Garden of Versailles
A number of years ago, I had the opportunity to visit the palace and gardens of Versailles. The palace itself is a baroque wonder but sadly jammed with people most of the time now. The gardens are another matter, built on a grand scale by André Le Notre to showcase the Sun King’s power and ambition. André, a gardener and landscape architect was first commissioned … Continue reading Garden of Versailles
A Canadian spring
Words fail me… Next week could be warm…pray for us poor souls up north 🙂 Happy gardening! http://www.gardengraces.ca Continue reading A Canadian spring
New Year
A new year has sprung With promises yet to come The Garden slumbers Continue reading New Year
Remembrance Day
Memories fade as time passes into the future and soldiers of the two great wars pass into the mist. But war does not fade and new battles take their place. Let us not forget. Continue reading Remembrance Day
Fall garden chores
Hello everyone! I sent this out as an email but for my clients and followers whose email I don’t have, here is a short blog on fall garden chores. Although the gorgeous weather may be lulling us into a wishful summer mode, even the butterflies are still here, fall is upon us and there are garden chores to do! Now is the time to apply … Continue reading Fall garden chores
Quick container makeover
For all you fellow Canadians, if your red geraniums still look good but white petunias have faded, add some white mums and white pumpkins to your planters for an easy patriotic fall arrangement. Happy Thanksgiving to all in Canada!! 🙂 http://www.gardengraces.ca Continue reading Quick container makeover
Fertilizing 101. part 3: fertilizers for the fall
Here we are in the third day of fall in southern Ontario and it’s a steamy 31 deg celsius (88 F). I have watered more in the last week than all of the summer! Annuals are blooming madly and the butterflies are still hanging about. A swallowtail on my lantana However, it is fall and time to plant bulbs, trim back dead summer leaves and … Continue reading Fertilizing 101. part 3: fertilizers for the fall
Fertilizing 101, part 2: soils
I started to write this blog and quickly realized it would be waaay too long if I write about both soil and fertilizer. So this one will be an introduction to soils and what makes a good soil. The backbone of a healthy and productive garden is the soil. It both supports and feeds the plants that grow in it. By far the best way … Continue reading Fertilizing 101, part 2: soils
Life in the Garden
As usual I am still mulling over the second part of fertilizing 101 but here is a quick snapshot of the life you can find in your garden no matter how small it may be. A monarch fueling up on a lantana bush An eastern black swallowtail larva on a dill plant A cicada When the cicadas sing, the temperature is usually 25 deg C … Continue reading Life in the Garden
Fertilizing 101, part 1
Most of us know that plants create their own food through photosynthesis, in the presence of light and chlorophyll, carbon dioxide and water are combined to make sugar and oxygen. Sugar is then converted to starch in order to store the energy. Plants also need various macro and micronutrients derived from the soil in order to thrive, bloom and reproduce. The three most important macronutrients … Continue reading Fertilizing 101, part 1
