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 […]

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 […]

Basket of Easter Flowers

The flower that most often comes to mind, when we think of Easter, is the Easter lily. But there are others as well, all with rather interesting origins. Did you know that the Easter lily’s true name is Bermuda lily? […]

Splitting Perennials

A perennial plant dies back to the ground every fall and grows from existing roots each spring. The longevity of each perennial differs with some being as short as 3 years while others last over 100 years. Transplanting or dividing […]

Flower Problems Questions with Answers

Problems with Flowers Roses Bulbs and corms Dahlias Heathers Shrubs and conifers Bedding plants Herbaceous borders Sweet peas Hanging baskets Tubs and similar containers (a) ROSES Q. Some of my yellow varieties of bush Hybrid Tea roses die in winter. […]

Flower Bulbs Learn, Plant and where to grow

Flowering Bulbs A bulb is a specialized form of underground bud containing, in an undeveloped condition, the rudiments of all parts of the complete flowering plant which will develop from it. These include the flower bud and foliage leaves, which […]

My Experience in Starting Seeds

A couple of years ago I had an exhausting spring planting season. I started everything from pansies to parsley from seed, and for weeks all I did was run from one windowsill to another with a watering can.I worried constantly […]

Change in the Garden – Gardening

The best thing about early spring is seeing something new daily in the garden. Of course, the pundits would say that if you have done your garden properly, you should see something new every day of the gardening season, but […]