The sight of tender tulip and daffodil sprouts poking up out of the sodden earth in springtime usually makes me smile. But it isn’t springtime yet. So surprise, concern, even a little dismay is more like it. In most parts of Canada, this time of year is supposed to be all about that long pause…
Last month, The U.S. Department of Agriculture updated their plant hardiness zone map for the first time in over a decade. Unsurprisingly, the new “lowest likely winter temperature” in all 48 states south of the Canadian border is now 1.4C warmer. In an AP news article, Boston University plant ecologist Richard Primack, who was not…
About a week ago, King Charles III, while in Bordeaux, France, got his hands dirty (symbolically, at least) by planting a Loquat Leaf Oak. This, in itself, is not news. Royalty and other VIPs the world over often make gestures like planting trees for the sake of bonhomie and a great photo op. But this…
Judy Garland may have sweetly elevated rainbows to technicolour cliche, but they’ve always been happy, shiny wonders–ever since the sun’s rays met air-borne water droplets and there were sentient beings around to take notice. Now they figure in myths, superstitions, beliefs and symbolic declarations the world over. Marvelling at a rainbow’s beauty is a moment…
In Canada, this coming May 23rd isn’t any old Monday. It’s Victoria Day, a national holiday, making for a 3-day weekend also referred to as May Long. In other years, when the holiday lands on the 24th, it’s often referred to as May Two-Four, referring not to the date but to the large case of…
As Earth Day approaches, I can’t help thinking about how many indicators of climate change can be found simply by looking out my own back door. We’ve all seen them, from plants flowering and songbirds arriving earlier than ever to wonky weather patterns. Should we start changing the way we garden? Can what we plant…
Don’t you just love the instructions on your packet of seeds–”Plant outdoors after all danger of frost”. Right. Where’s that crystal ball when you need it? In Canada, the tradition has been to wait until Victoria Day weekend when warm temps are finally, thankfully guaranteed. But, with our wonky weather these days, patience can run…
I don’t normally associate gardens with hotbeds of revolution but a lot of researchers, journalists and horticulture pros believe that the way people garden is radically changing–some might say in wonderful ways, others might say in ways that are a tad odd. Which of these 10 gardening trends for 2017 might change how you garden? TREND…
Horticulturist, Arborist and Garden Columnist
Celebrating gardens, photography and a creative life
Garden of Flowers, Beads, and Yarns
ruminate vb. to chew (the cud)
Reflections On A Life in Exile
Saint Andrews Forest Farm Blog
a chat over the garden fence
There's always room for one more plant.
a little garden near Gawler
.....and nurturing my soul
Ministry of the fence 