Trellises are essential for vining plants, such as pole beans, peas, and some varieties of squashes or cucumbers. (Check the tag or the seed packet. Varieties that don’t need a trellis are usually called “bush” variety.)

It doesn’t take an acre of space to grow fresh produce at home. Here are some easy ways to grow fresh herbs, fruits, and veggies in containers.

This post is the final in a series of three that will help you start a home composting bin.

This post is the second in a series of three that will help you start a home composting bin.

This post is the first in a series of three that will help you start a home composting bin.

Fall traditionally ushers in the harvest season; a cornucopia overflowing with gifts from the earth is a traditional symbol of the bounty of autumn. For the backyard gardener, it’s just as important to celebrate the small harvests.

Cool weather doesn’t have to mean the end of gardening. In fact, in warmer climates fall and winter gardens can be more rewarding than their summer counterparts! Last year, my backyard garden in Austin, Texas, fed us leafy greens, broccoli and other brassicas from November until late March, when I finally had to pull them to make room for a summer crop. The cool weather kept the pests at bay and a wide variety of leafy greens helped keep things interesting — and that’s when I realized that fall and winter were my favorite gardening seasons.

If you’ve ever tried your hand at gardening, even of the container variety, chances are you’ve heard at least a little about the importance of compost. That’s for good reason: healthy compost mixed with soil will give your plants the nutrients they need to thrive.

Keeping up with the summer garden is chore enough, and dealing with a surplus can be vexing — and inspiring. Here’s what to do with too much of a good thing.

Avid home gardener and food blogger Amber shares three fresh menus she’s put together from her summer harvest.