A sneak peek into this year's Home & Garden Show

If you could grow healthy lettuce with the same protein value as steak, would you? After all, according to Steve Solomon, author of The Intelligent Gardener, it's possible to grow lettuce with 20 per cent protein simply by mineralizing your soil.

Solomon mocks garden writers, myself included. He says, in a long and thorough way, most of us do not replace the minerals in the soil at the same ratio we take them out when we harvest plants.

So I decided to test my soil recently, and I got some bad news.

My problem is I am afraid to pollute the soil with excess fertilizers, so I add only natural ingredients like compost and worm castings. Solomon, who used to be an organic farmer, says compost is not enough. The soil system is broken and compost alone will not put our humpty dumpty soil together again.

Reinvigorate your space with a personal hue

There's nothing like a downturn in the economy to make you rethink your priorities.

Yet you don't have to give up on great style. Instead, you just have to find new ways of spending less on great things, as well as you determine what can and cannot live without – in other words, become a creative director of your own fabulous space.

Start with the backdrop. There isn't much that invigorates a room more than a fresh new coat of colour. I have my go-to colours, which are tried and true: timeless shades of whites and grays; greens and blues that evoke serenity, soulfulness and calm.

If you want a hint of glam or mood, be brave choose a saturated palette. Use a rebellious colour, introducing a passionate and romantic mix that will add sophistication and attitude to your room. Paint a master bathroom with deep turquoise blue high gloss so candlelight reflects off the walls, impersonating that of a moonlit ocean.

Setting the table for a perfect soirée

There is not a week more beautiful than the one before Christmas – despite the craziness of decorating the home, last-minute shopping, attending kid's concerts and, most importantly, planning holiday soirées.

The coming days will call for equal parts of cosy warmth, pops of posh, tasty appies and sparkling embellishments – whether to be hung on a tree or drank from a glass. All that sparkles matters at this time of year.

Try to keep it simple when planning your parties. You should enjoy preparing for it as much as being present at it.

Change your world one carrot at a time



Back in 1912, it was illegal to buy locally grown carrots in Calgary. Instead, vegetables had to be imported from British Columbia, and they often arrived mouldy.

Annie Gale, a then 35-year-old immigrant took it upon herself to rebel against mouldy carrots. Eventually she became Calgary's first female alderman, later helping to change the law so we could all buy local food.

By 1914, she also helped start the Vacant Lots Garden Club so every new immigrant had access to land to grow his or her own food. One could say Gale helped change her world one carrot at a time.

Bright ideas this holiday season

December offers a banquet for the senses and many chances to lose ourselves in the deliciousness of all the sights and sounds of the season.

Stop dreading the repetitive Christmas music. Embrace it and create your own playlist. Treasure every moment as if you were eight years old, beginning the holidays with excitement, gratitude and thanks.

Christmas is not just a time of year. It is a state of mind. It is a delightful feeling within cherishing fond memories, filling your hearts with goodwill, home, help and hope. This is the time when you can create the warm and inviting dreamy holiday vignettes you've seen in magazines, layering faux fur blankets, tapestries and velvet pillows that all speak Christmas.

Furniture should speak to your soul

Selecting your furniture is an exciting-but-challenging task in which scale, colour, style and function are all considered.

Yet don't just fill your space; fulfill your space.

Both should feed your soul; it should seduce you into wanting to stay in that room forever, engaging your emotions with serenity, comfort and sensibility. This will happen when you consider the perimeters of your space; appropriately scaled furniture, whether a casual or formal lifestyle, can make or break a lovely design.

Create a natural focal point this fall to view from the inside looking out

I had a single dahlia plant left in my garden. It was battered into the ground by heavy winds and rain. The flowers on the plant, already lying on the ground, had aphids, spiders and slugs living in them. But from a distance, they looked shabby chic beautiful.

Studies show views of nature improve our mood and relax our minds. Improving the view of nature from your window, even if you live on the 10th floor of a high-rise building, might seem impossible this late in the season. But as long as you have a balcony or small patio, improving the view is simple. Just add flowers, dead or alive.

Instead of cutting my dahlias and dumping them, or bringing dahlia blooms with bugs into my home, I clipped the best blooms from my plant and placed them in a large, shallow, water-filled salad bowl. Then, I left the bowl outdoors on my patio table, where I enjoy them from my dining room.

Creating a memorable home for buyers

Allow me to introduce myself. I am a designer of buildings and space. But I'm also a designer of many other things.

I call myself an accomplished creator of architectural and interior designs. I have worked with custom homebuilders and unconventional new builds such as bale houses. In fact, I happen to live in a house made of straw.

I've also had a chance to work with restaurants, churches and commercial buildings, including a No. 1 tourist destination spa in Saskatchewan. I like to call my personal signature "casual elegance."

It has been almost two decades since I first started my design career. I have since had my designs published in magazines across the city. Now, I'm excited to have the opportunity to share my design ideas and creativity with CREB®Now readers.

Three garden tasks you don't have to do this fall

Mowing down your perennials the way you mow your lawn is not the best way to spend your time this fall. If you have your shears in hand, gently place them on the shelf in the shed and take a minute to read this fast-breaking gardening news.

1. There is no need to cut back most perennials in the fall:

Gardeners often cut plants back to within an inch of their life while plants are still green, still blooming or still providing interest. If you cut back green plants, you remove stored energy and weaken plants.

Roots run deep when talking about timing

Dear Donna,
"I appreciate all of your gardening work, and thought you might be able to help me with a general question I have (or perhaps guide me to someone who can; so far a web search has not been successful)? When, roughly speaking, is the best time to plant trees in Calgary? Spring or fall? If spring, are we talking early spring – i.e. beginning of April, or more like the end of May?
- Joe K

Dear Joe,
With exceptions, I would plant trees in Calgary when the soil is thawed fully in spring from May into June. This gives the tree a chance to root more efficiently and benefit from our normal spring rains.