Welcome to The Fabulous Garden!
My name is Jennifer Arnott and I created this site to be a resource for people who want a garden they can be proud of.
Please scroll down this page to see my most recent posts, use the search box if you're looking for something specific, or select one of the following topics:

Lessons From The Garden of 2020
The one real blessing of the last year was being home enough to spend at least a little bit of time in my garden every…
Read MorePlant bulbs now; you’ll thank yourself next spring
This fall, more than any other, I urge you to plant some spring blooming bulbs. Most of us are looking ahead to what is likely…
Read MoreDeadhead Cosmos for More Blooms
I grew an orange variety of Cosmos flowers, called ‘Bright Lights’, and I’ve been loving their vibrant blooms! I had only grown the white ones…
Read MoreMaking a Coco Liner Fit an Oblong Planter Basket
I have a long rectangular planter basket on the side of my house. Pre-shaped liners (like these ones*) don’t seem to come in the right…
Read MoreIs It Ok to Braid Daffodil Leaves?
About this time of year I start getting questions along the line of “My daffodils are finished blooming. Is it ok if I braid the…
Read MoreHow to Easily Remove the Hangers From a Plastic Hanging Basket
I’ve purchased many beautiful plants that came in those ubiquitous plastic planters with the plastic hangers on them. I’m not fond of the look of…
Read MoreHow to Grow Tomatoes From Seed – Part 3
So, you’ve planted tomato seeds (Part 1) and are nurturing them along with appropriate levels of light and water (Part 2). If you followed my…
Read MoreHow to Grow Tomatoes From Seed – Part 2
If you’ve followed all of the steps in part one of this tutorial, you will now have baby tomato plants, each with two little leaves:…
Read MoreHow to Grow Tomatoes From Seed – Part 1
I don’t believe that growing tomato plants from seeds is the best way for new gardeners to get into gardening (read my plea for new…
Read MoreHow Much Soil Should You Put in a Pot?
Everyone knows that plants need soil to survive and thrive, but I’ve recently realized that some people have questions about how far up the side…
Read MoreNotes on Pruning Climbing Roses
With gardening, there is always more to learn. I’ve written previously about spring pruning roses, and I stand by the tips and techniques in that…
Read MoreHow to Prepare a Large Planter Pot for Planting
Large planters provide room for lots of creativity, and add more impact to a garden than you can achieve through a collection of small pots,…
Read MorePlant Profile: Monarda
Monarda is also known as Bee Balm, Oswego Tea and Bergamot. Rubbing the leaves releases a scent reminsent of Earl Grey Tea, and until very…
Read MoreHow to Make a Winter Planter Arrangement (2019)
I was really looking forward to decorating my new giant planter pot for Christmas this year, but hadn’t reckoned on needing to do it in…
Read MoreThe Flower Arranger’s Secret for Professional Looking Winter Arrangements and Urns
When you create arrangements with evergreens and twigs you inevitably need to cut some of the pieces shorter, This leaves a fresh, often bright white,…
Read MoreHow to Attach a Stick to a Pine Cone
I love using pine cones in my winter planter arrangements. They’re a nice decorative touch. You can buy pine cones with sticks already attached*…
Read MoreWhat do you do with hostas in the fall?
That’s the question a new homeowner asked me last week. “I just bought a house and the yard is full of hostas. What do I…
Read MoreHow to Get A Small Pond Ready for Winter
I’ve written previously about how I created my little pond (aka my pond-in-a-bucket) out of a hard sided pond liner. Because it’s made out of…
Read MoreGardening Is Paying Attention
While I was driving to work this morning I noticed that someone had wrapped all of the young deciduous trees and small shrubs in their…
Read MorePlant Profile: Night Sky Petunia
While out shopping for annual plants for my containers this spring I was stopped in my tracks by a petunia unlike any other I’d ever…
Read MoreDo I Really Need to Clean the Mud Off My Tools?
I understand the temptation to just stash your tools away, mud and all, after a hard day’s work of gardening. Why bother to clean them…
Read MoreHow to Repair a Leak in Your Small Pond
I built a very small water feature in my back garden several years ago. It is essentially a pond in a black plastic bucket. Retailers…
Read MoreBuild a Simple Pond or Water Feature
In my garden I have what I not so gracefully call a pond-in-a-bucket. It is more elegantly referred to as a water feature. I installed…
Read MorePlant profile: Winter Aconite
The earliest bulb to bloom in my garden each spring is Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis). It’s bright yellow buds poke up through the soil as…
Read MoreLong Branch Garden Tour 2019
The Long Branch Garden Tour took place on Saturday, June 22nd. This year’s tour, the third ever, was listed as the largest free garden tour…
Read MoreHow to Divide Hostas
Hostas are problem solver plants–they tolerate a lot of shade so perform well in areas where other plants often don’t, they emerge from the earth…
Read MoreHow to Have Full, Lush Garden Beds
For the style of gardening I like most and try to maintain, the goal is to have garden beds that are packed full of plants…
Read MoreHow to Have More Big Begonia Blooms
Begonias have amazing flowers. Vibrant colours and so many petals; each one is a little masterpiece! But have you noticed that some flowers…
Read MoreHow to Tell When a Hanging Basket Needs Watering
I believe that watering is the most important factor in determining whether or not you’ll have success growing plants in a hanging basket. Water them…
Read MoreHow to Fix a Weld Without Welding
The weld attaching the handle to my watering can broke a few weeks ago. This set me off on a quest to buy a…
Read MoreHow to Harvest Rhubarb
One of the first edible things you can pick in the garden each year is rhubarb. I usually start harvesting mine in late May or…
Read MoreHow to Rescue a Root Bound Seedling
The scene repeats itself again and again, in gardens around the world, every year. The story goes like this; you’ve purchased your seedlings and you’re…
Read MorePlant Profile: Catmint
Catmint is a compact plant with small green leaves and small purple flowers that looks nice as an edging plant. Catmint is often confused with…
Read MoreHow to Prune Barberry (Berberis)
Berberis thunbergii, known as Japanese Barberry, has become a very common shrub in my area. Cultivars with dark burgundy leaves (like Berberis thunbergii ‘Royal Burgundy’)…
Read MoreHow to Prune Hydrangeas
Hydrangeas are a fabulous shrub for the garden. Plant breeders have done some great work over the last decade or so to improve some of…
Read MoreHow to Divide and Multiply Primulas
Primula, commonly called primroses, are among the earliest perennial flowers to bloom in my garden. Their leaves are almost evergreen, although by spring they’re looking…
Read MoreCompost for the Garden (for Urban Gardeners)
If I lived on a larger property, I’d have a proper compost pile, or rather piles. Compost needs to be turned (stirred) periodically, and the…
Read MoreDividing Alpine Strawberries
Strawberries are a great plant to grow, as there’s nothing quite like a truly ripe (not picked sort of ripe so they ship well) strawberry…
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