Growing culinary herbs like basil, thyme, rosemary, and parsley is essential if you’re a gardener who loves to cook. Most herbs are easy to grow in garden beds and containers and can be harvested throughout the summer months. Harvesting herbs isn’t difficult; it’s just a matter of knowing when to harvest to preserve maximum flavor and how to harvest to encourage fresh growth. Keep reading to find out more about how to harvest herbs.
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Grow a balcony garden full of veggies, herbs, and flowers
If you’re looking to transform your balcony into a lush garden—or even if you have a tiny patio space, Field Guide to Urban Gardening by Kevin Espiritu of Epic Gardening is a really helpful guide to figure out what you need with your space constraints and unique growing conditions. This excerpt from the book about growing a balcony garden was provided by Cool Springs Press/The Quarto Group.
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When to cut back irises for healthier, more attractive plants
Bearded irises (Iris germanica) are a star of the late spring garden. Their big floppy blooms come in a huge range of colors, capable of creating a rainbow of hues in the landscape. They are deer- and rabbit-resistant, and many varieties have a lovely but subtle fragrance. Though they are fairly easy to grow, it’s important to know when to cut back irises to maximize both the plant’s health and the appearance of your garden.
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Plum tomatoes: How to grow plum tomatoes in gardens and containers
Plum tomatoes are the secret to an amazing homemade tomato sauce! The oval-shaped fruits have a sweet-acid flavor and meaty texture which cooks down into a thick, rich sauce. Plus the plants are easy to grow in garden beds and containers. When given sunshine, fertile soil, and consistent moisture you can expect a bumper crop of plum tomatoes for summer sauces. Read on to learn more about planting, growing, and harvesting plum tomatoes.
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Zinnia Profusion: Grow an abundance of these gorgeous annual flowers in gardens and containers
Zinnias are among my favorite summer flowers. I plant these bloom-filled annuals everywhere—my raised beds, my front yard ornamental garden, in pots. I like to plant a variety of colors and several plants, so that a few flowers can be snipped here and there for cut flower arrangements, while leaving enough to be enjoyed in the garden. There are many gorgeous varieties, but today I’m going to talk about the Zinnia Profusion series.
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Unusual hydrangea varieties for the garden
Hydrangeas are a favorite flowering shrub for many gardeners. Their enormous blooms brighten the summer landscape weeks after the flowers of spring-blooming shrubs like lilacs, viburnums, and forsythia have faded. While the pink and blue flower heads of traditional big-leaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) have long been the darling of gardeners, today, I’d like to introduce you to five unusual hydrangea varieties you can grow in your planting beds to add both color and flair. These plants are featured on Savvy Gardening thanks to the sponsorship of Bloomin’ Easy Plants, the grower and supplier of these fantastic unusual hydrangea varieties.
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