Gardening Basics

If you're new to gardening or just need a refresher, this is the best place to find advice on everything from how to plant seeds to what is propagation.
Community garden volunteers
The One Local Resource Most Gardeners Aren't Utilizing
Chicken manure is an excellent source of nutrients
All About Chicken Manure as Fertilizer
Large water fountain set in formal landscape.
The Three Essential Components of an Italian Garden
Overhead of a rain garden
What Is a Rain Garden? A Beautiful Way to Help Protect Our Waterways
Raised bed in an urban community garden
What Is French Intensive Gardening and Does It Work for You?
Common hackberry tree
How to Grow Hackberry Tree
Calcium pellets being added to garden with gloves
How to Add Calcium to Your Soil
modern landscape design
14 Fabulous Modern Garden Designs and Ideas
english garden designs
30 English Garden Design Ideas We Love
Rustic Garden with Vintage Furniture
Rustic Gardens Welcome You Home
digging soil up in a garden
How to Conduct a Soil pH Test
seedlings in pots
What's the Best Way to Avoid White Fuzzy Mold on Seedlings?
women shopping for plants
How to Find Free or Cheap Garden Plants
raised bed gardens
10 Tips for Successful Raised-Bed Gardening
flower garden
9 Things to Know About Starting a Garden From Scratch
Geranium flowers with red and pink petals surrounded by perennial and annual plants
What's the Difference Between Annual Plants and Perennials?
raised bed garden
12 Essential Spring Cleaning Tasks for the Garden
seedlings in pots
How to Care for Plant Seedlings
Gardener preparing raised beds with rake in vegetable garden
How to Improve Garden Soil With Amendments
pressing fall leaves
How to Press and Preserve Fall Leaves
gardener with a handful of loamy soil
What Does Loam Mean to a Gardener?
Ikebana arrangement on patio table
Contemporary Flower Design Using Ikebana Principles
raised garden beds
15 Beautiful and Practical Raised Bed Garden Designs
Front Yard Garden
15 Garden Layouts That Make Perfect Sense
Ferns and hosta line shaded walkway leading to garden statue.
Smart and Sensational Design Ideas for Shade Gardens
Colorful flower garden
15 Edging Ideas to Make Your Garden Pop
Seed storage idaes
Simple and Creative Seed Storage Ideas
Close-up of spring garden in backyard, covered in snow, USA
Discover the Flammable Plants You Don't Want on Your Property
Wooden bench surrounded by flowering garden
Small Garden Ideas with Big Style
Bright garden with clear path
Learn How to Makeover an Overgrown Garden With These 18 Tips
small cottage garden, with rosa (roses), house in background, june.
Professional Tips for Designing a Small Garden
Hands holding dark soil near the ground.
This Is How to Substitute for Horticultural Sand in Seed Mixes
Leaf formations
See the Different Ways Leaves Can Be Arranged on Trees and Shrubs
Soil with good acidity in sunlight closeup
Use These Methods to Increase Soil Acidity
A woman watering her garden
How to Make a Lasagna Garden
handful of fresh coffee grounds
How to Reuse Coffee Grounds in Your Organic Garden
Person holding handfull of soil
How Acidic Soil Affects Your Plants
clay soil
How You Can Improve Clay Garden Soil
Soil from ground being picked up by hand closeup
4 Easy Soil Tests You Can Perform Yourself
Plant sprouting from soil closeup
Healthy Soil and How to Make It
Rake and basket of leaves on a lawn
5 Ways to Use Autumn Leaves in the Garden
Plant stem node
Learn Everything You Need to Know About Plant Nodes
Closeup of a pile of greensand
Why to Use Greensand in Your Organic Garden
Gardener planting seeds, close-up
How Deep Should You Plant Seeds?
A family raking and scooping up leaves in autumn
How to Make and Use a Leaf Mold for Organic Gardening
porcelain berry vine
Learn About Examples of Woody Plants
NPK ratio on a box of fertilizer
NPK: Essential Fertilizer Lingo
Blue Princess holly produces a lot of berries (image) for me. Blue Prince is the male.
How to Tell If a Plant Is Dioecious or Monoecious
Corm of snake lily
Is a Corm the Same Thing as a Bulb?
Minuet laurel with reddish-pink flowers.
What Does It Mean to Say a Soil Is "Acidic?"
Shamrock close up
Is There a Difference Between a Shamrock and a Four-Leaf Clover?
Closeup of hydroponic system growing lettuce
Choosing the Right Hydroponic Nutrient Solution
Herb garden in an apartment kitchen
The Must-Know Facts About Hydroponic Lighting
Illustration of Ebb and Flow system
Your Guide to Ebb and Flow Systems of Hydroponic Gardens
example of hydroponic gardening
Learn the Basics of Hydroponics: The Most Efficient Gardening Method
cutting and rooting hormone
How to Use Powdered Rooting Hormone for Propagating Plants
Pea shoots and tendril plants growing in sunlight closeup
Pea Shoots and Tendrils: A Delicious Bonus From Growing Peas
Used tea leaves in soil
Used Tea Leaves and Other Free Soil Enhancers
View of small garden
This Is How to Make Healthy Garden Soil
Seeds sprouting from soil
Don't Cover! Seeds That Need Light to Germinate
packet of vegetable seeds
Are Your Vegetable Seeds Still Good? Check This List.
Epsolm salt poured next to tomato plant
Can Epsom Salts Help Your Garden Thrive?
Cottage garden with a variety of flowers in front of a white house
Designing a Cottage Garden
Leaves with sunlight
Understanding Sunlight Exposure Needs of Garden Plants