Raindrops being caught in an open hand

Rainwater Harvesting for Veggie Gardens

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....

Dog laying in the lawn

Pet-Proofing Your Garden

Many families have both plant babies and fur babies- but sometimes, these two responsibilities can clash. Are you having trouble keeping your pets out of your garden? Between fencing, various additives, or even embracing the chaos, there’s lots of ways to handle such an issue. Read on to see some of our recommendations! Why is Pet-Proofing Necessary? Pet-proofing your garden is crucial to protect the safety and health of your pets....

A bowl of mixed salad greens with the words "Spice up your Salad" over top

Spice Up Your Salad: 5 Greens to Try

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....

Lettuce plants in a row in a garden receiving partial sun

Growing Vegetables in Part Shade

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!...

Gardener holding soil, which lists various elements held within

Uncommon Soil Amendments for Your Garden

Are you looking to give your plants an extra boost and achieve that lush, thriving garden you’ve always dreamed of? Well, look no further! Welcome to our guide for anything you might want to put in your dirt; we’re diving into the wonderful world of soil amendments. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting out, these will revolutionize the way you nurture your plants. These special ingredients can fix nutrient deficiencies, soil compaction, alkaline/acidic soils, and the like!...

Gardener comparing tree to hole

How to Plant Trees and Shrubs in Your Garden

Are you looking to take a bigger step in gardening? Planting a tree or a shrub can be a long-term commitment, but it can be a great way to expand your gardening horizons. Once planted and mature, though, your new plant (or plants) will offer up harvests for years to come and bring environmental benefits as well. Read on for tips on how to best plant trees and shrubs on your lands!...

From left-to-right: Gardener Scott, Erin Thomson, and Peter Keefe

Behind-the-Scenes with Planter and Gardener Scott (and a New Feature!)

Today, I’m excited to share an incredible conversation we had with none other than Gardener Scott and to announce a brand-new Planter feature: the Garden Summary. If you don’t know who Gardener Scott is, you should go straight to his YouTube channel and binge-watch his excellent gardening videos. We had the pleasure of meeting up with Gardener Scott on a rainy day in Connecticut to chat about the Planter backstory, to brainstorm cool new features, and to test drive the Garden Summary....

A collage of plant images with the words "7 Underrated Plants for Your Garden"

7 Underrated Plants to Add to Your Garden

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....

Raised bed filled with dirt and tomatoes

How to Build a Raised Garden Bed

A raised garden bed is a great way to grow your own veggies! It’s also a great way to improve the drainage and fertility of your soil. And with this method, it’s super easy to build. I’ve got 6 raised beds in my garden, and 4 of them use this exact method. It works! And it’s easy and cheap. Prefer to learn via video? Friend-of-the-app Gardener Scott has a great video using this exact same method: Materials Needed: 3 2"×8"×8’ regular pine boards (or 2×6, 2×10, 2×12....

Young seedlings in pots and containers outside in the shade

Hardening Off and Transplanting

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....