From the Garden
The Plot Blog
Notes from the beds — what actually works when you grow your own food.
Latest Guide
Plant Garlic Now: The Complete Guide
Plant garlic in the wrong week and you'll be staring at a tray of mushy cloves by spring. Here's the timing, the technique, and the gear — matched to your zone so you plant before the ground freezes.
More Guides
How to Plan Your Entire Growing Season — Down to the Day — in Just Minutes
The difference between a garden that feeds you and a garden that overwhelms you is decided before the first seed goes in. Here's how to turn your goals, space, and zone into a full season calendar — planting dates, harvest windows, and weekly chores — in about five minutes.
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Best Compost Bins for Home Gardens
You don't need a fancy setup to turn kitchen scraps into black gold. Size, aeration, pest resistance, and the honest effort each bin type demands — with a con and a fix on every pick.
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Extend Your Season: Cold Frames & Row Covers
Frost dates are averages, not laws. The unheated box and the floating blanket that buy you four to six extra weeks of harvest — with an honest con on every pick and the ten-dollar tool that makes the whole system foolproof.
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Best Seed-Starting Kits & Grow Lights
You don't need a greenhouse to grow a real garden. The light, the heat, and the head start that make indoor seed starting actually work — with an honest con on every kit, and the one that pays for itself.
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When to Plant Fall Vegetables, by Zone
The best harvest of your whole year is hiding in the next six weeks, and most people never plant for it. Get the zone-by-zone fall planting schedule — the frost math, cold-hardy picks, and the gear that stretches your season.
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Best Raised Garden Beds (2026): Lessons from Monticello
What a founding father's hanging garden can teach you about buying a raised bed today. Cedar, steel, or fabric? An honest con on every pick, the exact kit I'd buy, and the checklist that keeps your soil (not just your frame) doing the work.
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What to Plant in September (Zone-by-Zone)
September is the second spring. Here's what's still worth planting in your zone — count-by-zone tables, frost-date math, and the gear that stretches your fall.
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Starting an Herb Garden: The 8 Easiest Herbs to Grow at Home
Fresh herbs transform cooking — and they're surprisingly easy to grow. Here are the 8 best herbs for beginners, including how to grow them in containers or raised beds.
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Fall Gardening: What to Plant in Autumn for a Second Harvest
Most gardeners stop in summer. Fall is your secret second season — cooler temps actually improve flavour in many crops. Here's what to plant and when by zone.
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The Best Soil Mix for Raised Beds (Mel's Mix and Alternatives)
What to fill your raised bed with — the classic Mel's Mix formula, budget-friendly alternatives, and how to improve soil over time without spending a fortune.
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How to Grow Tomatoes: The Complete Guide for Any Zone
Everything you need to grow great tomatoes — from seed starting and transplanting to staking, pruning, watering, and dealing with common problems.
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When to Start Seeds Indoors: A Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar
Timing your seed starts right is the difference between a great harvest and a wasted season. Here's exactly when to start seeds indoors based on your USDA grow zone.
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The 12 Best Vegetables for a Small Garden or Raised Bed
Limited space? These 12 high-yield, compact vegetables give you the most food per square foot. Includes spacing tips and companion planting suggestions.
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USDA Plant Hardiness Zones Explained — How to Use Them
What is a USDA hardiness zone? How do you find yours? And what does it actually mean for what you can grow? A plain-language guide with frost date charts.
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How Much Does a Vegetable Garden Actually Cost? (With Real Numbers)
We break down the real cost of starting a vegetable garden — seeds, soil, beds, tools — and show you which vegetables give the best return on investment.
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Companion Planting: What to Grow Together (and What to Keep Apart)
A practical guide to companion planting — which vegetables, herbs, and fruits grow better together, which repel pests, and which combinations to avoid.
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Square Foot Gardening: The Beginner's Complete Guide
Learn how to grow more food in less space using the square foot gardening method. Spacing charts, plant recommendations, and how to plan your first raised bed.
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Detailed grow guides for 40+ vegetables, herbs, and fruits — companion planting, zones, spacing, ROI.