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Winnipeg Free Press
18 hours ago
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
Transform your tiny garden into a lush haven with these creative tips
When I was a kid, my aunt and uncle grew tomatoes in plastic buckets lined up like soldiers on the cement patio in their tiny Queens, New York, backyard. They also grew dozens of vegetables in their 10-by-10 foot (3-by-3 meter) patch of soil and installed a pergola they made from green metal fence posts above a picnic table. While it provided much-needed shade, it more importantly supported grapevines that produced enough fruit for their annual homemade vintage. Space — or the lack of it — doesn't have to stand between you and a fruitful garden. You just have to be creative. Start by looking up Vertical space is a horizontally challenged gardener's best friend. String up a trellis, hang baskets or attach planters to a fence or wall. You might be surprised at how much you can grow when you consider the third dimension. Vines, herbs and even strawberries are content climbers or danglers. Create visual interest by strategically grouping containers in clusters of odd numbers rather than lining them up in straight rows or placing them all separately. Try staggering their heights by perching them on decorative pedestals, overturned crates or stone slabs to draw the eye up and out. Compact and colorful crops Of course, size matters. If your space is limited, seek out compact or dwarf varieties of your favorite plants. They've been bred to thrive in tight spaces, and many are prolific producers of flowers, fruits or vegetables. These days, it's easy to grow roses, blueberries, tomatoes, peppers — even apple and fig trees — in containers. And don't sleep on plants that multitask as both beautiful ornamentals and nutritious crops. I've grown amaranth, cherry tomatoes and rainbow chard in my perennial beds. Other edibles with attractive foliage or flowers like chives, fancy lettuces and sage would be equally at home among my coneflowers, zinnias and roses. And sweet potatoes make a nice ground cover or trailing vine in a mixed container. Make the most of a single vegetable bed If you have a small, designated bed for vegetables, you can maximize your yield by planting a succession of crops throughout the season. Start by planting early-maturing plants like peas, beets, kale and lettuces. Then, after harvesting, replace them with warm-season crops, such as tomatoes, peppers, summer squash and beans. As they fade and fall approaches, use the space for another round of cool-season plants. Even a narrow strip or window box can feel lush if you plant it in layers. Place tall, upright plants in the back, midsized growers in the middle, and low bloomers in front to create visual depth that can help transform even a balcony or front stoop into your own personal nature retreat. ___ Jessica Damiano writes weekly gardening columns for the AP and publishes the award-winning Weekly Dirt Newsletter. You can sign up here for weekly gardening tips and advice. ___ For more AP gardening stories, go to
Japan Today
22-06-2025
- General
- Japan Today
Weeds aren't just nuisances, they're messengers. Here's what they can tell you
By JESSICA DAMIANO Got weeds in your lawn? Me too. And although it's tempting to reach for a spray bottle, that shouldn't be our first impulse. Believe it or not, weeds aren't just freeloaders crashing our garden party. They're messengers with important information that requires our attention. We just have to learn to speak their language. A dandelion popping up in the lawn is there because the soil is infertile and the grass is too thin. Fertilize and sow seeds for a fuller turf, and the opportunists will move on. Black medic is a demure, clover-like weed with small yellow flowers that's holding an invisible bullhorn, shouting, 'What's a girl got to do to get some nitrogen over here?' Check your soil's nutrients and fertilize accordingly. Both broadleaf and buckhorn plantain won't grow unless the soil is compacted. Core aerate the lawn in spring and fall to allow water and air to circulate through it freely. Likewise, prostrate knotweed thrives in high-traffic, compacted areas. If you have kids or a large dog running laps in the yard — or if passersby consistently cut through a portion of your lawn — chances are you have made its acquaintance. Again, core aeration is your best bet. Do it several times a year and incorporate compost to create an inhospitable environment. Both mouse-ear and common chickweed flourish in shady spots, so cut back nearby tree branches to allow more sun to reach the soil. The lawn will appreciate the extra light, too. Common chickweed also loves cool weather, but that is out of our control. I'm conflicted about telling you how to get rid of clover, because I don't believe you should. I actually mixed it into my lawn deliberately, and I'm not alone. In fact, years ago, clover was a standard component of American grass seed mixes — it added a natural source of nitrogen to the soil that reduced or eliminated the need for fertilizer. But when the first weed killers were marketed to homeowners in the 1950s, clover was suddenly villainized. I wonder why. Clover is a good guy that shows up to help when soil is lacking water or nutrients. But if you really want it gone, water and fertilize the lawn regularly. And try to accept some imperfections. Nobody needs a flawless lawn — just a healthy one. Jessica Damiano writes weekly gardening columns for the AP and publishes the award-winning Weekly Dirt Newsletter. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Winnipeg Free Press
17-06-2025
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
Weeds aren't just nuisances, they're messengers. Here's what they can tell you
Got weeds in your lawn? Me too. And although it's tempting to reach for a spray bottle, that shouldn't be our first impulse. Believe it or not, weeds aren't just freeloaders crashing our garden party. They're messengers with important information that requires our attention. We just have to learn to speak their language. What common lawn weeds tell us A dandelion popping up in the lawn is there because the soil is infertile and the grass is too thin. Fertilize and sow seeds for a fuller turf, and the opportunists will move on. Black medic is a demure, clover-like weed with small yellow flowers that's holding an invisible bullhorn, shouting, 'What's a girl got to do to get some nitrogen over here?' Check your soil's nutrients and fertilize accordingly. Both broadleaf and buckhorn plantain won't grow unless the soil is compacted. Core aerate the lawn in spring and fall to allow water and air to circulate through it freely. Likewise, prostrate knotweed thrives in high-traffic, compacted areas. If you have kids or a large dog running laps in the yard — or if passersby consistently cut through a portion of your lawn — chances are you have made its acquaintance. Again, core aeration is your best bet. Do it several times a year and incorporate compost to create an inhospitable environment. Both mouse-ear and common chickweed flourish in shady spots, so cut back nearby tree branches to allow more sun to reach the soil. The lawn will appreciate the extra light, too. Common chickweed also loves cool weather, but that is out of our control. Clover: One of the good guys I'm conflicted about telling you how to get rid of clover, because I don't believe you should. I actually mixed it into my lawn deliberately, and I'm not alone. In fact, years ago, clover was a standard component of American grass seed mixes — it added a natural source of nitrogen to the soil that reduced or eliminated the need for fertilizer. But when the first weed killers were marketed to homeowners in the 1950s, clover was suddenly villainized. I wonder why. Clover is a good guy that shows up to help when soil is lacking water or nutrients. But if you really want it gone, water and fertilize the lawn regularly. And try to accept some imperfections. Nobody needs a flawless lawn — just a healthy one. ___ Jessica Damiano writes weekly gardening columns for the AP and publishes the award-winning Weekly Dirt Newsletter. You can sign up here for weekly gardening tips and advice. ___ For more AP gardening stories, go to
Boston Globe
27-05-2025
- General
- Boston Globe
Chelsea Chop is the catchy new name for a classic gardening technique
And that's a good thing because it popularizes a useful technique. What's involved in the chop The method involves pruning certain perennials — those with clumping roots, like coneflower (Echinacea), black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), goldenrod (Solidago), sneezeweed (Helenium), Salvia and yarrow (Achillea) — by cutting each stem back by one-third to one-half its height in spring. Cuts should be made on the diagonal, just above a leaf node. Related : Advertisement The 'chop' forces plants to produce bushier growth, resulting in sturdier, tighter and fuller plants that aren't as likely to grow leggy, require staking or flop over by the end of the season. It also delays blooming, which can benefit the late-summer garden. You might get creative and prune only alternate stems so that some bloom earlier and others later — or prune only half of your plants — to extend the blooming season. Do not attempt this with one-time bloomers, single-stemmed plants or those with woody stems; the amputations would be homicidal to the current season's flowers. Advertisement This image provided by Jessica Damiano shows the pruning of the top third of a chrysanthemum plant. Three such carefully timed prunings each year will result in fuller, sturdier plants. Jessica Damiano/Associated Press When should you chop? Gardeners should consider their climate and prune when their plants have grown to half their expected seasonal height, whenever that may be. (The Chelsea Chop is done at different times in different places, depending on plant emergence and growth.) A variation for late-summer and fall bloomers To take things a step further, some late-summer and fall bloomers, like Joe Pye weed, chrysanthemum and aster, would benefit from three annual chops. Related : In my zone 7, suburban New York garden, that means cutting them back by one-third each in the beginning of June, middle of June and middle of July. Customize the schedule for your garden by shifting one or two weeks earlier per warmer zone and later per cooler zone, taking the season's growth and size of your plants into account. Make the first cuts when plants reach half their expected size, the second two weeks later and the third about a month after that. I'd like this fall-plant pruning tip to catch on as well as the Chelsea Chop has. Maybe I should call it the Damiano Downsize and see what happens. Jessica Damiano writes weekly gardening columns for the AP and publishes the award-winning Weekly Dirt Newsletter.
Hamilton Spectator
29-04-2025
- Lifestyle
- Hamilton Spectator
The secret to a refreshing cocktail or mocktail might be growing in the garden
If you enjoy a tasty, refreshing summer cocktail or mocktail, why not grow your own? No, you're not likely to grow the spirits — although they do come from plants (vodka from potatoes, tequila from agave and so on). But you can grow other ingredients that make those spirits delicious. Tips for growing mint and other flavorful herbs Mint is the easiest herb to grow . It's so easy it may take over your garden if you aren't careful, so plant it in a pot and keep the pot away from the soil. Place the pot in full sun and water it regularly. In a few short weeks, you'll be able to pluck its leaves to liven up your lemonade or mint julep. If you want to get creative, experiment with a few different varieties. My favorite is spearmint, but peppermint is classic. Chocolate mint, pineapple mint and apple mint each have their charms, named for the scents and flavors they impart. There's even a specialty variety called Cuban mint, an authentic choice for mojitos. Basil, too, is available in several cocktail-worthy varieties. Genovese, the Italian variety often paired with tomatoes, works equally well in beverages, as do lemon and cinnamon varieties. Plant them in full sun and provide water, but account for your climate and take care not to over- or underwater them. Remove flower stalks, if they appear, to prevent the leaves from turning bitter. Lemon verbena smells heavenly and pairs as well with a gin and tonic as it does with sparkling water. Most herbs don't usually require supplemental nutrients, but lemon verbena benefits from monthly applications of organic liquid fertilizer . Water plants when the soil begins to dry out; overwatering may lead to root rot. When I have guests, I often muddle sage leaves with 1 ounce each of vodka and ginger liquor, then add to a glass with 4 ounces of ginger beer, and pineapple and lime juices to taste. It's as simple as can be — and just as impressive. For the most concentrated flavor, harvest herbs in mid-morning , after the dew has dried but before the sun gets too hot. In my garden, that means around 10 a.m. Place them, stem side down, in a glass of water indoors, out of direct sunlight, until happy hour. Strawberries, cucumbers and heat Don't forget the strawberries (bonus: The plants come back every year in horticultural zones 4-9) and cucumbers, both mandatory components of a proper British Pimm's cup, one of my favorite summertime cocktails . I make mine by packing a highball glass with thinly shaved cucumber, sliced strawberries, mint and a couple of sliced mandarin rounds, then topping it with 1 1/2 ounces of Pimm's No. 1 liquor and 4 ounces of lemonade or lemon-lime soda. And if you like your drinks spicy, muddle a red-ripe slice of jalapeno with lime juice and pour a shot of tequila over it, then add your choice of mixer. Or drink it straight. I'm not judging you. I'm just the garden lady. ___ Jessica Damiano writes weekly gardening columns for the AP and publishes the award-winning Weekly Dirt Newsletter. You can sign up here for weekly gardening tips and advice. ___ For more AP gardening stories, go to .
