Garden and Caring for Plants
Growing and Caring for plants involves providing them with the right conditions to thrive, which includes attention to watering, light, soil, temperature, and occasionally pruning or fertilizing.
By consistently providing appropriate care and attention, you can help your plants thrive and enjoy the beauty and benefits they bring to your home or garden.
-
Bitternut Hickory
Bitternut Hickory seeds are like candy for squirrels. Bitternut hickory thrives in low, wet locations or in fertile soil on higher levels. Because bitternut…
-
Maintaining Gooseberry Bushes
Question: When I moved to this house, I inherited some established gooseberry bushes. They seemed OK for a while, but the last few years…
-
Wood Betony, Stachys officinalis
Many gardeners are familiar with lamb’s ears (Stachys byzantina), a popular perennial with fuzzy, soft, silver leaves grown more for its foliage than its…
-
Gardening in the Month of October
With fall well set-in and winter around the corner, here are some ideas and recommendations for caring for your garden in October
-
A Water Feature For Every Garden
Famous gardens incorporate water as an essential element of their design. Think of Monet’s Garden in Giverny with its iconic pond and stunning water…
-
Sense of Sound in the Garden
Sound is the sense that is least obviously linked to the garden. Perhaps because it has less of the immediacy of the other senses…
-
How To Plant And Care For Canna Lilies
The canna lily plant is a flamboyant summer flowering plant with a bold look. The plant grows from thick, fleshy bulbs. Canna is a…
-
Growing Eastern Redbud Trees from Seed
This page will describe our experience gathering and raising Eastern Redbud. In 2022, I successfully grew two Eastern Redbud trees from seed, but I…
-
How To Grow Forget-Me-Not Flower
The Forget Me Not flower, by any other name would not be so sweet to gardeners, nor would the other numerous little blue forget…
-
Climbing Roses For Shady Areas In Your Garden
Climbing roses come in a variety of colours and can contribute to a stunning appearance. They are popular, and while they are often used…
-
Please Touch the Plants: The Sense of Touch in the Garden
Author: Claire McCaughey, Master Gardener of Ottawa Carleton Gardening is an active, hands-on pursuit where the gardener has her hands in the soil, feeling…
-
Hydrangea Care: an Easy Guide for Beginners
You’re likely familiar with the big, impressive blooms of the hydrangea. What you might not know, though, is how simple hydrangea care can be.…
-
Fresh from the Garden: The Gardener’s Sense of Taste
Author: Claire McCaughey, Master Gardeners of Ottawa Carleton One of the true joys of gardening is eating the vegetables, herbs, and fruits that you…
-
Mixing it Up: Combining Edibles with Ornamentals
Author: Claire McCaughey, Master Gardeners of Ottawa-Carleton Just a few decades ago, planting ornamental plants and food crops together would have been frowned upon…
-
Plant suggestions for Creating a Wildflower Garden
Creating a wildflower garden at your cottage is a fantastic way to enhance the natural beauty of the area, support local ecosystems, and enjoy…
-
Water Wise Gardening
Author: Rebecca Last, Gardening at Last, Master Gardeners of Ottawa-Carleton; Why bother to save water? In my house, water bills are a big motivator. Like many…
-
Annuals: Why We Love Them and Tips for Success
Author: Claire Leduc, Master Gardeners of Lanark County After months of winter and pandemic restrictions, gardeners will be eager to get outdoors and enjoy…
-
Cuitlauzina Pendula: Orchid of the month
Orchids, with their elegance and diversity, have captivated nature lovers for centuries. Among these botanical jewels, Cuitlauzina pendula stands out as an endemic species…
-
Container Garden Ideas for Small Spaces
Container gardening is very popular today, but it’s not new. People have been growing container plants for centuries, and there are favorites found in…
-
Sense of Smell in the Garden
Author: Claire McCaughey, Master Gardeners of Ottawa-Carleton. In this article, the first of a five-part series on the five senses in the garden, the…
-
Keystone Plants Trees – Ecoregion Five
Author: Adair Heuchan, Master Gardeners of Ottawa-Carleto.. “Oaks support more forms of life and more fascinating interactions than any other tree genus in North…
-
Favorite Easy-To-Grow Wildflower Combinations
Zinnias and Cosmos are one of the easiest and most prolific annual combinations for endless blooms from summer through fall. Bonus: This combination makes…
-
Gardening In Small Spaces
Author: Andrea Knight, Master Gardeners of Ottawa-Carleton My husband and I have owned our home in Ottawa for over twenty years, giving me lots…
-
Gardening for Nature: Ecoregion Five
Author: Julianne Labreche, Master Gardeners of Ottawa-Carleton; published with permission “In the past, we have asked one thing of our gardens: that they be…
