When you move your tropical plants back inside for winter you don’t want to bring any unwanted pests along with them. A few smart steps – timed right and done carefully – will keep aphids, spiders mites, whiteflies, and other hitchhikers from settling into your indoor garden. Planning ahead will ensure your plants come in clean, healthy, and ready for … Continue reading →
Echinacea (coneflower) is one of the most dependable perennials for Kamloops gardens. It thrives in our hot, dry summers, offering wide daisy‑like petals and raised centres that shine from July into early fall. With a little late‑season attention, it can keep blooming just when the rest of the garden begins to wind down. Beyond their colour, echinacea flowers play an … Continue reading →
Coleus is one of the easiest ways to bring bold colour into Kamloops gardens. With their bright foliage and endless patterns, they shine in containers, borders, and shady corners. Even better – you can keep your favourite varieties from year to year simply be saving them each fall. Although coleus is usually grown as an annual, it’s actually a tender … Continue reading →
September is one of the most productive—and forgiving—months in a Kamloops garden. Cooler nights, warm days, and soil that still holds summer heat make it ideal for planting, dividing, cleaning up, and preparing for winter. Planting & Dividing Spring bulbs — Plant hardy bulbs such as daffodils, tulips, and crocus. Choose large, firm bulbs, add a bulb fertilizer, and water … Continue reading →
Hydrangeas are among the most beloved shrubs in Kamloops gardens, offering months of spectacular color from late spring well into fall. As summer winds down, those once‑vibrant blooms begin to fade—and this is when one of the simplest but most important hydrangea care tasks comes into play: deadheading. Deadheading in late summer keeps your hydrangeas looking fresh, helps them conserve … Continue reading →
Creating Beautiful, Resilient Landscapes in a Semi‑Arid Climate Kamloops gardeners know better than most that summer heat can be relentless. With long stretches of hot, dry weather and increasingly common water restrictions, choosing plants that thrive in drought conditions isn’t just practical — it’s essential. Fortunately, many beautiful, hardy plants are perfectly suited to our semi‑arid valley climate. This guide … Continue reading →
A shade cover for heat sensitive plants can reduce UV rays by 70%. Photo: Lee Valley Tools It’s a well-known secret that Kamloops gardeners have a gambling problem. One variety refuses to accept the conventional wisdom that you shouldn’t plant tomatoes before the May long weekend. “But it’s so hot already. A couple of weeks won’t matter,” … Continue reading →
Top Steps for Healthy Growth, Strong Vines & Abundant Blooms Spring is the most important season for setting your clematis up for success. In Kamloops, where spring warms quickly and summer heat arrives fast, these steps help vines establish strong roots, resist wilt, and bloom reliably. Wake‑Up Check (Early Spring – March/April) As soon as snow is gone and soil … Continue reading →
After several years of prolonged droughts, watering restrictions, extreme heat and cold, and the threat of wildfires, home gardeners in this region are looking for ways to cope with the new normal. Here are some suggestions. PLANT OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE You probably know that plant hardiness zones are a fairly reliable guide to what plants will grow in your … Continue reading →
Made from Portland cement, peat moss and vermiculite/perlite, Hypertufa pots, have long been favourites in English alpine gardens. Traditionally shaped into rectangular troughs, they can be made in almost any size or form. Their charm lies in not only their rustic, stone-like appearance but also in their durability: hypertufa is lighter than concrete, far more freeze-resistant than ceramic or terra … Continue reading →
