelf life. I’ll cover when exactly to pick …
Marigolds are some of our favorite companion plants in our vegetable and flower gardens. Their showy flowers keep on blooming right up until the frost. The bright and cheerful petals add a beautiful splash of color to our outdoor space, even when other flowers may be dying. Sometimes referred to as the herb of the …
Every fall in New England, our grassy backyard gets covered in fallen leaves. Maple, oak, and sycamore trees pull nutrients from their foliage in preparation for winter, causing the leaves to drop. Most homeowners look at leaves as nothing more than a mess. But if you’re a gardener or landscaper, you should see them as …
Ever since we built our first raised bed, we have been fascinated by how well our vegetables grow. Each raised bed can be highly customized to work for specific plants. Plus, they are great for keeping your garden highly organized. Today, I want to specifically cover how to grow peppers in raised beds. Peppers are …
We love harvesting fresh greens for salads right from our raised garden beds. Here in Connecticut, lettuce is one of our favorite crops to grow in the early spring and fall when outdoor temperatures are between 50°F and 70°F. Being a cool weather crop, lettuce doesn’t fare well with the intense heat of summer. We …