The Yard
& GardenA LITTLE GROWING KNOW-HOW
A practical place to start

A little know-how.
A healthier garden.

Your first flowers. That slightly unhappy pot. The soil you are not quite sure about. Let’s work it out, one growing question at a time.

Start something small Explore the guides

Clear explanations. Useful illustrations. No perfect garden required.

An illustrative potting bench with calendula, seedlings, terracotta pots, potting mix and a watering can
A place for small beginnings.
Five useful starting points

Find your patch.

You do not need to learn everything at once. Start with the part of gardening in front of you.

Something looks off?

Look first.
Then lend a hand.

A symptom is a clue. These guides help you check what is happening before changing the care.

Begin with the basics

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Start with one pot of flowers

A small first planting gives you fewer variables to learn at once.

Read a plant label before buying

The small print can save you from choosing a plant your space cannot support.

Choose a pot by its roots, not its flowers

The next container should fit the root ball and the plant's near future.

Check moisture below the surface

A pale, dry-looking top layer may conceal plenty of water around the roots.

A closer look below the surface

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The drainage hole must lead somewhere

A hole is useful only when water can actually leave the container.

Potting mix and garden soil do different jobs

A container changes the conditions in which roots, air, and water meet.

Set up your first compost bin

Begin with suitable materials and a place you can reach in ordinary weather.

Three signs that repotting may be due

Use a combination of root, water, and growth observations.

You bring the curiosity.

We’ll help with the next sensible step. Growing conditions differ, so our guides explain what to look for rather than asking every plant to follow the same calendar.