Garden Matters

If you’ve got a plethora of pine cones littering your yard, don’t despair—they can actually be useful! Here are a few good ideas on how to incorporate them into your garden: • Add them to your compost pile—they are a valuable source of carbon (or ‘browns’). They will...

If you have an abundance of leaves in your yard, consider yourself lucky!  Pound for pound, the leaves of most trees contain twice the mineral content of manure.  Tree roots funnel calcium, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus from deep in the soil into their trunks...

Fall Garden (or Hardy) Mums have hit the garden centres and it’s tough to not bring one (or five!) home to brighten up a patio or entry way—they come in so many colours and the blooms last for weeks! Most of these Mums are perennials in Zones 5-9 and, with care, can...

While searching though your garden for these slimey critters is not one of the most enjoyable chores we do in the garden, it IS one where big rewards are returned down the line. One slug picked and disposed of (I fling them over a steep bank) can prevent up to 500...

Unfortunately, the current weather forecast is less than ideal for tomato production (lots of rain and night time temperatures have dipped below 10C lately ☹ in some areas). Here are a few quick tips to help these tender plants make it through to the warmer weather...

This happy colourful plant is a real workhorse in the garden. Not only does it cheer up any area, it is also one of those gems that will flower better in poor soil. It’s drought resistant to boot and is an excellent aphid decoy, luring those nasty critters away from...

There are over 4000 bee species in North America!  One of the most well known is the Mason bee—perhaps because of the many different educational programs touting the many benefits of the Mason bee.  Here are a few fun facts and some of the reasons for our love affair...

The word phenology is derived from the Greek words phaino (to show or appear) and logos (to study) and literally means “the science of appearance”.  In the gardening world, phenology refers to the study and observation of seasonal events and their correlation to...

Rhododendrons, with their magnificent flowers, are one of the best-loved sights in our Pacific Northwest gardens—and many are in their full glory right now. The name rhododendron comes from the Greek words meaning “rose tree”.  With somewhere around 1,000 species,...

If you’re itching to start some kind of work in the garden but feel it’s just a little too early to really get your hands dirty, why not spend some time and get your trusty garden tools in tip-top shape.  Here are some jobs to do now that will pay back big dividends...