On a particularly fruitful antique shopping outing, I found an old washbasin that I instantly knew would make a perfect raised bed for a small space. I decided to add a little extra to this project by mounting it on sawhorse legs, but you could just drill holes in your washbasin and call it a day. Here are some tips for creating a raised bed from an old washbasin Use a drill with a high-speed steel (HSS) drill bit to create multiple drainage holes on the bottom of the washbasin....

There are plenty of herb kits available online and in stores for growing an herb garden for a kitchen window. These kits combine seeds, soil, and pots to grow popular culinary or tea herbs at home. However, as much as I love growing plants from seed, it’s much easier – and faster – to pick up a handful of herb transplants from your local garden centre or farmers market for an instant, ready-to-use herb garden....

How ferns propagate Propagation is how one fern plant makes more ferns. This happens in the wild as ferns naturally spread and reproduce via spores, and there are simple techniques we gardeners can use to speed up that process and make more ferns to fill our homes and gardens. Asexual and sexual fern propagation There are two ways ferns propagate: sexually and asexually (also called vegetative propagation). Sexual reproduction is something I’m sure you are familiar with, though ferns do it a little – okay a lot – differently than animals, namely through their spores....

By growing on your balcony, you’re beautifying a space that’s otherwise pretty drab. On top of that, you’re able to accomplish these things: Reduce noise pollution by growing living barricades Make it harder for pests to reach your garden Provide a bit of food for yourself and reduce your “food miles” Planning your balcony garden Your first major consideration when growing on a balcony is whether the balcony itself can support what you’re growing....

Plant new bulbs in the ground as soon as possible after they’ve been delivered or after you’ve brought them home from the garden centre. If you need to store bulbs for a couple of days, make sure they’re in a cool, dry location. It’s generally suggested that you plant your spring-flowering bulbs once nighttime temperatures dip to between 40°F (4°C) and 50°F (10°C). In the growing zone where I live, this is usually around October....

What is basil? Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is a tender annual herb grown for its aromatic leaves that are added to fresh and cooked dishes. Sweet basil, also called Genovese basil is the most widely grown due to its delicious anise clove flavor. There are many other types of basil available through seed catalogs including lemon basil, Greek basil, cinnamon basil, and Thai basil. Each one offers a variety of flavors, forms, leaf sizes, and even colors....

What is a shingle plant? There are two species of shingle plant that are commonly grown as houseplants. The first is known botanically as Rhaphidophora hayi and it boasts solid-green leaves. The second is Rhaphidophora cryptantha, and it looks very similar but has silvery leaf veins on the otherwise green leaves. Both species have leaves that create the shingling effect as they climb. This article provides care information that is pertinent to both species....

Despite tomatoes being among my favourite crops, that late-summer garden fatigue can make me lazy. Last year I let a few of my plants get a bit too wild, and ultimately, it affected the fruit. Here are a few tips that I recommend following as you plant your seedlings, and throughout the growing season. Tips for growing tomatoes in raised beds Stake them early and carefully Depending on how high your raised beds are, the subsoil underneath may not be very forgiving....

Different varieties produce berries ripening to a range of golden shades. These brightly colored fruits are perfect for making head-turning tarts, cobblers, and pies. Besides their unusual hues, yellow raspberries—also known as gold raspberries or goldens—have fewer seeds than blackberries or black raspberry varieties do. That means they also work well in homemade jellies, jams, sorbets, and ice cream. What’s so special about yellow raspberries? Fresh blackberries, blueberries, and red raspberries are already in high demand at most farmers’ markets....

This post is an excerpt from Container Gardening Complete by Jessica Walliser Complete Granular Fertilizers for Container Gardening There are dozens of different brands of complete granular fertilizer blends. Most of these products combine assorted plant, manure, animal, and mineral-based ingredients, and depending on the brand, they may have an N-P-K ratio of 4-5-4 or 3-3-3 or something similar. What makes them “complete” is that they contain a combination of ingredients that provides some amount of all three macronutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium), in addition to many trace nutrients, vitamins, and other things....

Beneficial Insects in the Garden There are about a million identified insect species on the planet, and less than 1% of them are classified as agricultural pests. That means the vast majority of insects you encounter in your garden are either benign or beneficial. In other words, they’re just hanging out in your garden, doing their jobs. The insects we most want to encourage in our landscapes, of course, are those that help us in some way....

Let’s get started. The first thing I usually do is clean out the shed and the garage, and throw out anything I’ve been saving and don’t need. It also usually needs to be organized so we can get the car in there. I’ll recycle plastic trays and pots (and save some for seedlings and transplanting or dividing), make room for empty container storage, etc. Basically I’m making spring easier. Then in goes the big stuff—lawn furniture, chairs, etc....

Our favorite Lee Valley garden tools From our bug-loving horticulturist, Jessica Walliser: Hose End Sprayer “Each gardening season, I grow several dozen containers of edibles and ornamentals. Before I discovered this handy hose-end sprayer from Lee Valley Tools, I was measuring and mixing watering can after watering can of fish emulsion every time I fertilized them. But with this sprayer, the liquid fertilizer is distributed directly to my plants along with the irrigation water....

Get to know rosemary Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis, is an evergreen shrub native to the Mediterranean region, growing particularly well in the rocky soil along the sea. It’s a tough plant that stands up to sun, wind, heat, salt spray, and when established, drought. Rosemary is even resistant to insects, deer, and rabbits. It’s a winter hardy perennial in USDA hardiness zones 8 to 10, although there are a few cultivars that are tolerant of colder temperatures....

Speaking of snow, this article doesn’t account for everything being buried in a sea of white. For the times when there has been a light snow, or everything is drab and wet, I’m going to share a few winter interest plants you can add to your garden center list. If you don’t have something pretty to look at this year, you can dream ahead to next winter! A list of favorite winter interest plants As you draft your must-haves for the garden, consider plants that have months of blooms (rather than days or weeks) and others that look interesting even after the flowers have long since withered away....

About native bees Though European honey bees are among the most recognizable bees to most gardeners, they’re far from the most important. North America is home to more than 4,000 species of native bees, some of which are not much bigger than this letter b, while others are as large as the nose on your face. The sheer diversity of our native bees is mind-blowing and their specialization is equally awe-inspiring....

Cold frames are structures you can DIY or buy as a kit. The box of a cold frame is often made from wood, but even straw bales can be put to use to create a temporary frame. I use sheets of twin wall polycarbonate for the tops, or lids, of my frames, but you could use old windows. I attach the tops to the wooden frames using hinges and screws. When planting a cold frame for fall or winter harvesting, I like to focus on cool season crops like kale, spinach, radish, winter lettuces, scallions, arugula, chard, and mache....

Best types of strawberries to grow in pots and baskets You can grow any type of strawberry in a pot or basket and expect a harvest, but certain types of strawberries produce fruits once a year while others yield over months, not weeks. June strawberries – June-bearing strawberry plants produce a generous harvest of large, sweet berries for several weeks in early summer. They’re popular among home gardeners and there are many varieties available to grow....

Raised beds made from galvanized steel add a modern, clean look to a garden. Practically, they will last much longer than rot-resistant wood, like cedar. Besides the bonus of longevity, they can be placed absolutely anywhere that gets six to eight hours of sunshine a day (less if you’re growing shade veggies). Place one on the driveway, in the middle of the lawn, or on a small patio. Unless you opt for DIY, galvanized raised beds are perfect for those who don’t have the tools, woodworking skills, or time to build a raised bed....

Why consider growing herbs in water? Herbs like basil, thyme, oregano, and parsley are essential in the kitchen. It’s easy to source dried herbs from supermarkets, but it can be trickier to find fresh herbs which have so much more flavor than dried. Keeping pots of herbs indoors on a sunny windowsill is a common solution for herb-loving cooks who want fresh plants, but keeping those plants happy can be a challenge....