When zucchini is in season, there’s no better way to use it up than with a cake! This one-bowl wonder of a recipe goes together in a pinch and uses olive oil to moisten the entire dessert. Flavored with orange, it’s the best of late summer produce with a simple, sweet glaze! Olive oil in a cake? You betcha! Unlike most ingredients, zucchini has the unique ability to be used in both savory and sweet recipes. No matter the flavor profile, zucchini finds a way to blend right in. This cake is a new way to enjoy the bounty of a summer garden. Olive oil cakes are prized for their simplicity in flav ..read more

Anytime I want to refresh the house or add warmth after seasonal decor is taken down, houseplants are the answer. Their lush green growth is hard to resist when passing in stores. The problem is that big box stores get a fresh shipment of plants, plan to sell them as quickly as they can, and then neglect them in the meantime. When brought home, it’s tricky to know what is needed to keep the plants thriving for years to come. But there are some simple tips that will help set you up for success. This winter, I purchased three different ferns to add green texture to my home. While the five tips d ..read more

Amaryllis is a flowering bulb that is seen everywhere at Christmastime. The bulbs are native to Africa and accustomed to warm climates. In the United States, they can be hardy and planted outdoors in zones 8 to 10. In cooler climates, like my zone 5 in Iowa, they’re planted in containers and kept indoors to enjoy their tall, showy bloom. Unlike other bulbs, an amaryllis bulb is planted slightly differently to ensure they have the best growth conditions. Things to remember before planting amaryllis bulbs Amaryllis can be planted alone as a single bulb or grouped together for a larger impact. T ..read more

Gardening is inherent to me. I grew up in the garden with my mom planting, weeding, and of course learning. So much of what I do now is because of what I learned years ago. That is not the case for many. I started Wyse Guide as a way to help others learn and grow from watching and learning, just like I did. Gardening can look like a lot of work. We often picture our grandmas breaking their backs in their huge gardens, weeding, tending plants, and working tirelessly for hours. Times have changed. Many of us do not need gardens of that size and can make do with a smaller raised bed or even a few ..read more

I began my seed-starting journey 20+ years ago. Down in our farmhouse basement, I would help Mom get a few trays ready starting with soil, adding seeds, and placing them under some lights hanging from the ceiling. I remember running to check them every day, eventually seeing something poke through, its growth making itself known to the world. That is seed starting! A pretty simple process: Take a seed. Place it in soil. Water it. Watch it grow. At its core, seed-starting is super easy and pretty much painless. The challenge can stem from all the factors and variables that affect the way a se ..read more

Growing up, I can vividly remember geranium starts lining all our southern windows. Every January, Mom started her geraniums for the coming summer and, without realizing it, I become a plant person. I loved watching the cuttings grow and remember being so amazed by what we started once they were planted in the month of May. I grew up in the garden: planting, weeding, watering, and learning from all my mistakes. But I understand that for many, gardening can seem daunting. Your new houseplant dies for some unknown reason or the newly planted tree just doesn’t leaf out. We all make mistakes and b ..read more

A job always sounds daunting before you start. When I began mulling over the idea to convert my vegetable garden into raised beds, I assumed it would be difficult and very time-consuming. I was wrong! Putting a raised bed together takes a couple of hours at most and the benefits are endless. Raised beds offer great drainage, decreased weeds, and easier gardening. But you don’t need to hear me preach the benefits; I want you to see just how easy it is! Watch how to make these raised garden beds: My bed is 4 feet by 24 feet. This is large for most and I don’t expect anyone to actually want that ..read more

Gardening is an ever evolving process for me, a constant learning experience. The more I plant and grow in my yard, the more I realize how little I actually know. That’s the wonderful thing about gardening: you may lose a plant once in a while, but you will learn from the experience and easily replace it. I gravitate toward plants that I’ve had great luck with, especially ones that take little care.  I like to pick a few complementary colors and, most of all, blooms to attract pollinators. In today’s world, the importance of pollinating insects only grows and I do all I can ..read more

Why do we all get scared of planting a garden? Maybe it’s all the overwhelming choices we find in garden centers or maybe we’re just worried the plants will die. My passion for gardening was earned honestly. I grew up on a farm in the middle of corn fields in Iowa and I didn’t move too far away. Actually I live about one quarter of a mile down the road. Mom always loved gardening and flowers so it’s really no surprise that I put in my first brick patio as a 7th grader. Even though some of the elements have changed, that patio is still there, serving as a reminder of where my passion for garden ..read more

Growing up, my mom always planted her own pots. In fact, she even started all her geraniums from cuttings – I have to give her kudos for this! For many, this seems odd because nowadays you simply can go to a big box store and find numerous planters all potted up and ready to go. As with just about everything else in my life (ha!), I have a need to be more original. But I also happen to love to save agave and succulents to use as showpieces around The Farm. It’s like I’m almost a glutton for work! While it takes some work to keep these agave over winter I think it’s definitely worth i ..read more