Fall has peeked in here in southern Ontario for the moment. Hay fever is in full swing and people still think the lovely and garden worthy goldenrod is to blame. It’s no wonder, goldenrod is flamboyant with its rich golden spikes of pollen rich blooms and the first thing people see and blame for their seasonal misery. Except…goldenrod does not cause allergies. It is pollinated … Continue reading Dispelling the Myth
Life finds a hold everywhere, no matter how small 🙂 A swallowtail caterpillar and a tiny bee on a dill flower                    Monarch laying eggs on milkweed                     A hoverfly … Continue reading Small Wonders
Colour preference is intensely personal for everyone. What one person loves another loathes. If you’re an artist or designer, you will be familiar with the colour wheel and the theory behind complimentary and adjacent colours and how to combine them to create pleasing patterns. In the end what really matters is that you love what you are looking at every day. In the garden, colours … Continue reading Colour Combos
A pot does not always have to be filled with plants. It can be a beautiful focal point on its own. Follow your site lines when placing them in the garden as focal points. That way you can see them from a window or a favourite seating area in the garden. Smaller pots make a bigger impact when clustered in groups of different sizes. Make … Continue reading Tip of the Week
Well this has been a strange spring. We are in the last day of June and I still have paeonies blooming together with roses, a first for me! Normally the paeonies come first with their ephemeral but glorious blooms then I get to enjoy the first wave of roses before the japanese beetles hit! Now I have both but no beetles (fingers and toes crossed) … Continue reading In the Garden this Week
This past week was pollinator week across North America pollinatorpartnership.ca and the emphasis was on raising awareness on the importance of pollinators and how to attract and protect them. We should all know about the effects of pesticides like neonicotinoids on bees and gardening more responsibly. After all, whats a few holes in leaves and hand picking pest only brings you closer to nature! Go … Continue reading Pollinator Week
Back in mid April (how time flies…) I went to England to see the glorious woodland bluebells and a sample of the stunning gardens that dot the fair isle. The first few days I spent in London in the up and coming area of Southwark. As I wandered the streets, I noticed the sheer number of green spaces crammed in tiny corners, small garden areas, … Continue reading Urban Landscapes
In spite of our slow spring and chilly wet weather and everyone having a lousy spring cold, the plants are coming in. I’m as dribbly as the rain! A few highlight you may find in your local garden center… First off, my all time favourite, a magnolia 🙂 This one is Centennial Blush, a star magnolia with large white flowers blushed pink at the base. … Continue reading In the Garden Centre this week
Spring is on the way!!  Nothing like snowdrops to chase away the winter blahs. My new website and blog page are now live.  Please visit me at Garden Graces Plantscapes and subscribe to my new blog postings on the blog page or at gardengraces.ca/blog 🙂 Welcome to a new season! gardengraces.ca Continue reading Spring
As I reflect on the past New Year’s eves and where I have been: Canada, South America, Europe and Dubai; I thought I would share with you the gardens I’ve seen around this time. Â Some are in the dead of winter and others in the height of summer. Chile My garden at the time and others in Santiago are in their full glory at this … Continue reading Happy New Year!
Garden Graces 