Gardening Tasks To Do in March
March Madness is here! Trees are budding, birds are singing, and signs of new life are everywhere — that means it’s game time for gardeners. We’ll be focused on soil and bed prep, planting cool-season crops, and setting up areas to nurture wildlife visitors this month. What tasks and “get-to-do’s” top your list this…
Read MoreHow to Start an Easy Potato Bed
When we see the yellow of dandelions and daffodils, it’s almost time to start potatoes. (That’s about St. Patrick’s Day in Western North Carolina’s Zone 7.) We needed a quick way to plant that was easy enough for kids to help.
Read MoreHow to Make a Bean Tipi
A step-by-step tutorial to create a tall structure for beans or other vines to climb in your garden.
Read More7 Favorites for Spring Planting (and Eating!)
“Plant as soon as the soil can be worked.” Reading instructions on a seed packet, these words make me smile in late winter and early spring. When we get sunny weekends, I can hardly wait to get out into the garden. If you’ve still got frosts ahead, but you have the same itch to plant something…
Read MoreGet a Preview of Spring by Forcing Blooms Indoors
Tired of winter? Bring in cuttings from your favorite spring-blooming shrubs and trees and enjoy watching the flowers unfurl. Here’s how to get an exclusive preview of the coming season. (Prefer to read? Scroll down for the “how to” and list of plants you can try.) Just a few days ago, these beautiful forsythia blooms…
Read MoreGardening Tasks To Do in February
Relish a few more restful weeks and turn your garden daydreams into a concrete plan. Feeling tempted to plant seeds early so the fresh new green can chase away the winter blues? You’ll find a couple resources for setting up a growing area and deciding when to plant. Plus you’ll find reminders for tasks best…
Read MoreWhat’s Your Biggest Gardening Challenge?
If you think back to last year’s garden, what frustrations did you have? Or if you don’t have a garden yet, what are the things that keep you from starting? Today, we’re asking experienced and aspiring gardeners to tell us about their garden, goals, and challenges. We’d love to hear yours! We’ll read your answers and plan blog posts and…
Read MoreHow To Make a Simple Worm Bin
“Wormies!” Kids love worms. At least, mine do. 🙂 The boys helped me make this simple worm bin last fall, and the worms have been busy eating our food waste ever since. Here’s a step-by-step tutorial of how to make a worm bin with kids. Our worm bin project started with a dish of earthworms…
Read MoreHow to Grow the Fastest, Easiest Container Garden
What if you could grow food in 2-3 weeks in a small space at any time of year? Microgreens are the way! In this post, I’ll show you how to start growing your own microgreens. I like to think of this as the fastest, easiest version of container gardening! Microgreens can be used in a…
Read MoreThankful Leaves: How to Make A Gratitude Garland
I’m looking forward to celebrating Thanksgiving later this month. I love that we have a whole day dedicated to being thankful! At the same time, I’ve been thinking about how to make gratitude more of a daily practice. This simple project, Thankful Leaves, is how we’re bringing together thankfulness and the gorgeous fall colors for…
Read More5 Backyard Solutions to Climate Change
If climate change has you feeling overwhelmed…confused…helpless…maybe even a little scared, I’m with you. The problem seems so big and complex. You might wonder, Is there really anything that we can do that will make a difference? Yes! And our gardens are a great place to start.
Read MoreGardening Tasks To Do in September
Seasons change, but the garden is still full of life. I love fall. Crisp morning air, apples and pumpkins, and kids in sweaters crunching through fallen leaves. But it’s a bittersweet time. The boisterous growth of the garden slows, the days grow shorter, and I sigh as I think of summer pleasures passed. Back on the bright side,…
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