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 Fuchsia flower is somewhat unique in the world of gardening, sporting a pronounced corolla and often contrasting sepal color, all in a pendent-type flower. Over the eons, these are plants that have evolved right alongside their pollinating partners, the hummingbirds. They provide rich nectar for our winged friends, but also…
Something I truly enjoy when strolling through any garden are surprises, simple unexpected treasures that catch my eye and bring a smile to my face. I come around a corner, or peer down a pathway, or even look behind an old tree and exclaim “Ooooo… and what do we have here?” These focal points can be…
As we near the end of August it is becoming apparent in my garden that the fall season is fast approaching, despite the fact that as I write this (the week of August 14th) it is still very much summer with temps in the low 90’s. Yes, it is still hot with lots of sunshine, but there are sure signs that we are about to switch to another season. Here are some of the clues I have noticed…
It’s funny how the meaning of some words can change over time. In a garden setting, having a “diverse” collection of plants is generally a good thing. One could say that the gardener embraces “diversity”. Likewise, if that same gardener “includes” many different genera in the landscape, you could state that the gardener embraces “inclusivity”. Now, before you get your hackles up, I have no intention of…
If your garden is anything like mine, then you are probably busy watering, staking, checking for bugs and diseases, harvesting veggies and fruits and bouquets of flowers, and planting - at least those are the things that we all should be doing in August if we want to call ourselves gardeners. I don’t think anyone ever manages to accomplish all the gardening chores they set out to do, but we should at least give it the old college try. Just for fun, here are some of the things I have been doing in my garden…
The Golfing Gardener
Trevor Cameron
We started our journey with Hydrangeas last week, so let’s keep the momentum going and continue by talking about an even more useful species of them this week. As I have mentioned before, there isn’t a better choice for summer-long blooming shrubs than…