Kale is one of the easiest and most forgiving greens you can grow. It handles cold better than almost anything else in the vegetable garden, and it keeps producing leaves for months when you pick it the right way. If you’ve wanted to learn how to grow kale, the good news is that the basics … Read more >>
Few shrubs bloom when camellias do. While most of the garden sleeps, these glossy evergreens open rose-like flowers in pink, red and white, sometimes right through frost. Good camellia care isn’t complicated, but it does follow a few firm rules. In this guide, I’ll walk you through picking the right type for your zone, planting … Read more >>
Spinach is one of the first crops I’d tell any new gardener to try. It’s fast, it loves cool weather, and a short row gives you salads, smoothies and sautéed greens for weeks. If you’ve wondered how to grow spinach without it bolting the moment spring warms up, this guide walks you through every step. … Read more >>
There’s nothing quite like a pot of tulips or hyacinths blooming on your kitchen table in February while snow piles up outside. When you force bulbs indoors, you trick them into thinking winter has come and gone, so they flower weeks or months ahead of schedule. The process is simple once you understand the timing. … Read more >>
Lettuce is one of the most rewarding crops you can put in a home garden. It grows fast, takes up little space, and gives you fresh salads weeks before your tomatoes even think about ripening. If you’ve wondered how to grow lettuce that stays sweet and crisp instead of bitter and tough, the secret comes … Read more >>
A poinsettia can stay bright red well past New Year’s if you give it the right start. Good poinsettia care comes down to a few basics: bright light, careful watering, and steady warmth away from drafts. Most of the plants that drop leaves in December run into one of those three problems. In this guide, … Read more >>
The right christmas cactus soil is loose, airy, and slightly moist, not gritty desert sand and not heavy potting dirt. This plant comes from a very different home than the cacti on your windowsill, and its roots behave differently too. Get the mix right, and most other care problems get much easier. In this guide, … Read more >>
Few houseplants are as cheerful in the dark months as a holiday cactus. Those bright pink, red, white or orange blooms show up just when the garden outside goes quiet. They’re easy to grow and can live for decades. There’s one catch. Three different plants get sold under the “holiday cactus” name, and most people … Read more >>
Daffodils are one of the easiest ways I know to get bright spring color with almost no work. If you learn how to plant daffodil bulbs correctly this fall, you’ll get flowers next spring and, in most gardens, for many years after that. The basics are simple. Plant firm bulbs pointed end up, about 6 … Read more >>
Few plants put on a show like bougainvillea. Its papery magenta, orange, pink and white color can cover a fence or spill from a patio pot for months. Good bougainvillea care is simpler than most people think, but it works a little differently than care for other flowering plants. In this guide, I’ll explain what … Read more >>