Bluestem Gardening

2026

15 Minutes
Eco-Friendly Maintenance Structures and Hardscapes Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Gardening

The Deck Paint That Won’t Poison Your Garden (And Actually Protects It)

barbara April 1, 2026 0 Comment on The Deck Paint That Won’t Poison Your Garden (And Actually Protects It)
Choose deck finishes with VOC levels below 50 grams per liter to protect the herbs, vegetables, and flowers thriving around your outdoor space. Traditional deck paints and stains release volatile organic compounds that settle...
Read More
12 Minutes
Seasonal and Climate Considerations

These Summer Flowers Will Keep Your Garden Blooming Until Fall

barbara March 27, 2026 0 Comment on These Summer Flowers Will Keep Your Garden Blooming Until Fall
Plant continuous bloomers like coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, and salvia that naturally flower from June through September without deadheading. Combine early, mid, and late-season <a href="https://bluestem.ca/seasonal-and-climate-considerations/burst-of-sunshine-17-stunning-summer-flowers-to-brighten-your-garden/">summer flowers</a> in the same bed so new blooms emerge...
Read More
14 Minutes
Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Gardening

Why Your Garden Tools Are Secretly Harming the Planet (And What to Buy Instead)

barbara March 25, 2026 0 Comment on Why Your Garden Tools Are Secretly Harming the Planet (And What to Buy Instead)
Check product labels for FSC-certified wood, recycled content percentages, and third-party sustainability certifications before you buy any gardening tool or planter. Companies using vague terms like “eco-friendly” or “natural” without specific credentials are often...
Read More

You May Have Missed!

17 MinutesGloved hand testing soil moisture next to a mulched clump of purple coneflowers and black-eyed Susans in a well-maintained perennial bed, softly lit by golden hour with a blurred garden path and tools in the background
Perennial Gardens
Why Your Perennials Keep Dying (And How Seasonal Care Fixes Everything)
April 5, 2026
18 MinutesHoneybee drinking nectar from a purple coneflower at golden hour in a native garden, with a blurred monarch on milkweed and a hummingbird near red tubular flowers, plus a faint mulch path and clay pots in the background.
Sustainable Design and Planning
Transform Your Garden Into a Pollinator Paradise (Without Starting Over)
April 4, 2026
16 MinutesGloved hands spreading dark compost over overlapping cardboard in a new no-dig raised bed at golden hour, with leafy garden beds, a wheelbarrow, and a straw bale softly blurred in the background.
Specialized Gardening Methods
Why Your Back Will Thank You for Switching to No-Dig Gardening
April 3, 2026
14 MinutesClose-up of a straw bale being conditioned: a gloved hand sprinkles granular fertilizer while a hose showers water over the bale, with seedling trays and sunlit garden beds softly blurred in the background.
Specialized Gardening Methods
Why Your Straw Bales Need Conditioning Before You Plant Anything
April 2, 2026