Foundation plantings are an important feature, and as they are located near a house, help to transition the house into the landscape. Typically shrubs and pyramidal trees have been used as foundation plants, but some homeowners may be reluctant to use these, fearing that the roots will harm the foundation or the constant watering will
Foundation plantings — an important part of the landscape
There are a few considerations before deciding what you may or may not want to use
Using ‘anchors’ in the garden
These features will hold the look of a landscape together and provide substance
In landscaping, the term anchor means a feature in the landscape that holds it down, holds it together, and provides form and substance. Anchors provide a framework for the other elements of the garden. If all the plants are about the same size, the landscape becomes boring; there is a lack of structure; and there
Echinacea — an attractive, long-blooming plant
Flowers start in early July and continue through late summer and well into September
By early July, purple coneflowers will be in full bloom and will continue to blossom right through late summer and well into September. This attractive perennial, whose proper name is Echinacea purpurea, will dependably add colour to the landscape, being one of the longest-blooming plants in the perennial border. Echinacea flowers also have a long
Is the reward of growing Chinese lanterns worth the risk?
This is a very invasive plant but if contained you will enjoy the colourful pods in the fall
Some plants that we grow can reap big rewards but come with some risk. The risk might involve substantial cost when success is doubtful, or the plant might be a beauty but it usually succumbs to insect or disease attacks. Other plants are so invasive that although beautiful, the effort needed to keep them contained
Growing mallow in Manitoba
Breeders have developed new varieties and hybrids of some of the old species — including mallow
Years ago, plant choices were limited, so a gardener didn’t have much difficulty making decisions about what to grow. Over time, plant breeders have been so busy developing new varieties and hybrids that some of the old species varieties are often hard to come by today. Whether an annual or perennial, there will be many
Mandevilla — attractive for both foliage and flowers
With new varieties on the market there is even more ways to include one in the landscape
Mandevilla vines have been popular patio plants for years, either growing up a wall or planted in a container large enough to accommodate a tall trellis. Sometimes they are used in hanging baskets but their inclination to climb rather than to trail makes them less suitable for this. Tropical plants originating in South American areas,
Dahlias don’t disappoint
Try this plant if you want to grow flowers in various sizes and colours
For gardeners who appreciate the beauty of individual blooms, dahlias are the perfect plant. They produce gorgeous flowers in a variety of sizes, shapes and colours. Although no blues or violets are included in the colour spectrum, shades of white, red, pink, yellow and orange abound and some of the pinks being developed have mauve
Ranunculus will produce stunning blooms
Grown from tubers, flowers will be produced about eight weeks after soaking
One of my gardening friends grows blooming plants with single flowers almost exclusively. She maintains that double flowers are not as “natural” looking (and actually the majority of native plants do produce single flowers), and that single flowers are much more enticing to pollinators (and I must concur that the flowers that attract the most
Protecting against apple maggots
There are a couple of things that can be done to prevent this pest from destroying your apples
Last summer, friends brought my wife and I two big bags of apples from their tree. They were quite large and looked wonderful, but we soon discovered that most of them were inedible because they were full of dark-brown tunnels — a sure sign that they were infested with apple maggots. The life of the
Morning glories — a glorious annual climber
Blooms attract hummingbirds and will put on a display until freeze-up
Annual vines are a nice addition to the garden, adding colour, texture, and a vertical dimension. There are many from which to choose such as thunbergia and sweet peas, and my wife’s favourite — so they must be grown — morning glories. It is not easy to find places where vines will look good and
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
