Farm Kits

Growing kiwi fruit: It’s easier than you think

Do you enjoy growing fruit? Perhaps you have a few blueberry bushes, a handful of strawberry plants, or some apple trees and you’re looking to expand your garden’s offerings? Consider growing kiwi fruit. It is a surprisingly easy fruit to grow in a home garden, as long as you have a sturdy trellis and a male and female plant. In this article, I’ll share all the information you’ll need to know to grow kiwi fruit and offer tips for success.

When to cut back peonies: Time your pruning to help next year’s blooms

Written by Tara Nolan

After the first spring bulbs appear, the flowers I look forward to with the most anticipation in the spring are peonies. I love when I finally spot those big flower buds getting ready to burst open and reveal all the layered petals they’ve been holding in. Knowing when to cut back peonies will ensure those beautiful blooms reappear next spring. And, luckily once the petals start to fall to the garden below, you’re left with nice, strong foliage that will provide a backdrop for other plants in the garden.

Grow your own holiday decor: 4 native berry-producing shrubs you need to plant

Written by Niki Jabbour

Grow your own holiday decor for a convenient supply of berried branches to clip for holiday containers, window boxes, centrepieces, wreaths, garlands, and swags. Not only are these plants perfect for providing lots of berried branches for decorations, they’re also beautiful landscape plants. Berry producing shrubs also provide food and shelter for birds and add interest to the cold season landscape. In this article you’ll discover four native shrubs with berries you need to plant in your garden.

Build a small lettuce table for a patio or porch

Written by Tara Nolan

There’s something fun and challenging about trying to fit as many veggies and herbs into a small space. This small lettuce table is perfectly sized to be placed between two chairs on a patio or porch. There is still a place to put your morning coffee along the side, but the center is where the magic happens. You can grow lettuces and other salad greens, as well as some herbs in this garden that’s the width of a picture frame. This article provides step-by-step instructions, as well as the project plan to build this DIY project.

Low tunnel hoops for weather and pest protection

Written by Niki Jabbour

Low tunnel hoops are one of my favorite ways to extend the homegrown harvest in my vegetable garden as well as protect my crops from pests. These compact structures are just miniature greenhouses and are quick and easy to build. I make mine from easily sourced materials like PVC conduit or 9 gauge wire and top them with an assortment of lightweight covers. In this article you’ll learn how you can use low tunnel hoops to maximize production in your vegetable garden.

When to cut back salvias: Prune in the fall or wait until spring?

Written by Tara Nolan

To me salvias are dependable, hardy plants that have both nice foliage and flowers. I grow a few perennial varieties that all do well in my garden. Understanding how and when to cut back salvias is a cinch. Giving plants a light trim or, in some cases, a heavier pruning is important for their overall health. If you don’t prune them, some salvia types can become unruly over time. Fortunately, with a little know-how, a good pair of snips, and some patience, you’ll be rewarded with fresh new growth, loads of bright salvia blooms, and the bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds they invariably attract.