After our long Canadian winters, early spring usually sees me heading outside in the yard every day to see which spring bulbs have bloomed since the day before. They’re among my favourite flowers because they are harbingers of the growing season. In Lisse, a town in the Netherlands, about seven million flower bulbs bloom each spring throughout the 32 hectares (about 79 acres) of gardens at the Keukenhof. Resplendent colour combinations and creative display ideas are planted to inspire gardeners from all over the world. They’re also living business cards for the Dutch growers who supply the bulbs. I’ve had the good fortune to visit the Keukenhof twice now and if I lived closer, I would go every year. Here is some inspiration that I brought home from my most recent visit to the Keukenhof gardens.
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Bulb-planting design tips and inspiration from the Keukenhof gardens
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Evergreen groundcover plants: 20 choices for year-round interest
Groundcovers are low-growing plants that serve many different purposes in the landscape. They limit weed growth, stabilize slopes, and add interest and texture to your yard. Plus, unlike lawn, groundcover plants don’t have to be mowed. However, in colder climates, many groundcovers die back and go dormant during the winter months. This leaves the ground bare and exposed, opening it up to potential weed issues and soil erosion. If you’d like to provide year-round cover for a particular garden area, turn to evergreen groundcover varieties for the job. These beautiful, hard-working plants have so much to offer.
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Learn how to garden with a cold frame
When I first started experimenting with season extension, I discovered that a cold frame is an invaluable tool in a vegetable garden. Our cold frames allow us to jump-start the spring harvest months before most gardeners begin to sow seeds and stretch our harvest throughout winter. If you want tips on how to garden with a cold frame, read on. Here’s an excerpt on cold frames from my award-winning book, The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener.
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Harvesting winter squash
Some crops, like leaf lettuce, are quick to go from seed to harvest. Others, like winter squash need a full season to mature. But they’re worth the wait! When I begin harvesting winter squash, everyone loves to help. It’s fun to see the rainbow of colors, shapes, and sizes of the many varieties we grow.
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How to get rid of moles in your yard and garden
Discovering small, volcano-shaped mounds of soil in your lawn may at first lead you to believe a massive colony of ants has set up shop in your yard. Or that your neighbor’s kid did a really poor job trying to bury his latest report card. But those hills of freshly dug dirt aren’t the result of an ant infestation or Billy’s poor GPA. Instead, they were made by moles. While moles are solitary creatures, they sure can cause a lot of damage. Learning how to get rid of moles often comes with a huge amount frustration. Today, I’d like to review how to properly ID moles and the damage they cause, and offer you some possible solutions. Continue Reading
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Colorful shrubs for season-long beauty in the garden
There’s no doubt about it, flowers are lovely. But for true season-long interest in the garden, the best shrubs don’t just produce pretty flowers. They also have foliage that offers a burst of color and texture for months on end. Today, we’ve teamed up with the good folks at Bloomin’ Easy Plants to introduce you to four amazing colorful shrubs that are real standouts in the landscape. Continue Reading
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