Savvy Gardening

Plant perennial tulips for dependable blooms year after year

I used to think that all tulips came back every year. Pretty much every bulb I had ever planted would reappear each spring. In the house I currently live in, I had a few dependable bulbs that would bloom in my front garden. However after a few years, I noticed some were only producing leaves. It turns out that flower production ebbs in certain types of tulip. If you want your bulbs to bloom each year, you need to look for perennial tulips.

Row cover hoops for frost and pest protection

Written by Niki Jabbour

In my books, The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener and Growing Under Cover, I write extensively about the row cover hoops I use to stretch the harvest season in my vegetable garden. I use them to get a head start on spring planting, but also in autumn to protect from frost and cold weather. Simple row cover hoops can also be used during the growing season to shelter vegetable plants from pests like flea beetles, potatoes beetles, and squash bugs, or even larger pests like rabbits, deer, and birds.

Phalaenopsis orchid repotting step-by-step

Written by Jessica Walliser

Orchids used to be an expensive luxury plant grown primarily by collectors. But, thanks to the amazing technique of tissue culture, orchids are now common finds at grocery stores, flower shops, and gift boutiques. This rapid, inexpensive propagation technique is very, very good for folks like me who love orchids but have never been able to afford them before. Because of tissue culture, the most commonly available orchids these days are in the genus Phalaenopsis, otherwise known as moth orchids. The blooms of Phalaenopsis orchids last for months, but eventually the flower stalk dies and the plant outgrows its container. That’s when it’s time to repot. Phalaenopsis orchid repotting is not a complicated affair. However, there are some important steps to follow.
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Choosing and planting cover crops for raised beds

Written by Tara Nolan

Once I pulled my garlic from its raised bed this summer, I hadn’t made plans to plant anything else in it. A few weeks later, I found myself with a giant raised bed full of weeds. Rather than pull them and allow more to make a home, I thought I’d plant a cover crop instead. So I headed to my local seed supplier, William Dam, which has a retail shop, to ask about the best cover crops for raised beds.

The best trees for privacy in big and small yards

Written by Jessica Walliser

Regardless of whether your yard is large or small, privacy is something everyone is looking for. While the old saying “fences make good neighbors” is definitely true, I’d much rather gain some much-needed backyard solitude by using lush, green plants instead of a stiff, boring fence. Thankfully, there are may great privacy trees for yards both big and small. They shield your outdoor space from nosey neighbors, help buffer street noise, and create the sense of seclusion necessary to make your yard a peaceful haven. Today, I’d like to introduce you to some of the best trees for privacy.
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10 Herbs to plant in fall – in gardens and containers

Written by Niki Jabbour

While spring is the traditional planting season for many garden plants, late summer and fall are also prime planting times for trees, shrubs, perennials, and herbs. Yes herbs! There are many herbs to plant in fall – annuals, biennials, and perennials. Here are ten culinary herbs to plant in your garden and containers this autumn.