Soil that sticks together nicely, but breaks up with just a hint of pressure. That's loamy soil with organic matter (compost) mixed in. Soil that doesn't stick together very well-- a little too sandy. This is garden mixture that I bought last year. It's OK, but doesn't have enough organic matter to support earthworms, so... Continue Reading →
A Primer On Soil Characteristics–Part 1
What's your soil like? Here are some of the possibilities: Clay-ish: rich in nutrients, but very fine particles, so it clumps together so much that there's no air spaces between particles. Doesn't drain very well. Sandy-ish: almost no nutrients, but very large particles, so drains very well. So well in fact it's hard to keep... Continue Reading →
As Promised, Creating Your Herb Container Garden
There's no shortage of Youtube videos on creating your container Herb Garden, so I'm not going to reinvent the wheel. Here's one that covers all the essentials--Susan Doherty on six minute style. So I'll just make a few comments both on what Susan Doherty said, and what she didn't say: Pots: The bigger the better. I've... Continue Reading →
These Are a Few of My Favourite … Herbs
Everyone seems to want to grow herbs. When I look at custom garden designs, many of them have a dedicated "herb garden", often in a knot garden kind of look. Here's a link to a detailed How To for an Herb Knot Garden, thanks to DIY Network . Personally, I prefer to have my herbs scattered among... Continue Reading →
Fragrance in the Garden
I'm sitting here in the living room doing some computer work, and intermittently something distracts me. I've just realized it's fragrance! I went outside an hour ago just to get some air, and was drawn into the garden by the scent of the Daphne odora, across from the front steps. Beside the front steps is Skimmia japonica, and... Continue Reading →
Stimulate Your Creative Juices!
When you're looking at your garden/balcony/outdoor space wondering what you should do to make it more beautiful/useful/practical, you can start with asking yourself some basic questions. So for those who want to make some--or a lot of--changes, here's a questionnaire to stimulate your creative juices. CLIENT SITE ANALYSIS This analysis is designed to give an... Continue Reading →
More Tips for Container Gardens
When I posted 6 Tips for Container Gardens, I neglected to mention one of the most important considerations: Annuals or Perennials. For some reason, many people are intimidated by perennials. Do they seem to be more work? Is there a fear they won't come back? Are they too expensive? Is there not enough all-season flowering? Here's... Continue Reading →
Real Life Garden Solutions 