I am lucky. Gardening has always been a slightly guilty pleasure for me. I used to think that it was because I never had enough time in the garden. Now I am positive that I would feel the same way […]
First Signs of Spring
Pruning Spring Flowering Branches
This is the time of year when garden pundits tell their disciples to bring in branches of forsythia, pussy willow or flowering quince for indoor bloom. A minority of those disciples will follow orders; the rest (and I am one […]
Spring Clean-Up
Lately, I have been reminded of the classic German chorale melody that organists know as “Schmuecke Dich”. Johann Crueger composed it in 1649, and in some Christian hymnals the first line of the hymn sung to the old melody is […]
Planning Cottage Gardens – History, Spring, Summer, Herbs and Rose Plants
Cottage Gardens The cottage garden tradition is one that is peculiarly English in character. The old-world charm of the cottager’s plot owed little or nothing to any of the major developments in garden design or landscape architecture. The English cottage […]
Spring Vegetable Gardening
In May gardening begins in earnest. April weather is too uncertain for many vegetables to be planted in the open and even early May cannot be trusted far. By the end of the month, however, practically the first planting of […]
How to prune roses this Spring
SPRING PRUNING of established roses is always a gamble. If you prune too early, late spring frosts can kill all the canes. If you prune too late, some of the plants’ strength will be lost in the growth of the […]
Growing Tulip Bulbs
Tulips are the gardener’s pot of gold Remember your old “magic set” and the wonderfully colored brews you mixed? And the surprises, and the fun? Today you’ll find there’s greater magic in tulips and even more gorgeous and beautiful colors packed away in […]
Secrets of Cut Tulips
Although the outdoor landscape may be bleak right now, the greenhouse industry has found a way to bring spring into our homes. And that’s by fooling tulips and other spring flowers into blooming early indoors. The cut tulips you find […]
How to plant Tulips
September is the time to plant spring blooming bulbs. Tulips, Daffodils or Narcissus, Grape Hyacinths, Squill and Crocuses are the ones that grow well in Central Alberta. These bulbs need to be planted early in the fall, to give them […]
How to plant a garden bulb – Tulips, Daffodils, Lily, etc
Although bulbs, corms and tubers carry their own food supply it is only good for one year at most and if you wish to have flowers year after year it is essential that they should be well fed. This is […]