Savvy Gardening

Herbs to grow in winter: 9 choices for cold-season harvesting

I may have written the book The Year Round Vegetable Gardener but that doesn’t mean that I don’t also enjoy having homegrown herbs to harvest all year long, even in winter. Some of my favorite culinary herbs – parsley, thyme, and chives – are cold hardy, and I grow them in my raised garden beds as well as beneath season extending devices like cloches, mini hoop tunnels, and cold frames. Below you’ll find nine of my top herbs to grow in winter as well as information on how to protect the plants from winter winds, cold, and storms.

Christmas cactus cuttings: When to prune a healthy plant and using the cuttings to make more

Written by Tara Nolan

Is your Christmas cactus lush and healthy and ready to be pruned? Take the Christmas cactus cuttings from your succulent and make new plants. The dependable, showy Christmas cactus is among my favorite houseplants. I remember my grandmother had one that bloomed each year. Perhaps that’s what inspired me to make sure I have one in the house each holiday season.

Use garden bed covers to protect your vegetable garden from season to season

Written by Niki Jabbour

Using garden bed covers like mini hoop tunnels, row covers, or portable cold frames is my secret to a bountiful and healthy vegetable garden. These versatile covers allow me to increase production, reduce pest and weather damage, and extend the harvest season into fall and winter. In my book, Growing Under Cover, I write about the many ways both small and large covers can be used in a home vegetable garden. Read on if you want to learn more about using protective covers in your garden.

How to grow mint indoors: 3 growing methods for year-round harvests

Written by Jessica Walliser

Mint is one herb I won’t live without. I enjoy the occasional mojito, but my favorite way to enjoy mint is as an herbal tea. I use dried mint leaves to brew both hot and iced tea, and in the summer I make a weekly batch of sun tea with the fresh leaves. Since mint is notorious for its rampant growth (it can quickly take over the garden), I grow my mint in patio containers. I also grow mint year-round indoors. This means I have fresh mint leaves to harvest 12 months of the year. Today, I’d like to share information on how to grow mint indoors using three different techniques.
READ MORE » about How to grow mint indoors: 3 growing methods for year-round harvests

How to grow cabbage: From planting seeds to harvesting heads

Written by Tara Nolan

Cabbage isn’t the most exciting or glamorous vegetable (though as a kid, they were pretty cool because a cabbage patch produced adorable dolls). And the ornamental varieties are stunning in the fall garden. But this healthy veggie that is high in vitamin C and fibre, has a dependable spot in my fall recipe repertoire. I’ve also seen spectacular cabbages entered into competitions. Learning how to grow cabbage is pretty easy, and it’s very satisfying when you can pick your own to make healthy and hearty meals, like cabbage rolls, stir fries, Cole slaw and other salads, kimchi, and sauerkraut.

Tomato companion plants: 22 science-backed plant partners for healthy tomato plants

Written by Jessica Walliser

Have you wondered if there are plants you can grow side by side with your tomatoes to maximize harvests and grow healthier plants? You’ve probably heard of companion planting before. Maybe you know gardeners who swear by it. Or maybe you’ve heard that it doesn’t actually work. Old-school companion planting was deeply rooted in folklore and conjecture with little to no science to back it up. As a horticulturist, I’ve always had a hard time believing in the merits of traditional companion planting. However, thanks to research for my newest book, I look at the practice a bit differently these days. Today, I’d like to open your eyes to a more modern, science-based approach to companion planting and then introduce 22 tomato companion plants that are proven to help grow healthier, more productive tomatoes.
READ MORE » about Tomato companion plants: 22 science-backed plant partners for healthy tomato plants