Savvy Gardening

When to cut back lavender: Time your trimming for healthy plants

Lavender is a popular plant that finds its way into many a home garden. Perhaps it’s for the heady fragrance or to have a flush of purple reminiscent of the fields of Provence in the garden or to pick for your own culinary or DIY projects. It’s a great-drought tolerant pick and works well in landscape borders. However as they mature, lavender plants will spread and can begin to look a little bedraggled. Pruning the plant can help to contain it in the garden and keep it looking neat. Knowing when to cut back lavender is important.

When to plant cucumbers: 4 options for a non-stop harvest

Written by Niki Jabbour

A just-picked cucumber is a summer treat and knowing when to plant cucumbers is the best way to give your vines a strong start to the growing season. Cucumbers are sensitive to cold temperatures and easily damaged if planted too early. Wait too long and there may not be enough time left in your growing season to mature the crop. There are several options for timing cucumber plantings with seeds started indoors or direct sown in garden beds. Below you’ll learn 4 options for when to plant cucumbers to ensure you enjoy months of crisp, flavorful fruits.

How to grow Cuban oregano

Written by Tara Nolan

I enjoy discovering different ingredients to use in my cooking, especially ingredients I can grow myself. Cuban oregano is one of those interesting flavors. A potent and versatile herb, Cuban oregano is known around the world by several different common names. Depending on your locale, you may have heard it called “soup mint,” Mexican mint, Spanish thyme, or Indian borage.

The best small tomato plants to grow (aka micro tomatoes!)

Written by Jessica Walliser

If you like growing tomatoes but don’t have enough space for full-size plants, try growing the small tomato plants known as micro tomatoes or micro dwarf tomatoes. These compact tomato plants taste just like the tomatoes you’re familiar with, but they grow on itty bitty plants. In this article, I’ll introduce you to these tiny treasures and share some of my favorite varieties to grow. Plus, you’ll find tips for plant care and ideas for where to grow them.
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Are pansies edible? Using pansy flowers in sweet and savory recipes

Written by Tara Nolan

When spring is springing, I want to celebrate it both indoors and out. Every new bud and bloom is exciting,o and spring blooms are brought inside as decoration. Forced forsythia branches are added to vases with freshly cut tulips, at least one primula is potted up to brighten a room, and pansies are brought into the kitchen to decorate spring dishes. It’s fun to add fresh, edible blooms to salads and baking. They add a wow factor to the plate. If you’ve ever been wondering, are pansies edible, well, you are in luck. Because I love to include flowers in a variety of recipes (it’s basically edible crafting), I thought I’d share some different ways to enjoy pansies.

Growing snap peas from seed: A seed to harvest guide

Written by Niki Jabbour

Snap peas are a spring treat and growing snap peas from seed is an easy and reliable way to enjoy a bumper crop of this popular vegetable. Peas thrive in cool weather and are among the first crops planted in early spring with the harvest beginning 50 to 70 days later, depending on the variety. Snap peas are often called ‘sugar snaps’ and have plump edible pods that are sweet and crunchy. This relatively new type of pea is delicious raw or cooked and can be grown in garden beds or containers. Below I cover everything you need to know when growing snap peas from seed.