Savvy Gardening

Container plants for full sun: Color, foliage, and texture for your summer pots

With lots of sunny spots in my front and backyard, I love gathering my container plants for full sun to put together my pots each year. I like to amass a whole bunch of annuals with various textures, blooms, and foliage before figuring out what will go where. I visit nurseries, my local grocery store’s garden center, and plant sales. I enjoy starting some annuals from seed, and I usually receive a few trial plants, too. My list of favorites grows each year. Here are some examples of what I like to grow.

Growing green beans: learn how to plant, grow, and harvest a bumper crop of green beans

Written by Niki Jabbour

I’ve been growing green beans since I was just a kid. In fact, it was my love of green and yellow beans that inspired me to start gardening. Today, green beans remain one of my favorite crops to grow and eat. I grow both bush and pole types for the longest harvest season, planting them in my raised garden beds, but also in planters on my sunny back deck. Green beans are both easy and quick to grow, which also makes them the perfect vegetable for novice gardeners.

Foliage plants for lead and supporting roles in the garden

Written by Tara Nolan

Raise your hand if you think foliage is just as important as the flowers in your garden. Foliage plants don’t necessarily have to be the star of the show—some plants are destined for supporting roles—but others definitely have superstar potential. And, of course, not all leaves are green. There is a whole rainbow out there waiting for their closeup in your garden.

How far apart to plant tomatoes in your garden

Written by Niki Jabbour

Start your tomato plants off right by spacing them properly. It’s the first step to encouraging healthy plant growth and large harvests. Overcrowding plants limits air flow which can increase the occurrence of diseases, but it also impacts light exposure. Planting tomatoes too far apart means you’re not maximizing the growing space. In this article you’ll learn that tomato spacing depends on two factors; what types of tomatoes you’re growing and how you plan on supporting the plants. Once you have those key pieces of information, it’s easy to figure out how far apart to plant tomatoes. Keep reading for all the details.

DIY potting soil: 6 Homemade potting mix recipes for the home and garden

Written by Jessica Walliser

I’m a huge fan of container gardening, and I know I’m not alone. Urban and small-space gardening is on the rise, houseplants are strutting their stuff all over Instagram, and few people have the time and energy to dedicate to a large in-ground garden these days. But with hundreds of seedlings to start and over 50 large pots to fill each season, my container gardening habit used to come with a hefty price tag. When I started making my own DIY potting soil, however, I cut my container gardening budget by two-thirds! Here’s how I make homemade potting mix for all of my containers, houseplants, and seed-starting needs.
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Brighten up dark areas of the garden with annual flowers for shade

Written by Tara Nolan

I have a pretty sunny property, but there are a few little pockets that don’t see as much sun, if any. In these spots, I’ll pop in some annual flowers for shade to add little sprays of colour—a thin strip on the north side of my house; under a loose hedge of unmanicured cedars in the side yard; in my backyard near the ravine where the tree canopy is thick.