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 […]
Science of climbing vines
How vines climb A wisteria vine spirals around a pergola post, illustrating the twining growth habit that allows it to climb and reach the canopy above. The science of climbing vines by Shauna Dobbie Vines are some of the most fascinating plants in the garden. From sweet peas curling delicately around a trellis to wisteria […]
Do tree roots communicate?
Do tree roots communicate? The “wood wide web” may be real. The customer service line probably isn’t. Plants may not have mouths, but under the soil their roots are busy sending messages. Sometimes they help their neighbours and sometimes they sabotage them. Chemical signals: the good and the bad Roots release thousands of compounds into […]
Asparagus
All about asparagus Asparagus is perfect for Canada. It is quite cold-hardy and truly perennial. Once established, a well-managed bed can produce for 15 to 25 years, sometimes longer. It is slow to get started and very generous once it does. You need a little patience getting an asparagus bed to the harvesting stage, but […]
Does watering overhead cause disease?
Does overhead watering really cause disease? Gardeners are often warned never to water plants from overhead because wet leaves supposedly encourage disease. There is truth to this advice, but the science is more nuanced than many gardening books suggest. After all, nearly all outdoor plants evolved with rain falling directly onto their foliage. In nature, […]
Rose diseases for Canadians
Fact Check Rose Diseases for Canadians ‘Morden Sunrise’ is a rose developed at the Morden Research Station in Canada. It is very hardy in regions across the country. Star Roses, a US rose-growing company, recently released information on common rose diseases and how gardeners can manage them. Much of the advice is sound, but how […]