Sustainable Gardens

How to Maintain and Care for your Trees

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The Basics

Trees need your attention to survive & thrive! 

Healthy Roots, Healthy Trees

Feeding

Now is the time to apply your first feed of the season. Apply a slow-release, granular tree and shrub fertilizer in the mulched saucer at the base of the tree and water in well. Re-apply the tree and shrub fertilizer again in mid-July, but do not feed your trees after the first of August as this can promote new growth that may not have time to harden-off before winter. If your trees are struggling this spring, apply both the slow-release granular feed and a water-soluble fertilizer once per week for the next four weeks. Apply as per the manufacture’s specifications.

Place the fertilizer around the root zone and water in really well

Watering

We’re having a very dry spring with little rain following a winter with very little snow, and we’ve gone from winter to summer in just a few weeks. As a result, we are now experiencing very dry ground and soil conditions. With a lack of natural moisture, you need to make sure your plants receive adequate water. To get a visual understanding of how much water a tree requires, think of it this way – a tree requires at least the same amount of water as the size of the rootball (when planted) at least 3 times per week. You need to make sure your tree receives at least 5-10 gallons of water directly to its roots at least 3 times per week, throughout the two growing seasons. This will ensure your trees are getting a really good deep root soaking.  Trees require supplementary water at this time of the year to form healthy foliage.

Trees need extra water was they produce new leaves. Water your trees weekly with a garden hose.

Caterpillar Damage

We have been seeing damage on tree leaves this spring. If you are seeing holes in tree foliage, it might be from caterpillars and bugs – they seem to be in abundance this spring. The best solution is to spray with Bug-be-Gone. Make sure you spray on a day with little or no wind and follow the manufactures instructions on the bottle. Please ensure you are wearing your personal protection equipment before commencing with any tree spraying.

Gypsy Moth Caterpillars can eat through trees foliage leaving unsightly holes and damage

Winter Damage

With last winter’s weather conditions – a few really cold days and then warm days – there has been winter damage on trees. This usually doesn’t kill a tree, however, it can be unsightly for the growing season. You can choose to remove dead branch tips, but as the tree grows over the summer most of the winter damage will be hidden by new growth. Make sure to water your trees well up until the first hard frost of the season. Trees that have enough water in their branches and needles tend to do better through the winter and have less spring damage.

Trees just need a bit of TLC and they will be lovely for years. Trees add value to your property.

Lexi – The Gabby Gardener

Healthy Roots, Healthy Plants. Watering & Feeding Your Plant Roots.

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Healthy Trees come from Healthy Roots

The Basics

Reality: We’re Already in Drought Conditions

We’re having a very dry spring with little rain and last winter there was very little snow. We’ve gone from winter to summer in just a few weeks. As a result, we are now experiencing very dry ground and soil conditions.

With a lack of natural moisture, you need to make sure your plants and trees receive adequate water. To get a visual understanding of how much water a tree, shrub, or perennial requires, think of it this way – a plant requires at least the same amount of water as the size of the rootball or container (when planted) at least 3 times per week. For example, if a shrub came in a 3-gallon container, you need to make sure the shrub receives at least 3-gallons of water directly to its roots at least 3 times per week, throughout the growing season. This will ensure your plants are getting a really good deep root soaking, not just a light shower foliage wash.   

Think Carrots

Photo by Monika Grabkowska, Unsplash

I think the best example I can give is carrots. When carrots receive little water and not a deep soaking, they tend to be short, fat, and small. If carrots receive deep watering so that the soil is saturated, they grow longer, wider, and bigger. When plant roots receive only a light sprinkling of water on their foliage, they tend to develop small shallow roots that don’t spread into the ground, whereas plants that receive a deep, long watering directly to their roots tend to develop deep, far-reaching roots that are able to support healthy plant growth. Simply put – the larger the roots of a plant, the greater their ability to take up water and nutrients to support healthy growth.  

Feeding Roots

If you haven’t fed your gardens and trees, now is the time to do so. You can apply an all-purpose granular fertilizer to your garden plants (shrubs, perennials and grasses) and apply a tree and shrub granular fertilizer to your coniferous and evergreen trees. Both fertilizers will need to be watered in well and deeply after feeding by either extending your irrigation timing or watering by hand with a garden hose. Fertilizer can be applied around the plant root zone (side-dress). Perennials need only a couple tablespoons of fertilizer, whereas large trees do best with a couple cups of fertilizer. Follow the manufactures instructions for application rates. Make sure to not allow fertilizer granules to cluster in the crown of the plants, as it may cause burning. If your plants are struggling this spring, apply a water-soluble fertilizer once per week for the next 4 weeks.

Grow Big Roots

We spend way too much time thinking about how pretty the top portion of the plant is with its pretty flowers and attractive leaves, and not enough time thinking about how very, very important the roots are to plant health. If you work to grow healthy plant roots by watering adequately and feeding your plants, your plants will develop roots that can support attractive leaves and pretty flowers. When trees, shrubs and perennials aren’t thriving, it is usually due to a lack of water. Plants can survive without fertilizer; they cannot survive and thrive without water. Plants in poor health from a lack of water tend to be more prone to diseases and pests. It’s nature’s way of culling weak plants.

Healthy Roots, Healthy Trees

Spring Plant Damage

If you are seeing plant damage this spring, I strongly suggest it is from a lack of water at the time of planting, during last summer’s heat, and last fall’s drought. I’m seeing plants that are very hardy in our area completely gone this spring. With last summer’s heat, little winter snow, and even less spring rain, we are already in drought conditions. You cannot depend on an irrigation system to supply enough water to newly installed plants with small, immature root systems – any plants installed in the last 2 growing seasons. Extra water must be applied for these plants to thrive. If you have soaker hose system, please ensure the hose sits directly beside the plants and there is enough soaker hose to reach every plant. If you have a spray head system, please ensure water is not being blocked by taller plants. Flowering gardens with soaker hose require at least 1 hour and 15 minutes of water per session, whereas spray head systems require at least 45 minutes of water per session. This timing applies for the full growing season. If you are in an area with sandy soil, watering is your number one priority. Plants starting to wilt, the leaves of deciduous trees looking soft not ridged, and needles of coniferous trees dropping are sure signs your plants are not receiving adequate amounts water during watering sessions. 

Water the Roots…Not the Leaves  

Many plants have perished because they didn’t get sufficient water at the time of planting and during their first two growing seasons. If you want to grow healthy, strong plants in your yard, you need to promote strong, healthy deep roots systems.

Think Roots First!

Lexi – The Gabby Gardener

What to Plant with a Mature Lilac?

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Brilliant Ideas! Companion Planting!

Are you wondering what you can plant with mature lilac? You’ll be surprised to know there a number of amazing companion plants that work really well in the same garden as a mature lilac.

From a Facebook enquire – Pamela asked “Can I plant peonies in the same soil as a big lilac plot? I tried hydrangea in the same spot, and they didn’t do well, little foliage and they didn’t flower.”

The answer is yes, you can plant peonies in the same plot as the big lilac and yes, you can grow hydrangea as well.

Here’s what you need to know!

The roots of a mature lilac extend out past the dripline (ends of the branches at the widest point of the shrub canopy) by at least 1 ½ to 2 times. It is important to understand the size of the lilac root zone because the soil in this area will be dry. Simply put, the mature lilac roots take most of the water in this area, making soil conditions really dry. If you are going to plant in the root zone of a lilac, the only solution is to make sure you provide extra water to newly installed plants for at least the first 2 growing seasons. This might mean you need to hand water newly planted shrubs and perennials at least 3 times a week for the first growing season, and twice a week in the second growing season, and in times of really hot, dry weather, water daily.

Roots extend out at least 1 1/2 to 2 times the size of the branches.

Here’s what I did!

Like Pamela, I have a mature lilac in my front yard. I’ve planted Annabelle hydrangea next to the lilac because I wanted summer blooms and I really like hydrangeas. It took about 3 years for the Annabelle hydrangea to really get their roots established. For the first couple of growing seasons, I too only had small foliage and no blooms, but I kept giving the hydrangeas extra water through the growing season and in the third summer I was rewarded with blooms. Just a note, Annabelle hydrangea do need a bit of fertilizer in the spring but not much. Overfeeding will simply produce weak stems, excessive leafy growth and reduces flowering. You only need about 4 tablespoons per 4 square feet. Hydrangea naturally require a lot of water, especially in sunny locations so you may find you need to water daily.

Yes, you can plant peony in the lilac plot. I have planted pretty pink lacey peony in the same garden as my mature lilac. I did have to cut through a few of the fine lilac roots to plant the peony, however they have worked well.  Peony tend not to be too fussy. They like full sun, shelter from strong winds, and they don’t like to be planted to deeply. When planting container grown peony, make sure the soil surface in the pot is at grade when the new plant is in the ground. If you bury the roots too deeply, you will get tons of foliage but no blooms.

Pink peony after the rain

Mature lilac garden design!

From a design perspective, planting peony with lilac means lots of blooms in late spring, but none in summer or fall. If you have the space in your lilac garden and want summer blooms, here are my suggestions for companion perennials that really work.    

Koi Avens (Geum)
Moses Fire Daylily
Butterflies love sedum

Kiwi Gull Monty Hosta
Blue Boa Hyssop

There are numerous flowering shrubs and perennials that work really well as companions with a mature lilac. Most of the above come in a wide range of colours, textures, and heights. Try a few with your mature lilac.

Happy Gardening

Lexi – The Gabby Gardener

Plants That Deter Rodents!

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Hello Gardeners.  Question of the Week!

I had a question from Alyssa this week regarding what to plant in order to deter rodents from her garden, and do well in clay soil.  When it comes to rodents, plants with strong or a particular nasty smell tend to be good natural repellents.

Photo by Nick Fewing Unsplash

My Best Suggestions for Perennials

Pincushion (Euphorbia)

Catmint (Nepeta)

Perennial Ornamental Onion (Allium)

Garden Sage (Salvia)

Beebalm (Monarda)

Giant Hyssop (Agastache)

Wormwood (Artemisia)

Lilly-of-the-Valley (Convallaria)

Each of these perennials comes in a variety of colours, textures, and heights. 

My Best Suggestions for Bulbs

Daffodils

Grape Hyacinth

Wood Squill

Allium

Gladiola

Snowdrops

Garlic

Fritillaria

My Best Suggestions for Annuals

Lavender (Lavandula) short-lived perennial

Snapdragon

Marigold

Nicotiana

Good Luck!

You-dirty-rat!

Lexi – The Gabby Gardener

Part Two of Vegetables, Herbs, Fruit & Edible Flowers in a Container

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Brilliant Ideas! Steal this One!

Growing edibles like veggies, flowers, and herbs is gaining popularity right now. Why? Because it’s easy! Edibles you grow yourself are healthier, taste better, and in many cases are cheaper than buying them at the store.

Not all of us have the space or the desire to grow a large vegetable garden. Container gardening means anyone can grow their own crops, even in a small space.  

What You’ll Need!

You just need the right growing conditions. All vegetables, edible flowers, and herbs need at least 6+ hours of direct sun every day for the best results. You will need a good soil mix – I like Fafard’s Urban Garden Container Mix (Sphagnum peat moss, black earth (humus), coconut husk fibre, Biosol compost, lime, organic fertilizers) as it creates the perfect environment for veggies and herb growing. Don’t forget to fertilizer. Try Farad’s Vegetable Organic 4-3-7 slow release fertilizer. Simply sprinkle the pellets on the top of the soil and as you water, the nutrients break down and are released to plants roots. When selecting a container for growing vegetables, make sure there are drainage holes in the bottom to take away excess water and that you cover the holes with landscape fabric so soil doesn’t seep out when you water. Make sure to water your containers daily – if not twice a day – in warm weather.  Soil needs to be moist but not wet. Just a gentle reminder, wait until frost has pasted usually after the long weekend in May before starting your container gardens.     

Here’s a few brilliant ideas for growing vegetables, edible flowers, and herbs in containers!

Vertical Tee-Pee Vegetables in a Container

You can grow vegetables vertically using just a couple simple items: a large container, soil, seeds, bamboo stakes and twine, making this perfect for a small space. Brilliant Idea! Select a container with at least a depth of 12 inches. Fill the container with Fafard’s Urban Garden Container Mix until the soil is about 2 inches from the top.  Tamp down the soil to remove any air pockets.  Take your bamboo stakes and place one stake at the north, one in the south, one in the east and one in the west locations in the container, pushing the stakes into the soil to a depth of at least 6 inches. Take a couple seeds and place them on the soil close to each one of the stakes and gently push the seeds into the soil to a depth of ½ inch then cover up the seeds with soil. Next pull the bamboo stakes together to the top so they meet and wrap them all with twine about 3 inches down. Now you have a tee-pee. Wrap twine around each of the bamboo stakes creating a web for your vertical vegetables to grow up. As your seeds grow and mature, make sure to guide the vines and stems towards the twine and if needed, tie them to the web. What can you grow in a tee-pee container? Try the following seeds for the best results:

  • Beans (bush, pole, green, or string beans)
  • Cucumbers
  • Zucchini
  • Small squash varieties
  • Peas (green, sweet or snow peas)
  • Nasturtiums
Tee Pee Containers Photo – Vertical Gardening Gardens

Veggies in a Galvanized Trough  

For the last few years, I have been using this method for clients wanting to grow vegetables. One of the greatest advantages of this method means you don’t have to dig out, fill, and cultivate the soil like you would in an inground garden.  Large metal trough gardens are gaining popularity.  So, what is a galvanized container?  Galvanizing is the process of applying zinc to steel to resist oxidation and prevent corrosion or rusting.  Livestock eat and drink from galvanized troughs all the time.  Galvanized troughs can be purchased at hardware stores or farm suppliers. If you choose to use a galvanized trough or two, you will want to make sure it is located on ground level because once it’s filled with soil and plants it will be heavy. For me, I like the trough to be a couple inches above ground so I suggest placing wood (2×4’s) or concrete paver supports under the trough. This will allow for air flow under the trough and provides a place for water to drain.  You’ll want to make sure there are drainage holes in the bottom of the trough.  You can drill or punch holes (using a quarter or half inch metal drill bit) in the bottom about 12 inches apart and then place a piece of landscape fabric over the holes to ensure soil doesn’t seep out when watering. Depending on the depth of the trough, fill about halfway with screened topsoil, and tamp down the soil to remove air pockets. Fill the remaining trough with Fafard’s Urban Garden Container Mix until the soil is about 2 inches from the top of the trough. Firmly tamp down the soil to remove air pockets. You might need to add a bit more soil once you have tamped down to bring the level up to 2 inched from the top. Now you’re ready for planting. Select vegetable seeds that are quick germinating and fast growing for the best results. Remember to place taller plants behind shorter plants so as they grow, tall plants do not shade short ones.  You can place seeds or seedlings directly into the soil. Try out these vegetables, listed by height:

  • 4-5” chives, lettuce, salad greens, radishes, basil
  • 6-7” peas, bush beans, onions
  • 8-9” carrots, swiss chard, leeks, peppers, parsley, rosemary, spinach
  • 10-12” beets, potatoes, dill, lemongrass, green beans
Galvanized Trough from Rona
Galvanized Trough available at Rona

Don’t forget to check your vegetables, daily. Trough vegetables require more water then inground vegetables so you will need to water daily (sometimes twice daily in dry conditions) for the best growing results.

The Edible Flower Container

Edible flowers in containers – okay not for everyone – however I know I spend too much money at our local store when I want edible flowers. There are many flowers that are safe to eat and many of the flowers of culinary herbs are edible. Edible flowers are great for salads, prettying up desserts, adding colour to entrees, and can be sugared. Why not try your hand at planting an edible flower container? Brilliant Idea! How to get started: select a large container as you’ll want to have enough room in your container for growing a mix of flowers. I would suggest a container at least 12 inches deep and at least 20 inches wide.  Make sure the container has drainage holes in the bottom. You can cover the drainage holes with landscape fabric to ensure soil doesn’t seep out when you water. Fill the container with Fafard’s Container Mix. This soil mix promotes 2x more blooms and requires 30% less water than most popular container mixes which is ideal for planting flowering annuals. Most edible flowers can be purchased in cell packs and transplanted directly into a container. I love Rainbow swiss chard so that would be my focal point in the middle for my edible container. Around swiss chard, I would plant a few of the following:

  • Nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus) produce edible flowers great for salads or as decoration for entrees
  • Pansies (Viola X wittrockiana) flower petals are edible and highly decorative
  • Calendula (Calendula officinalis) edible flower petals
  • Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) the little florets of the flowers can be separated and scattered in salads
  • Basil (Ocimum basilicum) wait for basil to flower, flowers great sprinkled over pasta
  • Radish (Raphanu sativus) let radish go to flower, flowers are spicy-hot great for soups and salads
  • Rose (Rosa spp.) flower petals are edible however you need to remove the bitter white base
Edible Chive Florets photo by Hayley-Maxwell Unsplash

A few tips: remember before venturing out to harvest a bunch of flowers, it’s important to remember that some flowers are poisonous. You need to make sure you identify each variety before using and don’t use flowers that have been sprayed with pesticides or chemicals. Pick edible flowers in the morning before the heat of the day, and keep them on a dampened paper towel inside a sealed container in the refrigerator for best freshness.

Edible Pansy Petals photo by Mostafa-Meraji Unsplash

Something for the Kids!  Rubber Boot Containers

What do you do with rubber boots kids have out-grown? Turn them into vegetable or herb containers, of course.  Brilliant Idea! Wonderful, fun container gardens for kids that are colourful and easy to do. Wash out old rubber boots really well, then poke a couple holes in the sides for drainage. Fill with Fafard’s Urban Garden Container Mix to a level of about 1 inch from the top of the boot.  Tamp down the soil to make sure you remove air pockets.  Now plant with kid fun vegetables, edible flowers and herbs. Give these plants a try either from seed or cell pack:   

  • Mixed greens
  • Chives
  • Parsley
  • Pansies
  • Nasturtiums
  • Strawberries
Kids Container Gardens photo by June Admiraal on Unsplash

Cut out the toes of the rubber boots and plant with herbs like:

  • Basil
  • Parsley
  • Thyme

This is a great way to get kids outside and into the sunshine.  And who knows, perhaps your kids will be our next generation of gardeners.

Use your imagination to create amazing edible containers. Growing vegetables, herbs and edible flowers is easy and fun for everyone!

Happy Gardening

Lexi – The Gabby Gardener

The Art of Garden Design

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Amazing gardens require both artistic composition and horticultural expertise to create gardens that not only look good, but make you feel good.  

Colour Rendering of Garden Design

A Few Design Tips

Gardens set the tone for your home. Select a colour palette that reflects you and your style. Keep it simple. White flowering gardens are trending this season (they are every season!) and are very easy to put together. If you want to keep down visual clutter in your garden, pick a couple basic hues. Purple and yellow; orange and blue; pink and purple; or white and black are great colour combinations for any garden.    

Perennial Geranium Rozanne

Are you a gardener? It’s okay to say, no!

If gardening isn’t your thing, make sure to select plants that require little care such as elegant ornamental grasses, dwarf flowering shrubs or easy-care perennials.

For a sunny location, try perennial selections like daylilies, coneflowers, perennial geranium, salvia, or phlox. All come in a multitude of colours to mix and match in your garden.

If you deal with shade, try hosta, ferns, shade grasses or foam flowers for a great combination of textures and colour. 

Hosta August Moon & Hakone Grass

Keep it Simple!

Less is more. More mess equals more stress, which is why homeowners feel so overwhelmed when it comes to an unruly garden. I like to keep it simple. I select only four or five fabulous plants – shrubs, perennials or grasses – and then work to lay them out in different combinations in the garden. Remember, plant in groups for impact. This creates a garden that feels unified. Pssst…this technique works really well in front gardens.

The Low Maintenance Garden

A low maintenance garden is the number one request from clients any season. Selecting plants that look great throughout the growing season and require little maintenance – I didn’t say ‘no’ maintenance – is the key to fulfilling this request. Boxwood, yew and cedars look amazing, however, they need monthly clipping to keep them looking neat and tidy. Instead, try a few of the new dwarf flowering shrubs available this season such as Wee White Hydrangea, Sonic Bloom Weigela, Glow Girl Spirea, or Bloomerang Lilac. Not only do you get low maintenance shrubs, the bonus is amazing blooms.

Dwarf Wee White Hydrangea, August Blooming
Dwarf Sonic Bloom Weigela, June Blooming – Attracts Hummingbirds
Dwarf Glow Girl Spirea, Early Summer Bloomer
Purple Bloomerang Lilac, June Blooming & Again in August

I tend to see gardens much like a painting, filled with colours and textures.  My process to creating a great garden is, first select a great colour scheme, then add in the plants. By doing this, I keep the gardens I create feeling harmonious, interesting, and they feel good.  

Lexi – The Gabby Gardener

Spring has Sprung

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I love spring. It’s so exciting…the snow is melting after a long winter, the birds are returning and singing their wonderful songs, and my inner gardener is itching to get out there and play.

As an avid gardener, I feel the draw. I see the winter debris, and I just want to get it all cleaned up.  I also know I have to be patient.

Did you know soil has air pockets? Yes it does!  When we walk in the garden too early, these air pockets become damaged. Without getting into a whole science lesson here, soil air pockets allow plant roots to breathe and allow water to drain away from the plant roots during times of heavy rains or melting snow.  When roots can’t breathe due to soil compaction (from my big boots), plant roots can fail. Hmmmm… I must be patient.

Grandmother’s advice. The first full moon in June. Yep, my grandmother always said, ‘We can get frost until the first full moon in June’ and she was right.  In our area the weather can be all over the place.  Snow one day, sun the next, followed by a few days of rain, then snow again.  If you’re looking to plant out in April to get some colour, pansies and spring bulbs are the way to go.

Each spring like many gardeners, I start my spring ‘crawl’ through the garden centres hunting the latest and greatest finds. And every April I see folks arriving at the garden centre on the first sunny day looking for plants to install.  April isn’t the right time of year to be looking to plant out. The daytime temperatures maybe be warm however the nighttime temperatures can freeze tender new plants.

Bee Power!

Last May I really wanted to get ahead of my spring design rush and get a bit of work completed in my home gardens. I selected a few new lovely shrubs I thought would look great in my front flowerbeds.  Not one of my best ideas.  I planted those poor shrubs out way too early and it took them much longer to get ‘their feet’ under them than it should have.  If I had been patient and planted closer to the May long weekend when it was much warmer, my pretty shrubs would have been much more successful and I wouldn’t be replacing some of them this spring.  Patience. Just a bit of patience.

Getting out into gardens too early to complete a good spring cleaning isn’t the best decision. Some of the bugs and bees who over-wintered in my garden debris are still dormant, waiting for warmer temperatures to make their appearance.  Cleaning out my gardens too early takes away the protective layer of dried leaves and stems, therefore exposing these garden helpers to the elements.  Patience is the key to giving this year’s pollinators and predators a fighting chance.

Gardening is the quiet act of patience. A ‘journey’, not a ‘destination’. And like life, gardens ebb and weave, change season to season and month to month, having their own unique personalities.

 

Children’s Garden. Finding Outdoor Joy!

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“You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world… but it takes people to make the dream a reality.” Walt Disney

Are Children’s Gardens a thing of the past?

Sometimes I wonder if ‘gardening’ is becoming a lost art. In today’s world you can build your own virtual garden, grow your own virtual vegetables, feed your virtual animals, and slay the Fire Breathing Dragon. Where does gardening fit in? If this is today’s reality, we really need to be creative to draw children outdoors and into Nature.

Butterflies Flutter & Dance

In many of our new landscape projects, backyards are being gobbled up with stonework, pools, and decks. So where is the space for flowers and vegetables?  The children’s garden?  The garden where fairies come to dance on the petals of dewdrop flowers, where toads come to reside in the dark corners, where birds come to feed on nectar sweet blooms, where little fingers dig in the soil, and where nature comes alive.

A thoughtful children’s garden design creates excitement, it stimulates young minds, provides mystery, and is a place of discovery. Outdoor Joy!

It’s all about creating opportunities. To touch, see, do and be creative. To learn from nature. To learn from each other in play. For families to be able to use their outdoor space for ‘together time’.

Designing for Children. Little Fingers. Big Ideas.

Children learn with their senses. All of them. They want to touch the pretty flowers and soft leaves; smell the fragrant blooms; and watch the dancing butterflies. They will slay the Fire Breathing Dragon with their buddies, play Hide & Seek with neighbour friends, and dig holes in your backyard to create a great hideout. At least they did in my backyard. They will watch bees gather pollen from blooming flowers from a safe distance.  You can plant a few veggies in patio containers so kids can feel the wonder of watching seeds spout.  Hang baskets of strawberries from decks or trees just to see kids sneak the strawberries.  Plant fruiting shrubs like blueberries for late summer harvest. Grow pumpkins and watch the magic of the curling, twinning vines and huge yellow blooms become pumpkins.

Rubber Boot Containers

Not all kids want to run around, some just want to watch and read. Create a great viewing location for ‘watching the world go by’.  It’s okay to be an observer.

Children get bored easily so create areas for them to move from place to place. A chalkboard mounded on a wood fence, a sandbox beach, or a tree swing.  They can make music with pots and pans, blow bubbles, add worley gigs to their gardens for colour and movement, build a toad house, feed the birds, or just lay in the grass and look up at the sky.

If you’ve ever walked through the mall with a child you know, kids can’t just walk in a straight line, they’ve got to skip, and dance, and jump. All that energy has to go somewhere.  Driveways are great for hop-scotch made with sidewalk chalk, a low spot in the yard becomes a great place to jump in a puddle in your rubber boots after the rain. Build a fort in the backyard with lawn chairs and blankets, put up a tent, or construct a simple a raised deck as a stage for dancing and singing – and of course a classic – a simple lawn sprinkler on a hot day and a couple kids in bathing suits.  What could be more fun!

For your peace of mind, ensure you have clear sight lines to watch children play. We want kids to be safe, so keeping an eye on children at play from the house (or a lounge chair) is part of a great landscape design.

It’s All Child’s Play

If you want to create a great outdoor space for children … Think like Them. Children see the world in simple terms so ‘Keep it Simple’.  Give them flowers. Give them space. Give them the joy of being Outdoors.  

 

Trends for Outdoor Living in 2018

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Artic Fire Dogwood | Proven Winners

Winter Berries of Bittersweet Vine

 Seasonal Interest

In any area with snow, winterscaping is an important element for a great landscape design. A garden space in the winter without visual interest can feel very dreary. Select plants to brighten up the long cold season. Brightly coloured stems and fascinating seedheads can liven up even the most dull snow day. Consider selecting plants and combinations for their hardiness, colour, and texture. The fiery red stems of a Red Cornus (Osier Dogwood) against white snow; the peeling golden bark of a Betula (River Birch); feathery brown seedheads of Miscanthus (Japanese Grass); or the bright red berries of Celastrus (Bittersweet Vine) placed along a fence.

Tall majestic evergreens like Picea pungens (Blue Spruce) or Pinus strobus (White Pine) covered with snow, create a winter wonderland in a backyard. You don’t need a vast array of plants to provide winter interest.  Just a few well-selected plants placed in the right location will create a beautiful winterscape.

 

Brown-eyed Susan

Wildlife Habitat

Creating a wildlife habitat at home will be trending again in 2018. With big homes on small lots, landscape designs tend to feature hardscaping (stonework) and less plant materials, there is little thought given to the needs of local wildlife. However this doesn’t have to be the case. We can create beautiful landscapes and gardens while meeting the needs of our wildlife friends. It really is a matter of choice. Select plants that produce berries and seeds, and plants that produce flowers heavy in nectar and fragrance. Adjust your plant selections to support a wildlife habitat.  Many of our indigenous plants will provide food for our feathered friends. Consider Tiarella (Foamflower), Asclepias (Milkweed), Rudbeckia (Brown-eyed Susan), Echinacea (Coneflower), Monarda (Beebalm), and Geranium (Wild Geranium) as a few easy-care, low maintenance wildflowers for your summer garden.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Power Of Native Plants

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Sustainable, Native, Pollinator

Imagine a garden that is not only beautiful and inviting, but is also a model of a sustainable eco-system. Native plants, ones that occur naturally in the local surroundings tend to be better adapted to the local climate and soil conditions, and therefore more resistant to diseases and pests than hybrid plants. They are better able to survive in drought conditions once established, and thrive in adverse growing conditions. Native plants invite wildlife like bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and birds to visit. They don’t need to be manicured, they can be a bit wild, and they are low maintenance2015-07-24 13.57.17-1 while still being pretty.

Why?

  • Native gardening is a popular tend for home gardens. It is a shift in the way we think about our flower gardens
  • Native gardens are a movement towards healing & restoring the land
  • Native plants tend to be water wise, low maintenance, disease resistant, drought tolerant once established & they thrive in the right conditions
  • Create a sustainable eco-system; above & below the soil

What are Native Plants?

  • True native plants are those that grow naturally in our area. They are plants here prior to European settlers.
  • Indigenous native plants include woody plants, perennials, & grasses. Native plant can be selected for all growing conditions including sun & shade, dry or moist conditions, & in any soil

What Will the Neighbours Say?

  • A native garden can be as formal or informal as you choose to make it
  • Some of my clients worry their native garden might get complaints from the neighbours for being ‘too wild’; it’s all about the layout of the plants
  • Consider this as extra incentive to make your garden a place of show-stopping beauty!

Benefits | Environmental

  • Low maintenance once established so it saves you time
  • Leave your leaves. Recycle nutrients by soil composting below ground
  • Reduced the need for chemicals & fertilizers because native plants are less prone to diseases & pests, and they don’t need to be feed each month
  • Combat climate change. Be part of climate change by planting plants. Reduce carbon pollution by planting long living trees. Be part of the solution.
  • Conserving Water. Native plants tend to thrive even in the heat and therefore, need less water than hybrid plants.

Benefits | Beauty in Your Garden

  • Many native plants offer beautiful, showy flowers that produce an abundance of interesting, colour seed heads & fruits
  • Brilliant seasonal colour changes from the pale greens in spring to vibrant yellows, oranges and reds in the fall
  • Creates an amazing winterscapes with interesting stems and branches
  • Native plants create movement and sound in the garden
  • Create a natural background as a wonderful sitting place to watch and enjoy wildlife!
  • Just as important to gardeners are the practical and aesthetic benefits of native plant gardening: less work and lots of beauty! You’ll quickly discover that native plant gardens almost look after themselves–after all, that’s what happens in nature, and native gardens are based on natural principles.

Benefits | Wildlife

Imagine a songbird, flying northwards after a long migratory journey, looking for nourishment & finding… acres & acres of manicured lawn or a toad, looking for a pond in which to breed and finding…a sea of asphalt….

  • Native plants provide habitat for a wide variety of creatures such as birds, butterflies & bees, whereas, hybrid plants tend to be designed to attract people
  • Provide a home for many native plants that are becoming increasingly rare in the wild
  • Create a sustainable habitat. Oak Trees 500 species of caterpillars for birds
  • Butterflies & moths depend on specific plant for food that you can provide in your native garden
  • Provide shelter for flying friends

Near North Garden Plant Material List

Flowering Shrubs

Cephalanthus occidentalis, BUTTONBUSH

Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’, RED TWIG DOGWOOD

Diervilla lonicera, LOW BUSH HONEYSUCKLE

Rubus odoratus, FLOWERING RASPBERRY

Symphoricarpos albus, SNOWBERRY

Groundcovers

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, BEARBERRY

Roses

Rosa blanda, SMOOTH WILD ROSE

Native Grasses

Andropogon gerardii, BIG BLUESTEM

Andropogon scoparius, LITTLE BLUESTEM

Bouteloua gracilis, BLUE GRAMA

Chasmanthium latifolium, NORTHERN SEA OATS

Koeleria cristata, JUNE GRASS

Sorghastrum nutans, INDIAN GRASS

Wildflowers

Achillea millefolium, COMMON YARROW

Agastache scrophulariifolia, PURPLE GIANT HYSSOP

Aquilegia canadensis, COLUMBINE

Aruncus dioicus, GOATSBEARD

Asclepias syriaca, SWAMP MILKWEED

Asclepias tuberosa, BUTTERFLY WEED

Campanula rotundifolia, HAREBELL

Chelone glabra, WHITE TURTLEHEAD

Coreopsis lanceolata, LANCE-LEAFED CORESPSIS

Dalea purpurea, PURPLE CLOVER

Desmodium canadense, SHOWY TICK TREFOIL

Echinacea pallida, PALE PURPLE CONE FLOWER

Epilobium angustifolium, FIREWEED

Eupatorium maculatum, SPOTTED JOE PYE WEED

Geranium maculatum,  WILD GERANIUM

Helianthus maximillaini, MAXIMILLAIN’S SUNFLOWER

Heliopsis helianthoides,  FALSE SUNFLOWER

Iris versicolor, BLUE FLAG IRIS

Liatris ligulistylus, MEADOW BLAZINGSTAR

Monarda didyma, WILD BEEBALM

Monarda fistulosa,  WILD BERGAMOT 6″ pot

Oenothera biennis, Native Yellow EVENING PRIMROSE

Rudbeckia hirta, CONEFLOWER

Rudbeckia triloba, BRANCHED CONEFLOWER

Silphium perfoliatum, CUP PLANT

I hope you will take time to journey through the new gardens at the Near North Enviro-Education Centre this summer, and in those to follow as they mature and change personality.  I encourage home gardeners to come and steal ideas to create your own eco-friendly gardens.  Happy Gardening.

Lexi Dearborn