In Calgary, August is the big getaway month for many families with kids. In fact, the city looks like a ghost town some days. However, in the backyard there is a riot of ripening activity on the vines and in the ground this month.

How to take pieces of your garden with you when you move

If you want to move your entire garden when you sell your home, think again. First, it's illegal, and second, plants ripped out randomly in summer wilt and die unless pampered.

But what if you have a sentimental piece of grandma's peony, a special perennial plant or a friend's perfect poppy? Taking bits and pieces of your garden with you without changing the look of the yard is possible with these tips:

Heat waves are on the way

Do plants really wilt faster during Stampede heat? Or is it just that we are away from home for longer periods, indulging in pancake breakfasts and evening rodeos? If your petunias are panting, follow these tips to keep them alive while you are out enjoying the festivities.

How to create a great backyard getaway for patio season

Patio season is underway, so it's time to get your garden ready. With a little planning, you can make your own cozy corner for sitting and entertaining a reality this weekend.

Middle-aged gardens are easy to enjoy

New homes offer garden "potential," but "middle-aged" homes have the garden goods. They are packed with free stuff: plants, patios, fences and fixtures. But how do you look after mature gardens this month?

Five simple tips for new-home horticulture

What makes a new home your new home? When you plant petunias, of course – or tomatoes, or your grandma's old peony...

This month, we celebrate your new home garden with five simple tips for success:

The top home renovation apps for your next project

When searching for new property listings, we all know to turn to realtor.ca. But where do you go for support when starting a home improvement project? Before you roll up your sleeves or slip on your work boots, go high-tech with these top home improvement and renovation apps.

Embracing the possibilities of outdoor living

Given Calgary's sometimes seemingly endless winters, it's important to make the most of summer.
That's why people have embraced landscaping trends that create outdoor living spaces in their own backyard.

Calgary's Seedy Saturday offers unprecedented opportunity for local gardeners to try new things

What is the big green event for gardeners this month? If you guessed St. Paddy's Day, you've got the right date, but the wrong activity.

The garden event in Calgary on March 17 involves green, but goes so much further than green beer or shamrocks. Seedy Saturday is a worldwide adventure for gardeners who want to grow their own organic food from locally sourced and selected seeds. Supporting Seedy Saturdays builds community and local habitat.

HGTV star Todd Talbot shares advice from 20 years in real estate at the Calgary Home and Garden Show

At the age of 22, Vancouver actor Todd Talbot bought his first home, paying his mortgage with the help of a rent-paying friend.

It was a unique occurrence among his theatre colleagues.

"(As an actor) you don't make a ton of money and you are pretty transient," said Talbot, who, as a teenager, appeared on the Hillside TV series with fellow Vancouverite and current Hollywood heavyweight Ryan Reynolds.

However, it was this initial foray into real estate – $190,000 for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo two blocks from Kitsilano Beach – that sparked Talbot's second career as an entrepreneur, leveraging one piece of property for another, and then another, and eventually leading to ownership of several real estate companies.