Are you thinking of adding vegetables to your container garden this season? Some vegetables actually grow better in pots or containers than others. In this article, gardening expert Vijai Pandian, shares his favorite vegetable varieties to add to your container garden this season!
Source: University of Wisconsin-Madison©
Photo by hortzone.com
Starting a garden in retirement is one of the most rewarding things you can do, but it’s not as simple as just sticking a few plants in the ground. A thriving garden takes a little planning, the right approach, and a few smart strategies to keep it enjoyable instead of overwhelming.
The good news? You don’t need a green thumb to make it work. With the right know-how, you can create a beautiful, stress-free garden that brings joy and purpose to your golden years.
It’s tempting to go all in and create a massive garden right away, but that’s a fast track to burnout. A small, manageable space lets you learn as you go without feeling like it’s taking over your life. Pick a few easy-to-grow plants, master the basics, and expand later. Gardening should be enjoyable, not exhausting. If you take on too much too soon, you might end up dreading it instead of loving it. Slow and steady wins the race.
Some plants practically take care of themselves, while others demand constant attention. If you want your garden to be a source of joy, not stress, go for hardy, easy-care plants. Native plants, perennials, and drought-resistant varieties thrive with minimal effort. Skip anything fussy that requires daily pampering. The less time you spend fixing problems, the more time you’ll have to enjoy watching your garden flourish. Work smarter, not harder.
Gardening shouldn’t leave you sore and stiff every time you pull a few weeds. Raised beds and containers bring plants up to a comfortable height, making planting, watering, and harvesting easier on your body. No more endless bending or kneeling on hard ground. Plus, they offer better drainage and fewer weeds. If you want to keep gardening for years to come, setting yourself up for comfort now is one of the smartest moves you can make.
You can buy the best plants in the world, but if your soil is garbage, they won’t thrive. Healthy, nutrient-rich soil makes all the difference. Test your soil, amend it with compost, and give your plants the foundation they need to flourish. It’s worth investing in quality soil and organic matter upfront. Skimping here will just lead to disappointment when your plants struggle or refuse to grow. Treat your soil right, and it’ll reward you with a beautiful garden.
Too much water drowns roots, too little leaves them struggling, and watering at the wrong time invites disease. The sweet spot? Deep, infrequent watering early in the morning. This encourages strong root growth and prevents evaporation. Avoid splashing leaves—wet foliage is a magnet for mildew and pests. Drip irrigation or a soaker hose is a lifesaver if you want a hands-off approach. Get your watering routine right, and your plants will be healthier and happier with less effort.
Mulch isn’t just for looks—it’s a powerhouse tool that locks in moisture, keeps weeds at bay, and protects plant roots. Spread a thick layer around your plants, and you’ll water less while fighting off invasive weeds. Organic mulch, like wood chips or straw, also breaks down over time, enriching your soil. Skip the bare dirt, and embrace mulch. It cuts down on work and makes your garden look polished and professional with minimal effort.
The moment your plants start thriving, bugs and critters will show up uninvited. Instead of panicking, take a proactive approach. Companion planting, natural repellents, and beneficial insects like ladybugs can help keep pests in check. Avoid chemical sprays that can harm pollinators and your garden’s ecosystem. A little prevention goes a long way—catching problems early can mean the difference between a thriving garden and a full-blown infestation.
Planting in the wrong spot can spell disaster. Most vegetables and flowers need at least six hours of direct sunlight, while some plants prefer shade. Watch how the sun moves across your yard before deciding where to plant. A little planning now prevents frustration later when plants struggle because they’re getting too much or too little light. If you don’t want to play a guessing game, check plant tags and match them to the right sun conditions.
No matter how much you plan, some plants just won’t make it. That’s part of the journey. Don’t let a few dead plants discourage you—every experienced gardener has had their fair share of flops. The key is to learn from what went wrong and try again. Sometimes it’s the weather, sometimes it’s pests, and sometimes plants just don’t cooperate. Gardening is all about experimenting, adjusting, and improving. The more you do it, the better you’ll get.
It’s easy to get caught up in making everything perfect, but gardening is meant to be a peaceful, fulfilling hobby—not a stressful to-do list. Step back and appreciate the little victories: the first sprout, the first bloom, the fresh scent of the soil. Progress, not perfection, is the goal. The more you embrace the journey instead of worrying about the outcome, the more joy your garden will bring. After all, retirement is about enjoying life, not stressing over plants.
Source: Retiredom©
Photo credit: ©Image license via iStock© & Shutterstock©
If you don’t know yourself, it is very difficult to love yourself. Self-discovery is the process of truly comprehending yourself in each and every way, regardless of the presence of others. It’s the journey you will need to take to find self-love and to achieve the level of self-actualization. When you know yourself, you will know how and why you will react to certain situations, predict stumbling blocks, and determine your purpose.
Journaling prompts can be a powerful tool for self-discovery. They encourage reflection on various aspects of your life, helping you gain clarity about your thoughts, feelings, values, and goals. Below, you will find such prompts.
Self-discovery journal prompts help uncover your true desires, values, and emotions to foster personal growth. Effective prompts include exploring childhood passions (“What was I like when I was young?”), defining personal success, identifying energy-draining habits, and acknowledging fears.
Three of my most cherished personal values? Which one matters the most to me right now?
What makes me feel alive? And makes me feel afraid?
To have more time, energy, and peace, what 3 things could I give up?
Do I miss any qualities about my younger self?
What does my perfect day look like?
If failure wasn’t a factor, what would I do?
What are my greatest strengths and weaknesses?
The best piece of advice I’ve ever received?
How do I want to be remembered?
What brings me joy?
How is my energy drained?
What is something I find inspiring?
What can I let go of to improve my life today?
How can I show myself more compassion today?
Discovering yourself is a lifelong, iterative process. Thus, stripping away external expectations to reveal your authentic values, passions, and purpose. Start today!
Sources: sparrowsnestcounseling.com©
Graphic by inspirationalperspective.com
Dreaming of a beautiful yard without spending every weekend pulling weeds or deadheading flowers? You’re not alone. Whether you’re short on time, new to landscaping, or just want a space that feels peaceful and easy to care for, low-maintenance landscaping can give you that perfect balance of function and flair.
Check out these ideas that don’t require a green thumb—or a huge budget.
Maximize vertical space with a simple hanging planter wall. It’s great for small yards, balconies, or to add color to a plain fence. You can add succulents, vegetables that do well on a trellis, herbs, or really anything your heart desires.
Install a wooden or metal frame and hang small potted plants or recycled containers using hooks or macramé. Choose hardy herbs, succulents, or trailing vines for a lush, cascading effect.
A gravel courtyard brings a peaceful, European courtyard vibe without needing constant upkeep. It’s perfect for dry climates and shady corners.
Outline your space with edging stones or bricks, lay down landscape fabric, and spread pea gravel or crushed granite. Add a café table, potted plants, and solar lanterns to complete the scene.
Attract feathered visitors with a classic birdbath surrounded by flowering plants. It adds life, color, and a gentle soundtrack to your garden.
Place your birdbath on a stone base or pedestal in a partly shaded area. Surround it with pollinator-friendly flowers like coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, or lavender.
If you want the lowest-maintenance landscaping possible, mulch paired with native plants is the way to go. It suppresses weeds, retains moisture, and needs very little ongoing work.
Look up native plants for your region and pair them with bark, straw, or cocoa shell mulch. Arrange them by height and bloom season for year-round interest with minimal effort.
Low-water and high-style? A rock garden with succulents delivers both. It thrives in sun, handles neglect well, and looks amazing year-round.
Use river rocks or gravel to create small beds or clusters, and mix in hardy succulents like hens and chicks, sedum, or echeveria. Add driftwood or metal garden art for extra texture.
Copy and paste the website below to view more ideas for low-maintenance landscaping.
Source: Backyard Garden Lover
©Image Credit: Shutterstock
Related: 14 cheap landscaping updates that make a splash – TUTORING YOU
Granny pods are detached tiny homes that can be built or installed in a backyard or elsewhere on a property close to a larger home, allowing an aging loved one to be close to those who are helping care for them, while still maintaining some independence and privacy for everyone. You can find many prefab home models for sale (new or pre-owned) that include a bathroom and everything they’ll need (more on that below!). No matter what home style you go with, its proximity means Granny will be close enough to pop over to join the grandkids for a craft project, a movie night, or a homemade cake baking session any time. Win and win? We think so.
A granny pod is a modified guest house that allows caregivers close proximity to aging loved ones. They are also called ADUs, or accessory dwelling units, and are designed with safety and accessibility top of mind (for example: slip-resistant floors, wide doorways, and rounded countertops). Some versions offer high-tech medical extras, other models are foldable, and most can be built in a reasonable amount of time with help from handy friends who know their way around a toolbox.
Whether a DIY cabin kit from Amazon or a customized, pre-fabricated tiny home, options for granny pods are more plentiful than ever. Depending on your wants and needs, you can choose from a variety of home styles and floor plans. And, it’s completely up to you if you prefer to assemble yourself or hire a pro.
Bungalow-like on the outside and hotel suite-like on the inside, these structures include up to 440 square feet of living space, a kitchenette, a bed (or separate bedroom), and bathroom. Many of these portable accessible tiny homes are similar to a hospital room, providing customers options for standard safety features such as hand railings, defibrillators, first aid supplies, lighted floorboards, and a soft floor to minimize injury from falls. Among other optional features, double French doors can accommodate a wheelchair and other hospital equipment, if needed.
Along with online retailers such as Amazon, businesses such as WheelPad and Cottage Depot offer free-standing dwellings designed to be installed in the backyard behind the main residence (zoning laws permitting, of course) that can be purchased or leased. The firm FabCab specializes in modern-style homes for aging in place, and both interior and exterior spaces of their homes get the universal design treatment, a philosophy that all environments should work for all ages and abilities. Accessibility is considered in every space, from bathrooms to outdoor patios.
Typically these small dwellings are hooked up to the main home’s existing sewer, water, and power lines, so you’ll need to obtain the necessary building approvals required by local agencies. And, as previously mentioned, zoning laws in your area may have rules regarding the amount of land that can be covered by a structure. Check to make sure all intended uses of the cottage have been cleared before purchasing, including homeowner association agreements and proximity to historic districts, wetlands, or parks.
Depending on the type of dwelling you choose, the estimated cost will likely run between $100,000 to $250,000, Carolyn McClanahan, a financial planner at Life Planning Partners in Jacksonville, Florida, told CNBC. Depending on how many years the pod is used, the price could pay off, as the median cost of assisted living care is $5,190 a month in 2025, while skilled nursing home care ranges from $8,669 to $9,733 a month, according to A Place for Mom.
Source: countryliving.com©
Photo by medium.com©
This easy Winter Olympics 2026 cloze highlights the when and where of this year’s Winter Olympics. Get in the spirit and do it!
Source: easyenglishnews©
The blockbuster drugs—known as GLP-1s—are increasingly marketed as lifestyle fixes to help take off some weight. But they are actually designed as lifelong treatments for chronic diseases, namely obesity and Type 2 diabetes.
That distinction matters.
While nearly 18% of U.S. adults have taken a GLP-1 drug for weight loss or to treat a chronic condition, about half of people will stop taking it within a year. Often, they don’t understand what is likely to come next.
Studies show that after stopping the drugs, people typically regain lost weight within about 1.5 years. And any improvements in blood sugar, blood pressure or cholesterol are reversed.
People who take GLP-1s regain weight four times faster than those who lose weight through lifestyle interventions.
The depressing results raise the question: Are the drugs worth starting if you can’t stay on them long-term? Doctors largely say yes but caution the need for proper counseling and lifestyle changes.
The medications, which include Ozempic, Mounjaro and Zepbound, mimic naturally occurring gut hormones such as GLP-1, suppressing appetite and making people feel full faster.
The BMJ review examined 37 studies that included people taking weight-loss medications; six were studies where people took GLP-1s rather than older weight-loss medications. On average, people taking a GLP-1 lost 32 pounds on the medications but gained back 21 pounds in the first year after stopping them, the study found.
“It’s virtually parallel with weight gain,” says Sam West, a physiologist and postdoctoral researcher at University of Oxford in England who was lead author of the BMJ review.
In general, when you lose weight, your metabolism slows and you burn fewer calories. But there is another less-known impact.
Your appetite goes up, says Kevin Hall, a former senior investigator at the National Institutes of Health and specialist in nutrition who has done research documenting this phenomenon. “These drugs, they interfere with that feedback control system while you’re on them, but once you’re off the drugs and lost so much weight, your appetite is much higher than it was to begin with so you’ll be overeating calories,” he says.
Doctors say it isn’t surprising that weight gain is faster for those who stop taking medications as opposed to those who lost it through diet and exercise. When someone stops dieting, they don’t go from restricting calories to eating without limits, notes Dr. Katherine H. Saunders, a clinical assistant professor of medicine. It is usually a gradual process.
When you stop taking a GLP-1, “the hunger and food noise symptoms come back with a vengeance,” she says.
Another less-studied phenomenon is when people stop taking a GLP-1 and then decide they want to go back on the medication. It isn’t always as successful the second or third time around, says Saunders.
The concept of metabolic adaptation explains the body’s desire to regain weight after stopping a GLP-1 medication, says Dr. Gitanjali Srivastava, medical director of obesity medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn.
This is our body’s survival mechanism, evolved over many centuries, to slow our metabolism down and conserve energy during times of famine or stress.
The greatest success stories come from combining lifestyle changes with obesity medications, says Srivastava. “We really need to provide these therapies in combination, all in one, for the maximum benefit of the patient,” she says.
Weight cycling—gaining and losing weight repeatedly—may negatively affect the proportion of fat to muscle, doctors say. When you lose weight, one-quarter to a third is muscle. When you gain weight back, it tends to be more fat than muscle.
In addition to your appetite roaring back, there is also the psychological impact of gaining weight back, which can lead to people feeling defeated and less likely to exercise.
Obesity care is no different than treating someone for high cholesterol or diabetes. When you stop taking a statin, the cholesterol will go back up. When you stop taking insulin, diabetes returns.
So, is there any point to taking a GLP-1 short-term? Doctors think the answer is yes. Patients need a long-term strategy that could involve transitioning to a less-expensive, older-generation weight-loss medication or starting a more intensive lifestyle intervention.
“I would never say to them there’s no point in starting, but I will tell them right up front we have to start thinking of the day after stopping now.
Source: The Wall Street Journal©
Photo Credit: © Peter Dazeley/Getty Images
Simply put, it’s the process that seeds go through naturally during the winter in colder areas of the world. Numerous plants’ seeds rely on an extended period of cold as a natural timer.
Many of these plants won’t germinate until they have experienced the cold temperatures of winter. Seeds, such as Milkweed, may also undergo hormone changes during this cold period that allow the plant to produce flowers (vernalization) the following year.
It makes sense that plants that grow in the parts of the world with harsh winters would need some sort of built-in timer to tell them when not to grow and when it’s okay to get growing. Otherwise, the seeds would hit the ground in the fall and sprout up, only to be decimated by the first frost.
The cold temps of winter push the pause button on these seeds. Bingo! Cold stratification.
If you want to grow something from seed that you would normally find as a seedling, check the seed packet to see if it would benefit from cold stratification. Nearly all seed packets will note if stratification is necessary for germination.
You will note there are only a couple of vegetable seeds on this list. That’s because most of the vegetables we grow in our gardens each year have been highly cultivated over the centuries to achieve the forms we’re so fond of today. Most are grown as annuals without the need for cold stratification.
The few vegetables that do need stratification are perennials, which you would plant once and tend the resulting plant thereafter, such as asparagus or artichokes. Annuals that require cold stratification, such as the allums – garlic, scallions, onions, etc. – are usually planted in the fall or very early spring so as to be cold stratified naturally.
While there are numerous methods for cold stratification, your fridge is generally the only tool you need. Well, your fridge and a quart mason jar with a lid.
Place your seed packets in a clean mason jar with a desiccant packet (these silly things come in handy more than you would think) and put the lid on. Pop it into the fridge for the recommended time for each seed. The desiccant packet will keep the seeds and paper packets from getting all damp and gross.
When it’s time to plant your seeds, take the packet out of the fridge and follow the directions for sowing. It really is that simple.
Now, some seeds do better with moist stratification – cold and wet – just like real winter! You can place them on damp paper towels and place them in a plastic bag in the fridge. But I’ve always had terrible luck with this method. I usually end up with rotted seeds.
Instead, once they have spent their cold spell in the fridge, I soak my seeds in water in the fridge overnight the day before I plan on sowing them. This is much easier, and I’ve always had success with it.
Most seeds will usually germinate even if you only dry cold stratify them, although they may take longer to germinate. Too often, we get wrapped up in must-dos in gardening that are arbitrary and manmade when there are lots of ways to get the job done.
I don’t know if you have noticed, but Mother Nature never sticks to a strict schedule or precipitation amount when it comes to winter, yet her flowers are always beautiful.
If she can fudge cold stratifying a bit and still get good results, you can, too.
Source: ruralsprout.com©
Related: Seeds to Start in the Winter and Early Spring – TUTORING YOU
After waiting out the cold winter months, your green thumb is probably itching to get back into the soil. But before you pull on your garden gloves, here are a few signs to look for that indicate when to start planting a garden.
The cooperative extension service in your area (connected to your state’s land grant university) tracks the first and last frost dates each season to determine an average day for both. The average first and last frost dates are key indicators of when to plant. Cool-weather crops, such as spinach, peas, and radishes, go in about three weeks before your average last frost date. Wait until after the final frost to plant warm-weather vegetables and herbs, such as tomatoes, peppers, and basil. In the fall, you count backward from the first frost date to determine when to plant more cool-weather crops.
In many areas of the U.S., the ground in spring is frozen and/or soggy. When the soil has defrosted and it is dry enough to crumble in your hands, you can begin working out your vegetable garden layout plans and spacing. Many cool-weather plants can go in as soon as the soil is workable.
Even when some of the days are warming up, overnight temperatures can still drop into the high 30s and low 40s—too cold for warm-season garden vegetables and herbs to grow or even survive. Cold-tolerant plants can go into your garden when the temps stay above 45 degrees F at night. Hold off until nighttime temperatures stay above 60 degrees F to put in warm-season vegetables and herbs.
Observe your garden beds in the morning and evening to see when sunlight starts and stops shining on them. Leafy plants such as greens and most herbs need about six to eight hours of sunlight a day to be productive. Crops that bear fruit, including tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers, require more than 10 hours of daylight during the peak growing season. Build your garden plans around when the plants get sufficient light to grow and thrive.
Phenology is the study of the timing and cyclical patterns of events in the natural world. These phenomena have become the source of tried-and-true folk wisdom that can help you determine when to plant your garden. For instance, you can sow seeds of radishes and cool-season greens when crocuses begin blooming in your area. Plant peas, onion sets, and lettuce after you see forsythia flowering, but wait until the daffodils open to put in half-hardy vegetables such as beets, carrots, and chard. Look for dandelions to bloom before planting potatoes and start bush beans when you see apple trees in blossom. Move tomato starts to the garden when lilies-of-the-valley flower but wait until the bearded irises open for peppers and eggplant.
While your garden plants need lots of sun to grow and thrive, the best conditions for putting them in the ground are cloudy with a sprinkle of rain. This helps the transplants to settle in and begin to draw up moisture through their roots before the bright sun beats down on them. Watch the weather forecast and look for a day that will be overcast or even drizzly to plant your garden.
If you’re a beginner at gardening, the pros at Burpee make it easy for you to know when to plant. On every seed packet and plant tag from Burpee, you’ll see guidance on the ideal time to sow or transplant the varieties you’ve selected. Burpee’s Garden-Ready Plants are even simpler because they are shipped to you when it’s time to put them in your beds or containers.
You’ll find a wide range of products to help you launch your garden and all the information you need in Burpee’s Guide to Getting Started.
Source: burpee.com/garden-guide©
Gardening experts, books, and instructions on seed packets typically encourage growers to plant the seeds for each crop together, with a certain amount of space between plantings. Those rules exist for a reason; planting seeds in uniform rows with the proper spacing creates the conditions for optimal growth. Chaos gardening is all about throwing the rules out the window. Below you will find how to plant a chaos garden.
Think of chaos gardening as a low-stakes experiment that also helps you purge your collection of old, leftover seeds from past seasons. Some seeds may not germinate at all, while others you bought years ago may thrive. Either way, the result is surprising, educational, and even beautiful. The process is also freeing, especially if you’re the type of grower who strives to make your garden look perfect.
Pull out your collection of seed packets from previous seasons, including any freebies you’ve never got to use. Vegetables, herbs, flowers, and annual fruits like melons and ground cherries are all fair game. Even if your seeds are years beyond their suggested viability date on the packet, there’s a chance they’ll surprise you, and that’s part of the fun.
At this point, you may wish to sort your seeds by size. Empty larger seeds like cucumbers, beans, and peas together in one bowl and smaller seeds like carrots, beets, and lettuce into another. Planting the larger seeds first helps you get better results.
Because you’re probably dealing with seeds from at least a few years ago, you may want to help germination along with a pre-soak. Simply add warm water to cover the seeds in each bowl and allow them to soak overnight. The next morning, strain your seeds and dry them well on paper towels or a clean dish towel, still keeping large and small seeds separate. Mix a few handfuls of fresh, dry potting soil into each bowl to make the seeds easier to scatter at random.
Remember, this is chaos gardening, so you can be as lazy or as fastidious as you want with how you do it. Turn over the soil as you normally would before planting or just scratch up the top few inches with a rake to loosen it up. Another method is to pour a few inches of compost over existing soil without tilling and plant your chaos garden in it.
You don’t have to plant your chaos garden in the ground. A raised bed, large plant pot or planter box, or even a stock tank or kiddie pool with drainage holes in the bottom can serve as a container for your chaos garden.
Start with your large seeds such as watermelon seeds first. Sprinkle handfuls of the large seed mixture evenly over the soil. When the large seeds are gone, add anywhere from a half inch to one inch of potting soil or compost over that layer.
Next, sprinkle the small seed mixture over the soil. Cover that with one more thin layer of potting soil or compost.
At this point, be as hands-off or as hands-on as you like. Some chaos gardeners prefer to let nature take its course, waiting for rain instead of watering regularly and allowing any weeds that sprout to do their thing.
The other option is to tend your chaos garden as you would the rest of your garden, making sure plantings get sufficient water, pulling weeds, and trellising or supporting larger plants that may shade out others. It’s up to you!
Now here’s the fun part: seeing what pops up in your chaos garden. Maybe the sunflowers you planted years ago will make a strong showing, or the melons you saved from an heirloom two seasons before will all germinate. Maybe nothing will, and that’s okay! The whole point of a chaos garden is to help you embrace chance and let go of perfection. No matter what comes up, you had a little fun and made some room in your seed stash for next year.
If you plant a chaos garden, you must be ready for surprises and total unpredictability, as you don’t know what will grow in your garden. If you usually count on certain vegetables for your everyday cooking, or you cannot wait for homegrown tomatoes in August, chaos gardening might not be the best option for you.
Source: thespruce.com©
Photo credit: treevitalize.com©
