finally! learning how to make vegetable soup

Caladiums are not as difficult to care for as many people think, and they make a beautiful addition to any home or garden.

It's easy not to think much about the intelligence of insects. Tiny creatures with even tinier brains—how smart can they be?

Mustard pickles are a yummy treat. This recipe is quick and easy to make – and it’s oh, so, delicious.

Rachel Platt in the 'Chained to Tech' Tatton Garden. Image Source: Julie Skelton Photography. 

Propagating wandering jew plants is very easy and makes a cost-effective way to expand your collection.

Get sowing for some winter greens and veg like Beetroot, Spring Cabbages, Lettuces, Spring Onions, Chicory, Fennel and Rocket.

Marigolds are super easy to grow and the perfect care-free bedding plant for containers, borders and mass plantings. If you need a lot of plants, you can save seed from spent flowers and grow them yourself next year to save money. Since marigolds reseed in the garden easily all by themselves, leave a few dried flowers to drop seed. Keep in mind t

Want to get kids outside this summer? Forest school teacher Jaime Johnson explains why gardening is so beneficial and shares activities to get kids involved, as well as provide opportunities for learning. We visit her own garden to join Rowan (4) and Amelie (12) as they grow plants and explore wildlife.

Gardening in the winter is somewhat challenging but doable. Many of the greens, some of the root vegetables, and herbs can be planted in the fall and will grow through the winter months. The saying is that greens are better after a frost.

Now I have a third way to put up my annual bounty of parsley (the first two are here): three “bunches” will go into each batch of “Parsley Soup” that Thomas says is like “a rustic leek and potato soup that’s been taken over by a gang of parsley, but in the nicest way.”A double batch of “Green Soup With Sweet Potatoes and Sage” (top photo, in the bowl on the right) is already in my freezer; a whole section of “green soups” (using leafy greens as a key ingredient) is a particular delight, since I seem to have mastered their growing this year and have more than I thought I could ever otherwise use.T

‘Sheffield Pink’ has 3-inch-wide, pastel-pink blooms in October here, lasting a month or longer, and though the catalogs all describe them as “apricot-pink,” I don’t see any hint of orange in its blush. The plant will grow from about 2½ to 3 feet, and as with any garden mum will perform best if divided regularly and flower most prolifically if pinched once or twice. The routine:When the first signs of growth appear in spring (May for me), dig the old plants and toss the oldest, woody bits, replanting vigorous divisions 18 inches apart. Note: There will be far more than you can use, especially if you haven’t divided in awhile.O

You’ll notice that I said sweet potato-greens soup in the headline, though Anna Thomas’s original has it the other way round, with the greens first. I suspect her soup is greener in color than mine comes out, too. That why I say mine is an adaptation (that, and the fact that once I read a recipe and follow it the first time, I rarely look again, and just keep on adapting).my version of sweet potato-greens soup with sageNote: This soup freezes very well, but as with all soups, I refrigerate it for a day first to let the flavors meld.ingredients1¼-2 pounds sweet potatoes (Anna recommends 1¼; I use about 2 to shift the flavor and color balance) 1½  tsp. sea salt 2 to 3 Tbsp. sage leaves chopped 1 bunch kale 1 bunch chard 8 cloves garlic 3 cups vegetable broth 3 cups of water 2 large yellow onions 2 Tbsp. olive oil black pepper really good olive oil for garnish stepsPeel and cube the sweets, and put them w