Melanie Mathieson – Gardening Guru

By Melanie Mathieson The Gardening Guru Light, temperature, humidity, and ventilation are chief home environmental factors affecting plant growth. Any one of these in incorrect proportions will prevent proper plant growth indoors. Before purchasing any house plant, you need to do your research, as well as take a look at […]

By Melanie Mathieson The Gardening Guru Epsom salts can be a way to help green up your garden naturally. Epsom salts contain magnesium and sulfur—two elements found in nature that are important for plant growth. Magnesium helps form chlorophyll in plants and is essential for photosynthesis. Magnesium also is critical […]

By Melanie Mathieson The Gardening Guru When planning a landscape or garden design, you should consider including a few shrubs. There are hundreds of shrub species, varieties, and forms available for our growing zone. They are available in many shapes, sizes, and characteristics, as well as an array of leaf […]

By Melanie Mathieson The Gardening Guru Have you ever noticed that our food does not have the same flavour intensity as it did about a decade ago? Food today does not seem to have that taste bud-popping flavour we remember. And the reason is that much of our food has […]

By Melanie Mathieson The Gardening Guru Recently, I was contacted by a client to do a garden design for their front flowerbed. This client was interested in a makeover to the current garden, with low maintenance as the ultimate goal. As I started the interview, it quickly came to light […]

By Melanie Mathieson The Gardening Guru Many people do not like to garden because of the work involved keeping the weeds at bay. Ask any gardener what the most negative aspect of gardening is and they almost always reply, “Weeds.” It’s true that weeds and unwanted plants are present in […]

By Melanie Mathieson The Gardening Guru Many gardeners often are confused between the terms annuals and perennials, and which plants belong in each category. The classification of plants is determined by its life cycle. The life cycle of an annual, for instance, is complete in one growing season—starting from a […]

By Melanie Mathieson The Gardening Guru If you are looking for an evergreen tree to add beauty to your landscape, then consider a spruce. There are many spruce species that are well-suited for growing well and surviving the winters in our zone. Spruce trees should be planted in a full […]

By Melanie MathiesonThe Gardening Guru

With the unusual warm weather, all of the snow gone, and the lake ice starting to break up, many people are itching to get outside and start gardening. I also share the enthusiasm for the extraordinary weather, but you have to be careful not to get ahead of yourself with […]

When people hear the word peony, they most often think back to the garden of their grandmother or great-grandmother. Peonies have been around for generations because they are reliable, winter-hardy, quick-growing perennials with one of the most favoured flowers. These easy care perennials provide a garden with a sweet scented […]

Have you ever thought about adding a vine to your landscape or garden? Vines—whether annual or perennial—may be just what you need to add a focal point with some height, cover an unsightly object, grow fruit, or just add a special plant to your landscape. The first step is to […]