Gardening

Carrots have been a staple food for centuries in Europe, Africa, and Asia for their easy care, nutritive value, and versatility in food preparation. Their rainbow of colors attracts gardeners today, a feature popular with children for snacking and growing in school and home gardens.

Learn why soil testing is essential for healthy plants. Discover how to assess and improve soil quality for optimal growth in your garden or farm.

Learn effective landscape watering strategies for drought conditions, helping conserve water while keeping plants healthy and thriving during dry spells.

> 10 Earth-friendly moves > Care for specialized plants > Fall is a good time for garden clean-up Whether your garden is postage stamp or baseball field size, whether filled with succulents, roses, lawn or vegetables, routine maintenance is key to keeping plants healthy and productive.

Colorful flowers and towering trees are lovely, but plants are so much more than that.

You can get a jump start on new plants by growing them from seeds indoors. This is a good way to grow edible plants, because there are many more varieties available from seed. Learn more about growing edibles from seed.

Once youve got healthy soil, keeping it that way is mostly about maintaining a desirable environment for the many creatures that live there. Here are some of the ways to keep your soil healthy. Allow leaves to decompose in the garden.

Wisteria sinensis, Wikimedia Commons Vines are usually grown for a purpose: to cast shade over an arbor, hide an unattractive chain link fence, or splay out over a hillside. If you're considering adding a vine to your garden, it is critical that you know its ultimate size.

When transplanting natives, dig hole the same depth and twice as wide as the pot. Metropolitan Water District of Southern California When planting natives, it is important to fully soak the soil before planting. The hole should be the same depth as the pot and twice as wide.

> Three zones of defensible space > Guidelines for plant spacing > Woodpiles, decks, tanks, & other fire hazards > Choosing plants for a fire-smart landscape > Fighting fire on a slope > Fire-smart home landscape design examples To create defensible space, think about your garden in three zones.