A tidy garden is a healthy garden, and cutting back perennials helps to achieve both of these things. But confusion comes into play when deciding which perennials to cut back when. Relax! We’ll teach you how biannual pruning can become an act of meditation for the gardener. Read our handy guide, and you’ll look forward to a tidy cleanup.
Many of our spring-blooming flowers sprout from bulbs planted in the fall. Favorites like crocus, daffodil, and tulip must spend the winter beneath the cold ground, storing energy for their debut when warm weather returns. Read on to find out how late you can plant bulbs in the fall for a spectacular spring display.
Naturalized bulbs are those that multiply readily, creating irregular drifts of seasonal color. Without regard to restrictive garden borders, they grow as though sown randomly by nature’s creatures, giving a landscape an informal, uncontrived appearance. Read on to learn how to naturalize your favorite flowering bulbs.
Floating row covers are a must for every gardener. From extending the season to keeping out pests, this multipurpose fabric can transform the way you garden. Keep reading to learn how to use floating row covers to make the most of every season.
Are you wondering when and how you should harvest rhubarb stalks for the best flavor without harming the mother plant? You won’t want to miss this guide, where you’ll learn exactly when to harvest whether you grow it from seed, crown, bare root, or division. We’ll also show you how to preserve stalks. Read more now.
Rhubarb is a stunning addition to everything from wine to pie to roasted chicken. Most gardeners know that you can propagate the tart, lightly sweet plant from crowns, divisions, and bare roots. But can you sow rhubarb seeds? Will they grow successfully? And if so, how do you do it? Read on to learn more now.
Growing rhubarb in containers gives you a head start on enjoying sweet, tart stalks in pie, jam, ice cream, coffee cake, and even wine. It’s also a fun project to do indoors during the throes of winter, just when it seems as though spring is an eternity away. You don’t want to miss our step-by-step guide! Read more now.
Looking for a quick-growing veggie that’s versatile in the garden? You should check out radishes. They couldn’t be easier to grow and they are completely edible from root to tip. Some are ready to eat in just a few weeks and they’re generally untroubled by pests. Read about raising radishes in this comprehensive guide.
The tulip is an iconic spring bulb flower that is available in an array of colors. It is a perennial that is often grown as an annual. Read on for all you need to know to select bulbs, grow and care for plants, and manage pests and disease. Discover exciting varieties and companion planting ideas in this handy guide.
An old-time perennial with handsome foliage, rhubarb’s colorful stalks have a tangy taste that’s ideal for both savory and sweet dishes. Easily cultivated in warm temperatures and moist soil, this reliable veggie is highly productive throughout summer. Find all the details on how to plant and grow rhubarb in this guide.
Spinach is a delicious cool weather crop and an excellent leafy green to include in your backyard garden. Whether your plans for your harvest include fresh spring salads or warming autumn stir fries, picking spinach in the right way can ensure a continual harvest. Ready to learn when and how to harvest spinach? Read more now.
Have you ever wanted to grow a tulip that looks like a peony? Well, you totally can, and in this guide we’ll show you how. Peony tulip blooms last longer than actual peonies, and these flowers are just as deliciously fancy. Learn everything you need to know about growing peony tulips in our guide. Read more now.
The parrot tulip is an intriguing mid- to late-spring bloomer. Vibrant colors play across petals that ruffle and curl like exotic birds in flight. Mass plant for exceptional curb appeal. Scatter through beds and borders. Get parrot tulip growing tips now, and enjoy botanical garden quality blooms in your own backyard.
Healthy tulips have fleshy green foliage and bare, vertical flower stems. After blooming, it’s normal for the foliage to turn yellow and then brown. However, sometimes the leaves turn yellow early in the growing season. This spells trouble. Read on to learn the likely causes and how to avoid them with future plantings.
Do you know who loves tulips just as much as you do? Deer, that’s who. They love the bulbs, leaves, and blossoms more than just about anything else. They’ll go out of their way, through deterrents and from afar, to find and eat tulips. In this guide, we’ll explain how to enjoy your tulips while keeping the deer away.
It’s really sad when you purchase a good-looking batch of strawberries only to find them bland, tart, or worse – nothing but mush. Have you tried growing your own? As a cold hardy perennial, you’ll be surprised how little is involved in growing a plant or two for some delicious snacking. Read more on Gardener’s Path.
Herbs are wonderfully low maintenance plants. And with just a little bit of care and attention in the spring, these aromatic, tasty, and healthful edibles will flourish for your enjoyment. From top-dressing to propagating, join us for all the details you need on how to care for your herb garden!
Would you like to grow broccoli, but aren’t sure how? Read on for the best instructions for cultivating this nutritious cool weather crop in your garden. See if a spring or fall planting suits your climate and learn the secrets to getting several harvests from one plant. Learn more about broccoli in this guide.
Lacinato kale is a healthy, delicious, and easy-to-grow crop that deserves a place in the backyard garden. Also known as Dinosaur or Tuscan kale, this plant has long blueish green leaves that are just as ornamental as they are tasty. Read more to learn how to grow this cruciferous leafy green vegetable.
Want to grow your own strawberries? There’s a huge variety of cultivars to choose from, from tiny alpines to juicy giants, in shades of red, white, yellow, and even purple. Some offer extra disease resistance, or stunning flowers. To make your selection a little easier, check out our roundup of top picks now.
Grape hyacinths are beloved for their easy, bright splash of purple in the early spring garden. These reliable bulbs are delightful in showy shades of blue, pink, and white as well. And they multiply freely too, with more pretty blooms every year. Get all the details you need on how to plant grape hyacinth right here.
If you’re anticipating a springtime bounty of daffodils, there’s nothing worse than watching your plants fail to bloom. Or maybe the leaves never poked out of the ground at all. In this guide, find out the 5 most common reasons for this sad occurrence and learn how to prevent it from happening again. Read more.
You’ll know it’s spring when the columbine blooms. Known as “granny’s bonnet,” these dainty ladies appear early in the season, signaling the end of winter, and inviting the bees and birds to awaken. Learn about native and nonnative varieties of this delicate perennial right here on Gardener’s Path.
Rejuvenate the bare gardens of winter with the fresh blossoms of spring. Discover 25 of the best early spring flowering bulbs, perennials, and shrubs. Boost your curb appeal and welcome visitors with bold, vivid colors that invigorate, or pastels that soothe. Say goodbye to winter and find your new favorites now.
Batavian lettuce, aka summer crisp, is heat and frost tolerant, disease resistant, and downright delicious with sweet, crisp leaves. It’s a semi-heading type, so you get the best of both heading and loose-leaf varieties. Learn more about planting and growing these versatile lettuces in this comprehensive guide.
Rembrandt tulips are truly the stuff of legend. They’re the flowers that started the infamous tulipmania of the mid-1600s, but the tulips of yore were infected with a nasty virus. Today’s version is hardier and healthier than ever. Learn about where these gorgeous tulips came from and how to grow them in our guide.
Cabbage has been grown around the world for centuries for good reason. With so many different ways to cook, preserve, and eat cabbage, this nutrient rich crop is a must for every garden. Read more to learn how to grow and maintain cabbage plants.
Finding the right flowering plants for your shade garden can be problematic, and early blooming and fragrant varieties can be few and far between. Luckily, there’s lily of the valley, a happy-to-spread and pleasantly scented addition that fits in those neglected corners of your flowerbeds. Read more on Gardener’s Path.
Brightly colored with long-lasting flowers, azaleas make a striking statement in the garden. Ideal for borders, beds, and foundation plantings, these shrubs provide months of vibrant blooms, with sweet or spicy fragrance, and pretty fall foliage as well. Learn how to grow and care for azaleas in this guide. Read more now.
Tulips are spring-blooming bulbs that prefer full sun and well-draining soil. Many gardeners grow these flowers as annuals, but botanically speaking, they’re perennials. Read on to find 9 tips to get tulips to rebloom. Discover the types most likely to return and replicate their natural habitat to make it happen.
Can’t wait to start your garden in the spring? We get it, neither can we! A cold frame is a versatile tool that can extend the spring growing season significantly. Great for starting seeds, hardening off plants, or growing cold-tolerant plants, our comprehensive guide explains how to use cold frames in the spring.
Disease can strike bok choy quickly and without warning, severely reducing its ability to produce delicious leafy goodness. But for the gardener with the proper know-how, the most common ailments don’t stand a chance. In our guide to bok choy diseases, we’ll cover how to detect, prevent, and manage the key offenders.
Welcome spring with mass plantings of hardy snowdrop, a bulb flower that blooms right through the snow. Let this charming perennial naturalize for impressive drifts of bell-shaped white blossoms, or interplant it with crocus for a stunning display. Learn how to add Galanthus to your garden now on Gardener’s Path.
Cauliflower is a cabbage relative that may be grown alone or with other plants. However, not all plants grow well together. The best flower, herb, and vegetable choices for companion planting share similar cultural requirements and aid in pest management. Read on for 13 exceptional cauliflower companions.
Ask any gardener what they’re growing this season, and more than likely, that list will include lettuce. Buttercrunch is one of the most popular varieties for the home garden, with a soft, buttery texture perfect for wraps, sandwiches, and salads. Learn how to triumph over pests and pitfalls when growing buttercrunch.
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.
Sweet fennel is aromatic and delicious, especially when you harvest it fresh from your own garden. Choose from bulb and bulb-less varieties, and enjoy bulbs, foliage, and seeds for nutritious and tasty additions to your menus. In this guide, you’ll learn how to grow fennel plus we share some favorite recipe ideas.
Forsythia is a deciduous shrub with bright yellow flowers that have become synonymous with spring. One of the earliest bloomers, it is sure to chase the winter blues away. Learn about 11 of the best forsythia varieties and choose your favorites, for sturdy plants that will reward with vivid color for years to come.
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.
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.
Are you designing a landscape filled with drifts of naturalized daffodils? Make sure you choose the best cultivars for your planting to succeed. You’ll need vigorous bulbs, and varieties that you’ll be happy to see each spring for decades to come. To discover 15 of the best daffodils for naturalizing, keep reading.
Naturalized daffodils are great for hard-to-landscape areas and can last for decades, providing springtime color year after year. To make these drifts of flowers look like they were designed by nature’s hand rather than your own, you’ll want to plan your layout before you plant in the fall. Keep reading to learn more.
Broccoli is a popular veggie around the world, and it’s easy to grow your own. But what should you plant nearby? Knowledge of the best companion plants can help you to repel pests and balance out broccoli’s heavy feeding habits. Plus, find out which plants benefit the most from broccoli’s towering shade. Read more now.
Have you ever wanted to grow broccoli from seed? Now is the time to give it a try! Broccoli is nutritious and delicious, and you can eat more parts of the plant than you might think. In this guide, we’ll show you everything you need to know about growing a spring or fall crop of this beloved Brassica. Read more now.
For incomparable fresh flavors, a container herb garden provides a quick, efficient, and affordable way to grow your own, even in the smallest space. They’re attractive with pretty flowers and delightfully fragrant. And once planted, they’re low-maintenance, fast growing, and highly rewarding. Find our easy tips here.
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.
Lettuce is an easy to grow, nutritious addition to your vegetable patch. There are lots of cultivars available in a variety of sizes, shapes, colors, and textures. From the classic crunch of the crisphead to the delicate, tender oak leaf, there’s sure to be one to suit you. Discover 29 of our favorite lettuce varieties.
For an easy pop of bright color and sweet perfume, muscari bulbs are a great plant-and-forget solution. Wonderfully low-maintenance and reliable, they send up stands of rich blue, purple, and white flowers in the early spring garden. Read all about the 9 best grape hyacinth varieties for the garden right here.
Rhubarb pie melts in your mouth, but you can use pie plant in jams, cake, ice cream, and more. And there are plenty of varieties from tart to sweet and everywhere in between to satisfy your cravings. We round up thirteen of the best rhubarb varieties for you to grow in your garden this season. Learn more now.
Nothing brightens the spirit better than a field of early-spring crocuses. Did you know that there are numerous varieties to choose from? Some are deer resistant, others are extra hardy, and with their colorful hues, all are gorgeous. Check out our roundup of 11 of our favorite crocus varieties for your garden now.
Mmm, what’s that lovely smell? With their heady perfume and rich colors, hyacinths make a wonderful addition to the spring garden, or a very welcome indoor feature during the dreary winter months. Join us for a look at the best care and growing tips for this flowering favorite – read more now on Gardener’s Path.
If you’re looking for a cool weather crop, you can’t beat growing broccoli. It’s versatile and delicious, an excellent vegetable that’s perfect to enjoy at any time of day. Not sure which cultivar to choose? Read on for 13 varieties of one of nature’s healthiest choices for the table, now on Gardener’s Path.
Are your crocus corms failing to produce blooms, or maybe they’re not even pushing foliage through the ground? If you’re not seeing flowers by mid-spring, you know something’s up. But what could it be? This guide will introduce the nine most common reasons why your crocus might fail to bloom. Read more now.
Crocuses are known for dotting lawns and gardens with vibrant hues of purple, pink, and yellow just when winter seemed it would never end. They’re also famously hardy. But can they survive the most frigid winter temperatures? What if they bloom just before a cold snap or blizzard? Can they grow in snow? Find out now.
Are you wondering when is the best time to plant crocus bulbs in the ground for a vibrant springtime reward? You won’t want to miss this guide. Discover exactly when to plant the three most popular crocus varieties for a late fall or early spring bounty of purple, pink, white, or yellow blooms. Read more now.
Learn how to grow crocus, the vivid-hued, tulip-like flower that offers Northerners the first taste of spring. Find out more now with our growing guide.
Looking for a versatile, nutritious, and easy to grow cole crop to plant in your garden this season? There is a reason that the turnip has been a staple of the human diet for centuries! Learn more about how to grow and care for this historic crop right here on Gardener’s Path.
Grow cauliflower for a healthy garden-to-table experience. Choose white snowballs, Italian greens and purples, and orange “cheddars.” Packed with antioxidants, vitamin C, and fiber, raw and cooked dishes showcase its mild, sweet-to-nutty flavor. Find the best varieties and where to buy them, here on Gardener’s Path.
For a bright end to the dreary winter, daffodils are an easy-to-grow spring favorite, providing up to four months of delightful color and perfume. Lovely as a fragrant, long-lasting cut flower, bulbs can even be forced to bloom early indoors . Join us now for a look at all the details on narcissus care and cultivation.
Fresh, crisp, and succulent, salad greens are best suited to grow in the early days of spring. But with a little planning and ingenuity, you can enjoy these tasty morsels almost every month of the year. Get all the details right here on the best growing conditions and environment for a steady harvest!
Constructing your own container of showy annuals and perennials is an easy and fun project to welcome the springtime weather. Following just a few core design principles, you can create your own eye-catching arrangement of flowers and foliage. Read all about spring container gardening and design now on Gardener’s Path.
If you don’t love spinach, you just haven’t met the right variety yet! Delicious and packed full of good stuff, this green veggie is a cinch to grow in home gardens. Start a number of varieties in spring, summer, or fall with these proven growing tips from Gardener’s Path.
Put out the welcome mat for spring with an array of flowering bulbs and branches. Learn what forcing means, and how to select, prepare, and cultivate an indoor profusion of daffodils, forsythia, hyacinths, and branches like pussy willow. Learn everything you need to know in this guide. Read more now.
Kale is more than a health trend. It is a healthy, delicious, and easy-to-grow staple for most modern gardens. Learn how to get the best yield from this hearty grower with our guide on Gardener’s Path.
Are you itching to get into the garden, but it’s still too cold outside? Satisfy your craving to play in the dirt by starting seeds indoors. With an egg carton and potting medium, you can grow flowers, herbs, and vegetables to transplant outside when the weather warms. Learn how on Gardener’s Path.
Need help getting your lettuce patch up to snuff? Give our detailed guide a read for the best tips to grow leaf and head types in veggie patches, raised beds, and containers, everything from arugula to romaine. We cover seed starting and planting tips, watering and fertilization requirements, how to harvest, and more.
Leaf lettuce is one of the easiest and most satisfying edibles to grow. Quick to germinate and mature, you can harvest leaves as soon as they’re large enough and go back for more as needed. Beautiful, nutritious salads freshly harvested from your own backyard will make you feel like a gardening pro. Read more now.
Spring is a busy time for gardeners, but a lot of chores can be done before the weather turns nice. Start on your spring garden checklist while it’s still cold and gloomy outside – then you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy working with the soil when the warm sunshine does arrive!
What to do when spring finally comes around? The early part of the season is for getting important chores done in preparation for growing through summer: like soil work, pruning, compost care, seed starting, and more. Are you ready? Read on to get prepared for your very own growing season!
Do you want a showy spring time bloom for your flowering trees and shrubs? Check out our guide and learn the ins and outs of trimming up your woody plants to maximize their flowering performance.