Sunflowers have changed their ways in the last few years. They used to be country cousins, handsome and bold but a bit too rustic. Their single stalks were awkward and prone to toppling over, they took up too much room in an ordinary garden, and they were so blatantly yellow. Today, they’re starring in beautiful bouquets and adding dramatic presence to gardens everywhere. Many current seed catalogs list pages of sunflower...

Growing vegetables is incredible fun and easier than you might think. Here’s a helpful list of growing recommendations for gardeners starting their first vegetable garden, as well as for the veteran gardener starting a new garden. One of the most common mistakes of new gardeners is trying to cram too many plants into a given space. I know because I’ve made that mistake myself! Pay attention to the amount of...

The secret to making your flowering trees, shrubs, annuals, and perennials bloom more is in the numbers. All fertilizers have analysis numbers on package. These numbers represent the percentage of each chemical the contains. For example, 12-12-12 is a typical garden garden fertilizer that would contain 12% nitrogen, 12% phosphorous, and 12% potassium. The quick explanation is; nitrogen produces vegetative, or top...