Anyone familiar with my blog knows that I love a short-cut. I also think it’s important to introduce as many native plants into my garden as possible. And if I can combine a task that’s easy and/or fast with more beneficial plants as a result, well, I’m all in. Which is why planting wildflowers by…
Earlier this year I dived into the whole snail seedlings debate. That was the thing about whether starting seeds in a snail-like wrap of paper towel (which makes for a terrific imitation of a giant sushi roll BTW) was actually a better way of growing seedlings. I’m pretty sure the debate is still raging. Allow…
I’m truly pleased to have seen some really inspirational gardens over the last few summers. Combining different colours, highlighting dramatic textures and adding drama with a dry creek or water feature were just some of the I-could-do-that! ideas that jumped out at me. But two gardens stood out because they did something marvellous in the…
I love a good outdoor animal sculpture. Abstract art is fine but I’m a sucker for a giant critter gracing a fence or sproinging up from the shrubbery. They’re great for adding drama or whimsy, some sparkle or pattern, maybe even movement to a corner of the garden. And they can also give you a…
Of all the gardens I had the immense pleasure of visiting this summer, the astonishing oasis of colour and lush greenery set within an old barn’s stone foundations was one of my favourites. The private garden is part of a home and farm near Mallorytown, Ontario. A gravel path leads the eye through a metal…
I have a couple of Cup Plants growing in amongst wild grasses and Blue Flag Irises, down by the water’s edge of the small lake where we live in southern Ontario. A garden this is not. I added the irises and the Cups in an attempt to add a little colour to the one and…
In my travels this summer I’ve been noticing that the plants that really stood out for me weren’t necessarily bright (although there’s something to be said for hot colours in the summer garden). But show me a plant or a group of plants with extraordinary texture and I’d stop in my tracks. Here are 5…
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…
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,…
Horticulturist, Arborist and Garden Columnist
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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 