The best gift this year won't have a shop's logo on the box — it'll have a seed packet in it. Bonsai, herbs, flytraps and Christmas trees, matched to every kind of person on your list.

While everyone else shops for Christmas, you could be growing yours from seed. Here's why September is the perfect time to start — and what to expect by the holidays.

Sprouted then died? Growing but looking sad? Herb problems almost always come down to one of six fixable culprits — here's how to spot yours and fix it fast.