Parts of Canada are still snow-covered (at least where I garden), but thankfully it’s March and milder spring weather can’t be far behind. Here are two of my favourite spring plant combinations that would be easy to recreate in most Canadian gardens. The first was inspired by a visit to Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania last year; the second is a coincidental pairing from my own … [Read more...] about Two spring plant combinations to try
columbines
Coping with columbine leaf miners
I like columbines of all kinds, especially the long-spurred beauties that remind me of swallowtail butterflies. I've had many in the garden, but some years they make an inviting treat for the infamous leaf miners that plague these plants. They can almost be heard galloping in for a good meal. Sometimes, my columbines were ravished before they could bloom, and the only thing to … [Read more...] about Coping with columbine leaf miners
Eccentric soil renovation with pine cones, rocks
Cool days are here, and it’s time to address the more arduous tasks that we avoided in warmer months: soil renovation. Now that we know full-scale tilling and turning over of soil disturbs the delicate microbial systems at work beneath our feet (no more double digging!), we can be more selective about where to make improvements. My strategy is to improve the drainage and oxygen … [Read more...] about Eccentric soil renovation with pine cones, rocks
