Guide
Tips and tutorials about gardening, food preservation and pantry management.
Making Salsa: Fresh and Canned Recipes From the Garden
When tomatoes, peppers, and cilantro are all ripe at the same time, it is salsa season. Here are recipes for both fresh and shelf-stable salsa.
Dehydrating Fruits and Vegetables at Home
Dehydrating is an energy-efficient preservation method that produces lightweight, shelf-stable food. Get started with these techniques.
Green Bean Harvest: From Garden to Pantry
Green beans are one of the most productive garden crops and preserve beautifully. Learn when to pick and how to put them up.
Freezing Vegetables: The Quick Preservation Method
Freezing is the fastest way to preserve garden vegetables while retaining most nutrients and flavor. Here is how to do it right.
Tomato Varieties: Finding the Best Types for Your Garden
With thousands of tomato varieties available, choosing can be overwhelming. This guide helps you pick the right types for your goals.
Making Sauerkraut: The Complete Fermentation Guide
Sauerkraut is the gateway ferment. Just cabbage and salt, yet the result is complex, tangy, probiotic-rich, and delicious.
Making Berry Jam: Raspberry, Blackberry, and Mixed Berry
Berry jam is the quintessential summer preserve. Master the technique with these recipes for raspberry, blackberry, and mixed berry varieties.
Fermentation Basics: An Introduction to Living Preserves
Fermentation is one of the oldest and healthiest preservation methods. Learn the science and get started with your first batch.
Pressure Canning: Safely Preserving Low-Acid Foods
Pressure canning opens up a whole new world of preserved foods: vegetables, soups, stews, and meats. Safety is paramount — here is how.
Making Jam: From Fresh Fruit to Perfect Preserves
Homemade jam captures the essence of summer fruit. Learn the science of pectin, sugar, and acid that makes jam set perfectly every time.
Canning Season Kickoff: Essential Equipment and Safety
August marks the start of serious canning season. Before you begin, make sure you have the right equipment and understand food safety basics.
Summer Squash: Growing and Using the Most Productive Crop
Summer squash is the most generous garden plant. Learn to grow it well, harvest at the right size, and use every last one.
Making Pesto: From Garden to Freezer
Pesto is the fastest way to preserve basil before it flowers. One batch of plants yields enough pesto for an entire year of pasta nights.
Dealing With Garden Pests: Slugs, Aphids, and Caterpillars
Every garden has pests. Learn to identify the most common culprits and manage them effectively without reaching for chemicals.
Blueberry Care and Harvest: Tips for Berry Lovers
Blueberries are one of the easiest fruits to grow and preserve. Learn how to care for your bushes and make the most of the harvest.
Zucchini Overflow: Recipes and Preservation Ideas
Every gardener faces the zucchini avalanche. Here are creative ways to use and preserve your surplus before it takes over the kitchen.
Water Bath Canning: The Beginner's Complete Guide
Water bath canning is the gateway to home preservation. This guide walks you through your first batch with confidence and safety.
Drying Herbs: Preserving Summer Flavor for Winter Cooking
Drying herbs is the easiest preservation method. Capture peak-season flavor in minutes of prep for months of aromatic cooking.
Pickling Cucumbers: Crisp Dill Pickles at Home
Homemade pickles are crunchy, tangy, and addictively good. Learn the secrets to perfectly crisp pickles from your garden cucumbers.
Canning Tomato Sauce: A Step-by-Step Guide
Homemade canned tomato sauce captures summer flavor for the entire year. This comprehensive guide covers everything from prep to processing.
Peak Harvest: Managing the Summer Garden Abundance
July brings the garden into full production. Learn how to stay on top of harvesting, preserving, and maintaining your beds at peak season.
Growing Peppers: Sweet and Hot Varieties for Every Taste
Peppers range from mild sweet bells to fiery superhots. Learn how to grow them all successfully for fresh eating and preserving.
Beneficial Insects: Your Garden's Hidden Workforce
Not all bugs are bad. Learn to identify and attract the insects that protect your garden from pests naturally.
Growing Cucumbers: From Seed to Pickle Jar
Cucumbers are prolific producers perfect for fresh eating and pickling. Learn how to grow bumper crops of this summer staple.
Natural Pest Control: Keep Bugs at Bay Without Chemicals
You do not need toxic sprays to protect your garden. These organic pest management strategies work with nature, not against it.
Companion Planting: Plants That Help Each Other Thrive
Certain plant combinations boost growth, repel pests, and improve flavor. Master the art of companion planting for a more productive garden.
Grow Your Own Tea: Herbal Teas From the Garden
Growing herbs for tea is simple and rewarding. Chamomile, mint, lemon balm, and many more produce soothing, delicious teas from your garden.
Strawberry Season: Growing, Picking, and Preserving
Strawberries are the taste of early summer. Learn how to maximize your harvest and preserve the bounty for the months ahead.
Watering Strategies for Hot Summer Days
When temperatures soar, your garden needs extra attention. Learn how to keep plants hydrated and healthy during heat waves.
Growing Garlic Scapes: The Bonus Crop From Your Garlic Bed
Hardneck garlic produces curly scapes in early summer — a delicious bonus harvest with a mild garlic flavor perfect for pesto and stir-fries.
Tomato Care: Pruning, Staking, and Feeding for Maximum Fruit
Once tomatoes are in the ground, proper care makes the difference between a mediocre harvest and an abundant one. Here is what to do.
First Harvests of the Season: What to Pick and When
The first harvests of the year are the most exciting. Learn the signs that your early crops are ready to pick for the best flavor.
Transplant Shock: How to Help Plants Settle In
Moving plants from pot to garden is stressful for them. These techniques minimize transplant shock and get seedlings growing quickly.
Vertical Gardening: Growing Up When Space Is Limited
Vertical growing structures multiply your garden space by using height. Trellises, arches, and towers turn fences and walls into productive growing areas.
Building Healthy Garden Soil: A Long-Term Approach
Great soil is not built in a season. Learn the practices that transform poor ground into rich, productive growing medium over time.
Succession Planting: Fresh Harvests All Season Long
Instead of planting everything at once and getting one big harvest, stagger your sowings for a continuous supply of fresh produce.
Watering Wisely: Strategies to Save Water and Grow Better
Efficient watering is crucial for healthy plants and water conservation. Learn when, how much, and how to water your vegetable garden.
Mulching: The One Technique That Changes Everything
Mulching saves water, suppresses weeds, and feeds the soil. It is the single most impactful technique for a low-maintenance, productive garden.
Setting Up Your Herb Garden: Fresh Flavors All Season
A well-planned herb garden provides fresh seasoning from spring to frost. Here is how to choose, plant, and maintain culinary herbs.
Direct Sowing Guide: Which Seeds Go Straight in the Ground
Not every crop needs to be started indoors. Many vegetables and flowers actually prefer being sown directly where they will grow.
Rainwater Harvesting: Free Water for Your Garden
Collecting rainwater saves money, reduces your environmental impact, and gives your plants the unchlorinated water they prefer.
Understanding Last Frost Dates: When to Plant What
Your last frost date determines your entire planting schedule. Learn how to find it and plan around it for a successful growing season.
Container Gardening: Growing Food Without a Yard
No yard? No problem. Containers on a balcony, patio, or doorstep can produce surprising amounts of fresh food all season long.
Raised Bed Gardening: Build and Fill for Maximum Yield
Raised beds warm up faster, drain better, and save your back. Learn the proper layering technique for years of productive growing.
Hardening Off Seedlings: From Windowsill to Garden
Before indoor-grown seedlings can move outside, they need to be hardened off. Here is how to make the transition without losing plants.
Crop Rotation Made Simple: Healthy Soil, Healthy Plants
Crop rotation is one of the most important principles in organic gardening. Learn how to rotate crops for healthier soil and bigger harvests.
Composting 101: Turn Kitchen Scraps into Garden Gold
Composting transforms waste into the best fertilizer money cannot buy. Learn how to set up and maintain a productive compost system.
Starting Seeds Indoors: A Beginner's Complete Guide
Starting seeds indoors gives you a head start on the season and saves money. Here is everything you need to know to grow strong seedlings.
Spring Bed Planning: How to Map Out Your Garden
Good bed planning is the foundation for a bountiful harvest. We show you step by step how to plan your garden beds for maximum yield.
Soil Testing: Know Your Ground Before You Plant
A simple soil test reveals pH, nutrients, and organic matter levels. This $15 investment can save you an entire season of guesswork.