Savvy Gardening

How to overwinter pepper plants: 4 effective methods

Because peppers are grown in many parts of the world as annuals, you may not realize they’re actual tropical perennials and it’s possible to learn how to overwinter pepper plants. The process of overwintering involves bringing a plant indoors during the cold months—when they would typically die in the garden—and reintroducing it to the outdoors for the next growing season. How to overwinter pepper plants isn’t as hard to learn as you might think. In this article you’ll learn four ways gardeners find success overwintering peppers.

The best DIY cucumber beetle trap

Written by Jessica Walliser

Learning how to make your own cucumber beetle trap can save you a lot of trouble and prevent the need for pesticides. In this article, I’ll share the easy DIY cucumber beetle trap I’ve been using for years. It doesn’t cost much to make using only simple household materials and only takes a few moments of your time to set up.
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Fabric raised beds: The benefits of growing in these versatile containers

Written by Tara Nolan

I first discovered fabric raised beds in Quebec City. I was there for a garden writers’ conference a few years ago new, and they seemed to be everywhere I went: in front of the parliament buildings featuring a lush ornamental mix of vegetables, herbs, and flowers; lined up in rows on the roof of a shelter; and supporting a gorgeous living willow pergola at a botanical garden.

Propagating hostas: How to make more hostas for free

Written by Niki Jabbour

Propagating hostas at home is a fun, budget-friendly activity for fans of these shade-loving perennials. While every visit to the plant nursery is an exercise in self-control, you can avoid a trip by dividing your own hostas to populate your garden spaces. Here I’ll cover when and how to propagate hostas, step-by-step, as well as how to care for the plants after division. It’s the best way to make more hostas for free!

How to prune a fig tree step by step

Written by Jessica Walliser

If you’ve gone to the time and effort to establish fig trees in your landscape—or you’re thinking about growing figs for the first time—you’ll need to understand just why, when, and how to prune a fig tree. Get it right and you can direct the new growth of your tree and make sure that new branches have ample access to fresh air and sunlight, so that they can be as productive as possible. The result? Year after year, you should be able to harvest some of the best fruit you’ve ever tasted from late summer and into fall.
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How to grow saffron crocus

Written by Jessica Walliser

First cultivated in the Mediterranean region, saffron is, by weight, the most expensive spice in the world, and learning how to grow saffron at home means you’ll have plenty of this flavorful spice to use in your cooking. It comes from the saffron crocus, Crocus sativus. Considering the high price this spice fetches at market, you might be surprised to discover how easy it is to grow. In this article, I’ll provide a quick-and-simple low-down on how to grow saffron.