HISTORICAL FACTS: 17 - Caught on Camera

Why Are More Gardeners Choosing Plants With Multiple Uses?

Gardens have started working a little harder these days. A single plant no longer earns praise just because it looks pretty. Many gardeners now look for varieties that can decorate a flower bed, flavor dinner, feed pollinators, and even help neighboring plants all at the same time.

Frugal Gardening · Jul 31

Should You Cut Back Perennials That Flop After Heavy Rain?

One pounding rainstorm can turn a picture-perfect flower bed into what looks like a botanical traffic accident. Tall stems lean sideways, blooms rest on the ground, and suddenly those carefully planned borders resemble a pile of spilled laundry. The temptation to grab the pruners and start cutting everything down feels…

Frugal Gardening · Jul 31

7 Crops That Can Be Grown Under Taller Summer Plants

Every square foot of a summer garden holds more potential than it might seem. Tall tomatoes, towering corn, climbing beans, and sprawling sunflowers create pockets of welcome shade that protect certain crops from scorching afternoon heat while making better use of valuable growing space.

Frugal Gardening · Jul 31

Are Old-Fashioned Flowers Making a Comeback in Modern Gardens?

Old-fashioned flowers have stepped back into the spotlight, and today’s gardens look better because of it. Gardeners now hunt for fragrant blooms, rich colors, and timeless favorites that filled family gardens decades ago instead of chasing every flashy new hybrid that appears on store shelves.

Frugal Gardening · Jul 30

What Is the Best Use for Tomato Suckers You Remove?

Tomato suckers often look like little troublemakers stealing energy from the main plant, but those tiny shoots can become valuable garden helpers. Instead of tossing them into the compost pile, gardeners can turn many tomato suckers into new plants, extra harvests, or nutrient-rich compost.

Frugal Gardening · Jul 30

What Should You Do When Beans Stop Flowering in High Heat?

Green bean plants can look perfectly healthy one week, then suddenly decide that flowers have become an unnecessary luxury. In high heat, bean plants often stop producing new blossoms, drop existing flowers, or produce flowers that never develop into pods. The good news: this usually does not mean the plants…

Frugal Gardening · Jul 29

Can a Mini Bog Garden Work in a Small Backyard?

A mini bog garden can work beautifully in a small backyard, and it does not require a pond, a sprawling property, or a landscape crew arriving with a small excavator. A watertight container, the right growing medium, consistent moisture, and a handful of plants that enjoy soggy conditions can create…

Frugal Gardening · Jul 29

5 Ways to Prevent Sunscald on Peppers and Eggplants

Sunscald can turn beautiful peppers and eggplants into vegetables with pale, leathery, damaged patches, and the problem often starts with something that seems like good news: plenty of sunshine. Both crops need sunlight to produce well, but fruit that suddenly loses leaf cover can take a direct hit from intense…

Frugal Gardening · Jul 29

Why Are More People Growing Food on Tabletops and Railings?

A garden no longer needs a backyard, a fence line, or even a patch of dirt. More people now grow herbs, greens, strawberries, peppers, and compact vegetables in containers perched on tabletops and secured to railings, turning overlooked spaces into surprisingly productive little food gardens.

Frugal Gardening · Jul 29

8 Cheap Materials for Building Temporary Plant Supports

A garden does not need a trip to the garden center every time a tomato flops sideways or a young pepper plant starts leaning like it has had a very long day. Temporary plant supports can come from surprisingly ordinary materials, and many of the best options already sit in…

Frugal Gardening · Jul 29