We're well into April now, and it's time for me to plan my garden. But I wouldn't dream of plotting what to plant without involving my son. He's not exactly what I'd call an avid gardener, but both at school and at home, he's been involved in gardening projects since he was big enough to drop a seed into the ground. Now he helps brainstorm which vegetables we should grow this year.

As long as your project is age-appropriate, gardening can be mind-expanding, creative fun for kids. Here are 10 gardening project for kids, going from easy to more advanced. 

Terrariums are the best way to add a little green to your surroundings with a minimal amount of effort -- no green thumb required! The best part is that you can build a terrarium out of just about any kind of container as long as you have the basics on hand. That cool geometric cube terrarium above is from Etsy seller ABJ Glassworks and comes with a simple starter kit, plants included.  

I've pulled together a few more fabulous terrarium inspirations and ideas for you to browse through below.

I've heard it so many times. "I have a black thumb!" "I kill every plant I get!" I love growing plants indoors. I just need that green in my life. But my record with house plants is far from perfect. I get it -- it's just too easy to kill some plants, and then you feel like a terrible failure.

But it's not as hard as it seems to keep a houseplant alive. A lot of it just comes down to keeping good habits and paying attention to your plants. Here's a few suggestions that have helped me.

Blehhh, winter can be so ugly some days. It's an incredibly gray day here today and I think the sun itself has seasonal affective disorder and is hibernating. I've almost forgotten what green plants look like. Remember summer gardening? Your yard a riot of reds, yellows, greens of every shade? Those were the good old days. Spring seems so far away.

Well, if you're feeling the winter blues, I have a perfect cure for you. No, I'm not giving away trips to Fiji. (I wish!) But you can do this right here, right now. Have look at these glorious gardening Pinterest boards and indulge in a little daydreaming. Here are 9 garden boards you should follow now.

Winter can be an ugly time for gardens. We all love the sight of a garden covered in a fresh blanket of snow. Dark bare branches, seed pods, and icicles can look hauntingly gorgeous. But when the snow melts away -- or if you never get that snow at all? Bleh. You're looking at a dreary deathscape of brown and gray.

So how do you beautify your garden in the winter? I refuse to believe that closing the drapes for three months is the only answer! Here are some ideas for helping your garden look its best even through the dark days of winter.

Eric Marsh, a 43-year-old software consultant, has constructed a backyard wonderland for himself and his three daughters at his home in Omaha, Nebraska. He purchased an additional lot adjacent to his Fire Ridge Estates property, and used the space to put up a putting green, a sport court, an infinity pool, and a hog-roasting pit.

The 10-year-old neighborhood is one of big houses (valued between $250,000 and $450,000) on small lots. Normally each lot has to have a house, but the association has made similar ‘backyard expansion’ arrangements with a handful of other homeowners. Marsh spent over $300,000 installing his playland, and now his homeowners’ association is demanding that he take it down, because it doesn’t fit into the design of the neighborhood.

If you grew a garden this summer, you should be enjoying the bounties of that harvest right about now. My mouth waters for home-grown tomatoes and other produce, but I have to say, fresh herbs might be my favorite of all. Every year I tell myself I'll do an indoor herb planter and keep my herbs growing all through the winter. Maybe this will be the year I finally do it!

To provide a little inspiration, I've gathered a few cool indoor herb planter ideas (like those re-purposed crates pictured above). Scroll down for five more!

The backyard coop seems to be making a comeback and I have to say, it makes me pretty happy. Chickens really aren't that much work once you get the initial setup put together, and who doesn't love fresh eggs? The coop itself doesn't have to be anything fancy, but if you want to have some fun with it, why not? I guarantee any chicken (and owner) would love that cute coop pictured above!

I've put together 6 more anything-but-ordinary coops below. Click through for a little egg-happy inspiration!