Savvy Gardening

Bulb-planting design tips and inspiration from the Keukenhof gardens

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.

Learn how to garden with a cold frame

Written by Niki Jabbour

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. I write about cold frame gardening in my latest book, Growing Under Cover: Techniques for a More Productive, Weather-Resistant, Pest-Free Vegetable Garden and my award-winning book, The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener. Here’s an excerpt from The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener:

Harvesting winter squash: How to harvest, cure & store the fruits

Written by Niki Jabbour

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.

Colorful shrubs for season-long beauty in the garden

Written by Jessica Walliser

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.
READ MORE » about Colorful shrubs for season-long beauty in the garden

Fall-blooming flowers for long-lasting colour in the garden

Written by Tara Nolan

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.

Plant a fall vegetable garden with these hardy crops

Written by Niki Jabbour

Do you want to grow more food and extend the harvest for as long as possible? If so, I suggest you plant a fall vegetable garden. Fall is THE time to grow a rainbow of hardy greens, fast-growing root crops, and autumn superstars like scallions, broccoli, and kohlrabi. However, it’s important to note that while the harvest takes place in autumn (and even winter with protection), the planting of these crops begins in summer.