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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.

Close-up of a woman's hand gently touching a young sprouted seedling in a black seed starting tray, featuring cells filled with soil and delicate thin stems topped with pairs of rounded cotyledons.

Seeds

Seed-Starting 101: 11 Tips to Get it Right

Seed starting doesn’t have to be complicated. A few simple steps can ensure prolific germination and vigorous early growth to start your season off right. Join organic farmer Logan Hailey for 11 straightforward seed-starting tips for beginners.

A small insect crawling out of a sandy burrow surrounded by dry, sparse grass and patches of loose dirt.

Gardening Tips

7 Ways You Can Help Bees Overwinter in Your Garden

Bees are vital to a thriving garden. But, some of our fall and spring habits can make your space inhospitable for them to overwinter in. Gardener and beekeeper Melissa Strauss shares ways that you can help important pollinator populations stick around and stay safe during the cold winter months.

A planter filled with vibrant purple asters, each with a yellow center, placed outdoors with green foliage.

Seeds

31 Native Plant Seeds to Sow in Protected Pots Now

Native plants provide food for wildlife, require little maintenance, and add beauty to the landscape. However, their seeds are sometimes tricky to germinate. Fortunately, many native plants germinate well when they are winter-sown. Join gardener Briana Yablonski to learn about native plants you can sow in containers this fall.

A close-up of gloved hands placing mulch around a young green shrub in the garden, with fresh soil and hints of greenery surrounding it.

Gardening Tips

9 Ways To Protect Vulnerable Perennial Plants From Winter Damage

As our gardens prepare for a winter rest, a little extra protection for favorite borderline perennials may be in order. With extra care, from easy mulch to added insulation, winterizing measures give a good foundation for them to withstand cold weather. Explore winter protection for those too-special-to-lose perennials with gardening expert Katherine Rowe.

Dry autumn Rudbeckia flowers stand tall in the garden, their browned petals curling around dark seed heads.

Gardening Tips

7 Ways to Encourage Your Favorite Plants to Self-Sow

Self-sowing plants are a boon for us gardeners! They reseed themselves so we don’t have to plant them. Some sprout readily with little help, while others benefit from some care to grow their best. Use these seven methods to encourage annuals, perennials, and shrubs to sprout new seedlings throughout your garden.

An autumn garden, framed by a blue wooden fence, features blooming pink chrysanthemums, young trees with brown dry foliage, and a strawberry bed in front of a freshly dug-up garden bed with a large garden shovel, showcasing steps to prepare garden beds for planting in spring.

Gardening Tips

How To Prepare Next Year’s Garden Beds for Planting Now

Although winter frost steadily approaches, it’s not too late to start thinking about next year’s garden! Some simple actions now can help boost your harvests next summer and fall. Now, let’s try these seven easy steps from backyard gardener Jerad Bryant and prepare the garden for next year.