Cultivating curiosity and confidence
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.
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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!
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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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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.
My cat has a felt taco cat toy that was scented with catnip a few years ago and she still goes squirrelly whenver I pull it out to give to her. If you have a cat that responds favorably to catnip (apparently not all do), it’s worthwhile to learn how to grow catnip. This perennial herb is incredibly easy to grow from seed and from cuttings. It’s also drought tolerant and not too fussy when it comes to nutrients. Even if you don’t have a cat, catnip is an attractive plant that can be used for its foliage and flowers in cut flower arrangements.
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Considering onions are a staple ingredient in kitchens around the world, I’m surprised that more of us aren’t planting onions in the fall. Onions are most often planted in spring, but planting onions in the fall gives you a jump on an onion harvest and keeps your garden productive throughout the year. Planting onions in the fall is easier in some regions than others, of course, but you can make a plan to put your seeds or sets in the ground as the weather cools, even as far north as New Hampshire and many parts of Canada. In this article, I’ll cover the details of fall-planting these alliums, from the basics of onion growth to the best types of onions, garden preparation, and what to expect come springtime.
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