Hanging Baskets

first published June 25, 2009

Hanging baskets are capable of causing both great joy and sorrow to gardeners. It seems the plants either cascade in a profusion of flowers and foliage or retrograde into a death spiral before morphing into brown sticks. The good news, however, is that with a little forethought, one doesn’t have to settle for dried flower arrangements.

The first step, which may be a moot point if you’ve already filled your containers, is to start with only the highest quality plants. Lanky, stretched, weak plants will struggle and rarely, if ever, put on an outstanding show before season’s …

Jim’s Notebook July 2, 2009

Hits & Misses: Victory & surrender
Question of the Week: What’s the best way to water my perennial beds?
Science & Technology: Holy moly!

Arriving just in time for Canada Day are—wait for it—poinsettias! Yes, I know the last thing you want to think about during the first week of July are plants synonymous with that special event whose name I dare not speak in summer. However, the reality is that it takes 4 to 5 months to transform a 5-centimetre tall, rooted cutting into a fully branched, 50-centimetre tall and flowering Chris…er…“late December plant.” Considering that poinsettias are one of the easiest …

Enjoy Summer Family Fun