Master Gardener sharing garden inspiration and helpful tips for growing your own garden.
If you garden in climates where the summer sun is intense, it’s best to provide afternoon shade for many vegetables in the garden. Adding shade to your garden is like putting “sun screen” on your plants. Wondering how to create shade in the garden? Here are my favorite ways to add shade and help your […] Read more…
Including 30 Practical Suggestions for Implementing Organic Gardening Principles What exactly is organic gardening? How is it different from regular gardening? Why does it matter? Organic gardening is more than just not using pesticides and other chemicals in your garden; it is a way of gardening that makes pesticide and chemical use not needed. Disclaimer: […] Read more…
Companion planting folklore has existed for centuries. Although modern research often validates the effectiveness of some companionships, we don’t understand all the reasons why it works. Effective organic gardening techniques often implement many types of companion planting. This article covers the benefits of companion planting, and provides practical suggestions for how to implement companion planting […] Read more…
Living in a warm-winter climate means that you may try to push the boundaries of what can be grown throughout winter. Frost and cold weather can come on quickly, and knowing what to cover in a freeze can mean the difference between life and death for some of your plants. Be prepared by gathering needed […] Read more…
You may be reading this post because you are looking for a quick fix to a pest problem you are facing in the garden. There are organic pest control solutions that really work (I list them below). It is important to understand the importance of healthy soil and plants as it relates to common pests […] Read more…
How to Prevent and Treat Powdery Mildew Learn how to prevent and treat powdery mildew before it causes problems with the fruits and vegetables growing in your garden. What is powdery mildew? Powdery mildew is a disease caused by several types of fungi. It first appears as a whitish-gray powdery coating on the surfaces of plants, […] Read more…
Gardening for the last 12 years has taught me several lessons, many of which I learned the hard way. In this post I share my picks for the 10 biggest vegetable gardening mistakes. I’ll be the first to admit I’ve made most of the mistakes on this list. Learn from my vegetable gardening mistakes and […] Read more…
The days are beginning to warm up, and the anxiety about how your garden will survive the intense summer heat is rising as fast as the mercury in the thermometer. Here are 10 ways to help your garden survive summer. Take a deep breath, grab a cool drink, and read them under the shade of […] Read more…
In order to expand our garden, we needed to kill the Bermuda grass and then add raised beds. In this post, I share each step of our project — from killing the Bermuda grass (without chemicals) to deciding what to plant. All the resources we used are listed here too. Don’t let fear of Bermuda […] Read more…
Wondering which vegetables can take the heat during an Arizona summer? Keep reading for 10 vegetables that love hot summers – and how to grow them. Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure policy for more information. 10 Vegetables that Love Hot Summers – and How to Grow Them The key to successful gardening during […] Read more…