Basics

Whether you're new to gardening or experienced, everyone needs some gardening basics to get going!

In this category, you'll find a wealth of information that spans a wide number of topics. From seed starting to grow bag gardening, pruning tips to raised bed tricks, you'll find the fundamentals of gardening awaiting you here.

While it's optimized towards new gardeners, even a pro can find useful tips in our Basics category. We all need to get back to basics sometimes, and there are always useful tools and tips that other gardeners have developed along the way to add to your own practices.

Our Basics category can inspire you to new gardening heights, too. Those who have experience with in-ground planting can learn about other techniques such as raised beds or vertical gardening.

The plant features bold, crimson bracts with cream variegated patterns that resemble petals, contrasted with deep green, oval leaves, all blooming from a neatly arranged pot.

Gardening Tips

9 Plants that Need Darkness in Fall for Winter Blooms

Winter blooming plants create unique, fragrant flowers that open up when most other species are dormant. Most winter bloomers need short days and long nights to produce the most flowers, meaning you’ll have to emulate these conditions if they don’t exist. Join seasoned grower Jerad Bryant and learn the special care techniques these 9 species need to flower.

A focused shot of a composition of scarlet red flowers or the Scarlet Flax that is one of the seeds grow less than 50 days

Seeds

23 Plants You Can Grow From Seed In 50 Days or Less

Whether we’re making haste to beat cold weather or looking to infill a bare patch in the garden bed, plants that grow quickly from seed accomplish wonders. Superfast growers yield blooms and harvests in a delightfully quick turnaround. Enjoy the rewards of fast-growing flowers and vegetables with gardening expert Katherine Rowe.

A vibrant green expanse stretches into the distance, with tall, colorful trees standing at the far edge beneath a glowing, orange-hued sky.

Gardening Tips

9 Fall Lawn Care Tips

Fall is a pivotal time in the life of a lawn. Like many other plants, grasses actively develop roots in the mild seasonal respite before entering winter survival mode. Fall is also prime for reseeding, laying new turf, and tending to established lawns. With gardening expert Katherine Rowe, set your lawn up for success by implementing a few fall protocols.

A person in red gloves pulls a small green weed from the soil, surrounded by healthy plants with soft, brown mulch in the background.

Gardening Tips

Don’t Make These 11 Fall-Gardening Mistakes This Year

There’s a surprising amount of work to be done in the fall garden, not only to set the stage for the best spring ever but also to protect your perennials, soil, and local wildlife through the coldest months of the year. It’s easy to make a mistake or two, especially after an exhausting summer of keeping track of all your plants. Plant biologist Emily Estep will help you steer clear of pitfalls by listing 11 fall-gardening mistakes to avoid.

A close-up of delicate leaves coated with a silvery sheen, giving them a soft, velvety appearance as they overlap in various directions.

Gardening Tips

Should You Water the Fall Garden Until the First Frost?

As we excitedly plant and enjoy time outside this season, roots are busy growing and developing before winter’s turn. To sustain a healthy garden that overwinters heartily, plants need adequate moisture heading into frost. Explore when and how to water before the first frost with gardening expert Katherine Rowe.

Vibrant lilac flowers soak up the golden sunlight, their delicate petals unfurling gracefully. Lush leaves form a tranquil scene, enhancing the ethereal beauty of the blossoms in their radiant display.

Gardening Tips

Never Prune These 13 Plants in Fall

As leaves fall and reveal crisscrossing branches, your first impulse may be to grab the pruners! Fall is an ideal time to prune species that bloom on new wood and cold hardy species. You’ll want to avoid chopping spring-blooming plants that bloom on old wood. Learn 13 of the most common shrubs you should leave alone during the fall alongside native plant gardener Jerad Bryant.

The blooming Yarrow plant has clusters of tiny purple flowers atop tall, slender stems, with feathery green leaves creating a soft, airy texture.

Gardening Tips

25 Perennials to Cut Back in October

The weather is cooling and your perennials are getting ready to go dormant for the winter. Do you know which ones to cut back for the season? Take a guided tour with gardening expert Liessa Bowen to learn about 25 popular perennials to cut back in October to help clean up your garden before winter.

A close-up of a gloved hand using a weeding tool to extract bright yellow dandelions from the soil, surrounded by vibrant green foliage and nearby blooming flowers.

Gardening Tips

13 October Gardening Tasks

Autumn is here! While the garden may be starting to rest and die down, there are some things you can do to keep it in tip-top shape. Get ready to compost, replenish soils, and save seeds before winter frost arrives. Join native plant gardener Jerad Bryant and complete these 13 essential October gardening tasks.

A lush scene filled with vivid purple and pink flowers thriving amidst abundant greenery, with tall plants stretching up toward the sky, partially covering a wooden fence and a small shed in the background.

Gardening Tips

7 Benefits of a Messy Garden

Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. Messy gardens perfectly represent this phrase, as they create a new standard of ornamental beauty in the landscape. They also save you a ton of work! Join native plant gardener Jerad Bryant to see how a messy garden can boost biodiversity while saving you time and money.