Ornamental peppers make a great addition to any garden, but you may be wondering if you could also harvest them and eat them like normal peppers. Ornamental peppers are, in fact, perfectly edible. While not bred and cultivated for their taste, in some cases, they can rival regular non-ornamental varieties in flavor and aroma. However, … Read more
With growing concerns about runoff and contaminated water, homeowners with private wells are concerned about using chemicals in the yard and how it could affect their water supply. We all know that we should be extra careful when using pesticides on our property, but does lawn fertilizer pose a risk to well water? Is it … Read more
Gardeners have been lauding about the benefits of raised garden beds for decades, and in recent years there has been a resurgence in raised beds, especially using different materials like galvanized steel or cement blocks. But for those of us in colder climates, are raised beds warmer than the ground? Many growers report that the … Read more
Traditionally, raised garden beds were all made with wood, and occasionally brick and stone. But nowadays you can find galvanized steel as a viable option for raised beds. Galvanized steel is an underrated material that has a host of benefits, but both wood and galvanized steel have their advantages and disadvantages. Wood Galvanized Steel … Read more
Looking up how to grow or plant anything, you’ve seen references to your last frost date (or last spring frost date) and first frost date (or first fall frost date). What does it mean, and why is it important? To put it simply, your last frost date is the average date you will experience the … Read more
With so many plant fertilizers on the market, it can be difficult to identify which ones are good for your vegetables, flowers, and houseplants. It’s easy to get confused with those three NPK numbers on bags of fertilizer, and it can be even more confusing when you look at the back and see what looks … Read more