It pains me to see customers spending hundreds of dollars on new plants and simultaneously refusing to spend a few more on a bag or two of compost and a box of starter fertilizer. These two items are not unnecessary “add-ons” that the retailer is just trying to add to the sale, they are critical components of a successful transplanting process - or as I like to refer to them as “plant insurance”. Unless you have phenomenal soil, you should always add compost and starter fertilizers when you are planting new plants. Here is why…
Now that we are in the full swing of autumn, ornamental grasses in our region are starting to strut their stuff. Instead of “bloom” I get to talk “plume” this week, and they are certainly “pluming” at the moment! As I walk my own landscape, the many grasses I have planted over the years make me smile and even though they…
As you read the title above, I am curious what comes to your mind. Could it be Irish or Scotch Moss? Maybe haggis or scotch eggs versus corned beef or colcannon (a funky Irish cabbage dish)? Did you think of Jameson, Bushmills or Tulamore Dew Irish Whiskey? Or is it a bit peatier Glenmorangie, Johnny Walker, or Macallan Scotch Whiskey you prefer? Guinness or a true Scottish Ale? Perhaps this article will…
The winter solstice is upon us, and I am sure everyone is looking forward to a bit more light each day, eventually steering us towards the great annual awakening of spring. To most gardeners, the idea of year ‘round interest is top of mind, as patrons I speak to year after year look to add specimens into their landscapes that provide that “WOW” factor all year long, including…
I often refer to myself as a “plant enabler”, a sort of legal dealer that tries his best to hook his customers up with the best plants for their landscapes. Plants are easy to get addicted to, believe me, and running a garden center means you are surrounded on a daily basis by treasures that beckon you to take them home, plant them, and watch them flourish - even if you are out of room, just ask my poor wife. If I jump in a time machine to some 30 years ago, I can see…
The Golfing Gardener
Trevor Cameron
Now that we are in the full swing of autumn, ornamental grasses in our region are starting to strut their stuff. Instead of “bloom” I get to talk “plume” this week, and they are certainly “pluming” at the moment! As I walk my own landscape, the many grasses I have planted over the years make me smile and even though they…