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Gardening Advice
Have you abandoned your compost pile because you’re tired of trudging outside? How about using worms to turn your kitchen scraps into fertilizer. Try vermicomposting!What is Vermicomposting?Vermicomposting is using worms to turn your kitchen scraps into fertilizer. Earthworms eat your garbage is an easy way to recycle food waste indoors year round. It is great science project for…
The “No-Mow May” movement encourages homeowners to delay mowing in spring to support early-season pollinators like bees and butterflies. While the exact timing depends on where you live, the idea behind mowing less is simple: letting grass and small flowers grow naturally creates food, shelter, and habitat for wildlife.But helping pollinators is only part of the story. Mowing less frequently…
Home brewing has deep roots in history, but many people don’t realize you can grow brewing ingredients right in your own garden. From hops for beer to apples for cider and herbs for traditional ales, your backyard can become the starting point for homemade beverages.The History of Home BrewingHome brewing has a long history; some anthropologists believe that beer is as old as…
Gardening in regions with a short growing season can be an adventure. There always seems to be another spring snowstorm around the corner! To take advantage of every possible growing day, we need to get our snow melted and garden soil thawed as quickly as possible. We run a plant business here in New Hampshire, where our growing season is short, so it’s important to get seeds…
When do you prune your hydrangea? It depends. If your hydrangea blooms on “old” wood, you should NOT cut back in the fall, or you will sacrifice next year’s flowers! See our handy chart on when to prune common types of hydrangea.When to Prune HydrangeasHydrangeas should be pruned based on whether they bloom on old or new wood. Bigleaf, oakleaf, mountain, and climbing hydrangeas bloom on…
As gardeners, we are connected to all people who have come before us, caring for the earth and learning how to best grow crops. Ready for the best gardening techniques? Let’s have a look at some age-old gardening wisdom that’s still relevant today.A Long History of GardeningGourds, beans, and peppers were being cultivated in Mexico by 5,500 BC, and by 5,000 BC, maize was being…
Don’t be tempted to start planting too soon! Average spring frosts are just a rough guide. Springcasting is a way to predict and track the progress of spring across the continent—as defined by plants. See when spring “officially” makes it to your neck of the woods.During an unusually warm stretch of weather in March, I was greatly tempted to start planting. Thankfully, I did…
Seeds must germinate for gardens to exist. But what makes a seed germinate? A few key ingredients make for successful sprouting, but if you ignore them, you may have poor germination. Let’s dig in to understand how seeds germinate!Germination is the process a seed goes through when it “wakes up” from its dormant state and starts to grow. Seeds are self-contained systems that contain most of…
Spring ephemerals are the first wildflowers to bloom in early spring woodlands. These delicate native plants—like trillium, bloodroot, Dutchman’s breeches, and Virginia bluebells—emerge before trees leaf out, taking advantage of the brief sunlight that reaches the forest floor. Learn how these early spring wildflowers grow, how they’re pollinated, and why they disappear by summer.A sure sign…
How many times have you heard the advice to “plant in well-draining soil”? It seems like whenever you are shopping for plants or reading about gardening, the term well-draining soil always comes up as the best location for planting. What exactly is this, and how is it identified?What Is Well-Draining Soil?The ability of soil to drain depends on its structure. Soils that drain well have…
If you’ve ever wondered how to build a garden bed that waters itself, improves soil over time, and recycles yard debris all at once, hügelkultur might be your answer. This centuries-old gardening method—popular in permaculture systems—uses buried logs, branches, and organic matter to create a raised, mound-shaped bed that acts like a living sponge.As the wood slowly decomposes, it stores…
If you’ve ever searched for a natural way to control slugs, beetles, or aphids, you’ve probably come across diatomaceous earth (DE). This fine, powdery substance is made from the fossilized remains of microscopic aquatic organisms called diatoms. Though it feels soft like flour, diatomaceous earth is made of sharp silica particles that can damage insects’ outer layers, causing them to …
