The love of gardening begins with a seed. Through a seed library, you can encourage others in your neighbourhood to find this love and spread some seedling joy. Rising in popularity, seed libraries have become community hubs to share seeds and extras supplies so everyone can have blooming, thriving gardens. Here’s how to find one in your neighbourhood or start one of your very own!
I’m obsessed with my neighbourhood. It’s been the perfect place to raise my kiddo, between his after-school centre to the lake down the road for daily walks. I know my neighbours well, making wreaths with them during the holidays and talking plants in the summer.
The reason it’s so great is the sense of community here. No one hesitates to buy from the local kid’s lemonade stand or lend out a garden tool if someone needs to borrow it. While I love the community gardens, bulletins, and parks, one of the things I adore the most are seed libraries. They are the combination of two of my favourite things…community and the garden!
Seed libraries are one of the many projects in my upcoming book, The Regenerative Garden. Inside the book, I include many sustainable practices and concepts to employ in the garden as well as over 80 projects and designs to help you implement the ideas.
I dedicated a whole chapter to building community, including seed libraries! Be sure to check it out to see many, many more interesting projects to implement in your garden.
This post will cover…
Seed libraries can be extremely simple, becoming part of your garden.
What is a Seed Library?
Much like Little Free Libraries, seed libraries are tiny places throughout the community where people can find free items. Inside, local members of the community share seeds either purchased in excess or gathered from seeds in their own garden. You can also find easily accessible seedlings, plants, cuttings, and seed-starting supplies all for free.
Seed libraries have a host of benefits. They’re an opportunity to share skills and knowledge with neighbours, bring greater food security, and provide environmental benefits.
I love seeing seeds that come from someone’s own garden best, as you know they come from a plant that has already grown in your microclimate. It’s a sure sign of success for your own garden!
A local seed library can also share heirloom seeds that may be difficult to come by otherwise. These are such special seeds, and sharing them with the community is a treat.
In my neighbourhood, the Zucchini Racer committee donates zucchini seeds to all the community libraries so that community members can grow their own racer for the Fall Fair. It’s something Kiddo and I love to partake in together.
In some areas, the seed library switches to a little free book library in winter that focuses on gardening and nature. This makes them a useful pitstop and gardening hub year-round.
Kiddo ready for zucchini racing.
How to Find a Seed Library Near Me
The boxes are not large and you can find them in the most surprising of places. Most are run by a member of the community in front of their front yard. Others can be found inside community gardens, by community centres, or churches.
A great place to start is actually by searching for a Little Free Library. These tend to be easier to find and are even listed on Google Maps sometimes. Some have accompanying seed libraries or may have seeds and other free items in addition to books.
Some libraries even have seed lending programs. A local horticultural group or Facebook group may also be a good resource when seeking out a seed library near you.
Your best bet? Take a walk through the neighbourhood. Once you are looking for something, you begin to see it everywhere! And if you can’t find one, maybe it’s time to start one yourself.
Some seed libraries are even listed on Google Maps.
How to Make Your Own Seed Library
Besides making the actual seed library, there are a few main components you may not have considered, including managing the space and getting community members to engage.
Build
I have seen seed libraries made of all kinds of materials. They can look similar to a Little Free Library, where they become an art project in itself, or can be as simple as a plastic container on a post. Most are made from recycled or found materials like cabinets or old public newspaper boxes.
Since the structure will be outside, you need to make sure it stays nice and dry inside and can withstand the elements. A weatherproof, sloped roof will ensure that water runs off rather than in. Outdoor paint protects the walls as well. You also want to make sure the door to where the seeds are kept is able to shut securely.
Make sure the library is in an easily accessible public space. You should also check with local bylaws that you’re allowed to build such a structure.
Then, list the location online so that people can search for and find it.
Check your local bylaws before building a seed library.
Stock
Once the structure is ready, it’s time to fill it full of seeds. When first starting, you can reach out to local seed companies for stock that they will need to redistribute to the community before it expires.
Besides seeds, include information on how to plant seeds, tend plants, and save seeds. Stock the shelves with empty seed or coin envelopes and pens. Seed envelopes can also be used to divide seed packages into smaller portions, so everyone takes only what they need.
Manage
A person or a group needs to manage the seed library. Checking on it frequently ensures that there is no weather damage to the structure, the seeds haven’t expired, and whether there needs to be a call out for more materials.
For the most part, these things tend to run fine all on their own from the community members. People are happy to donate their extra seeds and supplies so that fellow gardeners can enjoy what they no longer need.
Encouraging the community to keep the seeds flowing by giving and receiving will refresh the supply enough to circulate plenty of seeds. For all donated seeds, make sure to have a sign encouraging the rules for labelling and providing growing info.
Add some instructions to your seed library to keep management easy.
Educate
Seed libraries are great places for beginner gardeners to start exploring their green thumb. Make sure there are also educational resources in the seed library to encourage successful seed starting.
It’s also a good idea to manage expectations for the seed library. Germination rates will not be as good as they would be if the seed packages had been recently collected and stored in a cool, dry location.
The seed-sharing library will not be an ideal climate for long-term storage; many seeds will come from seed companies that are donating old stock, and community members may donate seeds past their prime.
Make a note of what people can expect from the seeds to curb expectations.
Frequently Asked Questions About Making a Seed Library
What is the purpose of a seed library?
Seed libraries help to foster community relationships and encourage the love of gardening. They also exist to share heirloom seeds that work well in certain microclimates and protect food security for many people by growing their own food.
Having one in the community is a great place to connect beginner gardeners with experienced gardeners and to get the conversation around gardening going.
Are seed libraries legal?
There are many rules and laws guarding the exchange of seeds. Seed libraries enter into a bit of a legal grey area. Most commercial seeds are patented hybridized or GMO seeds. Under the law, farmers cannot save and replant seeds and must buy ones every year.
However, with seed libraries, seeds are not being sold; instead, they are given free to help foster community and the love of gardening. While not completely exempt from seed laws, seed libraries embrace a giving spirit and are usually not a problem in most states and provinces. Be sure to check local bylaws for rules regarding structures such as farm stands.
With all this in mind, I know you’ll create an amazing seed-sharing library for your community to enjoy. If you do set one up, drop it in the comments down below. Someone from your town or city may very well see it!
More Community Building Projects
A city girl who learned to garden and it changed everything. Author, artist, Master Gardener. Better living through plants.
Sorry! As a registered member you get 10 free posts from our archive (posts more than a year old) every 30 days. You have reached your limit for this 30-day period. If you would like to access unlimited posts from the archive (ad free, too), become a subscriber today, and keep reading as many articles as you want.
Full Access Individual Subscription
Benefits include:
Unlimited access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home sites
Ad-free browsing environment
Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
Receive the full-text daily newsletters
All features that Members have access to
Annual subscribers pay just 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99
What does it look like to design a home and garden around community? In this Q&A, we explore how one East Van gardener has done exactly that.
The Jenga set-up!
There’s a house in East Van I’ve admired for years. Not because of its size or its beauty, but because of a game of Jenga.
Out front, tucked beneath the street trees, there’s a tiny patio with two chairs and a garden pot full of wooden blocks. On it, a handwritten message inviting passersby to sit down, relax, and play a game. It’s simple, generous, and quietly radical.
The first time I saw the house listed on a local gardening tour, I felt a jolt of excitement. It meant I would get to meet the owner of this fabulous house.
Her name is Karen Reed. When we met on the tour, I told her how much I admired what she’d created. Not just a garden but a space designed for connection.
Karen owns and lives in a six-bedroom community home where both the house and the garden are intentionally set up for sharing. Every path, planting bed, and sitting area reflects that ethos. It’s a home built with community in mind.
Later, I had the chance to interview Karen and photograph her garden for my book, The Wild & Free Garden. Our conversation was so rich and inspiring that I couldn’t fit it all on the page.
Here you’ll find more of that conversation, full of Karen’s advice and her story, as well as photographs to help inspire you too.
Stephanie: You’ve built yourself quite a community, indoors and outdoors. How does intentional community begin to build?
Karen: Someone must be the catalyst. When I first started, I knew my own longing for a deeper experience of community. I had lived alone a good amount of my life, so I’d never lived in a community.
The Vancouver Foundation did a study and found the number one issue in the city is loneliness and isolation. It’s pretty much the case across the board in every urban center.
You may say hi to a couple of neighbours who know you by your name or go to a market and get recognized. This is a sense of social capital and contributes to a person’s well-being. We’re meant as humans to connect and belong, and everybody’s longing for it. It often just needs somebody to be the initiator.
Having multiple places for people to connect within the garden.
Stephanie: And how did you start being intentional about forming this community?
Karen: I would sit on my porch in the morning and greet people one by one. I just started to get to know the neighbours. I would intentionally walk in the same area and have people over for coffee.
Very simple, ordinary things. I value creating spaces for people to gather, and so I don’t have a TV as a centerpiece. There’s a conversation pit where you can talk face-to-face.
We have a practice where no one can bring their phone to the table at meals. There’s research that even if you have it on the table, you won’t be able to move into deeper conversations because you could be interrupted.
Intentionally bridge friendships and invite people into your life as friends. I remember my neighbours next door had a hedger and said I could borrow it. So, I intentionally didn’t buy one. I don’t have to have everything on my own, so I don’t. It requires some vulnerability to receive.
A covered patio for outdoor dinners.
Stephanie: Tell me about soup nights. I know that was one of your ideas to help connect your neighbours.
Karen: The first soup night I had was very low barrier. People didn’t need to RSVP. They could come late, leave early, and bring anyone in their household. They didn’t need to bring anything. I just made good soup.
The whole point is that because it’s soup, it’s easy for them to accept. They don’t have to worry about it being a fancy sit-down meal, and they can escape whenever they want.
People were so jazzed about it. I think it gave people a taste of family. You see intergenerational, socioeconomic, and ethnic diversity, and it just feels like a normal human experience.
After a year, I hardly had to do anything. Everybody just started pitching in. In that first year, I think I had to win some trust. I had several people come to the door saying, “I’ve just come because I want to meet the woman who invites strangers into her home.”
And I thought, when did that become weird?
And so, it took a whole year of building trust. There has to be a willingness on your end. That you offer it with no agenda, and then it takes a life of its own.
The garden is an extended living space for her community house.
Stephanie: Originally, you told me that you had built a communal vegetable garden out front. What else do you use your space for?
Karen: Yes, a small bed. I initially built the bed for my neighbours. And now I want to rebuild something else that’s a little more functional for the front space. I would often find myself with extra produce from my food garden that I would put out there for free.
During COVID, there was a lot of interest. In the beginning, there was concern about food security issues. So, I got a load of dirt and a few neighbours together to share seeds out on a table. People could talk at a distance if they wanted to try planting and growing some food for the first time.
I hold a value that outdoor space can draw the heart toward hope, and you should give attention to it as you would your home. I choose colours that aren’t overstimulating and give attention to the space as a place to gather, for hospitality, for meditation, rest, or solace. And I think my garden space reflects that.
It’s a space that people can gather. We can have parties out there. We can have small dinners. We play cards. I’ve had a movie night out here in the middle of winter.
I have a couple of neighbours who don’t have any yard space. One was in a hard season, and she would just come over a couple of times a week through the back gate to sit there and be in the garden. And that just helped get her through.
I’m not a finicky gardener. It’s not a manicured garden. I keep trying to simplify it. But there is something therapeutic about deadheading, about creating.
I think that’s the only reason they put my garden on the tour. Because it’s not about the plants here; it’s more about sparking inspiration and how you can create your own space.
Shared vegetable gardening.
Stephanie: Would you say you carry the knowledge of gardening to your communal house and community?
Karen: Yes. There’s something about getting your hands in the dirt, seeing how things grow, and being able to go out and pick your dinner. We have a community meal tonight, and we’re just going to pick from the garden.
I know how transformative growing food is. We’ve distanced ourselves from food, and how we view food says a lot about our value system. Food is just seen as fuel. And then it becomes transactional. We’ve lost the connection.
So, we always say thank you at mealtimes. We use it as a moment to push against the delusion of self-sufficiency. That we are dependent on farmers, truckers, and market people. And that life was forfeited to sustain us, either plant or animal. I think there’s a sacredness to it.
When we do a big feast, I say we need to take an hour to eat this meal. Because when you’ve grown food, and then you’ve done slow cooking, you cannot eat this meal in fifteen minutes.
Even if we have an abundance of food available to use, I think everybody should know how to grow food. Gardening connects you to living things and helps you understand your place in the ecosystem.
In the ecosystem, you are a steward. There’s a humility in that I cannot make a seed grow. I can kill it. I can protect it. I can feed it. But I cannot make it grow. There’s a larger force at work that’s beyond us, and places us in the whole ecosystem of the world.
Thank you to Karen Reed for taking the time to share her story, thoughts, garden, and house with me. Her garden, as well as countless others, is featured in The Wild & Free Garden, which is available for pre-order now and hits bookshelves February 24, 2026.
More Garden Tours to Feel Inspired
A city girl who learned to garden and it changed everything. Author, artist, Master Gardener. Better living through plants.
WHEN GROWING from seed, the list of decisions starts with what turns out to be the simplest question of all: which variety of bean or tomato or zinnia to order. But then things get more complicated, questions like figuring out when to start what, and whether any of your choices need any special pre-treatment or particular conditions to germinate—including what germinating medium to use.
We’ve all heard the recommendation to use less peat, the standard for seed starting until relatively recently, when this non-renewable resource has been under scrutiny. But what peat substitutes work and don’t? That’s just one of the many questions that today’s guest, Joe Lamp’l answers on social media and in the “Master Seed Starting” online course he offers about his favorite topic, growing from seed, and it’s one we explored together.
Plus: Comment in the box near the bottom of the page to enter to win a copy of his book.
And: For a limited time, Joe is offering A Way to Garden readers access to his “Master Seed Starting” course at a $100 discount; learn more about the course and use the code SEED100 at this link.
Read along as you listen to the Feb. 23, 2026 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or Spotify (and browse my archive of podcasts here).
Margaret Roach: Hello there, old friend. How are you?
Joe Lamp’l: I am good, Margaret; I’m just fine and I’m excited to be talking to you. Thanks for the opportunity.
Margaret: You don’t like seeds or anything though, right? And you don’t start any, right?
Joe: [Laughter.] I love seeds so much. It may be my favorite thing of all related to gardening.
Margaret: Yeah, and the pictures you in that greenhouse, I mean, it’s like 4 billion seeds- [laughter].
Joe: Five billion, but who’s counting?
Margaret: Oh, right, O.K. Yeah. Do you still use the basement grow room [below], too, or just now it’s all in the greenhouse?
Joe: I do. I use that for the germination phase. So when I’m sowing my seeds, because I’m usually doing that in January and February, and actually sometimes even in December. Like this year: It’s crazy cold outside, even down here in Atlanta. So I need more of a controlled environment, because the greenhouse can get very cold at night. It’s very hot in the day. So I have safety with the seed-starting room, and I’ve been doing it for so many years, it’s hard to break that habit.
Margaret: So it’s an aspect of gardening, seed starting is, that has a lot of questions and decisions, as I mentioned in the introduction, including growing medium and which one is best. And there’s so many considerations and more, of course in recent years about the subject than ever. I suspect your students in your course, which is I believe starting soon… What’s the course called?
Joe: “Master Seed Starting.”
Margaret:“Master Seed Starting.” I expect they want to know what to use. I bet that’s a question that comes up.
Joe: Yes. And not only that, the nuances of it, because I have a very curious group of students. And I love it, and they’re nerdy and geeky, which is even better. So they’re going deep-dive on those questions. But yes, there are many at this time of year especially.
Margaret: And I’ll give information about the course. I was always taught that a seed-starting medium, that it should not be a potting soil, it should be a germinating mix, which meant that it was soilless, and that it was a pretty fine texture, but certain qualities that it had, but especially that it was not potting soil. There was a difference between germinating mix and potting soil. So what are your sort of guidelines [laughter]? And then let’s go into the “peat or no peat.”
Joe: Yes, indeed, absolutely. That’s a great question to start off though, because I get that one from time to time. And unlike garden soil—I’m glad you use that example—seed media is really designed to be low-nutrient, sterile or near sterile actually, and highly porous, and a properly designed seed-starting medium that’s engineered by professionals.
It’s really designed for roughly four things: Aeration is the first one, moisture retention is the other one. Structural stability; you want the roots to be able to hold together without compaction. And then biological neutrality, because you want to limit the pathogen pressure. And compared to garden soil, that introduces a whole lot of things into the mix that aren’t or shouldn’t be included in seed-starting mix.
Margaret: So those are some of the qualities. And then of course, as I said in the introduction, also in recent years, we’ve been made aware of the environmental issues around peat harvesting. It’s a non-renewable resource, and many gardeners have sought to reduce their peat usage. I mean, interestingly, in the United Kingdom, the government set timetables for banning peat in horticultural products, and besides taking peat products off the garden shelves, the garden center shelves on a schedule, it also accelerated that impetus; the government pressure accelerated product research and development about alternatives. So people there, gardeners there got more products that were farther along in the research process as alternatives right away, I feel like we’re still tinkering.
Joe: Yeah, we’re a long way from getting to where the U.K. is with their lack of use of peat, which is fine. And I love watching “Gardener’s World,” and there’s not a show that goes by where they don’t mention peat free compost, however they say compost.
Margaret: Compost.
Joe: Compost, yeah. I still can’t say it, nor can I say coir, and how I have been pronouncing it “coir,” but it’s supposed to be at least two syllables, coir. I don’t know.
Margaret: I don’t know either.
Joe: So just give me some grace there. But that seems to be the fallback, and I’d love to talk about that as we progress through this conversation.
Margaret: Yeah. Well, I don’t know whether we want to start with what we use. I mean, have you totally said, oh, I’m never using any peat again or, I mean, I’m going to confess first in case there’s any shyness about that: I’ve always used, it’s from Johnny’s Selected Seeds, its 512 Mix. It’s a germinating mix. It is peat-based; it has other ingredients. It has mature compost and perlite and fish meal and seaweed meal. I’m just used to it. And that’s one of the things that I think is really important, is “used to it.” I understand how it feels, how it handles water. Do you know what I mean? I know it [laughter]. It’s like when you’re baking, and if you change ingredients when you’re baking-
Joe: Margaret, I so know what you mean. And I am in the same camp as you, and I readily admit I am trying my best to move away from peat moss to something more alternative and sustainable and that has less environmental impact. So I’m working on it, but at the same time, at the scale that I’m growing seedlings, and many of them are for our seedling sale with my daughter every spring, there’s 3,500 or 4,500 seedlings that we’re growing out, and I never have enough time. So I’m always racing the clock, and I default back to what I’ve been using for years, just as you said: the consistency, the predictability, the uniformity of what I use is Pro-Mix BX, which is a commercial grade, peat-based seed-starting and propagation mix that has roughly 70 percent peat moss in it, and then some perlite and some wood fines, maybe 25 or 30 percent. So there’s a good bit of other amendments into it, but the bulk of it is peat moss. And there’s coir and there’s Pitt Moss, and there’s not a lot of competitors out there that I’ve found yet that I’m happy enough with to fully convert to.
Margaret: Right. And one thing I’ll say is I use so much less germinating mix (I germinate things on a much smaller scale than you do) than I do say potting mix for my big containers outside. With those, I have been very much more aggressive to move toward… Well, there’s a lot of products that have a bark base or a wood base, so to speak, and have compost in them and things like that. I found that transition a lot easier with my potting mixes than with the seed-starting mixes.
And even a leading expert in this subject, a professor at North Carolina State University, I talked to him a couple of years ago, when this was sort of really all getting to be louder and louder, the issue about peat. Brian Jackson’s his name, and he basically said, “Go slowly,” even though he’s an expert and he is doing all this research and so forth, as is his industry. Go slowly because you can’t just say, “Oh, I’m going to go from using this for all these years to using 100 percent coir,” or whatever and necessarily have good results.
Joe: In the potting mix, you have so many more options that you can put into it. Plus you’re putting in established plants that aren’t babies coming out of seeds. And so there’s that hardening-off phase where you just can’t really subject your seeds to so many unknowns, and you’ve got to have that sterility base and the fine texture, and it has to do all those things as far as retaining moisture and releasing enough of it. Then you have to think about the pH. And so it limits your options significantly, which is why we’re back to just a handful of acceptable choices.
Margaret: Now, you said Pitt Moss before, and people may have thought said peat moss, but Pitt Moss is a brand of alternative germinating medium that’s made from recycled paper products?
Joe: Yeah, it’s basically recycled paper. It’s post-consumer cellulose, cardboard and paper waste that’s been upcycled. It’s been cleaned and pulped and engineered into a peat alternative. And they’ll even tell you that the intention is really not to make it 100 percent replaceable with peat, because they recognize it’s got a different texture, it’s got a different mechanical cohesion factor that helps it bind together if that’s what you’re looking for, and some other things that make it more of a compliment than a replacement. And the complement may be 30 to 50 percent of the total.
And when you use it that way, and you get used to the nuances of using it, I think it does a great job of holding moisture; you’ve almost got to be careful about it, but once you dial that in, and I have done this, it is amazing. In fact, I recall one year when I was really testing it, the best trays of seeds and seedlings that I had came out of the Pitt Moss formula. And so have I changed entirely to use 30 percent of that in my mix? No, I haven’t, because as I mentioned earlier, I get time-crunched and then I have to default back to what I know I don’t have to think about, and then it ends up my other mix.
Margaret: Right. And that’s basically what Dr. Jackson at North Carolina State said. He said try using your familiar thing and gradually adding a little bit of something different. So like the Pitt Moss or whatever. And coir is one of the ingredients that a lot of people have also tried doing that with.
Now I’m just going to sound like an old whatever, which I am [laughter], by the way, about 127 years old, but don’t I sound good for 127? But coir isn’t exactly environmentally groovy in my mind, either. It comes from other places in the world; it has to get shipped all over the place. It used a tremendous amount of water to clean the saline, the salt out of it, to desalinate it. And it’s a complicated thing in its own right. I mean, if I lived near a bunch of coconut trees, do you know what I mean? That would be one thing, but this is a whole other. So I have my own issues with that, and that’s not the solution I really want. So I like that you’re saying that you’ve been trying the Pitt Moss, and that you’ve at least been able to add a percentage of it with good result.
Joe: Yes. And back to the coir, you said it very well. I’m still working on it.
Margaret: [Laughter.] Stick with me, baby.
Joe: So back to the coconut husk. Can I just call it that? [Above, coir from a brick, after hyrdating.]
Margaret: Yeah.
Joe: In principle, it can be an excellent propagation medium. But here’s the other thing about it, Margaret, you mentioned the environmental issues with it, and they do. It has a whole other set of issues we need to think about in concert with whether or not it’s a good alternative. But raw coir, unprocessed coir often or usually contains residual salts.
Margaret: Yes.
Joe: And potassium and nutrient imbalances are thrown out by it. And that can hinder the germination and the seedling growth. And what happens all the time, and I know this over years of having nursed my students through this process when they’re trying to use that alternative of coconut husk, and they have really dismal results using it straight.
So they go to the Home Depot or Lowe’s and they buy the coir brick or the bag of it, and they plant straight into it. And they like me when I did side-by-side side comparisons, it’s unbelievable how stunted and stagnant and stalled the seedlings are after they barely germinate. And the side-by-side comparison shows four different seed mediums. One was coir and the others, it was the normal stuff. And I say, “In this picture, how old do you think the one on the left is?” which is the coir, compared to the other ones. And so on the other ones, they’ll say, “Oh, I don’t know. Those look like about four to six weeks old.” And the one on the left, they say, “That’s four days, five days.” [Photos below.]
They were started on the exact same day and they were all five weeks old.
So that’s the issue. But what happens is people don’t know that it needs to have a buffering period. So we hear about the salts and so forever people would say, “O.K, I just need to get the salt out of it.” And there’s very few companies that go to the extra trouble and expense to process or buffer out the chemically bound salts. So there’s one thing where they grow, you’ve already talked about that, think of Gilligan’s Island-
Margaret: They wash it, right?
Joe: Yeah, they rinse it. But the chemical binding of the ions and salt, think of the coir fiber as a magnet that’s negatively charged. And the salt ions are very attracted to that because opposites attract. So they chemically bind to the fiber, and so rinsing doesn’t release the bound ions. They’re still adhering.
So when it comes to us unprocessed, and we just hydrate the brick and we plant into it, and we experience what I just talked about, they’re thinking, “Well, what just happened?” And then they say, “Well, I’ll fix that. I’ll make a new batch and I’ll rinse it all out.” So they put it out in a bucket or a hose or something like that. Well, guess what? That doesn’t do it either, because maybe you wash off the external bits of salt, but the bound pieces are still there, the bound ions.
And so you have to buffer it. And buffering is a step. It’s very fixable, and we can all do it at home with basically a tablespoon of Calcium nitrate in a bucket of water soaked overnight, and then another rinse. And that will basically replace the salt with the Calcium nitrate and give the media what it needs, and gets rid of what is hindering the growth.
But that’s the issue that people don’t know to do. And no one really talks about it; I should have been talking about it before now, and I have a little bit. But we need to really bring that home because if we’re looking for an alternative and we want to try coir, then unless you’re buying it already processed, and like I said, very few companies do that, you need to do that if you’re expecting to be successful. And what makes me mad about it though, is the companies that don’t process it, don’t say anything about it. And then unfortunately, the new gardeners and the people that are trying this for the first time get very disenchanted with it, and so I don’t want that to be a negative thing and have them think that they can’t start seeds, and it wasn’t even their fault and they didn’t even know it.
Margaret: And again, I’m just going to underscore, and… It comes from halfway around the world, nowhere near you, used a lot of resources where it was produced and rinsed initially, etc., and then has to get shipped all around the world. So it’s a tricky resource in itself. Which is why I love the idea of if it can work for 30 percent or something of my medium to use something like Pitt Moss, or who knows what’s coming next, which is a recycled product of a more local nature. I kind of am loving the idea of that.
Joe: Absolutely.
Margaret: So that’s what I’m looking for. If I’m going to change, I want to change something that performs, of course, but also doesn’t have environmental havoc attached to it [laughter].
Joe: So on that note, there’s a few other ones, and I like you really like the Pitt Moss, and I applaud them for trying to come up with a solution to not only upcycle waste that’s destined for the landfill, but put it into a product where we can grow plants. Nothing wrong with that.
And again, they’re not really pushing it as a 100 percent replacement, but leaf mold is another one that we could do. And we’re all familiar now with leave the leaves. And so I think twice before I used leaves for anything, but I talked to David Mizejewski of the National Wildlife Federation not too long ago, confessing my guilt about using any shredded leaves in my garden, and he made me feel a little bit better about it. If I’m only using a little bit of the total, then that’s O.K.
But anyway, leaf mold, like with the U.K. and Monty Don, he does lot of that in his mix, along with some homemade compost [laughter; mimics a British accent] and I can’t say it, oh my goodness. But yeah, that is an option. And maybe some wood fiber, if you can get bark fines that are finely ground, that would help with drainage. And it takes up some of this space that we’re trying to not use as much peat moss for.
Margaret: Right. So one other thing I want to definitely ask you about is you do a lot of soil blocking, not growing in cells only or flats only, but soil blocking. And so the other thing about a medium is if we’re going to soil block, if that’s our goal, some mediums don’t… even some traditional peat-based ones don’t hold together as well as others for blocking, right? I mean, that’s the other thing. You have to sort of do a trial run, I think, to make sure that the medium you choose is going to hold up in blocks.
Joe: You do. Peat moss actually has pretty good cohesion.
Margaret: So that’s going to be, that is something that gives you a little bit more of a guarantee.
Joe: It does, and it’s better than coir. But what makes anything that you use to make soil blocks, you need to have consistency and you need strong fiber. And when you introduce bulkier material into it, that breaks up the cohesion and nothing is going to hold together as good. So what you’re trying to do is eliminate the bulky things. So rather than perlite, you would use maybe vermiculite; you could use perlite, but vermiculite is more compressible and it holds moisture better and it helps bind the moisture. And so that may be another discussion completely.
Margaret: No, I was just curious if there was any warnings or whatever about that, because I know I just saw you recently did a video about soil blocking, and how you’re an advocate of it. I think,
Joe: Yeah, I’m very much an advocate because in addition to trying to reduce my use of peat, I’m trying to reduce my use of plastic, single-use plastic. And it’s great for space saving and not having to have all these containers stacked up. I try to reuse everything, even if it’s not intended to be long-term use, I try to make it that. But I love the idea of just a clean, low-profile, minimalist ability to grow that many seedlings without a lot of plastic laying around.
Margaret: And I mean, what other things, when you do the course, what are some of the other sort of hot topics or the ones where you feel like the most teaching needs to be done where people get into the most trouble [laughter]?
Joe: Lighting and watering, absolutely.
Margaret: Yes.
Joe: Yeah, lighting and watering every time, and watering, it’s funny, watering, it seems so basic and there’s nothing technical about it, but it seems to trump the lighting questions because people are struggling with the watering more. And I understand why. Even with soil blocks, and as long as I’ve been gardening as many pros as there are related to soil blocks, they tend to dry out pretty quickly.
They retain a lot of moisture, they absorb it quickly, but before you know it, between a germination heat mat underneath it and grow lights above it, they can dry out rapidly. And so you need to be on top of that. So if you’re a traveler (thankfully I’m not as much anymore) that would be one that would be tricky.
But watering, it’s either they’re watering too much or they’re not watering enough. And I always default back to my favorite way to know whether you have the right amount of water. And that is for the seed tray that you’re assessing, if you can just get a sense of what it weighs when it has the medium in it, but it hasn’t been watered yet, weigh it or feel it. Both would be best. And then you hydrate the medium and sow your seeds or whatever your order is for that. Now you have field capacity, because you’ve put sufficient water into the medium to fully hydrate it, to the point that the excess water through gravity has vacated the cell tray. So now what’s left is like a sponge that you’ve squeezed, but there’s still plenty of water in it. All the excesses run out. So now you know what the field-capacity weight is, or the fully saturated weight that still has oxygen in the pore space, which is critical.
So now you know the two extremes: the fully saturated, the fully dry. And so now all you need to do is kind of gauge what does the middle part feel like when it’s right in between those two, and that’s your sweet spot. That’s what you’re really going for.
So your muscle memory will kick in and let you get a sense of, even though it may look dry on the top (oftentimes when the grow light is overhead, it dries out the surface), but that’s not to say that what’s beneath it is dry. Also, that could be perfectly fine. So you may assume it needs water, and then you give it a good drink, and now you’ve over-watered it. And we’re trying to avoid that. So by weight, you can really dial in whether or not you need to add water or just leave it alone.
Margaret: Yeah. Well, that’s true. So watering, but what you were just describing is of how I do with my houseplants, I kind of pick up one corner of the pot. I’m like, “Oh, it’s still got moisture in there. Wait.” Yeah. Yeah. O.K. What are you sowing now? Just quick, what?
Joe: Well, I’ve already done my peppers. I started those December 27th, the hot peppers. And then I followed up with my sweet peppers. And so those are done, and most of them have germinated and they’re in the greenhouse. Tomorrow I start the first of my probably 3,500 tomato seedlings, starting with the slicers.
I’ve learned over the years that I’ve been doing this, I need to wait to sow my cherry tomatoes because they grow so much faster. Two weeks before the sale date, which is usually April 1st, I’m looking at them going, “You need to stop growing. You’re too big already.” And so now I’m going to wait two weeks this time for the first time, I’m going to modify my seed-starting schedule by being selective on what I start ahead of that.
Margaret: Well, Joe Lamp’l, it’s always good to talk to you and especially about your favorite subject. I’m going to give information about the course, the “Master Seed Starting” course, and thank you for all the sage advice. And we can practice how to say “coir” together, O.K? We’ll have a separate session for that.
Joe: O.K.
(All photos courtesy of Joe Lamp’l.)
enter to win a copy of ‘the vegetable garden book’
Do you grow some seedlings from scratch, and if so, what germinating medium do you prefer?
No answer, or feeling shy? Just say something like “count me in” and I will, but a reply is even better. I’ll pick a random winner after entries close at midnight Tuesday, March 2, 2026. Good luck to all.
(Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.)
prefer the podcast version of the show?
MY WEEKLY public-radio show, rated a “top-5 garden podcast” by “The Guardian” newspaper in the UK, began its 16th year in March 2025. It’s produced at Robin Hood Radio, the smallest NPR station in the nation. Listen locally in the Hudson Valley (NY)-Berkshires (MA)-Litchfield Hills (CT) Mondays at 8:30 AM Eastern, rerun at 8:30 Saturdays. Or play the Feb. 23, 2026 show using the player near the top of this transcript. You can subscribe to all future editions on iTunes/Apple Podcasts or Spotify (and browse my archive of podcasts here).
Without access to all the goodness of outdoor soil, your indoor plants are going to need a good houseplant fertilizer to get their nutrients. 100% natural, this organic fertilizer recipe is one of the 80+ from my herbal garden recipe book, Garden Alchemy. It will keep your houseplants happy, healthy, and blooming for stunning indoor displays.
Do houseplants need fertilizer? While outdoor plants source nutrients found in the soil and their ecosystem, houseplants don’t have the same luxury. Due to the closed system of soil they live in, houseplants are completely dependent on their human plant parents for available nutrients.
There are times when it’s easier to use a liquid fertilizer than a granular one, such as when you are watering houseplants. In the summer, houseplants respond to warmth and light, and it stimulates their growth. Applying this liquid houseplant fertilizer will ensure they are getting all the nutrients they need for this growth period.
Many homebrew liquid fertilizers have microorganisms that support healthy outdoor soil but are not great for indoor soil. Specifically crafted with houseplants in mind, this DIY fertilizer will help them thrive, bloom, and grow.
There are lots of recipes in my book, Garden Alchemy, for the home gardener to apply organic methods in the home and out in the garden. Set up like a cookbook, you’ll find a ton more fertilizer recipes, as well as pest deterrents, potting mixes, and other projects and elixirs to boost your garden. This excerpt on organic fertilizer for houseplants was reprinted with permission by Cool Springs Press. Find the book in your country!
This post will cover…
It can be much more economical (and satisfying) to create your own houseplant fertilizer blend.
What is the Best Fertilizer for Indoor Plants?
Organic vs Synthetic
When it comes to choosing a fertilizer, first we must look at the key differences between organic and synthetic fertilizers. Organic fertilizers are derived from minerals, plants, and animal products, while synthetic fertilizers are synthesized chemicals of nutrients.
Synthetic fertilizer molecules are made to be readily available to plants and, therefore, can be hard to regulate. It’s easy to over-apply synthetic fertilizer and cause plants to take up too much nutrition too quickly, causing fertilizer “burn.”
Organic fertilizers are more forgiving because, often, they are not as readily available for plants. Natural organic fertilizers are broken down more slowly and, therefore, regulate the speed at which the nutrients are available, encouraging the plant to grow stable roots and expand the area in which they collect nutrients.
Liquid vs Granular
You can find synthetic and organic houseplant fertilizer in both liquid and granular form. Liquid fertilizer is the easiest to use, as you can add it to your watering can while watering the plants. It does need to be done more frequently than granular, but you are minimizing the potential for fertilizer burn.
Granular fertilizer comes in either spikes or pellet forms. You either sprinkle or push the fertilizer into the soil, and the nutrients are slowly released. You can find natural and organic granular fertilizers by checking the ingredient list.If there is none, it is a synthetic fertilizer.
My houseplant fertilizer recipe is an organic liquid formula. In my opinion, this is the best fertilizer for indoor plants and the one I use most regularly. It is easy to make and use and provides eco-friendly, natural growth enhancement.
The key to making your own houseplant fertilizer blend is ensuring there is enough variety in your blend of N-P-K, secondary nutrients, and micronutrients.
When Should I Fertilize My Indoor Plants?
Plants are good at letting you know when they need water or more sunlight but not so good at letting you know when they need fertilizer. Stagnant growth is often the biggest indicator and is not as glaringly obvious as a wilted or yellowing leaf.
I primarily use my houseplant fertilizer during the summer. While plants have different needs, these fertilizing guidelines will apply to most houseplants. The plants may live inside, but they grow most in the summer. Since we want to encourage growth, this is the best time to apply fertilizer.
Begin fertilizing in late spring or approximately 8 weeks before the season’s last frost. Start off with smaller doses of fertilizer and work your way up to full strength for the summer. Based on the plant, I use my liquid fertilizer for my indoor plants anywhere from once a week to once a month.
It’s also a good practice to add a slow-release dry fertilizer at planting and again annually. I do this at the beginning of summer.
When summer comes to a close, we want to ease up on fertilizing. Slowly stop fertilizing so that by the first frost, you are no longer adding fertilizer to your indoor plants. They will remain dormant for the winter and will not require any fertilizer.
Like the plants outdoors, indoor plants do most of the growing during the summer months.
Should I Fertilize My Sick Plant?
Fertilizers are necessary for indoor plants to thrive but do not solve all plant health issues. Some well-meaning plant parents over-fertilize plants because they think the plant has a nutrient deficiency.
If you have a sick plant, there may be other reasons for their issues. Fertilizers simply enhance the nutrients, so it will only help if your plant is lacking nutrients. Specific nutrient deficiencies will show up as plant health indicators, such as disease, pests, dieback, and discoloration.
Plants can be sick for many reasons. If you have healthy indoor soil, like this indoor soil mix from my soil recipes, then soil fertility is not likely to be the issue. If your plant has pests, yellowing leaves from over-watering, browning leaves from too much sun, or other indicators, fertilizer will not act as miracle medicine. Make sure you know what problem your plant faces before you start fertilizing it like crazy!
Fertilizer won’t revive a dead plant unless the problem is not getting enough nutrients.
How to Make Fertilizer
Like any good recipe, it’s all about sourcing quality ingredients. These are my must-have ingredients for creating a fertilizer for indoor plants:
Alfalfa Meal
Alfalfa meal is a source of nitrogen and potassium, plus a broad spectrum of other minerals, vitamins, amino acids, and the growth hormone triacontanol. It helps to improve the soil structure and helps plants access nutrients.
Blood Meal
Blood meal is a by-product of cattle and hog farming that is very high in nitrogen and full of trace minerals. It comes in a dried powder form and can be included in certified organic soil mixes (although this doesn’t necessarily mean that the animal or farm was certified organic).
Note: Alfalfa meal is a plant-based alternative to blood meal, so if you don’t want to use it, substitute with alfalfa meal.
Rock Phosphate
Rock phosphate is a slow-release mineralized source of phosphorous for amending soil. Most home gardens have adequate amounts of phosphorous in the soil and, therefore, are not needed. However, it helps fertilize plants in potting soil and encourages flowering in plants.
Rock phosphate
Kelp Meal
Kelp meal has low levels of nitrogen and potassium but works as a soil amendment due to its multitude of readily available trace elements and over 60 naturally chelated minerals. This seaweed extract also improves soil structure, prevents nutrient leaching, and increases soil’s water-holding capacity.
Kelp meal
Rainwater
Tap water that comes from municipal sources is often treated with chlorine to remove and suppress microorganism growth. We want to encourage the growth of beneficial organisms as well as retain a plant’s herbal properties. If you don’t have a large enough supply of available rainwater, then allow water to sit in a wide-mouth bucket for 24 hours to allow the chlorine to evaporate or use boiled (then cooled) water.
Avoid the use of chlorine in your organic houseplant fertilizer.
Organic Fertilizer for Indoor Plants
This DIY fertilizer only takes a few moments to make and will give you plenty of fertilizer to cover all your houseplants for a few months.
Materials
Make It!
Measure the ingredients and add them to a glass bottle or jar with a lid. Stir well to combine and shake well before each use.
Dilute the fertilizer by adding ½ cup (120 ml) of the liquid fertilizer blend into 4 cups (950 ml) of water in a watering can. Water houseplants with the diluted fertilizer mix monthly in spring and summer and discontinue use in fall and winter.
Use the diluted fertilizer immediately. Store the prepared fertilizer in a cool, dark location for up to 3 months. Discard if the liquid shows signs of spoilage, such as discoloration, mold, or an unpleasant odor.
Store for up to three months. Discard if it shows signs of spoilage.
If you’re interested in learning more fertilizer recipes, such as ones for outdoor plants or granular fertilizer blends, be sure to check out my book, Garden Alchemy. With over 80 organic gardening recipes, keep your indoor and outdoor plants thriving and natural.
Organic Fertilizer FAQ
Where can I find these ingredients? Do you have to buy them in bulk?
Many of these ingredients will be available at garden centres or landscape supply stores. I’ve linked to them throughout the article for those I could find available online. It’s difficult to purchase these in small quantities, so getting them in bulk is your best option. They will last for years when stored properly, and you can make your own fertilizer more economically this way.
How do you use coffee grounds for plants?
People will add coffee grounds as a DIY source of nutrients to their plants. Coffee grounds are not a significant source of nutrients, though they contain phosphorous and magnesium. However, many people will add them directly to the soil when it should be composted first. So add your coffee grounds to your compost pile, then once composted, sterilize your compost and add it to your houseplants for a nutrient and soil boost.
How do you know if your houseplants need fertilizer?
If your houseplant isn’t pushing out any new growth or stopped flowering, it’s likely a fertilizer problem. They may also have weak stems or show lighter discolouration in the leaves.
More Tips for Growing Houseplants
Houseplant Fertilizer for Healthy Indoor Plants
100% natural, this DIY houseplant fertilizer recipe will keep your houseplants happy, healthy, and blooming for stunning indoor displays.
Measuring spoons
Airtight jar
Measure the ingredients and add them to a glass bottle or jar with a lid. Stir well to combine and shake well before each use.
Dilute the fertilizer by adding ½cup (120 ml) or the liquid fertilizer blend into 4 cups (950 ml) of water in a watering can. Water houseplants with the diluted fertilizer mix monthly in spring and summer and discontinue use in fall and winter.
Use the diluted fertilizer immediately. The prepared fertilizer can be stored in a cool, dark location for up to 3 months. Discard if the liquid shows signs of spoilage such as discoloration, mold, or an unpleasant odor.
A city girl who learned to garden and it changed everything. Author, artist, Master Gardener. Better living through plants.
Meet the plants that have proved to be deer-resistant in our gardens
A public service announcement prior to getting this episode started: There is no such thing as a deer-proof plant. If deer are hungry enough, they will even eat things that are supposedly toxic to them. But there are such things as deer-resistant plants.
So, on this recording of Let’s Argue About Plants, Danielle and Carol share some of the plants that have stood up to the herds that visit their backyards, and their colleague Diana Koehm offers some additional suggestions of plants that deer tend to ignore in her neck of the woods.
Episode Expert: Diana Koehm is the content editor for Fine Gardening magazine.
Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana, Zones 2-9)
‘Summer Beauty’ alliumSmooth ironweed‘Champagne Bubbles Mix’ Icelandic poppy Photo courtesy of Johnny’s selected seedEastern red cedar with ‘Amethyst Falls’ wisteria (Wisteria frutescens ‘Amethyst Falls’, Zones 5-9) and Golden Spirit smoketree (Cotinus coggygria ‘Ancot’, Zones 5-8)Deer in Carol’s Yard
Expert Diana Koehm’s Deer-Resistant Picks
‘Satyr Hill’ American holly (Ilex opaca ‘Satyr Hill’, Zones 5-8)
We’ve been noticing lately that a talent for stonework is more than an extra feather in the cap for garden designers. Wilder planting can stand or fall on the hard landscaping; crisp edges are one way of signifying that “here is a garden.”
Ecological garden designer Tom Eaglestone, based in Bath, on the edge of the Cotswolds, is as stone-obsessed as he is plant-obsessed. The native stone there is glorious, but he uses other materials as well. It just depends on what he finds on site. “I’ve always tried to see what’s already in the garden and what we can find; that makes a lot of sense for me,” he explains. Crazy patchwork paving is one way of dealing with random shapes of stone: “It’s a funny thing—people think it looks complicated, or very hard, but when you work with what you’ve got, it’s so satisfying when exactly the right piece of stone fits into the jigsaw.”
Below, we ask him our burning questions about how to be more sustainable in our approach to hardscaping.
Above: A Costswold home, through and through, from the ground up.
Eaglestone is fortunate to live and work in southwest England, known for its honey-colored limestone. The buildings seem to rise out of the rock, and it follows that pathways, edgings, and walls would be made from the same materials. When gardeners import Cotswold stone to other parts of the country, it can look completely wrong. Stone should to come from a local quarry. Materials found on site, hidden under hedges, in flower beds, lying around here and there, lead the way.
Above: A water spout made from a boulder that was helped along. Tom loves to use stone that “just feels right.”
“There is something deeply satisfying about taking characterful, trodden, marked, and weather-beaten stone—stone that must have been around a very long time—and repurposing into something new and cohesive and aesthetically pleasing,” says Tom. “It is very absorbing, tactile work.”
The reality of professional nature photos often includes harsh light, deep shadows, haze, mixed colour temperatures, and extreme dynamic range. Even perfectly taken pictures often need careful refinement to bring back detail in skies, shadows, foliage, and distant mountains. That’s why it’s important to know how to edit landscape photos and find a proper tool that will make it possible.
The ideal professional landscape photo editor should offer batch work, RAW processing, colour accuracy, local adjustments, and print-ready output. In this article, we compare some of these tools from the perspective of nature photography and common post-processing challenges this genre presents.
1. Luminar Neo
This landscape photo editor offers foliage-oriented enhancements, sky replacement/relighting, and local masking on rocks, water, and clouds. It works on Windows and Mac desktops. More expensive cross-device and Max tiers also include dedicated apps for iPhone, iPad, and Android.
Pros
Cons
Fast AI-driven global base edits are combined with manual controls like curves, HSL, and masking for polished yet realistic results.
If you seek catalog-heavy DAM solutions with complex metadata needs, Luminar Neo might be insufficient for you.
Atmosphere and relighting tools help recreate depth and weather conditions.
An AI-heavy approach requires capable hardware for smooth performance.
Subtle colour grading enhancements help photographers create and maintain the mood of dawn, golden, or blue hour.
It’s not the cheapest option, especially if you want a cross-device workflow with a photo gallery and generative tools.
2. DxO PhotoLab
DxO’s approach to editing landscape photos is based on its lens/camera profiles, DeepPRIME XD noise reduction, and local adjustments to clean high-ISO shots. Local tools (U-Point) are ideal for shaping light in valleys, clouds, and water. The app works on Windows and macOS. It’s also strongly integrated with DxO’s own RAW pre-processor. The official shop pricing shows PhotoLab 9 Essential at $149.99 and PhotoLab 9 Elite at $239.99. Double-check the official website before purchasing; discounts are common.
Pros
Cons
The software is renowned for industry-leading lens corrections and excellent noise reduction for high-ISO dawn/dusk work.
A smaller ecosystem of plugins and presets compared to some rivals.
Excellent tools for dynamic range optimisation, including intelligent exposure.
Catalogue and organisational features are less sophisticated than pure DAM tools.
The app works as a file browser, allowing immediate editing of folders.
The interface may seem overwhelming for newbies and users who transition from simpler editors.
3. ON1 Photo RAW
If you’re wondering how to edit nature photos with a traditional, layer-based approach, RAW file support, and robust cataloging, ON1 might be exactly what you need. It offers dodge and burn-style tools, sky and atmosphere effects, focus stacking, and HDR for scenes with difficult contrast. The editor costs $99.99 for a perpetual licence. Subscription plans start from $7.99/month. The program works on Mac and Windows, and there are also dedicated mobile apps for Android, iPhone, and iPad.
Pros
Cons
Instant viewing of images without a formal importing process.
There may be performance lags on older devices, especially when working with heavy, multilayered composites.
A preset-driven workflow speeds up delivering consistent looks across large shoots.
The interface and tool overlap require time and effort to navigate properly.
Advanced selective masking and noise reduction for pictures taken in unpredictable conditions.
The community support and plugin ecosystems are limited compared to industry giants like Photoshop or Lightroom.
4. Topaz Photo AI
This software is focused on sharpening, noise reduction, and upscaling for mission-critical visuals. Use it as a standalone app (Mac, Windows) or a plugin for rescuing slightly blurred bird-in-flight shots, cleaning high-ISO astro landscapes, or upscaling files for large prints without losing texture. Pricing options vary significantly, but the cheapest one costs $17/month.
Pros
Cons
The app is perfect for sharpening fine details like feathers, fur, bark, and distant ridgelines.
Topaz Photos AI is a complementary tool rather than a full editor. Its toolkit is limited, and you will still need a broader photo editing software for colour correction, unwanted object removal, etc.
Noise models handle very dark skies and high-ISO forest scenes.
AI-based sharpening and upscaling can look unnatural without human control.
You don’t have to change your current post-processing workflow to enjoy Topaz Photo AU benefits because it works as a plugin.
The system requirements are hard to match (check the official website for details), especially if you edit multiple heavy files simultaneously.
Conclusion
Selecting the best photo editor for professional nature photography hinges on understanding the specific editing needs and challenges posed by the genre. Whether you prioritise advanced features like AI-driven enhancements in Luminar Neo, industry-leading noise reduction in DxO PhotoLab, or a traditional layer-based approach in ON1 Photo RAW, the right tool can significantly elevate your landscape images and help you achieve stunning results.
Chair wheels may look small and simple, but they carry a lot of responsibility. Most people only think about them when something goes wrong, like the chair scratching the floor or refusing to roll smoothly. In reality, casters are one of the most important office chairs parts, because they control movement, protect the floor, and influence how comfortable your working day feels.
When people shop for chairs, they usually focus on back support and armrests. Wheels rarely get attention. Still, even the best chair can feel frustrating if the casters are poor quality. On the other hand, the right wheels can make movement smooth, quiet, and safe. Many resources, including OfficeLogixShop, often explain that a chair performs only as well as the components supporting it.
Understanding how chair wheels work and how to match them to your floor type helps you avoid scratches, noise, and discomfort. With a little knowledge, you can protect both your chair and your floors.
What are chair casters and why do they matter?
Chair casters are the wheels attached to the bottom of your office chair. Their job seems simple: they allow you to move, turn, and shift position without lifting the chair. However, their impact goes beyond movement. Casters also:
Protect your flooring
Improve mobility
Reduce physical strain
Support overall safety
Good casters keep movement easy and prevent unnecessary wear. Using the wrong type of caster can lead to scratches, dents, or even cracks in delicate flooring. Over time, small marks can add up and damage the look of your workspace.
The basic structure of chair casters
Each caster has several parts working together to create smooth motion.
Part
Purpose
Wheel
Rolls across the floor
Stem
Connects the caster to the chair base
Housing
Holds the wheel securely
Bearing
Allows the wheel to spin smoothly
Some casters have a single wheel, while others use dual wheels. Dual-wheel designs distribute weight more evenly and are often used for heavier office chairs.
Different materials, different results
Not all casters are made from the same material. The material directly affects how the wheel behaves on various surfaces.
Plastic is strong but can scratch hard floors
Rubber is softer and gentler
Polyurethane offers a balance between strength and flexibility
Metal is durable but risky for delicate flooring
Because of these differences, matching the material to your floor type is important.
Common types of chair casters
Knowing the main caster types makes it easier to choose wisely.
Hard casters
Hard casters are often made from plastic or metal. They roll easily on carpet because they don’t sink into the fibres. They may leave marks on hard surfaces.
Best used on: Thick carpet, office mats over carpet
Avoid using on: Hardwood, tiles, laminate
Soft casters
Soft casters are typically made from rubber or polyurethane. They protect hard floors and reduce noise. They also grip slightly, preventing slipping and scratches.
Best used on: Hardwood, tiles, vinyl, laminate
Rollerblade style casters
These resemble inline skate wheels. They roll smoothly and quietly, especially on hard floors, and are popular in home office setups.
Advantages include:
Quiet movement
Strong grip
Floor protection
Modern appearance
Locking casters
Locking casters allow you to stop the chair from rolling when stability is important.
Useful for:
Drafting chairs
Precision workstations
Standing desk setups
Dual-wheel casters
Dual-wheel designs feature two wheels per caster. They’re often used for heavier office chairs.
Benefits include:
Better weight distribution
Stronger support
Smoother rolling
Matching casters to floor types
Choosing casters starts with understanding your floor surface.
Carpeted floors
Carpet creates resistance. Hard casters roll best because they don’t sink into the material.
Recommended: Hard plastic casters, dual-wheel designs
Avoid: soft rubber casters
Hardwood floors
Hardwood floors are attractive but delicate. Soft casters will help prevent scratches. Adding a floor mat offers extra protection.
Choosing the correct chair wheels has clear benefits.
Floor protection
Proper casters prevent scratches and damage. This helps maintain property value, reduce repair costs, and keeps your office looking smart.
Improved movement
Good casters make movement effortless. You can shift positions and move between tasks smoothly. Small movements throughout the day also help reduce physical stiffness.
Noise reduction
Soft wheels reduce rolling noise. A quieter workspace feels more professional and less distracting.
Better safety
Worn or incorrect casters may jam or slip. The right type provides stable and controlled movement.
Important factors to consider
Before purchasing new casters, think about these factors:
Factor
Why It Matters
Floor type
Determines the correct wheel material
Chair weight
Affects durability requirements
Frequency of use
Impacts long-term performance
Noise sensitivity
Influences sound levels
Stability needs
Locking options add control
Understanding these points helps avoid costly mistakes.
Maintaining your chair wheels
Maintenance keeps casters working properly and can extends the lifespan of your chair.
Cleaning
Remove hair and debris regularly
Wipe wheels with a damp cloth
Dry thoroughly
Inspection
Check your chair wheels regularly. Look for cracks, flat spots, loose stems, or stiff movement. Always replace damaged casters promptly.
Lubrication
A small amount of lubricant will keep bearings spinning smoothly and quietly.
Signs it’s time to replace casters
Do the wheels squeak loudly?
Do they stick or resist rolling?
Are they scratching the floor?
Do they wobble?
If the answer to any of these questions is yes, replacement is a practical step.
Upgrading for better comfort
Upgrading casters is one of the easiest improvements you can make. It usually costs far less than replacing the entire chair.
Upgraded wheels can improve movement, protect floors, reduce noise, and enhance overall comfort. Sometimes, simply switching to rollerblade style or soft casters transforms how your chair feels.
Common mistakes to avoid
Using carpet casters on hardwood
Ignoring noise concerns
Overlooking chair weight limits
Skipping regular maintenance
Choosing very cheap materials
These mistakes often lead to damaged floors and poor performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do chair wheels matter so much?
They control movement, protect floors, and influence comfort and safety.
Can one type of caster work for every floor?
No. Different surfaces require different materials for protection and performance.
Are soft casters always better?
Soft casters are best for hard floors. Hard casters perform better on carpet.
How often should casters be cleaned?
Monthly cleaning is a good habit for most offices.
Do rollerblade-style casters damage floors?
No. They are designed to protect hard surfaces while rolling smoothly.
Can replacing casters improve an old chair?
Yes. Upgrading wheels can significantly improve movement and comfort.
Small parts, big impact
Chair wheels may seem minor, yet they affect your floor, comfort, and daily workflow. When you match your casters to your floor type and usage needs, your workspace becomes smoother, quieter, and safer.
Choosing the right casters protects your investment and enhances your work experience. Sometimes, the smallest components create the biggest improvements.
Winter isn’t over yet, but we are inching closer and closer to spring. Some parts of the country are already experiencing the slow swing away from the coldest days of the year, and gardeners are starting to get a jump on their earliest spring chores. But just because we have spring interest at the top of mind, that doesn’t mean we still can’t look back on last year’s growing season and give credit to the parts of the garden that put on their best show. Marty Oostveen in Douglassville, Pennsylvania (Zone 7a), has already shared two days’ worth of sensational garden highlights from 2025 (check out those photos here: Marty’s 2025 Garden Highlights, Part 1 and Part 2), but she is back with even more photos from a phenomenal year in her garden.
I finally got around to getting some more pictures from my gardening year 2025. We started out dry, after a very dry 2024, but then it started raining in spring, when suddenly the garden really came back to life.
My dappled willow(Salix integra ‘Hakuro Nishiki’, Zones 4–9) with Pennsylvania sedge(Carex pensylvanica, Zones 3–8)underneath, as well as hostas
The path through the gates going to the back with Golden Thunberg’s spirea(Spiraea thunbergii ‘Ogon’, Zones 4–8)on both sides, as well as Diabolo® ninebark(Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diabolo’, Zones 3–7)(blooming with white flowers) and sand cherry(Prunus × cistena, Zones 3–7)in the foreground.
I couldn’t help myself: The “idea nook” is indoors, but here is where I peruse my gardening books (with three more single bookcases in bedrooms) and of course back issues of Fine Gardening and Garden Gate to get ideas for the upcoming growing season.
The hellstrip: The perennial flax (Linum perenne, Zones 5–8)is in full bloom while the columbines are done. Throughout spring, summer, and fall, this strip remains colorful.
The back of the raised bed has a variety of evergreens, shrubs (‘Tiger Eye’ sumac[Rhus typhina ‘Bailtiger’, Zones 4–8]), and perennials (hostas, heucheras, and ground cover [sedum]).
The same general area seen from the other side of the path
The same bed with hostas, heucheras, sumac, and the crape myrtle(Lagerstroemia indica, Zones 6–9)has finally leafed out.
Waterfall surrounded by evergreen shrubs and ground cover: I also use different varieties of sedum everywhere as ground cover. The variegated iris(Iris ensata ‘Variegata’, Zones 4–8)is done blooming and grows in the water without any soil. So far it has survived nine winters.
Marty had such an incredible year in her garden, we’ll be returning to Douglassville on Monday to see even more 2025 highlights.
If you’re looking back on your 2025 garden this weekend, consider sharing some of your favorite photos with the blog. Follow the NEW directions below to submit your photos to Garden Photo of the Day!
We want to see YOUR garden!
Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!
You can also send 5–10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.
Do you receive the GPOD by email yet? Sign up here
Fine Gardening Recommended Products
Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden, Revised and Updated Second Edition: A Natural Approach to Pest Control
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
This revised and updated edition of Jessica Walliser’s award-winning Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden offers a valuable and science-backed plan for bringing balance back to the garden. With this indispensable gardening reference—now updated with new research, insights, and voices—learn how to create a healthy, balanced, and diverse garden capable of supporting a hard-working crew of beneficial pest-eating insects and eliminate the need for synthetic chemical pesticides.
X3 Stainless Steel Midi-Mod Fountain
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
3 feet high, it’s a more compact version of the larger X3 Fountain
-9.5″ w by 9.5″ d
-Powdercoat over stainless steal
Get ready to turn up the heat and the humour! This sizzling list of barbeque jokes and puns is packed with tasty one-liners, cheesy grill gags, and clever wordplay that’s perfect for all ages.
The best barbeque puns and jokes
Whether you’re hosting a backyard cookout or just love a good food pun, these BBQ laughs are guaranteed to be well done.
Funny bbq jokes
Why should you never barbeque on your roof? The steaks are too high.
Why are cows scared of cars? They’re afraid they might end up on the grill.(More car puns here)
Why does BBQ sauce always win the race? Because the other competitors are always plain Ketchup.
Why did the steak file a police report? It got grilled too hard.
Why do BBQs make great parties? Because the grill is always lit.
What did the burger say to the bun? “You complete me.”
How can you tell if a hamburger was grilled in space? It’s a little meteor.
What’s a librarian’s favourite thing to bring to a BBQ? A shhhhh-kebab.
Why do BBQs make great friends? They always bring the heat.
Why was the man at the cookout so happy? He met the grill of his dreams.
What’s a hot dog’s favourite game? Catch-up.
What do you call a group of men waiting for a haircut? A barbercue.
What do you call a grilled cheese sandwich that gets right up in your face? Too close for comfort food.
Why did the steak cross the road? To meat its friends.
What do you call cheese that’s not yours? Nacho cheese.
Today my dinner plans were foiled… Potatoes on the BBQ.
Barbeque dad jokes
I can’t decide whether to grill chicken breasts or chicken thighs. I guess I’ll just wing it.
Nobody throws a BBQ as good as me. My record is 21 feet.
I accidentally burned dinner on the grill. Missteaks were made.
My grammar may be poor, but my grilling is impeccable. I’d steak my reputation on that.
For sale: Muhammed Ali DVD set and George Foreman Grill. Both boxed.
You’re probably familiar with Murphy’s Law, but do you know what Cole’s Law is? It’s a cabbage salad, often served as a side dish at a BBQ.
Just finished cleaning my grill. It was grate.
What’s the difference between a dad and a grill? A grill runs out of gas.
Funny bbq puns
Having a grill-iant time at the BBQ
Licence to grill
This BBQ is smokin’
Grillin’ and chillin’
Grill-ty as charged
Grill power
You go grill!
Grill thrill
So grilled to see you
Meat me by the grill
Bun intended
Sun’s out, buns out
My happy plate
Tong in cheek
Flame game
Fry me to the moon
Seariously?
More BBQ puns captions (perfect for Instagram)
Fire up the fun
Feeling grate
Raise the steaks
Don’t go bacon my heart
Don’t brisket
Mustard up the courage
Steak it easy
Steak your claim
Ketchup with me later
Things could be wurst
Weiner takes all
Relish the opportunity
This grill has beef with me
Flippin’ fantastic
Up in smoke
This pic is well done
One last barbeque pun…
What’s another name for a BBQ pun? A meataphor.
Great barbeque isn’t just about the food – it’s about the memories you make together. With these family-friendly barbeque puns and jokes, you’ll have everyone smiling from the first spark to the last bite!
During the peak season, gardening advice inevitably comes at you from everywhere and everyone—whether you’re looking for it or not. When all I can focus on is staying on top of weeding, watering, and harvesting, I’m inundated with influencers on my social media feeds offering countless tips, tricks, and recommendations. As I’m hunched over my beds, sweating into the soil and wondering why I always plant so many needy tomato plants, I often have a well-intentioned friend or family member giving their opinions and suggestions.
However, when the weather turns and most of the garden goes to bed for the winter, when my time frees up and the excitement for planning and prepping surges, the advice dries up. There is always something new and shiny to check out on social media, but this time is mostly dominated by seed-starting and houseplant-care videos. If you’re looking for more inspiration for the upcoming growing season and, even more importantly, to connect with fellow gardeners about questions and concerns, we’re excited to announce a new member benefit: free monthly gardening webinars.
If you’re thinking, Hey, didn’t you guys do that before?—you’re absolutely right. Back in 2020, when the usual string of in-person gardening events were abruptly canceled, we began a series of virtual gardening events to fill that gap. Yet, as with many pandemic-era crazes, the slow shift back into real-world gatherings saw the end of these webinars as we put our attention on other initiatives such as e-learning courses.
These hour-long sessions are the perfect place to ask your gardening questions and get specific, detailed answers straight from an expert in that field or from your region. They are also always recorded, so you can return to a certain snippet or catch a webinar you missed at a time convenient to you. Moving forward, these recordings will not be available on YouTube and will be an exclusive benefit of All Access membership here on finegardening.com.
If you’re interested in the garden tour of the Netherlands we’re hosting this September, be sure to register for the upcoming tour Q&A webinar with Annie Guilfoyle: Special Netherlands Garden Tour Q&A Webinar
And keep an eye out for our garden-design webinar with Susan Calhoun, which will open for registration soon!
Fine Gardening Recommended Products
Gardener’s Supply Company Summerweight Fabric Plant Cover
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
Ideal for summertime pest control, this garden cover effectively screens out Japanese beetles, potato beetles, cabbage worms, leaf miners, carrot flies and most vine borers. It transmits 97.6% of the light to your plants without allowing heat build-up, and it provides cold protection down to 41° F, to extend your growing season.
Sun Joe Cordless Telescoping Pole Chain Saw
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
BAR + CHAIN: 8 in. auto-lubricating bar + chain with 2.7 fl oz oil tank capacity and oil level window. TELESCOPIC: Telescoping pole extends from 3.7 ft to 7.2 ft, providing up to 14 ft of overhead reach. ADJUSTABLE HEAD: Multi-angle head adjusts from 0º to 30º
24-VOLT SYSTEM: 24V 2.0 Ah IONMAX lithium-ion battery allows for up to 32 cuts of 4″ x 4″ pine on a single charge.
VegTrug Classic Cold Frame
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
Provide a natural growing habitat for your plants with VegTrug’s durable and versatile Cold Frame. A spacious and visually attractive cold frame provides the perfect microclimate environment to extend your growing season. The wood frame has 6mm double insulated and shatterproof polycarbonate that safeguards your plants from extreme weather conditions.
Air plants are pretty fascinating—unlike other plants, Tillandsia requires no soil to grow. This makes them a versatile and beautiful addition to any indoor space. However, just because they don’t need soil doesn’t mean they don’t require special care. If you find your plant is looking less than stellar, use this guide to troubleshoot and learn how to revive an air plant.
Got a dying or dead air plant? If your air plant is looking dull, a bit brown, or limp, there’s usually one culprit: watering! In fact, these signs could mean that it is very thirsty!
To revive a sick air plant that has been a tad neglected, shipped from far, far away, or is just looking a little under the weather, this air plant care guide will show you how to perk it back up!
This post will cover…
Do I Have a Dead Air Plant?
Just like anything, there is a point of no return when it comes to air plant health. That being said, people often think they have a dead air plant when in reality the plant is just struggling a bit but can easily be nursed back to health.
A dead air plant will be completely rotten, AKA all the leaves are mushy at the base and will fall off. Or, it has already turned brown and crunchy.
In most cases, air plants are not truly dead but instead in the process of dying. This means that with a little TLC, your Tillandsia can perk back up and even begin to thrive!
Brown tips can occur from not enough water or too much sunlight, which is fairly common.
How to Revive an Air Plant
A healthy air plant should have leaves that range from green to gray. When you pick up the plant, it should stay intact. In other words, on a healthy air plant, leaves should not fall.
There are several things you can do to revive a plant. Here are the steps I take to help my air plants regain their health.
Give the Air Plant an Overnight Soak
The first place I always start when I’m reviving an air plant is with watering. Remember, air plants don’t require soil, but that does not mean they don’t need water. Just like every other living being, water is absolutely essential to air plants!
Since air plants do not have soil, they have to absorb moisture and that all-important water through their leaves rather than a root system. There have been too many times I have heard that garden centers recommend spritzing air plants with water a few times a week. In my experience, this is not enough water and will leave the plant thirsty. If this happens long enough, it will lead to a dead air plant, sadly!
Air plants should be soaked in water, not spritzed or misted.
How Long Should I Soak My Air Plant?
To ensure my air plants meet their water requirements, I give them an hour-long bath. In the warmer summer months, I do this weekly, and in the winter, about every three weeks or so. I live in the rainforest, so I like to use rainwater. However, you can use tap water as well! Just leave the water out for 24 hours to allow the chlorine to evaporate.
Then, simply remove the air plant from whatever container it is in and submerge it in a bowl of water. The bowl should be large enough that the plant can submerge totally.
Leave it in the bath for an hour or so, then take it out. Give your air plant a few gentle shakes while upside down to make sure the water isn’t pooling in its leaves.
Tip the air plant upside down or on its side to ensure it has fully dried out before placing it back in its container. Pooling water can rot your air plant, so don’t skip this step.
For troubleshooting and for even more information on proper water, read this article I put together about how to water air plants.
Leave your air plants to fully dry after their bath.
Make Sure Your Air Plant Has Air!
This may seem obvious, but your air plant needs oxygen to live! There are many images floating around of air plants stored in a closed jar that make me shake my head—the plant cannot survive in an airtight environment!
The solution is easy—you can still keep your cute jar terrarium, but make sure to leave the lid cracked or open so air can circulate freely.
Make sure your air plant is getting air circulation.
Remove Dead Leaves
You’ll also want to remove any dead leaves from a sick air plant by gently tugging at them to see if they come off. If they remove easily, they are dead. If the whole plant falls apart when you do this, you’ve got a dead air plant that has already bit the dust, unfortunately.
However, if only a few leaves come off and the inside leaves are green and healthy-looking, your air plant is going to make it with the proper care!
Dead leaves should easily come off.
Look at the Tips of Your Air Plant
If the tips of your air plant are turning brown, try using rainwater or unchlorinated water, as described above. If you are not giving them chlorine, but they are still turning brown, then your plant may not be getting enough water.
Give them an overnight bath, then make sure that you are bathing them more often.
Brown tips occur from chlorinated water or not enough water.
What if My Air Plant Falls Apart?
If you have a green air plant that just falls apart, you’ve got a dead air plant on your hands. This probably occurred due to sitting in standing water too long, or it was not shaken off properly after bath time.
Read the section about watering again, and you’ll surely have better luck with the next one!
Air plants in need of soaking and pruning.
Sick Air Plant FAQ
Should I soak my blooming air plant?
First of all, congratulations! It can be hard to get an air plant to bloom, so you’re doing things right. Air plant flowers should not get wet, as it can cause them to rot. Try to water your air plant by submerging the leaves only, and not the flower.
Can I remove a dead flower from an air plant?
Yes, you can remove the flower. It should fall off on its own, but you can also cut it back to where it is brown. Now that the plant has flowered, it should set pups, and the mother plant will die back. Don’t be concerned when this happens because it’s all part of the life cycle.
My air plant is changing colour. Is this normal?
Changing colours for an air plant can mean a lot of different things, especially since there are so many varieties. If it’s brightening, it’s likely blooming or adapting to the environment; this is no cause of concern. Many tillandsias turn redish.
If the colour is fading, it might not be getting enough light or water. If there is brown or black colouring, especially at the base, this could be a sign of rot.
How do you water an air plant that is glued to something?
This is one of my pet peeves about air plants because it’s difficult to take care of them once they’re permanently attached to something. If you’re able, you can try to soak the entire thing, but this can make it difficult to dry properly, so your air plant can rot. Your best bet is to spritz it regularly, every day if needed.
I keep my air plants in these homemade wire and rock displays where I can easily remove them for their bath.
I hope this guide helps you revive an air plant and keep your plant collection thriving! If you love air plants as much as I do, be sure to check out the articles below.
More Tips for Growing Air Plants
A city girl who learned to garden and it changed everything. Author, artist, Master Gardener. Better living through plants.
Years back, I learned about the lesser-known sonambient work of Italian-American designer Harry Bertoia. Bertoia, celebrated for his now-iconic wire mesh seating, created a series of sound sculptures in the 1960s with sonic and kinetic properties. Discovering his sound art led me to reconsider the aural pleasantries of the wind chime. I’ve found that I especially gravitate toward Japanese wind bells, hung at the entrance of the home or from surrounding trees, which are thought to bring good fortune and grant wishes to the inhabitants of the home.
The sense of sound in the garden is often overlooked but shouldn’t be. Here, we’ve profiled our favorite wind chimes to help grant wishes while bringing sound back into the garden.
Above: Designed by Oji Masanori for Nousaku, the Tsubomi Chime is made of solid brass with a thin clapper disk that produces a gentle ringing sound when a breeze passes by. Designed with a trio of cotton pompoms, the chime is designed for indoor spaces and covered outdoor spaces/porches; $110 at Nalata Nalata. Above: The EOS Wind Chime is made of fine stoneware with a white satin glaze and durable cotton rope designed for the outdoors; $24 for a single strand (shown in a group of three) at Stag & Manor. Above: The Owara Kaze No Bon Wind Chime in brass is made in Takaoka City in the Toyama Prefecture of Japan by a company founded in 1609; $75 at Santoku NYC, which has a wide selection of Japanese-made wind chimes. Above: From Wind River Chimes, the Corinthian Bells 44-Inch Wind Chime is a classic western-style chime available in a range of finishes. Visit Wind River Chimes for a sample of the sound; $181 for the 44-inch size. Above: The Porcelain Wind Chime from Pigeon Toe Ceramics in Portland, Oregon, is made from a series of ceramic disks strung together on a deerskin lace cord; $85, available in a range of colors (shown in a natural glaze). Above: The Onion Wind Chime from Nousaku is made of either gold- or silver-finished brass in the shape of an onion; $89 at Jinen.
No garden is without challenges and obstacles, but some locations certainly make gardening more complicated than others. Your property—the amount of space you have, the number of mature trees in and around your landscape, the quality of your soil, and so on—also plays a major role in the ease of creating and maintaining a garden. However, today’s post is a prime example that no set of conditions can stop a determined gardener from creating an enviable outdoor space. Ryan Harter in Castle Rock, Colorado (Zone 5b), contends with climate extremes but embraces the rugged rock gardens of the Mountain West to create stunning displays. His home garden is a marvelous collection of color and fascinating, drought-tolerant plants that prove his challenging conditions don’t require any compromise on beauty. To see even more of Ryan’s spectacular space, check him out on Instagram: @thexericgarden.
This garden began as a typical suburban Colorado lot and has gradually evolved into a dense, drought-tolerant planting filled with texture and long-season interest. Gardening in Castle Rock means designing for extremes: intense sun, temperature swings, and heavy spring snow. I focus on resilient perennials such as penstemon, salvia, nepeta, ice plants, yarrow, dwarf conifers, and many more, woven through native and adapted grasses that provide structure and movement. The garden is layered tightly to reduce water use and suppress weeds while still creating a lush appearance. It is both a personal experiment in climate-adapted planting and a space meant to inspire others gardening in similar high-plains conditions. The garden contains over 200 varieties of plants.
Ice plant pathway
Drought-tolerant wonderland
Native-ish planting
Fall garden
Another view of Ryan’s incredible landscape in fall. Small clumps of grasses are little pops of color and texture among the many low-growing plants.
Spring garden
Thank you so much for sharing your gorgeous garden with us, Ryan! I’m certain your landscape has inspired many readers to view drought-tolerant and water-wise landscapes in a whole new light.
What challenges do you face in your garden, and what plant selections or design choices help you overcome the obstacles to create something beautiful? Let us know in the comments, or consider sharing photos of your garden with the blog. Follow the NEW directions below to submit your photos to Garden Photo of the Day!
We want to see YOUR garden!
Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!
You can also send 5–10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.
Do you receive the GPOD by email yet? Sign up here
Fine Gardening Recommended Products
The Crevice Garden: How to make the perfect home for plants from rocky places
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
A crevice garden replicates the environmental conditions of mountain tops, deserts, coastlines, and other exposed or rocky places on earth. These striking garden features provide perfect conditions for the plants native to these far-off places, bringing the cultivation of these precious gems within everybody’s reach.
The Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
The Nature of Oaks reveals what is going on in oak trees month by month, highlighting the seasonal cycles of life, death, and renewal. From woodpeckers who collect and store hundreds of acorns for sustenance to the beauty of jewel caterpillars, Doug Tallamy illuminates and celebrates the wonders that occur right in our own backyards. He also shares practical advice about how to plant and care for an oak, along with information about the best oak species for your area.
Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for Resilient Landscapes
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
Featuring gorgeous photography and advice for landscapers, Planting in a Post-Wild World by Thomas Rainer and Claudia West is dedicated to the idea of a new nature—a hybrid of both the wild and the cultivated—that can nourish in our cities and suburbs.
Gardening gets easier when storage stops being an afterthought. Tools, soil, pots, seed trays, and seasonal gear can all pile up fast, and typical sheds often become cramped, damp, and hard to organise. A better setup is one that protects supplies, supports a clean workflow, and gives you room to grow over time. One increasingly practical option is double-wide conjoined shipping containers, which create a single, larger storage footprint without the awkward limitations of a small outbuilding. With the extra width, you can set up clear zones for clean supplies like seeds and trays, separate them from bulk bags and muddy tools, and still keep a straight walkway through the space.
Why garden storage breaks down so quickly
Most garden spaces evolve gradually. You might start with a few hand tools, then add a mower, a trimmer, bulk compost, raised-bed hardware, and maybe a small greenhouse. Storage usually doesn’t scale at the same pace. The result is often less than ideal: bags of fertiliser absorbing moisture, metal tools rusting, seed packets losing viability, and temporary piles forming in walkways. Poor storage can cost time and money, because you spend more effort searching, moving, and re-buying items you already own.
What conjoined containers actually means
A conjoined container setup typically joins two standard steel shipping containers side-by-side to create a wider interior volume. Instead of one narrow, corridor-like space, you get a broader room that can be zoned like a workshop, with shelving walls, a central aisle, and dedicated areas for bulky equipment. In practice, the big advantage isn’t just extra square footage, it’s a layout that supports real organisation rather than stacking everything along a single wall.
More width equals better workflow
Width changes how you use storage. In a narrow shed, you often block items behind other items. In a wider space, you can plan reach zones and keep frequently used tools accessible. A practical layout might include:
A clean zone for seed starting supplies and small hand tools
A bulk zone for soil, mulch, and fertiliser
A mechanical zone for lawn equipment and fuel storage (kept separate and ventilated)
A seasonal rotation zone for tarps, hoops, frost cloth, and garden lights
With a wider footprint, you’re less likely to create a single messy pile that you avoid until it becomes a weekend project.
Weather protection for tools and planting supplies
Garden supplies are sensitive to moisture swings. Paper seed packets, cardboard boxes, peat products, and some fertilisers degrade quickly if exposed to damp air. Steel container structures are built for harsh conditions and can be upgraded with ventilation, insulation, and sealed doors to reduce moisture intrusion. That means fewer rusted tools and less frustration when you open a bag and realise it’s unusable.
Remember, controlling humidity isn’t only about keeping rain out. It’s also about airflow and avoiding condensation, especially when warm days and cool nights create moisture inside enclosed spaces.
Organisation options that sheds struggle with
Conjoined containers can provide organisation methods that work well for gardening:
Long runs of heavy-duty shelving for bins and labeled totes
Wall-mounted rails for hand tools
Pegboard-style zones for pruning, grafting, and irrigation tools
Overhead storage for lightweight seasonal items
Pallet-friendly areas for bulk soil or bagged compost
Because the walls are steel, you can plan secure mounting points or use freestanding systems designed for workshops. The result is a space that feels more like a working room than a crowded closet.
Better security for high-value gear
Many gardeners eventually accumulate expensive equipment like mowers, tillers, battery tool systems, sprayers, pressure washers, and irrigation controllers. A basic shed door and a small padlock are often not enough when tools are stored in plain sight. Steel container structures can provide a higher baseline of security, and the wider interior makes it easier to keep valuable items stored away from the doors and out of view when opened.
Security isn’t only about theft. It also protects against curious animals, neighbourhood pets, and weather-driven debris.
Better separation between dirty and clean supplies
Garden storage works best when you separate messy materials from clean supplies. Soil, mulch, and compost create dust and introduce pests. Seed trays, propagation domes, and hand pruners benefit from cleaner storage. With a wider joined space, you can physically separate zones with shelving lines or simple partitions. This prevents seed-starting gear from being coated in dust and helps prevent contamination issues.
Room for a potting and maintenance corner
One of the most useful upgrades is a dedicated corner for quick tasks, such as:
Repotting and mixing potting media
Cleaning hand tools and sharpening pruners
Repairing drip irrigation lines
Storing labels, ties, twine, and plant supports
When these tasks have a home, you stop doing them on the ground or on a patio table. Even a small workbench plus a couple of drawers can dramatically reduce daily friction during planting season.
Practical add-ons that make storage more garden-friendly
To make a conjoined setup work well for gardening, focus on comfort and preservation:
Ventilation: helps reduce condensation and odours
Insulation: stabilises temperature swings and protects sensitive supplies
Lighting: makes the space usable in early mornings and evenings
Flooring considerations: easier cleanup if you track in soil and mulch
Door planning: wide access points for wheelbarrows, carts, and mowers
Pest control basics: sealed storage bins and tidy zones reduce mice and insects
These upgrades aren’t about making the space fancy. They’re about keeping supplies usable and making storage easy to maintain.
Site planning: placement, drainage, and access
Garden storage only works if you can reach it quickly. Before choosing placement, think about the following:
Where you naturally enter the garden
How you move soil, compost, and tools (wheelbarrow paths matter)
Drainage and water flow during heavy rain
A stable base to prevent shifting and door misalignment
Clearance for delivery and future maintenance
A smart setup puts your grab-and-go items near the entry while keeping bulk storage accessible without forcing you to navigate tight corners.
Common mistakes to avoid
Conjoined containers solve a lot of problems, but planning still matters. Try to avoid these common issues:
Storing fertilisers and seeds together without separation (odour and moisture transfer)
No ventilation, leading to condensation and mildew
Overloading one wall with heavy items without balanced distribution
Forgetting a clear walkway, then losing easy access to what you use most
Placing the unit where runoff pools or snow piles up against doors
If you plan zones first, you’ll avoid turning a bigger space into a bigger mess.
The strongest argument for conjoined storage is that it grows with you. Gardens change across seasons and years: raised beds expand, plant supports evolve, and your tool kit becomes more specialised. A wider modular space gives you room to reconfigure without starting over. You can add more shelving, upgrade lighting, or reshape zones as your garden projects change, instead of constantly fighting the limits of a small shed.
Conjoined container setups improve garden storage by providing width, durable protection, and a layout that supports real organisation. They help you separate clean and dirty supplies, protect valuable tools, and create an efficient workflow that reduces daily friction during busy seasons. If you’re exploring planning ideas and practical layouts for conjoined shipping containers, the most important step is to map your zones first, then build storage around how you actually garden, not how you wish you did.
When it comes to interior design, the little details matter. One often-overlooked element is the hardware on your doors. While the door itself is undoubtedly crucial, it’s the handle that creates the first impression and elevates the overall aesthetic of your space.
If you’re considering an upgrade, brass door handles could be just what you need to transform the ordinary into something extraordinary.
The allure of brass: timeless and elegant
Brass has been a popular choice in home interiors for centuries, and for good reason. Its warm, golden tones add a touch of elegance and luxury to any room. Unlike other materials, brass develops a unique patina over time, enhancing its character rather than detracting from it. This makes brass not only a visually appealing option but also a durable one, capable of standing the test of time.
Another compelling reason to consider brass for your door hardware is its versatility. Whether your home features a modern, minimalist style or a more traditional, ornate design, brass fixtures can seamlessly blend in while making a bold statement. Decorative brass fixtures for doors, for example, can add intricate detail to an otherwise simple design, providing a focal point that draws the eye.
Practical advantages of brass door handles
Beyond aesthetics, brass handles offer several practical advantages as well:
Durability
Brass is inherently resistant to corrosion, meaning it’s less likely to tarnish or wear down compared to other metals. This longevity makes it an ideal choice for high-traffic areas where wear and tear might be a concern. Investing in quality brass hardware can save you money in the long run by reducing the need for replacements.
Antimicrobial properties
In today’s health-conscious environment, the antimicrobial nature of brass is another significant advantage. Studies have shown that brass can kill certain types of bacteria, making it a safer choice for frequently touched surfaces.
Easy maintenance
Maintaining brass handles is relatively straightforward. Unlike chrome or stainless steel, which can show fingerprints and smudges easily, a brass handle often requires just a simple wipe-down to keep it looking pristine. If you prefer a shiny finish, a periodic polish can restore their lustre, but many homeowners opt for a more rustic look that comes with natural ageing.
How to choose the right brass hardware for your home
Once you’ve decided on brass as your material of choice, the next step is selecting the right handles for your doors. The following tips will help you make an informed decision:
Style compatibility
Think about the existing elements in your home. Do you have contemporary or traditional decor? Look for designs that complement your current style. Smooth, sleek handles work well in modern contexts, while ornate designs may be better suited to classic interiors.
Size matters
The size of the handle should be proportionate to your door. A large, heavy door deserves a substantial handle, while smaller doors should have more delicately designed hardware. Make sure you take accurate measurements before making a purchase.
Finishes and styles
Brass comes in various finishes, from polished and shiny to brushed or antiqued. Each finish creates a different vibe, so consider what complements your existing decor. Exploring different styles – like lever handles versus knobs – will also help you find the perfect match for your doors.
Where to find quality brass handles
If you’re looking for a place to begin your search for decorative brass fixtures for doors, consider reputable online retailers that specialise in high-quality hardware. Websites like Brass Works offer a wide variety of brass handles that combine durability with aesthetic appeal. They feature different styles and finishes, giving you the flexibility to select pieces that align with your design vision.
The impact of small changes
Don’t underestimate the significance of swapping out your door handles. Switching to brass can instantly revitalise your entranceways, giving your home a refreshed and inviting look. This kind of upgrade is not only affordable but also relatively easy to implement yourself, making it a perfect weekend project.
Enhancing home value
Investing in quality door hardware can also enhance your property’s value. Potential buyers often notice small details that contribute to the overall appeal of a home, and elegant brass fixtures can be a selling point that differentiates your property from the competition.
Brass door handles might seem like a small detail, but they can make a significant impact on your home’s overall aesthetic, practicality, and value. The durability, cleanliness, and timeless appeal of brass make it an excellent choice for any door in your home, while a wide range of styles ensures that your selection will fit seamlessly with your interior design.
So, before you resign yourself to living with those outdated handles, consider making the switch. This simple upgrade might just be the refreshing change your doors need.
Herman is also especially generous with the details, like a friend offering insightful advice. For example, here’s her precise description of her pool: “The pool measures 12 by 24 feet, mirroring the dimensions of the original gamecock house, now a dining pavilion. Three inch-thick, rock-faced bluestone coping edges the pool, which is finished in a French gray plate.” Likewise, her notes on plants are conversational and useful, like when she describes Orlaya grandiflora, Herman tells the reader, “It self-sows easily, making groupings achievable, but is not problematic or invasive.”
Above: Herman is especially fond of umbels like the vibrant Zizia aurea. Photograph by Neil Landino, from A Moment in Time.
Herman is clearly a devoted plantswoman. The book features many hero shots of specific plants (all helpfully labeled). Of those close-up moments, she tells us, “I think it’s really important to have that sense of intimacy, paired with big, broad shots for context.” Herman says there easily could have been more, noting “it is about all those individual pieces that make up the greater whole.” Herman has included a Resources section at the back of the book with all her favorite places to buy plants, seeds, and garden ornaments, which will be of particular interest to gardeners in her region.
Above: Peony ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ is paired with the deep pink of Tanacetum coccineum. Photograph by Neil Landino, from A Moment in Time.
This book will appeal to anyone with an appreciation for formal, English-inspired gardens, but is also a surprisingly intimate book that any seasoned gardener will relate to.
Above: A Moment in Time: Designing a Country Garden by Kathryn Herman is available wherever books are sold including Bookshop.org.
