-
How Important is a Soil Test?
It's often recommended but seldom done, in practice. Do we really need to get our soil tested? -
Self-Seeding Plants Can Save Money and Effort
Free plants that you weren't expecting to find in your garden can be a nice surprise -- but may not always be what you want. -
Types of Seeds for Your Garden
Seeds all have different labels on the packets -- open-pollinated, hybrid, heirloom, organic -- so what do those labels mean? -
Can You Clone Plants Through Seeds?
When we propagate plants from seeds we usually get a genetic combination of two parent plants. But some plants can actually produce clones of themselves through seeds. -
What's the Problem With Starting Seeds Early?
Many of us are getting to the time of year when we can start seeds indoors -- but we may need to hold off just a little bit longer. Why is that? -
Is it Safe to Use Wood Ash in the Garden?
Many people generate a lot of ashes over the winter from fireplaces and wood stoves. There's some good stuff in there for plants, so can we use wood ash in the garden? -
Why Plants Need Scientific Names
Some gardeners come to love scientific names and take pride in learning them ... for others they can seem a bit pompous. But there are good reasons that our plants need scientific names. -
When is a Fruit Not a Fruit?
Juniper berries, ginkgo fruit and others may look like fruit, but botanists say otherwise. So, if they aren't fruit, what are those fruit-like structures produced by non-flowering seed plants? -
Get Ready to Start Seeds Indoors
We're heading into peak seed-starting season in this part of the world. If you haven't started seeds indoors before, this is a great year to start -- and now is the time to get ready. -
Using Manure in the Garden
Manure from different animals is a popular addition to garden soil but you'll also hear a lot of warnings about its use. And what about using waste from your pets?
Two Minutes in the Garden
By Empress of Dirt
Bite-sized informative updates on gardening basics, solutions, myths, news and other subjects of interest to gardeners both new and experienced. From the popular Empress of Dirt website (empressofdirt.net), home of creative and frugal ideas for your backyard garden.