If you haven’t heard of sustainable gardening, or if you have and you’re looking for ways to implement eco-friendly changes to your garden, we’re here to help! In this article we will discuss what sustainable gardening is, why it is important, how you can make changes at home and how we can help.
What is sustainable gardening?
Sustainable Gardening is an organic method of gardening that deters the use of products that harm the environment. These products include chemicals like pesticides and unnatural fertilizers, gardening tools that use power or gas tools and the use of plastic or new material products. Unfortunately for us, some of our unsafe household products come with warning labels that are too small to notice or read clearly. Allowing us to use them without knowing the harm that they can have on our health and environment. Let’s take a closer look at some of the products you might want to reconsider if you’re trying to create a more sustainable garden.
Pesticides & Herbicides
Pesticides are chemicals created by humans as a tool to remove unwanted guests (weeds, insects, fungi…etc.) from our gardens and crops. Used largely in farming for produce, pesticides are also used at home. Although seemingly harmless, pesticides have been proven to have extreme negative impacts on our health and wellbeing, as well as the planets.
For our health, the use of pesticides can lead to organ damage, reproductive issues, cancer, vomiting, headaches and more. For our environment, we see the damages created by pesticides in our air, water, and soil by affecting the micro-organisms that live in these ecosystems. As a result, this has largely impacted the health and population of many wildlife species. For some birds, consumption of insects poisoned by pesticides has affected their reproductive organs by producing weak eggshells that get crushed when nesting. Pesticides have also affected the population of many bird species by killing the insects needed to feed these birds.
What this information and research has allowed us to do, is to identify where we can make changes for the better in our gardens, by making them more sustainable for the planet and ourselves. To reduce the use of chemicals in your garden, create a sustainable compost to feed your plants and shop for products that are organic. At Wildwood Outdoor Living, we offer a huge variety of organic alternatives to help make your garden more sustainable. Here are a few of our favorite organic products, to help you grow a sustainable garden at home.
Garden Tools
Picture yourself in your garden, enjoying the sun and the plants. Everything is healthy and growing. It’s not often we look at our garden and notice all the plastic waste that we might have created along the way. If you look again, you might notice plastic netting, string, pots, garden tools, labels, and packaging. In sustainable gardening, we want to identify the ways we can reduce our carbon footprint by reducing waste. Let’s look at how we can reduce waste in our garden, allowing us to do our part as gardeners to clean up the planet.
Netting/String – Using plastic netting or string in your garden can be lethal to many animals including deer and birds. These plastics are non-recyclable and often end up in landfills that spill into the ocean trapping whales and other marine life. A sustainable gardening alternative to using plastic netting and string, is twine. Twine is made from renewable resources like cotton, hemp and jute and is biodegradable, making this a perfect sustainable gardening alternative to plastic netting and string.
Potting – Often when we purchase our plants, they come in a plastic container. From that container, we replant them into a small pot and then continue to replant them into larger pots as they grow. If you’re using plastic pots, that’s three or more plastic containers for just one plant. As an alternative to plastic pots and containers, try using biodegradable ones! Biodegradable pots are a leader in sustainable gardening, as they are completely composed of organic materials and are also fully biodegradable.
Labels – This is one of the easiest ways to make your garden sustainable and often the first practice to put in place for beginners. Let’s consider how many plants we have in our garden. Now, of that total, how many of those plants have a label? How many of those labels are going in the garbage when the season is over? That amount of waste can be reduced by using popsicle sticks or rocks as labels to mark your beautiful plants, making them 100% sustainable.
Garden Tools – When purchasing garden tools, try to purchase tools that are made from recycled materials, have no plastic accessories or that are good quality, to ensure a one time purchase. Sustainable alternatives to plastic garden tools are tools made from recycled metal and wood. If you can’t find the sustainable alternative for the tool you need, try asking a neighbor to borrow one!
Not only can the use of chemicals and plastic waste pose serious health risks to ourselves and our planet, but it also introduces chemicals to our plants health and taste. By making your gardens more sustainable and organic, you’re not only improving your health, helping our wildlife friends, and decreasing your carbon footprint but you can also expect healthier chemical free plants!
As gardeners, our planet needs us to do our part and help where we can. Sustainable gardening is a growing method of gardening which fosters unlimited options and creative ideas to keep our green thumbs growing. Stay tuned for more sustainable gardening tips and tricks from Wildwood Outdoor Living Centre.
The first sign of spring to so many people is when tulips and daffodils start to pop out from the ground. These bright, colorful signs of warmer weather to come are not there by accident. Unlike lilies and dahlias, the flowers that bloom right at the start of spring need to be planted in the fall. These are referred to as “Fall Bulbs”.
Fall Bulbs
While tulips and narcissus (daffodils) are some of the most known fall bulbs, there are quite a few different types of flowers that can be planted in the fall to allow for early spring blooms.
These include:
Alliums
Anemones
Crocus
Hyacinth
Iris
Ranunculus
And even Garlic!
Some types, such as anemones and ranunculus, can also be planted in spring so you may have already seen some for sale earlier this year. Fall bulbs require a cooling period. This varies by type, but it can last up to 16 weeks. This forces the bulbs to remain dormant otherwise new growth could be damaged by the cold weather.
Forcing Bulbs
Wouldn’t it be nice to enjoy those fall bulbs a little sooner? Amaryllis and Paper White Narcissus are flowers that are commonly referred to as “forcing bulbs”. They are both from warm climates, so they don’t require a cooling period to trigger blooms.
So, what does that mean?
Forcing bulbs are bulbs that have been tricked into blooming out of season. The term “forcing” can make it sound like a laborious process, but its usually about as hard as planting any other kind of bulb.
How To Force Amaryllis
Amaryllis are one of the easiest bulbs to force to bloom out of season. Since they don’t need to be chilled, they can just be potted indoors and require minimal care. There are a few different options for planting amaryllis. You can pot them up, place them in a decorative vase, or order ones that come coated in wax. The choice depends on how you want your display to look, and how much time you want to put into caring for the bulbs.
Soil
If you enjoy the classic look of having your flowers potted up, then we have good news for you, you can just plant your amaryllis bulbs in some soil. There are a few things to be aware of, so here is how you should go about it:
Choose a pot with good drainage, and make sure to use well-draining soil.
Plant the bulb close to the top of the soil. Only cover the bottom half of it.
Give the bulb a good soak. Let water flow out of the drainage holes.
Move the bulb to a sunny and warm location inside your home.
Water sparingly. Keep the soil moist but do not soak it. Once growth starts to appear (green shoots will start to come out of the bulb) you can begin watering it regularly.
Turn the pot every few days as it grows so your Amaryllis grows straight up instead of leaning towards the sun.
Once blooms start to appear, move the flower out of direct sunlight to prolong the lifespan of the flowers. Amaryllis take an average of 6 weeks to bloom after potting.
Water
If you prefer a more decorative look, then planting amaryllis directly into a vase might be for you. This method doesn’t require any soil and gives you a lot of options for how you would like your flower display to look.
So how do you get a flower to grow without any soil? There are a few steps:
Choose a vase or container that you want to grow the bulb in. There are vases specifically designed for amaryllis if you don’t have any that would fit the bulb.
Fill the bottom 2-4 inches with marbles or pebbles. Glass stones work well. Set your bulb on top of the glass or pebbles.
Slowly pour water into the vase. Stop when the water is just below the bulb and is barely touching the roots.
Place the vase in a sunny and warm location and soon you will see the roots growing out the of bulb and down into the pebbles. This will give the plant stability while also allowing it to take in more water.
Make sure to rotate the vase every few days as it grows so your flowers grow straight.
Top up the water any time it is needed, making sure to keep the water just below the bulb.
Once blooms start to appear, move the flower out of direct sunlight to prolong the lifespan of the flowers. Amaryllis take an average of 6 weeks to bloom.
Waxed Bulbs
Finally, there is the easiest way to grow amaryllis: Waxed bulbs. Waxed amaryllis bulbs don’t require soil or water because they come with all the nutrients they need sealed inside the wax.
They usually come dipped in red, gold, silver, or copper colored wax so they fit into almost any display. You can see our wax coated Amaryllis bulbs here. Waxed bulbs are often a surprise regarding what color they will be when they bloom, but ours will bloom red.
If potting bulbs or having to remember to top up the water in the vase doesn’t appeal to you, then waxed bulbs might be just what you’re looking for. Makes sure to rotate waxed bubs every few days to keep the flowers growing straight.
With so many options (both for growing styles and bloom colors) it’s hard to say no to adding Amaryllis to your fall bulb wish list. Check out our selection of Amaryllis here or our entire selection of fall bulbs here!
If you’re anything like us, you love your houseplants and your pets! Unfortunately, there are a lot of houseplants that can be toxic to our pets, and we don’t always know that when purchasing our newest indoor plant addition. The wrong indoor houseplant choice could lead to your pet vomiting, having diarrhea or even going into shock. This could understandably make purchasing your next indoor houseplant a little scary or maybe intimidating.
Don’t worry, all is good in the plant and pet world if you know what to look for when shopping for you next houseplant. In this article, we are going to share with you some of the most beautiful indoor houseplants that are perfectly safe for you to buy for your Benjii, Fluffy, Kona, Betty…Whoever they may be!
Calathea
These beautiful plants come in many different varieties. Pictured below are a Rattlesnake Calathea and a Medallion Calathea. Both have beautiful leaves which are red on the bottom. Calathea thrive in indirect sunlight, and while they do still like bright locations, they can still survive in low light. The require less frequent watering and can be planted in a standard potting mix soil.
Medallion CalatheaRattlesnake Calathea
Kangaroo Paw Fern
These ferns are super resilient and adaptable plants. With the little kangaroo paws poking out from the base of the plant, it can add greenery to your home while still being its own unique self.
Kangaroo ferns like consistent moisture, but make sure the soil isn’t soggy. Like a lot of ferns, they thrive in moderate to bright indirect sunlight. They also like high to moderate humidity, so they make for an excellent bathroom plant!
The toxicity of these plants is not well documented, however everything so far points towards it being safe for dogs and cats. If your dog munches on the leaves it will likely throw them up, similar to them throwing up grass, but it has not been shown to cause any lasting discomfort.
Kangaroo Paw Fern
Hawarthia
If you like succulents, then this is the plant for you. Haworthia like both indirect, and direct sunlight. It you have it in direct sunlight expect to water it once every 2-3 weeks. They are very similar to aloe vera in terms of caring for them. They stay very small, usually not exceedingly more than 6 inches in height or width. Thanks to this, they can fit into almost any home. Because, let’s be honest, plant lovers can always find room for one more succulent.
Hawarthia
Hibiscus
Hibiscus require a bit more attention than some of the other plants on this list. To see lots of their beautiful blooms they require about 6 hours of sunlight per day. They also need a lot of water when they are in their blooming stage as the process takes a lot of energy on the plants part. All that energy is put to good use, however, due to how pretty the flowers are. In addition to lots of light and water, hibiscus like to have their roots tightly packed together in containers. If you repot them make sure to not buy a pot much bigger than the one it is currently in, but make sure it still has good drainage.
Hibiscus
Money Tree
Considered good luck in many cultures, these trees are thought to bring prosperity. You will often see them being sold around the Lunar New Year. Their braided trunk and distinct 5 leaf pattern make them easily recognizable and a favorite for many people. Money trees like bright, indirect sunlight. However, it can also adapt to low light and fluorescent lights so it can be a great addition to an office or back corner of a room. They prefer to be watered less often, but like a lot of water. Let the top 3-4 inches of soil dry out between watering’s. Lastly, make sure you turn your money tree every time you water it to allow for even growth!
Money Tree
Ponytail Palm
Looking like a cute, compact tree, these plants make for a great statement piece. It is part of the Agave family and is technically classified as a succulent! Because of this, it is very easy to take care of. Ponytail Palms are very forgiving when it comes to light. The prefer bright, indirect sunlight but can handle being in lower light conditions half the time. If you keep it in a bright, sunny location during the summer months, it will be fine in almost any light conditions during the winter months. Due to it being a succulent, it likes to dry out between watering’s. Water until water flows out of the drainage holes, then discard any accumulated water.
Ponytail Palm
Fishbone Cactus
This cactus is closer to a succulent than what you would usually imagine when you hear the word cactus. It has soft, almost rubbery leaves and no thorns or spikes. However, like a cactus, it is very hard to kill and is perfect for gardeners of all levels. Like many of the plants on our list, it enjoys bright, indirect sunlight. However, as a jungle cactus, it evolved in low light conditions so it can survive in a wide variety of light conditions. Being a cactus, it like to dry out completely between watering’s.
Fishbone Cactus
If we didn’t inspire you with these indoor houseplants, be sure to check out our full online inventory for more ideas. Next time you’re in-store, be sure to keep an eye out for our pet friendly signs to make sure it’s safe for you pet. You can even bring them in with you to help you choose the best indoor houseplant that is safe for everyone.
Many people assume that vines of the same name behave the same way. Clematis, jasmine, honeysuckle, passion flowers. These are the categories that separate and define vines.
But what if I told you that wasn’t exactly true? Yes, these vines are all very different and need to be treated differently, however, even within their named groups, vines have special needs that should be attended to.
This might sound like a lot of information to go over for today, so let’s just cover the first one: Clematis.
General Care Tips
So where do we begin? Well, let’s learn a little bit about their needs.
Plan Where you Plant
Clematis can live for a very long time, and they are not fans of being moved around.
They like to have cool roots while also being in full sun. Having other plants around to shade the roots is preferable. If that isn’t an option, you can also use mulch to provide some relief from the heat.
Know Your Soil
Soft, loamy, well-drained soil is best for your new vine friend.
They aren’t huge fans of acidic soil and prefer to be on the alkaline side of the PH scale (so probably don’t plant it near a rhododendron or azalea).
Learn How They Climb
Clematis use leaf stems to vine. They look very similar to pea vines in that they will coil themselves around anything that is close to them (in the nursery we find they like holding onto each other).
These vines are fairly small and need something about ¼ inch in diameter to coil around.
Give it Support
Clematis vines are more fragile than they seem. If the vine isn’t given enough support it will begin to flop over and will likely crack. This will result in the new trailing growth to die back.
To prevent this, make sure the clematis has something to hold onto.
A trellis, some chicken wire, or even other plants are all perfectly fine for a clematis to use as growth support.
Pruning: The Basics
So, what are the 3 pruning groups?
Group 1:
The clematis in group 1 grow their buds on old growth. Because of this, they don’t die back in the winter and should be pruned sparingly.
They are usually the first to bloom with flowers appearing in spring. After the flowers are gone you can then prune back the vine. You only need to remove any dead wood and make sure the vine is staying neat and tidy.
Since the buds form on old growth, if you over prune you will likely see fewer flowers the following spring.
These clematis are popular due to their ability to bloom twice in a year. Like group 1, they need minimal pruning. Before they start to leaf out in spring, prune back last year’s new growth. Gently thin out the vine while detangling stems. Make sure to keep the old growth as that is where you will see the first set of blooms.
After spring, once the first set of flowers have died off, you can trim back those branches to encourage new growth. The second set of flowers appear in the late summer and appear on new growth. This is when you would do any shape pruning. The new growth that appears after this becomes the old growth for next year that will produce the spring blooms.
Lastly, we have the third group of clematis. These are the plants that bloom in late summer and early fall. In early spring the vine should be pruned back to around a foot tall. This will then encourage new growth that will flourish throughout the spring and summer and produce beautiful buds later in the season.
Since these clematis are cut back, they are often the ones that can survive in colder zones.
Clematis are beautiful vines that can add to any gardens back drop. They can climb up gazebos and fences. Turn a plain structure into a wonderful display of gardening prowess.
However, understanding the type of clematis you get matters. We don’t just mean the colour. Clematis are separated into three distinct pruning groups. Each group has to be treated differently if you want to see the beautiful flowers that these vines are known for.
Now that you are equipped with this knowledge of the beautiful vines known as clematis, you are ready to grow your own! You can find our selection of clematis on our website here or browse our hundreds of products at wildwood.express.
Your garden has done it’s job by creating a beautiful space, providing nourishment to the earth, feeding you and your loved ones, and now it’s time to…die? Perhaps not! When August approaches, not all of us think about life after death for our beautiful plants. We generally think “until next time good friend”.
At Wildwood Outdoor Living Centre we want to help you grow as a gardener. To get the very most out of your garden in August, we’re going to share a few tips on how to collect seeds for next year. Here are a few tips from our garden to help you harvest your own seeds.
For the best seeds, try cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, melons, squash.
Steps
1.) Allow your vegetable to fully development before harvesting.
2.) Wait 15 days after your vegetables have been harvested to collect the seeds. Seeds should be fully browned and dried on plants.
3.) Set your on a wax piece of paper and allow them to dry for a week.
4.) Store your seeds in an envelope in a cool dry place. Do not refrigerate.
And there you have it, next years harvest is already well on it’s way. Just be sure not to get your seeds mixed up and good luck! For all your start up seed needs, or start up soil, visit us at www.wildwood.express/. Happy Harvesting!
