Learn how to harvest sunflower seeds from your garden, plus how to save them for snacking, birdseed, or replanting in next year’s garden! When to Harvest Unlike many flowers, you don’t want your sunflower blooms to dry all the way up before collecting your seeds. Brown, dead, dry sunflowers have likely either dropped all their…
Learn how to plant, grow, and care for sunflowers in your garden! These cheerful flowers attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators to your garden, plus provide a food source for birds, small mammals, and humans too! Growing Sunflowers At a Glance: Here’s a quick reference list about growing sunflowers. More details can be found in…
It’s easy to save seeds from calendula flowers. Find out how to know when they’re ready & the best way to store your homegrown calendula seeds! Calendula is a wonderfully easy flower to save seeds from. If you’ve ever saved marigold seeds, it’s not any more difficult than that! However, note that calendula (Calendula officinalis)…
Learn how to collect and store seeds from marigold flowers! (Never buy marigold seeds again!) In this article, you’ll learn how to collect and store seeds from marigolds (Tagetes spp.) that may be growing in your garden. Be sure not to confuse marigolds with calendula (which is sometimes called pot marigold) – here’s an article…
Learn how to grow your own garden petunia flowers from seed! An old garden classic, petunias are one of the most popular garden flowers out there – and for good reason! These lovely flowers have simple needs and few wants, and a super-long bloom time that spans from spring straight through to fall. Growing Petunias…
Ageratum, also known as flossflower, bluemink, and Mexican paintbrush, is an easy-to-grow, old fashioned favorite in cottage gardens and flowerbeds. Fluffy flowers in shades of blue, lavender, or white stand out in lovely contrast against the rich green foliage. Well loved by pollinators as well as people, this quick-to-bloom annual isn’t only beautiful in the…
Learn when and how to harvest both new potatoes and storage potatoes, plus how to store them for a longer shelf life! You’ve sprouted your potatoes, planted them in the ground, hilled them up, and now they’re growing- but how do you tell when it’s time to harvest them? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!…
Now that you’ve chitted your potatoes, they’re ready to plant and grow in your garden! There are several ways to plant potatoes, including planting them in hay bales and containers. This article focusses on planting them directly in the ground. These instructions can also be used for planting potatoes in raised beds. Preparing the Soil…
Learn how to “chit” or sprout seed potatoes, to give them a good start in your home garden! It’s your first time trying to grow a potato patch, and you’ve got your sack of seed potatoes! The ground’s thawed out enough, you’ve prepared your soil, and now, you’ve got to get your seed potatoes ready…
Snapdragons are a much-loved garden classic to grow! Both dwarf and tall versions of these colorful flowers make a beautiful, long-lasting floral show throughout the growing season, and are a favorite for cut flower displays. Boasting a wide range of colors to choose from, snapdragons come in both single-color and bicolored flower varieties. The blooms…
Elderberry propagation might sound tricky and intimidating, but it’s simpler than you’d think! In fact, between creating clones via cuttings or starting new plants from seed, growing elderberry from cuttings is actually the easier way to get your hands on new plants! With just a sharp pair of pruning shears, a pot of soil, and…
Learn how to grow sweet violets or common violets from seed! Violets are a delightful addition to your woodland garden or tucked into shady areas or pots around your house. The pretty purple flowers are used to make tasty jellies, syrup, and vinegars, and the leaves can be used to makes soothing salves or lip…