Know the type of shade you have! Shade from buildings or other structures – shade is denser, sun may be reflected, sun may change during the day Shade from trees – root competition – adding humus on top of existing soil, adding mulch can help condition of soil Ideal soil should be loamy and relatively
Insects need food sources and shelter with different types of foliage, at different times of year, at different heights, etc. When you mix diverse plants together, you bring layers of color, shapes, sizes, varieties, and textures – which means a greater diversity of garden predators too. A greater diversity of predators in your garden, means
A quote from Pam Penick’s excellent book ‘The Water-Saving Garden’:“… we design our homes and grade our property to shed water and then pay to pipe it back in and spray it across our yards when rainfall is scarce – and often even when it isn’t. With a heedlessness born of cheap, plentiful water –
Did you know that the earth needs 500 years to produce 1 inch of topsoil? David Montgomery, a geologist and professor at The University of Washington, posits that soil is the most overlooked and crucial material on earth. He presents a cultural history of soil degradation and how soil exhaustion has shaped the course of
Pollinators are under increasing stress due to habitat loss, invasive species, diseases, pesticides and climate change. Following are some tips on how you can help pollinators thrive in your garden. Plant Native: Choose native plants, trees and shrubs rich in pollen and nectar. Mass Plantings: Large groups of plants make it easier for pollinators to
What is an invasive plant? Accidentally or purposefully introduced from another part of the country or another country/continent Can be referred to as exotic, alien, introduced, non-native Characteristics of Invasive Plants noted for ability to spread aggressively, and rapidly spread by seeds, shoots, roots or all 3 have no predators in their new location, spread
In the past, the idea of ‘putting the garden to bed’ for winter meant cutting everything down, pulling out all the annuals, raking every leaf and disposing of them off-site, spreading a load of compost on the beds and labouring to work it into the earth. Too much work! Here’s an environmentally friendly alternative: wait
Gardening has for some folks (including me at first) just two seasons of growing vegetables spring and summer when there are actually 4 seasons, spring, summer, fall, and, winter. Many gardeners seem to have a misconception that it is difficult to plant vegetables in the fall. In actuality it is fairly easy! There are two