It is time to stop feeding your houseplants or, at the very least, feed sparingly using fertilizer that is diluted by at least half. The short daylight hours and resulting lower light conditions slow down a plant’s metabolism and the…

Young conifer trees and shrubs as well as rhododendrons need protection from the drying effects of winter winds and sun.  Build a screen using burlap and fence posts to provide protection from the wind on the windward side and from…

Overnight temperatures can vary widely in November. Should frost threaten, put old sheets, dark plastic, or burlap over your tender plants. Just remember to remove them when the temperature rises. This lengthens the season in both flower beds and vegetable…

Rosemary will not survive our cold winters outdoors but can be grown indoors.  Pot it up using an growing medium for containers.  Bring it indoors gradually so that it has time to acclimatize to its new environment – for an…

Young and newly planted trees are vulnerable to both sun-scald and four-legged creatures nibbling on their bark in the winter.  Protect the tender bark by wrapping the trunk with burlap, kraft paper or hardware cloth.  The protection should go from…

Amaryllis should be grown in a pot that is no more than 2 to 2.5 cm larger than the bulb.  Several amaryllis bulbs can be placed together in a larger pot.  Leave approximately one third of the bulb exposed and…

If you are planning to purchase a live Christmas tree, dig the hole now before the ground freezes.  Keep the soil dug out of the hole in a place where it won’t freeze so that you can use it to…

Now that the leaves are falling, you will be able to see the egg cases left behind by this year’s viburnum leaf beetle infestation. They are usually found on the underside of the youngest, smallest twigs. You can see images…

Rose bushes need to be protected from the freeze/thaw cycles that our winters bring us.  Pile a layer of peat moss, compost or shredded leaves around the bottom 20 cm of your rose bushes after the ground has frozen.…

Root vegetables such as carrots and parsnips are sweeter after hard frost and can be harvested all winter. Remove top foliage from the plants and cover them with 15 cm of leaves or straw. Cover with an old piece of…