Recently came across a great quote in The Interview section of Maclean's August 22, 2016 magazine.  Alison Gopnik said: What it really means to be a good gardener is to work hard to produce an ecosystem that will have enough diversity, enough possibilities, so it's robust, and it's resilient, and it can change when the seasons change.

Rhubarb

Here are some tips for growing rhubarb, an early season treat, from me, the Western Garden Book and the Practical Guide to Gardening in Canada (by Reader's Digest)

Tidy Edges

Tidy edges make all the difference to the subconsious appeal of a property's garden.  They sharply deliniate borders, creating a contrast between soft plant material and hardscape, or, a clear transition between lawn and flower/veggie bed.  It's a quick and easy job using either a straight edged shovel or an edger.  It's worth doing the edges once or twice a year.

Bags in Trees

Fruit tree branches can be weighted with either branch weights purchased from Lee Valley, or doggie bags filled with dirt.  By weighting the branches, as a heavy load of fruit would naturally, the branch will continue to grow horizontally and produce more fruit in subsequent years than branches growing vertically.

Garden Notes

As questions come up in the garden, I try to look up the answers in a timely manner.  The following are some of the answers I've found in my gardening books.