Savvy Gardening

Growing lettuce in winter: Planting, growing & protecting winter lettuce

Growing lettuce in winter is easier than you think! The key is to select frost-tolerant varieties and pair them with a season extender like a cold frame, mini hoop tunnel, or polytunnel. I love having a steady supply of tender, organic lettuce leaves from December through March from plants that grew just a few steps from my back door. Below you’ll find detailed information on timing, planting, and protecting winter lettuce as well as my all-time favorite cold hardy varieties.

Mexican bush sage: How to grow and care for Salvia leucantha

Written by Jessica Walliser

There is so much to love about Mexican bush sage. First off, no one can deny the beauty of the velvety light purple flower spikes. But it’s also the gray-green foliage, the drought-tolerance, the pest resistance, and the romantic, billowy growth habit that make Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha) so adored. There is no doubt that this is a plant well worth growing. In this article, you’ll learn all the ins and outs of growing Mexican bush sage, along with tips for the best location and how to keep the plant from year to year if you live in a colder climate. Let’s dig in and learn more about this great plant.
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Milkweed pods: How to collect and harvest milkweed seeds

Written by Tara Nolan

Growing up, finding milkweed pods on a woodland walk was like stumbling across buried treasure. I would delightedly open the pods to reveal the silky bounty and then toss those soft strands in the air to watch them float away in the wind. Attached to those strands are milkweed seeds.

Growing black beans: A seed to harvest guide

Written by Niki Jabbour

Black beans are a reliable, easy-to-grow crop for home gardeners who wish to grow their own dried beans. The plants are compact and productive and the meaty beans are delicious in soups, burritos, and many other dishes. The seeds can be planted in garden beds or containers and require little fussing during the growing season. Keep reading to learn more about growing black beans.

Weeping blue atlas cedar: How to grow this elegant evergreen

Written by Jessica Walliser

There is nothing quite like a weeping blue atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca Pendula’). If the sculptural form and cascading branches don’t stop you in your tracks, the gray-blue color of the foliage certainly will. A perfect specimen for adding a dramatic focal point to your garden, the weeping blue atlas cedar may look like a tree that’s a challenge to grow, but that isn’t the case. Let me introduce you to this lovely plant and share all the know-how you need to grow it successfully.
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Garlic varieties: Choosing the types of garlic to grow in your garden

Written by Tara Nolan

When you’re in the produce section at the grocery store, you’re not presented with endless garlic varieties. You usually get one choice. And the label with the price is simply “garlic.” But there are a number of garlic cultivars, originating anywhere from Asia to Russia to France, classified under groups (which I’ll explain below), each with their own characteristics. It’s fun to grow more than one type of garlic. Then the following year, once you’ve harvested and cured your crop, you can savor the subtle differences in flavor.