How-To Projects

These projects offer ideas and inspiration.

keith-poche-raised-bed-feature Keith Poche’s Raised Bed Planter

When the fish aren’t biting, why not bite into a homegrown tomato instead? That’s Elite Series pro fisherman Keith Poche’s philosophy. When he’s not traveling across the country for fishing tournaments, Keith enjoys spending time outdoors in the garden. Keith … Continue reading →

Use lavender blooms in homemade bath salts. How to Make Bath Salts with Lavender and Rosemary

The soothing scents of rosemary and lavender enliven our gardens and kitchens, but the usefulness of these and other aromatic herbs doesn’t stop there. Handmade soaps, scrubs, and salts bring herbs into your bath as well, with soothingly satisfying results. … Continue reading →

make-rowcover-hoop-house-feature Make a Row-Cover Hoop House

Many leafy fall crops are frost tolerant, but if you want to keep them growing as if it were spring for weeks to come, trick them with a little extra warmth under the protection of a row cover. Depending on … Continue reading →

How to make a straw bale bed feature How to Make a Straw Bale Bed

You can create a temporary raised bed using convenient, affordable straw bales. Bales of straw—wheat, oat, or alfalfa—work best. Pine straw will not work because it sheds water. Hay bales also work, but they carry a lot of seeds that … Continue reading →

how-to-build-super-easy-raised-bed-feature How to Build a Super Easy Raised Bed

Make this 4- by 8-foot easy raised bed from 3 8-foot boards that you can have cut to size at the store. One 8-foot board needs to be cut into 2 4-foot sections. (To reduce the size to a 4- by … Continue reading →

make-cucumber-trellis-feature Make a Cucumber Tent Trellis

A tent-shaped trellis makes a great support for cucumbers. Create your own cucumber tent trellis using farm-ready welded steel panels. One panel costs about $25 and will make 2 or 3 trellises. Step 1. Purchase a steel utility panel, available in … Continue reading →

How We Built Our Big 8 x 24 Raised Bed (video)

Our 8- by 24-foot raised display bed is built to last. We built it in front of our home office in Union Springs where we can watch Bonnie plants grow day in and day out. However, when we’re crazy-busy in … Continue reading →

Grow a Strawberry Fountain feature Grow a Strawberry Fountain

This strawberry fountain project is an easy way to grow strawberries without a lot of space. It keeps berries clean and easy to harvest. It’s an alternative to the popular strawberry jar containers. The key is keeping it watered because … Continue reading →

mother's day garden gift Give Mom an Herb Garden

Here is an easy way to show the moms in your life that you appreciate them on Mother’s Day and every day—a growing gift of a container herb garden. If you’re not sure what to plant, we have a few … Continue reading →

easy container combos feature Easy Container Combos: Vegetables and Flowers

“Learn to grow easy vegetables in great looking container combos.” That is the tagline in a book that teaches gardeners to do just that. Author and landscape architect, Pamela Crawford, makes vegetables beautiful. It’s more like a journal of trial … Continue reading →