Question: Does planting garlic keep bugs away? Will it help if I plant garlic on the border of my vegetable garden? -Ted L. Answer: Growing garlic in the garden does not keep bugs away, but you can use the garlic to make a homemade pesticide that will keep bugs away when it’s sprayed on plants. The more garlic your spray includes, the stronger and more effective it will be. You can make a weak preventative spray out of six cloves of garlic diluted in one gallon of water, or use two heads of garlic diluted with just half a cup of water for a very strong, concentrated spray....

In autumn, we show off our pumpkin and gourd collections, and we decorate with warm colors. Many of us love to bring all of this together in charming arrangements in our yards and gardens, and on our front porches. Fall is a celebration. It’s the celebration of a successful summer growing season with a much anticipated reward – a bountiful harvest. So it’s no surprise that our autumn-themed outdoor decorations reflect this....

Gardening is the one hobby where you truly get to enjoy the fruit of your labor. However, the labor involved is hard work and can be time intensive, depending upon the size of your garden, types of plants growing, and the climate and weather conditions where you live. One way to reduce some of that work and to eliminate the unpredictability of weather conditions entirely, is to take your garden inside and grow vegetables indoors....

Lettuce is a popular vegetable and used extensively in both the home kitchen and restaurants. Its popularity continues to grow as people become more health-conscious and look for healthy foods to eat. Lettuce can be either a side dish or the main course and doesn’t need even need to be cooked! Lettuce is a fairly easy-to-grow vegetable and offers many varieties to try in your home garden. What is lettuce, anyway?...

Healthy apple muffins are quick and easy to make with this easy recipe. They have all of the flavor without the guilt! In this post, I’ll show you exactly how to make them step by step. These healthy apple muffins are the essence of all things cozy during the cooler seasons. With notes that will remind you of a home-baked apple pie, your craving will be satisfied without all the guilt....

One of the biggest challenges of growing in pots is the fact that the potting soil can’t regenerate or gain any extra nutrients from the earth. Plus the roots of a container grown plant can’t sprawl out or go deeper into the soil to get what it needs. Plants growing in pots depend completely on us to give them what they need to survive. That’s why it’s super important to choose the best soil for container gardening....

Garden pest control can become one of the most disheartening and time consuming problems that growers face. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Not all bugs are bad! In fact, some are essential to keeping your garden healthy and thriving. Once you understand how to work with nature instead of against it, your job will become much easier. Getting rid of garden pests shouldn’t be the main goal here....

Deciding what to plant in your vegetable garden every year is fun. But with hundreds of different varieties of food crops to choose from, it can sometimes be overwhelming. How do you narrow it down, and make it easier to decide what vegetables to grow? Don’t worry, I’m going to make this super simple for you, and walk you through it step by step. Going through the steps below will help you narrow things down, and make it much easier for you to choose what to plant in your vegetable garden....

By Erin Marissa Russell and Matt Gibson Lace bugs are frequent visitors to the modern garden, and you’ll find them feeding on all kinds of trees, shrubs, and herb plants. Despite how common these pesky insects are and the fact that they consume the plants we humans cultivate in our gardens, they’re not usually a problem for gardeners. That’s because unless their population is really booming in your backyard, lace bugs don’t cause a substantial level of damage to the plants they feed on....

With incredible vigor, hardiness, and the ability to grow in a ridiculously vast range of conditions, Parthenocissus tricuspidata will coat structures, cover the ground, and crawl over your pesky landscape deformities. It’ll even keep buildings cool in the summertime! Parthenocissus tricuspidata Growing plants in soil is fun… but how about growing plants up buildings? If you’re looking for a plant that’s tough, visually stunning, and capable of adhering to vertical surfaces like a botanical Spider-Man, then Boston ivy is all you need....

Small flowers in luscious shades of mauve, pink, and raspberry red form clouds of color, rising on wiry, branched stems from cushions of pretty, steel blue foliage. Dianthus gratianopolitanus Highly evocative of cottage and rock gardens, Cheddar pinks, Dianthus gratianopolitanus, are members of the carnation family, with delightful, fringed flowers and a spicy fragrance of sweet cloves. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....

A juicy American cantaloupe, that is, because I’ve never tried the European variety. There are differences, which we’ll talk about in a moment. Cucumis melo var. reticulatus Cantaloupe is like candy in melon form. For some reason, watermelon gets all the summertime hype. Some of that needs to go straight to cantaloupe, which in my unpopular opinion, is much tastier than watermelon. With a strange texture, slimy seeds, and an abundance of, well, wateriness, the watermelon just isn’t my type of fruit....

By Jennifer Poindexter Are you searching for a useful herb to add some color to your garden space? Mexican tarragon is a brightly colored herb that is used in a variety of ways. It’s well-known as a traditional home remedy to deal with minor stomach issues, colic, and nausea. It’s also thought to help improve sleep and blood sugar levels. Many gardeners use this herb in their kitchen to add flavor to dishes with high-protein content....

Flowers Have you decided to plant some canna lilies this season but aren't quite sure where to start? Canna Lilies are beautiful flowering plants, that can grow quite tall. In this article, gardening expert Paige Folely walks through everything you need to know about canna lilies and their care. By Paige Foley Last updated: October 20, 2022 | 14 min read Struggling to find a plant that can withstand direct sunlight in the heat of summer?...

Houseplants are a great way to liven up your house or apartment, but which should you choose? There are so many different houseplants to choose from that we created this list of all of the ones we could find. Which of these plants do you grow? Have you found any of these hard or easy to grow? Did we miss any of your favorites? Leave a comment and let us know....

Adding Outdoor Living Spaces The backyard, front yard, side yard, porch or patio can be more than just a garden to maintain—with a little bit of creative landscaping, these areas can be an extension of the comfort of your home—outdoor rooms. To create a comfortable outdoor room, define the primary function for the room. Then, look at galleries of online images for inspiration. You can search “outdoor rooms” on Google Images and find lots of gorgeous designs....

Flowers Thinking of adding some perennial flowers to your garden but aren't sure which ones to add? How about some crimson colored flowers that will come back year over year, for at least a few seasons? In this article, hobby gardener Jason White looks at 15 different red perennial flowers, with names and pictures of each! By Jason White Last updated: March 23, 2022 | 8 min read Red is the color of love, passion, and vitality....

Seed starting can seem intimidating and complicated for beginning gardeners. But, I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t need to be. Growing plants from seeds is a rewarding and fun process once you get the hang of it, and the perks don’t end there. With my experience and tips, we can get you growing seeds confidently, no matter your climate, or the types of plants you’re most interested in....

When can I pick broccoli? Broccoli heads picked at the right time are filled with vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin A, vitamin C, and calcium. The texture when raw is crisp and firm. When cooked, ripe broccoli is bright green and flavorful. There are two stages of broccoli growth that can be harvested. The first is when the plant has produced a main head. This is the primary cluster of flower buds that forms at the center of the rosette of leaves....

Houseplants If you are like many houseplant collectors, you've fallen in love with the beautiful pink variegated leaves of the Pink Princess Philodendron. But why is this plant so expensive? In this article, gardening expert Madison Moulton examines why this popular houseplant is so expensive compared to other varieties. By Madison Moulton Last updated: February 18, 2022 | 5 min read Anyone who spends lots of time on the internet (guilty) will have come across the popular Pink Princess Philodendron....