This heart-leafed philodendron is trained onto a trellis in addition to sitting on a small plant stand
to give it a bit of extra height.

Displaying trailing plants indoors

This can be a challenge as they take up a lot of space but there are ways to do it

It can be difficult to display trailing plants indoors as they can take up a lot of space and are hard to position so that they look like they are part of the interior landscape. There are many attractive trailing plants that are ideal for use indoors because they demand relatively low light levels. Heart-leafed

Potted evergreens can be slipped out of their pots and planted in the ground for the winter.

Wintering trees and shrubs grown in containers

Try these ideas and maybe you won’t have to purchase new plants next year

My wife and I went on a garden tour in Winnipeg this past summer and we saw just how popular the practice of growing trees and shrubs in containers has become — many of them grown as standards. Such plants are not inexpensive, particularly when many of the standards had woven stems and were quite


Conical blue junipers and vertical Karl Forrester feather reed grass serve as anchors, adding variety in this mixed border.

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

Karl Forrester feather reed grass is useful when establishing a xeriscape garden.

Planning a theme garden

Too early to get outside in the garden but the perfect time to design and plan

Gardeners are waiting impatiently for winter to finally give up its grip so they can begin creating their 2018 outdoor gardens. In the meantime, March is perfect for planning and designing. How about a theme garden this year? Choose a colour and make that your theme — purples and burgundy-toned flowers and foliage for a

Can an electric fence keep deer out? So far it’s protecting this plot at the University of Manitoba’s Ian N. Morrison Research Farm at Carman. But the deer need to be trained.

Electric fences could be an easier way to keep deer out of gardens

Deer. Sure they’re magnificent in the wild with their big dewy eyes, licorice noses and flashing white tails effortlessly clearing fences as if bouncing off hidden trampolines. But when they chow down on your garden, benevolence turns to malevolence. Where deer are plentiful protecting produce can be a big job for rural and urban gardeners


a bunch of radishes and water cans

Have your lawn and eat it too

This is a competition for those who prefer hoeing over mowing

The grass may not be greener on the other side of the fence — but the lettuce and beans might be, if Food Matters Manitoba has its way. It’s sponsoring the Manitoba Garden Makeover Competition to encourage more homeowners to start hoeing instead of mowing by creating an edible landscape. Balcony transformations are eligible too.

Red rose

The perfect Mother’s Day gift?

If your mom gardens, a potted tea rose would be ideal

If you are looking for a Mother’s Day gift related to plants and flowers, you are faced with a myriad of choices. Will it be fresh flowers — roses perhaps? Maybe a gift certificate to Mom’s favourite garden centre? What about that fountain she has admired at every visit to the garden centre? Of course,

Man with beard.

An ode to the Prairie garden

Letter Five from Northern Blossom Farms: In his fifth instalment from Northern Blossom Farms, Gary Martens 
reflects on the value a garden brings to a farmer’s life

In previous letters I have discussed three major components of a complete farm; crops, livestock, trees and the whole that results from these components. I propose that there is a fourth component that is already present on many farms and that is the garden. Gardening is an activity that is common to many people in


What to know when choosing seeds

In the spring gardeners are busy planning their summer gardens, and one of the enjoyable tasks is choosing and purchasing of seeds both for the vegetable garden and for the flower border. There are a few points to keep in mind when doing this job so that the garden produces its maximum output. Rather than

Winter gardening project

You will need a container — a rectangular one works best if you are planning to locate the dish garden on a windowsill. In fact, it is a good idea to decide where you want to display the garden — choose a location that gets some direct sun — and then choose an appropriate container.