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Making a Garden

Perennials that bloom the first year from seed

By Judith Adam

Camelot Mix foxgloves (Photo from Veseys)

Sowing seed indoors during deepest winter can prompt some perennials into blooming in their first season. How to grow perennials that bloom the first year from seed.

Secrets to growing a stephanotis vine

By Judith Adam

Stephanotis plants can be coaxed to rebloom. (Photo by Forest & Kim Starr [CC-BY-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons)

A pot of white stephanotis vine (Madagascar jasmine) with clusters of deeply perfumed flowers can become a lovely vine grown in a container.

‘Honorine Jobert’ is a lovely late Japanese anemone

By Judith Adam

‘Honorine Jobert’ Japanese anemone blooms in mid-September. (Photo from www.PerennialResource.com)

The sparkling white ‘Honorine Jobert’ Japanese anemone begins flowering about the middle of September, and is a Judith Adam favourite. Its tall stature gives it architectural presence.

Hummingbirds love the nectar from turtlehead

By Judith Adam

Pink turtlehead, sometimes called twisted shell flower, are showy plants that provide nectar loved by hummingbirds. They prefer nectar over sugar water.

Mildew-resistant lilacs

By Judith Adam

Dealing with powdery mildew on lilacs can require replacing them with mildew-resistant cultivars. Mildew spores are active in late summer.

Time for more Martagon lilies

By Judith Adam

Martagon lily from Vesey's

The flowers resemble butterflies in flight, says Judith Adam about Martagon lilies. Their appeal includes tall skinny stems and speckled petals.

‘Blue Paradise’ summer phlox

By Judith Adam

The ‘Blue Paradise’ summer phlox (Phlox paniculata ‘Blue Paradise’) is lavishly blooming in Judith’s sunny front bed. It’s a cultivar bred for mildew resistance.

Rio portulaca for hot spots

By Judith Adam

Rio portulaca plants are now on Judith Adam’s front walk gallery of ornamental plants because the location is too hot for tomatoes in containers.

Black Pearl: A heirloom hybrid tomato

By Judith Adam

Black Pearl Hybrid tomato (Photo from Burpee.com)

‘Black Pearl’ is a vining cherry tomato with 1.5-inch (4-cm), brownish-red round fruits. . ‘Black Pearl’ is what breeders are calling heirloom hybrid.

Problem-solving SunPatiens catch the eye

By Judith Adam

SunPatiens come in range of vivid colours, too. (Photo from Sakata Ornamentals)

SunPatiens, a new strain of New Guinea impatiens, thrive in full sun to part shade, bloom from spring to frost. They’re resistant to downy mildew.

Shopping for a new sedum

By Judith Adam

'Matrona' sedum (Photo from Perennials.com)

New sedum varieties. Judith Adam wanted ‘Autumn Fire’ autumn stonecrop, but found some other tall sedums such as ‘Matrona’ and ‘Maestro’ sedum.

Ornamental strawberries and peppers in pots

By Judith Adam

When Judith Adam grows ornamental edibles in containers, she enjoys pretty pots of strawberries and peppers.

Searching for ‘Red Hot Returns’ daylily

By Judith Adam

Red Hot Returns daylily (Photo from Heritage Perennials)

I’m thinking of a red and blue/purple direction for the front garden. I’m looking for several pots of ‘Red Hot Returns’ daylily, a reblooming cultivar.

When to apply spring fertilizers

By Judith Adam

'Charles Lamont' viburnum is an early-blooming shrub. Photo by Brendan Zwelling

When is the best time to provide spring fertilizers to help the plants restore themselves? Acting too quickly can sometimes interfere with what’s best.

Catching up with bee balm and other travellers

By Judith Adam

Beebalm plants. Abundant rain encourages colonizing perennials like beebalm to overtake landscape. My clumps have sent out running roots a full 18 inches.

Getting periwinkle under control

By Judith Adam

Periwinkle, sometimes called myrtle has a beautiful blue or white spring flower. Its small leaves that work well with perennial plants and woody shrubs.

Benefits of polymeric bonding sand

By Judith Adam

Use a polymeric bonding sand (sometimes called stabilizing sand) to reduce erosion of the gaps on paths and into joints between pavers, stone and brick.

‘The Fairy’ rose keeps on blooming

By Judith Adam

'The Fairy' rose (Photo by Sheridan Nurseries)

The Fairy rose is one of three plants that keep blooming. Any plants that can keep showing a flower into November are well worth having in duplicates.

An easy way to make soil

By Judith Adam

Autumn is a good time to renovate soil and prepare new beds that will be ready for planting as soon as frost leaves the ground.

Conifer needles good for the soil

By Judith Adam

The conifer needles that fall on Judith Adam’s property remain where they fall on soil or lawn, making a soft mulch.

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Events for gardeners

  • Tofino Winterlights
    • Friday, November 29, 2019 - Sunday, January 5, 2020 in Tofino
  • Festive Fun - Entertaining Ideas for the Holidays
    • Wednesday, December 11, 2019 in Mississauga
  • AGM, Elections, Potluck
    • Thursday, December 12, 2019 in Cheltenham
  • 'Picture Perfect - Snapshots to Admire and Inspire'
    • Wednesday, January 8, 2020 in Mississauga
  • Edible Native Plant Landscapes
    • Tuesday, January 14, 2020 in Orangeville
  • Monthly Meeting
    • Wednesday, January 15, 2020 in Maple Ridge
  • Chelsea Flower Show
    • Monday, January 20, 2020 in Montreal West
  • Galt Horticultural Society's 29th Annual Dream Garden Conference
    • Sunday, January 26, 2020 in Cambridge
  • 4th Annual Plant Symposium
    • Friday, February 7, 2020 in London
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