Frankie Flowers

10/06/2026

🌹 The Roses of Normandy 🌹

One of the best parts of travel is slowing down long enough to stop and smell the roses. And Normandy certainly gives you plenty of reasons to.

🌹 Rose Tip #1: Plant roses where they’ll receive at least 6 hours of sunlight each day.

🌹 Rose Tip #2: Water deeply at the base of the plant to encourage strong roots and healthier blooms.

🌹 Rose Tip #3: Take time to enjoy them. Roses aren’t just about flowers they’re about fragrance, memories, and moments.

Travel does the same thing. It gets us out of our routines, opens our eyes to new ideas, and reminds us to appreciate the beauty that’s often right in front of us.

From the gardens of Normandy to our own backyards in Canada, take the time to slow down, breathe deeply, and yes... smell the roses.

Roses FrankieFlowers GardenTravel

08/06/2026

If there’s one vegetable that deserves a spot in almost every garden, it’s Swiss chard.

While exploring gardens in France, I saw firsthand how beautifully edible plants can be woven into the landscape. Swiss chard is the perfect example, colourful stems, bold foliage, and a long harvest season make it just as attractive as many ornamental plants.

One of my biggest takeaways was the use of rhythmic planting , repeating plants, colours, and forms throughout the garden to create movement and cohesion. Imagine pockets of bright-stemmed Swiss chard appearing throughout a garden bed, drawing your eye from one area to the next.

I was also inspired by the tradition of potager gardening, where vegetables, herbs, fruits, and flowers are grown together in a way that’s both productive and beautiful. In a French potager, Swiss chard isn’t tucked away in a vegetable patch — it’s celebrated as part of the design.

🇫🇷Lessons from France:
• Grow vegetables that are beautiful enough to be ornamental.
• Repeat plants throughout the garden to create rhythm.
• Mix edibles and flowers together.
• Let your garden be both productive and inspiring.

Swiss chard proves you don’t have to choose between beauty and harvest, you can have both.

08/06/2026

The flowers of Les Andelys 🇫🇷

07/06/2026

Paris Through My Eyes 🇫🇷✨

Early morning streets before the crowds, colourful flower markets, hidden street art, charming cafés, and the iconic landmarks that make Paris famous around the world.

While the monuments are spectacular, it’s the little moments in between—the quiet corners, fresh blooms, and everyday life—that make this city truly magical.

🌷🇫🇷✨

03/06/2026

🚜 Excavator? Click.
🛠️ Shovel? Click.
🌳 Planting a tree? Click.

No matter the project, the answer is always the same: Click before you dig.

Many outdoor projects, big or small, can strike underground utilities including gas, hydro, water, telecommunications, and more. Before you break ground, request your free locates through Ontario One Call, so utility owners can mark the area.

It’s quick, it’s free, and it’s the law.

Visit OntarioOneCall.ca before starting your next outdoor project.

31/05/2026

🌴🍑 2026 Front Entrance Container Combo: Tropical Peach 🍑🌴

This year’s front entrance containers are bringing all the tropical vibes with a warm peachy twist!

✨ The recipe:
🌺 Hibiscus Standard – the thriller that steals the show
🌿 Cordyline – adds height, texture, and a tropical feel
🖤 Black Petunia & Salmon Garvinea Gerbera Daisy – bold fillers that create contrast and colour
🍓 Strawberry Punch Calibrachoa – nonstop blooms and trailing colour
🍠 Dark Leaf Sweet Potato Vine – dramatic foliage that spills beautifully
🌸 I’conia Begonias – heat-loving colour that keeps the containers full and vibrant

Container planting tips:
✔️ Start with a thriller, filler, and spiller formula
✔️ Use high-quality potting soil, never garden soil - I use Miracle Gro Moisture Control potting mix
✔️ Add a slow-release fertilizer at planting time , like Miracle Gro Shake N Feed.

✔️ Water deeply and consistently, especially during summer heat
✔️ Don’t be afraid to mix foliage and flowers—the contrast is what makes containers pop!

The goal? A container that looks lush in May and spectacular by August. 🌺

What would you name this combo?

29/05/2026

Ever wonder why Gazanias close their flowers at night or on cloudy days?

Gazanias are daylight-sensitive plants, which means their blooms respond to light levels. In bright sunshine, they open wide to attract pollinators and soak up the sun. When the light fades, the flowers close up to protect their pollen and conserve energy.

This natural plant behaviour is called nyctinasty, a fancy gardening term for flowers that open and close based on light and day-night cycles.

☀️ Full sun = flowers open
☁️ Cloudy skies = flowers may stay partially closed
🌙 Nighttime = flowers tuck themselves in for bed

Why gardeners love Gazanias:
🌼 Drought tolerant once established
🌼 Brilliant colours from spring to frost
🌼 Perfect for hot, sunny locations
🌼 Great for containers, borders, and rock gardens

Frankie Flowers Tip: If your Gazanias aren’t opening fully, they’re probably asking for more sunshine, not more water.

25/05/2026

Meet the overachiever of the vegetable garden: the humble Nasturtium.
Not only are they ridiculously colourful, they’re also edible, pollinator friendly, and one of the easiest companion plants you can grow.

Why every veggie garden should have them:
Edible flowers & leaves with a peppery flavour (great in salads)
Attract pollinators like bees and hummingbirds
Can act as a trap crop by attracting aphids away from veggies
Host plant for beneficial insects and caterpillars
Thrive in full sun and actually bloom BETTER in poorer soil
Perfect for containers, hanging baskets, raised beds, or spilling as a living groundcover
Their big leaves help shade soil and reduce moisture loss
Available in fiery reds, oranges, yellows, and creamy sunset shades

Bonus tip from Frankie Flowers:
Don’t over fertilize them! Too much fertilizer = lots of leaves and fewer flowers. Nasturtiums love to struggle a little.

If your vegetable garden could use more colour, more pollinators, and fewer problems… plant nasturtiums.

21/05/2026

Monarch Magic Ageratum is living up to its name! This exciting 2025 introduction has monarch butterflies flocking in for a visit all summer long.

This sun-loving annual is easy to grow, heat tolerant, and packed with soft purple-blue blooms that pollinators can’t resist. Plant it in full sun, keep it watered during dry stretches, and deadhead lightly to keep the flowers coming.

Want even MORE monarchs in your garden? 👇
🌿 Plant milkweed nearby for caterpillars
🌸 Add nectar-rich flowers like lantana, zinnias, and coneflowers
🚫 Avoid pesticide sprays
💧 Leave out a shallow water source with pebbles for pollinators to land on

A garden filled with butterflies? That’s pure summer magic. 🦋☀️

20/05/2026

Controlling Ticks around your home? Check out this article for advice:

Discover how to naturally repel ticks using specific plants in your garden. Learn from expert Dr. Nev Zubcevik about the power of plants in tick prevention.