Growing flowers and vegetables together helps all plants and adds color to your plot.
TECHNIQUES/METHODS
6 Best Seeds for a Bigger, Better Garden
It’s time to start planning your garden and ordering seeds! Check out these 15 great ideas for organic gardens.
12 The Next Step for Seed Savers
Now that you’ve saved your heirloom seeds, it is time to start a seed library to share with other seed savers.
17 Garden Transplanting: Expert Advice
Follow these four simple steps to help your seedlings make a smooth transition from pot to garden.
20 Maintain Healthy Garden Soil with Crop Rotations
Increase soil fertility and cut down on plant diseases by rotating crops on a three-year cycle.
23 Aquaponics in a Pond
Take advantage of the nutrients in your fish pond by floating a vegetable garden on top.
28 Your Garden’s Soil pH Matters
Infuse your gardening with a little chemistry so you can fine-tune your soil for healthy crops and high yields.
31 Winning Against Weeds
Keep weeds in their place with these seven organic techniques.
34 Wise Pairings
Plant a profusion of pollen- and nectar-rich flowers among your edible plants to help control pests, boost pollination, and provide eye-pleasing pops of color.
39 Expert Advice for Greenhouse Growing
Build a greenhouse in your backyard, and you’ll be amazed at its many uses.
44 Prune for Small-Space Fruit Trees
This revolutionary pruning method will enable you to grow any type and variety of fruit in small spaces. Never settle for an apple you don’t adore or a peach you can’t reach.
48 Grafting Fruit Trees
Fuse stems with rootstocks to form fast-growing, fruitbearing plants.
51 The Dirt on Composters
If you dig composting and want a tidy setup, try hiding your heap inside one of these bins or tumblers endorsed by our readers.
54 The Historic Art of Trellising
Colonial Williamsburg has mastered the art of using trellises in their gardens to ease the growth and harvest of everything from beans and peas to tomatoes and cucumbers.
DIY PLANS
58 Nifty Potting Bench Plans
Build a convenient in-garden work surface with storage for small tools and supplies.
61 DIY Greenhouse for Winter Growing
Growing food in this solarheated structure will be far more productive than doing
so with electric lights indoors. Plus, you can build it with lowcost materials.
66 8 DIY Cold Frames for Year-Round Gardening
Expand your growing season and upcycle local materials by building one (or a few!) of these simple, inexpensive cold frames.
SPRING
70 Create an Edible Landscape
A garden writer gives her outdoor dining area a European feel with four table grape varieties you can enjoy fresh off the vine. Her garden is just one example in this colorful feature.
76 Expert Tips for Growing Early Tomatoes
Want to fulfill your cravings and make your neighbors jealous? Add a whole month to your fresh-tomato season with these proven techniques.
78 Spring’s Sentinels: Asparagus and Chives
These two perennials arrive in the garden at the same moment, which makes them natural companions on the springtime table.
83 Grow Red Peppers
Here’s how to enjoy the rich, sweet flavors of ripe red peppers.
86 All About Growing Broccoli
As the most popular member of the cabbage family, broccoli pops up in everything from quick appetizers to elaborate main courses.
88 Grow Superb Strawberries
Growing your own is the best way to get first-rate flavor.
91 Enjoy Fresh Blackberries
They’re prolific and perennial –just about anyone can enjoy these tasty berries.
94 Grow Great Lettuce
This reliable crop is a top choice for any food garden.
112 3 Rare Root Crops You Should Be Growing
116 All About Growing Swiss Chard
Swiss chard has brought color, flavor and nutrition to gardens since the time of Aristotle.
118 The Other Onions
Don’t forget about the fall varieties like shallots, bulbing leeks, and multiplying onions.
122 #1 Expert Shares Organic Potato Tips
Professional potato producer Jim Gerritsen provides the full scoop on successfully growing and storing spuds.
126 Grow Great Garlic
Use this season-by-season guide to cultivate a treasure trove of fat, flavor-packed cloves.
128 Grow Your Best Fall Garden
Here’s expert advice for the next half of the gardening season.
134 Grow and Cook With Kohlrabi and Rosemary
Don’t be deterred by kohlrabi’s quirky appearance. Its crisp flesh
makes an excellent companion to strong herbs, such as rosemary, well into winter.
140 Fall Flavors: Perfectly Paired Apples and Onions
Root and fruit, savory and sweet, onions and apples complement each other in the garden and in delicious autumn dishes.
146 Sweet Potatoes and Shallots to Savor
Easy to grow and store, these roots pair well when tossed into decadent dishes.
152 Winter Gardening: Best Crops and Varieties
Don’t limit your harvests to summer, no matter your region. Grow these 13 crops that have proved they can take biting winter temps.
156 Grow Veggies With Quick Hoops
Double your garden’s productivity with these simple, inexpensive low tunnels.