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

Some slips finally rooted and produced new plants.

Propagating a polka-dot plant

They do have a short lifespan but it is possible to get new plants from cuttings

Last spring I bought a lovely pink polka-dot plant, big and bushy and about 20 cm tall. The single plant filled a six-inch pot, and I think it had either been kept over for the winter or else grown from seed planted months earlier. I was fascinated by the speckled leaves and the plant’s tidy


Plants compete for space in front of a sunny window.

Don’t forget to check those plants that were brought indoors

Now’s a good time to examine each one and make sure there are no problems developing

It has been a couple of months since we brought all those plants indoors for the winter. We took slips and cuttings, dug up and repotted some, and simply moved some potted plants inside without doing anything to them. We were also (hopefully) diligent about avoiding bringing unwanted visitors indoors with the plants. We cleaned

The artillery fern is an attractive tabletop plant.

Pilea plant family has lots of species

This family contains over 600 species that are easy to grow and not demanding

Often the common name of a plant perfectly describes it, but the name is inaccurate botanically. The common name has developed over the years because of the plant’s appearance or because of some other unique attribute. Such is the case with the artillery fern, which is not really a fern at all. It got its

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


A drift of cleome is effective in a mixed border. 

Cleome — a.k.a. spider flower

These annuals work well in mixed borders and will self-seed to produce seedlings for future years

If you have a large annual or mixed annual border, then you know how expensive all the seedlings can be. I like to mix annuals and perennials because annuals usually continue to bloom right into the fall whereas many perennials have finished blooming by then. Some annuals seem to fit into a perennial border better

“Diablo” can be used to form a privacy hedge.

Using ninebark shrubs in the landscape

With many different leaf colours and heights to choose from it’s easy to find an appropriate variety

A ninebark shrub is one of the most versatile and easy-to-grow shrubs available to Prairie gardeners. There are several varieties that make using it even more useful when planning a landscape, as one with the appropriate leaf colour and one that grows the desired height can be selected from a long list. One of the

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


A mulch of dry leaves helps protect a perennial border.

Protecting plants from winter damage

You’ll be glad you did when you see healthy plants come back in the spring

Late October/early November is the ideal time to plan on how you are going to protect vulnerable plants from our severe winter. The first step has hopefully already been taken where you have chosen most of your plants that are hardy to your climate zone. Many gardeners, however, like to try a few “challenging” plants