A grey squirrel eating seeds from a squirrel-proof bird feeder

Birds and Squirrels in the Garden

Some gardeners embrace all forms of wildlife in the garden, including birds and squirrels, while others go to great lengths to get rid of them. Regardless of your philosophy on garden wildlife, there’s no denying the fact that birds and squirrels have the capacity to gobble up potential harvests at an alarming rate. So what is the best way to prevent bird and squirrel damage in the veggie garden? Provide alternate food and water sources Information is mixed on whether it’s a good idea to provide food and water for birds and squirrels in the garden....

A close-up of green stinging nettles

8 Herbs for Seasonal Allergies

Winter is becoming a distant memory in the northern Hemisphere, and spring is in the air! And so are the pollen, mold spores, and other irritants that can cause seasonal allergies. While most of us are happy for spring’s arrival, those with seasonal allergies have mixed feelings about the misery the changing season can bring. Allergies can also appear in autumn. Those in the southern hemisphere might be experiencing fall allergies right now....

Orange and black monarch butterfly on a flower

Going Green with Native Plants

These days, many of us have chosen to live a more mindful life. We try to use less plastic when possible, buy things made with renewable materials, and choose locally grown food. We might even start a veggie garden (yay!). A garden with edibles is a must, but we also want our yards to look great with ornamentals. We can live a “greener” life and have a beautiful landscape by bringing native plants into the garden....

Lettuce and tomato transplants in raised beds surrounded by pots, a trowel, and a watering can

How to Prepare Garden Beds in Spring

As the weather warms up and the growing season draws nearer, it’s important to not get so excited by the prospect of spring planting that you neglect properly preparing your garden beds! A well-prepared garden bed will be more productive, so it’s worth taking the time to do things right from the start. But what needs to be done to prepare garden beds in spring? Warm up the soil before planting Even once the warm weather arrives, garden soil can be stubbornly slow to reach warm enough temperatures for seeds to germinate and plants to grow....

Root Cellaring Without a Root Cellar

When it comes to food preservation, there are countless methods to choose from. Canning, freezing, and drying are all popular options, but there’s one technique that often gets overlooked: root cellaring. Now, you might be thinking, “But I don’t have a root cellar!” Fear not, dear reader, for we are here to share with you the art of root cellaring without a root cellar. Yes, it is possible to store your fresh produce for months without the need for a traditional dedicated root cellar....

An old tv set with a gardening program on. The host is surrounded by veggies. The TV is covered in watermelon vines.

Feature Launch: TV Mode 📺

Cultivate Nostalgic Vibes with Planter’s New TV Mode! Gear up for a gardening experience that’s both familiar and fresh with Planter’s exciting new feature: TV Mode! Immerse yourself in a wave of vintage charm as your app transforms into a classic television interface, complete with a unique visual and auditory twist. TV Mode! Step back in time: Remember the warm glow of an old-school TV? TV Mode brings that nostalgic aesthetic to your fingertips....

A black bucket with food scraps spilling out onto a garden bed with a pitchfork and chard plant beside it

Choose the Right Compost for Your Garden

Most gardeners know that it’s a good idea to add compost to the garden. Compost helps improve soil structure, feeds beneficial organisms in the soil, and provides a slow-release source of nutrients. The tricky part about ‘compost’ is it’s a catch-all term for many types of decomposed organic materials. Compost isn’t just a homemade compost pile with kitchen scraps and yard waste, there’s also manure compost, municipal compost, worm compost, and more....

Transform Your Garden With Cover Crops

What is a Cover Crop? The term “cover crop” is often used as a catch-all for plants whose main purpose is not to yield a food crop but rather to provide desirable benefits to your soil and the actual food crops planted after them. Cover crops are commonly used and associated with industrial farming operations but in recent years gardeners have started to realize their usefulness in personal gardening. Benefits of Using Cover Crops The most important benefit gardeners get from cover crops is that they act as a natural weed suppressant....

Feature Launch: Flowers 🌸

Greeting fellow gardeners! You’ve asked for it and we’ve listened. Today, we’re excited to announce that we’re rolling out flowers in Planter! Some of the new flowers in Planter 🌼 About Me My name is Pam, and I’m one of the newest members of the Planter team. I’ve been adding flowers to Planter over the last few months, and I’m thrilled to finally share them with you! A little about myself- I’ve gardened my entire adult life, always perennial/herbaceous beds and vegetables when my kids were growing up....

An herbal body care garden plan on the Planter App surrounded by herbal skin care products

Plan Your Herbal Body Care Garden

A good herb garden has herbs that can be used in cooking and herbs that can be used as traditional medicine. A lot of these same herbs can also be used in the spa (or bathroom of course). Check out these herbs for some inspiration: Aloe Aloe deserves a top spot in our herbal body care garden lineup. Many of us reach for aloe after getting too much sun. It’s great at soothing irritated and sun burned skin....