Person examining a plant's leaves.

Dealing with Nutrient Deficiencies in the Garden

Hey there, gardeners! Have you been dealing with nutrient deficiencies in your garden? It’s a common hurdle for gardeners to overcome, but don’t worry- nutrients are something that is very manageable to resolve and maintain. What nutrients are important in the garden? There’s a lot of different nutrients that go into our growing plants, but let’s talk about the essential nutrients your plants need. There are the three macronutrients that plants require in larger quantities, often referred to as N-P-K:...

A collage of plant images with the words "What to Plant in Summer?"

What to Plant in Summer

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....

My son sowing pea seeds in the garden.

Gardening With Kids

One of the best things we can do as gardeners is pass along our love of gardening to our children. When I was a kid, my mom would let me and my two brothers each pick a corner of the garden to plant cucumbers. As the season went along, we’d watch excitedly as our cucumbers grew and jump at the chance to harvest them (it was also a bit of competition between us siblings to see whose plants grew the most cucumbers 😉)....

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....