Unlike the plants we sow for harvesting, cover crops are grown for the soil, not our tables.
Widely used by organic and conventional farmers, they’re planted in rotation with cash crops to sweeten the soil, or for winter protection.
But they’re equally beneficial and easy to use in the home garden as well.
Along with improving your soil’s nutritional profile, they prevent soil loss due to erosion, improve the structure and tilth of soil, prevent compaction, assist with water infiltration and retention, break up pest cycles, and suppress weeds.
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They also reduce or eliminate the need for synthetic fertilizers, which has a significant, beneficial effect on our backyard flora and fauna, and the environment at large.
You can read more about their uses and many benefits in our guide to the art of cover cropping.
Smartly efficient, effective, and all natural, here are 15 of the best cover crops for the home garden.
Plant selections for cover crops are divided into three categories of brassicas, grains and grasses, and legumes.
Let’s look at what each category offers.
Brassicas
Brassica is the collective name for plants of the Brassicaceae or Cruciferae family, many of which are commonly grown vegetables.
Many of these species make great food crops, and popular brassicas you might already be growing include arugula, kale, mustard, and radishes.
Several contain chemical compounds that give them peppery, pungent flavors. And the same compounds that give them their signature hot flavors are released into the soil when plant cells are ruptured by mowing, tilling, or
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Early autumn is a great time to enjoy the colour and beauty of late-flowering perennials, such as dahlias and asters, while also planning ahead for winter and spring. Borderline hardy plants benefit from protection in preparation for colder weather and tender potted plants like pelargoniums will need to be brought under cover if early frosts are forecast. Many spring-flowering bulbs can be planted over the next few weeks, and bare-root shrubs and trees ordered, ready to be planted in the garden from November onwards.
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When tapped to design a series of planters for our2024 Idea House in the Kiawah River community on Johns Island, South Carolina, plant pro Steph Green of Contained Creations in Richmond, Virginia, knew exactly what the waterfront property needed. “We wanted to create the most beautiful and biggest statement container gardens, but they needed to be durable and last a long time with minimal upkeep,” says Green. “That’s why picking evergreens or really tough perennials from the Southern Living Plant Collection was kind of the launching point for each individual design.”
There are countless ornamental grasses to choose from, so narrowing down a list of my favorites is tough. However, the following assortment—categorized by their best season of interest—is a good start. Choosing at least one from each season will ensure that your grass-forward garden always has something spectacular going on.
From temperature extremes to shifting rainfall patterns, communities coast to coast are experiencing the increasing impacts of climate change. In many areas summers are hotter and drier, making gardeners more reliant on supplemental irrigation to grow the same plants that thrived for them in years past. Meanwhile, restrictions on watering in some regions make responding to drought more challenging. In the face of unpredictable rainfall and unprecedented temperature fluctuations, it’s more important than ever to invest in plants that can withstand waves of heat and drought.
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Would you like to perk up your garden this winter? This guide to the best winter plants for pots has lots of gorgeous plant suggestions to inspire you.