Leeks and onions need about eight to 10 weeks to germinate before you can plant them in your raised beds and gardens outdoors. That means now is a great time to plant some indoors.

Use the handful of weeks before spring to start growing leeks and onions indoors.

If you grow lots of tomatoes with canning plans in mind, this year, try Captain Lucky or Blue Beech.

If your home-grown tomatoes are destined to become sauce, plant a variety with sweet flavor and dense pulp.

When you're perusing gardening catalogs and websites for perennials to plant in spring, look for these that have unusual colors.

'Dark Side of the Moon,' and 'Bit of Honey;' among new, colorful perennial varieties to plant this spring

Philodendron and snake plants make great choices to grow indoors all year. And these steadfast classics come in fun varieties. Look for these and other houseplant variations to add to your indoor greenery.

Keeping up with cool new variations of your fave house plants

While you're making other New Year's resolutions, resolve to make certain changes in your gardening game.

Embracing a few gardening resolutions now can start off your spring on the right path

Vermicomposting is a great way to break down food scraps this winter and create rich compost for gardens and raised beds this spring.

Let worms do the work in turning food scraps into rich compost

Many factors play in to your holiday tree choices, like the cost of a traditional tree and how much space you have to display it. This year, try these different kinds of festive trees to decorate your home.

Buck traditional and choose from these five alternative holiday trees

Using natural elements like pinecones and tree branches, you can make home-made bird feeders. Just add suet or peanut butter, then sprinkle on the bird seed and hang the feeder outdoors.

Make fast feathered friends with peanut butter and pinecones

Amaryllis bulbs are native to southern hemispheres but you can pot them to grow this winter with very little care. Also, try a more recent variety of waxed amaryllis bulb that will grow and flower with no soil or water!

Go for easy-care amaryllis bulbs to bring in bright blooms this winter

Gather up natural materials from your lawn and garden to create one-of-a-kind holiday decorations.

Want natural, one-of-a-kind holiday decorations? Gather boughs, branches and berries to make your own.

Your garden may be put to bed for winter but you can tackle a few tasks and get a jumpstart on next year.

Get a jump on next spring's gardening. Repair fencing, restore tools and replace items.

Temperatures have been on the warm side right into November in our region. Learn how to protect plants, bulbs and trees that may have begun to sprout in the warm weather.

How to protect your garden after this fall's unusually warm weather.

A vacuum can safely remove ladybugs from inside your house. Ladybugs can crawl through tiny spaces and use your home as their winter hibernation location.

Ladybugs moved in? Use a vacuum to gather them and relocate them to a better hibernation location.

You may need to fight off every urge to rake right now. Instead, try taking a deep breath and embracing numerous ways those fallen leaves can benefit your lawn, flowers, compost pile and more.

Instead of raking, change your perspective. Five ways to use leaves to help your lawn and garden.

Turn pumpkins into planters for fall decorations

In order to enjoy spring blooms like crocus, daffodils and hyacinth, you should plant those bulbs now. And if your lawn, border or gardens are short on space, try a layering technique that'll bring whimsy and surprise to your garden!

Want a blooming surprise party next spring? Try layering flowering bulbs now.

By planting now, your new trees and shrubs will have about six to eight weeks to get comfortable in the soil before overwintering.

Plant trees now. The roots will have time to get comfy before the ground freezes.

You can slice and enjoy uncooked like water chestnut or bake, mash or boil it and enjoy like a potato. The Jerusalem artichoke is neither an artichoke nor from the Middle East but grows prolifically in our region and produces lovely yellow flowers.

A knobbly tuber whose blooms look like a sunflower: Meet the sunchoke

In early fall, you might see bright spots of colorful lobelia or boltonia in wetter areas on stream banks and near ponds. You can grow cultivated versions of these fall wildflowers in your garden, too.

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