by Jeanne McRight Keystone species are amazing. These are the relatively few wildlife species who sustain their much larger community,...

By Pamela Sleightholm After planting three Joe Pye weed (Eutrochium purpureum) seedlings in my front garden last year, this was the...

By Pamela Sleightholm We know that gardening is satisfying and rewarding – watching the little plants you cared for grow and thrive is...

Story and photos by Diana Westland, Mississauga Master Gardeners Goldenrod is a keystone plant. Keystone plants are native plants...

There’s no doubt our gardens can be a visual feast. But many native and other plants are aromatic as well, charming our sense of smell.

By Pamela Sleightholm Every autumn we’re encouraged to “leave the leaves” or to leave the garden a little messy for overwintering...

By Pamela Sleightholm Invasive plants can come from the horticultural trade Take a trip to a conventional nursery and you’re bound to...

By Pamela Sleightholm Creating habitat with native plants is the best way to help pollinating insects. We’ve read the news and understand...

by Jeanne McRight Pollinator gardens not only can provide nectar for butterflies and other insects, but also will help to support the...

by Jeanne McRight and Pamela Sleightholm We’ve all seen the beautifully blooming butterfly bushes at the nursery and the zinnia, roses...

Native plants do so much more than creating a pretty pollinator garden, they’re essential to the functioning of our entire ecosystem.

By Mohan Iyer, Mississauga Master Gardener and BB volunteer member A friend of mine has spend over $15,000 in the last 4 years on his...

Story by Heather Raithby Doyle, Photos by Karen James Spring is in the air and Karen James can’t wait. Her naturalized garden backs onto...

Looking for an easy-care small native tree that is gorgeous in every season, beloved by pollinators and birds, and can replace invasives lik

By Pamela Sleightholm If identifying the dizzying numbers of native asters intimidates you, don’t be discouraged. Ongoing genetic...

By Pamela Sleightholm You’ve likely seen the signs that leafcutter bees (Megachilidae spp.) have been working in your garden. Just as the...

Why choose native trees? Native trees and shrubs are a species that grew here before the arrival of Europeans. Since that time,...

By Pamela Sleightholm Don’t be fooled by a swampy, weedy name. Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) is a gorgeous, tall flowering native...

By Pamela Sleightholm After a long winter, the native plants that bloom in early spring are the first food sources for pollinating...

By Pamela Sleightholm When I first started searching for native plants to add to my garden it was incredibly challenging to find a)...