Gardening Advice
February 25, 2021
The earliest plants to blossom in my garden are the snowdrops. While they are a welcome sign of spring, the hellebores really steal the show as they poke through the last of winter’s snow. Learn more about growing these perennial flowering plants, specifically the varieties of Christmas rose and Lenten rose.
About Hellebores
Hellebores bear glossy, evergreen leaves and rose-like flowers which bloom in winter or early spring. Though they are commonly called a “rose,” they are not in the rose... more
February 24, 2021
Succeed with seeds! Here are my 10 tips and tricks for starting your vegetable seeds indoors. Over the decades, I’ve learned some valuable lessons—from when to start seeds to avoiding common mistakes.
The Hindi word for seed is ” bija” which translates literally as “containment of life”. An apt description for these tiny miracles that contain everything needed to make a new plant. This time of year we are up to our elbows in dirt, starting more seeds indoors each week.
Why would you want to... more
February 22, 2021
Victory Gardens continue to experience a surge of interest! So, what is a Victory Garden? How do you grow a victory garden? What should you plant a victory garden? Let’s get started!
What is a Victory Garden?
The number of modern Victory Gardens has grown rapidly over the past year. The name comes from the Victory Gardens that were planted across the United States during World Wars I and II.
Back in 1917, during World War 1, the National War Garden Commission promoted home gardening in order... more
February 17, 2021
Which hobby helps you live longer? Turns out it’s gardening! If you’re resolved to live a healthier lifestyle, eat better, and get more exercise, gardening can give you all that and more.
A recent study showed that people around the world who live longer, healthier lives have an unexpected commonality: gardening! As someone who already gardens, I’m not surprised.
There are so many benefits to starting even the smallest of gardens or caring for a few green friends:
Sense of accomplishment
The... more
February 12, 2021
Add some delicious, unusual fruit crops, fruiting shrubs, and old-time fruit trees to your yard and garden—bush sour cherries, lingonberries, quince, persimmon, paw paws, and more! Winter is a good time to assess your landscape and see what spaces you would like to fill with fruit. Frankly, we want to plant them all—and wish we had enough room!
Wonderful, Luscious Fruit For the Garden
Add some new and fun fruits to your edible landscape! Take a look at some of these fruiting shrubs, vines, and... more
February 8, 2021
Join a citizen science project! If you can count birds, bees, or garden bugs, you’ve got the skills. Here are ways—in nature and beyond—to participate. Next up is the Great Backyard Bird Count from February 12 to 15, 2021—a great way to connect to birds, to nature, and with each other! Find out more.
What is a Citizen Scientist?
Scientists often need more information than they can collect by themselves and the number of projects where volunteers partner with researchers is growing. Often... more
February 3, 2021
For those who can never get enough of tulips, daffodils, and spring bulbs, try potting them up to force into cheerful bloom this winter in the house. See our tips on how to force bulbs and a timetable for when to pot up different types of bulbs.
It is easy enough to do and you will be glad you did it when they start blossoming while there is still snow on the ground.
Temperature, moisture, sufficient cold period, and protection from rodents are the most important considerations. Some bulb... more
February 3, 2021
From the earliest days, Americans and their presidents have been brewing. Ever brewed your own beer, cider, or ale?
Simple wine, beer, mead, ale, flavored liqueurs, cordials, shrubs, and brandies can be made using the fruits—and also the vegetables, herbs, and flowers—of your labors!
Home brewing has a long history; some anthropologists believe that beer is as old as civilization itself. They think that the change from a hunter-gatherer society to an agricultural one was due to the growing of... more
January 28, 2021
Peppers rarely have serious issues in the vegetable garden. However, this year, we had some pepper growing problems. I thought I’d share our experiences so that you may also benefit if your peppers have problems!
We have grown 10 to 20 different types of hot peppers every spring for many years with no problem whatsoever. Our plant customers appreciate the variety ranging from mildly hot ‘Anaheim’ to super hot ‘Moruga Scorpion’ and then there are the “Russian roulette” ones like ‘Shishito’ and... more
January 26, 2021
If you are as eager to get the garden party started as I am, it is hard to refrain from starting them too early. When should you start your seeds indoors?
There is always some debate about when is the best time to start seeds indoors. If you plant seeds too early, you need to be prepared to keep potting them up into bigger pots.
Here in New Hampshire, I run a plant business with my partner and Memorial Day is usually our biggest weekend for selling plants. Therefore, we gear our seed starting... more
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Get inspired by Robin Sweetser’s backyard gardening tips and tricks. Robin has been a contributor to The Old Farmer’s Almanac and the All-Seasons Garden Guide for many years. She and her partner Tom have a small greenhouse business and also sell plants, cut flowers, and vegetables at their local Farmer’s Market.
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