Are you a Fall Mum fan? What’s your favourite colour?
#gardeningwithsharon #yeggarden #gardencoach #gardeningtips #gardenlove #edmontonliving #plantgeek #homegardener #flowergardening #zone3 #zone3gardening #zone4 #fallmums
🧄 Garden fresh garlic is the best!
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🥶 When Jack Frost shows up, we can sometimes get caught off guard with a lush tomato plant no where near ready for harvest.
🍅 I prune back my tomato plants in mid-August to encourage them fill in and ripen their green tomatoes.
Gardeners in growing zones warmer than mine (zone 3-4) can wait a little longer to do this because frost visits a little later.
Count back at least 30 days before the average first frost date to get an idea of when to prune.
#gardeningwithsharon #yeggarden #gardencoach #gardeningtips #gardenlove #edmontonliving #plantgeek #homegardener #foodgarden #vegetablegardening #zone3 #zone4 #zone3gardening
Hostas are famous for adding colour & texture to shade gardens with their jaw-dropping foliage.
Hostas with chartreuse leaves illuminate low light areas and their subtle flowers in white and hues of lavender add accents to the shadows.
Hosta flowers bloom on scapes above the foliage and the flowers open successively from bottom to the top.
So what should you do when they’re all done blossoming?
✂️ Simply follow the stems down below the foliage level and prune them out with clean garden sheers.
It’s super easy, keeps the Hostas focused on root development & look how it tidies up the patch!
#gardeningwithsharon #yeggarden #gardeningtips #gardencoach #edmontonliving #zone3 #zone4 #perennialgarden #shadegarden
It’s Daylily season, so let’s talk about how to deadhead them…
Daylilies develop multiple buds on scapes that flower above their foliage and deadheading their flowers that only last a day will keep their focus on flowering as opposed to seed development.
Because the buds can be arranged tightly and very close together, I like to get in there with my fingers and snap off the old blossoms, being sure to take out the entire flower because the lower end of its structure contains the ovary which produces seeds.
I got behind on deadheading my patch of Happy Returns repeat blooming Daylilies and it started developing seed pods, so I’m using my clippers to cut out entire scape.
Hopefully I caught it in time to get it to bloom some more.
That’s really all that’s to it - regular, consistent deadheading will keep your Daylilies looking sassy!
#gardeningwithsharon #yeggarden #gardencoach #gardeningtips #gardenlove #edmontonliving #plantgeek #homegardener #flowergardening #zone3 #zone3gardening #zone4 #daylily #daylilies #repost
The aphid infection in my garden spread from the Caragana shrubs & my ‘Loraine Sunshine’ Heliopsis are frankly, infested.
💦 I gave them a good water blast before I left town for a week only to return and find the Heliopsis in the state.
But.
🐞 I also found HUNDREDS of Ladybugs in All states of development.
Both mature Ladybugs and their larvae are voracious aphids feeders.
So I was left with a choice:
1️⃣ Knock the aphids off with more water spray, but that would take out Ladybugs too.
2️⃣ Or watch nature & its science run its course.
The upside? The Ladybugs handle it.
The downside? My Heliopsis will have stunted growth.
I’m going to watch and trust.
Stay tuned with me!
#gardeningwithsharon #yeggarden #gardencoach #gardeningtips #gardenlove #edmontonliving #strathcona #homegardener #flowergardening #yegger #ladybugs #zone3 #zone4 #zone3gardening
One of those special garden moments…
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Aphids are having a hay-day with the Caraganas and Manitoba Maples in my yard.
I first twigged (ha- pun!) into the fact that they had taken up residence when I discovered honeydew on my Peony leaves and noticed white aphid exoskeletons falling from the Caraganas onto my Geranium leaves.
Let’s talk about how to identify aphids and methods to get rid of them.
3️⃣ Telltale Signs of an Aphid Infestation:
1. 🍃 The tops of the leaves will be unusually shiny.
The leaf sheen comes from a sticky liquid, called honeydew, excreted through tail pipes called cornicles at the back end of the aphids’ pear shaped bodies as it passes through their system from the front end where aphids drill their feeding apparatus into tender plant phloem tubes that carry sugar and nutrients.
2. You may see tiny white flecks stuck to the tops of the leaves.
These are exoskeletons that have been cast off as the aphids molt.
3. You can see the aphids.
Aphids colonies can be all colours - green, black, orange, pink, red, brown, or yellow - living on the freshest and most tender growth points of the plant.
Check stems or the tops and bottoms of leaves.
🟢 Options for Dealing with Aphids
1. 💦 Blast Them off with a Sharp Stream of Water
This knocks them off, and the wingless aphids cannot get back on the plant so they die where they land.
This may need to be repeated a few times, but it’s effective.
This method also protects developing pollinator larvae.
2. 🐞 Purchase Ladybugs for Your Garden
Ladybugs are veracious aphid consumers.
3. 🫧 Insecticidal Soap
Read labels for application instructions and double check that it is safe for all stages of pollinator growth and development.
Apply insecticidal soap to tops and bottoms of leaves and reapply after a rain.
#gardeningwithsharon #yeggarden #gardencoach #gardeningtips #gardenlove #edmontonliving #plantgeek #homegardener #flowergardening #summergarden #zone3 #zone3gardening #zone4
🐝 Pollinators play a major role in plant biodiversity, here are 6 components to include in a vibrant pollinator garden:
🌷 1. Provide a Full Season of Flowers
· Craft your garden to include blossoms through spring, summer, and fall.
🌸 2. Provide Flowers with Vibrant Hues
· Bright is best - both bees and butterflies prefer bright colours like yellow, orange, purple, and red.
🌻 3. Provide Flowers that are Easily Accessible
· Pollinators like uncomplicated, open-shaped flowers like daisies or trumpet-shaped flowers that they can land on comfortably & easily.
🪻 4. Provide a Variety of Fragrances
· Different flower perfumes attract different pollinators.
· Sweet scents attract bees and flies.
· Fruit, spicy, and musty scents attract beetles.
💦 5. Provide a Water Source
· All pollinators appreciate a well-deserved drink of water in bird baths, water fountains, or rain barrels.
🐞 6. Provide a Pesticide Free Landscape
Maintaining a pesticide free gardening space to attract pollinators is obvious to all gardeners but not everyone knows that products labelled “organic” or “safe” may not be safe for all stages of pollinator growth and development.
#gardeningwithsharon #yeggarden #gardencoach #gardeningtips #pollinator #pollinators #edmontonliving #plantgeek #homegardener #flowergardening #pollinatorgarden #flowergardens
Pollination, which is the transfer of pollen from a flower’s stamen to the pistil, is pretty much an accidental byproduct as a result of insects and some birds feeding on nectar.
Pollen gets shifted around by animals and humans rubbing against plants, too.
Bees, ladybugs, and some beetles intentionally seek out pollen as a protein supplement to their diet, but most pollinators like butterflies, wasps, moths, flies, and birds are after the sweet sugary nectar for a food source..
The fact that pollen gets moved around within flowers and between flowers is a symbiotic relationship where both flowers and insects benefit.
Pollination doesn’t only happen by living pollinator insects, but wind and rain play a major role in pollination as they cause flowers, including their inner parts to move and the pollen to fly.
#gardeningwithsharon #yeggarden #gardencoach #gardeningtips #gardenlove #edmontonliving #strathcona #homegardener #flowergardening #pollinatorgarden #pollinator #pollination #zone4 #zone3 #zone3gardening
Let’s talk about the fascinating process of pollination.
Pollen is produced in the anthers and the challenge of every flower is to get the pollen transferred from the stamen to the pistil.
The pollen then travels down the pistil to the ovary where seeds develop.
This is where pollinators come in.
Pollinators are attracted by flower colour, flower fragrance, and to the nectar.
More on pollinators tomorrow!!
#gardeningwithsharon #yeggarden #gardencoach #gardeningtips #plantgeek #pollinatorgarden #pollinators #flowergardening #zone3 #zone3gardening #pollinator
We certainly have had our fair share of rain in the last 2 months - but our province really NEEDED it - Alberta is currently forest fire 🔥 free!!
It looks like this rainy trend will continue for a while so I’d like to highlight a few things to watch out for in the garden on rainy days:
1️⃣ Flowerbeds Tucked Under Roof Eves
These areas don’t get the benefit of rain and you can often see a drip line in flowerbeds marking where the rain hit.
Unfortunately soil isn’t that generous at sharing its moisture, so
check the dry side of that line, just in case those plants may need water.
2️⃣ Planters and Containers
Planters and flower containers sometimes surprise us by not catching or absorbing as much rain water as we think they do.
Check planters & window boxes on porches, and tucked under roof eves and overhangs because they don’t catch a lot of rain (if any) and they may need a little topping up.
The good news is that rainy days are cooler and plant metabolism slows, so the plants won’t stress if they are a little on the dry side.
Check planters & containers out in the open - they could be too wet OR too dry, you never know.
Make sure that your pots and planters have drainage holes and empty drip trays to allow the container to continue draining.
If planters get too wet and they are light enough to move, relocate them to a sheltered location out of the rain to dry down.
📸 Curious about the plants in the photos?
They are some of my faves by @provenwinners including: Supertunia Blue Veined, Supertunia Mini Vista Indigo & Midnight, Graceful Grasses Vertigo (Purple Fountain Grass), Salvia Unplugged White & Stardiva Blue for 2025.
#gardeningwithsharon #supertuniasummer #provenwinners
🌱 Any time roots are disturbed, it is stressful for a plant.
Here are 8 tips to help reduce that stress and to give your plants the best start possible:
1. Use Well Hydrated Plants
You don’t necessarily have to water plants before planting, but make sure they are hydrated & not wilted.
2. Gently Loosen Roots
Once roots hit the side of a pot, they swirl around the inside as they grow.
Gently loosen the roots to get them out of that circular growth pattern and to get them to grow outwards.
3. Move Mulch Aside (if you use mulch)
Move mulch to the side to access the soil beneath so they can root deeply. Avoid planting in mulch itself because it doesn’t have the structure to hold the water & nutrients plants need to thrive.
4. Dig a Hole Slightly Larger than the Root Ball
This will give the roots access to soft, malleable soil.
5. Gently Put the Plant in Place
There’s no need to squish or press the plants in place because that plant will NOT get up and move to another province; and it scrunches the air spaces around the roots that are vital for holding water and nutrients, and to facilitate root metabolism.
6. Dig a Ring into the Soil to Hold Water Near the Roots
This is great for efficient use of water. It gets the water near the roots and keeps it from running off to another part of the garden.
7. Avoid Watering Plant Leaves
Water at the base of plants, which keeps the leaves dry and reduces the risk of them getting a fungal infection.
8. Replace the Mulch Around the Base of the Plant
Mulch helps to retain soil moisture, keeps weeds at bay, and regulates soil temperatures.
🌱 These tips work for annuals, vegetable transplants, and perennials!
#gardeningwithsharon #yeggarden #gardencoach #gardeningtips #gardenlove #edmontonliving #plantgeek #yegger #homegardener #flowergardening #springgarden #springplanting #planting #zone3 #zone3gardening #zone4
Check perennials regularly during this time of explosive spring growth and gently tuck them into their supports while their stems are malleable and flexible.
It doesn’t take long for their stems to stiffen and they often break at that stage so it’s good to catch them early.
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🌼🌸 This is so much fun!
#gardeningwithsharon #yeggarden #gardencoach #gardeningtips #gardenlove #edmontonliving #plantgeek #homegardener #flowergardening #littles #sensorybin #sensoryplayideas #gardeningwithkids #zone3 #zone3gardening #zone4
An extended cold snap like the one we’re currently experiencing is unusual, especially following the warm weather we’ve had.
This can make things challenging if you already have purchased annual plants.
‘Garage Syndrome’ is a real thing that happens to plants when they stay in a place with less than optimal sunlight and air circulation.
Photosynthesis slows, they are damp, and fungal infections can set in as we and they wait to get outside.
Try to get them outdoors to get the sunlight & air they need and water only when necessary and bring them back indoors for the night.
Hopefully this weather will pass soon!
#gardeningwithsharon #yeggarden #gardencoach #gardeningtips #gardenlove #edmontonliving #strathcona #homegardener #flowergardening #plantgeek #zone3 #zone3gardening #zone4 #springgarden #springgardening
Whew! It’s a smokey Saturday!
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The greenhouses are full…
The flowers are fresh….
And you might be feeling that you want THEM ALL!!
Here’s 3 pieces of intel to take with you that will help save money in the log run:
1️⃣ Know your plan
Your plan identifies your purpose, which drives the plan.
Stick to your plan and buy what you planned for to avoid overbuying.
2️⃣ Know the sun exposure of your gardening spaces
Figure out how many hours of sun each gardening space receives.
All plants have sunlight requirements for optimal growth.
☀️ Some, like Geraniums, Petunias, Calibroachoa (Million Bells and Superbells), and Marigolds love lots of sun.
⛅️ Others like many Begonia varieties like indirect sunlight.
3️⃣ Know how the Wind Moves Through Your Growing Spaces
Wind can shred plants that aren’t adapted for strong air movement in a heartbeat.
If your space is windy, look for grasses, geraniums, and trailing plants with robust but thin foliage.
📸 thank you to @thielsgreenhouses in Bruderheim, AB & @christiesgreenhouse in High Prairie, AB for the opportunity to photograph in their beautiful greenhouses
#gardeningwithsharon #yeggarden #gardencoach #gardeningtips #gardenlove #edmontonliving #plantgeek #homegardener #flowergardening #springflowers #zone4 #zone3 #zone3gardening
Here’s some tips for crafting water efficient planters, containers, and hanging baskets for dry growing conditions.
1️⃣ One of the most common mistakes people make is using containers that don’t hold enough soil to support plant growth.
I wouldn’t go smaller than 30 cm (12”) across and deep.
2️⃣ Soil quality is huge.
Don’t skimp dollars on soil because discount potting soil doesn’t cut it when you need a rich soil to hold water efficiently.
Composted bark potting soil mixes are my favourite because the organic matter content is higher and organic matter holds water like a sponge.
However, composted bark mixes can be hard to find, so find a readily available mix and add up to organic compost, worm castings, or a combination.
Compost can comprise 10 - 20% of the soil volume and be sure to mix it in thoroughly.
3️⃣ Use drought resistant annuals with high colour power and keep the colour combinations simple to maximize the impact.
Here are some of the stars in dry growing conditions, but it doesn’t mean that they don’t ever need water, lol.
Upright Annual Options:
Euphorbia - Diamond Frost
Gazanias
Geraniums
Mandevilla
Marigolds
Ornamental Grass
Portulaca
Salvia
Succulents
Verbena
Zinnias
Trailing Annual Plant Options:
Dorotheanthus Mezoo
Helichrysm vine (Licorice Plant)
Lantana
Lotus Vine (Parrot’s Beak)
Muhlenbeckia Vine (Wire Vine)
Ornamental Oregano
Scaevola
Verbena
Vinca
4️⃣ Add a layer of mulch to the top of your pots.
I top off all of my planters with about 2.5 cm or 1” of mulch to reduce evaporation from the top.
5️⃣ Water containers thoroughly when the soil gets dry.
Check soil hydration by inserting the entire length of your index finger into the soil and water when the soil is dry at the tip or first knuckle.
#gardeningwithsharon #yeggarden #gardencoach #gardeningtips #gardenlove #edmontonliving #plantgeek #homegardener #flowergardening #planterbox #planters #containergardening #containergarden #zon
Let’s tackle annual and perennial plant that are some of the best at tolerating dry growing conditions.
Plant genetics, maturity, specialized roots, and unique leaf structures help maintain hydration and nourishment to give some annuals and perennials that upper edge when the grow gets tough.
Let’s touch on perennial growth principles first:
1. Established perennials that are 3 years or older tolerate dry conditions better than young, newly planted ones.
2. Perennials with tap roots and tuberous roots that extend far into the soil can search out moisture very effectively.
3. Thick, leathery, and rigid leaves hold more water than thin, fragile leaves.
Here are 5 of my favourite reliable & dependable zone 3-4 perennials for toughing out dry growing conditions:
1️⃣ Ornamental Grasses - Calamagrostis, aka Feather Reed Grasses, like Karl Foerster & his cousins Avalanche, El Dorado, Overdam, and Lightning Strike are great in this zone.
2️⃣ Daylilies
3️⃣ Peonies
4️⃣ The infamous Gas Plant….Gas Plant (Dictamnus) - you can light this one on fire!
5️⃣ And Hostas for the shady zones
On the annual side, Geraniums, Portulaca, Salvia, Marigolds and Annual Grasses like Prince Tut Cypress Grass by @provenwinners do wonders in a dry, sunny garden.
Other heat savvy annuals include Cosmos, Cleome, and Gazanias.
To dig into more ideas for annual and perennial plants that grow well in hot, sunny, dry gardens check out these blogs:
• ‘15 Tough Zone 3-4 Perennials for Hot Dry Weather’
• ‘10+ Amazing Annual and Perennial Flowers to Grow in Full Sun’
• ‘The Ultimate Guide to Growing Geraniums’
All are in my website at www.gardeningwithsharon.com
#gardeningwithsharon #yeggarden #gardencoach #gardeningtips #gardenlove #edmontonliving #plantgeek #homegardener #flowergardening #sustainablegardening #droughttolerant #drought #perennialgarden #perennials #perennial #annuals #zone3 #zone3gardening #zone4
