September… Fall Is On Its Way!
By Susie Cosack, Master Gardener, SCMG In September cooler temperatures come into our days and nights.Luckily, a mild frost won’t damage many of our annuals and perennials, and they will keep blooming until the first…
Taxonomy for Gardeners Part I: Why Classifying Plants Matters
By Cynthia B, Lauer, Master Gardener, SCMG The Basics of Taxonomy Have you experienced the surprise of discovering that a celebrity has an underworld sibling? What about the shock of learning that you have a…
Get Your Shovel Out for Dog Strangling Vine
By Cathy Krar, Master Gardener, SCMG Dog Strangling Vine, (DSV), tops my list for most “unwanted invasive species”. Having spent hours and hours this past year cutting seed pods, digging out root systems and mowing…
Revive Those Tired Old Baskets!
By Stephanie Brash, Master Gardener, SCMG Are your flowering containers and baskets feeling the heat? Are annuals that were once glorious starting to look straggly and tired? All is not lost, you can return them…
Add a Native Shrub – The Birds Will Thank You!
By Gail Cocker, Simcoe County Master Gardener, SCMG A lot has been written recently about the merits of planting natives in your garden; vital for our local ecosystem by providing essential food and shelter for…
Welcoming Beneficial Insects to the Garden
By Cynthia B. Lauer, Master Gardener, SCMG Bad bugs are notorious in their diversity and in the damage they do. Aphids swarm zinnias, roses, and dozens of other prized plants, and spider mites suck the…
Ditch Your Lawnmower
By Cathy Krar, Master Gardener, SCMG How would you feel if you didn’t have to spend your weekend mowing your lawn? I suggest it is possible to look out on a lush green yard without…
Pollinating Garden Essentials
By Scott Mcintaggart, Master Gardener In-Training, SCMG We've all heard a lot about the role that butterflies, birds, bees, bats, insects and other animals play in facilitating pollination (the transfer of pollen from the anthers…
Mosquito (Culex pipiens) female
Stop Growing Your Own Mosquitoes!
By Linda Peacock, Master Gardener, SCMG In Ontario the typical mosquito season has been May to September, however, with the recent warming trend it can start as early as April and last well into October. …
Put Some Colour Into Your World!
By Christine March, Master Gardener, SCMG Of the many joys of spring - more daylight, warmth in the air - nothing makes me happier than seeing pops of colour return to our outside world. Who…