Spring Ideas, Tips & Guides

When I moved into my little Alaskan house almost two years ago, it was newly built and knee-deep in a muddy, mostly barren yard.The first thing I did that spring w

Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum) grows all over the place up here in Alaska, and no wonder: it’s a supremely cold-hardy plant, although most cultivars thrive best in USDA Hardiness Zones 3-8.Like celery, this plant features a firm petio

It’s not hard to grow lettuce, and everyone should really give it a try. You can grow it in containers, in a window box, or tucked unassumingly among flowers.It’s fast growing, and with a little plann

Cabbage is one of my all-time favorite cool weather crops to grow in my garden.What is not to love about cabbage? Vibrantly colored, packed with nutrients, and quick t

If you’ve planted cabbage and waited patiently for it to mature, it’s disappointing to find that in place of the crisp head that you’d hoped for, you’ve got a lot of leafy greens instead.Why does this happen and what can you do to prev

Around February of each year, snow is still falling up here in Alaska. Moose are trampling through yards, chomping all bits of soft willow branches and baby birch tree limbs they can find. (Yes, I’m still mad that they ate my birch tree.)While it’s all very charming and beautiful, I

It’s hard to beat the taste of a crisp green salad made with ingredients fresh from the garden.Easy to grow, lettuce and mixed greens ask little of the gardener, bu

Do you have a patio garden? Swiss chard is one of those plants that seems positively made for growing in containers in small spaces.It doesn’t mind being a little root

Maybe you decided to cook a new recipe, and after a cursory glance at the ingredients list you picked up some bok choy at the grocery store.But then you got home and realized the recipe ac

It is a wonderful feeling when we realize that the days are longer, and the weather is not so cold. We can finally get outside and start to work in the garden!The temptation is to pull on a jacket, take a spade o

It’s heartbreaking when your turnip plants look perfectly healthy above ground, but underground, something sinister is happening.You have an image in your mind of

Broccoli tops the list of vegetable garden favorites, and it’s easy to see why.Delicious and nutritious, with a satisfying texture, this is a standby in

Grape hyacinth, Muscari spp., is delightful in the early spring garden and flowers are beloved for their bright splashes of color and sweet, light fragrance.A visual delight in their traditional shades of rich

Show of hands: How many of you detested brussels sprouts when you were a kid?My hand is up. My introduction to the infamous cruciferous veggie wa

For the antsy gardener waiting in anticipation for the last spring frost, growing leaf lettuce eases the tension. Its fresh, vibrant leaves are quick to rise and are a welcome sight in the early weeks of spring.Leaf lettuce refers to varieties that don’t produce any type of head. They a

Sampling the first crisp, sweet radish from your own garden is pure delight. I would argue that it’s the top springtime taste sensation for the vegetable gardener.But the best radish variety to enjoy for that spring

I hate to be the one to break this to you, but you may have been wasting a delicious opportunity to harvest homegrown leafy greens.Do you grow radishes? Did you know you can eat th

When spring arrives, why not welcome it with a garden full of blossoms to chase the winter blues away?In this article, you will discover 25 of t

Blooming bulbs and the first green buds on the trees sing the song of a changing season, but it’s the spring planter that lets us know spring is here to stay.Spotting a nice design in the neighbors’ yard or at your local caf

Beloved for their delightfully bright and long-lasting flowers, azalea shrubs make a dazzling statement in the spring garden. But there are also varieties that flower in early summer and early fall.So, with a bit of planning, and a large enough garden

Swiss chard is an attractive and tasty member of the beet family that gives us nutrient-dense leaves with sweet, earthy flavors.A favorite of leafy gree

Tulips, Tulipa spp., are bulb flowers suited to in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 7 that grow best in full sun and rich, well-draining soil.They are native to mountainou

Fennel, Foeniculum vulgare, is an aromatic Mediterranean herb in the Apiaceae (Umbellifer) family that includes carrots, celery, dill, and parsley.The edible yellow blossoms, seeds, feathery lea

Are you a broccoli lover? Then it might be time to try growing your own!This healthy green brassica is a member of the Bra

With their dazzling colors, fragrance, and easy growth, bulbs make a great addition to the garden.Take grape hyacinth, for example.This pret

I grew up eating broccoli at almost every meal.My mother loves broccoli, almo

Most of our favorite flowers that grow from bulbs bloom in the spring. But when is the best time to plant them?Bulb flowers such as allium, crocus,

I like to think of planning my garden as a balancing act.While it takes a bit of self-restraint each year to

For gardeners who want an easy-to-grow flower that refines their capacity for patience, daffodils are perfect.You plant them before the ground freezes i

So, you planted a bed of turnips in your garden this season. You cared for your plants, thinning, mulching, watering, managing pests, and watching them grow.Now what?You

A homegrown harvest of sweet summertime strawberries, warmed by the sun, is one of life’s great pleasures.And there is a huge variety of cultivars out there –

Lettuce comes in a range of varieties – with flavors from buttery and mild to nutty and even slightly bitter; textures from delicate to crunchy; and colors from pale to dark green and burgundy.With all these choices, even the most ardent v

Batavian lettuce, also known as summer crisp, is the little veggie that could.It can tolerate heat better than many other lettuce types but it’s still har

Who doesn’t love herbs? They’re fun and easy to grow, delicious to cook with, and they offer amazing levels of antioxidants for good health and well-being.And they’re also among some of the

Starting flowers, herbs, and vegetables indoors from seed is a great way to try some unique varieties.For many of us, growing season opens

It’s so convenient to have a fresh supply of homegrown bok choy available to harvest from your garden at a moment’s notice. You can put stir fries, fresh salads, or smoothies on the table just minutes past picking.But to reach that harvest-ready st