If you planted a hardneck variety of garlic last fall or late winter, you might have noticed the tops are starting to get curly. These curvy tops are known as scapes. When scapes form, the garlic bulbs begin to create their flowering heads. Softneck varieties do not have scapes, and their stalk stays soft. Garlic scapes are sought after by professional and home chefs alike because they are delicious and only available for such a short time period....

A well-planned flower bed can be a visual delight and a haven for pollinators. But crafting a beautiful bed can feel daunting—no one wants to lose plants after all that work! Here’s a 4×8 ft layout that balances structure, color, and bloom succession—plus tips to adapt it for your space. This flower bed is best suited for zones 6-8 (with some wiggle room on either side), and is based on two garden beds I grew a few years ago in the UK....

I’m gardening in the Pacific Northwest, USDA growing zone 8b, specifically Oregon on the west side of the Cascade mountain range. We get a lot of rainfall from autumn through spring, but our summers are typically hot and dry. Living in the Willamette Valley means I’m fortunate to have so-called mild winters and very fertile soil. That also means I have a lot of weeds trying to move into my garden all year round....

An introduction to insectary plants What makes a plant an insectary plant? Insectary plants provide food sources and shelter for beneficial insects, which attracts them and encourages them to stick around your garden. If you’ve already read our article Pest Hunters: Beneficial Predatory and Parasitic Insects, you know that there are many beneficial insects that prey on garden pests. By planting insectary plants we can encourage these predatory and parasitic insects to take up residence in our garden....

We’ve covered a good number of considerations that you should make when planning what, when, and where to grow. In this final article, we’ll explore ways to manage yields, store food and herbs, and offer tips for gardening in tight spaces. We’ll also discuss planting strategies, storage techniques, and ways to keep your harvest fresh longer, whether you’re in a small apartment, a large backyard, or somewhere in between. Eating Fresh vs Storing It’s important to consider how you’ll use your harvest....

“How much should I plant?” is just one of the many questions to ask when planning your garden. Another is “How can I best use my garden space?” This is what we’ll cover in this second article. Many gardeners will plan one thing to grow in a row or an entire garden bed. However, with some careful planning, you can make use of the time before those plants go in and after you take them out....

“How much should I plant?” is a natural question—and one with no universal answer. Your garden depends on what you like to eat, your climate, and how much time and space you have to tend it. But asking the question is the first step toward a rewarding harvest. Let’s explore some thoughtful ways to decide what to plant, when to plant it, and how to shape your season around your needs....

Most gardeners are aware of the critical role that pollinators play in the garden, in agriculture, and in the natural world. What might not be as widely known is that there are other kinds of beneficial insects in the garden, namely predatory and parasitic insects that can help to control pest populations! Some beneficial predatory insects can look quite threatening, so it’s important not to just squish (or spray) any scary-looking bug....

None of the birds in my garden give me as much joy and entertainment as hummingbirds. Watching them zip around from flower to flower is fun, and the occasional low fly-by lets me get an up-close look. Hummingbirds are native to North and South America. In fact, they are only found in the America’s. You will not find them anywhere else, which seems like a shame to me that the whole world doesn’t get to enjoy these bejeweled birds....