Ontario’s beautiful fall wildflowers

Autumn is officially here and, just like the garden itself, gardening topics are dwindling as winter sets in–at least if you live north of the 49th parallel. From now til spring I’ll be posting a little less often but I promise to keep in touch as inspiration strikes. I find reaching out to my fellow…

Can’t beat invasives? Eat ’em!

Got an invasive weed overtaking your garden? If you’re a glass-half-full kind of person, there are a couple of reasons why that might not be such a bad thing. First, weeds are actually great communicators. If you’ve got two or three kinds of weeds that thrive way more vigorously than any other kind, they’re likely indicator…

Invasive species used ornamentally in an urban garden.

Invasive plants: Truce or consequences?

Please check one or more of the following: ___ Do you have a yard or land near you under invasion? ___ Is it possible that you have an alien invader living in your front or backyard and you don’t know it? ___ Are you in cahoots with an invasive plant and happily providing it with…

Tulips planted in fall for good spring colour.

6 out of the box fall bulb planting ideas

Ok. You just bought a brand new box of bulbs. Now what? How about shaking things up a bit by: • breaking the rules. • helping bees some more. • easing a new bed into the garden. • inviting a family of fairies to stay awhile. • protecting a neighbouring ravine. • sending a signal.…

Alien invasion coming to a paradise near you

There’s a nasty threat of aliens taking over (and I don’t mean the already-panned Tom Cruise space thriller due out this June). I saw it first-hand and took the photo you see at left. It’s a rampant patch of periwinkle flourishing in the woods near Wiarton on the Bruce Peninsula. What this area should look like…