Cultivating curiosity and confidence
You don’t need a garden to grow carrots! This popular root vegetable is easy to grow in containers, window boxes, and planters. Growing carrots in containers is a fun way to grow food in the smallest of spaces as well as on decks, patios, and balconies. And with a little planning, you can succession plant pots of carrots for a non-stop harvest from early summer through late fall.
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Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) are among the most popular herbs for home gardeners to grow. They are easy to plant and care for, and since they are a hardy perennial, they return to the garden year after year. The fragrant and flavorful leaves of the chive plant are delicious to people, but the deer and rabbits leave them alone. To add yet another benefit, chive flowers are a favorite nectar source for many of the pollinators who also help pollinate other edible crops. Learning how to harvest chives for use in the kitchen is key to enjoying this easy-to-grow herb. Let’s take a look at several different ways to harvest chives for both fresh use and for preservation.
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Hostas are shade garden foliage staples. And while at a glance, they may all look pretty similar, search around at different garden centres and nurseries and you’ll discover there are a lot of interesting varieties. You’ll find solid-coloured leaves in vibrant lime tones or variegated gradients of greens, and different leaf shapes and textures from large and heart-shaped to long and crinkled. What I find to be especially captivating are blue hosta varieties. Blue isn’t as common of a plant colour, in foliage or blooms, which is what makes them so unique.
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Zucchini is one of the most popular vegetables grown in home gardens because it’s easy, productive, and delicious. There are many types and varieties to try with a wide range of fruit colors and shapes; from cylindrical to scallop to crookneck to round. They offer subtle differences in flavor and texture as well as kitchen use. In our garden, round zucchini varieties have become a favorite for their novel shape and bright colors. Read on to learn more about planting and growing round zucchini.
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The first two raised beds in my backyard were built to neaten up a lumpy, in-ground veggie patch. I’ve since discovered many benefits of raised garden beds, from accessibility and opportunities for a variety of materials and customization, to planting and harvesting advantages.
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Cucumbers are among the most popular crops for home gardeners. They’re easy to grow and just a handful of vines can provide enough cucumbers for fresh eating from mid-summer through late fall. But proper cucumber plant spacing can mean the difference between healthy, productive plants and disease ridden, low yielding ones. Let’s take a look at how far apart to plant cucumbers based on your growing technique and the method you use to plant them.
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