Garden Basics

When it comes to garden gear, there is a clear divide among growers: Those who love tomato cages, and those who consider them an absolute useless eyesore. I’m controversially the latter. Aesthetics aside, there are a lot of questions I have about the invention of this particular metal torture device, and I have opinions about how it might not be the best way to grow your tomatoes. In fact, there are a lot of things that can go wrong with your crops due to cage structure—increased pests and lower fruit production to start! 

It’s peak tomato season and if you’re lucky, you aren’t getting through them fast enough. While preserving the bulk of your harvest to keep from waste and spoiling is the best move, there are definitely times when you just want to hold onto that handful of heirlooms for a few days longer and enjoy the fruits of your labor fresh. Thankfully, how you store your tomatoes can buy you that extra time and it’s as simple as storing them stem-side down. 

Lana Williams, owner of Oakland, California-based plant shop and design company The Tender Gardener, is known for her gorgeous step-by-step plant recipes for creating lush outdoor planters. In Lana’s latest book release, The Container Garden Recipe Book, she’s revealing fabulous floral and frond combos that will have you making plant and pot pairings like a pro. Here she shares a few seasonally appropriate tips on the types of statement plants and containers to use as we transition from late summer into fall.

Gardens are abuzz and harvest baskets are full. Here’s how to soak up the last of the season while prepping for the next.

Social media serves me a lot of skincare products, A LOT of them. While I’m mostly to blame for clicking on ads that ultimately adjust my algorithmic fate, I usually scroll past most magic potions and am very critical when it comes to actually adding anything to my cart. Personal discernment aside, I’ve definitely done my fair share of experimentation and testing, homing in on the best products and gadgets worth splurging on for better, healthier-looking skin. 

Urban Garden Retreat Follow this gardener's journey to cultivate a neglected yard into a joyful (and award-winning!) urban garden retreat in Maryland. Meet our 2020 Reader Garden award winner: Anne Barone!

Summer might be the peak production season in your garden, but above-average temps and heat domes don’t quite make for happy horticulture. Even if you’re growing in a mild climate, plant protection throughout the summer is an important practice and can even be helpful when prepping for an out-of-town getaway that might disrupt your usual routine. From keeping an eye on the forecast so you can plot your next move, to knowing which plants need watering and those that definitely do not, we’re sharing all the tips to avoid any summer stress and keep you growing gracefully. Here’s to a resilient garden and not forgetting to protect and hydrate appropriately, yourself included.

Ever wish you had more room to grow? We’ve got a secret to instantly increase your square footage, and we’re growing up, my friends. No matter if you’re planting an expansive backyard plot or just have room for a few clusters of balcony pots, vertical vegetable gardening is the easiest way to maximize your growing while also being a space saver, and increasing yields—not to mention it brings some interesting aesthetic appeal to your outdoor space. The perfect solution for every garden? We think so. Read on for our ultimate guide to vertical vegetable gardens and start thinking up!

We’ve all been there. A fern that flopped, a salvia in sad soil, and even a mighty monstera with too petite of a pot. While keeping a close eye on your houseplant and its day-to-day health is part of being a good plant parent, we’re all guilty of being a bit accident-prone or neglectful. Fret not friends! There’s usually time to step in when the green girls are screaming SOS—we’re going to help you build the ultimate houseplant emergency kit to tackle any ailments that come your way. From being ready to pot-up at a moment’s notice to making sure those pesky fungus gnats stay at bay, here are the skills we keep sharp and the tools we’re packing in our at-home horticultural kit.

It’s always tomato girl summer in my garden. I purposefully lean down and focus on what I grow in my spring garden beds to prepare and make room for the eight to 12 tomato plants that are a combination of favorites started from seed and new varieties picked up at the local farm’s heirloom tomato pop-up. It’s definitely taken me many years to perfect my gameplan, but over time I listened to my space and learned what worked best for me. I think that’s what is most important here: to understand that not every garden guide is a strict must-follow. Think of this as just a few new ideas or suggestions in the pursuit of full harvest baskets this summer. From seed starting in soil blocks to homemade trellising that will maximize your yield—I hope you feel inspired to try something new. Happy tomato growing my friends. Here’s to a bountiful season ahead!

When it comes to dreaming up her perfect coop, Kate Richards—avid gardener, homegrown cocktail crafter, and wrangler of chickens—always starts with function before deciding on design details. First she figures out run size, roosting areas, number of nesting boxes, and where supply storage will live, and then she pieces together the perfect layout for the space. From there Kate adds details and decor elements that might seem over the top compared to the standard utilitarian set up. She’s known for using unexpected paint colors, patterned wallpaper, and gingerbread trim that make the entire space more aesthetically interesting while fitting in with her own home’s style and architecture.

Wondering what you should be planting, harvesting, and keeping an eye on this growing season? Here’s your summer garden checklist to help you keep on top of garden maintenance.

Whether you want to set up a springtime garden or explore edible plants—or even just test the waters with houseplants—the prospect of becoming a plant parent can be intimidating. Luckily, there are countless handy apps that hold the answers. Getting started doesn’t have to be so daunting. With just a few taps on your phone, you’ll be one step closer to growing the greenery you’ve always dreamed of. 

When one thinks about a production garden designed to yield copious amounts of vegetables and flowers, it’s not often one with perfectly manicured rows overflowing with color and paired with thoughtfully organized spaces for gathering. Practicality and function are usually the focus, not a dedication to stunning surroundings. This is where the team behind Oakland-based Pine House Edible Gardens stands out with their impeccable layout and design philosophies, showcasing the ability to implement important functional garden systems with incredible style.

Love the minimalist architectural plant trend but only have a small space for styling indoor greenery? There’s no need to lug in a 6-foot specimen tree to add bodacious botanicals into your home, because even the smallest planters can make a big impact when intentionally pairing striking foliage with a unique vessel. Think the graceful curves of a sphere planter paired with round rosy fronds, or curating a juxtaposition of a bonsai-esque statement plant with delicate saucers—the combinations are endless! 

The plant peeps of TikTok have been losing their minds over Costco’s plant offerings, and while scoring an 8-foot statement palm for less than $30 seems like a total green thumb win, you might want to slow your stroll and examine what you’re purchasing before heading to the checkout line. Due to the high volume of plants coming into these types of big box stores, they might not be getting the specialized care that they need—besides, who actually thrives under fluorescent lighting anyways? So I’m encouraging you to look under the hood—I mean, brown paper sleeve—before taking anything back home (this rule applies no matter where you shop btw).

If you’ve ever dreamt of a perfectly coordinated house and garden, you’re in the right place. You can actually plant the right color roses, flowers, and more foliage so that it matches your house just so. It’s all about planning, and this excerpt from The Color of Roses by Danielle Dall’Armi Hahn (Ten Speed Press, $35) will take out the guesswork. Follow these steps if you want to up your curb appeal and make your house the best looking one on the block.

The growing season might be in full swing, but there are still ways to upgrade your garden game. From keeping out unwanted pests (or pets) to building your own customized trellising and irrigation—it’s time to make your beds work smarter, not harder. We’ve got five ways to customize your planters this summer that will not only make things look fantastic, but will take your growing capabilities to the next level. Whether you choose to tackle them all or just add one to your list of weekend to-dos, I promise it will be a noticeable refresh with rewarding results. 

Have you ever heard that planting a small garden is like writing a short story instead of a novel? Well, I hadn’t either—until Los Angeles designer Adam Sirak said it—and I think it’s brilliant. “Some people might think they can’t have an amazing garden or that it’s not worth the trouble because they don’t have a big space,” Sirak says. “But a small space only means you have to take all your ideas and distill them down to a concentrated big idea.” He adds that, as with a short story, there’s no room for filler, and each choice must be thought of in relationship to the whole. “In this way, a small space can be a very exciting puzzle to put together,” he says.  

This article is part of our new 8-week, limited edition newsletter series, The Low-Water Gardening Guide, where we’ll walk you through what it takes to create a sustainable garden, from swapping in the appropriate plants to new irrigation methods to the tools you’ll need and more. Sign up here to get each installment straight to your inbox.

When I first installed raised beds in my garden, I often felt like a dolt and mistakes were thick on the ground. I’d neglect adding compost and then not understand why my raspberries weren’t thriving, for example. Or I’d forget to turn off my timer on a rainy day and kick myself for wasting water. I also assumed certain things that just weren’t true—like I couldn’t plant any summer vegetables after spring.  

When we talk about native plants, we’re often referring to landscaping, but what about growing your own edible native plant garden? Native plants have adapted to where you live, after all, and unlike, say, your usual tomatoes and strawberries, native edibles have new flavors and scents to try. Meanwhile, planting edible native plants helps to forge a connection between the way we live now, and the way communities in the West have existed for thousands of years. “Just growing these plants is a way to tap into the continuum of time,” says Evan Meyer, the executive director of the Theodore Payne Foundation. “By growing edible plants, your garden can become a much more meaningful place.”   

This article is part of our new 8-week, limited edition newsletter series, The Low-Water Gardening Guide, where we’ll walk you through what it takes to create a sustainable garden, from swapping in the appropriate plants to new irrigation methods to the tools you’ll need and more. Sign up here to get each installment straight to your inbox.

When I think of a plant hunter—as in, someone who goes to places like South Africa, Vietnam, China, and Nepal to find rare species and bring them back to the United States—I imagine a swashbuckling Indiana Jones type running through the mountains complete with hat and whip. And to hear famed plant collector, horticulturist, and botanist Daniel Hinkley tell it, there is a bit of daredevilry to the job. “I’ve had hard treks, bad knees, bee stings, and leeches hanging from my neck,” he says. “But if I am lucky, plant collecting offers me a bit of seed, and the resulting plant possesses all of the memories associated with it.”

We’ve all been there, the premature demise of our cilantro bolting into bitterness and a head full of seeds after an unexpected heat spike. But what if we started thinking about these “failures” as new flavor opportunities? One gardener’s flop is another’s feast after all. I’m talking seed-turned-spice drawer—yes, that downed cilantro is now your own hefty supply of gourmet coriander. 

Warm weather has finally arrived! Here’s what to do in your garden now.

Adding a water feature to the garden can be so exciting—not only do the dulcet tones of running water act like your own personal Calm app, but also the water helps pollinators, birds, and even bobcats who need a cool drink on a hot day.