The big plant sell-offs with drop-dead discounts are on now and every gardener wonders the same thing. Will buying plants in the fall really save money or is it false economy to shop for plants in September?

If I was a meteorologist, I could answer the question of "how late can I plant?" with more accuracy. however, I'm a gardener and can only speak for the plants.

Here are five reasons why late plants don't transplant well, one thing you can do to help the survive and a list of plants waiting for you to buy them right now.

Tidying up your yard and garden for a more attractive sell

It is pretty standard practice to tidy your house before resale, so I was surprised when my 30-year-old son, a newly minted professional, emailed me a photo of a house he was buying in Smithers, B.C.

There were clothes on the floor in one shot and people lounging on the couch in another. It didn't seem like there was any tidying evident, and he wasn't the least bit worried about it.

Local and chemical free, the best food money can buy

It was a gathering of the chefs recently when Galimax, an Alberta fresh food wholesaler, invited chefs, gardeners and other interested foodies on a southern Alberta field trip to see food — real food — being raised for city folk in Calgary.

Two buses of food enthusiasts spent 11 hours visiting and investigating different farmers and local food. We discovered old eggs have a sloppy egg-white and a weak yolk. We learned pigs will cross the road from barn to field even though the road is not fenced, yet not escape to freedom.

A look at the beneficial - and not so beneficial - insects in your garden

Aphids are considered bad bugs. They multiply in the garden and are visible on the tips of rose bushes and highly fertilized annuals. The first line of defence against aphids is water. Hose off plants or clip off and throw away aphidcovered growing tips. Another option is to let the good bugs get rid of the bad bugs for you.

A look at the beneficial - and not so beneficial - insects in your garden

Aphids are considered bad bugs. They multiply in the garden and are visible on the tips of rose bushes and highly fertilized annuals. The first line of defence against aphids is water. Hose off plants or clip off and throw away aphidcovered growing tips. Another option is to let the good bugs get rid of the bad bugs for you.

Some options for swinging away on a summer's day

Summer has finally arrived and it's always best to be outside on a beautiful day. Of all the outdoor furniture pieces on my "must-have" list, the hammock remains my No. 1 choice. What could be better than swinging away on a lazy afternoon with a cool drink and a good book?

Flowers and vegetables that offer some tasty tidbits for your table

So, time to fess up now. Do you ever feel like a bit of a show off?

I might have been showing off a bit when my new Italian friend Josie dropped by last week to see my greenhouse.

A lesson for all gardeners following the flooding of June 2013

Caenie's new plant floated away, Laurie lost her large wooden planter and at least one golf course lost all the sand from the bunkers and never got it back. For gardeners and golf courses in the affected areas, the aftermath of the last year's floods is still being dealt with.

When I asked my daughter Chelsie Anderson, who is also a gardener, if there was anything different in her client's yards after last year's floods, she told me about Caenie and Laurie, and was quick to add: "(There are also) lots of dead lawns. The silt was too thick for it to benefit the lawns, so there are lots of dead patches in people's gardens.

Five tips for big gardens in small spaces

A dog needs to bark and a cat needs to meow. Does that mean a gardener needs a garden to garden?

Not really.

Some of the best gardeners have tiny balconies or do all their gardening on their front step. I learned this lesson in Dubrovnik, a centuries-old city in Europe where entire gardens are built on front steps.

Echeverias proving popular for summer nuptials

Two out of two brides have asked me to help them find the same plants for their wedding this summer.

OK - it's true - I only know two brides-to-be, but I was surprised they both inquired about the same plant. My niece Ayla and the daughter of my university roommate , Kendra, asked me about succulent plants for their big days.