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My life as a propagator
By Sheila Cressman It all started in the autumn of 2019 when I attended two seed gathering workshops with Jeanne McRight at Hancock...
Jeanne McRight
May 27, 20224 min read
Supporting biodiversity with native plants
Native plants do so much more than creating a pretty pollinator garden, they’re essential to the functioning of our entire ecosystem.
Jeanne McRight
May 24, 20222 min read
Backyard Gardens; Recycle that Refuse!
Organic matter returned to the soil replenishes nutrients, and improves or restores soil structure. It also feeds organisms that are food...
Jeanne McRight
May 24, 20223 min read
Invasive Plants, Be Gone!
By Heather Raithby Doyle What are invasive plants in Ontario? People know that invasives are bad for the environment but have no idea...
Jeanne McRight
May 23, 20222 min read
My Chelsea Chop experiment
Angela describes how effective using the Chelsea chop pruning method was in reducing the height of her tall asters and goldenrods.
Jeanne McRight
May 23, 20222 min read
Seed Starters!
A how-to primer on sowing your native seeds indoors by Jeanne McRight Early March is when we sow our native plant seeds for indoor and...
Jeanne McRight
Mar 16, 20223 min read
Ornamental Grasses – Go Native
by Diana Westland, Mississauga Master Gardener and BB member/volunteer I have been interested to see the increase in the amount and...
Jeanne McRight
Mar 15, 20223 min read
Mourning cloak - harbinger of spring
Photos and text by Peeter Poldre The mourning cloak butterfly (Nymphalis antiopa) is an under-recognized harbinger of spring! This...
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Mar 15, 20221 min read
Here comes the queen
by Wayne Cardinalli Now that spring is imminent get ready to hear the unmistakable buzz of a queen bumblebee. You’re right if you think...
Jeanne McRight
Mar 15, 20224 min read
Lawns, our biological deserts
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...
Jeanne McRight
Mar 15, 20223 min read
Turn a barren shady patch into a woodland wonder
By Pamela Sleightholm If you find gardening for shade challenging, know that with the right plants pollinators can love the shady spots...
pamelasleightholm
Mar 15, 20223 min read
Native Plants & Squash: My Accidental Bumper Crop
Story and photos by Rita Bloem, volunteer BB member and new garden steward It all started in the fall of 2020, when I listened to a...
Jeanne McRight
Mar 15, 20225 min read
Leaf mold - a gardener’s black gold
by Jeanne McRight Safety note: Ticks do not live in finished leaf mold, but can be found in decaying piles of fallen leaves. See...
Jeanne McRight
Mar 15, 20223 min read
Karen James' garden –"It's my happy place"
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...
Jeanne McRight
Mar 14, 20225 min read
Planning a butterfly garden? Include both nectar and host plants for the specialists!
Many Lepidoptera (the family of butterflies and moths) are specialists, dependent on specific plants for nutrition and habitat.
Jeanne McRight
Jan 16, 20222 min read
Mohan Iyer, Inspired - and Taking It Slowly
Story and photos by Heather Raithby Doyle This is a story of a suburban garden transformed, and how native plants helped a life change...
Jeanne McRight
Jan 16, 20225 min read
Winter Sowing Native Plants In Your Garden
Winter sowing is a way of forcing the dry plant seed out of dormancy, by simulating the freeze / thaw conditions found in the wild.
Jeanne McRight
Jan 16, 20222 min read
It’s winter outside…Let’s go and take some native plant photos!!??
On a cold, cloudy winter’s day, I ventured out with my Nikon F2.8 105mm macro lens to see what might be interesting. The clouds provided...
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Jan 15, 20221 min read
Radiating Beauty: the Staghorn Sumac
Looking for an easy-care small native tree that is gorgeous in every season, beloved by pollinators and birds, and can replace invasives lik
Jeanne McRight
Jan 15, 20223 min read
Propagating Native Plants on a Paved Paradise
by Rick and Doris Wukasch How we got started Our interest in native plants has grown throughout our lives through camping, hiking, and...
Jeanne McRight
Nov 14, 20215 min read
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