Posts By

Jerad Bryant

Jerad Bryant is a plant nerd, botanical writer, and avid gardener in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. Jerad is an active member in his local community of plant nerds in both the Willamette Valley Hardy Plant Group and the American Rhododendron Society.

A close-up shot of several gardening tools near a pathway alongside various foliage, showcasing what plant hardiness zones don't tell you

Gardening Tips

What Plant Hardiness Zones Don’t Tell You

Plant hardiness zones help determine how long your growing season is and which plants you can grow. Put simply, it’s an average of the lowest temperatures during the year. Though it’s a helpful metric, there’s a lot that a hardiness zone doesn’t tell you!

Woman in sunny garden holding green bucket with planted fresh rose cuttings and blue pruning shears near blooming pink rose bush showing reasons why rose cuttings die.

Propagation

7 Reasons Your Rose Cuttings Are Dying

If you have a favorite rose, cuttings allow you to propagate the variety for more free plants. Though the rooting process is relatively straightforward, you may hit some snags along the way. Join seasoned grower Jerad Bryant to see why your rose cuttings are dying and learn how to save them.

A close-up shot of a small composition of lilac and white colored flowers of the superbena

Flowers

How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Superbena®

Superbena® are trailing, mounding, and cascading hybrid plants. Their versatility and variety make them excellent candidates for large containers, borders, and tree wells. Give them the care they need, and they’ll fill your garden with endless blooms from spring through fall.

A close-up shot of a developing airy evergreen perennial variety called diamond frost euphorbia, showcasing its white flowers

Ornamental Gardens

How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Diamond Frost® Euphorbia

Perfect as a houseplant, bedding material, or a potted specimen, Diamond Frost® Euphorbia is a lovely cultivar with graceful stems and dainty blossoms. Its small root system, drought tolerance, and hardiness make it a tough plant for the home garden. Learn to plant, grow, and care for this unique perennial alongside seasoned gardener Jerad Bryant.

In the garden, there are various types of potted bromeliad plants, with curved, strap-like leaves with a glossy surface of green and pinkish shades, forming in the centers of rosettes tanks filled with water, one of the tips for caring for an after-blooming plant.

Ornamental Gardens

7 Bromeliad After-Bloom Care Tips

Bromeliads are some of the showiest plants in the world! With a wide range of species, bromeliads come in all shapes and sizes. Each species has unique growing habits and flowering periods. Join seasoned grower Jerad Bryant to learn how to care for yours and ensure they continue thriving post-bloom.

A shot of a composition of green stalks with silvery-white fluffy tops of the maiden grass

Ornamental Gardens

How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Maiden Grass

Maiden grass is an old-time garden favorite for a variety of outdoor styles. It sprouts thin, dainty foliage from large, arching clumps. Red flowers appear in the fall, and seed heads emerge shortly after for winter interest. If you’re looking for a hardy grass, look no further than this unique variety!

Using compost as mulch, a garden bed with various plants and crops covered with a layer of dark brown compost and with a pitchfork stuck into the soil.

Mulch

9 Reasons to Use Compost as Mulch This Year

Mulch is essential for a healthy garden. It protects, insulates, and feeds the soil, creating an ideal home for budding crops. No matter the plants you’re growing, applying compost as mulch has a wealth of benefits for your yard. Join native plant gardener Jerad Bryant to discover nine top reasons for using it.

An overhead shot of a person's hand holding different materials, showcasing compost vs. fertilizer

Soil Improvement

Compost Vs. Fertilizer: Differences and Garden Uses

Compost and fertilizer benefit the garden, though they have different applications! Use one, the other, or both—which to apply depends on your garden’s soil and which crops you’re growing. Learn the differences and uses of fertilizers and compost alongside seasoned grower Jerad Bryant.

A large pile of dark brown horse manure with a lumpy structure in a sunny garden, showing how manure can be harmful to a garden.

Fertilizer

7 Ways Manure Can Harm Your Garden: What to Look For

Manure, though smelly, is a wonderful amendment for the landscape. Whether you’re using cow or chicken manure, there are efficient ways to implement the stuff without harming plants, animals, and yourself! Watch for these seven ways manure can harm the garden, and learn how to use it best.

A female gardener in rubber boots spreads compost over a green lawn using a large old garden fork.

Soil Improvement

Compost for Grass: How to Use Compost On Your Lawn

Compost is versatile and beneficial in the garden! Feeding your lawn is one of its many uses. Some tools make this easy, though you can spread the stuff by hand in small areas. Follow along and learn how to use your compost on grasses alongside seasoned landscaper Jerad Bryant.

A gardener's hand holds a banana peel over a garden bed with young vegetable seedlings.

Fertilizer

Are Banana Peels Good for the Garden?

Banana peels pile up by the dozens, especially if you love eating bananas! These peels decay and provide essential nutrients to plants. Though they can be beneficial, they may cause harm in certain circumstances. Learn whether banana peels are good for the garden and how to use them best alongside seasoned grower Jerad Bryant.