This hummingbird was worth waiting for
When I got this fabulous echeveria Blue Rose hanging basket the other day from WIG nursery in Burnaby, Alfred Kwan, the owner, advised me to cut off the flower stalks.
"The beauty is in the colour and shape of the echeveria rosettes,” he insisted. “The flowers are a bit of a distraction.”
The red flowers with their yellow tips are not...
Two new pillars lift my garden to new heights
Well, it certainly looks as if the obsession with honeysuckle pillars that I caught at Powis Castle Garden in North Wales earlier this month has already taken hold in my garden.
At the weekend, I installed a large 6-by-6 timber post and planted two Goldflame honeysuckles at opposite corners.
I first saw these pillars used in an attractive, repetitive design at...
Five terrific specialties for your garden
Here are five garden specialties that I stumbled upon while wandering around one of my favourite local nurseries, Western Independent Greenhouses, here in Burnaby.
Wired hen composed of houseleeks. This is wire framed chicken is packed with different colours of hardy houseleeks (Sempervivum tectorum) also known more commonly as hens and chicks. The frame costs about $50 but it takes...
Honeysuckle pillar is a great space-saving idea for all gardens
I have been agonizing over what to do with a space in the garden that has become an eyesore since a large Clematis montana growing over a Viburnum Summer Snowflake collapsed and died over winter.
The viburnum had grown into a small tree and the clematis had scrambled into it and smothered it, creating a beautiful canopy of flowers in...
Back in the garden and lots of morning glory to pull
Back in my garden today after five weeks away, leading garden tours in England, Wales and Ireland, and I already see how much work I need to do.
There is so much morning glory. It has grown everywhere. How has it managed to get a hold so fast in such a short time.
Jet-lag meant I woke early this morning and was...
Quirky garden ideas outside the box
Just to get those creative juices flowing as you step into the garden this spring and think, hey, what can I do that is new and fun and different.
Here are a few silly, serious, fun and quirky ideas to make you think outside the box.
Cup of alliums. Okay, too late to plant alliums, but how about a big jug of...
