Growing 101
How could you not love perennials? All you have to do is plant them once, make sure they’re adequately watered and fertilized, and you’ll have beautiful blooms and vibrant foliage year after year. Sure, there’s
“Colour is my day-long obsession, joy, and torment.” – Claude Monet As gardeners, we sometimes play the role of landscape architects, sometimes decorators, and often the role of painters. But instead of painting
After a long, cold and grey Edmonton winter, we could all use a little more colour in our lives. These first few weeks of spring bring just enough sunshine to start getting excited about
Just when the whirlwind of winter holidays is over, and things start to relax, March swoops in and a flurry of spring tasks and to-dos, pulling us in every direction. From spring cleaning to
Photo credit: greenvalleygardencentre.com It’s almost time to get planting, and we have some stunning new annuals growing in our Sherwood Park greenhouses for you to add to your garden! We’re bringing in specialty calibrachoas,
Crop rotation is one of the oldest tricks in food production to help control pests, reduce disease, keep soil healthy, and produce abundant harvests from your vegetable garden. There are records of Belgian farmers using
For those of you who made 2020 your year to start your very own garden (and there are many of you!), I put together some valuable gardening tips for your sophomore year of home horticulture.
Are you unsure of whether you should provide shade for your vegetable garden, or other heat-controlling methods during these scorching summer months? While many plants thrive in bright sunlight, sometimes it can get a bit
Canada Day is the ideal occasion for a barbecue party. Skip the crowded restaurant patios and rowdy street parties, stock up on hand sanitizer, and throw your own summer bash in the backyard with close
As any gardener knows, the perfect accessories to any garden are those that do some work for you. One of the most beautiful examples of this is the butterfly.
Hanging baskets are a gardening trend that have stood the test of time and passed with flying colours””literally! Find out our favourite flowers for hanging basket arrangements, and how to care for them.
Saving Your Garden in a Heat Wave Keep Them Relaxed Protecting Against Wind Keep Them Hydrated “If you saw a heat wave, would you wave back?” ““ Steven Wright In a heat wave like this
Container Garden University: Moisture By Rob Sproule Matching Moisture Needs Water the soil, not the plant Watering Your Containers Different Water Needs “To be able to walk out the door when you come home from
Container Garden University: Exposure By Rob Sproule Before you Shop Full Shade Partial Sun Full Sun It is one of the basic requirements for a healthy, lush garden: sunlight. So it can be tricky to
Container Garden University: Basic Elements By Rob Sproule The Biggest Flower Doesn’t Always Win The Structural Basics The “Thriller” The “Filler” The “Spiller” “Gardening has always been an art, essentially.” – Robert Irwin Like all
Best Perennials for Pollinators By Rob Sproule Salvia Monarda (Bee Balm) Thyme Hollyhocks “The hum of bees is the voice of the garden.” – Elizabeth Lawrence We all love bees, but getting them into your
Container Gardening Trends By Rob Sproule Colour of the Year Water Garden Containers Succulents Galore “The earth laughs in flowers.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson Gardening is, at once, unchanging, yet always in motion. The essentials
Heat Waves By Rob Sproule “¨When to Water, and When Not To Keeping Roots Cool Minimizing Heat Stress When a heat wave hits, it’s not just humans and pets who get uncomfortable. Prolonged high temperatures
3 Reasons to Trim Back your Annuals By: Rob Sproule How to Pinch Back Does the idea of hacking back your beloved annuals make you squeamish? A lot of flowering plants not only tolerate
The “Other” Pollinators By: Rob Sproule Hoverflies Butterflies Other Bees We’ve heard about the honeybees. But what about the other garden superstars giving us apples and strawberries and cucumbers? It’s easy to attract them
Gardening with Native Grasses By: Rob Sproule Grasses, Grasses, Everywhere The Benefits of Grasses Best Varieties for Alberta “The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious,
Trends 5/5 – Natural Mosquito Control By: Rob Sproule A Year of Bad Press Prevention First Predators “I hate mosquitoes. I mean, I know I’m delicious, but damn. ” ““ Unknown A Year of Bad
How To Plant A Container Garden by Rob Sproule So you wanna plant a container garden? It can be intimidating, especially if you’ve been surfing the net looking for inspiration on professional gardening sites. Stop
Gardening in the Heat by Rob Sproule When the summer mercury rises, it’s not just humans and pets who get uncomfortable. Heat waves bring a lot of stress to gardens, but there are easy
Read through our Growing Guides for tips to enrich your garden!