Featured guide · Watering
How to Water Container Plants: A Practical Routine
How to tell when pots and hanging baskets need water, how much to give, the best time of day, and how to cut down on daily watering.
Plain-English gardening know-how
Garden Guides
Practical, plain-English guides for home gardeners: watering, compost, seedlings, and small vegetable beds.
Garden Guides explains common home-gardening jobs step by step, with checklists you can use outdoors, so beginners can avoid the most frequent mistakes.
Browse by topic
Latest guides
Soil & compost
How to Start a Compost Heap: Greens, Browns and Common Problems
A beginner's guide to making garden compost: what to add, how to balance greens and browns, and how to fix a heap that smells or won't rot.
Growing food
How to Harden Off Seedlings Before Planting Out
A step-by-step plan for moving indoor-raised seedlings outdoors gradually, with a simple day-by-day schedule and signs that plants are stressed.
Growing food
How to Plan a Small Vegetable Bed: Site, Size and What to Grow
Plan a first vegetable bed that is easy to manage: choosing a sunny site, picking a sensible size, preparing soil, and choosing forgiving crops.