Home Ideas

If you’ve been toying with the idea of knitting lately, you’ve come to the right place. As part of our GH Stitch Club, we’re creating easy tutorials that will walk you through the most important components of knitting, including how to cast on and how to cast off.

Join the Good Housekeeping Stitch Club

In this post, we’ll be focusing on how to knit stitch, which is the most basic stitch in knitting. Depending on your project, you may also need to learn a purl stitch or stockinette stitch, but if you’re a beginner, you’ll likely be using a knit stitch for most of your creations.
How to Knit Stitch
Step 1: After you cast on, insert your needle from left to right into the first loop.
Step 2: Wrap the yarn over your needle from left to right.
Step 3: Pull the yarn through the first loop on your left-hand needle, creating a loop on your right-hand needle.
Step 4: Slide off one stitch from your left-hand needle. This will give you the first knit stitch on your right-hand needle.
Pro tip: You’ll want to be able to slide your stitches down your needle easily. To do that make sure you’re not pulling the loops too tight.
Step 5: Repeat steps 1 through 4, until all of your stitches are on your right-hand needle.
Step 6: Switch hands and continue on in knit stitch.
Once you’ve created rows, you’ll be working in garter stitch.

PICK YOUR PATTERN

Garter Knit Scarf
yarnspirations.com

Jiffy Cowl
yarnspirations.com

Chunky Crochet Beanie
yarnspirations.com

Twisted Crochet Headband
yarnspirations.com

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After you’ve finished a knitting project — whether it be a scarf, gloves or blanket — it’s so important to make sure you properly cast off (a.k.a create an end to your knitting). If you’re a beginner knitter, this part might be a little tricky! As part of our GH Stitch Club, we’re breaking down the steps to help you learn how to cast off when knitting (and if you need, take a look at our tutorial on how to cast on for a refresher).

Join the Good Housekeeping Stitch Club

In the video above, we will walk you through casting off (sometimes also called binding off), step by step, ensuring your stitches are safely and neatly sealed off.
How to Cast Off
Step 1: Insert your needle to knit, and then knit your first and second stitch.
Step 2: Pull the first stitch over your second stitch. Your first stitch will then be wrapped around your second stitch. Pull your second stitch through so it’s solo on your needle.
Pro tip: To avoid curling when casting off, make sure you don’t pull too tightly at the stitches.
Step 3: Knit your third stitch. Pull your second stitch over your third stitch so that your third stitch is solo on your needle.
Step 4: Repeat this process until you get to the end of your row.
Step 5: Once you get to the end, cut the yarn away, leaving just a small tail.
Step 6: Pull the tail through the last loop on your needle and tighten.
Step 7: Using a darning needle, follow the lines of your knitting and weave the tail in and out of the stitches.
Step 8: Cut off an excess yarn.
Now you can rest assured there will be no unraveling!

PICK YOUR PATTERN

Garter Knit Scarf
yarnspirations.com

Jiffy Cowl
yarnspirations.com

Chunky Crochet Beanie
yarnspirations.com

Twisted Crochet Headband
yarnspirations.com

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Alberthe Buabeng, known by most as Albie, is a Washington-based interior design content creator and all-around idea machine. Her passion for decoding spaces is the culmination of nearly a decade of working in the retail visual merchandising and marketing industries, sprinkled with a lifetime of experiences. With a background of space design and storytelling, paired with her real-life lessons, Albie creates content to connect her decor-obsessed audience with beautiful and functional design inspiration.
Her desire to contribute to the design community has also manifested in adapting the #SharetheMicNow Instagram initiative for the home industry; self publishing Curate The Home You’re In, an anecdotal and aspirational home book, and hosting The Design Influence, a podcast and community dedicated to supporting other interior designers in the digital space.
In 2020, the home industry, like much of the world, was shaken by the death of George Floyd. As discussions arose on the topic of inequality, diversity and inclusion within the design business, it felt like more of the same conversations, followed by little to no action. By the time the “black boxes” that were intended to symbolize a need for change emerged on Instagram, there were all kinds of panels and lists put together to showcase Black designers and architects, but I’d yet to see one that could trigger sustainable conversations for change.
Inspired by the original Share The Mic Now campaign on June 10th — founded by Bozoma Saint John, Luvvie Ajayi Jones, Glennon Doyle and Stacey Bendet — I decided that this could be the beginning of something truly powerful in the home industry. A week later, we hosted the inaugural Share The Mic Now: Home Edition, featuring more than 100 participants across two weeks of Instagram takeovers for candid and sustainable discussions about diversity and inclusion in the home industry.
Celebrating the first Black History Month since organizing the #SharetheMicNowHomeEdition initiative, paired with all of the events of 2020, which led to the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, I am hypersensitive to how much still hasn’t changed. As a first generation Haitian American, married to a Black man and raising a young Black daughter, I am acutely aware of how discriminatory our society can be and has always been. While also mourning George Floyd, I also painfully remember the attack on Abner Louima more than 20 years ago. After getting bombarded with emails committed to “change” and “equality”, it was time for me to write the words you’re now reading. Last summer, I posted this statement to my white peers on Instagram in an effort to pitch the #sharethemichomeedition initiative:
“What if we could translate momentary sharing into a longer conversation by allowing Black creators to get in front of the audiences of their white counterparts ‘in person’?”
It was one of the most uncomfortable yet freeing comments I’d ever publicly made about the state of the interior design industry — one that has often made me feel like an outsider in need of someone else’s validation.

albieknows

albieknows

Typing some of my most controversial thoughts made me proud. Making my peers uncomfortable made me proud. I’m talking about abolishing the establishment so that we could all thrive based on merit equally.
Why should I need to request a longer conversation to address our longstanding not-so-secret professional segregation? Why request permission from a peer to speak to an audience deserving what I already know I bring to the table? Why ask that someone else’s mic be shared with me?

Mariah Texidor

danielle carson

How can we, as designers collectively, be charged with designing and decorating beautiful spaces when our own interiors are rot? What looks like an industry that’s all-inclusive, all-embracing, is more alienating than accepting. Who are we, as “designers,” to uphold what is beautiful when we’ve for so long ignored the ugliness within our own elitist, exclusive walls?
Who are we, as consumers and creators, kidding when we “amplify” voices for a day? A week? A month? A season?
When behind closed doors the opportunities are riddled with bias—the bias of privilege at best, and ignorance at worst?
Skimming the pages of shelter magazines, browsing the line up of home TV networks and scrolling the social media of brand campaigns has long shown a clear void — a lack of depth resulting from a lack of diversity. We tap-dance around the who, what, when, where, why and how of it all, but the conversations we have ad nauseam don’t yield solutions … just more conversations.
We’re supposed to be the curators of beauty for the world, but is that beauty with an asterisk? What were we really saying when we shared our mics? What did we hope people hear? I have heard a lot of the same, with some sprinkles of seeds for change. I have heard “allies” commit to learn and change and grow. I have heard promises for equity and inclusivity. But what have I seen?
Words.
Requests.
Apologies.
Excuses.
More of the same.
But little to no action.
The hyper visibility has turned to unanswered emails, lost contacts, unbirthed opportunities, “fatigued” allies. Little did we know being “woke” still had a bedtime.
Allies, I’ve been amplified. Do you hear me now?
Are you an ally or an amplifier?

Danielle Carson

Danielle Carson

The irony…
The benefactor of the inequity needs to be the one to intensify the effort to close the divide. How fitting that black boxes become a symbolic social gesture for allyship…black boxes, synonymous with usually the only surviving element of a crash to investigate the cause.
Ladies and gentleman, we’ve crashed, and the black boxes have spoken.
But the season for conversation, and learning, and processing has come to a close.
We’ve seen the truth — an ugly, not-so-new naked truth — and to pretend otherwise is more egregious than having never said anything at all.
Calling all gatekeepers, educators and decision makers, amplification is reactive. It’s time for proactive change. Look at your teams — to your left, to your right, above you and below you. Does everyone look like you or do they look like me too? Do they look like the least of us … the rest of us … the best of us? Not to check a box but to reflect the true beauty of the world around us?

Danielle Carson

Make the marginalized the majority. On-air talent. Writers. Editors. Producers. Photographers. Cover Features. Hosts. Authors. Brand Ambassadors. Product Innovators. Hashtag All The Things. Because the lack of talent isn’t for lack of talent.
Put down your mic. No more talking. We’ve passed the mic. We’ve made the requests. We’ve said all that needs to be said. We don’t need amplification. We demand representation. We would like to see diversity, but require inclusivity.
The talent on the covers of our magazines, hosting the shows on our screens, and securing the licensing deals of our products should look like us…all of us. The richness of the industry shouldn’t be contained within the four walls of client residences. Clients should see themselves in us. Consumers should feel amplified.
Collectively, we are the mic.
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Courtesy of danslelakehouse.com

Tanya Watson, the blogger behind Dans le Lakehouse, leaned on a fresh color palette to transform her dated lake house into an airy oasis.
She designed her home’s palette around the artwork of her late grandfather-in-law, renowned painter Bert Weir, which hangs throughout the house. Sticking to variations on a single shade makes decorating simple: “I can just toss something in the air, and wherever it lands, it’ll look great,” she says.
Living Room

Before
Courtesy of danslelakehouse.com

After
Courtesy of danslelakehouse.com

Try a unifying dark shade.
An array of colors and textures made the room lake dated and disjointed. Instead of removing the wood paneling, faux stone and old brass fixtures, Tanya painted everything a deep charcoal. Not only did it create a focal point that ties the room together, but the area also now feels longer and more spacious.
Get the look: Accent Wall Color, Behr Evening Hush, homedepot.com.

Before
Courtesy of danslelakehouse.com

After
Courtesy of danslelakehouse.com

Hang your TV.
Mounting the television above the mantel freed up floor space. It doubles as art when the TV is off.
Office

Courtesy of danslelakehouse.com

Turn trash into treasure.
Tanya found the blue chair on a curb. She had it upholstered in a hue to match the art, painted by her husband’s grandfather.
Kitchen

Before
Courtesy of danslelakehouse.com

After
Courtesy of danslelakehouse.com

Forgo uppers.
Awkwardly placed cabinets weren’t functional and made the small kitchen feel claustrophobic. By replacing them with a collage of cubbies and acrylic floating shelves, Tanya maximized storage while creating a decorative display. Open shelves make the room look light and clean.
Get the look: Clear Acrylic Rack Shelves by NIUBEE, amazon.com.
Bathroom

Before
Courtesy of danslelakehouse.com

After
Courtesy of danslelakehouse.com

Wallpaper a powder room.
A basic sink and a half-hearted backsplash lacked pizzazz. Papering the walls from floor to ceiling gives this narrow powder room extra height. A copper bowl sink echoes the round mirror and light fixture to tie it all together.
Get the look: Sprigs on Ocean Wallpaper by Ginger Creations, spoonflower.com; Walnut Stockholm Mirror ikea.com.
Entryway

Before
Courtesy of danslelakehouse.com

After
Courtesy of danslelakehouse.com

Line a hall with cubbies.
Blank walls were just wasted space in this empty corridor. Tanya can now store shoes, outerwear and other supplies right where they’re needed while keeping everything in its own place.
Front Deck

Before
Courtesy of danslelakehouse.com

After
Courtesy of danslelakehouse.com

Paint everything tone on tone.
Wood paneling and natural steps looked weather-worn. Rich, deep colors on the siding and the deck help the lake house stand out amid its natural surroundings and keep it looking fresh in punishing northern winter weather.
A version of this feature appeared in the May 2020 issue of Good Housekeeping.

Tour Lifestyle Blogger Jacey Duprie’s LA Kitchen

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When you’re a lifestyle blogger with a growing social media following, your home is an extension of your brand. In July 2019, Anna Mae Groves, a mother of four (her eldest son lives in Arizona), and her husband, Rob, purchased a house in Cincinnati. Anna wanted a space that showcased her love of mid-century modern and Scandinavian design.
To bring her vision to life, she took on a slew of DIY projects, from board-and-batten walls to a maple headboard. “Our house doesn’t have a lot of natural character,” she says. “But when you walk in, I think what we’ve created is unexpectedly interesting.”
Living Room

August Oliver

Mix and match geometric patterns.
“I like when people walk into the house and immediately see something fun,” Anna says of the white geometric wall she installed in the living room. To achieve the look, Anna took a photo with her iPhone and used the Markup editing tool in the photo app to try out various designs.
Design Tip: Pick three colors to work with. Anna’s living room is designed around black, green and wood tones.

August Oliver

Paint your own art.
A DIY black-and-white painting on the wall opposite the entry gives the space even more character. To paint your own eye-catching black-and-white geometric creation, follow this step-by-step:
Step 1: Cover an old canvas with white acrylic paint. Once it’s dry, measure the board and divide it vertically into thirds. At the center line of each third, draw a line most of the way down to show where to place circles and half circles.
Step 2: Using the base of a bowl or a similarly shaped object, trace small circles on the tops of the rows at the ends of the canvas.
Step 3: Use the bowl to trace half circles, repeating down the center line of each third of the canvas, switching directions as shown at left. Finally, fill in the tracings with black acrylic paint.
Get the look: Accent Wall Paint: Pure White, sherwin-williams.com.
Stairwell

August Oliver

Paint in an architectural detail.
Anna painted an arch at the top of the stairs to serve as a striking backdrop for works from Black artists.
Get the look: Black Woman Wall Art by Bohodeko, etsy.com; Portrait of Child Smelling Rose by CloudNinePrints, etsy.com; Potato Art, DIY.
Kitchen

Joel Hornbarger

Transform a room with lighting and hardware.
Unlike other rooms, the kitchen required only minor cosmetic changes, starting with the installation of black hardware. “Previously, it was all silver and just faded into the cabinetry,” Anna says. “I wanted it to pop and be more dramatic.” She finished the look with a trio of globe pendants in a bronze finish for a touch of modern elegance.
Design Tip: Consider collapsible storage bins. To corral large containers neatly in the kitchen or bathroom, Anna is partial to collapsible fabric bins, which are inexpensive and don’t take up much room when not in use.
Get the look: Cedar & Moss Globe Pendant, rejuvenation.com; Emtek Mod Hex 4-inch Center to Center Bar Cabinet Pulls from the Urban Modern Collection, build.com.
Main Bedroom

August Oliver

Try a dark feature wall.
Anna played up the bedroom’s natural moodiness by installing a matte black board-and-batten wall. A DIY maple headboard, paired with crisp white bedding, adds balance. She used the same material — raw wood that has been sanded down for a more natural look — for the bench, the headboard and the picture frames in the bedroom.
Design tip: Always allow breathing room. “It can make a space feel larger, more airy and not too busy,” Anna says. This was especially important for rooms in which she chose to incorporate a feature wall, whether with shelving or with wood paneling.

Get the Look

Mid-Century Grand Nightstand
West Elm westelm.com
$499.00

Charcoal Heather Gray Sweater Pouf
World Market worldmarket.com
$99.00

Ivory Aztec Diamond Drops Tassel Area Rug
Rugs USA rugsusa.com

Solid Wood Bench
Loon Peak wayfair.com
$329.90

Living Room

Anna Mae Groves

Create a functional nook.
Using Behr Carbon paint as a backdrop and DIY shelves, Anna carved out a compact resting place for keys, face masks and sunglasses. She also hung a brass oval mirror that’s perfect for taking one last look before walking out the door.
Design Tip: When you need to clean up your space in a pinch, baskets can come in handy. Use them to store everything from remote controls to throw blankets and pillows. Anna even keeps one in the hallway for her dog’s leash.
Get the look: Modern Weave Small Storage Baskets, westelm.com; Pure White Ceramic Vase, westelm.com; Stamped Metal Mirror in Brass by Project 62, target.com; Radabaugh Platform Bed, jossandmain.com
En Suite Bathroom

August Oliver

Try peel-and-stick wallpaper.
Anna’s glamorous bathroom proves that temporary wall coverings aren’t just for rentals. This paper, in a neutral brushstroke pattern, took her about two hours to install and didn’t require glue or water. A pair of oversize rectangular mirrors in a brass finish and black sink fixtures and lights complete the fun, elegant look.
Get the look: Neutral Paintbrush Maze Removable Wallpaper, livetteswallpaper.com; Rounded Rectangle Metal Framed Mirror, rejuvenation.com; Auburn Light Fixture, illuminatevintage.com.
A version of this feature appeared in the January/ February 2021 issue of Good Housekeeping.

Tour Lifestyle Blogger Jacey Duprie’s LA Kitchen

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Designer Kate Lester created a modern farmhouse vibe in this California home with the help of the homeowner’s vintage treasures. Many of the other furnishings reflect her Oklahoma roots, while architectural details, contemporary light fixtures and unique flooring exude a relaxed aesthetic. Layered throughout the space, which the family of four share with their cat, are cherished heirlooms, including the wife’s grandmother’s china and a beloved wooden dining table. “If everything were new, the house wouldn’t be nearly as cool,” says Kate, who is based in Hermosa Beach, CA.
To transform this Manhattan Beach, CA property into a modern farmhouse fit for a family of four, Kate leaned on a dazzling blend of contemporary and rustic touches.
Kitchen

Amy Bartlam

Add simple wood paneling.
Kate used simple wood panels behind shelves and chose a wooden range hood for a hint of a farmhouse feel while sticking to a classic black-and-white palette throughout the house. To showcase the owner’s impressive collection of vintage finds, she played with placement and scale by propping up favorite pieces instead of hanging them.
For a similar look: Blake White Server, mybobs.com; Ivy Bronx Kamren Armed Sconces, wayfair.com.
Dining Room

Amy Bartlam

Replace dining room seating with a rustic bench.
Kate made a cushion and attached it to a wooden bench with recycled-leather straps. The table belonged to the homeowner’s grandmother, and the fabric for the chair is reminiscent of vintage grain sacks.
For a similar look: Whitney Antique Linen With Weathered Grey Bench By Liberty, overstock.com.
Living Room

Amy Bartlam

Fake upscale drawer fronts.
Love the look of small individual drawers but need more storage? Ask your contractor to make grooves in a basic large dresser to give the illusion of smaller drawers, then affix the hardware of your choice, Kate suggests.
For a similar look: Farrow Rustic Coffee Table by Linon Home, bedbathandbeyond.com; Wesley Microfiber Sofa with Rolled Arms by Lifestyle Solutions, homedepot.com.
Bedroom

Amy Bartlam

Go for high contrast.
Kate nailed the look with a black canopy bed to ground the room and a reclaimed-wood beam on the ceiling. “Browns, blacks and other dark tones add instant sophistication,” she says.
For a similar look: Dubay Canopy Bed by Hashtag Home, wayfair.com.
Bathrooms

Amy Bartlam

Put a farmhouse sink in the powder room.
Kate took a few surprising risks in the powder room. Along with a farmer’s sink in a striking black hue, she used rich blue wall panels to draw the eye to a floral wall (and ceiling) covering made of vintage paper.
For a similar look: Blanco Precis Anthracite Single Bowl Undermount Sink, lowes.com.

Amy Bartlam

Add striking black accents.
A shower door with a transom opening allows steam to escape and adds interest. Patterned tile breaks up an otherwise all-white room.

Get This Look

SomerTile Cilento Nero Porcelain Floor and Wall Tile
SomerTile overstock.com

Carnany Lower Solid Wood Bench
Joss & Main jossandmain.com

Rogue Small Oval Brass Mirror
CB2 cb2.com

Pellegrini Solid Wood Utility Stool
Gracie Oaks wayfair.com

Playroom

Amy Bartlam

Build a daybed in a corner.
Kate transformed one end of the playroom into a cozy area for lounging by adding an enormous custom daybed topped with a mattress-style cushion and storage underneath that the homeowner uses for wrapping paper. She finished off the laid-back space with mismatched pillows and an intriguing gallery corner complete with vintage polo mallets.
For a similar look: Carmelita Full Daybed, wayfair.com; Woven Nayland Throw Blanket, anthropologie.com; Planets Decal, crateandbarrel.com; Block Print Cotton Suri Area Rug, worldmarket.com; “Ask More Questions” Print, Anthony Burrill.
A version of this feature appeared in the July/August 2020 issue of Good Housekeeping.
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Designer Karen B. Wolf set out to make this Montclair, NJ home, built in 1891, suitable for a busy family of five that includes three boys under 10. Her passion for designing spaces with “modern elegance” is evident throughout the open floor plan, from the color palette to her use of natural materials. “We wanted to bring a relaxed, warm, modern vibe with a touch of boho to the space,” she says.
To achieve the homeowner’s desired look and feel, she mixed warm neutrals and soothing blue hues to accent the vintage home’s beautiful architecture.
Breakfast Nook

Raquel Langworthy

Craft a breakfast nook that doubles as a home office.
This multipurpose eating area, which functions as a workspace while the owners (both lawyers) work from home, has a relaxed, rustic vibe. Large-scale shiplap creates a spot distinct from the sleek, modern kitchen. “Plus, it opens up the space and adds farmhouse charm,” says Karen.
For a similar look: Out to Sea Art Print by Carolyn Maclaren, minted.com; Whitesburg Dining Room Chairs, ashleyfurniture.com.
Kitchen

Raquel Langworthy

Create a “mudroom” in a kitchen corner.
This historic house didn’t have a natural area for stowing shoes, jackets and sports equipment, so Karen added a large storage cabinet in the corner of the open kitchen-dining space. “I designed every nook and cranny to be functional,” she says. A wooden bench, along with floating wood shelves to display books and decorative objects, adheres to the layout’s farmhouse flair.
For a similar look: Two-Tone Woven Basket, westelm.com.
Bathroom

Raquel Langworthy

Use a rustic ladder as a towel rod.
The bathroom’s graphic floor tile in soft blue adds freshness to the design and complements the subway tile walls, which feature a hand-glazed texture with a subtle sheen. A decorative wood ladder for towels plays up the bohemian vibe. “The wall was a negative space and needed a focal element and height to bring your eye to the vanity area,” Karen says.
For a similar look: Decorative Eucalyptus Ladder, worldmarket.com.
Bedroom

Raquel Langworthy

Embellish drawer knobs with tassels.
Rather than a traditional headboard and nightstand, Karen relied on hand-carved designs to give the space a globally inspired feel. She finished the look with simple cotton tassels.
For a similar look: Bechtold 2 Drawer Nightstand by Wrought Studio, wayfair.com.
Dining Room

Raquel Langworthy

Hang a nontraditional chandelier.
In the dining room, Karen chose a large candelabra-style light fixture to boost visual interest with rustic charm. Coral floral wallpaper, along with blue trim and wainscoting, pulls the room together. Benjamin Moore’s Smoke, a trendy blue-gray paint color, adds unexpected calm to the high-traffic space.
For a similar look: Cachil Dining Room Candelabra Chandelier by LNC, homedepot.com.
A version of this feature appeared in the October 2020 issue of Good Housekeeping.
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With their fragrant flowers, verdant foliage, and sweet harvest, fruit trees are the ultimate garden multitaskers. They attract beneficial pollinators and provide produce that’s even fresher than your farmers’ market haul. Even better, almost every aspiring gardener can own one, whether it’s in a sprawling backyard, on a patio, or tucked into the corner of a city balcony.
Certain varieties of apple, pear, peach, plum, apricot, and fig trees remain a manageable size while still providing a bountiful harvest. You can even espalier their branches into decorative shapes to line a terrace or wall. Get the full run-down on growing your own fruit tree below, and start dreaming about all of the tarts and pies coming your way.
How to Choose a Fruit Tree
Fruit trees are good in pots as long as they are grown on a rootstock — any specialist supplier can help you select the right one for your balcony if you are unsure.
Always check with suppliers to see if you need more than one tree to ensure good pollination. Some fruit trees, such as cherries, apricots, and peaches, are self-fertile, so you will get fruit with only one tree. Others, such as apples and pears, need a partner nearby to ensure pollination. If you have room for only one apple or pear tree, a “family” tree, in which three varieties have been grafted onto one rootstock, is ideal.
How to Plant and Grow Fruit Trees

Traditional 13-Inch Planter Pot
PSW amazon.com
$37.24

You can grow fruit trees in pots at least 1 foot in diameter and 1 foot deep. Galvanized dustbins come in the ideal size, look surprisingly elegant, and cost fairly little at hardware stores. Heavier options include halved wooden barrels or terracotta pots, while for super-lightweight versions consider plastic planters or rubber Tubtrugs. Drill drainage holes into the base if they don’t already have them.
You will also need to anchor the tree to some type of support, as a fruit tree in full leaf can really catch the wind. Since fruit trees will live for many years, it’s best to plant them in a soil-based potting mix that releases nutrients slowly. Place the trees in a sunny spot to get a really good, sweet crop.
Feed potted fruit trees every two weeks from blossom time to mid-autumn with a high-potash feed such as liquid seaweed and keep them well watered. It’s a good idea to mulch the surface of the soil (with shingle or coco shells, for example) to keep moisture in. The traditional time to plant fruit trees is in the dormant season from mid-fall to early spring, though you can pick up potted trees all year round. The pruning required varies depending on the form and type of fruit tree; it’s worth buying from a specialist supplier who will provide detailed instructions.
Adapted from The Edible Balcony by Alex Mitchell
Apple Trees

OliverChilds

Honeycrisp Apple Tree
Online Orchards homedepot.com
$31.73

It’s the quintessential orchard fruit that can grow as a bush on a rootstock or as an espalier, U-shaped cordon, or double U. For some delectable snacking varieties, go for Gala, Fuji, and Honeycrisp, all of which will pollinate each other, or try Jonagold, Pink Lady, Ashmeads Kernal, or Cox. Good cooking varieties for all of your baking needs (including apple pies, cakes, and more) include Gordon, Liberty, and Sierra Beauty.
Pear Trees

Bartlett Pear Tree
Online Orchards homedepot.com
$37.98

A ripe pear is a wonderful thing, but since pears flower early, late frosts can damage their crops. To be on the safe side, cover the branches with fleece if they’re in blossom when a frost is forecast.
Pears can be grown as a bush on a rootstock or as a cordon, espalier, U-shaped cordon, or double U. Good dessert varieties include Bartlett, Moonglow, and Doyenne du Comice.
Cherry Trees

Lapins Cherry Tree
Online Orchards homedepot.com
$40.00

Modern cherries are self-fertile, so you only need one tree to ensure a good crop — if you can keep the birds off, that is. Netting may be a necessary defense as the fruit ripens. Expect beautiful blossom and lots of fruit when the tree is established. Grow cherries as a bush on a rootstock or as a fan against a warm wall.
Good varieties include Lapins and Stella. If you have a shady, north-facing wall, a morello or acid cherry will thrive as a fan, producing tart cherries that are excellent when cooked.
Plum Trees

Potted American Plum Tree
NutsAnywhere etsy.com
$12.95

These accommodating trees deliver heavy crops with very little asked from you in return. Pruning is minimal (and certainly should never be attempted except in summer, to avoid fungal infection), and most are self-fertile.
The only thing they demand is thinning of developing fruits. Otherwise, plum trees tend to produce far too many plums one year, followed by nothing the next. Thin plums in midsummer so they’re about 2 inches apart. Either grow plums as a bush on a rootstock or as a fan. Try greengages for their unique buttery texture and sweetness.
Peach and Apricot Trees

Dwarf Blenheim Apricot Tree
Online Orchards homedepot.com
$40.00

Once you’ve tasted your first ripe peach or apricot straight from your own tree, there’s no going back. Such experiences have to be repeated, and you’ll go to no end of trouble to do so. As with all container fruit trees, make sure you buy a tree with the suitable rootstock. A good peach is Bonanza; try Pixzee or Pixie-cot for an apricot. All of these can be grown as freestanding trees in pots and need little pruning. Alternatively, they can be grown as fans.
Both peaches and apricots are hardy when dormant over winter, but since they blossom early in the spring, the flowers are susceptible to frost damage. Bring the tree inside when in blossom if frost is forecast, or cover it with horticultural fleece if it’s trained against a wall.
Although self-fertile, both trees can benefit from a bit of help with pollination to ensure you get a good crop: When the flowers are open, dab the pollen gently with a soft brush and rub it onto the surrounding flower. Peach leaf curl is a nasty fungal disease, so if you can find a variety that claims resistance to this disease, buy it.
Fig Trees

Brown Turkey Fig Tree
FruitThaiSweet etsy.com
$19.99

A sprawling, fan-trained fig tree in a pot is a majestic sight, and the hand-shaped leaves release a “figgy” scent if you brush past them, particularly on hot days. And then there are the incredibly succulent fruits, swelling through the summer until they all but burst open to reveal their sweet, dark flesh.
Figs are an ideal choice for growing in pots because they prefer to have their roots confined, and they’re easy to train into fan shapes by tying branches against a warm wall.

How to Grow Figs

To ensure a crop where your climate is cool, protect the baby fruits over winter by tying sleeves of plastic bubble wrap loosely around them, making sure to leave them open-ended so that air can still circulate. Any fruits that are larger than pea size by fall should be removed, and pinch out the growing shoots of the tree in early summer so that only five leaves remain per shoot.
Brown Turkey is a reliable variety with delicious, purple-fleshed fruits. Other good ones to try are Panachee and Black Mission. Plant in soilless potting mix or soil-based mix in a pot no smaller than 18 inches in diameter. Place in a sunny, sheltered spot, keep well watered, and feed with liquid seaweed every two weeks throughout the growing season.
Calamondin Orange Trees

Variegated Calamondin Orange Tree
shopterrain.com
$68.00

Calamondin orange is perhaps the best choice for beginner gardeners. These glossy trees constantly produce intensely scented flowers, which develop into small, round fruits that are too sour to eat raw but make delicious, tangy marmalade.
They can also be cut into segments and added to cool drinks. The biggest benefit of Calamondin oranges (X Citrofortunella microcarpa), though, is that this is the only citrus that can be overwintered indoors. It can even be grown all year inside.
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