Posts by Alexander Whaley

I learned terrarium pruning the hard way after a jade cutting filled its glass bowl, pressed against the lid, and then stalled. The plants were fine — my maintenance was not. Once I started...

I’ve come home from trips to crispy spider plants and swampy pothos — both fail for the same reason: I assumed “one big water before I go” would carry them. It never does. After dozens of...

When I first gardened on a tiny balcony, I crammed deep-rooted crops into shallow pots and wondered why they stalled. Once I switched to vegetables that actually thrive in under-30cm containers,...

I’ve raised dozens of windowsill herb pots in cramped apartments and shaded kitchens. I know the frustration of a plant that looks fine for a week, then collapses after a cloudy spell or scorches...

I started mixing plants in one pot because I only had a tiny balcony and two spare containers. The first season, my basil sulked under a tomato jungle and my marigolds fried by July. Since then,...

I started growing food on a narrow kitchen sill because I was tired of limp, pricey herbs. Within six weeks, I was snipping salad greens and adding fresh onions to eggs without leaving the apartment....