Planting a Garden Articles

Share: 

Ready to plant your garden? Whether you’re a beginner gardener or experienced, start your visit here for growing guides, advice on vegetable garden planning for beginners, garden seed catalog lists, and more!

Raised Beds Crop Rotation

Crop Rotation Tips for Vegetable Gardens

If you grow your tomatoes in the same garden bed year after year, you will notice an increase in...
USDA Plant Hardiness Zones.png

What Are Plant Hardiness Zones?

Plant hardiness zones—also known as planting zones or growing zones—help gardeners understand which...
Gardening Seeds

Free Garden Seed Catalogs and Online Plant Sources

It’s never too early to start planning your garden! Here’s a list of mail-order and online seed...
Soil-Thinkstock

Preparing Soil for Planting

Soil preparation is EVERYTHING when it comes to growing plants. You can improve your soil at any...
Tomatoes

Vegetable Gardening for Beginners

Ready to jump into gardening? Our Vegetable Gardening Guide for Beginners will help you to plan and...
planting-growing-turnips

Turnips

Turnips are cool-weather vegetables that can be grown both in spring and fall, avoiding the hot...
Hydrangea Flower Colors

Soil pH Levels for Plants

What is your soil’s pH level? Every plant prefers a different level of acidity. Use this soil pH...
Hoverfly on Zinnia

10 Ways You Can Help Pollinators in Your Backyard

Insects are responsible for one out of every three bites of food. With new reports showing...
Fresh Herbs

Herb Growing Guide: How to Grow Herbs

Growing herbs is not difficult to do! Our helpful chart will take you from seed-starting to the...
Growing Vegetables Year Round

Grow a Garden That Keeps Your Pantry Stocked

If the reason you garden is to feed your family, plan this year’s garden to ensure you’ll have...
Moon Cherry Flowers

Gardening by the Moon

Gardening by the Moon is a great way to plan your garden. Many of our readers follow the age-old...
Cherry Tomatoes

Kitchen Garden Plants: Vegetables for Containers and Small Spaces

Kitchen gardens—grown for eating and cooking—are often grown in smaller spaces and containers. So,...
Seedling

Tips for Transplanting Seedlings

Are you ready for the first big hurdle of the gardening season? Here’s how to make sure that your...
Embedded thumbnail for What We Wish We'd Known Before Starting a Garden

What We Wish We'd Known Before Starting a Garden

Starting a new vegetable garden from scratch? Here are 10 things we wish that we had known before...
Iris Crop

Phenology in the Garden: Planting by Nature's Signs

For centuries, gardeners took their cues for planting times from nature—a technique called...
Purple Coneflower

Perennial Flower Garden Design

This perennial flower garden design will provide many years of enjoyment and, since perennials come...
Fields Aerial

Cooperative Extension Services

Got gardening questions? You can ask the Almanac, but you should also know about your state’s...
Vegetable Gardens

Over 20 Vegetable Garden Layout Ideas

Here are over 20 free vegetable garden layout ideas—including backyard gardens, square-foot gardens...
Marigold

Companion Planting Guide

Do you follow the principles of companion planting in your garden? See our tips on what plants to...
Cold Frame with Lettuce

How to Build a Cold Frame

Learn how to make a cold frame for the garden with these tips. When those first frosts of fall hit...
Embedded thumbnail for How to Grow Onions From Sowing to Harvest

How to Grow Onions From Sowing to Harvest

Onions are a must-grow vegetable! Why? Where to begin? To start, onions are very easy to grow and...
Embedded thumbnail for 10 Tips to Maximize the Yield of Your Garden Harvest

10 Tips to Maximize the Yield of Your Garden Harvest

This year, let’s harvest even more from our vegetable gardens! But just what are the most effective...
Basket-Thinkstock

10 Easy Vegetables to Grow From Seed

Tired of growing the same varieties of veggies year after year? To diversify (and hone your skills...
Embedded thumbnail for How to Garden on a Budget

How to Garden on a Budget

In this short video, we show you how to plan a beautiful and productive vegetable garden that won’t...
Cabbage Seedlings

Starting Seeds Indoors

Starting seeds properly can make or break your entire growing season! Here’s are some tips that...
Vegetable Basket

10 Tips for Beginner Gardeners

Want to start your first vegetable garden? How hard can it be? Just stick a few seeds in the ground...
Butterfly-Friendly Gardening

Butterfly Gardening

Letting all that milkweed grow around my yard has paid off and we have some monarch butterfly...
Embedded thumbnail for How to Grow Cabbages From Planting to Harvest

How to Grow Cabbages From Planting to Harvest

In this short video, we show you everything you need to know to grow the perfect cabbage, from...
Embedded thumbnail for Build a Vertical Garden

Build a Vertical Garden

With a little planning, you can create a garden where plants that are happy to grow vertically...
Embedded thumbnail for How to Plan a Garden That's Low-Maintenance

How to Plan a Garden That's Low-Maintenance

Plan a garden that is truly easy to maintain. Here are 10 tips on a low-maintenance layout—...
Embedded thumbnail for Growing Strawberries and Strawberry Varieties

Growing Strawberries and Strawberry Varieties

How do you grow the best-tasting strawberries? We’ll share our planting and growing tips. Let’s...
Embedded thumbnail for Warming Soil and Protecting Seedlings from Frosts

Warming Soil and Protecting Seedlings from Frosts

To enjoy a strong start for your homegrown vegetables, make sure that your soil is warm enough and...
Blue Tit Bird

May 2018 ~ Gardening by the Moon's Sign

Use the May 2018 dates shown in the Moon’s Astrological Place calendar below to find the best days...
Embedded thumbnail for How to Enrich Your Garden Soil With Minerals

How to Enrich Your Garden Soil With Minerals

The secret to a successful garden is right beneath your feet. Show your soil some love and you can...
Ladybug on Leaf

April 2018 ~ Gardening by the Moon's Sign

Use the April 2018 dates shown in the Moon’s Astrological Place calendar below to find the best...
Embedded thumbnail for How to Make Your Own Seed-Starting Mix

How to Make Your Own Seed-Starting Mix

Seed-starting mixes are essential for sowing many vegetables, herbs and flowers. But with so much...
Flower Bed Basics

How to Grow a Flower Garden

Interested in planting a flower garden? Here are some planting tips for flower beds—plus, ...
Garden Soil

Warming the Soil for Spring Planting

Gardening in regions with a short growing season can be an adventure. There always seems to be...
Embedded thumbnail for No-Dig Gardening | No-Till Gardening

No-Dig Gardening | No-Till Gardening

Tired of the yearly soil tilling? Sore from pulling weeds every day? Discover how no-dig gardening...
Pruning

Gardening by the Moon's Sign March 2018

Use the March 2018 dates shown in the Moon’s Astrological Place calendar below to find the best...
Embedded thumbnail for 6 Proven Strategies to Boost Garden Harvests

6 Proven Strategies to Boost Garden Harvests

We all dream of a garden brimming with delicious abundance, yet the reality often falls short. But...
Garden Planning Design Layout

Vegetable Garden Planner for PC and Mac

Let The Old Farmer’s Almanac Garden Planner help you to plan your entire garden! Get a free week’s...

Pages