A bright, fast growing container recipe with calibrachoa

Splashes of pink in a lush, fast growing container

When Proven Winners sent me some Superbells® Holy Moly!™ Calibrachoa hybrids to trial last spring (2015), my first thought upon opening the crate filled with potted plants was “Wow! These are well named.” With bright yellow petals covered in splashes of neon pink, the flowers practically glowed. In a container planting, these plants need to…

A romantic container recipe featuring Bird's Foot fern and fuchsias

Moonlight and marshmallows in a romantic container recipe

Who’s heart doesn’t do a little flip at the thought of moonlight and marshmallows? I know. The possibilities seem wondrous. But can you take such a potent commingling and apply it to that ho-hum shady spot in your garden? Well, not to put too fine a point on it, this romantic container recipe starts with a…

Plant for a container recipe featuring aura

Recipe for a super bright container planting

Sometimes an eyeball-searing circus of a container planting, including super bright flowers that appear to be swinging through the air on upside down trapezes, is exactly what’s needed. Maybe you just want to give your front walkway a jolt of vibrant colour. Or maybe you’re not getting the whole chic-one-colour-planting trend (like the purple container recipe…

Iris danfordiae: Yellow is the new blue

One of my favourite early spring flowers is Iris reticulata. I love everything about them–their scent (as sophisticated as any French perfume), their size (so cute!) and their deep bluish purple colouring accented with a bright yellow stripe and delicate black spots running down the centre of each petal. Then I discovered Iris danfordiae. These…

Life after dead potted plants

Now that the temperatures are finally dipping below zero celsius here in Southern Ontario, my container plantings are beginning to bite the dust. And so the big fall clean-up begins. But this time around, I’m going to be smarter about it. Having spent this year studying organic horticulture techniques, I’ve found that there are easy ways to…

Container idea: Ring of fire(wood)

Having leftover firewood at our place is a little like having leftover wine. Basically, it never happens. But if the fascination with setting things, er, logs aflame slows to the point where we do have some hanging around, I’m definitely going to try this nifty idea I came across during a terrific weekend visit to…

Container idea: Customize half-price pots 4 ways

Who doesn’t love a short-cut? And when the short-cut saves you money? Even better. Ready-planted containers are a fast and easy solution for turning your backyard from lawn-mower country to cocktail lounge. And if you wait just another couple of days, most of those containers, looking at their peak of lushness, are going to go…