Spring has finally arrived and the desire to fill up our outdoor containers with pops of colour and greenery is at a level 1000. After a long dreary winter, it is exciting to see things begin to grow again, albeit not fast enough! Here are tips for some cold hardy planters. Most can take a light frost, just keep in mind no plant enjoys long periods of freezing so if we get a long stretch

Soil is remarkably dynamic and incredibly diverse, made up of not only mineral matter, but organic matter, water and air as well. Soils in the Niagara Region are a mineral-rich mix of sand, gravel, loam and clay which at times can be challenging for home gardeners. While some parts of the region that are rich in loam are a gardener’s dream – those areas with heavy dense clay can be frustrating for even the most dedicated of

  I often wonder about why certain plants become embedded in holiday traditions. Undoubtedly the most celebrated in our neck of the woods is the Christmas Season which has no shortage of plants woven into its celebrations. Why do we cut Christmas trees? Adorn our tables with Pointsettias or kiss beneath the Mistletoe? When did this start and who did it first? So with that, I was off, my fingers dancing their way through the

There’s nothing that says Christmas more than the heady aroma of a fresh cut Balsam or Fir. These seasonal emblems are so surrounded in holiday tradition that fresh cut trees for Christmas date back to the 16th century. They are not without challenges though, from the occasional needle in your sock to the need to water them they do require a little more effort than an artificial tree. We’d like to think there’s nothing better

The season is upon us when it is time to move any outdoor tropical plants indoors for winter. Bringing plants inside for winter isn’t as easy as simply moving pots from one place to another; there are several steps when acclimating plants from outdoors to indoors to prevent sending your plant into shock. One of the most common issues plants have when coming indoors is bringing unwanted pests with them. Check your plants thoroughly for