Savvy Gardening

Growing strawflowers for cut flower arrangements and to dry

If you’re looking for the perfect flower for drying, strawflowers are an enduring, visually interesting choice. The first time I grew them in my own garden, I dried out some of the papery blooms I picked in the summer, carefully stored them throughout the fall, and then pulled them out to decorate my holiday yule log in the winter. It was so satisfying to see them perched in the icing of my cake, looking like the day I snipped them in the garden. In this article, I’ll explain how to grow strawflowers from seed, as well as the best time to harvest them for arrangements and drying.

When to plant pumpkins from seeds or transplants

Written by Jessica Walliser

Pumpkins are a fun backyard crop for home gardeners. Kids find great joy in watching the massive vines grow and then form orange orbs, ready for carving or pie baking. However, sometimes things don’t go quite right in the pumpkin patch. It’s disappointing when a pumpkin crop is ripe months before Halloween’s arrival. It’s also disappointing when homegrown pumpkins don’t ripen in time for the Thanksgiving feast. Knowing when to plant pumpkins so they’re ready to harvest at the perfect time is a major key to enjoying this vine crop. Let’s dive into all the factors that influence when to plant pumpkins. With this information, you’ll be able to determine the best pumpkin planting time for your region.
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Cucumber trellis ideas and tips for maximizing the harvest

Written by Niki Jabbour

Years ago when I first planted cucumbers, I let the vines sprawl all around my garden. Boy, did they ever take up a lot of space! I was new to vegetable gardening and didn’t realize how big the plants would grow. Now I use a cucumber trellis to support my plants. Not only does this help contain their rampant growth, but getting the plants off the ground can also increase production, reduce insect and disease issues, and make it easier to harvest the fruits. In this article I’ll share ideas for easy cucumber trellises, offer tips on growing cucumbers vertically, and share my favorite varieties to plant.

Growing endive: A complete seed-to-harvest guide

Written by Niki Jabbour

Just as endive livens up that so-so salad on your plate, growing endive adds some oomph to your garden beds, too. With so many different varieties available, endive provides visual interest with its unusual textures and color combinations. Once harvested, endive also adds complexity when mixed with leafy greens in salads or when used to lend its slightly bitter flavor profile to sautéed vegetables, soups, or stews. In this article you’ll learn everything you need to know to grow a bumper crop of endive in your garden.

When to plant butternut squash

Written by Jessica Walliser

Whether or not your future holds your favorite butternut squash meals hinges on your knowing when to plant butternut squash. While that may sound dramatic, the timing for sowing seeds and transplanting squash plants makes a difference. Butternut squash is a favorite winter squash variety, and it can be grown in most climates.
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Zucchini blossom end rot: How to prevent and treat this plant condition

Written by Tara Nolan

Have you ever waited patiently for a zucchini you’ve spotted growing in your garden, only to discover one day that the end is succumbing to zucchini blossom end rot? It’s so frustrating to see that once-healthy vegetable start to waste away. Also referred to as “blossom end rot,” the condition affects more than zucchini plants. It commonly strikes many other members of the cucurbit family, as well as nightshades like tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers.