It seems like summer is always late arriving and then rushes by much too quickly. Nonetheless, even in mid-July most of us can look forward to another three months of pleasant days outdoors, enjoying our gardens. And, if you have gaps in your garden or want to refresh your containers, this can be a good time to shop for plant bargains at reputable garden centres. Often you can … [Read more...] about July’s a good time to find plant bargains
July in the Garden
For the love of monarchs
While I’m not an entomologist, I have a deep and abiding love for many insects and their relatives, and plant my gardens with their welfare in mind. When I first began my new Wolfville, N.S., garden, one of the most important perennials I had to have was rosy milkweed (Asclepias incarnate, Zone 3) and several of its relatives. Why? Because I’m fond of monarch butterflies … [Read more...] about For the love of monarchs
Rio portulaca for hot spots
I’ve been gardening for more than 30 years, but it’s still a new day when I trip over a problem and discover growing insights. First, the happy solution. A beautiful pot of annual Rio Series yellow portulaca (Portulaca oleracea) was the key to understanding unexpected problems on my front walk gallery of ornamental plants and tomatoes in containers. It was a few years since I … [Read more...] about Rio portulaca for hot spots
Dealing with mildew on phlox
I've had an early onset of mildew on summer phlox (Phlox paniculata) this year. These scented, long-blooming perennials are one of the backbones of summer gardens, providing a broad range of colours from midsummer through to first fall frost. Mildew pathogens infect the stems, flowers and foliage, growing quickly to make phlox clumps seriously unsightly. When phlox is severely … [Read more...] about Dealing with mildew on phlox
Plants struggling with the heat
It’s hot as Hades (again!), and I frequently need to remind myself that this is early July, not August. Plants are struggling to stand in the heat and wind — or perhaps I could say that I’m the one struggling to keep them going. Strong sunlight has made beds by the front walkway inhospitable for plants like Durand’s clematis (Clematis x durandii, Zone 6) that bleaches to … [Read more...] about Plants struggling with the heat
