Early summer mornings in the garden often begin with quiet joy—coffee in hand, sunlight catching on dew-kissed leaves, and the promise of tomatoes ripening on the vine… until you notice a chewed leaf, a trail of droppings, or a wilted squash plant. Friend, I’ve been there. The first time I discovered hornworms on my heirloom…
A No-Fuss Organic Guide for a Lush, Productive Garden If you’re anything like me, by mid-summer your tomatoes and peppers are loaded with flowers, bursting with green fruit—and attracting every bug in a five-mile radius. These heavy-feeders need just the right kind of support to keep producing through the heat, and a solid organic routine…
Some parts of my garden get a little too cozy with the shade — tucked under trees, beside fences, or on the north side of the house. But that doesn’t mean I have to settle for dull, empty corners. With the right shade-loving plants, you can turn those low-light spots into lush, colorful retreats. In…
And how to keep your harvest from frying on the vine. There’s nothing quite like watching your summer garden burst with fruit—until you spot a big, pale patch on what should’ve been your perfect tomato. That’s sunscald, and it’s not just a cosmetic issue. In hot climates like Zone 9, it can turn beautiful produce…
Because every drop counts. When I first started gardening seriously in Zone 9, I didn’t think much about how I watered—I just knew the plants needed it, and I gave it to them. But over time, I realized that how we water matters just as much as how we plant, prune, or fertilize. With water…
More space. More sunshine. More success. Thinning might feel a little counterintuitive—why pull up healthy little seedlings after all that effort to get them to sprout? But here’s the truth: overcrowded plants compete for nutrients, water, and sunlight, and that slows down everyone. Thinning gives your strongest seedlings the breathing room they need to thrive….