Summer Flowering Shrubs for a Lasting Garden

10 DIY Winter Home Repairs

The winter months can become very hard on your home. Problems always arise during the winter months, and always seem more expensive. Start at the first sign of winter, so you will have fewer repairs to make yourself through them cold winter months. Doing this yourself can save you a lot of money in the long run. Tip #1- Clean Gutters / Fix Cracks You should make sure all debris are cleaned from your gutters right before winter starts and then once in the middle of winter. I have found the easiest way to clean these if with a small set of garden tools. Use the shovel to scrape the leaves out of there. Then use the small rake they give you to help. Once you have removed it all, take a garden hose and spray it off, making sure the water drains correctly. If you have cracks in your gutters then purchase some putty to fill in these cracks. Water damage can cost a lot of money. When it snows, that water needs a place to go. If your water has no place to go, then its going to sit on your h...

Chives – Allium schoenoprasum

Known as common garden chives, Allium schoenoprasum, can be grown indoors and out. Chives are rich in vitamins A and C, potassium, and calcium. They are grown for the flavour of their leaves, which is reminiscent of onion, although much milder. Both the stems and light purple flowers are used in cooking and the snipped leaves are an addition to many dishes. Chives lose their flavour with long cooking so it is best to add them to dishes at the last minute. For chopping stems, a pair of scissors is the best tool. Chives can be frozen or dried. They are less flavourful when dried rather that frozen, so they are best used when fresh and snipped, or snipped and frozen. In both cases sort them carefully, removing any yellowing leaves and shoots, and keep only the plump green ones. It is possible to place chives in non-iodized salt, keep them there for several weeks, remove the leaves, and then bottle the ‘chive salt’ for use in flavouring. Chives are a perennial in the garden and grow app...

Build Great Garden Soil the Easy No Dig Way

Whether you are installing ground covers or planting a new flower garden, soil preparation is often a major hurdle. Not only do you have to eliminate weeds and/or lawn grass, but you also need to spread organic matter over the site and dig it in along with other soil amendments. Spreading compost and digging it into the soil is a major workout, and is great exercise, but it can be very bad for your back. By planning ahead and waiting a few months between preparing and planting, it’s possible to eliminate most of the back-breaking work. No-dig Supplies and Scheduling At the very least, you’ll need a pile of newspapers and a pile of mulch such as shredded bark or bark chips to use this method. If your soil is extremely clayey, compacted, sandy, or poor, add a generous supply of compost and even some topsoil to the list. Watch the weather, too. You are going to be spreading newspaper, so select a day when it isn’t too windy. Use this smothering method any time, but you’ll need to plan...

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