Miyawaki mini-forests are becoming more popular and even my own town has put one in. Is this another environmental fad or does this type of reforestation really work? Let’s have a look at the process and the science to see if the Miyawaki method is a better way to build forests.
Turfgrass is losing its status as the golden child of groundcovers as gardeners look towards greener pastures. Clover has been getting a lot of buzz as a low-maintenance and eco-friendly lawn alternative or additive. Keep reading to find out what to expect from clover as a lawn alternative and how to add the right clover to your lawn.
Do you ever feel like you live in the wrong gardening zone? Do you live in a cold zone but crave the dramatic and lush look of tropical garden?
The tropical look is sure to stand out and goes perfectly with hot summers, especially if your backyard has a lounge area or pool. There are lists of so-called cold hardy tropical plants online, but many of them can only survive up to zones 7 or 8, which is considered warm by northern gardeners! This article will describe tropical-looking plants that can survive down to at least Zone 5.
Rain gardens are popping up everywhere and many gardeners are adding them to their landscape. They are beautiful, low-maintenance, help give back to the community and support the health of local waterways. To understand the benefits and how to design a rain garden have a look at my previous post called: Rain Garden for Home Gardeners.
In this article I’ll show you a simple method for installing your own rain garden, also called a bioretention garden.
Rain gardens are a relatively new type of garden that combines the beauty of a well designed landscape with environmental and social wellbeing. Rain gardens are an increasingly popular choice for public green spaces, but are also great for gardeners who want attractive, low-maintenance gardens that benefit the wider community.
Zen gardens are some of the most famous examples of Japanese gardens. Originally invented by Japanese monks as early as the 700s, they are now iconic and popular around the world. Other names for Zen gardens include mediation gardens and Japanese rock gardens. Stones, sand and gravel are the most important features of these gardens, though they can also include bridges, water features and plants. At a glance, these gardens look simple and subdued but they are packed with meaning. The essence is a calming space for meditation that evokes natural landscapes on a small scale, which makes them a great choice for gardeners looking for a peaceful retreat in the comfort of their own home. Compared to other types of Japanese gardens, Zen gardens can be successfully created in small spaces and have low maintenance.
A stumpery garden is a way to take your shade garden to a new level. It is the perfect place for ferns, hosta and all other shade loving plants. It’s a gardening style that lets you be as artistic as you want to be. Now cover all that with lovely moss and a great habitat for insects, toads and mushrooms, and you start to see the wonders of a stumpery.
Its the next big gardening craze and in this post I’ll tell you all about it, and show you how to design and build your own.
Sun mapping your garden will help you buy the right plant and place it in the right location. Plants grow best if you give them the right amount of sun and the only way to do this is to know how much sun each of your garden spaces gets. In this post I will show you a very easy way to get this information and develop your own personalized sun map.
One of the best ways to improve your design ability is to critique other gardens. By looking at a landscape which you’re not intimately familiar with, you are better able to see both the good and bad of the design. I learn a lot by wondering the neighborhood and looking at front yard gardens. At each one I ask myself some important questions.
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I am really asking the same questions I ask myself when creating a new design except that I am working with an existing landscape and not trying to picture one in my mind. This makes the whole process so much easier.
A quick post to show you some pictures of of the Waterfall at Aspen Grove Gardens – my private garden located in Southern Ontario, Canada.
It has been in place for about 12 years, and is 12 feet high and 55 feet long, with a small pond at the bottom. There are 5 smaller waterfalls along the waters route. It does use a pump to get water to the top of the hill, but there is no filtration system. The rocks and plants in the waterway act as biological filters for the system. No chemicals are used and water is never tested. I believe that if you build it correctly, nature will take care of it for you.
In a previous post I discussed the pros and cons of using raised garden beds. If you have decided to make raised garden beds there are many options for making the walls, including concrete blocks, different types of lumber, galvanized metal and even old branches.
Each option will make good walls for the bed but some of them have health or environmental concerns that you should be aware of. Price may also be a consideration.
At the end of this post I will also have a quick look at materials you might consider placing at the bottom of the bed and the soil you should use inside the bed.
The holly grail in gardening is the perfect beautiful garden that exists without any maintenance. I see titles for books and blog posts all of the time claiming to be “no-maintenance”. Any real gardener knows that is baloney but there are things you can do to have a low maintenance garden.
As gardeners age, maintenance becomes more of a chore, but we don’t want to give up our gardens. Making some simple changes in plant selection and attitude can reduce your work load significantly and allow you to keep the garden longer.
In this post I will describe 10 things any gardener can do to reduce maintenance to a minimum.
