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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Evergreen groundcover plants: 20 choices for year-round interest
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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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Fall-blooming flowers for long-lasting colour in the garden
Sometimes it’s hard to think ahead in the garden. In the spring, we’re wooed by all the lovely flowers at the garden centre after a petal-less winter. But with a little planning, it’s possible to have consistent blooms in the garden from spring through to the first frost—or snow!—in the fall. Of course, annuals always fit the bill, but why not add some dependable perennials to the garden for that sure-thing pop of colour? I’ve gathered a list of some eye-catching, fall-blooming flowers that will bloom from late summer through the fall.
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