Weekly Tips

Tip of the Week: Guess a plant's habitat preferences by its species name

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Sometimes you can guess a plant's habitat preferences by decoding its Latin name

Tip of the Week: Don�t Inhale

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

If you burn leaves and garden debris in the fall here’s a safety tip and an option to avoid the burn pile.

More Timely Tips: Many border plants will hold structure into winter

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

As the last summer and autumn flowers fade, many gardeners rush to strip away the remnants of flowers and foliage. But left alone, many border plants will keep their structure, their dying stems a reflection of former glory, yet still captivating in their own right.

Tip of the Week: Lay protective winter mulch for perennials

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Mulching perennials for winter is not about keeping them warm. Know how and when to successfully lay winter mulch.

More Timely Tips: Herbs as good mixers

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

It's become a horticultural tradition to grow herbs grouped together in an herb garden, but there are several good reasons for growing them among other plants

Tip of the Week: A good recipe for making your own houseplant soil

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Using just a few natural ingredients you can make your own potting soil

How to Avoid Potato Disease

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The secret to healthy potatoes is in the selection.

Tip of the Week: Wait to clean up those beds

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Traditionally, cleaning up beds and borders has been a fall chore. Here's why it's all right to postpone this task

Plant Umbrellas

Wed, 20 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Save time by rooting cuttings in your garden beds instead of pots. Here’s how to keep them healthy.

Planting Around Rocks

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

If you have a group of rocks as a landscape feature in your yard, you can show it off with appropriate plantings. Here are some ideas for what to plant, plus tips for planting near the rocks.

Tip of the Week: Prepare Now for Spring Planting

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Are you planning to plant a new bed next spring? There are a number of things you can do this fall to get those plants off to a running start.

Tip of the Week: Dress Up a Hanging Basket

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Here’s an easy way to make a hanging basket look more lush and colorful. When you’re done, you won’t see the pot at all.

Tip of the Week: Transform Your Water Feature into a True Oasis

Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Ancient Egyptian and Persian gardens always contained pools, as they were considered to be sanctuaries from the harsh conditions of the desert. Today, gardeners value water not only for its soothing qualities, but because even a small pond or pool can provide huge ecological benefits. Check out these tips to help transform your pond or pool into a true oasis.

Tip of the Week: Perennial Containers

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Here’s a reader’s excellent tip for growing plants in the same container from year to year. Find out how to keep them from getting root bound, plus cut down on the amount of potting soil you have to buy.

Your Ideas: Keeping Clippers Clean

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Here's one gardener's tip for easily keeping pruners sanitary.

Tip of the Week: Fall Rose Care

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

In cold-winter areas, do this simple fall prep to ensure roses make it through the winter unharmed.

Tip of the Week: Finding a Microclimate

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Do you want to grow a certain plant in your garden, but it’s not quite hardy in your Zone? Aside from overwintering it indoors, you can try growing it in a microclimate in your yard. Here’s how to find one.

Tip of the Week: The Right Rose for Your Region

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

One key to success with roses is to choose a variety that agrees with the climate and conditions in your region. But how do you do that?

Tip of the Week: Make your garden a mood-setter

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The plants a gardener chooses, and the way they are arranged together, affect the mood of a garden.

Tip of the Week: From leaves to compost

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Turn fallen leaves into nutrient-packed compost.

GardenersHub.com Grand Opening!

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

You're invited to the Grand Opening of GardenersHub.com—the official store of Horticulture!

Tip of the Week: Build a Bouquet

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Here’s how to build a fresh summer bouquet as you wander through your garden.

Tip of the Week: Fall Lawn Care

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Fall is the best time to do certain lawn-care tasks. Here’s what to do and why.

Tip of the Week: Plant This to Repel Pests

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Certain plants repel pests. Planting them in or near your vegetable garden will reduce the need for pesticides.

Your Ideas: Bulb Markers that Bloom

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Carol Gras, a Michigan reader, has a clever tip for remembering where you’ve planted spring-blooming bulbs. Read it before you make your bulb order!

Tip of the Week: Creating More Climbers

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Yearning for a sweltering swag of Clematis that mirrors your courtyard cascade? Rest assured, early summer is a great time to spur new growth for such a climbing creation.

Tip of the Week: Planting Under Trees

Tue, 03 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Keep these facts about tree roots in mind when planting under or near trees.

Tip of the Week: Placing Color According to Light

Tue, 20 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Light changes according to the time of day; make use of this phenomenon to make your garden more beautiful.

Tip of the Week: Drying Herbs and Flowers

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

You can buy dried herbs and flowers, but if you dry your own they’ll have better scents and flavors and brighter colors. Here’s how to do it.

Tip of the Week: Plant This to Repel Mosquitoes

Tue, 26 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Find out the #1 plant you should grow in your garden and in pots on your patio or deck to keep the mosquitoes at bay all summer, and learn other eco-friendly mosquito-busting tricks.

Tip of the Week: Tomatoes for Small Spaces

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Did you know you can grow tomatoes on a patio without even using a pot? Find out how and get more patio tomato tips.

More Timely Tips: Colorful Latin Translations

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This week's Latin lesson helps you determine color simply by the plant's name

Tip of the Week: Ways to Help the Bees

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

As pollinators, bees are crucial in making backyard gardens fully productive. Sadly, pesticide use, habitat loss and other factors have created a decline in bee populations. Follow these tips to help them recover.

Tip of the Week: Planting Trees on Alkaline Soil

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Learn how to prep the soil, problems to look for and flowering trees that work.

Tip of the Week: Swim in Spinach this Spring

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

There is nothing like a leafy, green spinach salad fresh from the garden. Jumpstart your spring spinach yield this fall with this tip from author Jeff Cox.

Your Ideas: Organic Aphid Control

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Here's an easy, organic tip for controlling aphids around rose bushes and other perennials.

Tip of the Week: How to safeguard plants in high-traffic areas

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

If your garden borders the sidewalk or shares the yard with kids and pets, sone way to afeguard delicate plants is by placing them behind tough ones.

Planting shrubs in Clay Soil

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Planting shrubs in clay soil can be difficult, but on the plus side, it can be very fertile.

Tip of the Week: Plant Shopping

Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

When you buy a plant, make sure it is healthy.

Size Matters with Garden Beds

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Use these 5 tips for creating beds that have adequate space for your plants to grow.

Tip of the Week: Rue vs. Meadow Rue

Tue, 19 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Are you planning a butterfly garden? Make sure you know the difference between rue and meadow rue. One is an important host plant; the other, not so much.

Tip of the Week: Choosing Creative Containers

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Follow these tips for success with out-of-the-ordinary garden containers.

Composting Coffee Grounds

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

A tip for composting that is both good for the garden and good for the environment as a whole.

Tip of the Week: Evergreens for Shade

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Here’s a surprising but effective design choice for deep shade.

Tip of the Week: Holiday Houseplants

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Here’s how to best care for poinsettia, amaryllis and other plants often given during the holiday season. Pass these tips along with the plants you give!

Homemade Seed Packets

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

One way to store the seeds you harvest from your garden.

Tip of the Week: What�s in a Name?

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Latin names mean more once you look a little bit closer. Find out how these terms can help you know a plant's shape without even seeing it.

Tip of the Week: Fall Planting

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Why plant in fall, plus 3 tips for keeping new plants healthy

Tip of the Week: Using Annuals as Screens

Tue, 12 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The majority of gardens have something that needs screening from view—an oil tank, a compost bin, a neighboring house. There are two ways of using annual climbers to make a quick and colorful screen.

Plant-Sitter Tip

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Here’s how Pam Baggett makes sure her plant sitter waters properly.

Tip of the Week: Fall propagation

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

One of the easiest ways to propagate perennials is by taking root cuttings, and the best time to take root cuttings is from early fall to early winter.

Tip of the Week: Space-Saving Planting

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The planting space in a small flower border can be effectively doubled to tripled by “layered" planting through the seasons.

More Christmas-Tree Recycling Tips

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

A tip for reusing Christmas tree branches after the holidays, and more

Tip of the Week: When to Move Plants Outside

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

In spring, houseplants can migrate to the porch or yard to enjoy an extended fresh air vacation. Tropical container plants and tender perennials that were held inside for the winter return to the great outdoors, too. Here’s how to tell if the time is right to make the move.

Tip of the Week: Get Kids Involved in the Garden

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 12:03:45 GMT

Want to get the children in your life involved in your garden? Follow these tips.

Tip of the Week: Late-Summer Blues

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Here are some plants that flower blue in late summer and autumn, plus complementary companions.

Growing milkweed from seed: 3 tips

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The most practical way to propagate Asclepias is from seed

Tip of the Week: Use Woody Stems As Bouquets

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

In winter, turn to these deciduous shrubs for material for interesting indoor arrangements.

Reader Tip: Freezing Garden Peas

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The best way to freeze homegrown peas. Quick, easy and tasty!

Tip of the Week: �Walk Test� the Lawn

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Here’s an easy way to determine if your lawn truly needs watering. Follow it to cut down on wasted water and money.

Tip of the Week: Tiny Bulbs, Big Color

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Tips for choosing and growing dwarf irises and early crocuses, some of spring’s very first flowers.

Tip of the Week: Designing Winter Containers

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

In all but the coldest zones (1–5), planting in tubs, pots, window boxes and hanging baskets is an easy and effective way to bring color and interest to the garden in winter. Here are some planting ideas.

Tip of the Week: A Tree for Every Garden

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Just because your garden is small, doesn't mean that it should be deprived of a tree.

Tip of the Week: Integrate herbs with ease in small spaces

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

In small gardens especially, careful selection and planning of herbs are needed to fit them in successfully.

Tip of the Week: A Mini Potager

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The ornamental vegetable garden, or potager, is a long-respected garden tradition. Here’s how to create a miniature version, which is easy to accommodate, maintain, admire and enjoy.

Reader Tip: Easy Waste-free Watering

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Read how these gardeners keep their tomato plants watered without losing a drop to runoff.

Keeping Tabs on Plants

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Here’s how one gardener keeps track of the new plants she adds to her garden each year.

Tip of the Week: Plan Ahead for Early Tomatoes

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

To harvest tomatoes well before your neighbors do, plan ahead! You’ll need to start tomato seeds in February and then follow a few easy steps.

Tip of the Week: Making the Most of Blue

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 10:06:14 GMT

The color blue can look very different depending on the level of light. Here are some tips for incorporating blue flowers into sun and shade gardens.

Tip of the Week: Save Money at the Garden Center

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Here’s a simple way to cut down on what you spend at the garden center in spring. Eliminate impulse purchases by following this one easy tip.

Clean Kitchen Compost

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

A tip for tidy composting of kitchen scraps.

Tip of the Week: Siting a Vegetable Garden

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Here’s how to choose the best place in your yard for a vegetable garden.

Tip of the Week: Pruning Shrubs

Tue, 06 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

If you have to prune, and want to prune, do it immediately after flowering. The new shoots that are made after pruning then have time to grow, ripen and produce flower buds for the following year.

Tip of the Week: Homegrown Gifts

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Pam Baggett is back with a quick tip for creating homegrown (and free) gifts. A great idea for Mother’s Day!

Tip of the Week: Storing Tender Tubers

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Dahlias and tuberous begonias won’t survive your winter? Don’t give up on them—put them in winter storage.

Tip of the Week: Sneaky Weeds

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A recent study by the Weed Science Society of America shows one sneaky way invasive weeds are increasing their domain.

Tip of the Week: Bargain Containers

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Garden writer Pam Baggett has a great idea for a clever and cheap container display. Find out what she uses for a pot and what she plants in it.

Make Butterfly Bush Fly as Winter Foliage

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Prolong Your Butterfly Bush’s Beauty Through Winter.

Tip of the Week: Get Clever with a Clothesline

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Wayne Winterrrowd dishes his white clothesline tip for creating beds with an edge.

Tip of the Week: Staying Safe in the Garden

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Check out these quick tips for keeping yourself and visitors (especially little ones) safe in the garden this summer, plus see a list of poisonous common garden plants.

Tip of the Week: Choose Perennials by Shape

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

When adding new perennials to an existing bed, narrow your choices by considering shape.

Your Ideas: Shred Debris for Mulch

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Do this task in fall to help prevent weeds next spring.

Save on Spring Bulbs

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

To spend less on spring-flowering bulbs, try this trick.

Tip of the Week: Choosing and Using Pots

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

As you plan your containers for 2009, remember these tips about choosing pots and container gardening.

Tip of the Week: Drying Seeds

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Increase the plants in your garden the cheap and easy way: harvest their seeds for sowing next spring. Here’s a quick tip from Pam Baggett on properly drying fresh seed.

Tip of the Week: Naturalizing Bulbs

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 14:32:17 GMT

Spring bulbs look beautiful blooming in neat beds and rows, but a landscape of naturalized, or scattered, bulbs is a magical sight. Here are some tips for getting the naturalized look.

Tip of the Week: Caring for Silver-Leaved Plants

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Take these steps to ensure your silver-leaved plants look their best.

Revenge of the Redneck Lupines

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Follow Tony Avent’s steps for propagating baptisias.

Tip of the Week: Double-Plant Your Bulbs

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Plant bulbs in pots, then plant the pots in the ground for a spring bloom you can rearrange.

Tip of the Week: Improving Clay Soil

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Take these steps to prepare clay soil for planting.

Tip of the week: 5 ways to Keep Climbers Content

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Follow these five tips to keep your climbers content.

Tip of the Week: Ouchless Digging

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Don’t let dirty work ruin your body. Check out these 6 tips for happy digging.

Establishing Climbing, Rambling Roses

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Learn simple planting tips for establishing climbing, rambling roses.

Tip of the Week: Reusing Net Bags

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This container-gardening tip reuses the net bags in which oranges and onions come.

Tip of the Week: Fire-Safe Landscaping

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Design tips for gardeners in fire-prone areas, such as Southern California.

Tip of the Week: Ways to Recycle the Christmas Tree

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Christmas trees can go to good use after the holidays. Here are some tips for repurposing a de-decorated tree.