General growing and maintenance guidelines. Your plants and how to care for them…
Guest post by Eleanor Athens The science of taste is complex and amazing, as anyone who has ever bitten into a sun-warmed tomato in a summer garden can tell you. Much of the enjoyment we get from eating is actually caused by volatile aroma chemicals; we smell our food as we taste it. We can …
Guest post by “The Bulb Lady” Debbie Van Bourgondien Mention a grandmother’s garden, and a mental picture inevitably forms. Somehow bearded irises (Iris germanica) always seem to be part of that picture. Perfect flowers for cutting, as showy as orchids, they seem to fit into any kind of grandma’s garden, from the cottagey style that …
It may be summer, but it’s not too late to sow some seeds. Here’s a list of perennials that can be started from seed in July and August. July Perennials Astilbe Bellis Perennis Campanula Gailardia Foxglove Gypsophila Holllyhock Linum Lunaria Lupin Myosotis Pansy Poppy Pyrethrum Primula Sweet William August Perennials Arabis Armeria Astilbe Bellis Perennis …
Guest post by Debbie Van Bourgondien “The Bulb Lady” (Or tulips, or other spring bulbs?) It’s a sure sign that spring is here – my mailbox is full of spring bulb questions. Some of you have just discovered bulbs that you have forgotten to plant. Others have bulbs that they planted and now want to …
Guest post by “The Bulb Lady” Debbie Van Bourgondien Before I start, let me issue a word of caution. If you have any ideas about planting daffodils in your lawn for that Wordsworth-like field of golden daffodils effect – don’t. That is not what I mean by naturalizing bulbs. A friend of mine, seduced by …
Guest post by Debbie Van Bourgondien “The Bulb Lady” Sometimes gardeners are accused of speaking a foreign language. More often than not, they are speaking plant Latin when this happens. But often their mysterious language has to do with the root systems of plants. Most of us are happy to divide the plant world into …
Guest post by Clare McIntyre One of the things I love about Newfoundland is how close you can be to wild-growing plants in their natural habitats, even if you live downtown in the province’s largest city. A five-minute walk from the commercial heart of the province I found an abundance of Newfoundland’s most common native …
Guest post by Zesty “Now is the winter of our discontent” -Richard III, By: William Shakespeare Ah yes. There is nary more apt a quote when it comes to gardeners. Last Sunday, I reconciled myself to the inevitable and commenced getting my garden ready for winter. It’s not a tedious task with particularly a lot …
You don’t need a lot of money to have classy-looking container plants. I rarely purchase my containers new anymore. Not just because they are expensive, but because most of the time I think they’re ugly. Go to any department store or garden centre and you’re bound to find those awful plastic pots that are meant …
Guest post by Andrea Crisp As everyone knows, each plant has its own unique smell. Scents can alter your mood in subtle ways, so when you plan your garden, why not let your nose decide the arrangements for you? If you’re planning a quiet, private garden, a mix of mild-scented flowers like lily-of-the-valleys, lilacs, and …
Guest post by Nadia Gard(e)ner Prevent the pollution of our water, soil and ultimately, animals (like us). With summer our precious plants have returned, and with them the wicked weeds also arise. While some may be tempted by the seemingly simple solution, herbicides, their environmental effects outweigh any benefit. Herbicides are chemicals used to kill …