Savvy Gardening

Planting cilantro seeds: Tips for a bountiful harvest

Cilantro is one of my favorite herbs. I’m part of the population that LOVES the flavor—not the portion that thinks it has a soapy taste! I grow a lot of my own herbs because the cost of one seed packet is comparable to a bunch or clamshell pack at the grocery store. For cilantro, I look forward to the shoulder season months because timing is the key to planting cilantro seeds. In this article, I will share tips on when and where to sow cilantro, how to know when to harvest, and slow-to-bolt varieties.

Lima beans planting and growing tips for vegetable gardeners

Written by Niki Jabbour

Home-grown lima beans are a summer treat! This is an easy to grow vegetable that yields a heavy crop of buttery beans that can be enjoyed as fresh shell beans or as dried beans. If lima beans are on your list of crops to grow in your vegetable garden, I’ve got plenty of lima beans planting and growing tips to help you be successful. Keep reading to learn more.

Growing marigolds from seed: Tips for indoor and direct sowing

Written by Tara Nolan

Marigolds were one of the first flowers I could identify as a kid. Growing up, my mom would plant marigold seeds along the side of our garage. I remember the strong scent as you’d brush by the bright yellow and deep orange blooms in the summer. Growing marigolds from seed is an easy way to add annuals to your gardens and containers. In this article, I’m going to share tips on sowing seeds indoors (and then moving your plants to the garden), as well as direct-sowing your marigold seeds in the spring.

Growing elephant ears in pots: Tips and advice for success

Written by Jessica Walliser

Elephant ear plants make a bold statement in the garden, but this bulb is also a wonderful addition to outdoor patio planters and containers. Growing elephant ears in pots is an excellent way to add a fun, tropical vibe to outdoor areas without requiring a lot of effort. In this article, you’ll learn which types of elephant ears to grow in pots and how to set yourself up for success.
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Japanese anemone: How to grow this bloom-filled, late-summer perennial

Written by Tara Nolan

As the late-summer garden starts to reveal some of the last blooms of the season, my Japanese anemone is deciding it’s her time to shine. The end-of-summer performance is nearing its crescendo: a lovely, tall-yet-compact, floriferous perennial, covered in buds that open to reveal gorgeous blooms.

Growing basil from seed: A step-by-step guide

Written by Niki Jabbour

Growing basil from seed should be on every gardeners to-do list. Why? Basil is easy to grow from seed and when you buy seeds instead of transplants you can choose from dozens of types and varieties available through seed catalogs. There are two ways to start basil seeds: indoors in a window or beneath a growlight, or by direct seeding outdoors. Keep reading to learn more about the simple steps of growing basil from seed.