This week on the Down the Garden Path podcast, landscape designers Joanne Shaw and Matthew Dressing answer listener questions in this "Ask Us Anything!" episode.

Tune in to hear Joanne and Matt respond to listener questions.

Some of the questions listeners asked:

• I saw a post online: 8 plants that repel mosquitos. Any information that you can share with us?
• With this excessive heat in the GTA, is it okay to put down lawn fertilizer? If so, any tips?  
• What is the best mulch to use, and what is the best way to mulch a perennial bed? Lots? Little? High? Low?
• My backyard is mostly shady all the time. What plants can I grow that may look nice without (basically) any sun? My yard may get about 4 hours of sunlight per day due to high buildings and trees.
• I did a soil pH test. What is the best solution for raising soil pH levels? When is the best time to water my plants? Some of my friends say that it really doesn't matter if I water them. Is that true?
• I know that I screwed up this year, (I think). But is it too late to grow a pumpkin for Halloween?  (Even if the pumpkin would be very small by October 31st)? 
• For next year: seeds or plants regarding growing tomatoes?
• How is the book doing? Just remember, Christmas IS approaching!
• Is it better to buy small perennials or larger ones that have blossoms? Can I buy them now and plant them? Any available? I live in the GTA.
• That is great advice about watering plants, (or the lawn) for that matter, at night. But what about when it rains at night? Isn't that the same thing as us watering? Wouldn't rain at night hurt the lawn (and plants) as well in the evening?
• Matt, can't I grow a tomato plant all year round inside with a grow light?
• Resources discussed:
  • Organic Pest Control with David Smorenburg
  • Blue Star Nursery
  • Julia Dimakos – www.juliadimakos.com 

Down the Garden Path Podcast

Each week on Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designers Joanne Shaw and Matthew Dressing discuss down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes.

As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. A horticulturist and landscape designer, Matthew Dressing owns Natural Affinity Garden Design, a landscape design and garden maintenance firm servicing Toronto and the Eastern GTA. Together, they do their best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low maintenance as possible.

In their new book, Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and Matthew distill their horticultural and design expertise and their combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. It's now available on Amazon.