It’s the height of the harvest season! I’ve been picking ripe tomatoes and cutting fresh flowers to adorn my kitchen table almost every day. I have hot peppers coming out of my ears, and I’ve been blessed with a lush crop of kale. Funny how this time of year is also when I start…
5 Best Houseplants for Frequent Travellers
Whether you’re away on business a lot, or you frequently visit family throughout the year, it can be hard to keep fussy plants alive when you’re away from home. Thankfully, there are plenty of suitable houseplants for frequent travelers. My house is starting to resemble a jungle these days. I’ve been adding greenery during…
4 Reasons to Grow Flowers in Your Garden
Cut flowers in the garden are the height of luxury. I used to think flowers were pointless. When I was younger, I didn’t find them particularly romantic, and when I began gardening, I thought of them as wasted space. Now I know better. There are plenty of reasons to grow flowers in your garden….
Why You Should Test Your Soil
Along with water and sunlight, soil is the lifeblood of a garden. Without healthy, nutrient-filled soil, plants simply won’t thrive. It’s tempting to believe that spraying your garden with fertilizer will encourage lush growth. But if you’re spraying without testing your soil, you may be in for trouble down the line. Why should you…
7 Tips for Getting Through a Heatwave in the Garden
It’s been hotter than ever in the garden these past few weeks, and getting tasks done is no longer an enjoyable experience. Thankfully, the heat let up yesterday, and I manage to spend an hour and a half replacing empty spots and sowing seeds for a fall harvest. The respite is temporary, though. Dealing with…
5 Best Plants for a Privacy Wall
A little bit of privacy can turn a plain outdoor space into a cozy oasis. Climbing, vining, and towering plants are perfect natural plant privacy wall options. With a plant privacy wall, there’s no need to fuss with the extra cost of lumber, fencing, or ready-made privacy accessories. Plants are a free, simple way…
4 Smart Garden Devices That Save Time and Money
Manual work in the garden is sometimes gratifying, but over time the grind becomes tedious. Thankfully, there are a host of smart gardening products out there that can help save you time and money. Which smart garden devices are worth the investment? Here are my top 4 smart gadget recommendations for gardeners seeking to…
7 Garden Inspection Tasks for Thriving Plants
Why do I bother walking through my garden multiple times a day? Let’s talk about my top garden inspection tasks. We’re in the midst of a heatwave in my neck of the woods and the garden is loving it. The heat-sensitive plants have all bolted and been pulled in favor of heat-loving edibles. I make…
Seed Starting with Recycled Materials
There’s no need to use fancy equipment to start seeds. You have plenty of perfectly suitable materials lying around the house—probably about to end up in the trash or recycling bin. Seed starting with recycled materials is easy! Don’t spend a ton of money on trays and flats. Save your hard-earned money and reduce, reuse,…
Gardening: More than a Solo Activity
The pandemic continues to affect everyday life despite lockdown protocols being lifted, and I’ve spent a lot more time in the garden because it’s currently one of the few things I can control (albeit barely!). For more than a decade, I’ve continued to make mistakes and discover tiny miracles in my outdoor oasis. It’s…