1. When seeds arrive from your seed catalog orders: organize packages (ie. those to start indoors, plant early, second planting etc.)
2. Use insecticidal soap to get rid of critters on houseplants.
3. Clean pots or flats for starting seeds indoors; prepare soil.
4. If you saved geraniums in the fall, cut them back, water and move into the sun. If they were unearthed and stored in paper bags, re-pot, trim, water and place in a sunny spot.
5. Snip some branches of pussy willow, put in water inside.
6. Don’t forget to mark Canada Blooms on your calendar for March.

How to remember all those little jobs that need to be tackled in your yard, monthly or seasonally…..

Use that new gardener’s journal and start a checklist for each month. Make a chart listing the tasks to be done and highlight the time through the year that applies.

For me, the best way is in my handy little index card box where I keep all my information about planning and planting.

continue reading "Gardener’s To Do List - January"

I couldn’t believe it - a blue poinsettia flower! Actually it was pale purple and blue with a little sparkle. The longer I looked at it, the better I liked it. In the right setting it would be stunning.

For those who prefer the traditional bright red poinsettia plant, there are lots of them around and there are many creative ideas for including them in your Christmas decor.

continue reading "Christmas Decorating Ideas for Poinsettia Plants Plus - Choosing Poinsettia / Poinsettia Care"

It’s been a crazy weather week here in Ontario, Canada - one day bright and sunny, one day raining and now we have snow! It’s a good thing I finally got around to building the shrub frames I talked about way back in Essential Fall Yard & Garden Maintenance. Yes, I put on my little carpenter’s hat, hauled out the table saw, the cut-off saw, and the cordless drill and took total advantage of that one bright and sunny day earlier this week.

Here are the fruits of my labor!

continue reading "Winter Shrub Frames - An Easy DIY Project"

Pruning shrubs, bushes and vines is easiest after the fall winds have blown all the leaves off. Use your hand prunersto cut out some of those overcrowded or overgrown branches. But wait, don’t just toss those pieces of shrubs and vines in the garbage or on the compost pile - recycle and reuse your trimmings.

continue reading "Recyle Shrub & Vine Trimmings"

Well, I was busily attending to those essential fall yard & garden maintenance items, but I hit a few kinks in the proverbial hose. While attempting to clean the gutters and downspouts I discovered blockages. Blockages! A lovely build-up of leaves and roof gunk in the elbows of the downspouts. The search for a wire coat hanger to use for unplugging the downspouts proved fruitless. No wire coat hangers in my house! Does anyone else think of Joan Crawford when they hear ‘wire hangers‘ or is it just me? Sorry, a little off topic there. Long story short, my neighbor was kind enough to loan me a snake which I immediately put to work. Blockages gone!

continue reading "Fall Yard & Garden Chores - A Few Kinks in the Hose"

The weather this past weekend has been perfect for working on outside chores. Nine large leaf bags later and the yard is free of leaves (at least until more blow in). Any leaves that come into the yard from this point on will be raked onto the garden beds to act as mulch, compost and insulation for the long, cold winter to come.

Now that the leaves are raked its time to turn my attention to the remaining fall yard and garden maintenance. The list doesn’t look terribly long, but each item on the list is a process unto itself.

continue reading "Essential Fall Yard & Garden Maintenance"

I thought I’d sneak in a little post about planting fall bulbs since I have so many wonderful new fall bulbs to get in the ground. We’ll just call this post part two and a half of my three part series on fall bulbs for spring blooms. In part one, Choosing Fall Bulbs for Spring Blooms, I gave myself a budget of $100 to purchase fall bulbs, and presented a wish list of the bulbs I wanted. In part two, I discussed the financial benefits of buying fall bulbs in person vs. buying bulbs online, and listed all the bulbs I actually bought along with their total cost before tax. Now let’s get planting!

continue reading "Planting Fall Bulbs for Spring Blooms"

In the fall garden, when the summer annuals are being pulled out and the perennials are being cut back, it’s the perfect time to take note of how well each plant in your garden grew this year.

Some questions to ask yourself about each plant:

continue reading "Update Your Garden Journal"

This is the time of the year we gardeners are thinking of what changes we should be making in our gardens for next year. Actually we are really thinking about this all the time - but fall is the logical season for clearing out and planning ahead.

Some of us keep all those ideas in our heads as we clean up the fall litter, and can envision where those new perennial cuttings will go and what new annuals will fill in that empty spot come June. Who knows if those well-thought-out ideas ever are truly put into motion. Many gardeners carefully write everything in their journals so that during those restless winter days they can read back through their notes and make decisions about spring planting. Some depend on keeping records on file cards in a box. My dad kept a little notebook in his pocket as he worked. Sticky notes will work for anything!

continue reading "Fall in the Garden - Easy Tips for Planning Ahead"