All of the predictors including the Farmer’s Almanac are saying the summer ahead of us is going to be a dry one. That means we are going to have to look after watering our outdoor spaces. When it comes to watering the lawn and the garden, there are some many myths and facts floating around (pun intended) that I thought it might be time for a refresher for all of the homeowners and gardeners out there. 

The best time to water your plants and the lawn is not at dusk, it’s only at dawn. When we water at night, the leaves of the plants have less opportunity to dry off fast, promoting fungal growth in our plants. The worst offenders include powdery mildew and anthracnose, which both need damp leaves and warm temperatures to invade a garden.

The proper amount to water the yard varies because your plants all have different needs. During the cooler months, your lawn needs approximately 1” of water per week. The best way to measure this is with a rain gauge, but if you don’t have one, 20 minutes of watering from the sprinkler 3 times a week is about right. During the hot summer months, your lawn needs twice as much water. 2 inches per week in July and August is the best way to ensure your lawn stays as green as possible. There are a few plants that flower all summer, but you’ve probably noticed that you get more flowers early and again heading into fall. This is because these tend to be cooler months and there is more moisture available to the plants.

When your plants are in bloom, they often need more water, which is partly why most of our gardens are in flower in May. When it comes to the plants, most of your garden perennials need 2 inches per week. This is a general rule of thumb only! There are hundreds of varieties of plants that do very well with less water and many that require more. Your vegetable garden is a perfect example. Veggies need the most amount of water in the yard, coming in at 2.5 inches. To be successful with your tomatoes and peppers, be diligent and water often in the early morning and keep the moisture on the roots instead of the leaves.

There is one more myth I want to address. I promise, there is no such thing as sunburnt grass or plants. Watering in the full sun has been shown to have no impact on your plants. Growing up I was taught that the water droplets would act as little magnifying glasses and scorch the lawn. Even though this is a complete myth, it does serve a great purpose. We should never be watering in the full sun because it’s a waste of water. More water is evaporated when exposed to sunlight before it gets to the roots and on hot and sunny days, you need twice as much to water to care for your plants. 

The best answer, water your plants when they need it. They will give you signs of stress like brown patches, wilted leaves, and drooping flower stems. The better you pay attention…the happier your garden will be.

Have you’ve ever gotten into a gardening funk? Gone a full week without having any motivation to get outside and do yard work? With all of the hot weather happening across the country, more and more yards are starting to show some neglect as homeowners would rather be in the air conditioning than outside under the hot sun.

I am currently in one of those funks. I know that there is lots I should be doing, not just for this year but also in prep for 2023’s vegetable garden as well. Luckily for me, the lack of water in my area has slowed down a lot of the plant growth including the grass, which buys me a little extra time. Also working in my favour, I’ve been through this before and I know exactly how to get out of it. I’ve done my research on this topic and tried all of the different solutions. Here are a few that work for me.

Stop trying to do something outside. Even just taking on the small stuff tends to get me more frustrated about the bigger jobs that I should be doing. Instead, leave the property and go somewhere that has beautiful gardens that someone else is paid to take care of. I love going to parks, arbouretums, even golf clubs and see what other experts are doing in their outdoor spaces. Sometimes just being surrounded by happy and healthy plants is enough to kick start your engine.

Read books, magazines or go on gardening websites to look at pretty pictures. I am a huge fan of going onto Houzz.com and doing random searches of backyard spaces. I’ve also had a subscription to several great gardening magazines from the UK including Fine Gardening. My creative juices start to flow looking at amazing pergolas covered in wisteria or even a picture-perfect shaded space where the designer has blended plants in pockets of sunlight. I’ll also go to a bookstore and buy a bunch of magazines. There is something about sitting in the shade and looking at hi-gloss pictures that helps me love plants again.

If all else fails, start shopping for next years seeds. Sounds a bit grim already thinking about next year, but planning your new project is a great way to motivate yourself into getting some of the preparation done this year. Seeds often go on sale now so stocking up is a great way to save some money and to put a little pep back into your gardening mojo. I’ve already started getting seeds delivered to the house of some of the new tomatoes I want to grow. 

Try a few of these motivational techniques and before you know it, you’ll be excited to get back into your outdoor space. Just make sure to put on lots of sunscreen…its going to be a long summer ahead of us.

Want tulips or daffodils next spring?  NOW is the time to plant your bulbs.  

Here is my foolproof way to plant bulbs that will last for many years of enjoyment.

1. Choose the right bulbs! Whether you are shopping at a retail store or ordering online, make sure to look at the growing specs of all of the options. Not all tulips are the same! A few years ago I planted white tulips from big healthy looking bulbs. I didn’t realize that these tulips were giants, growing over 4’ tall. Unfortunately, I planted them in front of a basement window. (They have now been moved) 

2. Flat bottom holes work best. When planting your bulbs, I often group them in clusters in larger flat bottom holes that have good drainage. Bulbs can easily rot if they are in saturated soil. The depth of the hole should be about three times the height of the bulb. On average, I aim for 3" deep!

3. Delayed Flowering. Bulbs prefer to be planted ‘Tips Up, Roots down’. I’ve found that if you lay some bulbs on their sides, it takes them a little longer to bloom because they have to grow just a little further. This is an easy way to extend the flowering time from two weeks to three!

4. Amendments and squirrel deterrents. Often, gardeners will add fertilizers, bone meal or other products at this stage to help growth or to prevent squirrels from stealing your tubers because they don't like the smell. Even leftover chicken wire with 1 or 2” holes works well as a covering for your bulbs. After you dig the hole and put in your bulbs, cover them with the wire and then back fill with soil. The tulips have no problem growing through the mesh and the squirrels are unable to get the bulbs out from under it. 

5. Back fill and Disguise. Bury your bulbs and chicken wire with soil, being careful to not pack it down too firmly. Once this is done, spend a few minutes to disguise your planted space. Squirrels are attracted to disturbed soil because they think a rival has hidden a nut in that location. I like to add mulch to the whole bed at this point to keep the little critters guessing.

Bulbs really are the perfect way to pre-plan for an amazing spring. Whether you love them for you or looking to add a little curb appeal, do the work now and enjoy the rewards after the snow melts. Just make sure that you wait for the cooler weather…bulbs like soil that is 4C or colder. I NEVER plant bulbs before the first frost. Be patient, I promise that they are worth it.

A few years ago, my inquisitive nephew wanted to help out with the fall to-do-list. We spent an afternoon doing some yard work and  I showed him all of my fun yard tools and how they worked. As I taught him about the jobs that needed to be done, he constantly asked “but why?” to each of my demos. I realized afterwards that most homeowners may know what they should do when it comes to fall cleanup, but few know the real logic behind it. 

Today I’m answering a few of the “but why’s” so that you will know why we do what we do when it comes to our fall outdoor yard work.

1. String trimmers (weed whackers) have always been the handy tool that lets you cut the grass in spots that you can’t easily get to with the mower. Around trees, on steep slopes or near the raised concrete paths, the string trimmer has become a staple in the garage mostly for its ease of use in problem areas. We cut this grass in the fall to ensure that insects and diseases like Rust or Mildew don't overwinter at the base of the trunk. I've seen many homeowners do a lot of damage to the bark of young trees by trying to get too close with their mowers or by hitting the trees with the high-speed twine in their trimmers. This outer layer of bark carries nutrients back and forth between root and leaf.  Using a string trimmer with a proper shield guard trimmer/edger combo, which will prevent damage to the tree and be safer for the user. 

2. Mower height is a big debate with a lot of lawn care maintenance companies. Some argue that shorter is better for the look of the yard while others feel that longer promotes a healthier lawn. For most of us, the best height is somewhere between 2 ½ and 3 inches. Setting your mower to 3inches in the hot summer months helps the grass from drying out, but do you know what height the last cut of the season should be? By going lower than normal, between 2 and 2 ½ inches, you can take advantage of the cold weather at night to kill off crabgrass, which is a tender annual. Also consider putting the bag back on the mower to capture the seeds from these self-seeding weeds

3. Getting the leaves off the grass is an annual right of every lawn owner. Having leaves on the grass once the snow has fallen will smother the lawn below. Not to mention that the wet leaves in the spring look terrible and are twice as hard to remove. Another less commonly known reason for removing the leaves is leaf mould. While great for decomposing matter in the composter, leaf mould is terrible for allergy sufferers. The mould spores cause an allergic reaction similar to pollen in the wet spring, causing many people to incorrectly blame the trees and flowers for their stuffed up noses.

If you’re already doing these chores, don’t stop. When a small child asks ‘But why’; you now have a little more information and won’t have to resort to the default answer of “Because it's what we've always done”.

I was recently asked at a presentation why the ‘G’ in HGTV has almost completely disappeared. If you didn’t know, the G stands for gardening and at one time there were plenty of television shows about planting, horticulture and design. Now they are all gone. Even the current series, Backyard Builds really doesn’t talk about gardening although they do outdoor makeovers on it. It’s a bit of a challenge because as a hobby, gardening had been in decline for the last 10 years. A decade ago, gardening was listed as the top hobby in Canada right next to bird watching. So what happened? Did that demographic die off? Why has gardening become hot again and how do we keep it that way?

Back in its prime, anything with the word ‘garden’ in it was an instant moneymaker and we all know that money is what drives trends. Gardening doesn’t make money anymore. Gardening has been replaced with this concept of outdoor living. It all started with the introduction of the ‘low maintenance’ backyard. Homeowners began to realize that they could have beautiful outdoor spaces without having to put a lot of work into them. It’s a bit sad, but many homeowners would rather pay to get exercise at the gym wearing fashionable work-out wear than get sweaty in their own backyards creating something beautiful. The media has definitely helped this shift as commercials and advertisers make more money when homeowners pay for products or services instead of doing the work themselves.

Now I don’t believe that this is the only reason for the change in our outdoor habits, but it is definitely a big one. I actually feel bad because I’ve been a part of it for so long. Creating the perfect backyards for magazines and television shows has been my life for the last 20years. So how do I help you get back to basics in your outdoor space?

The good news is that the move is already on. Thanks to the Millennials and to some industrious Gen X’ers, the idea of healthy food is driving a new movement called GIY (Grow It Yourself). Now homeowners are growing food in containers, starting vegetable gardens and paying attention to what is going on in the backyard. We are also seeing a major move away from urban centres. This is in part to the pandemic, but also a desire to have space. Today's new homers list having a yard as a big reason to move away from condos, townhomes and urban houses. As of today, gardening is back on top in North America and if you include caring for houseplants, there are now more than 12,000,000 blog sites on horticulture in some form

It also doesn’t hurt that scientists have found that inhaling the naturally occurring bacteria in soil has similar effects to taking Prozac. 

 After a long absence in the media, who knew that gardening would be the new fix!

Here is a great fan question that I recently received...but one that required a creative answer!

"I really enjoy watching you on Cityline and I just redid my backyard and now I need to suggestions and ideas on what I should plant in terms of tress, shrubs or flowers. " - Darlene 

Talk about a loaded question! Homeowners always want a simple set of directions to help them get the right plant in the right spot. Unfortunately, there are so many different variables to every single home that there is no way for me to personally help. That said...here is my foolproof method to get you on the right path to having your own successful garden. 

• 1. Spy on your neighbours. Yes, I am actually advising you to peek over the fence or to take a very slow drive-by of homes around you. Get your camera or smartphone and start snapping pictures of their gardens. 
• 2. Take pictures of your own garden. Be candid with lots of close-ups and several distance shots. (These pictures will be very important to the next step)
• 3. Take all of your photos to the garden centre and ask for a plant expert.

Okay, so this isn’t rocket science. Logically these 3 simple little steps make so much sense. It’s amazing how many people don’t do them. With similar soils and weather patterns, the plants that are doing well in your neighbour’s yards will probably do very well in yours. Pay attention to the combinations of plants, to heights, and to the proximity of the plants to trees and the house. These are all indicators of where that particular plant is best suited. By taking those pictures of your favourite plant possibilities and the photos of your space, the plant expert at the local garden centre will be able to help identify the plants that you want to grow and steer you in the right direction for plants that will actually grow in the spaces you have.

I also want to point out one other important fact. Do this NOW! Fall is a perfect time to check out what the plants look like at the end of the season. Too often we plan our gardens on what flowers we want in our yards for spring and summer and not what shades of autumn foliage will be at the end of the year. Save your pictures until spring if you are unsure and take a look at the same plants in June to know that you still love them. Or, if like me you really want to be ahead of the gardening curve, go to the garden centres now and take advantage of amazing discounts. You can safely put shrubs and perennials into your yard until the top few inches of soil is frozen.

As an allergy sufferer, I understand how hard it is to maintain a beautiful outdoor space when every time you go outside, you body lets you down. Allergies are the body’s natural defense to things it doesn’t like, in this case ‘allergens’. For me, that includes pollens and molds. When I come into contact with one of these allergens by inhaling or against my skin, my body produces histamines, a defense mechanism that works to stop the access of whatever it is reacting to. If you are an allergy sufferer and a gardener like me, here are a few tips to help make your summer a little more enjoyable.

There are definitely some plants, trees and types of lawn that you should avoid. Daisies, sunflowers and mums are at the top of most peoples allergen lists because they are closely related to ragweed. I learned this when I invested in some huge potted mums and placed them at the front door in my planters. I had horrible watery eyes for weeks and couldn’t figure out what was setting them of. If you love these blooms, keep them to the back of the yard and away from the front door so that the pollen isn’t getting into the house. Instead, plant roses or hydrangeas. Both of these flowering options have low pollen counts. When it comes to trees, avoid the birches, poplars, willows and even cedars! All of these options are high offenders as are any trees that are male. Male trees (non-fruit-producing) like holly; pump out large amounts of pollen as they are trying to fertilize the females of their species. Even your lawn can produce allergies, especially rye and fescue blends. 

There are also some ideal times of day to be outside to avoid having an allergic reaction to your plants. Gardening in the morning while it is cool outside without any wind is the best time for low pollen counts. As the day warms up, or a breeze starts, the plants start to release pollen into the air and into your lungs. Unfortunately, the best time to be in the garden also happens to be the exact same conditions that mosquitos love. In fact, mosquitos are the perfect indicator of low pollen counts. Unfortunately, I haven’t decided if they are a lesser evil than my stuffy nose and watery eyes.

Always make sure to remove the pollen before you go indoors. Pollen sticks to hair, clothes, and even skin. Wearing a removable light jacket, clothes and a hat will allow you to leave the pollen at the door when you come in. Alternatively, have a shower after gardening to ensure that the pollen isn’t being spread to the carpet of the fabric furniture. Pet owners should also know that pollen will attach to your pets coat so even if you don’t have an allergy to cats or dogs, you might have a reaction to the allergens that they are bringing in from the garden.

The best line of defense for allergy sufferers, start taking an anti-histamine BEFORE you go out to do your garden chores. The bodies' reaction to allergens is to produce histamines, so by taking allergy pills which prevent their production, you can alleviate some of the symptoms before they even happen.

Every spring I get a boatload of emails from gardeners wondering what went wrong with their bulbs and flowering plants. Spring more than any other time seems to have more tension when it comes to things not going as planned. I think this is because we wait all winter for a shot of colour in the garden and when it doesn’t happen, we get stressed.

Here are some of my favourite questions from this year’s selection.

I planted a beautiful tulip called Tequila Sunrise and for three years it bloomed exactly like the description on the label; soft yellow petals with frilly raspberry edges. This year, in the exact same spot, I have a bright orange tulip with a little yellow on the edge. What happened?

So this is a bit of a scientific answer. Many of the unique and striated tulips are caused by infecting healthy tulip bulbs with a virus called TBV (Tulip Breaking Virus). This process is what causes the great colour changes in the petals. Have no fear, this is not a virus that affects humans, animals, or other plants (except potatoes) Your tulip over the last few years has been able to get rid of the virus and is reverting back to its natural state. (I hope you like orange)

My neighbours all have beautiful forsythias that bloom every spring. My shrub gives me a few blooms and lots of green leaves. I prune and fertilize it every fall but no luck. What am I doing wrong?

I’m afraid you are not going to like my answer on this one. Forsythias bloom on old wood. The flowers appear on last season’s growth, which means if you are pruning it every fall, you are removing the flowering buds with branches that you are trimming off. Instead, prune your forsythia in the spring once the flowers are over for the season. I usually clean it up within a few weeks of the end of bloom time.

The squirrels keep stealing my bulbs. They think that I’ve opened a buffet every fall and they eat every last one. I’ve tried bone meal, cayenne, chicken wire and still I have no spring flowers. Help!

Squirrels are competitive. They like to steal food from other squirrels. If they see soil that has been dug up, they immediately think that a rival has hidden something in the ground in that location. You might want to consider ‘hiding’ your newly planted bulbs under leaves and mulch. Alternatively, I would move away from tulips for at least one or two seasons. Try planting hyacinths, daffodils or allium. All three of these are less-than-appealing to the squirrels and will actually survive the fall feeding frenzy long enough to bloom next sprin

With busier schedules and changing priorities, today’s homeowner wants to be able to maximize their available time and minimize the time spent on household chores. 

Many moons ago, I read an article written by the amazing Dear Abby where she spoke about being asked the same question by readers on a regular basis. Who knew that so many people cared about which way to toilet paper roll goes on the holder! Now that I’ve been on the radio and writing  for a few years, I’m beginning to understand what she was referring to. In her honour, I am going to post the answers to the top 3 questions that I always get asked as well in hopes that this will solve some of your own outdoor challenges

How do I eliminate grass and weeds growing between the patio stones? We now know that most weeds have roots that are at least 4-6 inches long. To prevent weeds from growing between the patio stones, you have to make sure that the gravel base beneath the patio is at least 8 inches. This works for grass and dandelions if you are installing a new patio, but what about an existing one? Nutrients like decomposing leaves can build up over time in the joints, allowing for some weeds to take root. Remove the sand and roots with a high-powered pressure washer. Once the patio has been blasted, give it a scrub with white vinegar that is 10% acidic. Next, use polymeric sand, which is available at most box stores, to refill the gaps. Lightly spray the sand with water to moisten it that activates the binding agents, creating a tight seal between the stones that the weeds can’t penetrate.

What is a low-maintenance plant for my yard? I hate this term when it comes to plants because everyone has a different definition of what low-maintenance actually means. Every plant, tree, or shrub needs some form of care. Obviously the levels of work are going to vary based on the plant itself. If you really want an easy way to have a big show without having to learn how to care for a lot of different plants, just pick one and plant lots of it! Landscapers have been using this technique for years. Mass plantings are a simple way to fill a big space without having to learn several different sets of care instructions.

My grass always goes brown in July and August. How do I keep it green? I’m going to let you in on a little secret, for years we’ve been planting Kentucky Blue Grass, which goes dormant in the summer. When the grass goes dormant, its totally fine but its doesn’t look so great. This also happens to be the same time that sprinklers and fertilizers all seem to go on sale. This year, spend your money on top dressing the lawn with grass seed that contains fescue in the mix (the higher the percentage the better). Fescue does very well in our climate, and doesn’t go brown in the summer!

Make sure to save this article so that you will always have the answers to these questions because, like Dear Abby, I am only moving forward from here. (wink wink)