Growing food plants and edible landscaping
Shield cabbage family crops from their many pests using aromatic companions. Learn the herb and flower combinations that reduce cabbage worms, aphids, and flea beetles.
Use garlic as a natural pest deterrent throughout your garden. Learn which pests garlic repels, where to plant it, and how to maximize its protective volatile compounds.
Harness the power of nitrogen-fixing plants to naturally fertilize your garden. Learn how beans, peas, and clovers convert atmospheric nitrogen into plant food.
Protect strawberry plants and improve berry flavor with proven companion pairings. Learn which plants boost strawberry health and which steal nutrients and harbor shared pests.
Sacrifice a few plants to save your entire garden. Learn how trap cropping lures destructive pests away from valuable vegetables using their own preferences against them.
Protect cucumbers and squash from vine borers and beetles with strategic companion plants. Learn the best pairings for the cucurbit family.
Avoid these 15 companion planting disasters that stunt growth, attract pests, or kill neighboring plants. Learn the science behind harmful plant interactions.
Boost pepper yields and health with the right companion plants. Learn which herbs, flowers, and vegetables grow best alongside peppers and which to keep away.
Master marigold growing — from tiny signets to giant African varieties. Learn why marigolds are the ultimate companion plant and how to keep them blooming until frost.
Save thousands by growing your own wedding flowers. Timeline, variety selection, and cutting schedule to produce professional-quality blooms for your celebration.
Design a cut flower garden that keeps your vases filled from May through October. Learn succession planting, the best cutting varieties, and harvesting techniques that extend vase life.
Create a beginner's medicinal herb garden with plants traditionally used for wellness. Learn growing requirements, harvesting for potency, and simple preparation methods for each herb.
Grow chamomile for homegrown tea with delicate apple-scented flowers. Learn the difference between German and Roman varieties and the simple drying method for perfect chamomile tea.
Stop killing your herbs. These 11 common mistakes — from overwatering Mediterranean herbs to harvesting too timidly — are easy to fix once you understand what each herb actually needs.
Grow tropical lemongrass even in cold climates using container culture. Learn propagation from grocery store stalks, overwintering methods, and culinary uses beyond Thai cooking.
Design beautiful and productive herb container gardens with these variety and combination recommendations. Learn which herbs thrive together in pots and which need their own space.
Grow flat-leaf Italian and curly parsley varieties with this biennial herb guide. Learn the soaking trick that speeds slow germination and why second-year parsley bolts.
Save your favorite tender herbs from frost by bringing them indoors for winter. Step-by-step transition guide for basil, rosemary, lemongrass, and other cold-sensitive herbs.
Grow common chives and garlic chives for dual-purpose garden plants — ornamental purple flowers that attract pollinators plus mild onion and garlic flavored leaves for cooking.
Build a permanent herb garden with perennial varieties that return stronger every year. These low-maintenance herbs survive winter and provide decades of harvests from a single planting.
Grow culinary and ornamental thyme varieties with this complete guide. Learn why thyme is nearly indestructible, the best varieties for cooking, and how to use it as ground cover.
Design a pizza garden that grows every ingredient for homemade pizza. Tomatoes, basil, oregano, peppers, and onions in one themed garden bed your whole family will love.
Grow dill for fresh fronds, seeds, and beneficial insect attraction. Learn succession planting for continuous harvests and how to let dill self-sow for a permanent patch.
Root and grow these 5 herbs in jars of water on your kitchen counter. No soil, no mess, and a continuous supply of fresh herbs ready to snip into your cooking.
Grow flavorful oregano with this guide covering Greek, Italian, and Mexican varieties. Learn why garden-grown oregano tastes dramatically better than store-bought dried.
Create a dedicated tea garden with 12 herbs that brew delicious, healthful teas. Learn growing tips, harvesting for tea, and drying methods that preserve flavor and beneficial compounds.
Grow common, purple, pineapple, and other sage varieties with this complete guide. Learn why sage thrives on neglect and the pruning technique that keeps plants productive for years.
Set up a productive indoor herb garden in any kitchen. Compare windowsill growing, countertop AeroGardens, and grow light setups with specific herb recommendations for each.
Keep cilantro producing tender leaves all season with bolt-prevention strategies. Learn slow-bolt varieties, succession planting, and the heat management tricks that extend your harvest.
Plant these 15 aromatic herbs to create a natural pest barrier around your outdoor living spaces. Science-backed mosquito, fly, and bug deterrents that also provide fresh cooking herbs.
Master rosemary growing indoors and outdoors. Learn soil drainage requirements, cold hardiness varieties, pruning for bushy growth, and the watering mistakes that kill this Mediterranean herb.
Harvest fruit at peak ripeness and store it properly for weeks or months. Timing guides, ethylene management, and preservation methods for every common backyard fruit.
Enjoy fresh figs even in zone 5 and 6 gardens with cold-hardy varieties and simple winter protection methods. Learn wrapping, burying, and container techniques that keep figs alive through harsh winters.
Design a productive fruit garden in under 200 square feet. Combine dwarf trees, berry bushes, and fruiting vines to create a diverse harvest from a tiny footprint.
Grow stunning pomegranate trees that deliver both ornamental beauty and superfood fruit. Learn climate requirements, container growing, and how to know when fruit is ripe.
Want fruit without the fuss? These 7 fruit trees need minimal pruning, resist common diseases, and produce reliable harvests for busy gardeners and beginners.
Grow exotic passion fruit even in temperate climates with cold-hardy varieties and container methods. Learn about the stunning flowers, pollination needs, and flavor-packed fruit.
Grow the sweetest melons with this guide covering soil warming, pollination, vine management, and the thumping and slipping tests that tell you exactly when to harvest.
Mulberry trees produce massive berry harvests with almost zero maintenance. Learn variety selection, placement considerations, and why fruitless males exist alongside prolific females.
Train fruit trees flat against walls and fences using the espalier technique. This centuries-old method grows productive fruit trees in just 12 inches of garden depth.
Grow a patio orchard with these 13 fruit tree varieties bred for container life. Dwarf genetics and compact rootstocks deliver full-sized fruit on manageable small trees.
Grow kiwi fruit at home with hardy varieties that survive to minus 25°F. Learn about male and female plants, trellis systems, and the 3 to 5 year path to your first harvest.
Plum trees are among the easiest fruit trees for home growers. Learn variety selection, minimal pruning needs, and the organic pest management that keeps these reliable producers healthy.
Build a productive fruit tree guild using permaculture principles. Layer nitrogen fixers, nutrient accumulators, pest deterrents, and ground covers around each fruit tree.
Grow your own cherries with this guide covering sweet and sour varieties, pollination requirements, bird protection, and the compact varieties perfect for small yards.
Enjoy tropical fruits even in cold climates by growing them in containers. Move these 9 fruiting plants indoors for winter and outdoors for summer for year-round production.
Grow delicious pears with fewer pest problems than apples. Learn about European vs Asian varieties, fire blight prevention, espalier training, and proper harvest timing.
Grow strawberries vertically in towers, wall planters, and stacked containers. Save space while producing more berries per square foot than traditional ground plantings.
Start a backyard apple orchard with this complete guide. Learn rootstock selection, pollination partners, pruning systems, and organic pest management for abundant harvests.
Plant berry bushes that produce delicious fruit for years with minimal care. These 11 varieties offer something for every climate, soil type, and garden size.