The Easiest Way to Grow Colorful Cosmos at Home
Few garden flowers combine elegance and simplicity like the Cosmos. With their feathery foliage, vibrant colors, and ability to thrive in poor soil, they have become a favorite in gardens across Canada, the USA, and many parts of the world. Best of all, Cosmos flowers need less maintenance compared to many other blooms, making them […]
The Easiest Way to Root Lavender Cuttings
Lavender propagation looks complex until it clicks—then it’s a simple, satisfying two-minute ritual. After years of growing lavender in balcony containers and front-yard borders, the single biggest unlock was prep: a sharp pair of pruners, a gritty mix, and quick, confident cuts. The rest is patience and light misting. Whether creating gifts or filling a […]
Grow Endless Christmas Cacti from a Single Plant
There’s something addictive about turning one beloved houseplant into many gifts. My first division of a grandmother’s Christmas cactus felt like magic: a few neat segment cuttings, a jar of perlite, bright indirect light, and patience. Weeks later, baby roots. Months later, compact new pots to share. With the right timing and setup, scaling up […]
I Chewed Cloves Daily for 14 Days—Here’s What Happened
I started this 14-day experiment out of curiosity—and convenience. A small tin of whole cloves in a bag or desk drawer takes no space, travels anywhere, and doesn’t spoil. The results were noticeable, especially in the mouth. But what mattered most to me was whether the science could explain what I felt. Spoiler: much of […]
Game‑Changing Reasons to Plant Sunflowers This Season
Few plants give back as much as sunflowers. In community plots and backyard borders alike, they greet the day with luminous faces, feed birds all season, and magnetize pollinators to the vegetable patch. The best part? They’re straightforward and forgiving—perfect for new growers and a joy for experienced ones. 1) The Pollinator and Wildlife Magnet […]
8 Shockingly Easy Foods You Can Grow in Mason Jars
Fresh food in glass jars feels delightfully hands-on. It’s tidy, portable, and surprisingly productive. After experimenting with jars on a bright kitchen shelf, it became a weekly ritual: trim basil for pasta, snip oregano for eggs, harvest microgreen radish for crunch, and keep a mint sprig rooting at all times. With a few simple methods—soil […]
Tiny Space, Huge Harvest: The Columnar Fruit Trees Home Gardeners Swear By
Urban gardening rewards creativity. After a decade of testing fruit in containers on a south-facing balcony, one lesson stands out: columnar fruit trees simply deliver. They’re slim, vertical, elegant—and they fruit fast. With a few well-chosen varieties, it’s entirely possible to create a “living fence” of apples or a patio lined with nectar-rich blossoms that […]
Why Gardeners Always Plant Garlic in September: A Practical, Proven Guide
Planting garlic in early fall—ideally late September—gives cloves a crucial head start: it allows for root development before winter, then a dormancy period, followed by a vigorous growth spurt in spring under lengthening days, which together produce larger, denser bulbs and better storability. In most temperate areas, garlic should be planted in late September to […]
How to Grow Strawberries from Seeds for Juicy Harvests All Summer Long
Growing strawberries from nursery plants is common, but starting from tiny seeds feels magical. Imagine holding something so small that it’s barely visible, yet within weeks it turns into a vibrant plant capable of producing baskets of berries. In my own backyard in Canada, I first experimented with strawberry seeds after being gifted a packet […]
Vegetables That Grow in the Shade (Perfect for Small Yards & Patios!)
Many people assume a vegetable garden needs six to eight hours of sun. While that’s true for crops like tomatoes and peppers, not all Vegetables crave blazing sunlight. Some actually prefer the cool, moist conditions that shads provide. As someone who once lived in a tree-covered neighbourhood in Canada, I quickly learned that my backyard […]