Rose Kennedy 
Bitter lettuce is such a disappointment. Potential causes include too little water, too much heat, or early-season bolting. In this guide, learn how to prevent a harsh taste when you sow or tend this salad staple. The trick is to select the best varieties, give your plants plenty of water, and harvest on schedule.
Juicy, homegrown slicing tomatoes, fresh off the vine and the bigger the better? Yes, please! This list covers 23 of the best sandwich varieties you can grow in your garden. Get ready for BLTs, fresh salsa, and caprese salads galore once these heirloom and hybrid beefsteaks start producing fruit ripe for slicing.
Tree philodendrons benefit from repotting approximately every two years. These plants like to be a bit rootbound, but may require more room to grow bigger. If you prefer, you can also trim the roots to keep the plant at a more compact size. Learn when and how to safely repot your plant in this guide. Read more now.
Different types of anthurium houseplants offer dramatic foliage or long-lasting color. This guide introduces anthurium species that are most popular with indoor gardeners, including bird’s nest, velvet cardboard, and flamingo flowers. All of these tropical beauties thrive in high humidity with minimal care.
English holly puts the jolly in holiday decor. The cheery red berries brighten early winter landscapes and sustain songbirds, while the evergreen foliage is a must in wreaths and cut arrangements. Read more now to learn how to grow this Christmas holly as a tree or trained shrub, from transplanting to pest control.
Why does your anthurium look wilted? Causes could include too much or too little water, insufficient humidity, root rot, scorching from direct light, or maybe mealybugs or whiteflies. Here’s how to determine the causes when this tropical houseplant starts to droop, and how to revive your anthurium if it’s possible.
Looking for a big, bold, tropical houseplant? Tree philodendron fits the bill. They produce big leaves, can spread six feet or more, and flourish if you meet their minimal needs for water, fertilizer, and space. Learn to grow and care for this outsize, easy-care foliage plant in this guide. Read more now.
How much water do anthuriums need? These colorful, tropical houseplants require ample humidity and moist soil, but too much water will harm them. Help them to thrive indoors with well-draining soil and proper pots, learn how often to water, and decode signs that your plant is getting too much water, or too little.
Fresh alfalfa sprouts or microgreens grown at home are healthy and tasty. In the cold months, they’re a welcome source of fresh produce. And this indoor gardening project is simple enough for beginners and kids, with results in days. Here are the basic how-to’s, along with advice on food safety and some recipe ideas.
Tropical anthurium houseplants add color to your decor and are easy to care for. This guide covers how to grow the healthiest plants, from propagating cuttings to maintaining humidity, to repotting. The colorful spathes will last for weeks, but take less work than most flowering indoor plants. Read more now.
For inexpensive succulent houseplants that grow quickly and are easy to care for, learn to root aloe vera cuttings from single leaves or divide pups from parent plants. The gel from the leaves soothes burns, and the starts you propagate make great gifts for indoor gardeners. Learn how to propagate aloe in this guide.
When you grow lemony perennial sorrel in your garden, you’ll have a supply of baby greens and fresh herbs all year long. Garden, French, and red-veined sorrels are standouts for container gardeners and edible landscaping, too. Our guide covers planting from seed, preserving, and dividing this versatile herb. Read more.
Fragrant gardenias will grow and even bloom indoors, but only if you pay close attention to their requirements. These include humid air, ample sunlight, and temperatures between 60 and 75°F. Our guide shares tips that will help indoor gardeners grow and care for these evergreen flowering shrubs as houseplants.
When you garden in an area where gardenia shrubs are not cold hardy, you can keep them alive and flowering year-round by overwintering them indoors. This guide explains how to protect gardenias from frost, when to move them inside ahead of freezing temperatures, and how to care for them indoors during the cold months.
What causes pothos leaves to turn yellow? Improper watering can lead to root rot that can kill your devil’s ivy houseplant. Find out when a golden color is natural, why plants might get sick, and what to do about it when you see yellow. To avoid root rot and keep pothos plants healthy, follow these preventive tips.
Some of the best kohlrabi companions may provide pest control, enrich the soil, or conserve water, and they look appealing next to this purple or light green cool-season veggie too. Our guide shares the most beneficial companions to plant next to this offbeat above-ground brassica, and which plants make bad neighbors.
Prized for their fragrant white flowers, gardenias grown outdoors need extra attention but will respond with multitudes of blooms and a spicy scent. Our guide explains how to grow traditional types and newer cold-hardy hybrids. Start with healthy plants and water, fertilize, and prune your way to a bonanza of blooms.
Lettuce thrives in cool weather, but is frost too much for this leafy green? In this guide, we share the most frost-tolerant lettuce varieties to grow in your garden, along with ways to protect salad greens in freezing temperatures. Avoiding frozen roots is the key to fresh lettuce through fall and into the winter.
he Worx WG584 40V Power Share Turbine leaf blower has all the cordless electric advantages and its battery lasts up to an hour – three times longer than similar models. Three speeds and a Turbo function handle multiple lawn chores with one-handed operation. Read our review to learn if this model is right for you.
Harvest the tastiest mustard greens by picking early and often. These fast-growing Asian and Southern greens may be best at microgreen, baby leaf, or full size, depending on the variety. Just don’t let them get too large and bitter. Here’s how to pick broadleaf, tatsoi, and mizuna types at their peak.
Don’t let homegrown pumpkins rot before you can cook or carve them! Store the pumpkin harvest in a way that maximizes shelf life and flavor. This guide tells how long you can keep competition, pie, and jack-o’-lantern pumpkins after picking, and shares tips for storing them through Halloween – or even December.
This year, thrill the gardeners on Santa’s nice list with the best holiday gifts for green thumbs. We’ve done the legwork, so you can select top-quality gardener-recommended presents and stocking stuffers. Shop our list for the best gift ideas – and maybe pick something out for yourself too. Read more now.
Timing is everything when you harvest homegrown pears. European varieties ripen after picking and Asian pears reach juicy perfection on the trees. Here’s how to know when pears are ripe for harvest from the home orchard, and how to pick them at the peak of ripeness and store some for later use. Read more now.
Whether you grow field, pie, or hull-less pumpkin varieties, saving the seeds to eat is a bonus! Here’s how to pick the best varieties to grow if you want to roast the seeds, and how to spot the winter squash with the most seeds. Follow these selection and collection tips for a nutritious harvest ready to roast.
Petunias are not cold hardy, and they grow as perennials only in Zones 9-11. But even in cooler climates, you can maximize their blooming season outdoors with a few preparations. Follow these strategies for preparing petunias for cool weather, and you’ll have waves of blooms well into autumn. Read more now.
Collect, sort, dry, and store pumpkin seeds from open-pollinated varieties and you’ll have an abundant supply to sow for years to come. Some will still germinate after six years! Find directions here for timing and storage techniques, along with cautions about varieties that don’t work for seed savers. Read more.
When you grow oleander in your landscape, beware! All parts of the plant, from roots to stems and blooms, are poisonous if ingested, with a potentially fatal reaction for people and animals. Learn more about oleander poisoning and what precautions to take when you grow and care for these shrubs in your garden. Read more.
Okra grows readily from seed, and you’ll have an ample supply of the best open-pollinated varieties when you collect and dry seeds at season’s end. This guide covers which types are best for seed-saving, and how to collect and dry them. Just a few pods will yield enough for a bumper crop and more to share with friends.
‘Nantes’ could become your new favorite carrot to grow in the garden. It’s tender and sweet, bright orange, and virtually coreless. And you can eat this variety without peeling it first. This guide covers how to sow and care for this crop, and enjoy the haul. Zoodles, carrot cake, and roasted roots are all on the menu.
Joe-pye weed is a tall, easy-to-grow native wildflower that shares its name with a Mohican chief. With vanilla-scented flowers, it draws hummingbirds, songbirds, and pollinating insects. Read our guide now to learn how to propagate, care for, and maintain this late-fall bloomer in a border, meadow, or cottage garden.
Do mustard greens make good vegetable garden neighbors? If you’re growing corn or dill, sure! But choose mustard green companion plants carefully – these quick-growing veggies don’t always play nice with others. Learn about the top companions, plus a few tips on what to keep away in this guide. Read more now.
Wondering about the difference between limas and butter beans? They’re the same type of legume, though Southerners usually call them butter beans and cook them with pork. To successfully grow either one in your garden, choosing the type that grows well in your region and space is more important than what you call them.
No garden space? No problem! You can grow dwarf and mid-size varieties of sunflowers in pots or planters. This guide includes the best container growing tips and techniques. Choose the top sunflowers, a full sun spot, and sow wisely, and soon you’ll have your own pot of golden flowers for seed or floral arrangements.
From baby limas to towering ‘King of the Garden,’ you’ll find 13 of the best butter bean and lima bean cultivars to grow in your garden right here. Some are bush varieties, others top 10 feet tall and need support. A few picks are heirloom standouts, and some produce extra early for those with short growing seasons.
Homegrown lima beans or butter beans are tastier than any you could buy in a store. This guide explains how to grow baby or large limas in your garden, and gives harvest and storage tips, too. Plant a bumper crop of bush or vine cultivars, and cook or freeze the harvest for side dishes, hummus, or casseroles
Plant summer alfalfa as a cover crop in autumn, or grow this nitrogen-rich legume as an annual or perennial source of mulch and compost. If you have enough space, you can also grow it as animal feed for horses and cows. Learn the basics of planting, tending, and harvesting homegrown alfalfa in this guide. Read more now.
Among the best sunflower varieties to grow in the garden, some are perennial and others annual. Our guide explains how to tell the two apart using botanical names and other clues. Then, choose the type that will work best for your growing situation. Is your sunflower a perennial? With these tips, you’ll know for sure.
When the cucumber you grew in your garden reveals an empty cavity, you’re dealing with a condition called hollow heart. It could result from a soil deficiency or poor growing conditions, but bugs and disease are not factors. Our guide covers the most likely causes, and provides solutions and preventive measures.
Selecting the best sunflower cultivar to grow in your garden is a labor of love. This guide introduces many of the most popular, including mammoth seed-producers, sweet dwarfs for container gardening, and mid-size favorites in a range of colors. Discover 15 of the most popular sunflower varieties to choose from now.
Why are your sunflowers drooping? Whether the flowers are facing the ground or your seedlings are slumped, you can use these tips to play detective and possibly revive them. Causes include pests, transplant shock, and seed heads forming. Learn ways to spot trouble and possible solutions with this handy guide.
Pests like pickleworms, and even a fungus that causes belly rot, can leave holes in garden-grown cucumbers. Learn how to identify the culprits, cope with an infestation, and prevent repeats in the future. Our guide also addresses the all-important question: whether or not you can eat a cucumber that has a hole in it.
Bachelor’s buttons are easy to grow in early spring, but you can still help them along by deadheading spent flowers. The technique is simple, but it’s important to know when and how to trim dead flowers from these old-fashioned annuals. Make cornflower plants fuller and discourage reseeding by following these tips.
Also known as cornflowers, bachelor’s buttons are fairly simple to grow from seed when you follow these instructions. They’re pretty and practical, great for edible blooms, container gardening, and attracting pollinators. This tried-and-true seed-sowing advice will help you get more blooms and avoid rookie mistakes.
Healthy harvests of the Asian green mizuna are just weeks away when you follow these gardening tips. This mild mustard green is great for impatient gardeners and those with short growing seasons. You’ll enjoy the baby leaves 21 days from sowing, and full-size greens three weeks later. Quick and tasty, that’s mizuna.
When your easy-care, cheerful sunflower plants refuse to bloom, the cause could be a disease, poor location, or a sunflower variety that takes a while to flower. To get to the root of the problem, check out these possible explanations and what to do for each. Here’s how to coax your sunflowers to bloom. Read more.
Garden cucumbers grow fast and have high yields, so prepare for a bountiful harvest. These expert tips and techniques will help you pick the fruits at their tastiest, and extend the harvest, starting on day one of the growing season. Avoid rookie mistakes and pick with ease with this guide to harvesting cucumbers.
What should you plant with cucumbers? The best companions maximize space, discourage harmful insects, and suppress weeds. Beans, marigolds, and corn are beneficial, but steer clear of potatoes and sage! This guide will help you grow good companion plants for cucumbers, and avoid any that compete or encourage disease.
Which type of cucumber should you plant in your garden? All types grow fast and have high yields, but each has unique benefits, too. Vining types save space, pickling fruits hold up to processing, and seedless varieties may grow without pollinators. This guide to cucumber categories will help you explore your options.
Red to the core and just right for raised beds, ‘Chantenay’ carrots grow five inches long. They thrive in garden plots and planters, too. Sow in spring or fall for fresh eating, juicing, freezing, or cooking in muffins, stews, or soups. But first, learn all the carrot hacks for the best yields and avoiding pests.
Pickling cucumber plants produce a bumper crop. Eat them fresh and then harvest a bounty for homemade pickles. The best varieties to grow in your garden include gherkins, heirlooms like ‘Boston Pickling,’ and dwarf types to grow in pots. We’ve rounded up the top choices, so you can pick your favorite and get growing.
Cucumbers have long been depended on to add a satisfying crunch to summer meals. This summer crop is easy to grow when you pick the right varieties for your growing zone and keep your plants healthy and high-yielding. Learn how to plant and grow cucumbers in your garden with this guide – we’ve even got recipe ideas too.
A bright orange heirloom, the ‘Danvers’ carrot is great for gardeners with heavy soil. Plant it in the spring and again in fall for an easy-pull storage crop. You can’t beat that homegrown carrot taste, and ‘Danvers’ produces high yields – even in areas with clay soil and shorter growing seasons. Read more now.
Selecting the best radishes to grow in your garden is as fun as eating them, whether fresh, roasted, or pickled. The choices include red, round heirlooms, daikon types, and a few in rainbow colors and unusual shapes. Certain hybrids can even beat the heat. Discover 25 of the top radish varieties in this guide.
Forget the stress and feel the love when you give a Mother’s Day gift perfect for mom gardeners. We’ve done the legwork, so you have plenty of practical, fanciful, huge, or modest options to choose from. Only the best for mom! All our best gift picks will warm a gardener’s heart, the same way her great kids do.
If your living or work space would benefit from low maintenance indoor greenery, pothos plants are ideal. These trailing, variegated tropical vines are fast-growing and thrive in low light conditions, with sparse water, and forgetful owners. Learn how to grow and care for pothos houseplants in this guide. Read more now.
Oleanders are drought-resistant shrubs with colorful blooms in shades of pink, red, or white. These robust plants thrive in poor soil and warm weather conditions. There are a number of different types available – from dwarf shrubs to large trees and hedges. Learn about 9 of the best oleander varieties for your landscape.
Evergreen oleander shrubs add tropical flair to the garden, blooming for months in vibrant shades of pink and red or delicate white. These low maintenance beauties thrive in poor soil, drought, high heat, and salt air and are suitable for cultivation in Zones 8-10. Learn how to plant and grow oleander in this guide.
Bring the New Year’s good luck tradition into your garden when you grow black-eyed peas. These tasty legumes condition the soil, and thrive in average dirt, high temperatures, and even drought, making them low labor additions to the summer garden. Learn how to grow your own black-eyed peas in this guide. Read more now.
Christmas Carol aloe has green leaves with red accents and is shaped like a star. This easygoing succulent is also suitable for growing outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 9-11. Use the leaves to soothe minor burns, or let it shine as part of your festive holiday decor. Learn how to care for Christmas Carol aloe now.
Pansies love cool weather, but these fall-planted flowers still need winter care to bloom their best in spring. Learn how to help pansies form strong roots and survive the snow and frost with mulch, water, and TLC. Follow our tips for winterizing pansies for a carpet of colorful blooms. Read more now.
Bright red or striped amaryllis are ideal for holiday decor and giving as gifts. But did you know there are lots of other great types of amaryllis, too? From double-blossoms, to extra large blooms, to those that resemble orchids. Discover 17 of the best amaryllis varieties and choose your favorites. Read more now.
Dreaming of a home orchard? Fruiting pear trees are a great choice. They aren’t troubled by most diseases or pests, and deliver bumper crops of delicious fruit. Reap all these rewards by following this guide that takes you through every step, from planting to harvest and eating or cooking. Read more now.
Fast-growing and spicy, homegrown mustard greens will produce a lot of seeds that can be collected and stored for future planting. Saving seeds from your plants is an economical way to ensure a bountiful crop of your favorite varieties in future seasons. Discover when and how to harvest your own mustard green seeds.
Looking to spice up your veggie patch? Mustard greens are a fast-growing, great-tasting addition. The microgreens can be ready in just 7-10 days, and full-size leaves mature in 45 days or so. From tender mustard spinach to Asian greens like mizuna and tatsoi, here are 13 of the top choices to grow in spring or fall.
How well do you know your mustard greens? Some varieties may come as a surprise, since this category includes Asian greens, Southern-style broadleaf mustard, and crunchy tatsoi. Most varieties that you can plant in your garden are green, but some are red! Learn how to plant and care for this fast-growing favorite now.
Daffodils do best with companion plants that will look great while they’re both in bloom. Good companions will also cover the unattractive faded daffodil leaves at season’s end. Check out the best flowering plants and veggies to grow with your daffodils, and the ones to keep far away from these spring-blooming bulbs.
When life gives you a bumper crop of tomatoes, you’re in luck if you have room in the freezer. But you need to be savvy. Make the most of a tomato glut without wasting time or energy, and try our tips for making sauce or concasse, freezer jam, and salsa, as well as freezing plain, unpeeled tomatoes. Read more now.
Sunflowers that don’t produce pollen were bred for pro florists and are now available to home gardeners. Here’s a fresh-picked roundup of popular pollenless varieties with unique blooms, available in a rainbow of colors and sizes. Some are suited for containers too. Ready to grow your own? Read more on Gardener’s Path.
For huge, double-petalled blooms on shorter plants, sweet, sunny ‘Teddy Bear’ sunflowers are a colorful addition to the summer garden. This easy-to-grow dwarf cultivar adds texture to borders and beds, and is a cutting garden favorite. Find top tips for growing ‘Teddy Bear’ sunflowers in your landscape. Read more now.
Are wildlife pests trying to make a meal from your sunflowers? Try these kind and effective tricks to protect sunflower blooms from squirrels and birds. Nets (for the flowers!) and scary Mylar are two of the best ways to preserve your flowers for yourself, and seeds for the songbird feeder. Read more now.
Indeterminate ‘Mortgage Lifter’ tomatoes grow tall and produce glorious, meaty fruits over a long period. They got their name from a 1930s mechanic, Radiator Charlie, who paid off his mortgage with the proceeds. These heirlooms won’t pay the bills, but they’re a priceless way to enjoy real tomato taste all summer long.
You can save money and spread even more joy when you save your bachelor’s button seeds to grow again next year. Follow a few simple steps and you’ll have so many cornflower seeds to plant and share. Start planning when the cheerful blooms appear, follow up with the perfect storage spot, and you’ll be set next spring.
Want to close down the bunny salad bar in your garden? Grow flowering plants rabbits don’t like to eat! These annuals and perennials are beautiful, colorful, and rabbit-resistant. A few, like thyme and chives, are also delicious – to humans. Hop along, bunny, the flowering plants in this garden taste bad to rabbits.
Carving is cool, but it’s also fun to grow pumpkins that are great for cooking. From heirloom giants to hybrid minis, these 11 pumpkin picks are a home chef’s dream. Try them in your favorite fall soups, breads, pancakes, and even pumpkin lasagna, and freeze the excess from your bumper crop to enjoy all year long.
Sure, they’re cute, but bunnies can wreak havoc on your flowers and vegetable harvest. To discourage garden damage by rabbits without making like Elmer Fudd, follow these tips. Savvy plant selection, fences, and yard maintenance can all help keep Peter Rabbit out of your space. Quit growing rabbit food, already!
Grow a super food summer squash in a fresh yellow color! Golden zucchini are a bit sweeter than green varieties and nearly as productive. The shape makes them superior for zoodles, and their color’s a benefit in the kitchen and garden alike. Have some fun, follow these tips, and you’ll soon be harvesting summer gold.
A traditional home garden favorite, zucchini is popular as a zero-carb spiral noodle standout. A few plants can supply the whole family! But with so many wonderful cultivars for edible blossoms, stuffing or pickles, why not plant a bunch and harvest all summer long? Follow these tips for zucchini bliss.
Think tomatoes won’t thrive in clay soil? Here’s where we shatter that gardening myth. Even clay can’t stop a determined vegetable gardener from growing a bounty of tomatoes. The strategies for producing top yields and great flavor from tomatoes grown in heavy soil start with soil prep, and end at harvest. Read more.
It’s so sad when tomatoes won’t ripen on the vine. Stay one step ahead of the coming frost with these tips to make homegrown tomatoes turn red. Temperature, cultivar selection, and stress all come into play. And sometimes you can bring green fruit inside to ripen. Our motto: No tomato left behind. Read more now.
Impatient for a homegrown harvest you can serve or snack on? Opt for quick-growing vegetables and herbs that yield tasty, fresh ingredients, some in just 14 days. These early-season homegrown shoots, microgreens, and even a flower will perk up your end of winter, pantry-based meals. Forget slow and steady! Read more.
Want to grow your own canning tomatoes for year-round deliciousness? Heirloom or hybrid, huge or snack-sized, each of our favorite varieties has its own unique taste and texture. Discover 15 of the best tomatoes to grow and preserve and to fill your pantry with sauces and salsas to see you through the rest of the year.
Not just a beauty, the hyacinth bean produces glorious blooms as well as showy purple pods and edible shoots. It grows fast as an arbor or living privacy fence, and avoiding its potentially toxic tendencies is simple. This guide will tell you how to tap all that purple power, and there’s nothing tough about growing it!