The colour spectrum of my garden widens dramatically when the first rhododendrons begin to flower in various shades of white, pink, orange, red and magenta. The genus Rhododendron is a huge one with more than 1,000 species and about 28,000 cultivars, but for the majority of Canadians most of these beautiful shrubs are out of reach, due to their lack of cold hardiness and … [Read more...] about Growing rhododendrons in a cold climate
rhododendron
Signs of change in the garden
With autumn creeping in, there are changes in the garden. The foliage on lilacs and phlox has a grey cast to it, which is powdery mildew. This fungus infection is around gardens in late summer, when days are sunny and dry and the nights are cool. Fluctuating high and low humidity levels are an invitation to the powdery film, which is unsightly, but causes no lasting … [Read more...] about Signs of change in the garden