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.

Tall, slender garlic plants stand with fading, yellowing leaves, signaling the growing problems.

Plant Problems

15 Garlic Growing Problems To Watch For

Garlic is one of the easiest crops to grow, although it sometimes has issues during the growing season. The last thing you want is a mold or watering issue to threaten your bulb harvest! Join longtime Allium gardener Jerad Bryant in discovering the problems you should watch for when growing garlic.

Several rounded seeds with papery brown outer layers are nestled in moist, dark soil, surrounded by vivid pink and green plants, with a small hand trowel resting nearby.

Bulbs

Should You Refrigerate Fall Bulbs Before Planting?

It’s autumn, and you know what that means! It’s time to plant bulbs like daffodils, tulips, and trillium. Should you refrigerate these plants before you bury them? Let’s find out. Join native plant gardener Jerad Bryant and learn how to help your bulbs produce as many flowers as possible.

Vivid red, spiky petals emerge in clusters from tall, thin stems, creating a bold contrast against the green leaves in the background.

Herbs

9 Native Herb Alternatives to Aggressive Mint

Although we love using mint in delicious teas, juleps, and mojitos, it’s a weedy non-native herb! Its aggressive nature threatens North American ecosystems where it crowds out beneficial species. Plant these 9 native herbs instead to boost biodiversity in your yard today! Join native plant gardener Jerad Bryant in discovering the best mint replacements you can plant this year.

A shot of flower outdoors that is one example of a method to overwinter potted petunias

Flowers

How to Overwinter Potted Petunias in 9 Steps

Why let petunias die in autumn? If you have them in hanging baskets, containers, or small pots, learn to overwinter them indoors or outdoors with these 9 easy steps. Join backyard grower Jerad Bryant and learn what your tender perennials need to survive the cold season.

A large black bin basket filled with food scraps, including peels, fruit cores, and leafy greens, sits outside in a garden area next to lush foliage.

Soil Improvement

Hot vs. Cold Compost: Which Is Right For Your Garden?

Compost turns rotting waste into fertile, crumbly, humus-rich soil. It’s a wonderful method of upcycling waste, giving food scraps and garden clippings new life in the environment. Hot and cold piles are two easy composting methods, but which is right for you? Let’s break it down alongside seasoned composter Jerad Bryant.

The spent Blackberry Lily flowers display dried, brownish petals with a papery texture, revealing clusters of glossy black seeds nestled within.

Flowers

15 Perennials to Direct Sow in Fall

Sowing seeds may not be the first thing you think of during fall, but it’s the perfect time to sow perennials for next year’s blooms. If you’ve got a bare spot, an empty pot, or want to fill your raised beds, you should direct sow any of these 15 species—they’ll turn drap gardens into blooming paradises!

Close-up of a Morning Glory vine with deep purple bell-shaped flowers, green heart-shaped leaves, and twisting vines.

Vines

How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Morning Glory Vines

Morning glory vines decorate fenceposts, bare planters, and archways throughout the tropical Americas. There are perennial and annual types, while some are native to the U.S.! Learn how to give these vining spreaders the care they need to thrive this summer, with seasoned gardener Jerad Bryant.

A person planting flowers which is one way of collect plant rose seeds

Seeds

How to Collect and Plant Rose Seeds in 7 Steps

With thousands of hybrid roses available, you may wonder why it’s worth starting rose seeds in the first place. One main reason is they grow flowers of unique shapes, hues, and sizes that differ from existing varieties. Learn how to create your new rose seedling with these seven easy steps from seasoned grower

Several vibrant flowers, including pink and red blooms, rest on their sides on soil, with gardening tools like a spade and trowel placed nearby, suggesting they are ready to be transferred into brown pots filled with rich earth.

Flowers

How to Repot Chrysanthemums in 9 Easy Steps

Ensure your precious mums stay snug all year with a repot! Chrysanthemums need repotting often since they hate getting rootbound. We’ll use compost, fresh soil, and a whole lot of love and care to keep your mums happy. Learn how to repot them with these nine easy steps from backyard gardener Jerad Bryant.

Brown flower heads slouch against a wooden fence, surrounded by fading green foliage.

Gardening Tips

End of Season Tips: Cut Dead Plants or Pull Them Out?

Summers end invites rain, frost, and cool weather that zaps the life out of tender annuals. Your blooming garden may look brown, dreary, and dead this fall—but should you pull out those dying plants, leave them be, or chop them to the ground? Discover what you can do alongside seasoned grower Jerad Bryant.

The Jacaranda mimosifolia is a drought tolerant tree that has feathery, fern-like leaves with a delicate, lacy appearance and produces large, cascading clusters of trumpet-shaped lavender-blue flowers that create a stunning canopy.

Trees

27 Best Drought-Tolerant Trees For Your Landscape

Drought-tolerant trees are exquisite landscape additions no matter where you live. Some appreciate winter moisture, while others are drought-tolerant year-round. Take a tour of the world and discover 27 of the most drought-tolerant trees you can plant today. Join nursery tree specialist Jerad Bryant as we identify the best ones for your yard.