i started my first herb garden for under $30 at trader joes, and now it’s thriving

Gardening

I Started My First Herb Garden for Under $30 at Trader Joe's, and Now It’s Thriving

Drescription

I live in New York City, where paved parks are far more common than community gardens—so my lack of gardening experience shouldn't come as a surprise to you.

Last year, I moved into a new apartment and have had the pleasure of having not just one, but two balconies. The catch is that they're both tiny, 4x6 foot spaces that can't accommodate much.

Since this is my first time having private outdoor space, I was determined to make something of my balcony this year and got the brilliant idea: why don't I start an herb garden? The rest is history.

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How I Started My First Herb Garden for Under $30

I'll be very honest upfront: the bulk of my garden cost came from everything but the herbs. I got a small, affordable bag of garden soil for about $10 from my local grocery store, and reused some hanging balcony planters that I had bought for an earlier (failed) attempt at outdoor gardening. The herbs themselves were $2.99 a pop from Trader Joe's, and I got myself some rosemary, cilantro, and basil—all for less than $10!

Purchasing planters can obviously push you over that $30 mark, but it doesn't have to. As long as you have a vessel you can drill a drainage hole into, anything can be a planter—even your coffee mugs.

Once I got the herbs from Trader Joe's, I took them out of the nursery pot that they came in, gently removed the dirt from around the plant, and then replanted it into my balcony planter with the fresh soil.

This might seem like cheating to some since I did not grow these herbs from seed, but I've been known to kill even the toughest plants, so I try to eliminate any factors working against me.

And, for the record, there are a lot of factors working against me here: It's my first time gardening outdoors, I've killed more plants than I want to admit, my balcony honestly doesn't get a lot of sunlight, and I don't have any of the tools that most gardeners typically have.

How I Keep My Herb Garden Thriving in a Small Space (Without Gardening Experience)

I went with herbs because it felt like the most small-space-friendly thing to grow, and I needed something I wouldn't have to repot anytime soon.

I was determined to give these plants everything they needed to thrive, so a lot of my garden maintenance looks like moving the pots around to ensure everyone gets the same amount of sunlight. I also established a weekly watering schedule, where I give my herbs a light watering if I know there's rain in the forecast, or a deeper watering if I know we're having a dry spell.

Maintenance tasks have never been my thing (I only recently learned that pruning is actually necessary for many plants to thrive) but I've also taken to giving my plants a good prune with kitchen scissors every now and then to promote healthier growth.

There was a moment when I thought my herbs with goners for sure, but they're bouncing back and thriving.

I haven't harvested any of my herbs yet for use in my kitchen, but my balcony smells fantastic, so I'm winning regardless.

Yellow Leaves on Your Begonias? 5 Things Gardeners Say You Should Check Right Now

Begonias are a favorite flower of both indoor and outdoor gardeners. Varieties like angel wing begonias and rex begonias make attractive houseplants thanks to their vividly patterned leaves, while wax begonias add cheer to garden beds with colorful blooms. But without the proper care and conditions, begonia leaves can turn yellow, signaling that something isn't right with your plant. The good news is that yellow leaves are your plant's way of communicating that something is wrong. The bad news is that several different factors could be the cause, so you'll need to do some investigating to address the problem. Here's why your begonia leaves may be turning yellow—and the first thing you should check to keep your plant looking healthy. Overwatering In general, the most likely cause of yellow begonia leaves is too much water due to either overwatering, poorly draining soils, or a container without adequate drainage. When your plant's soil remains soggy and saturated, its roots can't take up oxygen properly, leading to chlorosis, or yellowing leaves. Left untreated, overwatering can eventually result in root rot, which can seriously damage or even kill your plant. If your begonia has very wet, soggy soil or is planted in an area with poor drainage, that's likely the cause of its yellow leaves. Cut back on watering outdoor plants if possible. For container begonias, allow the soil to dry out completely before watering again. Going forward, check soil moisture regularly and only water once the top inch or so is dry. Consider repotting your plant in a potting mix that includes plenty of perlite for drainage, and ensure that the pot it's planted in has holes in the bottom. Avoid letting the plant sit in water in its cache pot or drip tray. Lack of Sunlight Begonias that don't receive sufficient sunlight may develop yellow leaves because they're not able to photosynthesize as much due to lack of light, which in turn creates similar conditions to overwatering, as plants use water as they turn sunlight into food. Indoors, begonias need bright, indirect light to thrive. Move container plants closer to the light source. Too Much Sunlight A begonia that's planted in a spot that gets an overabundance of harsh, direct sunlight can suffer from sunburn. The plant may develop pale brown spots on its leaves before slowly turning yellow and falling off. Move indoor or container begonias to a spot out of direct sun but with lots of indirect light. For in-ground plantings, consider installing shade cloth—and plan to seek out begonia varieties with a tolerance for full sun next season. Pest Problems Begonias can fall prey to common plant pests like mites, scale, whiteflies, and mealybugs, as well as slugs and snails when planted outdoors. Pest damage may appear as tiny yellow dots, or patches, or the edges of plant leaves may turn yellow and then brown. Examine your plant's leaves and stems closely for signs of pests, such as flat, oval-shaped brown bumps (scale insects), cottony masses (mealybugs), or sticky honeydew, which can be left behind by these sap-sucking insects as they feed. After quarantining your begonia from the rest of your collection, treat infested plants with horticultural oil or insecticidal soap to remove pests. Cut off any severely damaged leaves, bag them securely, and discard them in the trash to keep them from spreading. Monitor the plant closely and treat again if signs of pests return. Plant Diseases Some plant diseases can cause begonia leaves to turn yellow. Bacterial leaf spot can appear as yellow rings around water-soaked leaf areas, but it can be prevented by keeping the leaves as dry as possible during watering. Cut away damaged plant parts, bag them up, and throw them away—then sterilize your tools to keep from spreading the disease. Viruses can cause pale yellow rings or spots to form on begonia leaves as well. If you suspect a virus is the problem, remove, bag, and discard infected plants to prevent spread.

We Found The Best Garage Doors Ever – See For Yourself

Inever thought I’d be this excited to show you the prettiest garage doors ever. When we finally agreed to invest in making our garages better, our goal was to make them functional, but we had very low expectations on how beautiful they would be. Our garages aren’t on a street where neighbors can see (only friends and our trusted FedEx guys would see them), they aren’t part of our curb appeal (not attached to the house), so our goal was “better and basic” (along with “dry, not disgusting, less spiders and mold,” and ultimately way less dangerous). But today we are talking specifically about the doors – what we now call the best garage doors ever. And because I clearly have a disorder where I can’t do anything simply or “without obsessing about how pretty it could be,” therefore I ended up choosing these pretty doors that make me so happy – far happier than predicted. Before we get into the full post, here is a fun little video (just wait for the ad to play:)) The Before Here is where we started 5 years ago. We knew we were lucky to have this huge garage at all (right?), but they weren’t in the best shape, and everything needed repair. We ignored them for a couple of years, finally hiring the most affordable painter in town who was willing to just paint without any prep (a real literal lipstick on a pig situation) because they were such an eyesore after our house was finally done. But we knew they were not in good enough condition to invest in scraping and painting properly. The fresh coat kinda helped, but otherwise we didn’t touch them for another 3 years. Starting in January, we knew that we needed the storage soon because we wanted to start restoring the original carriage house on the property. We’d need the garages to be our future and permanent storage space for my vintage hoarding and any future product lines (not to mention life and holiday stuff). So we hired my brother’s brand-new company, Afore Construction, to fix them up, and new garage doors were a clear must. I received multiple word-of-mouth recommendations for Ponderosa, a local (and experienced) garage door installer. I reached out and really loved their customer service, speed, communication style (fast and personal with easy text notifications), and variety of great door products. After telling Ken, the owner, that I wanted carriage-style doors, he suggested we work with a company called Clopay because they are meant to be the best garage doors, with a massive variety of customization and styles (ours are vintage style, but they certainly have very contemporary and modern as well). They range in price, as expected, and ours are more than average, but for our style of property (more historic and antique), we felt we needed to pick something that really aligned with the property. Turns out even though I promised myself “I didn’t care”, more focused on function and speed – turns out I always care, always. I chose the Canyon Ridge Elements garage doors, and to get all specific about them (should you want to copy them exactly), they are low-maintenance, insulated steel garage doors with composite overlays. We chose Design 22 (how the diagonal lines are designed) with the SQ23 windows (size and configuration style) and had them all painted SW Dutch Tile Blue (they can match any Sherwin-Williams color). My goodness, are they beautiful. Ponderosa installed them in one day – ONE DAY!! They arrived, a team of 3, and powered through without me having to do a thing. And they were extremely professional, knowledgeable, and just so impressive. 10/10 service. They texted their eta, and were so easy to communicate with, with everything being electronic (so not a lot of annoying contracts and paperwork at the end). They offer a 5-star service program which provides annual maintenance and has the quietest motor (and it’s oddly quiet, not something I thought I’d care about, but it’s really lovely). They are also very hard to break into with high-end steel and mechanisms, which is clearly important. We added the faux handles and strappings in black to make them look more vintage, working with the farm design of the property. And we wanted windows on top to add natural light inside (and charm). They had a lot of options for all of these elements, both in style and color (we chose the spear style strap). I literally couldn’t be happier with what we chose and how they turned out – they add such charm and are super high quality. And there is a slightly “faux” wood grain finish to the garage doors that adds a really nice texture, which I was SO relieved looked fantastic in person (I’m always nervous about faux anything, but this is not cheesy, just subtle and nice). We chose to have each controlled separately, with individual codes, and inside, there are convenient buttons to open and close. The garage doors on the inside are clean, and the windows add nice natural light. Ponderosa really nailed the execution, and they function so perfectly, quietly, and just so seamlessly (zero annoyance to me and super intuitive to figure out). I wish I had more drama to tell you, more things I wish I had done differently, or lessons I learned. But I have zero regrets or lessons on this one! WAhoo! Just the best garage doors executed perfectly. We left the last bay open as a carport. It was the original sheep’s barn and was never a garage. But we did this mostly for budget purposes. We saved on not having electrical, simple framing, finishes, and no cement floor (just gravel). It’s super bare bones, which we are fine with (we almost just tore it down, but my brother convinced us to keep it, just not really invest in it). Ultimately, we didn’t need a fifth garage, just a covered carport for Brian’s vintage truck and a great space for messy painting projects. And heck, a future owner might have a boat or something they want to store here (no intent on a future owner, but we always consider all the possibilities). A few quick and dirty facts: The doors themselves would typically cost $18k for 4 doors. Choosing a custom Sherwin-Williams paint color adds $10/sq. ft. to the door cost and a few extra weeks. Remember ours were on the higher end, and they have a lot that are much more affordable with fewer design details and general bells and whistles. The install for these four doors would typically be around $11,340, which covers the cost of the high-end Liftmaster motors, all the elevated, premium parts, and extended warranty that comes with the 5-Star bundle that Ponderosa provides, and of course, the labor to install everything. You get what you pay for, and we are thrilled. You wouldn’t buy the doors separately or anything, but just giving you the breakdown so you understand the overall costs. The cost didn’t include the new framing and the electrical prep. Since we were fixing our garages, not just changing out the doors, Afore worked with Ponderosa to frame it perfectly and prep all the electrical in advance. Ponderosa measured and ordered the doors after the framed door openings were finished. NEW FEATURE ALERT! We now have before and after sliders. Just use the arrow toggle button to see the transformation:) When they arrived, I was oddly delighted by these garage doors, and I remain so happy every time my eye lands on them. The happy blue, the windows, the decorative strappings, and the super smooth, quiet function – truly the best garage doors. I feel extremely lucky and grateful. A huge thanks to Ponderosa for their excellent execution on our doors. Thank you, Clopay, for partnering on these beautiful garage doors, and Afore Construction for doing all the prep work and helping us fix up the garages. Interior reveal coming soon, I promise.

How to Revive Near-Dead Hydrangeas and Save Your Garden in the Process

The keys to healthy, showy hydrangeas are well-draining soil, the correct amount of light, water, and nutrients, and providing protection from extreme temperatures. The majority of plant problems are not caused by a disease or an insect but by poor growing conditions, incorrect care, weather extremes, and soggy soil. However, no matter how much you try, some pests, diseases, and growing conditions can cause hydrangeas to die. With quick intervention, you may be able to reverse the damage to your near-dead hydrangea, revive it, and bring it back to a healthy state. Here's how. Check the Soil Moisture Level Hydrangeas like lots of water, but it is possible to overwater, especially in heavy clay, slow-draining soil. Leaf drop and brown leaf edges are signs that the roots are sitting in water and you are overwatering. Always check the soil moisture before watering. If the soil is dry about an inch or more deep, it's safe to add more water. A lack of water can also cause hydrangeas to die. If the leaves are droopy, the plant needs to be watered. Drip irrigation that adds moisture slowly so it is absorbed properly at the root level is a good choice to keep hydrangeas healthy. Want more gardening tips? Sign up for our free gardening newsletter for our best growing tips, troubleshooting hacks, and more! Provide Afternoon Shade Whether your hydrangeas are planted in the garden or in containers, they will grow much better if they receive morning sun and some afternoon shade from the hot sun. Crispy, browning leaves are a sure indication that the plants are getting too much direct sunlight. Container-grown plants can be moved easily or shaded by an umbrella or covered trellis. Garden plants may need to be transplanted to a better location in the fall when temperatures cool. Get Rid of Slugs and Snails Disappearing leaves and leaves with large holes indicate a slug or snail problem in the garden. The pests are particularly fond of new tender hydrangea leaves. Fortunately, slug control is usually simple: hand-remove the pests, kill them with salt, or drown them in a pan of beer. Improve Air Circulation Fungal diseases like powdery mildew leave irregular brown patches on hydrangea leaves and flower heads that if left uncorrected can kill the entire plant. Fungal disease damage can often be eliminated by pruning plants to improving the air circulation in and around the shrub. Always remove the diseased parts of the plant and dispose of them in a plastic bag. Apply a copper fungicide if the problem is widespread. Flush Away Excess Fertilizer Hydrangeas thrive in nutrient-rich soil amended by compost or other organic matter. If you choose to use a commercial fertilizer and add too much, you risk burning the root system, which can cause the plant's blooms and leaves to turn brown, droop, and eventually die. If you've been overzealous with a water-soluble fertilizer, it is possible to still save the plant if you flush the fertilizer out of the soil. When you begin to notice the signs of damage, use a hose to slowly water the plant, giving it more water than normal. The excess water will help move the fertilizer through the soil and away from the root system of your hydrangea. Reverse Transplant Shock Whether you are planting a new hydrangea from the garden center or transplanting an established plant to a new location in the garden, it should be done during spring or fall when temperatures are cooler. This gives the plant time to recover without having to suffer through the scorching temperatures of summer. Whenever a hydrangea is planted or transplanted, expect some leaf wilt. Water the plant deeply at least once a day. Mulch around the plant to preserve soil moisture and continue this watering routine until the wilting stops. Do not fertilize the plant or prune away the wilted stems because both cause even more stress to the plant.

How to Prune Cilantro Like a Pro Gardener for Healthier Harvests All Season Long

Cilantro is a cool-season herb with a brief but prolific growing and harvesting window. Sensitive to both heat and sunlight hours, it quickly bolts and goes to seed when exposed to too much of either. Several methods exist for extending the harvest, one of which is to prune and harvest plants regularly. Find out how to keep cilantro growing, along with other tips on extending the season for this finicky herb. When to Prune Cilantro With most herbs, pruning equates to harvesting since you'll use leaves and stems you've removed. Once established, cilantro grows fairly rapidly and requires repeated pruning. Start heading back early when several stems reach 6 inches tall, removing 1 to 2 inches of top growth. How quickly your plant grows depends on the variety, with conditions a major factor, so watch for signs of bolting. These include the appearance of small white flowers and the emergence of a tall, thick central stem with smaller, finer leaves. Avoid working with wet leaves and stems by pruning between late morning and early evening. Want more gardening tips? Sign up for our free gardening newsletter for our best growing tips, troubleshooting hacks, and more! Why prune cilantro? Pruning is essential for a successful cilantro crop. It encourages new and continued leafy growth, extends the life of the plant, and prevents early bolting or going to seed. How to Prune Cilantro Without Killing the Plant Cilantro stems grow from a central rosette, which becomes fuller and bushier with consistent pruning. It has a deep tap root and growth habit similar to parsley and carrots, but with a shorter season and a greater tendency to bolt. Keep a pair of sharp, sterile scissors or herb snippers handy and follow these steps to get the most from your cilantro plants. Begin pruning when plants have produced several stems 6 inches tall, snipping out the top inch or two just above a leaf node. As new stems emerge from the center of the plant, prune back the outermost stems to 4 to 6 inches in height. Check plants at least once each week and continue to prune back growth around the outsides of the plant. As plants become fuller and bushier, you can remove the outermost stems at the base to encourage more center growth. Once spring temperatures start to rise above 65°F, look for flower buds forming at the tips of long stems and snip or pinch off stems below the bud. Watch for a thick stalk to appear in the center. To extend the harvest, try cutting it out at the base. Once temperatures exceed 70°F with more sun exposure, your cilantro will likely produce too many flowers for continued pruning. The thick center flower stalk indicates the plant is ready to bolt. You can pull the plant or let it go to flower and seed. Cilantro flowers attract pollinators, and mature seeds are used as the spice coriander. How to Prevent Cilantro Plants From Bolting Keep the soil moist. Give plants an inch of water each week, but be careful not to overwater. Mature plants need less but thrive in soil that stays consistently moist. Plant in part shade. Choose an area in the garden protected from hot afternoon sun. Prune early and often. Keep plants trimmed to a rounded, uniform shape and remove flower buds. Removethe central stem. Remove the thick central flowering stalk at the base. Choose a heat-tolerant variety. Look for seeds labeled 'Slow Bolt' or 'Summer Cilantro.' Grow in a pot. Consider growing cilantro in a container for better control of growing conditions. Pruning Tips Start pruning cilantro early in the season when several stems are 6 inches tall. Prune often, at least once a week, during the growing season to prevent bolting. Prune back stems by one-third around the outsides of the plant or remove them at the base to keep new leaves growing Remove yellow and damaged leaves. An herb snipper is a good tool for cutting back and removing small flowers. Cilantro leaves and stems are tender and bruise easily.