With Halloween around the corner, let’s have a bit of fun. Here are five scary plants that would do any fright night justice. Venus Flytrap (Dionaea Muscipula) Starting off the show is an all time favorite and one of the most famous of scary plants – the Venus flytrap. Once called by Charles Darwin…
Judith discusses a slightly different method of saving tomato seeds, which involves fermenting the seeds to improve their quality. It is a dark morning with mist and fog. It would seem that autumn has sneaked in when I was not looking. The temperatures are starting to drop, so I am watching for frost. So far,…
For Ottawa – Zone 5 Stop pruning and fertilizing, as you don’t want to encourage new, tender growth just before cold weather arrives. Continue watering plants such as fall vegetables that are still actively growing. Plant spring bulbs such as daffodils, tulips, and hyacinth (once planted, add a layer of blood meal to keep the…
You’ll be amazed at how much floral beauty these hardy shrubs will bring to your outdoor living space. Peegee’s (Hydrangea paniculata) have massive, elongated, cone-shaped flower clusters that emerge in August and flourish right through September. The fluffy blooms begin as a greenish-white in the bud stage, opening to white and then fading to soft pinkish-brown…
It’s time to set the stage for brilliant spring color by choosing bulbs to plant in the fall to enjoy in your beds, borders, and containers in the spring. Plant before the middle of October for sheer joy next spring. For the optimal visual effect, plant in multiple groupings of 10–20 bulbs around existing perennials and…
Gardeners who covet a crimson crush of color in October should look no further than a burning bush, Euonymous alatus. Almost any garden site and soil condition is sufficient for this super hardy shrub, although the brightest fall leaf colour appears on only those planted in a full-sun location. Burning bush shrubs are incredibly eye-catching,…
By Owen Clarkin, Ottawa Field Naturalist Club. All photos courtesy of Owen. One particularly interesting story from this summer is a population of apparently wild Swamp White Oaks discovered this summer (by Clayton Shearer) near Oak Valley (south of Winchester), including this magnificent roadside specimen: Swamp White Oaks have been found along an at least…
For calendula seeds, once it is dry, I shake the seedhead into an envelope and store the seeds in a cool, dark place. They are very easy to grow in the ground or in containers, and they attract all manner of pollinators. It was a dark and stormy night. The too-many cats and I watched…
Seed collection is always done on a sunny day because wet seeds can go moldy very quickly. Ripe seeds should fall easily from the plant. The weather has little cool bursts these days as it reminds me that fall is nearly here. I am ramping up for seed saving and starting to see ripe tomatoes….
Several flowers and vegetables are going to seed. I took the opportunity to carefully collect Sweet Cubanelle pepper seeds. The humidity is oppressive this morning. I feel like I am in a sauna. With the humidity and the rain, you have probably noticed that there has been more munching on the leaves of your plants….
Cubanelle pepper, beautiful, sweet, from the species Capsicum annuum, is almost ready to pick. It has gone through some tough times with chipmunks digging in the pot. The too-many cats and I are watching the rain through the front windows. The drops are dancing and splashing all over my thirsty plants. I was able to get…
Today I am straining my nasturtium vinegar and making my Nasturtium Vinaigrette. I like to use basil as my herb, but really the herb is your choice. I enjoyed the cool breezes this morning as I did my chores. I can feel the humidity waiting for me just around the corner. The humidity has been…
Zaatar is an interesting herb and kind of acts like a climbing sage. The leaves are good to eat fresh, and they are quite spicy when dried. The heat and humidity continue to be a factor and to add to the misery, I am covered in poison ivy and wild parsnip sores. Yes, I did…
Magnesium deficiency in plants can be identified most commonly by yellowing leaves while the veins remain green. The lower leaves usually turn yellow first. So much heat! I have been finding the heat and humidity to be nasty on my knees and on my plants. The heat is wonderful for some of our vegetables however…
Location, location, location -place your rain barrel near where the water will be used; whether it’s for washing the car and gardening tools, or watering the flower beds and the lawn. Rain barrels should be placed on a solid, strong, level surface.
Oregano is a woody perennial, so I often harvest only the young plants. I have discovered that my oregano makes amazing pesto! It is a lovely morning. The air is fresh, the birds are singing, and I have run out of topsoil. This was my first year of trying out an order of topsoil and…
The Saucer Magnolia is probably the best known and most widely planted variety in the Ottawa area, so named for its giant saucer-shaped flowers. Varying in colour from white to buttery yellow and from soft pink to magenta, magnolia flowers persist for a few weeks, after which time the fallen petals can be enjoyed a…
Flowering perennials, carefully curated to combine varying heights, colours, and textures, make the most intriguing gardens. For a beautiful, low-maintenance addition to your garden, perennial plants are the way to go – they grow back every spring, year after year. Think of them like wardrobe basics to which you can accessorize with eye-popping annuals (purchased…
Lilacs are one the great Ottawa landscape plants! There are many reasons to love them with their sweet perfume and those beautiful amethyst – hued blooms that butterflies adore. Not only do they grow most anywhere there is lots of sun, they are generally tough as nails, require no maintenance and have relatively few insect…
Many of your houseplants would love a little summer vacation outside. I recommend that you avoid direct sunlight however because too much full sun is hard on delicate houseplants. Greetings fellow gardeners, Rain and sun and wind and heat and humidity and then something else. Ah, springtime weather is so special. I am making sure…
Annuals for containers are great for novice gardeners or anyone who wants to add interest and colour to their porch or patio. The most eye-catching arrangements combine contrasting colours, textures and leaf sizes for optimal interest. Here are my top 10 suggestions for plants to include in container arrangements or hanging baskets: Mandevilla vine Given…
The spike mats worked to keep the chipmunks away. The areas where I had put spike mats were not touched, so that was encouraging. I placed more spike mats and put wooden barbecue skewers with the pointy end up everywhere else. Now my garden looks like a porcupine. Greetings fellow gardeners, Soon it will be…
I found a great recipe for rhubarb-orange jam, and it is truly delicious. I picked the rhubarb and checked the fridge and found some oranges. The orioles are not as serious about the oranges, so I have a couple of extras. Greetings fellow gardeners, I am listening to the light rain as it waters my thirsty…
While I am trying to encourage my vegetables to get started, I am still reluctant about bringing vegetables outside. I have succeeded with some, and soon they will be in the ground, while others find it much too cold. This is what spring weather is all about. Greetings fellow gardeners, Crabapple Tree I am…
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