Ilina 
Ever wish you could fill your entire house with lush, air-purifying greenery without spending a dime? With the spider plant, you can! These “gift that keeps on giving” plants are famous for their ability to produce dozens of babies, and …
Do you have a bare, dusty patch under your favorite tree where nothing seems to grow? You aren’t alone! The space beneath a tree is one of the most challenging spots in the garden due to “dry shade” and intense …
Companion planting is the art of pairing plants that help each other thrive. For cucumbers, the right companions provide “living trellises,” act as biological pest control, or even boost the nitrogen levels in the soil. By filling your garden with …
Rosemary is one of the hardiest herbs in the garden, but January is its “make or break” month. Because it originated in the dry, rocky soils of the Mediterranean, our modern winters—often a cycle of bone-chilling frost and soggy, heavy …
Weeding is often the least favorite chore for any gardener. It’s a repetitive cycle: you pull them up, and a week later, they’re back. The secret to breaking this cycle isn’t found in a bottle of herbicide or a heavier …
The Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera) is the marathon runner of the houseplant world. It survives for decades, often passed down through generations. However, once those spectacular winter blooms fade, many of us relegate the plant to a dusty corner until next …
Most gardeners view January as a month for catalogs and tea, but for the peony enthusiast, it is a critical window of opportunity. While your peonies appear to be doing absolutely nothing above the frozen soil, the “eyes” (buds) for …
Traditional potato farming is a “land-hungry” endeavor. If you follow the old-school rows-in-the-earth method, you need significant square footage to get a harvest that lasts more than a week. For urban gardeners or those with small backyards, potatoes often get …
While the landscape outside may be tucked under a blanket of frost, January is secretly the most important month for a forward-thinking gardener. It is the month of the “slow-burn” crops—the plants that take so long to mature that if …
Whether you are a beginner looking for a quick win or a seasoned gardener dealing with a short growing season, the “wait” is often the hardest part of gardening. We’ve been conditioned to think that growing food takes months of …