Over the past few weeks, I visited two friends and found them in the middle of garden construction projects. Because I’m an excellent friend, I got down in the dirt to help out for a few minutes, but I also snapped some photos and asked them to share their ideas for cheap and easy garden edging and pathways, and tips for installing a water feature. Not bad for stopping by a … [Read more...] about Easy garden edging ideas (and more from my gardening friends)
beginner gardening
A beginner’s guide to loving and growing succulents
I’ve really fallen in love with succulents this year, and I had an opportunity to learn more about them at Floral Dimensions’ recent open house. Floral Dimensions is based in Fenwick, Ont., and the company specializes in propagating and selling succulents. The fall 2012 Garden Making has an article on growing succulents in containers, but Marian and Louis Damm, owners of Floral … [Read more...] about A beginner’s guide to loving and growing succulents
Taste-testing veggies at Stokes
Last week, I visited Stokes Seeds’ trial gardens in St. Catharines, Ont., where I ate veggies, learned about a new way to grow tomatoes, and then ate more veggies. I’m convinced that a tomato eaten while standing in the garden right after it has been picked is far more delicious than a tomato eaten in the kitchen just a few feet away. Along with other gardeners who had … [Read more...] about Taste-testing veggies at Stokes
Grafted tomatoes promise hardier plants
For the many Canadian gardeners, new and experienced, who grow tomatoes, there will be a new type of tomato plant available next year that will be stronger and more productive, but still very tasty. I wrote about new roses that are grafted onto the rootstock of a hardier and disease-resistant rose to create a rose with the best qualities of both. It’s a technique that … [Read more...] about Grafted tomatoes promise hardier plants
New hardy roses even a beginner can grow
As a new gardener, some plants intimidate me more than others. I hear rumours that lupins are picky about soil, delphiniums are hard to keep standing tall, and roses are prone to pests and diseases. So, I steer clear of these plants, even though I often find them to be the most beautiful. With my preconceived notions of roses in place, I went to Landscape Ontario’s Trial … [Read more...] about New hardy roses even a beginner can grow
