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.

A pile of ripe Solanum lycopersicum ‘Italian Roma’ tomatoes with smooth, bright red skin and green stems still attached.

Seeds

15 Seeds to Plant in February

February is a good time in many places to get started with your spring seed starting. With final frost dates on the horizon, it's prime time to prep your plants for the spring vegetable garden. Join gardening expert Melissa Strauss for seeds you can start this February.

bowl of seeds soaking in water

Seeds

7 Tips for Faster Seed Germination

Ready to get your seeds started for spring planting? We have some great tips that will get them started faster and stronger than ever! Join gardening expert Melissa Strauss to talk about ways you can get your garden started in a hurry.

Close up of garden peas with vibrant green pods hanging from stems along with white flowers.

Seeds

13 Seeds You Should Wait to Start Until Late Spring

Are you looking for seeds to start in late spring? From summer harvests to avoiding frosts, there are several reasons why late spring is perfect for planting. In this article, horticulture expert Matt Dursum covers the seeds you should wait to start until late spring.

Close-up of cup-shaped flowers with double, overlapping yellow petals edged in pink, blooming on sturdy green stems, surrounded by leathery, dark green, deeply lobed leaves, showing the beauty that comes when you grow hellebores from seed.

Seeds

How to Grow Hellebore Flowers From Seed

Hellebores often emerge when frost is still abundant in cold gardens! While nursery cultivars are diverse, growing hellebores from seed offers a challenging reward—you’ll find new, unique hybrids! Join longtime hellebore gardener Jerad Bryant in learning to grow these lovely flowers from seed.

A Sesamum indicum plant with a soft pink, tubular flower and green, serrated leaves, growing on a slender stem.

Gardening Inspiration

11 Seeds to Plant in Honor of Black History Month

Planting a seed is more than a gardening task—it’s a way to honor past generations of farmers, gardeners, and horticulturalists. Seeds contain genetics of past plant generations, and the plants they sprout represent hundreds of years of plant breeding. These crops we enjoy today are the fruits of Black Americans’ cultivation.

A gardener's gloved hand uses tweezers to inspect germinated seeds on a damp paper towel inside a clear container placed on a wooden table.

Seeds

How to Germinate Seeds on Paper Towels in 7 Steps

Why wait weeks for sprouts to appear when you can watch them grow? The paper towel seed-starting method is easy for beginner and advanced gardeners alike. Learn how to reuse common household items to sprout all sorts of seedlings, from lettuce to chili peppers.

Small dark brown Brassica grains spread on a damp white paper towel inside a clear plastic container.

Gardening Inspiration

5 Seed Germination Methods To Try This Season

It’s seed-starting season! Or nearly so, depending on your climate, selections, and sowing preference. Some species benefit from specific elements to spur germination, and we can replicate these to accelerate conditions in our setups. Garden expert Katherine Rowe looks at seed germination methods to explore now for a jumpstart on spring growing.

A gardener holds a freshly harvested Bok Choy plant with white, crisp stems, shiny dark green leaves, and wet, tangled roots, standing against a backdrop of a lush hydroponic vegetable garden.

Hydroponics

25 Vegetables to Grow in Your Hydroponic Garden

Are you ready for a new gardening challenge this year? Why not ditch the soil and try growing your favorite vegetables hydroponically? In this article, gardening expert Matt Dursum shows you the best vegetables to grow in your hydroponic garden this year.