Flower Gardening Updates
To subscribe to my gardening updates (no e-mail necessary), right-click on the orange RSS button (at bottom left) and paste URL into your RSS reader.
Or click on the My Yahoo!, My MSN or Add To Google button if you have a personalized home page there.
Not sure what RSS is? See What's an RSS Feed? Once you start, you'll see how easy it is.
Happy gardening! -Yvonne Cunnington
May 11, 2008, Peonies and ants
Ants are often found on peonies, but there are persistent myths about their relationship to these flowers. Myth-busting, plus tips for getting the ants off peonies that you're cutting to take indoors.
Permalink -- click for full blog postMay 1, 2008, Growing rhododendrons and azaleas - tips for success
Rhododendrons and azaleas are picky about soil type and texture, light and moisture levels. Find out how to grow these lovely flowering shrubs in your garden:
Permalink -- click for full blog postApr 25, 2008, A question about peonies and ants
Q: I'm worried that my peony buds won't open because because I don't see any ants.
A: It's a myth that peonies need ants for their buds to open. If you have ants in the garden, they will be attracted to a sugary coating which is on the peony flower buds. I wouldn't worry too much about ants: they neither help nor harm your peonies.
For more peony care information, click below:
Permalink -- click for full blog postApr 24, 2008, Try Russian sage for blue flowers in mid to late summer
Like many gardeners, I love blue flowers, and the flowers of Russian Sage really deliver. You get lots of bloom for a long time. Find out how to grow this drought-tolerant perennial.
Permalink -- click for full blog postApr 23, 2008, A bearded iris question from a reader
Q: I have heard that when planting white bearded iris with colored ones it will cause all of them to become white over time. Is this true?
A: It's not possible for an iris to change colour, unless there was chemical interference, like Round-up, and then the change is only temporary. Probably the white iris was more aggressive and spread and the coloured iris died. In fact, irises spread by cloning themselves. The increases, that is, the new rhizomes produced by the previous years' rhizome, will have exactly the same attributes as the mother plant. This includes color.
For more information on growing bearded iris, click link:
Permalink -- click for full blog postApr 13, 2008, Garden edging tips
How to put in garden edging that's effective at keeping lawn grass from creeping into garden beds
Permalink -- click for full blog postApr 9, 2008, Is Lenten Rose (Helleborus) poisonous?
Reader question: I read that the Lenten Rose is poisonous. Is that correct and if so, is it harmful for cats, dogs or children?
Answer: Yes, if eaten, the Lenten rose stems and leaves are poisonous, but I haven't ever had a concern about this being a problem for pets or wildlife. Animals just leave it alone. My dog chews grasses (I wish he knew the difference between ornamental and regular grass), but he's never shown any interest in our large patch of Hellebores. Nothing about the plant is likely to tempt a child to eat it. It has such tough leaves that no small child could even rip one off. By the way, its toxic foliage makes it one of the best deer-proof plants around.
Permalink -- click for full blog postApr 9, 2008, My book reissued as Basic Gardening
Clueless in the Garden: A Guide for the Horticulturally Helpless has had a cover makeover and a name change to Basic Gardening, but the content is identical to the original. The book will be available at Chapters and Indigo bookstores in Canada.
Permalink -- click for full blog postApr 3, 2008, How to grow gorgeous lilies
True lilies are among the most elegant of garden flowers. Here's what you need to know to grow them well.
Permalink -- click for full blog postMar 30, 2008, Garden solutions: Perennial ground covers
While they are rarely given a starring role in the flower garden, perennial ground cover plants can be very useful. They're low-growing, spreading perennials or shrubs that can thrive in spots where it's hard to grow anything else.
Permalink -- click for full blog postMar 17, 2008, Planting spring bulbs as potted plants
If you didn't get around to it in the fall, you can plant spring bulbs at this time of the year. The key is to buy bulb plants, and put them in the ground when they would normally be starting to bloom outside in your garden. Learn more:
Permalink -- click for full blog postMar 10, 2008, How to increase your snowdrops in spring
The best way to get more snowdrops is by digging clumps up just after they have flowered, and while their leaves are still green. If you have a strongly growing patch, or a friend or neighbor who willing to share, spring is a good time to divide and muliply these charming bulb plants.
Permalink -- click for full blog postMar 4, 2008, Easy rock garden plants
Thinking about putting in a rock garden this spring? Some alpine garden plants can be challenging, but here are reliable gems that even novice rock gardeners can grow:
Permalink -- click for full blog postMar 3, 2008, Go for bold perennials this season
If you've got space in a sunny bed, here are some great bold architectural plants to try out this season.
Permalink -- click for full blog postFeb 29, 2008, Gorgeous grasses for sunny gardens
Switch grass is growing in popularity and there are now many attractive selections available. These grasses look great with summer-flowering perennials. Read about some choice cultivars to add to your garden this spring.
Permalink -- click for full blog postFeb 28, 2008, Dogs and gardens
Dogs and gardens - how to keep your dog happy and have an attractive garden too
Permalink -- click for full blog postFeb 27, 2008, Spring fresh lilacs
Spring fresh lilacs
Permalink -- click for full blog postFeb 21, 2008, Growing daylilies
Tips on growing and caring for daylilies in the flower garden
Permalink -- click for full blog postFeb 20, 2008, Do you need a landscape pro?
Landscape designers spend every working day solving problems most of us only face once or twice a lifetime - no wonder they have better garden design ideas than we do. Tips for hiring landscape professionals for your project:
Permalink -- click for full blog postFeb 19, 2008, Timing for seed-starting
If you're planning to start plants from seed, it's tempting to do it as early as possible, but there are advantages to waiting longer. Read about timing and how much to sow.
Permalink -- click for full blog post
