Faithful Fall Colour
I’m a big fan of reliable, low maintenance plants that provide great colour. Michaelmas daisies have always been near the top of my list and this new ‘Sapphire’ variety has made a great plant even better. These abundant amethyst-blue blooms are a welcome addition to the fall garden – especially since they come with a no-fuss guarantee.

Excellent Echinacea
Two new Echinacea plants prove once again that brains and beauty can come in one package. This ‘Green Eyes’ variety has turned up the heat on colour: these brilliant magenta petals surround a bright green central cone that will mature to a rich orange colour.

And if you want to plant a little hope in your garden this year – you can: with every ‘Hope’ Echinacea plant sold in Canada this year, a donation will be made to breast cancer research. This plant not only looks gorgeous, it feeds butterflies in summer, birds in fall, and helps keep us humans healthy all year. I can’t think of a better symbol for hope and healing than this strong, hardworking and generous flower.

Crocodile Smiles
The new ‘Crocodile’ series of snapdragons have a wonderful trailing habit combined with brighter colours and larger blooms – a terrific combo. No wonder this is the flower that turns children into gardeners and gardeners into children.

Dancing Divas
I’ve always thought fuchsias look like dancing ballerinas. These new ‘Diva’ series are built for North American summer heat and will keep on flowering from early spring through fall. They are very shade tolerant, and the white really sparkles on a shady porch or under a dense maple tree.

Small But Mighty
Firefly Mini Impatiens are getting lots of attention this season. Breeding has brightened up the colour palate and made the blooms slightly bigger. And, like all impatiens, they are amazingly heat tolerant and floriferous. New colours include blush, red, rose and violet.

1. It’s all about drainage
   Not all soil is created equal, different types absorb water differently: sandy soil lets water slip through too quickly, while clay-heavy soil absorbs water too slowly. Loam soil is the ideal combination of silt, sand and clay. It absorbs water well, making it accessible to plant roots. Good irrigation begins with amending your soil, supplementing sandy soil or breaking down clay to get optimal drainage.
   
2. Take care of your roots
   Reduce soil erosion and slow water evaporation around the base of plants with a 2-3 inch layer of mulch. This also protects plants from both early/late frost and the worst heat of summer. Loosening the soil around plants will also help water absorb into the soil more quickly.
   

3. Go automatic if you can afford it
   Bottom line: watering with a sprinkler is wasteful. A properly installed and programmed automatic irrigation system is more than just convenient (especially if you travel), it’s better for your garden. Sprinklers can’t target the different needs throughout your garden: some areas get over watered, others don’t get enough. Too much water causes roots to rot, encourages slugs and other pests, and leads to soil erosion. The cost of replacing dead and damaged plants will soon outweigh the cost of an automatic irrigation system.
   
4. Timing is everything
   Water evaporates quickly on windy days and under a hot sun. The best times to water your garden are early morning or late in the day, preferably after sunset. Timing also applies to the whole growing season: plants are thirstier in summer than in spring and fall.
   
5. Maintain your system
   Broken or misdirected sprinklers mean your plants will suffer. Plus, it can waste 5 to 10 gallons of water a minute, depending on the size of your system. Watch for excessive puddling, runoff or overspray of irrigation water. Also, watch your garden and adjust your irrigation system as plants grow up around sprinklers, blocking spray.