Helen Chesnut

Contributor at Times Colonist

Contributor at The Province

Contributor at The Chronicle Herald

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Articles

How to keep hanging baskets from drying out

1 day ago | ca.news.yahoo.com | Helen Chesnut

How to keep hanging baskets from drying outUse worn kitchen sponges at the bottom of a hanging basket to help hold moisture and release it into the soil as needed, says Helen Chesnut. (Credit: PNG Files)Q. How can I increase moisture retention in the soil of my hanging baskets and patio pots? I used a commercial planting mix, which dries out rather quickly. A. Pot size is a first consideration. The larger the pot the easier it is to keep the soil adequately damp.
How to keep hanging baskets from drying out

1 day ago | theprovince.com | Mary Beth Roberts |Helen Chesnut

Easy tips to lock in waterPublished May 13, 2025 • Last updated 17 minutes ago • 1 minute read You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account. Use worn kitchen sponges at the bottom of a hanging basket to help hold moisture and release it into the soil as needed, says Helen Chesnut. Photo by PNG FilesReviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected.
Helen Chesnut: This spring’s proliferation of bloom has been a cause for some wonderment

5 days ago | timescolonist.com | Helen Chesnut

I cannot remember a year when the springtime garden has bloomed so profusely as this year. Neighbours and gardening friends have been experiencing the same sort of surprising blossom abundance. Even the oldest shrubs, reluctant bloomers of recent years, have been smothered in flowers. A decades-old Viburnum tinus (Laurustinus) is an example. On this shrub, in its prime, flowerbud clusters begin appearing in late summer, with bloom beginning in late winter or early spring.
Helen Chesnut's Garden Notes: Snow pea variety produces tall vines with bicoloured blooms

1 week ago | timescolonist.com | Helen Chesnut

Dear Helen: In a column about a month ago you pictured a pair of beautiful burgundy and lilac flowers on a snow pea vine. The variety had a French name. I’ve lost that column. Can you repeat the variety name and seed source? C.M. That snow pea is not listed this year in any seed catalogue I know of, but there are other varieties with similar flowers. One I’m trying this year is called Swiss Giant Sugar Snack, from Salt Spring Seeds.
Soil thermometer is a helpful guide for timing vegetable planting

1 week ago | theprovince.com | Helen Chesnut

Cold spring nights delay many plantings, but not allPublished May 06, 2025 • Last updated 11 minutes ago • 2 minute read You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account. Optimal soil and air temperatures for planting vary widely among the many different plants we grow, says Helen Chesnut. Photo by Getty ImagesReviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected.
Helen Chesnut: May ushers in a bustling season of activity

1 week ago | timescolonist.com | Helen Chesnut

If Ralph Waldo Emerson was right in saying, “The earth laughs in flowers,” then this favoured part of the Earth that is our island home must be laughing exuberantly. As May ushers in an explosion of bloom, home gardeners hit a peak of activity. Almost everything can be planted this month, even our treasured, warmth-loving tomatoes, cucumbers and squash. This bustling season is reflected in the lengthy list of flower shows, plant sales and garden tours in the Events below.
Tips to ensure arrowhead plants won't collapse

2 weeks ago | theprovince.com | Helen Chesnut

'Why has my arrowhead plant flopped right over?'Published Apr 29, 2025 • Last updated 48 minutes ago • 2 minute read You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account. Arrowhead plants are also known as Nephthytis or Syngonium. Photo by Getty Images/iStockphotoReviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Article contentQ.
Helen Chesnut: Snake’s pest control contributions must be acknowledged

2 weeks ago | timescolonist.com | Helen Chesnut

I saw my first snake of the season on April 1 — not a remarkable occasion in a spring garden, except for the fact that I managed to refrain from my usual shrieking. One memorable event occurred on a long-ago afternoon when a snake reacted to my placing pulled weeds on a wire-enclosed compost pile by shooting out sideways from a wide opening in the fencing, holding a slug in its mouth.
Watch out for wildflower seed mixes that contain invasive species

3 weeks ago | timescolonist.com | Helen Chesnut

Dear Helen: I would like to establish a wildflower area in my backyard. I’m aware that such mixes can contain invasive species (in our area). Would you be able to recommend where I can find a seed mix from that is safe for me to use at my home in North Saanich? L.W. A good choice would probably be the Pacific Northwest Blend of wildflowers from West Coast Seeds. It’s a mix of annuals and perennials selected for their locally adapted, easy growing in our region.
This low-maintenance rosemary variety works well as a divider hedge

3 weeks ago | theprovince.com | Helen Chesnut

Plus: It has a long flowering season and, in bloom, is almost always full of bees. Published Apr 22, 2025 • Last updated 17 minutes ago • 2 minute read You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account. Rosemary bushes make a beautiful low-height hedge. Photo by Thomas Schmidt /Getty Images/iStockphotoReviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected.