Zack Snipes
11.01.2024 - 11:33 / finegardening.com / GPOD Contributor
I am Maria and I live in the southwest of the province of Quebec, Canada, Zone 5. I want to add that my husband is in charge of the grass and tree part of the gardens so by keeping it all neat and clipped weekly my gardens are always looking at their best.
After being featured on the GPOD in June 2023 (Maria’s Quebec Garden), I was asked if I would host a garden tour for my garden club. They are always looking for opportunities to visit other gardens. It was my pleasure to do so but it also was a bit of work as we always want to show off our best in the gardens. The vegetable garden did not need much watering and was bountiful this fall. It is hard to choose only a few pictures of all the ones I take of my garden so hope you enjoy.
One of my hanging pots made by me looking on to my new flowerbed….with practice they are becoming nicer.
Vegetable garden end of July looking really good. The tomatoes were not the best as they are sunloving plants and the rainy summer did not help.
A begonia (Begonia brevirimosa subsp. exotica, Zone 10 – 11 or as annual) giving to me as a birthday gift from a friend.
Hibiscus moncheustos ‘Marvel’ (Zone 5 – 9) is dark red and always stunning. This year, though, it lost it’s leaves earlier than usual…not sure why!
My white double Brugmansia (Zone 8 – 11) along the stone wall and amidst annual zinnias (Zinnia elegans, annual). I plant zinnias all over the place, they were my mother’s favorite flower. They are so easy to grow. These I started inside in April. They get much bigger than those planted in the ground in my experience.
A beautiful-large white phlox (Phlox paniculata, Zone 5 – 9). Behind it a large hosta (Hosta plantaginea, Zone 3 – 9) in flower, the flowers of this hosta have a nice
Zack Snipes
AS SHE OFTEN DOES, naturalist and nature writer Nancy Lawson—perhaps known better to some of you as the Humane Gardener after the title of her first book—caught my attention the other day.
In a world being reshaped by climate change, gardeners are increasingly asking themselves what can be done to counter the destructive effects of extreme weather events. The answer, as we’re discovering, is to take a nature-friendly approach that supports and nurtures resilience.
When you go to the Philadelphia Flower Show, it helps to take along the right attitude. If seeing gorgeous, high concept gardens full of the most fashionable flowers makes you feel insecure, then take yourself elsewhere. If you need a massive dose of color, fragrance, humidity, and horticultural inspiration, then the Philadelphia Flower Show will be perfect for you. On my calendar, it officially marks the end of winter. It also reminds me of everything that a garden can be—provided you have a forklift, a crew of ten, at least $20,000 and the ability to make crocuses, roses and hydrangeas all bloom simultaneously.
I’m Maria Nieuwenhof from Quebec, Canada (Zone 5). I was going through my pictures over the last few days and trying to figure out what annuals I will start from seeds this year for my bouquets. When I go to see friends, or when I visit my father in Montreal, or when I have an event to go to I bring one or more bouquets. I started in late April with my first bouquet that had daffodils and ended in early November with achillea.
A mini organic garden can give you wonderful vegetables which are pesticide-free and delicious. It is not really necessary to have a large garden area to grow plants or vegetables. All you will ever need in veggies will grow in a reasonably small plot.
This year, when gardeners look at plant and seed catalogs, I think they will be inclined to go for the safe and familiar. After all, even optimists need a sense of security. It will probably be a banner year for roses of all kinds, with reds selling well. The ongoing vogue for cottage flowers will probably continue to be strong. In fact, the wildest thing many people will invest in come spring will be a few of the more bizarre coleus cultivars.
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Away from the Show Gardens on Main Avenue, the Sanctuary Gardens offer plenty of inspiration and often on a more achievable scale. A garden that honours 200 years of the National Gallery, a family space that can bounce back from heavy rainfall, and a sensory haven that supports the emotional wellbeing for children undergoing cancer treatment, feature in 2024’s line up.
How to Grow and Care for Ironweed (Vernonia) Vernonia spp.
Some people get their kicks from designer labels, others from rummaging through flea shops, or collecting obscure Japanese comics, vintage tractors, handbags, dolls, beer-mats, Star Wars merchandise or whatever else. Me, I get mine from ordering seeds.
Approximately 180 species of gladiolus are available to the gardener. Originating from South Africa on rocky slopes, marshy areas and grasslands, they are also found growing in the Mediterranean, Asia and Central Europe. The latin name “Gladiolus” means “small sword”, which is referring to the shape of the leaves and flower spike. They were at one time referred to, as “sword lilies” or “corm lilies”, as the plants are formed from round, flattened bulbs, called “corms”.