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Today, we’ve teamed up with the good folks at Bloomin’ Easy® to introduce you to a handful of beautiful dwarf flowering shrubs for small gardens and tell you why these plants are such a good fit for your backyard (or front!). The many benefits of small shrubs Dwarf flowering shrubs, such as those listed below, are ideal choices for both urban and suburban gardeners with limited space, or for those who don’t want to spend a lot of time pruning, deadheading, and otherwise maintaining their landscape....

Growing green beans – types to grow There are so many delicious types of beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) that can be grown in vegetable gardens and containers. Like peas, beans are legumes and build the soil. Beans can be grouped by their edible parts (pods versus seeds), how they’re eaten (fresh pods versus fresh seeds versus dried seeds), or by their growth habit (bush versus pole). And it’s this last group that makes the most sense for green beans....

And there’s no need to mow meadow grass week after week, which frees up time and helps to reduce carbon emissions. What’s more, meadow grasses do a ton of heavy-lifting underground by slowing and filtering stormwater runoff. They’re often used in rain garden plans. Eventually, areas that have been converted into prairies also have healthier soil—not to mention that they’re simply lovely to look at year-round. In this article, I’m going to share some meadow grass options for your garden....

What is a plant fertilizer? Let’s start at the beginning. By definition, a plant fertilizer is either a chemical or a natural material added to the soil to increase its fertility and aid in plant growth. Your mother may have drenched her plants with a blue, water-soluble chemical fertilizer every week and maybe you think you should do the same. But, there’s been a major shift in thinking over the past decade when it comes to how to fertilize plants....

What does blossom end rot look like? Gardeners who experience blossom end rot will not soon forget it. The distinctive appearance of affected fruits is pretty memorable. Blackened, sunken cankers appear on the bottom (blossom end) of the fruits. The top of the tomatoes look completely normal, but when the gardener plucks them from the vine and turns them over, the black lesion is clearly evident on the bottom of the fruit....

Common cucumber plant problems Poor planting techniques stunt growth Cucumbers are easy to grow from seeds sown directly into the garden, but for northern gardeners with short growing seasons, it may help give you a jump on the season to plant transplants out into the garden, rather than seeds. The trouble is that cucumber plants don’t like to have their roots disturbed and commonly suffer from transplant shock. When struggling with this physiological disorder, cucumber transplants show signs of delayed growth and development, negating the timing benefits of planting young seedlings, rather than planting seeds....

Hardy down to USDA zone 3, forsythia bushes are fast growing and reach about 10 feet (three meters) tall and equally wide if you don’t keep them trimmed. It’s likely you’ll want to prune your forsythia to maintain a manageable size. When planting, do be mindful of the eventual proportions you’d like your forsythia to be. This hardy shrub is also deer resistant and salt tolerant. Forsythias are one of those spring-flowering bloomers with branches that can be cut in the late winter to force indoors—an even earlier harbinger of spring!...

What is a trellis? A trellis is a vertical plant support that can be temporary or permanent. You can buy or DIY a trellis. There are many advantages of trellis gardening in a raised bed garden. Growing vegetables vertically is a great way to maximize garden space and boost production, especially in smaller space or urban gardens. For example, growing vining cucumbers on the ground takes up a lot of space which leaves less room for other crops....

Why plant a tree with white flowers There are many advantages to using white in the garden. Here are three reasons to plant a tree with white flowers: First, white is a calming color that invokes serenity and peacefulness. White is also a color that goes with everything, so pair a tree with white blooms with other pale flowering plants, as well as those with bright and bold colors. You’ll find that white makes nearby colors POP!...

Buying fresh sprigs of basil at the grocery store is expensive and it makes sense for basil lovers to grow their own during the summer months. For an average family of four, two to three basil plants should be enough. But, if you also wish to make several batches of pesto for the freezer, and I know that I certainly need my winter supply of pesto, I’d suggest planting at least eight to ten plants....

Hardening off is a simple, but necessary step for seed starters. Growing your own plants from seed offers many rewards – save money, grow varieties not available at local garden centres, and enjoy a steady supply of top quality seedlings for succession planting. But, as I learned that fateful spring, you need to properly harden off your seedlings before introducing them to the ‘real world’ outside. Why? Simple! All plants have a waxy leaf cuticle that protects the foliage from sun and wind, and seedlings that have been grown indoors – in a sunny window, under grow-lights or under glass in a greenhouse – have not fully developed their cuticle layer and need a bit of time to build up this horticultural suit of armor....

Low maintenance shrubs for the landscape Below are profiles of 18 of my favorite low maintenance shrubs for home gardens. Each has its own merits, and I’ve separated them into categories based on their most noteworthy traits. As a professional horticulturist, I’ve worked with may shrubs over the years, and these easy-care selections are among my personal favorites. You may also find our article on low growing shrubs for the front of your house interesting, too....

When it comes to pruning basil, it doesn’t matter if you’re growing basil in containers or garden beds. It doesn’t matter if you’re growing Genovese basil, lemon basil or Thai basil. All types of basil benefit from regular clipping. It’s a quick and easy garden task that pays off big time! Why you need to know how to trim basil There are plenty of great reasons for pruning back basil plants....

6 reasons to use garden bed covers There are many benefits to growing under cover. For me, the main reason is that covers allow me to create a microclimate around my plants, capturing heat and increasing production. Here are other benefits to using garden covers: Protect from frost – Frost protection was my initial goal when I began using garden covers and I still use them to shelter vegetables from a sudden dip in temperature....

Tuck ruffled, colored lettuce varieties in between impatiens in foundation beds. Sow a few Swiss chard seeds in your flowering containers. Grow pole beans up a trellis with climbing roses. Add burgundy-leaved mustard greens to freshen up a window box design. Plant blueberry and currant bushes against the house, in place of rhododendrons and azaleas. Incorporate a few unusual eggplants into perennial borders. Choose ones with pink, white, or striped fruits to really stand out from the crowd....

Some things have thrived in that little garden, but others have literally shrivelled up and died. Was it because of too much salt? I’ve tried to amend the soil, but it’s still pretty hard-packed and unforgiving. A recent press release put out by the Soil Science Society of America about soils in winter led me to dig around on their site to investigate the effects of salt. I discovered this article: Why should I be careful about using salt on my driveway and sidewalks?...

Types of cucumber plants Before I delve in the many types of cucumber trellises you can use to support your plants, it’s important to understand that there are two types of cucumber plants: bush and vining. Bush cucumber varieties have compact growth, only growing two to three feet in length, and don’t require a trellis. I plant them at the edges of my raised beds so they trail over the sides – more food, less space!...

Annuals with beautiful blooms Zinnias Zinnias have become staples in my raised beds. I love to plant them to add visual interest to a garden full of edibles, for the pollinators (I’ve seen hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies on them), and for summer bouquets. One tip I have is to read the seed packet. The first time I planted zinnias in my raised beds, I chose a packet of Pastel Dreams from Urban Harvest....

Spring cold frame tips: Clean! On a mild day, spring clean your cold frame tops! Whether glass or plastic, the sashes can eventually get grimy and giving them a quick wipe down will allow more light to reach your plants. More light = healthier plants and faster growth. Vent! Whenever the temperature climbs above 4 C (40 F), I crack open my cold frames to prevent heat build-up. Crops that are grown too warm will have soft foliage and be prone to damage if the mercury suddenly drops....

Ground beetles: Slug snackers extraordinaire! Unless you garden at night, you aren’t likely to encounter this nocturnal beneficial insect on a regular basis, even though ground beetles are extremely common – there are over 2,000 species in North America alone. Each species looks different, of course, but most ground beetles are dark and shiny with ridged wing-covers. They hide in grasses or underneath objects during the day, so if you flip over a rock or a log and see a dark beetle scurrying around, there’s a very good chance it’s a ground beetle....