All in-ground-garden articles

garden fundamentals

How to Plant an In-Ground Garden (It’s Easy!)

It’s easier than you think toplant an in-ground garden. Get tips for choosing the location and plants, creating thedesign, building the soil, and more.

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

The Importance of Healthy Roots

Did you know that what you see above ground in your plants is really determined by what's hidden underground? What happens underground, where the plant roots live, drives plant growth. The bigger and healthier the root system, the bigger and healthier the plant.

garden fundamentals

Organic Mulch: A Gardener's Good Friend

Organic mulch is an effective way to conserve soil moisture while also cutting down on weeds and enriching the soil for the future.

how to grow

How to Grow Ground Cherries

A fruit of many names, it seems the only thing everyone can agree on is the fact this tangy but sweet berry is a delight to eat.

garden fundamentals

Hot Summer Tips for Watering the Garden

Watering the garden in hot weather is crucial. Learn the best ways to water your garden in the summertime so your plants will thrive.

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.

diy garden projects

DIY Veggie Garden Trellis

A trellis can be a great structure for keeping climbing vegetables like peas, pole beans, and cucumbers off the ground. It also can be a head-turning addition to your garden landscape.

garden fundamentals

Keeping Voles Out of the Garden

When a deer or rabbit visits your garden, it’s tough to miss the nibbled leaves, chewed shoots, and missing plants. Voles, on the other hand, can be harder to identify — but just as destructive. Before you begin laying plans for keeping voles out of the garden, you want be sure that voles are the culprits.

garden fundamentals

Your Beautiful Backyard Garden

A great vegetable garden can be the focal point of a backyard. Tucked back in a far corner, it becomes a destination. Because the backyard is usually more private than the front, maintenance can be more relaxed.

diy garden projects

3 Easy Ways to Build a Raised Bed Garden

Perhaps you’re a new gardener, growing veggies and herbs for the first time. Maybe you’ve grown your own food for years, but your in-ground soil isn’t great, or you just need a bit more growing space. Whatever the reason, here’s one option worth considering: a raised garden bed. Here are three simple ways to build one.

garden fundamentals

Growing Tomatoes: 9 Ways to Grow Tomatoes in Your Garden

Tasty and terrific, tomatoes offer garden magic at its best, transforming yellow blossoms into juicy fruits. But perhaps the most amazing thing about tomatoes is their adaptability. These yummy gems grow and thrive in a host of ways, from classic in-ground beds to quirky upside-down planters. Let us help you discover which of these ways to grow tomatoes is best 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

Get to Know Predatory Beneficial Insects

Many of the insects in the garden actually help your plants by preying on pests like aphids and caterpillars. Discover ones are beneficial insects.

how to grow

Growing Swiss Chard

Swiss chard is both edible and ornamental. Learn tips for growing Swiss chard and add lovely color and gourmet flavor to your vegetable and herb garden.

diy garden projects

3 Ways to Use Cattle Panels in the Garden

Many favorite vegetable plants — such as tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, peas, melons, and squash — need a little help standing tall. Cattle panels, available online and at farm supply stores, are a simple, affordable way to keep plants off the ground and away from foraging critters and soil-borne diseases.

garden fundamentals

Raised Bed Gardening Tips

What is a raised bed garden? It’s an enclosed planting area on top of the ground that offers one huge benefit: You never have to deal with poor soil, because you control what goes in the bed. What's more, because raised beds don't require planting in rows, you'll actually be able to fit more plants in than you would in a traditional garden of the same size — so you'll eventually end up with a bigger 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.

diy garden projects

How to Make a Lasagna Garden

Have you ever started digging a new garden bed, excited about the vegetables and herbs you’ll grow, only to hit rocks and roots with your shovel? Or maybe you planned to build a raised bed garden but never got around to buying the wood. Or perhaps you’ve been gardening in containers and you’re itching for a little more space. Whatever your situation, the answer may just be a lasagna garden.

garden fundamentals

So What Happens During a Freeze?

A frost doesn't have to spell doom for your garden. Give your garden freeze protection with these simple tips, including using row covers.

garden fundamentals

Organic and Sustainable Gardening 101

Organic gardening isn't just about avoiding synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. It also encompasses growing in harmony with nature. Learn how to grow organically and sustainably here.

garden fundamentals

Row Cover Fabric Equals Protection for Your Plants

A row cover protects garden plants from cold, wind, excess sun, and insects. Discover how to use a row cover in your garden to extend the growing season.

garden ideas inspiration

5 Terrific Garden Tools for Under $40

Soil, plants, sun, and water—that’s all you really need to grow a garden. But I've found there are some tools that can make gardening—already one of my favorite pastimes—even easier and more enjoyable.

diy garden projects

DIY: How to Build a Bamboo Trellis Tower

Here’s a simple, beautiful way to support tall-growing tomato (aka "indeterminate tomato") plants: a Bamboo Trellis Tower, brainchild of horticulturist and garden designer Charlie Thigpen. Bamboo can be surprisingly easy to find, as it grows vigorously and often a little too enthusiastically for the person on whose property it resides.