What is on this site
This site is for gardeners who want practical advice, not just pretty pictures. You’ll find guides on growing everything from windowsill herbs to full backyard plots, troubleshooting common problems, and stories about the plants that thrive—or fail—in real conditions.
The site is organized by what you need to do, not by plant type. Start with the basics—soil, sunlight, tools—then move to seasonal tasks like sowing seeds, pruning, or extending the harvest. Every guide is written for the way gardens *actually* work, not the way they look in magazines.
| Where | What is there | Go here if |
|---|---|---|
| The Basics | Soil tests, sunlight maps, tool reviews | you’re starting a new garden |
| Seasonal Guides | Planting charts, pruning tips, pest control | you’re not sure when to sow |
| Plant Profiles | Growth habits, care needs, common issues | you’re choosing plants for your space |
| Troubleshooting | Yellow leaves, wilting, poor yields | something in your garden isn’t right |
How to read a page here
Every page starts with a clear goal—like ‘How to grow tomatoes in containers’—and a list of what you’ll need: tools, time, and conditions.
The steps are numbered, but the notes in the margins (marked with a leaf icon) are where the real advice lives: things like ‘Skip this step if your climate is humid’ or ‘Use a fan if your seedlings are leggy.’
Measurements are in both metric and imperial, but timings are always in hours or days—never vague phrases like ‘let it sit.’ If a step has a warning (marked with a skull icon), it means skipping it will ruin the plant.
Ignore the sidebars on your first read: they’re extra tips, not requirements.
At the end of each page, you’ll find a ‘Quick Fix’ section for common mistakes and a ‘What to Try Next’ list if you want to experiment.
When it does not work
If a guide isn’t solving your problem, it’s usually because your garden isn’t matching the conditions described. Check your soil pH, sunlight hours, or watering habits first—most failures start there. The site assumes average conditions, but real gardens are never average.
Before you give up
- Double-check your plant’s sunlight needs against your location (use the ‘Sunlight Calculator’ in The Basics).
- Test your soil—even ‘good’ soil can be missing key nutrients or too dense for roots.
- Read the ‘Notes’ section at the bottom of the page for climate-specific tweaks.
- Try the ‘Troubleshooting’ section for your plant type—90% of problems are listed there.
Who we are
This site is built by someone who still scratches her knees from kneeling in dirt.
| The colophon | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Shawna Fitzgerald, who grows most of what she writes about in a raised bed behind a 1950s bungalow in upstate New York. |
| Tested in | A 4x8-foot shed-turned-greenhouse with a leaky roof, a compost bin that never fully breaks down, and a windowsill so sunny it could power a small town. |
| Written with | A trowel that’s lost its edge, a moisture meter that lies sometimes, and a notebook full of half-finished plant experiments. |
| Learned from | Her grandmother, who said ‘Plants don’t care about your schedule’ and meant it—every lesson came with a scolding for rushing. |
| Still getting wrong | The exact moment to harvest green beans. They’re always either too tough or too soft. |
Gardening is the only hobby where failure looks exactly like success—until you dig up the roots. The best lessons come from the plants that didn’t make it.
If you need something that is not here
If you’re looking for a plant that isn’t covered, a solution to a problem we haven’t documented, or just want to argue about whether basil belongs in the kitchen or the garden, start with the ‘Suggest a Topic’ form on the contact page.
Tell us what’s missing—and why it matters to you.
The guides are grouped by category: Advice, Aphids, Blooming, Companion Plants, Fertilization and How To.