Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Homes

Helen Chesnut's Garden Notes: How to prepare begonias for winter storage

Helen Chesnut's Garden Notes: How to prepare begonias for winter storage

It’s best to allow begonia stems to fall away on their own as breaking them off prematurely can damage a tuber’s growth ring.
Want more shrubs? How to make new ones with hardwood cuttings

Want more shrubs? How to make new ones with hardwood cuttings

The easiest way to propagate woody plants like dogwood, forsythia, hydrangea, rhododendron and viburnum, among others, is by taking hardwood cuttings in late fall or winter.
Condo Smarts: How reliable is artificial intelligence for strata questions?

Condo Smarts: How reliable is artificial intelligence for strata questions?

Is AI reliable for strata questions? You might not want to rely on it for interpretation of legislation, court or tribunal decisions, writes Tony Gioventu.
Helen Chesnut's Garden Notes: Snapdragons are easy to grow and last seasons

Helen Chesnut's Garden Notes: Snapdragons are easy to grow and last seasons

Though they are grown as annuals, snapdragon plants are actually tender, short-lived perennials that are beautiful and easy to grow.
Helen Chesnut: Self-sown plants often larger than original planting

Helen Chesnut: Self-sown plants often larger than original planting

Seeds you take from this self-sown plant may not repeat the same pattern of growth.
Views on garden insects are changing. Why many former 'pests' are now valued

Views on garden insects are changing. Why many former 'pests' are now valued

It's important a beat to learn whether insects actually pose any harm — and, if so, how much — rather than immediately reaching for a spray can or calling in the big guns.
Condo Smarts: Postal strike impacts notice of general meeting

Condo Smarts: Postal strike impacts notice of general meeting

Our strata members didn't get the notice of general meeting due to the Canada Post strike. What do we do now?
Helen Chesnut: Drop-in plants can offer surprise summer show

Helen Chesnut: Drop-in plants can offer surprise summer show

A sizeable roster of flowers seed themselves in Helen Chesnut's garden each year — mainly alyssum, calendula, nasturtium, nicandra, peony flowered poppy, borage, larkspur, and snapdragon.
Helen Chesnut's Garden Notes: Late summer best time to divide iris clumps

Helen Chesnut's Garden Notes: Late summer best time to divide iris clumps

Diminished flowering, clumps that are overgrown or crowded, and a decline in general health in bearded (German) irises are common signs that a clump needs dividing.
Serviceberry is a sadly underused native tree that helps wildlife and is worth planting

Serviceberry is a sadly underused native tree that helps wildlife and is worth planting

Winters were brutal throughout most of New England in Colonial America. It snowed a lot, often into spring, and there were no radiators (or antibiotics).