Canadian vs USDA zones
Shrubs at a garden center Canadian and USDA zones: a comparison Stand in front of a perennial rack at almost any Canadian garden centre and you may find a tag that says something like “Zone 5” with no further explanation. It’s like finding something with a great price while online shopping then wondering if it […]
Canadian Hardiness Zones
Canadian Hardiness Zones Natural Resources Canada, planthardiness.gc.ca (2025 edition, based on 1991 to 2020 climate data) Canada got a new Plant Hardiness Zone Map in 2025, and the headline is not exactly a shock to anyone who has watched their Zone 5 clematis sail through a “Zone 4” winter with room to spare: the country […]
Morning glories
Morning glories ‘Heavenly Blue’ morning glories. Morning glories put on one of summer’s more extravagant displays, considering that an individual flower barely makes it through the day. The trumpet shaped blooms open in the morning in blue, purple, pink, white and striped combinations. By afternoon, many are already fading. By evening, they are finished. Then […]
Winter annuals
Forget me nots. Winter annuals If you’ve ever wondered how a patch of weeds seemed to appear overnight in early spring, fully grown, flowering, and already setting seed, the answer is that they didn’t grow overnight at all. They started last fall. Winter annuals are plants that follow an unusual life cycle. They germinate in […]
Beauty queen filipendula
Queen of the prairie. Beauty queen filipendula Filipendula is a genus of hardy perennials known for airy clusters of tiny flowers held above deeply divided foliage. Depending on the species and cultivar, the flowers may be white, cream, pale pink or deep rose. There are species from around the globe but none native to Canada. […]
Pollinators working the night shift
Emerald geometer moth. Image by Kramthenik27 CCSA 4.0. Pollinators working the night shift You think of bees and butterflies when you hear the word pollinator, but a significant portion of pollination happens after dusk. From moths drifting over white blossoms to night-active beetles and flies, the night shift moves pollen in ways that are only […]
Fact Check: Mosquito-repelling plants
Fact check: Do mosquito repelling plants work? A Facebook post from Simple Garden Life (5 pm on June 6, 2026) claims that mosquito repelling plants can make patios, porches and garden seating areas “feel fresher and more inviting.” It says that while no plant creates a perfect mosquito free bubble, many aromatic herbs and flowers contain […]
Tomato myths
Do tomatoes really need aspirin, eggshells and Epsom salts? Tomatoes are the crop that turns sensible gardeners into gamblers. Every spring, people bury eggshells, sprinkle Epsom salts, remove every sucker, water by the calendar and tuck aspirin into planting holes because someone swears it made all the difference. Some tomato advice is harmless. Some is […]
Difficult seeds
Difficult seeds By Shauna Dobbie If you have no problem growing tomatoes and zinnias from seed, but celery and passionflower vine make you tear your hair out, I feel your pain. Some plants are just more difficult to start than others. If you can figure out what a particular seed needs, you’re halfway to succeeding. […]
Perennials dead in middle
Why some perennials die in the middle Many gardeners wonder why some of their perennials, after a couple of years, start behaving differently. It’s called the donut effect: the centre dies down and the surrounding flowers lean outward. It looks like a big fat cat has sat in the middle of your plant, but it […]