When I got my voodoo lily bulb from a friend several years ago, she gave me a warning. She said one day, you’ll walk into your basement and wonder what died down there. That means it is in bloom. Oooo, it sounded so mysterious… I had no idea what to expect. To be honest, I was a little nervous about the putrid smell, but I couldn’t wait to see the fantastic flower!...

Growing green beans is fun and very rewarding. In this post, I’m going to show you all you need to know about how to care for them to get your biggest and best crop ever. Tender, fresh green beans are a pleasure to grow once you get the hang of how to care for them. Even a beginner can learn how to grow their own green beans, no matter their garden space or experience....

Some plants are much easier to overwinter in their dormant state than keeping them growing through the winter. But, waking up dormant plants in the spring can be a challenge. Don’t worry, in this post, I will show you exactly how to wake up dormant plants without killing them. Our winters here in Minnesota are long and very cold. I have a large collection of plants that I overwinter inside the house every year....

Do you ever wonder why rubber tree plants are commonly sold as houseplants at your local garden center? Well, that is because they are one of the easiest you can grow. They adapt very well to being indoors, and don’t require a ton of work on your part. So, if you love the look of those beautiful glossy leaves, but worry that rubber plant care will be too hard, I’ve got you covered!...

Pollinating squash by hand is easy, will ensure higher yields, and doesn’t take much time. In this post, I will explain why your baby squash keep falling off, and discuss the processes of hand pollinating the flowers step-by-step. One of the biggest struggles that newbies face when growing vegetables for the first time is having big healthy squash plants but no fruit. Or worse, their baby squash keep shriveling and falling off, and they don’t know why....

Every year I grow tons of summer annual flowers in my gardens. The variety always changes, but there are several types that are staples in my garden. The best part is that they also happen to be some of the easiest annual flowers to grow from seed. I get a lot of questions from readers asking about the best flowers to plant, and which are the easiest to grow from seed....

Unfortunately most plants have at least one type of pest that loves to feed on them. Controlling garden pests is a part of nature, and irises are no different. The iris borer is one of the most frustrating and destructive pests there is for flower growers. There’s nothing more disheartening than to discover these nasty worms in iris bulbs. Fortunately it’s a problem that is fairly easy to solve, as long as you are diligent....

Peonies are one of my favorite flowers, and they smell heavenly. But once peony buds start to open, the flowers quickly become too large for the stems to support the heavy flowers, and inevitably they go crashing to the ground. Adding peony supports at the right time will keep your peonies from falling over. The biggest mistake people make with their peonies is leaving them completely unsupported. If peony flowers are left unsupported, they will collapse to the ground almost as soon as the buds open....

Did you know that you can grow an avocado tree from the pit of an avocado that you buy at any grocery store? Yes, it’s true. The avocado pit is the seed. We go through avocados pretty quickly at our house, which means I have an abundant supply of avocado pits to experiment with! Growing an avocado plant from the pit is fun, and I’ll show you exactly how to do it in this step by step guide....

Preserving apples is a great way to enjoy them for longer. In this post, I will share four common preservation methods, as well as tons of other fun ideas you can try for using them up. Having an overabundance of apples in the fall is a good problem to have! But when your tree gives you more than you can use, or you went overboard picking them at the orchard (oops!...

Storing apples properly is important for keeping them fresh and delicious as long as possible. In this post, I’ll show you how to store them using a few different methods. Apples are a staple of fall, and they’re excellent for all of those warm, cozy, and festive recipes. But when you run out of ideas (or energy) for using them up, it’s time to learn how to pack and store them so you can continue to enjoy them all winter long....

After years of trial and error, I finally came up with the perfect succulent potting mix recipe. This is the best soil for succulents, and it’s super easy to make too! In this post, I will share my recipe and show you exactly how to make your own succulent soil. I don’t buy succulent soil, I make my own. It’s much cheaper than buying a commercial succulent potting mix. Plus, I think the commercial soil mix for succulents (at least the stuff I’ve purchased in the past) are light on sand, and hold more water than I like....

Overwintering brugmansia indoors might sound like it would be difficult, but it’s really not that hard. In this post you will learn how to keep angel’s trumpet over winter in three easy ways. Angel’s trumpets make a wonderful, tropical addition to the garden during the summer. But they are not hardy here in zone 4, so I have to overwinter my brugmansia indoors. It’s easy to do, and helps me save money on buying new plants in the spring....

Preserving herbs from your garden is a great way to use up your harvest, and save yourself some cash. It’s fun and easy, and there are several methods you can try. In this post, I’m going to show you how to preserve fresh herbs using nine of my favorite methods. If you’ve ever tried growing herbs, you know that they are abundant in the summer. It’s wonderful to walk out and snip off the perfect amount for your recipes whenever you need them....

Foundation plants are the first thing people see when they come to your home. So it’s important to choose the ones that looks the best. In this post, I share a list of my favorite perennials and shrubs for landscaping around your house. One of the best ways to increase curb appeal in front of your house is to use stunning foundation plants. From evergreen bushes to flowering perennials, there are many landscaping ideas you can use to add visual interest to your home....

Lavender is one of my favorite perennial herbs to grow in the garden. I mean, who doesn’t love lavender? Not only does it look gorgeous in the garden, it attracts tons of bees too. It also smells amazing, and can be used for so many things! I love collecting seeds from my garden so I can grow more of my favorites, or share them with friends. Harvesting lavender seeds is easy, and doesn’t take much time at all....

Despite being the most abundant natural resource on the planet, fresh water is often limited right when you need it the most. One of the biggest advantages of rain barrels is capturing and saving this free resource for later use. But rainwater harvesting is becoming very popular these days for many other reasons as well. Collecting rainwater is one of the easiest steps you can take to make a positive ecological and economical impact....

Flea beetles are one of the most frustrating garden pests to deal with. Since they come out in early spring, and attack young seedlings, severe damage can happen before you even realize there’s a problem. Luckily, controlling flea beetles isn’t too difficult once you know the best methods to use. Understanding the lifecycle and feeding habits of this annoying pest will also help you take steps to prevent damage before it occurs....

There are several types of houseplant bugs, and they’re all equally irritating. But it’s important to know the signs to look out for, and quickly identify an infestation before it spreads to your other indoor plants. Below I will show you exactly how to identify common houseplant pests, and give you tips for treating them. There are several types of houseplant bugs that can attack indoor plants. The good news is that each one has its own distinct characteristics, so they are easily identifiable....

Canning apple butter is surprisingly simple and so incredibly yummy. In this post I will give you my recipe and show you exactly how to make it step by step. You’re about to learn a delicious way to use up the extra apples from your tree, the orchard, or the grocery store. Below I’ll show you how simple canning apple butter is. Canned apple butter the perfect accompaniment to a meal, especially in the fall or during the holidays, and it also makes a great gift for special occasions....