Guides
Gardening Guides
Guides to the four things that decide what thrives: the conditions your garden actually has, your climate and hardiness zone, which plants to choose, and -- indoors -- which pods and nutrients fit your smart garden. Every claim is sourced, and we say plainly where the data runs out.
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Garden Conditions
Sun, shade, soil and moisture -- how to read the conditions you actually have before you choose a single plant.
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Climate & Zones
Your USDA hardiness zone, your frost dates, and what they do and do not tell you about what survives your winter.
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Choosing Plants
Perennials, shrubs, edibles, pollinator and native choices -- and how to choose safely around pets and children.
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Smart & Indoor Gardens
Countertop hydroponics: which pods, sponges and nutrients fit your system, and which system is worth buying.
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All guides
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Gardyn HydroBoost: What It Does, Whether You Need It, and What to Use Instead
Gardyn HydroBoost: What It Does, Whether You Need It, and What to Use Instead You own a Gardyn, and every...
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Which Replacement Pump Fits Your Indoor Garden? Matching the Pump to Your Model Number
Which Replacement Pump Fits Your Indoor Garden? Matching the Pump to Your Model Number The water has stopped circulating, the...
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Pollinator Plants: How to Choose Ones That Fit Your Zone, Sun, and Soil
Pollinator Plants: How to Choose Ones That Fit Your Zone, Sun, and Soil The tag on the plant says “pollinator...
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Plants for Dry Shade: The Hardest Spot in the Garden, and What Takes It
Plants for Dry Shade: The Hardest Spot in the Garden, and What Takes It The bed under the maple looks...
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Perennials for Zone 4: What Actually Comes Back in a Cold Zone
Perennials for Zone 4: What Actually Comes Back in a Cold Zone Search for perennials for zone 4 and you’ll...
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Why Your USDA Hardiness Zone Changed in 2023
Why Your USDA Hardiness Zone Changed in 2023 If you looked up your zone recently and got a different answer...
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Last Frost Date: How to Use It (and What It Can’t Tell You)
Last Frost Date: How to Use It (and What It Can’t Tell You) If you’ve ever typed your ZIP code...
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What to Plant in Fall (and What to Stop Planting Now)
What to Plant in Fall (and What to Stop Planting Now) Every autumn the garden center is still stacked with...
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Is AeroGarden Discontinued? What Actually Happened, and What Still Fits
Is AeroGarden Discontinued? What Actually Happened, and What Still Fits If you typed is AeroGarden discontinued into a search bar...
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Smart Garden Pod Types: Round, Square, and Soil-Wick Explained
Smart Garden Pod Types: Round, Square, and Soil-Wick Explained Shop for refill pods for a countertop hydroponic garden and you’ll...
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Smart Garden Proprietary Pods: Which Brands Lock You In (And Which Don’t)
Smart Garden Proprietary Pods: Which Brands Lock You In (And Which Don’t) The sticker price on a countertop hydroponic garden...
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Can You Use General Hydroponic Nutrients in a Smart Garden?
Can You Use General Hydroponic Nutrients in a Smart Garden? Whether you can use general hydroponic nutrients in a smart...
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What Actually Grows in a North-Facing Bed
What Actually Grows in a North-Facing Bed A north-facing bed is not a fixed plant category the way “full sun”...
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Plants for a Dry Sunny Slope: What Actually Survives There
Plants for a Dry Sunny Slope: What Actually Survives There A hot, dry, south-facing slope is not solved by a...
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Pet Safe Plants: What the ASPCA Actually Lists
Pet Safe Plants: What the ASPCA Actually Lists There is no universal list of pet safe plants that applies to...
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Full Sun, Part Shade, or Full Shade: Read Your Yard
Full Sun, Part Shade, or Full Shade: Read Your Yard Full sun means six or more hours of direct sunlight...
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USDA Plant Hardiness Zone: Find Yours & What It Means
USDA Plant Hardiness Zone: Find Yours & What It Means Your USDA plant hardiness zone is a single number that...
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Which Pods Fit My AeroGarden? Compatible Pods + Nutrients Guide
If your AeroGarden pods are getting harder to find – or you have hit the unit’s “buy more pods” wall...
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Smart & Indoor Gardens: Which Pods Fit Yours (AeroGarden, Click & Grow, Gardyn, Rise)
Not every garden is outdoors. A countertop smart garden is the easiest way to grow herbs and greens inside –...
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Choosing Plants: Perennials, Shrubs, Edibles, Pollinator & Native
Once you know your conditions and your zone, the question becomes what to plant. A perennial that returns every year...
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Climate & Zones: USDA Hardiness Zones, Frost Dates & Season Timing
Two numbers decide most of what you can grow outdoors and when: your USDA hardiness zone, which tells you what...
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Garden Conditions: Sun, Shade, Soil & Moisture (Match Plants to Your Yard)
Every plant that fails in a garden fails for the same quiet reason: it was put in the wrong spot....
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