Looking for a unique, personal and affordable gift this holiday season? Consider something from your garden.

Don’t let a tight budget stop you from starting seeds indoors. Get creative and involve the whole family in the process.

Turn your attention indoors and give those tender annuals overwintering a bit of TLC.

Break out your favorite vegetable dip and grab a handful or two of carrots and celebrate National Carrot Day on February 3rd. And add these tasty and nutritional vegetables to your garden plan this season.

Don’t discard those left over seeds from last season. When properly stored, many seeds can last for years, saving you money when you plan and plant this year’s garden.

Don’t let outdated garden catalogs and magazines go to waste. Give them a second life by creating a colorful collage.

Get a jump on the growing season and save money by creating a growing chart.

Don’t let past problems starting plants from seeds prevent you from partaking in this fun and budget-wise garden activity. A clean start and proper care can be the difference between success and failure.

Carrots, lettuce, begonia and other small seeds can be difficult to plant at the proper spacing. Reduce wasting seeds and time spent thinning seedlings.

Overcrowded, poor flowering and floppy perennials can be invigorated with a shovel and a bit of your time and energy.

Give egg shells and empty egg cartons a second life in your garden. Use them for starting plants from seeds.

Plants are the easiest way to bring birds into your landscape, but you may want to increase the number and diversity of winged visitors by supplementing with a few feeders.

Recycle your old newspapers into biodegradable pots for starting seeds this year. It is a money-saving activity the whole family will enjoy.

Make this the year you finally start and keep a gardening journal. Keeping records of your successes, failures, pest problems and weather will help you grow a healthy, beautiful and productive garden in a more eco-friendly manner.

Grab the calendar, your garden plans and take a look at your area’s climate history before you start planting.

A tangle of carrots, ill-formed beets, and non-existent radish roots mean it’s time to add thinning to your gardening list.

It’s that time of year when your mailbox or inbox is filled with garden catalogs. Take advantage of the beautiful pictures and great ideas to help plan additions and changes to this year’s garden.

Help small children handle the anticipation and adults deal with the stress of the holidays while creating a few homegrown gifts.

All you need is a container with drainage holes, well-drained potting mix and red lettuce seeds. Fill the container with the potting mix. Sprinkle the lettuce seed over the soil surface, Lightly cover with potting mix and gently water. Loosely cover with plastic to keep the soil moist and reduce the need to water.

Don’t throw those peach pits, avocado and grapefruits seeds into the compost pile. Have a little family fun and try growing these into a memory.

Make homegrown onions part of your diet. Their flavor is guaranteed to add zest to your meals and their health benefits include lowering the risk of many cancers.

Give them a chill and stop the tears. Cooling your onions and cutting into the root end last reduces the tear inducing impact of the onions sulfuric compounds. And consider improving the flavor and fun by growing your own onions from seed.

Give garden transplants a helping hand as they move from the warm humid greenhouse or inside your home to the harsh outdoors.

Fall is here and that means its time to harvest and select the perfect pumpkin for your garden or Halloween display.

Sunflowers are a favorite for kids of all ages. Not only are they fun to grow, they’re also great to eat – that is - if you can beat the birds and squirrels to the seeds.

Have a bit of fun and stretch your gardening muscles with kitchen scrap gardening.

Create a new plant from your favorite heirloom vine or shrub with layering. Try using this method with raspberries, climbing roses, forsythia, and jasmine.

Make the most of this extra day during leap year and do something you enjoy. And for many of us that involves a garden.

Take advantage of weekends, holidays and school vacations to get the children in your life involved with vegetable gardening.

Get a jump on the growing season by using a cold frame. Build your own and be kind to the environment and your budget by using reclaimed wood and old window sashes or storm doors.

Memorial Day is a traditional planting weekend for many of us. Whether you are just getting started, changing out your seasonal displays or finishing up, consider adding sunflowers to your landscape.

The holidays are filled with lots of delicious foods and sweets. But now is the time to resolve to grow your own vegetables and eat healthier in the New Year.

As you thumb through catalogues or peruse online seed sources your wish list may be growing. Check your seed inventory before placing your final order.

Whether you are sharing a piece of a favorite plant, a bit of family history, or a shared memory, pass-along plants have long been a part of the gardening tradition.

Start new plants from your favorite heirloom grape, rose, trumpet creeper or other vine.

Are you like me and always squeeze in that extra tomato plant, another row of beans or that one left over pepper plant? It seemed like a good idea at the time. But now you have more produce than you need.

Don’t throw away or recycle those fast food containers just yet. Reuse them when gardening indoors and out.

Don’t drag that Christmas tree to the curb. Give it a second life in your landscape.

Cut trees make great windbreaks in the landscape. Strategically place discarded Christmas trees on the windward side of rhododendron, boxwood and other broadleaf evergreens to reduce problems with winter burn.

Carving pumpkins is a fun Halloween tradition. But don’t let those pumpkin seeds go to waste; try roasting them into a healthy snack for you and your family to enjoy.

As you pack away the garden hose, tools and other supplies don’t forget about the left over seeds. Proper storage can extend their life - and that means you need to buy fewer seeds next season.

Be a part of history and save money when planting next year’s garden. Collect and save the seeds from your favorite heirloom tomatoes this fall.

Be a part of history and save money when planting next year’s garden. Collect and save the seeds from your favorite heirloom tomatoes this fall.

Increase seed starting success and fun with the sealed lid method my friend and horticulturist Bob Polomski learned from his father.

Whether you are trying to start plants from seeds, get your African violets to bloom, or keeping your indoor plants alive, a bit of extra light can help.

Your mailbox and dining room table are overflowing with catalogs filled with pictures of beautiful flowers and scrumptious vegetables. With so many choices it can be a bit overwhelming – I can help.

Do you have trouble properly spacing the small seeds of carrots, radishes or lettuce? It's easy to end up with half the package in one short row. This is a waste of seed and time spent thinning.

Expand your indoor and outdoor garden by taking cuttings from your favorite plants.

Keep your green thumbs busy starting new plants from kitchen scraps.

Extend the gardening fun and save money by starting your plants from seed.

It’s never too early to start preparing for winter. Start taking cuttings from annuals and herbs you want to overwinter indoors. Your garden plants are healthier and will root faster now than they will later in the season.

Some of your impatiens, geraniums and other annuals overwintering indoors may be looking a bit unkempt. Break out the pruners and get busy with a little grooming.