Erin Thomson

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....

If you started seeds indoors, at some point the itch to get them planted in the garden really starts to kick in. But without special care, the transition from growing indoors to the garden can stunt your plants’ growth and even kill them. It’s important to ‘harden off’ seedlings and transplant them properly, to give them the best possible start in the garden. What Is Hardening Off? ‘Hardening off’ seedlings is the process of gradually getting them acclimated to growing outdoors....

Growing a veggie garden is fun and rewarding, but there are some times when it can feel like work. From prepping beds to planting, watering, weeding and fertilizing- there’s always a chore to tackle. If you’re looking to minimize your gardening effort out but still get some awesome harvests- we’ve got you covered! Read on for our top picks for low-maintenance plants: Kale Kale is truly an incredible plant. Not only is it astoundingly cold-hardy, once established it can grow through almost anything you can throw at it....

As soon as the sun starts to peak out in spring it’s easy to assume winter must be gone by now…right? Unfortunately, the cold weather doesn’t give way to warmer days reliably. Gardeners can easily be tricked into planting too early, only to be caught off guard when the thermometer dips back down again. While there’s no hard-and-fast rule for when it’s safe to plant outdoors, let’s dive into some considerations....

As the weather starts to warm up in spring, the gardener’s drive to get plants growing outdoors starts to kick into high gear. Planting a spring garden is a great way to jumpstart the growing season, but not all plants can survive the unpredictable- and often downright frigid- springtime weather patterns. Sometimes the spring weather is nasty enough to keep even the most determined gardener hiding indoors! But don’t let the flip-flopping between winter’s cold and summer’s heat deter you from getting started!...

Alliums, that is plants belonging to the onion family, are a must-have in your garden! They are low-maintenance, resistant to many pests and diseases, and super-versatile in the kitchen. Alliums are not limited only to onions- shallots, chives, leeks, and garlic are also alliums! Even though they belong to the same plant family, each of these plants has unique growing requirements and culinary characteristics. Whether you’re a gardening newbie or expanding your gourmet garden, there’s an allium for everyone!...

Have you ever thought about turning your gardening hobby into more-than-a-hobby? Getting paid to garden might seem too-good-to-be-true, but there are plenty of gardening-related jobs out there! Whether you’re searching for a summer gig, finding your vocation, or looking to ditch a desk job, read on to learn how to cultivate a career in gardening! Be sure a gardening job is right for you: Before you embark on your gardening job hunt, it’s important to understand that gardening as a job can be very different from gardening in your own backyard....

If you’ve been busy starting seeds indoors, you might already be at the point where your seeds have germinated and are growing into tiny seedlings (if not, be sure to check out our Seed Starting series to get started!) But the conditions that seedlings need to grow and thrive are different from what they need to germinate. Knowing how to properly care for your seedlings is important to get them off to the best start possible!...