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.

Close-up of flowering plants with tall, branching stems, deeply veined narrow green leaves, and ruffled, rose-like double blooms in soft pink, red, and purple hues arranged along the stems.

Ornamental Gardens

How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Garden Balsam

Garden balsam is an old landscaping treasure! It’s a heat-loving annual that thrives in the shade, offering gorgeously colored flowers for bees, hummingbirds, and gardeners’ enjoyment. Though largely cultivated in the 1900s, these annual flowers are making a comeback! Learn how to grow, care for, and plant them with this simple guide.

A man's hands lift a tomato seedling from a tray, showing that it's time to repot the seedlings into a larger pot.

Gardening Tips

5 Signs It’s Time to Repot Your Seedlings

Seedlings mature quickly, evolving from tiny seeds to mature plants in weeks! It’s best to repot them before they grow rootbound so they continue sprouting healthy root systems. Watch for these five signs that signal your plants need a repot—wait too long and they may suffer!

Close-up of Birdies Raised Garden Beds located in the front yard. The Birdies Raised Garden Beds feature sleek, modern designs crafted from durable and rust-resistant steel, presenting a clean and polished aesthetic. With smooth lines and a variety of sizes and colors available, they offer a stylish and functional solution for cultivating plants, herbs, and vegetables. They come in black, pale green and cream colors.

Raised Bed Gardening

5 Cheap and Effective Ways to Fill Raised Garden Beds

Raised garden beds hold lots of soil! Instead of filling them with expensive potting mixes, try using one of these materials. They’re budget-friendly alternatives that work well as substitutes; many are available in your backyard! Seasoned grower Jerad Bryant shares five cheap methods for filling raised beds.

Dormant bare-root strawberry plants with tangled roots and short, dry stems, ready to be planted and taken care of, placed next to red garden shears and blue gloves.

Gardening Tips

How to Take Care of Bare-Root Plants Until Planting Time

Bare-root plants are superb alternatives to container specimens. They establish themselves quickly, grow well with less water, and are more cold-hardy. Though ideal for planting, they are only available when the weather is chilly, moist, and frosty. If you can’t plant them now, learn to keep them safe until you’re ready.

A gardener transplants a kohlrabi seedling, started for transplanting in March, into loose, dark brown soil in a sunny garden.

Seeds

17 Seeds You Should Start Now for March Transplanting

March is chilly, wet, and stormy in many temperate regions of the U.S. Though some areas have mild winters without frost, most experience latent spring freezes until well into April. These 17 plants are cold-hardy and transplant well, making them perfect for seed starting in March.

Small tomato seedlings in black trays with vibrant green leaves on a sunlit indoor windowsill.

Vegetables

Can You Winter Sow Tomatoes?

Winter sowing works best with herbs, native wildflowers, and cold-loving crops, but you can do it with heat-loving plants like tomatoes! Just because you can doesn’t mean you should; so, is this the best method for sowing tomato seeds? Let’s find out.

A black lawn mower stands on a green lawn, indicating when to mow the lawn for the first time.

Gardening Tips

When to Do the First Lawn Mow of the Season: 11 Considerations

As winter evolves into spring, lawns begin pushing out fresh new growth! The grass blades turn from gray, yellow, or brown to bright green. Though the lawn is growing, is now a good time to cut it? Let’s first dive into these 11 considerations before deciding. How early to mow depends on your climate, lawn type, and how you treat your grass.

A shot of a composition of several different flowers that showcases what wildflowers winter sow February

Flowers

13 Wildflowers We’re Winter Sowing in February

Winter sowing is a cheap way to start seeds. All you need to start are some old milk jugs, some soil, and wildflower seeds. These 13 species are perfect for winter sowing since they require cold stratification to germinate. Start them in February for early spring blooms!

The eggplant features thick, green stems, broad dark leaves, and oblong, shiny purple fruits nestled among the foliage—one of the survival crop seeds for your garden.

Seeds

11 Survival Garden Crops to Grow from Seed in February

What is a survival garden crop? These veggies and herbs offer superb nutritional value, easy cultivation, and unlimited harvests. They’re perfect for gardeners who want to substitute grocery store trips for homegrown produce. Join backyard gardener Jerad Bryant as we delve into the 11 survival crops to sow in February.

A potted flowering houseplant with tubular white and blue flowers grows under beginner-friendly grow lights.

Gardening Tips

A Beginner’s Guide to Grow Lights

Grow lights turn the darkest room into a tropical paradise! They’re essential for seed starting, winter houseplant care, and other fun horticultural activities. Keep one in storage—you’ll never know when you may need it. Longtime plant light user Jerad Bryant shares all you need to know to get started.