Wasps have earned a reputation for being the absolute jerks of the flying insect community. With menacing looks and an aggressive behavior that fears precisely no one, wasps are equipped …
The key to a low maintenance and low cost garden is to grow a variety of plants that readily self-seed. While most of the typical garden cultivars would require you …
Mushroom growing – or fungiculture – is a fun, fascinating, and rewarding hobby that offers an altogether different experience from cultivating green plants. Successfully rearing mushrooms requires three basic things: …
Shade loving plants are adapted to very little sunlight because of their place in the forest understory. Since the canopies of larger trees and shrubs block as much as 95% …
Lemon balm is an easy and versatile plant to grow that will provide an abundant harvest throughout the growing season. It’s also a perennial herb so will return year after …
Often associated with vampires, witchcraft, and darkness, bats have gotten a pretty bad rap in our stories and lore. And yet, bats are a sure ally in the backyard, helping …
Raised bed gardening is a simple and ancient technique for increasing crop yields for less work. Growing food “up” instead of “down” was first developed around 300 BC by the …
Humanity’s quest for cleanliness is nothing new. The first evidence of soap making extends as far back as 2800 BC when ancient Babylonians boiled fats with wood ashes to create …
Fungus gnats are small, dark, soil dwelling flies that feed on organic matter in potting mix and other growing media. Adult fungus gnats reach a size of only 1/16 of …
The use of plants for healing is as old as humankind. Analysis of plants found in the 60,000 year old grave of a Neanderthal man were determined to be of …
Rabbits might be cute – with their huge ears, soft furry bodies, bunny hops, and wiggly noses – but that adorableness quickly fades once you see the damage they can …
The very first fences were put up in the Neolithic era, right around the time humans settled in one spot and began to farm. Fences provide security and privacy, and …
An unexpected freeze in spring or fall can quickly devastate your garden. Early in the growing season, it is especially destructive for tender seedlings that are too fragile to survive …
Are you looking to step up your indoor gardening game and go beyond the lovely – but commonplace – pothos and spider plants? For a truly extraordinary plant array, check …
Mint (Mentha spp.) is an aromatic, perennial herb of the Lamiaceae family. A vigorous grower and spreader, mint has enjoyed a long history of use in cuisine, traditional medicine, and …
Many people are surprised to hear that crabapples are edible straight from the tree. While you might find them too tart to pluck from the tree and pop straight in …
Apple trees are among the most widely cultivated plants in the world. With some 7,500 known cultivars within the Malus genus, the common apple tree (Malus domestica) we know and love produces sweet …