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…
June has officially arrived, and as we head toward the Summer Solstice it means gardeners have some extra daylight for frivolities in the garden. More importantly, we celebrate Pollinator Month (with National Pollinator Week June 17th-23rd as a highlight), a campaign created by the Pollinator Partnership to create harmony between us humans and nature. We all need to pause and give thanks to…
Over the last 10 years I have written several times about the attributes of our North American native, Echinacea purpurea, or what we commonly refer to as a coneflower. These tough perennials mix well with Ornamental Grasses, Sedums, Lavender, Black-eyed Susan Daisies and really, just about any summer blooming perennial that likes a hot, dry, location. And while they have been a staple on most gardens…
The Golfing Gardener
Trevor Cameron
I often tell gardeners in our region to rediscover their “Evergreen State”, which (in a play on words) simply means to show some gardening style with the structure, texture and color of conifers. Around here nature has the many shades of green covered, but how about some bold blues and bright yellows? When all of the deciduous shrubs and trees have…