Check out all our blog posts on Outdoor gardening.
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 >>
There’s something hopeful about tucking bulbs into cold soil in October. You do the work now, forget about it all winter, and then tulips and daffodils pop up just when you need color most. If you’ve wondered how to plant fall bulbs the right way, the process is simpler than it looks. In this guide, … Read more >>
Cold frame gardening is one of the simplest ways to stretch your growing season on both ends. A cold frame is a low box with a clear lid that catches the sun’s warmth. That lets you grow salad greens long after frost and start spring crops weeks early. In this guide, I’ll explain what a … Read more >>
If you garden in the South or along the West Coast, you’ve probably noticed that tulips can be tricky. Your winters simply aren’t cold enough to wake them up properly. That’s where pre chilled tulip bulbs come in, and they make spring tulips possible even in mild climates. In this guide, I’ll walk you through … Read more >>
One cold night can wipe out weeks of work in the garden. Tomatoes go limp, basil turns black, and squash leaves collapse by morning. The good news is that a little planning and a few simple covers can save most of your plants. If you want to know how to protect plants from frost, this … Read more >>
Clematis can cover a fence, mailbox, or arbor in big, bold flowers for weeks. They have a reputation for being fussy, but most of that comes from a few simple planting mistakes. If you plant clematis in the right spot, at the right depth, with a good support, they’re tough and long-lived. In this guide, … Read more >>
Planting hostas is one of the easiest ways to fill a shady yard with color and texture. These tough perennials come back every year, ask for little, and look good from spring until frost. In this guide, I’ll walk you through picking the right hostas, timing, soil, spacing, care, and the problems to watch for. … Read more >>
Crocus are often the first flowers to open each year, sometimes poking up through late snow. Getting crocus bulbs planting right in fall means a burst of purple, gold, and white when you need color most. The good news is that they’re one of the easiest bulbs to grow. In this guide, I’ll cover which … Read more >>
Peonies are one of the few flowers you can plant once and enjoy for generations. Their big, fragrant blooms show up in late spring, and a healthy clump can live 50 to 100 years. Getting a few details right at the start makes all the difference. This guide covers how to plant peonies step by … 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 >>