Basics

Whether you're new to gardening or experienced, everyone needs some gardening basics to get going!

In this category, you'll find a wealth of information that spans a wide number of topics. From seed starting to grow bag gardening, pruning tips to raised bed tricks, you'll find the fundamentals of gardening awaiting you here.

While it's optimized towards new gardeners, even a pro can find useful tips in our Basics category. We all need to get back to basics sometimes, and there are always useful tools and tips that other gardeners have developed along the way to add to your own practices.

Our Basics category can inspire you to new gardening heights, too. Those who have experience with in-ground planting can learn about other techniques such as raised beds or vertical gardening.

An elevated planter in a garden with a variety of vegetables, with flowering plants outside of the box.

Raised Bed Gardening

11 Tips to Increase Production in Your Raised Bed Garden

Gardening in raised beds is an increasing trend for growers who want more control over soil health and bend over less when harvesting and pruning. But how do we increase our yields while still enjoying our time in the garden? Join organic farmer Jenna Rich for 11 tips to maximize production in your raised bed garden.

Closeup of a milkweed pod in a field, with hundreds of dark brown ripe ovules inside the pod.

Seeds

How to Collect Native Plant Seeds

Native plants reseed readily when they’re thriving. Collect some seeds to spread them where you’d like! That way you’ll have native plants in every corner of your garden. Learn how to best collect and germinate these seeds alongside native plant gardener Jerad Bryant.

Light morning dew on the lawn after the rain.

Seeds

When and How to Plant Grass Seed

If you have patchy grass and envision a lushly bladed zone punctuating planting beds, now is the time to get sowing. Depending on your growing area, the optimal time to plant grass seed is late summer and early fall. Grass seed grows quickly and, with care in site preparation, creates a leafy lawn in no time.

Deemed as one of the crops plant in August, a person is placing artichoke saplings in dark brown soil with a metal watering can in the background

Gardening Tips

11 Crops To Plant In August

August brings simultaneous harvesting and selective planting. When it comes to crops to start in August, the best ones bridge warm late-summer temperatures and extend into cooler days and nights. So, what’s the Epic Gardening team planting in our late summer gardens? Join gardener Katherine Rowe to learn what Kevin and the expert crew select as August favorites for late-season crops.

A bunch of Alluium sativum in net bags and green crates, being sold at a shop.

Gardening Inspiration

Can You Plant Store-Bought Garlic?

Garlic is a staple in the kitchen, and it should be in the vegetable garden, too! Have you ever wondered if you can grow your own from the bulbs you buy at the local shop? Gardening expert Melissa Strauss has the answers to this question.

Fe EDTA tablets arranged on a table.

Gardening Tips

How to Use Chelated Iron in the Garden

Although gardeners often apply nitrogen and potassium fertilizers to plants, they sometimes overlook micronutrients like iron. Join farmer Briana Yablonski to learn about iron fertilizers and how chelated iron can help your plants.

Closeup of a gardener deadheading wilted flowers of a plant using pruning shears.

Gardening Tips

11 Garden Tasks To Do In August

There’s still plenty of summer to enjoy, with harvests, flowers, and buzzing birds and pollinators. Late summer is a time of managing water and plant health, weeding out unwanted volunteers, and shaping leggy, ragged stems. It’s also an opportunity to make plans for the coming cool season. Learn about August garden maintenance with gardening expert Katherine Rowe to extend the season.

The cottagecore garden with a large brick mansion features a charming mix of wildflowers, climbing roses, and rustic pathways, surrounded by lush greenery and cozy nooks for relaxation.

Gardening Inspiration

9 Ideas For Creating Your Fairy Tale Cottagecore Garden

Cottagecore offers swoon-worthy florals, foliage, and fragrance in loose, informal displays. Evoking lovely and functional village and countryside gardens, contemporary cottage themes combine plant selection with pollinator services. With a bit of planning, the romantic style is within reach. Here, garden designer Katherine Rowe explores how to achieve the dreamy aesthetic.