A noun. A verb. A blog.
Cornus kousa ‘Summer Fun’ from Reeves last year We’ve had a lot of hits to our blog recently looking for the now sadly closed Reeves Nursery, which we wrote about when it opened on the Danforth in our east-end neighborhood last spring. Makes me think that we are sorely in need of another independent […]
When our youngest daughter was in 6th grade, she had to write a two-page short story. At page five, she was still writing, so I asked her why. “I can’t help it,” she exclaimed. “Things just keep happening!!” Things just keep happening on the garden calendar, too. Sunday, May 2nd is no exception, and one […]
On my way home from having my hair pruned the other day, I popped into Ten Thousand Villages on Danforth and noticed they were all kitted up for garden season. If you’re shopping for garden pots or decor this spring, browse around their fair trade goods and shop with a healthy conscience. That lovely brown-on-brown […]
I was always a bare knuckle gardener, at least I was for years. I liked the direct connection to the soil, the feel of the the plant stem; it was the only way I knew I was doing it right – by feel. But somewhere I got a bit fed up with perpetually dirty fingernails, […]
Among the Top 10 questions Toronto gardeners ask at Humber Nurseries is one about Canadian hardiness zones. In case you didn’t know: Canada is different from the U.S. Here’s why. Both countries map their landscape into zones to denote plant hardiness — where a plant will survive, especially over winter. Yet, Canada and the U.S. […]
If you haven’t been to the Toronto Botanical Garden since it was transformed with new gardens and a new name (formerly the Civic Garden Centre), you have one more reason to do so on Saturday. It’s the final day for their spring plant sale. Nice specimens for containers, or garden beds in sun or shade, […]
Went yesterday to the African Violet and Gesneriad (jez-NARE-ee-ad) and the Pelargonium and Geranium shows at the Toronto Botanical Gardens. Learned that if you want to purchase an award winning African Violet, Streptocarpus, Sinningia, or Petrocosmea you have to get there early. The show is like an ordinary plant show, with some amazing specimens diplayed […]
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 […]
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 […]
We’re blessed in this city to have such a plethora of local shops willing to feed our garden fever. In our east-end neighbourhood alone, there are half a dozen within walking distance. Here are some of my favourites. The little one above, f’rinstance. My kids have grown up spending their not-so-hard-earned allowance on sour gummies […]