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Garden Fundamentals

What Every Gardener Should Know About Their Growing Space

Published on February 27, 2025 โ™› By Melissa J. Will

Bee with pollen on its legs hovering over echinacea flower.

Knowing your gardenโ€™s growing conditions helps you select the right plants, plan for seasonal changes, and make sustainable choices. Use these tips to create your own garden profile, covering … [Read more...]

How to Save Seeds: Collecting Seeds From Your Garden Plants

Published on June 3, 2024 โ™› By Melissa J. Will

Collage with bird eating seeds from flower head and collected seeds

Follow these tips to harvest and store seeds from your flowers, fruits, and veggies. With the right timing and storage, you'll have free seeds ready for next season. To make seeds last as long as … [Read more...]

How to Grow Peonies & Get Blooms

Published on April 5, 2024 โ™› By Melissa J. Will

Dark and light pink peony flowers.

Use these tips to grow peonies for a yearly show of gorgeous blooms. Weโ€™ve answered common questions for the care of these favorite, long-living perennials. We also have 6 Tips for Growing … [Read more...]

Bolting: Why Vegetable Plants Bolt & How to Deal With It

Published on March 17, 2024 โ™› By Melissa J. Will

Lettuce plants bolting in the garden.

Wondering if your plants are bolting? Learn how to recognize bolting, find out if bolted vegetable plants are edible, and use our tips to prevent it in the future. The plants affected by bolting … [Read more...]

5 Most Common Seed Starting Problems & How to Fix Them

Published on March 11, 2024 โ™› By Melissa J. Will

Seedlings growing indoors under grow lights.

If you started seeds indoors and they are not germinating or sprout but then struggle, this will help troubleshoot the problem. If you're just getting started, this shows my indoor seed starting … [Read more...]

What to Know Before Adding Coffee Grounds to Your Garden

Published on February 28, 2024 โ™› By Melissa J. Will

Coffee cup and garden tomatoes

While coffee grounds are a source of plant nutrients, they can cause problems. The best practice is to compost them first before using them as a soil amendment. If you want to improve your soil, … [Read more...]

What to Know Before Reusing Old Potting Mix

Published on February 23, 2024 โ™› By Melissa J. Will

Garden trowel, potting mix, and potted flowers.

While reusing potting mix is common, it can harbor disease and impact plant health. Use our tips to determine when it's time for a refresh. We also have this handy soil calculator to figure out … [Read more...]

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Melissa J. Will - Empress of DirtWelcome!
I’m Melissa J. Will a.k.a. the Empress of Dirt (Ontario, Canada).
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