A noun. A verb. A blog.
Pansies and violas on sale in garden centres can go directly in the garden in Toronto now. As long as you can dig, you can plant, and you can certainly plant them in planters as well. Even if we get snow next week, they will be fine. They are quite hardy and can stand frost, […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
In Toronto, the blooming of the silver maple, Acer saccharinum, is a true sign of spring. Yet most people don’t even notice the modest little pompom flowers because they’re way up there on some of the city’s tallest street trees. When it’s not in leaf, you can recognize the mature silver maple by its shaggy […]
As I drove back from a meeting today, this little fountain of sunshine rose up from all the mousy brown blanketing the city. Had to double back with my camera. This is the witch hazel, Hamamelis, so valuable for its splash of colour (and, in many cases, perfume!) at one of the most drab and […]
This year, the Perennial Plant Association has chosen the beautiful Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’, golden Japanese fountain grass, as its Perennial Plant of the Year 2009. If you visit their site, you can download a plant sheet with the lowdown. Plants of the Year (PotYs?) have been selected through votes by PPA members, judged on criteria […]
February 25th. That’s the earliest snowdrop this year amongst my usually fearless few. In other years, I’ve had snowdrops as early as January 1st. To have the first appear near the beginning of March is a sign of our unusually cold winter, 2008/9. This one appears particularly feeble. But let’s take what we can get.
After discovering Richter’s Herbs yesterday I did some web searching and found a wealth of material on-line from Conrad Richter, president of Richter’s Herbs. His article, The Many-Splendored Scents of Herbs (say that 3 times real fast if you dare) discusses the scientific aspects of the many highly scented herbs that Richter’s grows. He really […]
A kind reader pointed out that my troubled, leaf dropping rubber tree, Ficus Elastica Sylvia, is notoriously difficult in indoor homes. He eventually found a good home with a greenhouse for his. Researching my rubber tree online, I just discovered that the rubber tree is one of the best plants for reducing indoor pollution. They […]
UPDATE: A kind reader pointed out that my troubled, leaf dropping rubber tree, the variegated Ficus Elastica Sylvia, is notoriously difficult in our dry indoor homes. Leaf droppage is typical behaviour. They need a great deal of humidity to be happy. He eventually found a good home with a greenhouse for his. One way to […]