Erin Thomson

Have you ever wondered if it’s possible to save seeds from your plants, instead of buying new seeds every year? With a bit of knowledge you can absolutely save seeds to grow next year! While seed saving can be a complex topic, don’t let that deter you from attempting to save seeds to use in your own garden. Read on to learn the basics of seed saving, so you can get started with saving your own seeds!...

As back-to-school approaches it can feel like planting the garden was all but a distant memory. But with the cooler temps comes a whole new potential garden season! While some plants like broccoli and cabbage commonly need to be started in the summer to be ready in time for a fall harvest, there are still plenty of plants you can start growing in early fall! Of course what you can plant in early fall depends on your location, so as a first step be sure to check the Growing Calendar in Planter to see which plants can be grown now in your local area....

While some areas (like my own) have been experiencing an unusually cool, wet growing season this year, many gardeners are in the midst of heatwaves and drought. Heat waves can be one of the most frustrating things to deal with as a gardener. You can be doing everything right- ensuring your plants are off to a good start, keeping them pruned, trellised, and weeded, but once extreme heat hits gardening can become a battle for survival....

Sometimes it feels like it’s taking forever for your plants to produce a first harvest. This is especially true for warm-season crops like tomatoes and peppers that typically don’t produce a first crop until well into the growing season. But is the wait normal, or is there an underlying problem that’s causing your plants to grow extra-slow? To figure this out, check the seed packets (or research the plant variety) for the ‘days to maturity’....

As the gardening season progresses, plants can quickly turn from young, green, and thriving to run-down, bug-bitten and diseased. A certain amount of pest and disease pressure is inevitable in the garden, especially once the heat and humidity of summer sets in. To keep plants as healthy as possible it’s important to take preventative measures and to keep an eye out for early signs of trouble. To help with this, we’ve pulled together a list of common pests and diseases that could be hitting your garden now....

Once midsummer hits it can feel like you’re in a gardening standstill. On the one hand you’re waiting for some of the longer-maturing plants to start producing a harvest, and on the other hand earlier spring crops are starting to fizzle out. But in midsummer many of us still have ample time to get new plants growing and get a substantial harvest before the season comes to an end. The first step is to check the Growing Calendar in Planter to see which plants you may still have time to grow in your area....

Summertime often brings feast-or-famine rain patterns that can be frustrating for us gardeners. For weeks there’s not a drop of rain to be had and then a month’s worth of rain gushes down in a few days. Rather than just hooking up to the tap every time you need to water your veggies, you might want to consider harvesting rainwater to use in the garden. Rainwater harvesting can be beneficial for your plants, your wallet, and your local water supply- but before you install a rain barrel there are some important considerations to bear in mind....

The first salads of spring are always exciting- lettuce is at its most young and tender, and a fresh salad feels like a nice departure from the heartier winter veggies. But eating lettuce-based salads over and over again can get to be boring. If your daily salad routine is getting a bit blah, jazz it up by adding some new and exciting greens into the mix! The greens we’ll cover in this article should be seeded quite densely to be grown for salad greens (roughly 1....

One of the things we first learn as gardeners is how important it is to select a full sun location for a veggie garden. Unfortunately, many of us don’t have the luxury of having an extra large yard with all-day sun exposure. Even if you’re lucky enough to have a sun-drenched backyard, you might have underutilized partially shaded areas of your yard that you wish you could grow food in. The good news is…you can in fact grow some vegetables in part shade!...

Popular plants such as tomatoes, peppers, and beans often take center stage in the summer garden. It can be easy to fall into a routine of planting the same favorite crops over and over again. But even if you stick with the classics, it’s worth branching out and trying a couple new plants each year. There are some plants that can tend to be overlooked that can make excellent garden additions if you give them a chance....