Savvy Gardening

Planter ideas: Inspiring design tips for creating gorgeous garden containers

I am always on the lookout for creative planter ideas. I find them on walks around my neighborhood, on garden tours, at botanical gardens, even at some of my local nurseries. Besides the endless array of foliage and bloom choices, the containers themselves can also play into the look—or fade into the background, letting the plants get all the attention. It all depends on the look you’re going for. Either way, I look forward to putting together my own planters each spring.

Swiss chard rainbow: The best colorful varieties to grow

Written by Niki Jabbour

There are many reasons to grow Swiss chard in your garden. Not only is it a versatile green that is delicious raw and cooked, it’s also easy to grow, very productive, and available in a wide variety of vibrant colors. It’s fun to grow a Swiss chard rainbow in garden beds and containers and you’ll enjoy tender leaves from spring through late autumn. In this article you’ll get chard growing tips and discover the most colorful varieties to plant.

When to transplant daffodils: Tips for dividing and replanting bulbs

Written by Tara Nolan

I wait with great anticipation each year for my daffodils to bloom. They appear in that second wave after the earlier bulbs, like snowdrops and crocuses. If your clumps seem to be getting too thick, knowing when to transplant daffodils is the best way to ensure that these sunny, springtime bloomers really perform for you year after year. In part, that’s because, if left unchecked, these clumps of bulbs easily can become overcrowded. Overcrowding can negatively affect the overall health of your plants, putting a real damper on flowering.
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Tomato plant leaves curling up? Here’s why

Written by Jessica Walliser

If you notice your tomato plant leaves curling up, don’t panic but do take action. There are several factors that can cause this response in tomatoes and most of them are fairly easy to manage if you catch the issue early enough. In this article, I’ll discuss some of the most common reasons for tomato leaf curl and offer tips for fixing them.
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Growing chives in pots: Advice from spring through winter

Written by Tara Nolan

It is incredibly satisfying to head out to the garden with a pair of scissors to snip fresh herbs for a meal. Having multiple chive plants is essential in my garden. I love growing chives in pots. Many of my plants are self sown, so I rescue them from the gravel or the mulch, or wherever they have decided to live, and find a container for them. In this article, I’ll share advice for containers and growing medium, as well as basic care and what you should do with your plants in the winter.

Growing zucchini in pots: A guide to success

Written by Niki Jabbour

Too often zucchini is left out of a small garden because it’s a space hog, but you can make room for summer squash by growing zucchini in pots. These sprawling plants with tentacle-like stems, large leaves, and vibrant yellow flowers make a statement in a container garden. Considering one zucchini plant’s prolific production, by limiting your zucchini planting to a container or two, you may even be able to temper the overproduction that many gardeners, myself included, burden themselves with. Growing zucchini in pots isn’t as common as growing them in ground, so I want to share my tips for success. In this article you’ll read about variety selection, the best soil and containers to use, planting and care advice, and get some help with troubleshooting.