A noun. A verb. A blog.
Any gardener with English leanings knows the satisfaction of a good, strong cup of tea, paired with a poke around the garden to see what’s coming up. [Ed: It belongs in the category of “essential garden tools.”] Sarah and I have the good fortune to live within brewing distance of each other. So this is […]
We recently wrote a lawn post, where we encouraged you to add white clover to any lawn overseeding this spring: Clover adds nitrogen to the soil so it’s an excellent organic amendment to any lawn. I have always bought my clover seeds at Farm Co-ops out of town, and didn’t know where you could buy […]
While we’re (almost) on the subject of overgrown trees, take a look at this little linear forest (shown in two seasons). This was once a hedge. That is, it was a hedge till someone put away their shears. If you pay attention to the city’s garden archeology, you can spot these runaway hedges all over. […]
If you are the kind of person who likes to peek into other people’s gardens but you’re always out of town or too busy when the formal garden tours are on, you might like to check out Open Gardens Toronto, which is, as they say, “more of a program than a tour;” a program of “gardeners […]
There’s a definite spike in Toronto precipitation during March and April 2009. We’ve been feeling it, literally and figuratively, over the past few days. Oh well, mustn’t grumble. It’s good for the garden. Instead, it gives us something to look forward to. Because, statistically, the rainiest months in downtown Toronto are August and September.
Now before all the dog lovers get all steamed up, I’m not casting aspersions on man’s, (or woman’s) best friend. I’m merely making an analogy to trees. Little, cute trees turn into big grownup trees. Reeeally big trees. Trees grow, like puppies, and as time passes they often get cast aside. Why? Because those who […]
A quick how-to as we head into planting time. When you succumb to the siren call of the flowers in the garden centre, especially annuals planted in cell packs (those softer plastic pots with multiple, small chambers), it’s likely their root systems will be pretty bunged up. Chances are, they’ll look something like this image. […]
In the glorious weather on Saturday, I had to make a stop at East End Garden Centre, a gardening institution on Queen Street East for 27 years. Of course, the racks outside the store were laden with pansies, those frost-hardy annuals that are great for planters at this in-between time of year. I always stick […]
Grass seed likes to germinate when the soil is warm (about 15˚C or 60˚F) but the air is cool. Warm soil encourages strong root growth, while the cool air keeps the tops from over-growth. That’s why spring (April-June) is the second-best time to sew a lawn. In Toronto, August-September are the sweetest months. However, spring […]
Our gardening tastes always get more sophisticated the more we know, and gardeners, self included, always get excited about all the new annuals (and perennials) available in the garden centres. Sometimes we turn up our noses at all the old standby annuals that have been in people’s gardens forever. Perhaps we scorn them because we […]
Amongst the refuse of last year’s greenery, you might now be noticing the evidence of past crime: the dried pod casings of dog-strangling vine (Vincetoxicum rossicum) [Update: This weed is also known as swallowwort, Cynanchum spp., from the Greek meaning “to choke a dog”)]. In my continuing quest to do my part to eradicate this […]
Reported by sharp-eyed reader M., this year’s Canada Blooms had some wide open spaces where the many horticultural society booths used to be. A scant few remained at the show, though relocated to the Gardeners Fare in the Marketplace. However, most of those little booths formerly here on Level 600, where you used to be […]