Are you sitting at home, reading this article while nursing a sore lower back from an afternoon in the garden? When I think of spending time gardening, I imagine images of blooming flowers, warm rays of sunshine, cold glasses of iced tea, and wide-brimmed hats. However, if you’ve ever hobbled back into the house with …
Gardening
If you’re watering your drought-resistant perennials every few days out of habit, you are actively working against them. Most gardeners discover this the hard way, after years of dragging a hose to plants that were quietly begging to be left alone. The great irony of drought-tolerant gardening is that overwatering is the primary killer of …
Most gardening advice will tell you to amend your soil, fertilize on a schedule, and deadhead religiously. Here’s what that advice skips: the plants that truly take care of themselves don’t want any of that. The real secret to a garden that practically runs itself is choosing plants designed to be ignored; ones that evolved …
Most gardeners toss firepit ash in the trash without a second thought, but that gray powder left behind after a wood fire holds real value for garden soil. It carries calcium, potassium, and trace minerals that plants depend on, and it costs nothing to collect. The same goes for other household waste, such as coffee …
Stump grinding solves the problem of an unwanted tree stump, but it leaves behind a sunken, debris-filled hole that sits in the middle of an otherwise tidy yard. That hole can collect water, attract pests, and create a tripping hazard that lingers for months if left unattended. Thankfully, filling a stump grinding hole is a …
Running out of room for a garden can feel limiting when you want to grow fresh food. The solution to a tiny yard or a small balcony is simply looking upward. Urban farming statistics reveal that vertical gardening can increase crop yields by up to 50 percent per square foot compared to traditional row planting. …
Gardening is an art, not a science. At least, that’s the vibe you get watching @Gardenary by Nicole Johnsey Burke on YouTube. In her viral reel from 2025, she shares how she sometimes flips the rulebook upside down with her wonderfully “weird” garden hacks (that is, if you’re used to following the standard rules of …
Wooden planks are a popular choice for garden beds, borders, and pathways, but moisture, soil contact, and sun exposure rapidly break down untreated wood. Within a season or two, you can end up with soft, crumbling boards that need to be replaced entirely. Luckily, wood does not have to be treated with synthetic sealers or …
Gardening is all about balance, but pests like aphids, beetles, mites, and flies can really test your patience. You don’t want to douse the plants you hope to harvest and consume in toxic chemicals, yet you won’t even get a chance to enjoy them at the rate the bugs are moving in. Luckily, there’s a …
A feathery, fast-growing annual, dill is a great herb to add to the vegetable garden. Despite its distinct flavor, dill can be used to season all kinds of dishes, from salmon to classic pickles (and my favorite, dilly beans!). It also provides significant advantages in the garden, deterring pests with its pungent aroma and attracting …