In my first home, I dug out a wee little veggie garden in the backyard. That first spring, I planted cucumber seedlings alongside a few other edibles, like tomatoes and peppers. For some reason, the squirrels focused on my cucumber plants. Every morning I’d go out and a seedling had either been dug out or snapped in two. More than once I caught a squirrel in the act. I would run out the back door shouting (I’m sure the neighbours wondered what my problem was!). This was the beginning of my ongoing quest to find tips on how to keep squirrels out of your garden.
Read More »How to keep squirrels out of your garden
How to plant and grow a cut flower garden
While growing vegetables is my passion, I also grow a cut flower garden because I enjoy having a non-stop supply of beautiful flowers to harvest for homegrown bouquets. And while many plants are grown for their flowers – perennials, biennials, bulbs, and even edibles – annual flowers like zinnias and sunflowers are among the most popular type of cut flowers grown by gardeners. They’re productive, easy to grow, beautiful, and can be planted in gardens or containers.
Read More »Types of lilies: 8 beautiful choices for the garden
Lilies are among the most recognizable of all summer garden flowers. Their large, bright flowers suit all types of gardens, whether classically designed, rustic, cottage-style or contemporary. While some folks might think lilies are too old-fashioned for today’s gardens, the truth is that there are dozens of modern hybrid varieties of lilies that offer color, elegance, fragrance, and a whole lot of style to today’s landscapes. Read on to discover 8 of my favorite types of lilies, and see why these glorious blooms deserve a prominent place in every garden. Continue Reading
Read More »Container plants for full sun: Choices for colour, foliage, and texture in your summer pots
Each spring, I collect annuals from a variety of sources. I like to amass a whole bunch of plants with various textures, blooms, and foliage before figuring out what will go in each container arrangement. I’ll visit nurseries, my local grocery store’s garden centre, and plant sales. I grow some annuals from seed, depending on the year. And I often receive a few trial plants, too. My biggest grouping to work with is the one with container plants for full sun. I need to fill multiple pots filled for my driveway, the space by my front door, my deck, the space in front of my garden shed, etc.
Read More »Growing green beans: learn how to plant, grow, and harvest a bumper crop of green beans
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.
Read More »Purple perennial flowers: 24 brilliant choices for big and small gardens
Purple is a powerful color. When the Pantone Color Institute declared a shade of purple named Ultra Violet to be the Color of the Year, they called it “complex and contemplative,” noting that purple has long been “symbolic of unconventionality and artistic brilliance.” While I don’t know much about using purple for interior design, art, or fashion, I do know how to use it in a garden. The power and bravado of purple in the landscape is undeniable, especially when it comes to perennials. Today, I’d like to share my favorite purple perennial flowers. Whether their shade of purple is dark and regal or light and luscious, these beauties add depth, richness, and a pop of color to your garden. Continue Reading
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