Much of North America is still deep into the winter of its gardening discontent. Here in the Maritimes, we’ve been buried in so much snow, we can’t even claim to have a garden of winter interest, because pretty much everything interesting is under snow drifts and plowed banks and more snow and a little ice to keep it all challenging. The snow is so deep in my garden I can’t … [Read more...] about Blooming where we’re planted
spring
Bedding plants catch the eye
Is it too early to think about what to plant in next year’s containers, even though many of this year’s displays are still going strong? Especially when I haven’t even planted my fall bulbs yet? However, after seeing some of the new bedding plants that will be introduced next year, it’s hard not to think ahead. I got a peek at what's in the growers' greenhouses at the 35th … [Read more...] about Bedding plants catch the eye
Fiddleheads for spring
When I was a student at the former Nova Scotia Agricultural College, my major plant science project was titled, “Some Factors Affecting Rhizome Regeneration Rates in Matteuccia struthiopteris.” Translation: I was propagating ostrich ferns, the source of the delectable fiddlehead, using different types of soil and soilless media to generate new growth. Exciting stuff. What … [Read more...] about Fiddleheads for spring
Hepaticas: harbingers of spring
What garden event signifies to you that spring has really, truly arrived in your part of the country? Here in Atlantic Canada, we have had what has felt like an interminable winter, with so many snowstorms that we began to joke that if it was Wednesday, we’d have a snowstorm. Finally, however, all but the most determined snowdrifts in woods, ditches and fields have relinquished … [Read more...] about Hepaticas: harbingers of spring
When to apply spring fertilizers
Often gardeners in the early days of spring have an impulse to apply fertilizer to help plants restore themselves, but acting too quickly can sometimes interfere with what they really want. Plants make their own food through photosynthesis, and they really don’t benefit if I rush around with emergency meals. Their biology is capable of manufacturing basic carbohydrate energy … [Read more...] about When to apply spring fertilizers
