Check out all our blog posts on Indoor gardening.
The first oyster plant I kept indoors looked nearly indestructible. Then July arrived, afternoon sun heated the window, and its purple-backed leaves curled inward like narrow tubes. I watered more, which only made the lower leaves softer and yellower. That experience taught me that oyster plant leaves curling can signal several very different problems. Water, light, humidity, temperature, pests, … Read more >>
I lost an entire tray of Genovese basil in one night back in May of 2026. I’d set six 6-inch pots out on the deck to soak up sun, forgot the forecast, and woke up to 38°F and a plant that looked like someone had taken a lighter to it. Black, limp, translucent leaves — … Read more >>
I walked out to my patio one July morning with coffee in hand and found my best Genovese basil looking like someone had dusted it with flour. Three leaves near the top had gone pale and papery. Two more had a chalky gray film on the upper surface. The week before, that same plant had been dark … Read more >>
Many indoor plant owners wonder if their leafy friends can enjoy time outside during warmer months. The answer is yes, but timing and preparation matter. Indoor plants can safely go outside when nighttime temperatures consistently stay above 50-55°F, typically around May in the Midwest or similar climates. Moving plants outdoors offers benefits like natural rainfall … Read more >>
Growing plants indoors adds energy and color to your space, but it’s not always easy. Limited sunlight is a real problem, especially in apartments or during the winter months. Grow lights step in to help. These clever lights mimic natural sunlight, letting your indoor plants photosynthesize and grow even in those shadowy corners. There are … Read more >>
My first balcony herb garden was a disaster, and it was entirely my fault. I bought six sad little pots at a big-box store in April, lined them up on a west-facing rail in Zone 6, and then went out of town for a long weekend. I came home to crispy basil, bolted cilantro, and … Read more >>
Last July I walked out to my back porch in Zone 6 with a cup of coffee and got hit by a smell like a forgotten vase of flower water. It took me a minute to trace it to the two big petunia baskets hanging above the railing. They looked fine from six feet away. Up close, … Read more >>
A few winters back, I knocked over a big Dieffenbachia (‘Camille’, about four feet tall) while dragging a bag of potting soil across my sunroom. Three gorgeous leaves snapped clean off at the base. I couldn’t stand tossing them, so I stuck all three in a jar of water on the kitchen windowsill and told myself I’d … Read more >>
Every June I hang four baskets of calibrachoa and trailing petunias off the front porch rail, and every June, right around the Fourth of July, at least one of them starts going pale. First the inner leaves fade to a soft lime green. Then the lower ones turn straw-yellow and drop onto the porch boards. Meanwhile, the basket hanging … Read more >>
A hanging basket can look fantastic in May, then suddenly turn into a thin, tangled mop by mid-July. I have had this happen on my own back porch, especially with petunias and calibrachoa that started the season full enough to hide the basket rim. When hanging baskets go leggy, they usually stretch toward light, outgrow … Read more >>
