New Gardeners

Garden Fundamentals

How to Choose Your Garden Type

Debating whether to plant an in-ground, raised bed, or container garden? We’ve outlined the pros and cons to help you choose the best garden type for you.

Garden Fundamentals

Caring for Your Veggie Garden in 7 Smart Steps

Garden smarter, not harder. These essential steps for looking after your vegetable garden ensure your plants get plenty of TLC with time for gardener R&R, too.

Garden Fundamentals

7 Super Easy Veggies to Grow

Have you always wanted to grow a vegetable garden but are worried that it’s too tricky or time-consuming? With our handy list of 7 super easy veggies to grow, you’ll be eating fresh garden-to-table meals in no time!

Garden Fundamentals

9 Mistakes New Gardeners Make—and How to Avoid Them

Every new gardener makes mistakes, but don’t be discouraged! We’re here to help so you can enjoy growing your own food without getting frustrated. Read on to learn some of the most common mistakes made by beginner gardeners—and how to avoid them.

Garden Fundamentals

Organic Gardening for Beginners

Growing an organic garden is easier than you might think. Just follow the tips we’ve put together in this “organic gardening for beginners” guide and you'll soon be on your way to a delicious harvest.

Garden Fundamentals

How to Start an Herb Garden

There are so many great reasons to start an herb garden that will provide fresh herbs for everything from creating delicious dinners to brewing your own cups of tea. Plus, most herbs grow easily in a variety of conditions, making them ideal for new gardeners.

Garden Fundamentals

How to Plant a Garden

There are many reasons to plant a garden. Maybe you love cooking with fresh produce. Perhaps you’ve resolved to eat healthier. Or maybe you’re looking for an activity to engage kids in outdoor fun. Whatever the reason, you’ve decided to take the plunge. But where do you begin?

Garden Fundamentals

Edible Landscaping Basics

Who doesn’t love getting a two-for-one? That’s one of the benefits of growing edible plants: Many vegetables and herbs do as much for your landscape as they do for your dinner table. Steal these expert tips to create your own edible landscape, no matter where you live.

Garden Fundamentals

10 Steps to a Successful Garden Design

Plants need more than a beautiful planting plan to thrive. Here’s how to give edibles what they need to produce a gorgeous garden design and a big harvest.

Garden Fundamentals

How to Store Summer Vegetables

When your summer harvest starts coming in fast and furiously, it can be a little overwhelming. While your first instinct may be to just put it all in the fridge and hope it’ll last until you can eat it, the average refrigerator temperature is simply too cold for many warm-weather crops.

Garden Fundamentals

5 Reasons to Plant Starter Plants Instead of Seeds

Looking for a quick, easy way to plant up your vegetable or herb garden? Consider using ready-to-plant seedlings (also called transplants or starts) for just about everything but root crops. They’re worth the difference in price when you tally up the advantages over planting seeds.

Garden Fundamentals

The Cure for Black Thumb

I believed for most of my life that I was born with a black thumb. Not anymore! I've discovered the cure for black thumb. Want to know what it is?

Garden Fundamentals

Weeding Your Garden Naturally

Got too many weeds competing with your garden or fostering problem insects? Tackle them — and keep your garden chemical-free — with these natural weeding techniques.

Garden Fundamentals

How to Pickle Your Harvest

Simply put, pickling is the practice of preserving food in a high-acid solution. The process involves adding vinegar and/or salt to vegetables to create the acidic solution vital for successful pickling. This is a simple, effective way to preserve your harvest.

Garden Fundamentals

Choose the Right Container for Your Plants

Container gardening is easy and rewarding if you have the right containers. When choosing pots, you need to consider size, style, material, and weight, as well as what will be planted in them.

Garden Fundamentals

How to Can Your Harvest

Canning preserves summer’s garden-fresh flavors well beyond the harvest season. The result not only tastes great, but can also trim your grocery bill, especially when you grow the food yourself.

Garden Fundamentals

How to Dry Your Harvest

Drying is one of the oldest food preservation methods, since the simple act of removing the moisture helps keep decay at bay. There are some definite benefits to this method: Dried food doesn’t have to be kept cold (thereby taking up valuable freezer space) and it requires minimal real estate in your cupboard.

Garden Fundamentals

How to Freeze Your Harvest

For simplicity and speed, it’s tough to beat freezing for preserving your garden’s homegrown goodness. Frozen vegetables, fruits, and herbs boast fresh-picked flavors long after the growing season ends.

Garden Fundamentals

Summer Herb Harvesting Tips

Looking for summer herb harvesting tips? Look no further! Here's all you need to know to get the most from your herb garden.

Garden Fundamentals

Seasoned Advice for First Time Gardeners

We all have to start somewhere, and not everyone lives next to an expert like Lucinda Mays. Read some of her tips before you start gardening.

Garden Fundamentals

How Much Water Do Vegetables Need?

One of our frequently asked questions is, "How much water do vegetables need?" Learn how to water your vegetables so they don't get too little or too much.

Garden Fundamentals

Harvest Guide for Cool Weather Vegetables

Learn to pick homegrown cool weather vegetables at the peak of perfection using these guidelines. Knowing when to harvest is key to getting the best flavor.

Garden Fundamentals

Harvest Guide to Summer Veggies

Harvesting summer vegetables can be tricky if you're just starting out with gardening. Use our quick guide to know when & how to harvest vegetables in your garden.

Garden Fundamentals

Good Tools Work for You

Whether you are a seasoned gardener or just getting started, having the right tools will make the job easier. Check out our recommendations.

Garden Fundamentals

Garden Clean-up

Doing some gardening clean-up goes a long way to help eliminate areas where insects & diseases linger. Practice these 4 habits of highly effective gardeners!

Garden Fundamentals

Confessions of a First-Time Gardener

Follow the highs and lows of a first-time gardener and their experience planting tomatoes. Learn about the mistakes they made and how they learned to improve.

Garden Fundamentals

How to Start a Vegetable Garden

When it comes to starting a vegetable garden, 3 things are absolutely crucial for success: lots of sun, good soil, and plenty of water.

Garden Fundamentals

The Basics of Fertilizing

All edible plants remove some nutrients from the soil, and some have such huge appetites that they quickly exhaust the soil (and then produce a poor crop) without the help of fertilizer. Fertilizer is especially helpful early on, when plants are making fast new growth. The key is to match the fertilizing strategy to the plant.

Welcome, New Gardeners!