Author: Dale Odorizzi, Master Gardeners of Lanark County; published with permission Few subjects in gardening are as confusing as the proper pruning of clematis. As Yogi Berra once said, “You can observe a lot by just watching”. The easiest way to determine the specific pruning needs of your clematis is to watch it grow through…
Author: Julianne Labreche, Master Gardeners of Ottawa-Carleton; published with permission As any gardener knows, gardening mistakes are as common as dandelions. Heaven knows, I’ve made a fair share of them myself during nearly four decades of gardening. As the old saying goes, everyone makes mistakes, but wise people learn from them. Here are a few…
Author: Rebecca Last, Gardening at Last, Master Gardeners of Ottawa-Carleton; published with permission I really enjoy finding culinary uses for my plants. So, I was thrilled to learn that those lovely pinky-purple chive flowers make bottles of deliciously flavoured vinegar. It’s so easy that even a non-cook like me can make it. Making Vinegar from Chives Garden…
Author: Julianne Labreche, Master Gardeners of Ottawa-Carleton; published with permission The blue jay is notably recognizable by its shrieking, sharp calls and its beautiful blue, white, grey and black plumage. Considered to be an intelligent bird, it has a complex social system and tight family bonds. Where you can find Blue Jays These birds are…
Author: Nancy McDonald, Master Gardeners of Ottawa-Carleton; published with permission Nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus) are wonderful flowers for both our gardens and kitchens. This vibrant annual comes from South America, was brought to Europe in the 1550s and was found in Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, Virginia, garden in the late 1700s. Some nasturtiums grow as climbers (3…
Author: Julianne Labreche, Master Gardeners of Ottawa-Carleton; published with permission White-breasted nuthatches are sometimes called ‘upside down’ birds because of their unusual ability to perch and move upside down on trees. In any position, they can probe into bark furrows, cling to a tree, and move up and down to forage or hide food. It…
Author: Julianne Labreche, Master Gardeners of Ottawa-Carleton; published with permission Frequent visitors to my backyard garden are the curious little black-capped chickadees. They are easily recognizable with their black cap and bib, white cheeks, and warm buff-tone flanks and sides. Usually they visit my garden in small flocks for safety. Sometimes they arrive with other…
Author: Julianne Labreche, Master Gardeners of Ottawa-Carleton; published with permission Many different species of sparrows visit my backyard garden, no matter the season. Sparrow sightings in the Ottawa area include song sparrows, chipping sparrows, swamp sparrows, house sparrows, white-crowned sparrows, and white-throated sparrows, among others. Even the dark-eyed Junco is part of the North American…
Author: Penka Matanska, Master Gardeners of Ottawa-Carleton; published with permission Testing the boundaries of what can be grown in Ottawa, Canadian climate Zone 5a, brings a thrill of excitement – especially when the attempt is successful. I would like to share my experience with growing ginger plant (Zingiber officinale), while providing a few tips of…
Author: Rebecca Last, Gardening at Last and Master Gardeners of Ottawa-Carleton. Published with permission This was an amazing year for tomatoes. My small garden has produced at least ten kilos so far, and we’re not done yet! But what to do with all that bounty? After all, one can only eat so many fresh tomatoes,…
Author: Julianne Labreche, Master Gardeners of Ottawa-Carleton; published with permission My bird feeders are a source of life in the stillness of winter. From my backyard window, I can watch the fluttering of wings at the edge of the garden. Northern cardinals perch on snow-covered evergreen branches. Woodpeckers hide black sunflower seeds in the crannies…
Greetings fellow gardeners, It is time to decide what to bring inside and what to take to the compost. Even though my space is limited, I decided to bring a few of my annuals inside. As my fellow Master Gardener Mary Reid mentioned at her talk the other day, many of these annuals are perennials,…
Greetings fellow gardeners, I am tired and happy and covered with ice bags. Life is good. On Saturday, I decided that I needed to reclaim my hügelkultur. It was surrounded by burdock ‘trees’, and grape vines and a very large branch that came down in the storm that I had not been able to move….
There are people who thoroughly wash their bulbs and tubers before storing them. I let mine dry with a small bit of dirt around them, lightly packed them in newspaper, and put them in a box in the basement on a shelf. Greetings fellow gardeners, So, we got rain, and rain, and a bit more…
I packed a bunch of envelopes and a pen and was able to collect a lot of seed. It is a great time of year to collect seeds. Greetings fellow gardeners, Autumn is in full gear, and the colours are outstanding. I love this time of year. Preparing for winter gives us all time to…
That being said, as your tomatoes ripen, it is important to collect your seeds. I find that ripe tomatoes, free from pests and diseases, have the best seed. Greetings fellow gardeners, I am enjoying the beautiful colours that are appearing now that we are officially in autumn. The oranges and reds are brilliant, and the…
I have most of my vegetables in pots at this point, so they are a little less likely to get frost damage. Greetings fellow gardeners, The air is crisp this morning, and I have an overwhelming urge to make soup. If it starts raining again, I think soup is in my future. It is a…
I love this time of year. Sometimes we get cooler temperatures, and sometimes I can pick up deals on fruits and berries at the roadside stands. Most importantly, my daylilies are blooming! Greetings fellow gardeners, I am in the midst of making lists and preparing what produce is available to me right now. Today I…
If you are fairly new to bulb planting, I suggest that you start with daffodil bulbs. Very few creatures will bother these bulbs. They do well in almost any situation, and they increase their number each year. Tulips, hyacinths, crocuses, and other tasty bulbs are more difficult. Greetings fellow gardeners, Oh, my goodness, what a…
I love my orchids, although I do not profess to be an expert when it comes to their care. Greetings fellow gardeners, My operation went smoothly, but still, it hurts. It tests the levels of my patience and probably the patience of those who are caring for me. On one hand, I want to push…
I love the different colours and shapes and sizes. My brilliant large yellow daylily looks like it should be dessert, while the peachy frilly daylily is called Rilly Frilly, which is super fun. Greetings fellow gardeners, I am in the midst of making lists and preparing what produce is available to me right now. Today…
I came back in the afternoon to pick them and they were gone! Apparently, mulberries are a favourite of my various bird neighbours. Greetings fellow gardeners, It is still hot, and it is still dry even though there has been a bit of rain. I am not that good with the heat. The too-many cats…
With the continuing heat, I try to do most of my watering in the early morning. I have a nice big green watering can to which I add about two teaspoons of fish emulsion fertilizer. I will be using this for all of my tomatoes, roses and other vegetables. Greetings fellow gardeners, It is a…
I really want a fancy pond with my new bog plants planted carefully around it, the bullrushes trimmed, the thimbleberries cut back and not a buckthorn seedling in sight Greetings fellow gardeners, Sometimes we must compromise. I really wanted long, white lacey curtains in the bathroom. So pretty. The curtains have been pulled down twice…
End of content
End of content
GardeningCalendar.ca is supported in part by advertisers. If you click on links and on ads, at no cost to you, the site may earn a small commission that helps run the website.
© 2024 J&S Calendars Ltd.
