Cultivating curiosity and confidence
Catmint is a low care perennial plant with a long bloom time that is measured in months, not weeks. The pretty flowers attract pollinators, yet it’s rarely bothered by critters like deer and rabbits. And while it’s easy to grow, knowing when to cut back catmint is essential for promoting lush, healthy foliage as well as non-stop flowers. In this article you’ll learn the 3 options for trimming catmint plants.
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If you’ve strolled out to your vegetable garden and discovered your cucumbers curling into strange shapes—c-shapes, s-shapes, or even resembling a tightly wound spiral—you’re not alone. Many gardeners have scratched their heads over curly cucumber fruit. In this comprehensive guide, I’ll dig into a number of reasons for cucumbers curling, how to recognize the symptoms, and what you can do to ensure your cucumber fruits are straight, healthy, and delicious.
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Canned tomatoes are a delicious and convenient ingredient in tomato sauces, pasta sauces, stews, salsas, and even soups. And for the highest quality canned tomatoes you need to select the right tomato varieties to grow. The best tomatoes for canning are plum types, which have a dense texture, fewer seeds, and a rich flavor. In this article I’ll share my go-to tomato varieties for canning and offer tips on maximizing the harvest.
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Groundcovers are low-growing plants that serve many different purposes in the landscape. They limit weed growth, stabilize slopes, and add interest and texture to your yard. Plus, unlike lawn, groundcover plants don’t have to be mowed. However, in colder climates, many groundcovers die back and go dormant during the winter months. This leaves the ground bare and exposed, opening it up to potential weed issues and soil erosion. If you’d like to provide year-round cover for a particular garden area, turn to evergreen groundcover varieties for the job. These beautiful, hard-working plants have so much to offer.
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It’s so satisfying to pull out my mortar and pestle and grind seeds I saved because I thought ahead about harvesting coriander. I love fresh cilantro and use a great deal of it in my cooking when it’s in season. Coriander seeds can be used both fresh and dried (the latter often being ground into powder). In this article I’ll explain how easy it is to save cilantro/coriander seeds, how to store them for your spice rack or to replant, and how to use them in your cooking.
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If you’ve ever grown basil, you’ve probably seen your basil leaves curling downwards and wilting or basil leaves curling upwards and folding in on themselves. Sometimes you may even see basil leaves curling and also looking yellowed or otherwise discolored. Often, these symptoms are just your plants’ reactions to environmental stress such as extreme heat, cold, or high winds. But sometimes basil leaves curling indicates a need for significant intervention on your part. Fortunately, once you’re familiar with the telltale signs, you’ll know what your sweet basil is trying to tell you and you can act accordingly to fix the trouble.
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