Savvy Gardening

Why you should assess an area before planning a garden bed

When I first moved into my current home, just over five years ago, I picked a sunny spot for my vegetable garden (it was evident the space had already been used as one) and installed two raised beds. The site got plenty of sun to grow lots of veggies and drained well. Since then, however, the tree canopy has expanded (I live on a tree-covered ravine), and that part of the yard now gets much less sun than it used to. Which brings me to an important point that I’ve been thinking about a lot as I look forward to spring: the importance of planning a garden bed.

3 pitfalls of planting seeds too early!

Written by Niki Jabbour

Like many gardeners, once the holiday clean up is done, my mind turns to garden planning and seed starting; especially with all the new seed catalogues arriving in my mailbox each day! However, January is far too early to start most seeds and sowing seeds too early is just as bad – maybe worse! – than starting them too late. Don’t waste your time, money, and supplies with early seed starting. Here are three pitfalls of planting seeds too early.

Preventing pests in your garden: 5 strategies for success

Written by Jessica Walliser

Most gardeners face plant-muching pests in their vegetable garden from time to time, and usually they aren’t that big of a deal. But, sometimes pest numbers rise to an unacceptable level and the little buggers cause more than mere aesthetic damage. As gardeners become more and more aware of the potential dangers of exposure to synthetic chemical pesticides, many of us want to skip the sprays altogether and turn to other pest control methods instead. By far, the most useful technique for controlling garden pests is preventing them from nibbling on your plants in the first place. The good news is that preventing pests in your garden is easier than you think, if you employ the 5 very effective strategies I outline below.

5 garden tips for the winter

Written by The Savvy Experts

Your garden is all snug as a bug for the winter, but your green thumb is itching to do something outside in the yard. What’s a gardener to do? Well, there are a few things that you could busy yourself with if the mood strikes. With that in mind, we’ve gathered a few garden tips for the winter that might satisfy your need for some wintry fresh air.
READ MORE » about 5 garden tips for the winter

Beyond your basic gardening books: Our favorite reads

Written by The Savvy Experts

The Savvy Gardening experts don’t just write gardening books, we also read them. A LOT of them. And over the years, we’ve discovered many personal favorites. Today, each of us would like to introduce you to three of our most-treasured gardening books. These reads go way beyond your basic gardening books and delve deep into both the science and art of gardening.
READ MORE » about Beyond your basic gardening books: Our favorite reads

Serious garden gear for hardcore gardeners

Written by Jessica Walliser

This is not a gift guide. We’ve already done a handful of gift guides over the years. You can read them all here. What this is instead, is a list of the stuff YOU want, not a list of the stuff you might want to buy someone else. Call it a “wish list,” if you want, but what I prefer to call it is an I-must-have-that-this-very-instant list. This is serious garden gear for hardcore gardeners; this stuff goes way beyond your basic hand tools.
READ MORE » about Serious garden gear for hardcore gardeners