Sensible Guides

As an avid gardener, we all tend to have a favorite kind of garden that speaks to us and makes us smile. From quaint English country gardens to organic vegetable patches there is a garden for just about everyone.

When spring is in the air, we are chomping at the bit ready to jump into our gardens and begin turning that soil and cleaning those beds.

For the first time gardener that patch of green is a blank canvas and though ready to embark on this new hobby, the lack of experience can be overwhelming. The first step is getting the right advice. Continue »

Many of us who like to garden have the ability to look at a landscape and see the potential when it is not always visible. It’s like a blank green canvas, ready for our artistic talents to emerge in a flourish of dramatic colours and textures.

To some, a rectangular patch of grass is solely an out door chore and worthy of a few containers of flowers to soften the square, water once a week and prune as needed. Uninspiring but easy.

And some of us straddle both worlds, have a keen idea of what we want but are not quite sure how to implement it in a professional yet subtle way. Continue »

Indoor plants not only add color to your rooms, but they add life and a sense of relaxed comfort. However, its not as easy as just picking a plant from a local store, putting it in a corner and hoping for the best. There are a few basic rules you need to keep in mind when you are deciding which type of plants you would like to bring home.

There is room size to consider, lighting, humidity and temperature. Of course there is also your time, and how much of it are you willing to spend caring for your plants. It needn’t be a huge commitment, but a bit of knowledge before hand is invaluable when choosing the right plants for your lifestyle. Continue »

With a renewed focus on healthy eating and living, more people are turning to natural and traditional gardening methods in their own backyards. This essentially means gardening without the use of any artificial fertilizers or pesticides.

Organic gardening utilizes nature itself for balance by using micro-organisms, insects, and plants to maintain a healthy environment naturally. By adopting this approach you are producing healthier and more nutrient-rich vegetables, herbs and other garden plants and flowers. Continue »

Flowers will add color, beauty and inspiration to your home. Whether you buy them from your local florist, a grocery store or a farmers market, fresh cut flowers are an easy display that can transform any room. Their simple beauty has the ability add elegance to any occasion.

By taking the time to choose healthy flowers and arrange them properly, with care, you may be able to extend their life and enjoy them for much longer.

Here are a few helpful tips to get the most from your fresh cut flowers:

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Making and using compost is one of the smartest techniques any gardener can master to enrich the overall health of their garden. It’s easy, ecological and your plants will love their new food.

Native garden soils usually have some kind of underlying issue: nutritional deficiency, excessive clay or sand, poor drainage quality, inadequate soil structure, poor aeration, and/or pH imbalances. Fortunately, there is a simple solution, requiring just an easy commitment on your part. It involves collecting your organic material. Continue »