Savvy Gardening

Garden soil vs potting soil: What’s the difference and why does it matter?

When faced with all of the different soil mixes available online and in our favorite garden centers, deciding on garden soil vs potting soil can be a little confounding. After all, there are individual products for potting up orchids, African violets, cacti, succulents, and more. So, how do you tell them apart? And what potential benefits can be attributed to them? To find the answers—and figure out which growing medium might be best for your gardening project—it’s important to understand which ingredients are typically found in both garden soil and potting soil. Then you can fill your garden or container accordingly so the plants, seeds, and seedlings you dig in can thrive.

When to plant zinnias: 3 options for months of beautiful blooms

Written by Niki Jabbour

Zinnias are one of the easiest annuals to grow from seeds started indoors or direct sown in the garden. The colorful blooms attract pollinators like bees and beneficial insects. They also make long-lived cut flowers in bouquets and arrangements. Knowing when to plant zinnias can mean the difference between months of beautiful blooms or a short show at the end of the growing season. For the best display of flowers you need to plant zinnias at the right time. Below I’ll walk you through all the steps of when to plant zinnias.

When to fertilize azaleas and how to do it right

Written by Jessica Walliser

Azaleas are among the most popular spring-flowering shrubs – and deservedly so. Their brilliant flowers can’t be beat for early season color. Caring for azaleas isn’t difficult, but one item many gardeners struggle with is azalea fertilization. Do you know when to fertilize azaleas, what fertilizer to use, and how to apply? If not, this article provides all the know-how you need to get the job done right.
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Seeding pansies: How to grow your own pansy and viola plants from seed

Written by Tara Nolan

Pansies are among the first plants to appear outdoors at the garden center in the spring. And despite their sweet, colorful faces and sometimes intricate bloom markings, they are remarkably hardy. If you think ahead, seeding pansies yourself allows you to choose from a wide range of varieties to add to container arrangements and the garden. In this article, I’m going to share some tips for growing pansies (and their Viola cousins) from seed both indoors and out, as well as advice on how and when to plant your seedlings outside.

Bridal veil plant: How to grow this beautiful flowering houseplant

Written by Niki Jabbour

Bridal veil plant is a trailing houseplant that’s perfect for hanging pots. Delicately pretty, the foliage of this unusual plant drapes down like a bride’s veil studded with tiny white “pearls”—three-petaled blossoms measuring just a little more than a quarter of an inch across. As for the leaves of bridal veil plants, they feature a deep green color along their tops and rich hues of purple to lavender on their undersides. This attractive foliage provides a dramatic backdrop for the veil’s hundreds of tiny white flowers. Whether you’re naturally drawn to foliage plants or you love a good profusion of blooms, the bridal veil plant has a little something for everyone. Learn more about how to care for this flowering plant below.

Winter sowing: An easy, low-cost technique for starting seeds

Written by Niki Jabbour

Winter sowing is one of my favorite techniques for starting seeds because it’s easy, doesn’t take up indoor space, uses recycled materials, and is a low-cost way to produce a lot of seedlings. It’s also very effective for many types of vegetable, perennial, annual, and herb seeds. In this article you’ll learn when to winter sow and get step-by-step instructions for sowing seeds in milk jugs as well as plastic containers.