Summer Gardening

I had the opportunity to attend a Toronto Botanical Garden tour in the Rosedale neighborhood. What an opportunity it was to see some mature and well established gardens and to see some newer and updated gardens in the area as well. Also some interesting hardscaping.  As many people ooh’d and aah’d at some of the …Read more About “A Peek Inside Rosedale Gardens”

Lilacs can have lovely long seasons depending on the weather. Here is picture of how to trim off the old blooms without damaging next years flower.                       I do recommend pruning off 1/3 of the shrub, like mentioned in previous posts, once the lilac has …Read more About “Techniques To Improve Lilac Pruning”

A hot trend that seems to be growing in popularity with the help from other trends, growing your own herbs and veggies, small backyard sizes and the convenience of container gardening. Vertical garden ideas and examples are everywhere. Here are a few that I have found on Pinterest.  

After reading an article in Garden Making magazine* regarding Ontario’s 2009 ban on cosmetic pesticides, it’s obvious the debate between pro-pesticide and anti-pesticides will continue for awhile. As will the concern, not only for our personal lawns but for the many parks and public lawns that we have grown used to being beautifully green, manicured …Read more About “Do You Really Need A Lawn? This Will Help You Decide!”

Alternatives to a lawn…   Read more about lawn free spaces and see more of my designs in my blog post:  “Do You Really Need A Lawn? This Will Help You Decide!”  

I often say a great garden is about the right plant in the right spot. Nowhere is this more true than in my own garden. My house faces east and I put some favourite long blooming perennials flanking each side of my front steps.  Three years later, it was clear that the right side (south) …Read more About “A Great Garden Is About The Right Plant In The Right Spot”

Are you one? Do you know one? Do you want to be one? Is it a trend or a passing fad? The Oxford dictionary definition of ‘locavore’ is a person whose diet consists only or principally of locally grown or produced food. I think Wikipedia defines it better as a person interested in eating food …Read more About “How To Become A Better Locavore”

Do you plant impatiens every year in your garden or containers? Well this year (2013) you might want to consider something else. Downy Mildew is currently wiping out plantings of this popular annual and even causing growers to stop growing them. I have filled many benches with flats and flats of these annuals and spent …Read more About “Warning: Why You Should Avoid Impatiens Right Now”

This (pictured above) is how to literally *kill* a tree with kindness. Please don’t bury the flare at the base of the trunk in soil or mulch — it will cause moisture damage to the bark and cambium, eventually harming the thing you’re trying to help. If you’re going to mulch, spread it out in …Read more About “Mulch Volcano Season Begins!”