How to Grow Beans All Summer Long

SOME OF THE many unusual fruits that Allyson Levy and Scott Serrano grow in their arboretum in the Hudson Valley of New York, like goji berries or maybe Schisandra (above), are ones you’re more likely to see on ingredient labels of health food store products than for sale in nurseries or growing in gardens. But grow them you can.

For the first time in decades I heard a cuckoo just the other day, its pealing “Wuck-Koo” ringing out so loudly nearby that I felt a quick, sharp jolt of joy at being so closely in its presence. Once a common sound, the distinctive call of this fleeting seasonal migrant from tropical Africa is traditionally believed to signal the arrival of spring. But as is true of so many other once-common species of birds, its numbers, which are down by an estimated 27 per cent since the early 1970s, have been in slow but steady decline for decades.

Is your patio currently a cluttered mess? It’s time for a makeover that won’t blow your budget. To optimize patio time, you’ll want to create a clean, comfortable spot.    We turned to Heather Knight-Willcock, an interior designer based in Long Beach, California, for her advice on redecorating a patio without dropping a ton of cash. As an expert for ShopGoodwill.com, Knight-Willcock is well-versed in seeking the best deals, and shopping with an eye for budget-friendly and second-hand options.  Here’s how Knight-Willcock would decorate a patio for under $200—and how you can, too. 

Image: Hampton Court Flower Festival. Credit: RHS

Hi GPODers! Today we’re in Sharon Holmes’ Dallas garden that faces its fair share of obstacles and challenging conditions. Despite punishing weather, clay soil, and a whole host of wildlife and insects that visit her garden, there are plenty of plants that have survived and even thrived.

You can easily grow this plant with seeds.

This year Chelsea Flower Show was full of interesting trees and shrubs with lots of dreamy woodland-edge planting in dappled light underneath leafy canopies. Native trees such as hawthorns, hazels and silver birch were the favoured choices in many of the show gardens, with a mixture of native and non-native ornamental plants selected for resilience and sustainability. In Ula Maria’s Forest Bathing Garden, white foxgloves, cow parsley and other umbellifers like Baltic parsley (Cenolophium denudatum) and valerian (Valeriana officinalis) were mixed with the simple shade-loving grass Melica altissima ‘Alba’ while Tom Stuart-Smith showcased intricate tapestries of interesting foliage in different shapes and textures. In other gardens, orange was a popular colour in many shades, from deep rusty orange irises to pale orange geums, especially in Ann Marie-Powell’s exuberant Octavia Hill Garden. As always, the Grand Pavilion is the ideal place to discover new and interesting plants showcased by some of the country’s leading nurseries.

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Wondering what you should be planting, harvesting, and keeping an eye on this growing season? Here’s your summer garden checklist to help you keep on top of garden maintenance.

When it came to the kitchen in their three-bedroom, two-bathroom 1930s San Francisco home, the owners wanted keep the current square footage and layout, but adjust the space to make it work harder for their family’s needs (they have two daughters). So they brought in Allie Allen and Sasha White of Shiny Shed Collective to oversee the renovation of the 144-square-foot L-shaped room.

Oliver Furth, a fourth-generation Los Angeles native, A-List interior designer, and AD100 winner, is best known for his irreverent ability to blend different styles and eras seamlessly. He is a firm believer that making a home for oneself is in itself an act of optimism and the most important ingredient when designing any space is joy. 

Q: Our 25-year-old Aloha rose has failed to bloom again this season. It used to be in full bloom throughout the month of June. Can you recommend any treatment to restore it to its former glory? A Forsyth