More Rocks In The Landscape

With an abundance of rocks, both large and small, available to me free in a lot near us I have become quite addicted to adding rocks in my landscape. I have used rocks as edging between the beds and grass, as borders between walkways and wilder areas, as focal points and even built a huge… Read more »

Pretty and Productive

I used to think that vegetable gardens had to be tucked away somewhere as they looked rather ugly next to their beautiful cousins in the flower gardens. It turns out some vegetable plants can really be rather decorative while they are busy providing us with a wonderful bounty to eat. Some vegetables produce pretty flowers… Read more »

July Offers An Abundance Of Blooms

July is the month when we are most rewarded for all of our hard work in spring with an abundance of summer colour. So many shrubs and perennials bloom during July that I fear if you blink you miss something. Early July starts off with roses, clematis and summer blooming spireas. The vegetable garden is… Read more »

Eratic Weather Affecting Plants

Ask any gardener and they will likely tell you they often rail against the weather. Well this year has been a year full of all kinds. We’ve finally hit our first extended heat wave which has driven me in most afternoons. Luckily I can still enjoy a view of the gardens from indoors. It’s been… Read more »

Large Blooms Make A Big Show

We often consider a good garden performer, whether perennial or shrub, to be a good garden specimen when it provides an abundance of blooms. Yet sometimes, just a few over-sized blooms can make a dramatic statement in the landscape. Three years ago I planted a Henri Clematis with Polish Spirit in a fairly shady location.… Read more »

Enjoying gardening, just gardening!

It has been a great gardening season so far this year. Although we have had some dry and hot spells, we have had a fair amount of moisture this year and the temperatures have been a little cooler than normal for the past few weeks. And the gardens are looking great because of it. This… Read more »

Organic Lawn Care

I am now into week 9 of following an organic lawn care program. To recap, on April 17 I added organic matter to my one acre of lawn with the hopes of increasing the amount of micro-organisms in the soil as this is the key to a successful organic lawn care program. On May 5… Read more »

A Little TLC Goes A Long Way

Last spring a neighbour gave me some azaleas she had dug up and left in pots, bare rooted for about 6 weeks. They barely survived the winter in her garden I suspect because they did not have a chance to root properly as they were planted in a very open, windy location. Never one to… Read more »

Weather Can Be Fun

Being a gardener I am always watching the weather, wishing of course I could control it. I know I can check the weather instantly on the internet but that gives me results for the nearest airport, several miles from where we live. But what are the conditions like in my own backyard? Yes OK, I… Read more »

My Carolinian Garden

Having spent some time researching trees for our property, and in particular my woodland areas, I have been on a quest to add trees and shrubs native to the Carolinian Forest with a particular interest in those native to Ontario. Although I do not plan to limit myself to just native plant material, there are… Read more »