Planting different types of seeds requires slightly different techniques. Here, Barbara demonstrates how to plant an annual, in this case Browallia ‘Marine Bells’.
Ready to Begin

Planting the Seeds

The Final Step

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Before starting to plant your seeds indoors, it’s best to assemble all the items you’ll need for the task. In this video, Barbara shows you what those items are. Scroll down beneath the video for Barbara’s summary.

Here’s what I use to start my plants inside:
1. 3 or 4” plastic pots – filled with [...]

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This plant comes by its name of ‘Gateway’ honestly.  In dry, hot years, it has grown well over 2 meters (6-1/2 feet) high and 1.5 meters wide.  This year in the constant rain, it is a respectable 1.5 meters high and wide.  This big beefy plant is more colourful than its paler Joe Pyeweed cousin:  The [...]

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Clematis tangutica is a beautiful climbing vine that blooms from mid to late summer.  While the waxy yellow bell-like flowers are small (3cm-1.25″) - they cover the vine.   The flowers are produced on the current year’s growth, so any pruning must be done early in the spring before it starts to grow.  Clematis tangutica climbs by twining.  It is a terrific [...]

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If you’ve been looking for a blue perennial that is bullet-proof when it comes to insect damage and disease, look no further than Echinops ritro.  Named for the Greek word for hedgehog, its spiny bracts are light blue for several weeks before the actual blossoms appear.  The flower blossoms will completely cover the round blossom [...]

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When I was in Scotland a few weeks ago, I made a video of my brother Bruce showing me how to create instant colour in his front garden (although he made me do most of the work!) If you haven’t seen the video, have a look at it now here, and then check out these [...]

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What a mouthful!  And yet, what a wonderful vine.  This lovely climbing woody vine takes sun and some shade, but unlike climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea petiolaris) that can take years to bloom, it will bloom practically from the first year you transplant it from the pot into your garden.  However, one attribute it does share with climbing [...]

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Here, Bruce shows Helen how to revive a flagging flowerbed by removing old plants and replacing them with new ones he has started in his greenhouse. We also talk about a special pest issue around marigolds and how to deal with it.
Sorry about the noise on parts of this video — it’s the wind blowing [...]

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This gorgeous show-stopper is easy-to-grow and full of colour for almost 4 full weeks.  The one pictured here is in week #3.  Plant it next to a fence so it can climb, or at the base of a bush so it can scramble through the branches.  Clematis grow well in full sun or partial shade.  After it [...]

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One of the great challenges for any gardener is learning how to garden in the shade.  However, once you discover what works in your shade garden - you are away to the races.  This patch of garden is under an enormous Eastern White Pine - basically we’re talking VERY dry shade.  I know the literature often [...]

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