Heather Buckner 
Are you looking to spice up your Halloween display this year? Why not grow your own? Try decorating your home and yard with a collection of mysterious and scary plants just spooky enough to make your skin crawl. Read on to learn about 13 of our favorite creepy and bizarre plants to grow in your garden this October.
Living in a cold climate doesn’t have to mean you can’t enjoy vivid colors in your garden. Learn how to select the best flowering annuals suitable for colder growing zones, and with minimal effort you can dazzle your neighbors with vibrant displays of color throughout the growing season. Read more now.
Looking for an easy way to get an early start to the spring season? Why not try planting next year’s seeds in the fall? With minimal effort this autumn, you can get a head start on next season with a healthier, heartier crop. Read on to learn how to pre-seed the vegetable garden this fall for an early spring harvest.
Looking to learn a new gardening skill? Collecting and replanting flower seeds is a fun and economical way to enjoy your favorite flowers year after year. Though collecting seeds for saving only takes a few minutes, it can also become something of a hobby all on its own. Learn how and when to harvest flower seeds.
There is nothing better than filling your kitchen with the nutty scent of roasting hazelnuts that were picked at the peak of ripeness from the trees in your yard. Fortunately, harvesting your own hazelnuts is so much easier than you might think. Read more now for the best tips on how to pick and preserve your own crop.
Hazelnuts, also known as filberts, are easy-to-grow compact trees that begin producing buttery sweet nuts in just a few years. Since they can be pruned to a shrub or tree shape, they are a great choice if you don’t have a lot of space but want to grow and harvest your own nuts. Read on to learn how to grow hazelnuts.
Unsure of what to do with that growing heap of ashes by the fireplace? Why not try composting them. Composting wood ash is an easy and effective way to increase the pH of acidic soil and add nutrients such as calcium and potassium. Read on to learn how and when to use wood ashes in the compost and in your garden.
Whether or not to compost tomatoes is a controversial topic in the gardening world. Fears that composting tomatoes will encourage pathogens, create messes, and cause trouble the following season lead many gardeners to trash their plants. Read on to examine these concerns and learn how to safely compost tomato plants.
If you are growing angelica in your garden, you may not know that all parts of the plant are edible. With a rich history of use in food and medicine, this fragrant herb has a variety of culinary and medicinal uses. Discover how to harvest and use the leaves, stems, and roots of your angelica plant. Read more now.
Angelica is a beautiful biennial herb that has been grown for centuries for its aromatic edible stems, medicinal roots, and large bold foliage. This majestic plant can be propagated in a number of different ways and is easy to grow once you know how to get it started. Read on to learn how to propagate angelica.
Did you know that kale is a biennial that produces tender edible shoots and buds in the second season? Napini, or kale rabe, is delicious, tender, and sweet, a treat you won’t want to miss out on. What’s more, growing kale for napini is easy. Learn how to grow and harvest your own napini kale. Read more now.
Have you ever thought of growing motherwort? Or do you already have an abundance growing wild in your garden, and you’re unsure of what to do with it? This hardy perennial herb has a reputation for reducing anxiety and supporting women’s health. Read more to learn how to grow, harvest, and utilize this powerful plant.
You may be familiar with the beneficial properties of nettle leaves, but did you know that the roots of this hardy perennial herb are also medicinal, and have some very special attributes of their own? Discover how to harvest, process, store, and use nettle root. Read more now.
Though often overlooked as an undesirable weed, stinging nettle is an astonishing plant with an abundance of uses, many dating back for thousands of years. Learn to appreciate this forager’s favorite and discover tips for growing, harvesting, and using nettle greens, with some bonus cooking tips too. Read more now.
Looking to add some depth to your garden this season? Try angelica. This long-cultivated biennial herb has a history of medicinal use, with edible roots, leaves, and stalks. Growing to a towering eight feet tall, these plants have an aromatic scent and impressive stature. Discover how to add angelica to your garden now.
Broccoli is one of those veggies that offers so much more than we often give it credit for. This staple crop can be harvested for its large heads, as well as its young tender leaves and side shoots. Read more now to learn how to harvest and store broccoli, and pick up some delicious recipe ideas too.
Yarrow is a perennial flowering herb with a long history of medicinal use, from treating wounds on the battlefield to modern herbal remedies. With feathery leaves and delicate flowers, it repels pests and provides ornamental interest in the garden. Read on to learn all about the history of yarrow and its many uses.
You may think of common plantain as an irksome weed, but did you know that this underappreciated herb is actually edible and nutritious, highly medicinal, and restorative to compacted soil? Plus, it’s abundant and easy to grow! Read more now to get our tips for cultivating and enjoying this useful plant at home.