Merry Christmas
May you all have a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year!! Happy gardening, poetry writing and following whatever your heart’s passion may be! http://www.gardengraces.ca Continue reading Merry Christmas
Category: gardening
The Solo Gardener: Tips for making fall cleanup a little easier
Now that Halloween is over I finally started my fall garden cleanup, even a professional gardener has lapses and time seems to fly ever faster…sigh. Fall cleanup can be daunting if you are doing it alone like me…I often wish I had an extra set of arms and a prehensile tail or a garden robot! However, since none of those exist yet, meet my new … Continue reading The Solo Gardener: Tips for making fall cleanup a little easier
Fall Cleanup
The early frosts here in Southern Ontario have caught most of us by surprise and sadly we now have to clean up the mushy remains of summer’s blooms. It is also time to clean up the garden in general. There are two camps to garden cleaning, one is to cut down and tidy up everything and the other is to leave everything to die back … Continue reading Fall Cleanup
Alien Invasion…of the bug kind
This past summer we have seen a number of red and black bugs flying about but recently there’s been a downright invasion! They are swarming any sunny wall and window and trying to get into our homes… What are they these buggy beasties? Well, they are known as boxelder bugs, quite natty looking with their red and black bodies and red wings. They are members of the … Continue reading Alien Invasion…of the bug kind
First Days of Fall
Finally we’ve had a decent rain here in southern Ontario and more is on the way 🙂 The leaves are beginning to turn as the daylight shortens and the evenings cool down. One of the first in my garden is Aesculus pavia or red buckeye chestnut with glowing sunshine leaves. On the other hand, the roses have gained their second wind and are showing a … Continue reading First Days of Fall
Fall Planning and Planting
It was a chilly 8 deg this morning in southern Ontario…fall is in the air! Now is the time to take stock of what survived over our scorching summer and grab some deals as the garden centres get ready to empty their inventory. Just make sure what you buy has been watered well and looks healthy or it may be too stressed to survive the winter. … Continue reading Fall Planning and Planting
Unintended Consequences
As gardeners and environmentally conscious people, we try to lessen the impact in our own homes and gardens. We plant for the bees and butterflies and try to plant a few plants for the larva so they won’t eat our prize roses! A great idea is to visit your local markets to buy local produce and reduce the transport carbon footprint. However not everything grows … Continue reading Unintended Consequences
Sunny Summer Stars
We are in high summer in Southwestern Ontario now with temperatures in the mid thirties, humid as a sauna and no rain in sight. Remember to water early in the morning or in the evening after the sun is low enough for shade. Morning is best so the foliage can dry off and helps to prevent mould, mildew and black spot from forming. Here in … Continue reading Sunny Summer Stars
Romantic Roses
There is nothing more romantic than an englsh garden dripping with roses. Rosa alba, “Cuisse de Nymph” Roses are undisputedly the Queen of flowers and rightly so when they are in full bloom. Old Moss Rose And as a queen they are temperamental, fussy and prone to all kinds of attacks. With the trend towards organic and fuss free gardening, one tends to give up … Continue reading Romantic Roses
Audacious Alliums
While working at the garden centre, I was often asked “What’s that plant on a long stalk with a ball on top that looks like fireworks?” Well, that’s an ornamental onion. Then I usually heard “A what?” Ornamental onions or alliums are one of the lesser known bulbs but they are an invaluable addition to the garden. Carefree and elegant, they can be as delicate … Continue reading Audacious Alliums
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