It pains me to see customers spending hundreds of dollars on new plants and simultaneously refusing to spend a few more on a bag or two of compost and a box of starter fertilizer. These two items are not unnecessary “add-ons” that the retailer is just trying to add to the sale, they are critical components of a successful transplanting process - or as I like to refer to them as “plant insurance”. Unless you have phenomenal soil, you should always add compost and starter fertilizers when you are planting new plants. Here is why…
The winter solstice is upon us, and I am sure everyone is looking forward to a bit more light each day, eventually steering us towards the great annual awakening of spring. To most gardeners, the idea of year ‘round interest is top of mind, as patrons I speak to year after year look to add specimens into their landscapes that provide that “WOW” factor all year long, including…
First off, let me apologize for using the word “winter” in the title as I sincerely hope that our actual “winter” is still many weeks away. Having said that, as we head towards the holiday season, it is an ideal time for gardeners to look forward just a bit. Frost will be coming soon, and Mother Nature will require...
It should be no surprise that in the last few weeks of the year I would take one more opportunity to promote the allure and value of golden foliaged plants. As we move into the dark months of the year, these beacons of light become absolutely essential in keeping our interest in the garden. This hit home for me the other day as I…
Most gardeners are familiar with florist Cyclamen. They are popular during the cooler times of the year and are usually sold as a table decoration to be enjoyed indoors for a few weeks and then discarded…. However, there is a hardy relative to the florist Cyclamen that is perfect for our climate and every gardener should make some space for a small drift of them…
Recently I had one of my readers reach out to me and inquire about how all the weather extremes of 2021 might impact our gardening experiences in 2022. It is a good question that is worth exploring, especially since I suspect this won’t be the last time we see such extremes in temperature, rainfall, and snow. Here are some of my thoughts…
I don’t know how you all feel about 2021, but for me it was like circling the airport waiting for clearance to land and never getting it. Oh sure, we made a couple of approaches and were really close to touching down, but then at the last minute the tower waved us off. There was great anticipation that maybe this was finally it and life would return to normal, or at least something close to normal. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. But thankfully…
The Golfing Gardener
Trevor Cameron
I think all gardeners crave color and flower power that brings smiles to faces throughout their landscape. When we talk about options for summer-blooming shrubs, Roses and Hydrangeas stand above all others for both choice and longevity. Roses are for full sun, while depending on the variety, Hydrangeas can be for sun, partial sun or shade. I seem to write about…