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.

cuttings of rosemary rooting in water

Propagation

13 Plants You Can Grow From Cuttings in Summer

If you missed spring cutting season, summer is prime for propagating many of our favorite perennials and annuals, and even some woody shrubs. Join gardening expert Katherine Rowe in exploring which plants to grow from cuttings in summer to expand the garden collection.

A close-up shot of a ripe and sliced crops with their germs exposed, showcasing how to grow store watermelon seeds

Seeds

Can You Plant Seeds From Store-Bought Watermelons?

Yes, you can plant seeds from store-bought watermelons! Although you can grow them, you may not get the exact results you’re looking for. Watermelon flowers will cross-pollinate with other varieties, forming new hybrids when you plant their seeds.

Woman picking pink flowers and pruning plant in July

Gardening Tips

13 Plants You Should Prune in July

July is typically a month for sitting in the shaded parts of the garden and sipping lemonade. If you're looking for a project to keep things looking neat and tidy, there are some plants that take well to pruning in the summer. Gardening expert Melissa Strauss shares some plants you can prune this July to keep the garden in order.

A garden bed with plants you don't plant in July, including beets, lettuce and other crops

Gardening Tips

Don’t Plant These 13 Garden Plants in July

Timing is key to growing lots of lovely, healthy fruits and veggies. Planting at the wrong time can make or break a plant’s lifespan, and there are certainly plenty to avoid sowing in July. When it comes to these 13 plants, don’t plant in July. Wait for the right time.

A close-up shot of a wooden spoon filled with seeds, alongside plants, showcasing when to harvest flaxseed

Seeds

How and When to Harvest Flaxseed

Common flax is an ornamental and rewarding crop to incorporate into the home garden, from edible beds to informal borders and everything in between. Seeds are powerhouses of nutrition, and growing our own means plenty of protein and omega-3s on the table. Gardening expert Katherine Rowe outlines how and when to harvest the historic grain for versatile applications.

A close-up shot of a wooden container filled with freshly harvested black harvest germs of an herb, showcasing how to save basil seeds

Seeds

How to Harvest and Save Your Own Basil Seeds

Don’t buy basil from the store—save seeds instead! Basil produces hundreds of them at the end of the growing season. Collect these to propagate new seedlings the next spring. Join seasoned grower Jerad Bryant in following these seven easy steps for saving basil seeds.

A family doing July garden tasks, involving kids when working in the garden under the summer sun

Gardening Tips

7 July Tasks for the Midsummer Garden

July is prime time in the garden. The flowers are blooming and veggies are ripening at full force. Join gardening expert Melissa Strauss for some helpful tasks you can do this month to keep your garden thriving through the hottest months.

A woman holds a wooden box with two new plants on budget—a fern and a Philodendron Birkin—acquired through a plant exchange.

Gardening Tips

7 Ways to Source New Plants on a Budget

If you're itching to get hold of some new plants, but it's not in the budget right now, don't despair. There are numerous ways to source plants for free or at a minimal cost. Gardening expert Melissa Strauss shares her favorite ways to find free and low-cost additions to her collection.