As fertilizer costs rise, we find ourselves seeking ways to cut our gardening investments, while continuing to produce healthy food for our families. One way to accomplish this is with earthworm composting, or vermicomposting.

With some creative design ideas, the side yard can become a pleasant passageway. The side yard can also include a space for a small and secluded sitting area or provide a pleasing vista of an intimate garden space to be viewed through a window from inside the home.

Not all seeds are created equal. I’ve been vegetable gardening for a few decades now, and I have discovered that some vegetable seeds produce big results for a small investment, year after year. No longer do I want to experiment with lots of new crops. What I like instead is to plant seeds that give me the least hassle and the biggest rewards, at pennies per serving.

There are numerous “ready-to-go” raised-bed gardens that can be purchased, but as my father is so fond of saying, “Why not use something indigenous to the area?” In other words, recycle what you already have in your yard.

Building a recycled raised bed is pretty basic, and you can use almost anything. Just get your creative juices flowing, and keep your eyes open for treasures that come your way.

These days, many of us are watching our budgets a little bit more, but that doesn’t mean your garden has to suffer. With a little careful planning and some garden-budget secrets, you can have the beauty you want without spending money you don’t have. It turns out it is a lot more fun than it sounds.

Fertilizers are one of the cornerstones of a successful, beautiful and productive garden. However, most gardeners will admit that at some point in time they have found themselves absolutely perplexed by these nutritive concoctions. Confusion arises with questions about what type or how much to apply. If you find yourself currently in this camp, there’s no need to fear. A refreshing primer on fertilizing is just what you need.

You don’t need to watch a sci-fi horror flick to hear tales of vicious monsters or man-eating plants. These already exist in the forest and landscape … and can give you a taste of just how nasty nature can be.

Just as we are mesmerized by the tiny fingers and the tiny toes of newborns, or fascinated by tiny works of art, it seems that anything small in scale draws us in with interest and curiosity. I think that is true of small garden spaces as well. Maybe it’s because every feature has to have a valuable impact on the whole. There’s no room for excess. There’s necessity, purpose, and yes, detail.

In case you have not been following the news the last few years, the population of monarch butterflies has been declining. When experts study to find out why, they come up with different reasons

If you’re gardening on a hillside, you’re probably facing some unique challenges. Maybe there area some challenges that you did not totally anticipate when you purchased your beautiful sloping property.

There are several reasons why people use focal points. By creatively using statues, specimen plants, artwork, large planters or even birdhouses, gardeners can draw the eye where they want it to go; often diverting attention from a design flaw, out-of-season flowerbeds or fallow vegetable gardens.

In the language of social media, rhubarb is trending. My mamaw would be so proud, as her rhubarb patch was one of her early spring delights, and her rhubarb pie was one of her most-praised desserts.