Savvy Gardening

How to make tomato plants grow faster: 14 tips for an early harvest

While there’s no magic wand that can make tomato plants go from seed to harvest in mere weeks, there are some simple steps you can take to get a head start on the harvest season. It starts with variety selection, followed by proper planting and care. Preventing pests and diseases also goes a long way to speeding up the harvest as does harvesting fruits that are not fully ripe and allowing them to finish coloring up indoors. Read on if you’re wondering how to make tomato plants grow faster.

Trees with peeling bark: The best decorative varieties for your garden

Written by Jessica Walliser

Trees with peeling bark are a unique addition to the garden. They offer more than just foliage and flowers. The color patterns and textures on their trunk and branches provide an additional interesting element to the garden. Trees with bark that peels are truly four-season plants, bringing a distinctive decorative feature to the garden throughout every month of the year. In this article, I’ll highlight 13 of my favorite trees with peeling bark, each with its own characteristic look and growth habit.
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Perennial basil and other perennials you may or may not realize are in the mint family

Written by Tara Nolan

When I hear the word “mint,” my mind immediately thinks flavor. But when we’re talking plants, the Lamiaceae or mint family is not simply a one-note herb. It encompasses 236 genera and more than 7,000 species, some of which are also edible or medicinal. One of these mint family relatives was introduced to me via a Native Plant of the Month Club: a perennial basil. This new garden addition is native throughout 33 states, as well as from Manitoba to Nova Scotia, which includes my province of Ontario. In this article, I’m going to share growing tips for perennial basil plants, as well as a few other perennial members of the mint family. Some may surprise you!

Green bean leaves turning yellow: 7 possible causes and solutions

Written by Niki Jabbour

Snap beans are one of the joys of the summer vegetable garden and one of the easiest crops to grow. They thrive in garden beds and containers reliably producing a heavy crop of tender pods. That said, it’s not uncommon to see green bean leaves turning yellow. There are many potential reasons for yellowing leaves including drought, infertile soil, inadequate light, and plant diseases like blight. Below you’ll learn 7 reasons for green bean leaves turning yellow and what you can do to promote healthy growth from your bush and pole bean plants.

Toothache plant: A bizarre beauty for the garden

Written by Jessica Walliser

Tired of growing the same old petunias and marigolds every summer? Try growing the toothache plant instead! This odd-looking beauty is also known as the electric daisy, buzz buttons, the eyeball plant, Sichuan buttons, jambu, and even paracress – it has so many common names, it’s enough to make your head spin! But no matter what you call it, the toothache plant is one amazing addition to the garden. In this article, I’ll share some super-cool info about this annual herb, along with tips for growing it. Plus, the toothache plant not only looks amazing but also offers some really unique medicinal properties, too.
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Container water garden ideas: How to make a pond in a pot

Written by Jessica Walliser

A container water garden is a great way to create a miniature oasis for wildlife and to bring the sound of moving water to your landscape without needing the space, time, or energy required for an in-ground water feature. Containerized water gardens are easy to make and maintain. They are miniature water gardens that host plants, birds, frogs, and insects. You can even place a few small fish in them to add another element of interest. This article offers inspiring ideas for container water gardens, tips for maintaining them, and shares simple instructions for DIYing your own.
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