Gardening Basics
Start here if you are new to gardening: choose a site with the right sun and drainage, plan beds and timing for your hardiness zone, prepare soil, make compost and mulch so your garden needs less water and weeding.
Better Home Garden
Better Home Garden is a practical guide to growing things at home. Plan a new garden, test and improve your soil, grow vegetables, flowers and herbs in beds or containers, water efficiently and keep a lawn healthy season by season. Planting and care timing depends on your climate, so our guides explain how to check your hardiness zone and your local cooperative extension advice.
Plants and Growing
How to grow vegetables, flowers and herbs in beds and containers: choosing plants for your conditions, sowing and transplanting, watering, feeding and the routine care that keeps plants healthy through the season.
Lawn Care
Keep a lawn healthy with the basics done well: mowing at the right height, watering deeply but less often, fertilizing to a soil test, aerating compacted soil, repairing bare patches and following a seasonal plan for your grass type.
Garden Tools
The hand tools and watering equipment that make everyday garden jobs easier: which basic tools a beginner needs for digging, planting and pruning, how to use them well, and how to water beds efficiently with drip irrigation and soaker hoses.
Soil and Plant Health
Healthy plants start with healthy soil.
Garden Design
Plan a garden that suits your space and the time you have: raised beds, paths and small-space layouts, low-maintenance planting and pollinator-friendly gardens that support bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects.
Latest Guides
Research-based guides, newest first
Raised Garden Beds: Sizes, Materials and Setup
Plan raised garden beds: width, height and path spacing, how wood, metal, block and composite compare, what to fill them with and how to water them.
How to Start a Container Garden: Pots, Mix and Care
Start a container garden that lasts the season: pot sizes by crop, drainage, soilless potting mix, sun, daily watering and a simple fertilizer schedule.
How to Build a Lawn Care Schedule by Grass Type
Build a yearly lawn care schedule around your grass type: when to fertilize, seed, aerate and control weeds, plus mowing heights and watering amounts.
How to Prepare Soil for a New Garden
Prepare soil for a new garden bed: test pH and nutrients, clear sod, add the right amount of compost, check moisture before digging and avoid over-tilling.
Drip Irrigation Basics for Home Gardens
How a home drip irrigation system works: the parts from spigot to emitter, how to lay it out for beds and rows, how long to run it and how to maintain it.
Gardening for Beginners: A Practical Starter Guide
How to start a first garden: pick a sunny, well-drained site, test and improve the soil, choose easy crops, plant at the right time and keep the work small.