Gardener's Greenroom

Soil seems simple at first—it's that dark-colored stuff we stick seeds and plants in. But it's actually the most important factor in gardening success (assuming the sun doesn't go out). Soil is where savvy gardeners focus a lot of effort....

If you've been starting seeds for a few years, you may have heard of soil blocks—those little formed squares of seed starting mix. Like many things in gardening, their popularity rises and falls, but they're worth checking out even if...

By the middle of December, most of us have had a killing frost, and there may be a blanket of white stuff on the ground. While garden activity settles down for a long winter nap this time of year, there...

Seed swaps can be as small as a few friends in someone’s kitchen or an area-wide affair at the community center. But what is a seed swap, and how can you get one started?  A seed swap is simply a...

Your mother doesn't need another throw pillow. Your dad has too many pocket knives. Your best friend already has all the kitchen gadgets they can fit in their cupboards. What to get for the person in your life who has...

“It’s the Holiday Season,” goes the popular song written by Irving Berlin. For many of us, special meals are planned, and it would be lovely to have some fresh herbs for the turkey or to use all winter.  Cooking with...

A biodegradable pot to start seedlings in that can be planted right into our gardens sounds like the perfect plan, and many gardeners use them reliably year after year. However, peat pots can be tricky and aren't the cure-all we...

Looking for a winter gardening activity to relieve some of the stress of your spring gardening schedule? Winter sowing is a technique that takes advantage of natural seasonal cycles. We plant seeds outdoors during winter and let them wait for...

If you’ve got terrible soil, a limited budget, or need a temporary garden, straw bale gardening might be the thing for you.  Straw bales are convenient packages of organic matter—straw. When used to grow plants, you are essentially container gardening,...