Itching for something to do now that the garden is on autopilot and we’re gliding into the last days of summer? Now’s the perfect time for a garden shed makeover. Here are five awesome inspirations I discovered on my recent travels, snooping in other people’s awesome gardens. Palladian folly You can’t really even call this…
The weather has been “hotter than the hubs of hell” (as my guy likes to say) but that hasn’t stopped us from partying merrily with friends from near and far. Our cottage was made for entertaining and hosting overnight guests and we take full advantage. Which means that as our guests are getting my enthusiastic…
Streptocarpus sounds like the kind of throat infection you really want to avoid but it’s the deceiving name of one of my favourite little houseplants–one that can outshine a lot of outdoors plants in the summer garden as well. And that’s not all. My weathered Streptocarpus after a recent rainstorm in mid-July. A relative of…
Plants in containers are to a garden what spices are to a stew. They add a little extra zing. But when you want to kick that zing up a few notches, that’s where the art of the container display comes in. Simply gather up your potted plants and arrange them in a grouping for maximum…
I’m seeing a theme this summer and I’m loving it–brilliant flowers in colours as hot as the summer sun. Forget your romantic pastels and delicate watercolour-esque beds. Bring on the eye-watering brights. A hot summer flower bed of lilies and bright pink Rose Campion (Lychnis coronaria). I saw a lot of gorgeously clashing blooms on…
I love squirrels. Don’t get me wrong. They can be pretty cute. We’ve got a whole new spring crop of them living their best young lives in and around our back deck and their antics can be pretty entertaining. Until they get into my container plantings. Then, the love is gone. I was perusing some…
Just weeks ago, weather forecasts for warm sunny days were about as reliable as a used lawn mower at a yard sale (and yet so full of promise). And now? The heat is on. If you’re interested in bringing a touch of coolness–real or imagined–to your garden regardless of its size, I have some suggestions.…
One of my favourite flowering plants native to Canada is blooming its heart out right now. The Blue Flag Iris (Iris versicolor) is a semi-aquatic rhizomatous perennial that can be found in the wild from Southern Manitoba eastward into the Atlantic provinces. It blooms from May through July adding small explosions of vivid purplish blue…
For folks who love a little order in their lives, there is something very soothing about the checkerboard pattern. Graphic, precise and, well, neat, those lined up squares bring order to any underfoot situation. So it’s no surprise that checkerboard patterns in the garden have been around a long time (though not without some controversy,…
You know those Victorian-style wrought iron garden chairs – all curly cues and roses? I’m not a big fan of them. Despite their diminutive size with miserly seats not much larger than a dinner plate, they can weigh a ton. And as much as they’re designed to enhance a garden, beckoning guests to stay awhile,…
When my brother and I were kids we spent several formative years enjoying a backyard that had no lawn, a veritable forest of unclimbable trees, vast swaths of mulch (known back then as ‘beauty bark’) and an enormous cement patio. We were forever suffering from scrapes, bruises and splinters from this decidedly child-unfriendly garden. But,…
We’ve all read about how nature does remarkable things to help care for and nurture its own. Research reveals new and exciting examples of this every year it seems. I love how we can learn from these findings and actually mimic some of Mother Nature’s neat tricks when caring for our own gardens. A little…
Have you ever walked down a sidewalk and felt a real sense of community was happening there? Front yards can do that. It’s surprisingly easy to communicate either openness, inclusiveness and friendliness or just the opposite – various iterations of self-imposed isolation – by your front yard garden choices from fencing to flowers to adding…
Of all the colours you can find in a garden, orange can be the trickiest, I think. As hues go, it can glow brighter than red or yellow all the while doing more clashing than complementing. It’s very much a shout out colour. But that’s what also makes it a great colour to have in…
With April showers come May flowers and lots of bees (hopefully) to lap up nectar and do their pollinator thing. I always thought that whatever was served up in a flower was good enough for the average bee but it turns out that pollen and nectar aren’t great sources of moisture. Bees need sources of…
Horticulturist, Arborist and Garden Columnist
Celebrating gardens, photography and a creative life
Garden of Flowers, Beads, and Yarns
ruminate vb. to chew (the cud)
Reflections On A Life in Exile
Saint Andrews Forest Farm Blog
a chat over the garden fence
There's always room for one more plant.
a little garden near Gawler
.....and nurturing my soul
Ministry of the fence 