Peat pucks! How did we not know about these before? In previous seasons we started seeds in little pots of dirt, carefully digging them up when they were ready to transplant. But that was one more bag of dirt to buy and haul up the stairs. This year we got smart and used peat pellets. More

The first step in getting a garden ready for a new season is ordering supplies. I try to save seeds where possible from previous year's plants, and I have a pretty good collection of tools and such, but there are always new seed varieties to try and gardening toys to tempt. So when the Peaceful Valley Farm catalog arrives in those dark days of winter, it kicks off a few weeks of dreaming that, with good planning, culminate with just one e-commerce transaction. By now, my seeds have arrived, and some are already going in the ground.

This does not mean you're too late if you have no idea what I'm talking about. But don't order a catalog and wait for it to arrive - just check out their website. There are seeds you can try this spring that are still available. And there are other gardening goodies, too. More

Prepara is a small company based right in New York City. They make sleek, modern-designed kitchen tools that try to answer old problems in new ways. We had seen one of their signature products, the Herb-Savor, around the blogosphere, but we were slightly skeptical of its claims to make that $5 bunch of herbs last for weeks. Then we met Evan from Prepara at the Housewares show and he gave us a demonstration. Take a look!

More info on the Herb-Savor is below. More

From reader Heather in Chicago: I've been doing some research about kitchen composting, but have come up with very little useful how-to info. Are there viable/good options for composting under the kitchen sink? Our Chicago loft apartment has absolutely no outdoor space and most of what i've been able to find online is useful only as a temporary stop before getting lugged out to the outdoor compost bin.

Read on for our answer and one of the hottest items we have seen to hit the green kitchen and urban gardening scene in a long time. More

With its self-contained growing space and guaranteed results, the Garden Patch container growing system seems like a dream come true for apartment dwellers who are hungry for some green space of their own.

Then again, it could be the no-knead bread of the gardening world -- does it take too much of gardening out of the garden? Take our survey and see more info about the Garden Patch below. More

A family member gave this to us for our birthday, and we have to say, this is not the Chia we remember from our childhood. It grows herbs, not "fur" on a puppy or "hair" on a cartoonish bald man. More

Just in time for St. Patrick's Day and Spring, this cheerful and bursting-with-green Trio Herb Pot from A+R Store is perfect for our windowsill. More

We've talked about some of the things we love at Three Potato Four, a charming vintage emporium. Here's a new item for them - an ideal set of herbs for the kitchen. Details and ideas for taking the idea further are below... More

Looking for something green in your kitchen as leaves fall outside? These Tater Pots from Fred Flare come ready with soil and seeds to start herb seedlings for an indoor kitchen garden. Choose from mint, basil, or oregano to keep your garden growing through the winter. $14 apiece. Another pic after the jump! More

Halloween is over - what are you doing with your jack-o'-lantern? Every November, millions of pumpkins are thrown away or left to rot.

Put your scary pumpkin to good use and put it in a compost pile! Earth 911 has some good tips on composting a pumpkin, and if you don't keep a compost pile ask around and see if your gardener friends do.

Your pumpkin could have a second life, helping grow more pumpkins for next year! More