1.Make Cut Backs Stems and stalks of perennials like sedum, coneflower and phlox look wonderful growing through drifts of snow, but let’s face it, they’ve served their purpose, and as the world around them starts to turn green, their unsightly brown clumps should be chopped to the ground. Also remove the dead leaves of coral bells, [...]
The semi-annual Journees des Plantes at Courson, just outside Paris, draws plant nerds from all over France, Europe and North America — including me! In May, 2009, three and a half days of pouring rain tested the mettle of both visitors and exhibitors alike. But muddy ruts a foot deep and tractors pulling cars out [...]
Did you miss Canada Blooms this year? Are you from out of town or out of country and have always wanted to see the show? A fabulous video of Canada Blooms, 2009 is now available online:
10. Attend a Garden Show Nothing takes me out of winter and into spring than a trip to Canada Blooms. This year’s show features more than 24 gardens, an expanded marketplace and special speakers, including Jeff Lowenfels from Alaska who’s talking about organic gardening and Cornell University’ Dr. Robert Raguso with a lecture on the relationship [...]
Dragged myself out of bed for day two of the set up of Canada Blooms. Delivered lots of plants, watered containers and checked out the gardens in progress. My favourite so far is by Hobson Landscapes. Entitled Urban Pioneer, it features a contemporary sugar shack which should have been surrounded by sap buckets, but unfortunately, [...]
On day three, everything comes together — somehow. My day started out helping plant daffodils and lay mulch in the Bienenstock Natural Playground where kids can have fun learning about soil. There are stations for making birdseed balls, a tree-painting area and a log full of worms (yes, those yucky, icky but wonderful creatures that [...]
Spent the day helping Charlie Dobbin with the set up of Canada Blooms. Helped plant up giant planters filled with bulbs, primulas and gerberas — it felt like spring was here! Here are some fuzzy pictures (not sure if the fog is from the cell phone camera or the dust and exhaust fumes at the [...]
8. Take the wreath off the door! Okay, so I should have taken down the Christmas wreath well before now, but somehow it takes the first warm spring day to propel me into action. Into the recycling bin it goes! The first of the forced potted bulbs are now appearing at green grocers and I [...]
7. Start sowing seeds. After poring over seed catalogues all winter, the natural next step is to start sowing seeds once orders start arriving in the mail. Last year I picked up a seedling of Oxheart, an heirloom tomato that’s just about the tastiest I’ve tried. It grew high and wide (how was I to know [...]
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