Garden Fundamentals

Garden Mistakes -- and What I've Learned From Them

Some say the best lessons are taught by our failures -- and when it comes to gardening, I would have to agree. Season to season, I not only learn from the mistakes I make in my garden, but also share this knowledge with my three daughters so they won’t have to repeat them when they get old enough to start growing their own.

Garden Fundamentals

Why Victory Gardens Still Matter

I am a life-long gardener. Growing up in rural Oregon, I was taught by my parents to grow, can, and cook food – all good old skills that seem to be so rare these days. But they weren’t rare during World War II, when growing food became a matter of national security.

Garden Fundamentals

Which Onion Is Right For You?

If you have ever planted onions only to grow a lackluster harvest of small bulbs, your growing technique may not be the issue. You may have started with the wrong onion. There are three types of onions, each one better suited for a certain part of the country. If you plant the wrong one, you may not get much of a harvest. Here's how to tell which onion is right for you.

Garden Fundamentals

How to Store Winter Squash

Learn how to store winter squash and preserve your harvest for months to come. Curing the squash helps ensure safe storage through winter.

Garden Fundamentals

How to Preserve Hot Peppers, In the Dark or Otherwise

Learn how to preserve hot peppers by making pepper jelly or dehydrating. Kelly shares her experience preserving hot peppers in this Bonnie Plants blog post.

Garden Fundamentals

Got Pollination Problems? Give Hand-Pollination a Try!

If you’re having trouble with pollination of your melon, pumpkin, cucumber, or squash plants, don’t give up. Give hand-pollination a try.

Garden Fundamentals

The Root of the Problem

Blogger Renee Adam learns an easy remedy for rootbound tomato plants and vegetable plants that sat too long in their pots. Rootbound plants should be gently loosened before planting.

Garden Fundamentals

The Basics of Tomato Flavor

Tomato flavor won’t be the same with every type of tomato. Learn the basic components of tomato flavors and how these affect what you taste.

Garden Fundamentals

What Size Pot?

Not sure what size pot you need for your vegetable or herb? Don't guess when it comes to this. Use our handy guide to make the right choice for your plant.

Garden Fundamentals

What Can I Grow in a Pot?

Almost any vegetable or herb will grow in a pot, but it helps to put the right variety of vegetables in the right size pot. Learn how with Bonnie Plants.

Garden Fundamentals

Rotating Vegetable Crops for Garden Success

Home vegetable gardens will benefit as much from rotating vegetable crops as big farms do. Learn what crop rotation means and how to make it work in your garden.

Garden Fundamentals

Hot Pepper Heat Scale

Some peppers are hotter than others. Learn about pepper heat levels, including the Scoville scale, and how you can grow hot peppers in your garden.

Garden Fundamentals

Protecting Strawberries from Birds

Of all the ways that gardeners try protecting strawberries from birds, bird netting offers the best solution. Learn how to safely protect your strawberries.

Garden Fundamentals

Why Grow Your Own Vegetables and Herbs?

Learn why growing your own vegetables and herbs can save you money, improve your cooking, give you exercise, and minimize pesticide exposure.

Garden Fundamentals

Why Grow Vegetables and Herbs in Pots?

If you don't have room for a big garden, grow vegetables and herbs in pots. Learn reasons, like less watering, better soil options, and many more, right here.

Garden Fundamentals

Tomatoes That'll Cover Your Bread Slice

Find out which tomato varieties produce fruit large enough that a single slice of tomato will cover an entire slice of bread for sandwiches and hamburgers.

Garden Fundamentals

Tomato Quirks

Sometimes a tomato doesn’t turn out looking like you’d expect. Here are some tomato quirks you might see that are caused by neither insects nor diseases — and what (if anything) to do about them.

Garden Fundamentals

Surgery for Squash Vine Borers

Surgery for squash vine borers is the last line of defense when borers have invaded your squash plants. Here is a simple description of how to remove them.

Garden Fundamentals

Planting Tomatoes Step-by-Step

Perhaps more than any other vegetable, tomatoes depend on proper planting so they can provide you with loads of fruit throughout the summer. Before you plan, check out our step-by-step instructions ...

Garden Fundamentals

Planting Squash Step-by-Step

Planting squash is easy. Just follow these simple steps to give your plants a solid start.

Garden Fundamentals

Planting Peppers Step-by-Step

Planting peppers in your garden, whether you plant in ground, in raised beds, or in containers, is easy with our step-by-step instructions.

Garden Fundamentals

Planting Cole Crops Step-by-Step

Spring is the perfect time for planting cole crops. Follow these four simple steps to create the foundation for a bountiful harvest.

Garden Fundamentals

Plant Tomatoes Deep, Deep, Deep

Each Bonnie tomato label urges you to plant tomatoes deep, so that a full 2/3 of the plant is underground. That means that if you buy a 10-inch tall plant, all but the top three to four inches is buried. Why? Because the plant will have a better, stronger root system. Better roots mean better tomatoes.

Garden Fundamentals

Should You Stake Pepper Plants?

It's often a good idea to stake pepper plants. Although many peppers are strong plants that do a good job at holding themselves upright, sometimes they need a little help — especially toward the end of the season. If you live in an area in which the growing season is long, peppers tend to grow taller (sometimes three or more feet) than they would otherwise.