The Growing Season

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Are you sneezing with bloodshot eyes and a swollen mess? 

Yup. It’s that time of year. Seasonal allergies running rampant ruining your routine regularly.

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss all things pollen on this week’s episode of The Growing Season.

Jack and Lynne discuss the absolute monster of a bald faced hornets nest that has appeared in one of their trees.

What are the different methods of pollination?  How are tropical plants pollinated? 

The most heavy duty pollinating plants are explored and the timeframes when they seek to procreate are highlighted.

What’s pollinating right now?

Matt recounts a lilac story that resulted in some hard feelings between his client and a neighbour.

Will climate change effect pollination? What are the heavy hitters of pollination?

Pine pollination is highlighted. It’s an interesting activity.

Tune in.

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Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

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We’ll that’s a laborious undertaking.

Horticultural construction can be a tiring but rewarding endeavour.

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland celebrate Labour Day by discussing some of the ways they make professional horticulture easier.

Jack discusses the differences between how a jobsite was run in the 1970’s compared to now.

Matt dives deep into how he makes pruning easier for his clientele after they’ve had their property upgraded by The Growing Season.

“Tuning their pruning…”

Can you use animals feces as fertilizer?

Matt talks about why he’s implemented using a toolbelt on-site.

Is there any way to make mulching flower beds easier?  There is and Matt outlines how he does it.

How to reduce your cleanup after cutting your lawn quicker comes into focus. Matt tells a story about a rock and a Mercedes.

Interlock patio hacks. Yup we have those as well! 

How do you get stains off of landscape pavers?  The trio discuss.

Tune in.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat!

The days are getting shorter.  The nights are getting cooler.

Its August, but that doesn't mean that the growing season is over.

Speaking of The Growing Season, Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland touch on the all stars of August on this week's show.

BUT FIRST:  We have officially survived the rainiest summer on record in the GTA.  Yeah. It’s been that rainy. We’ve over doubled our average rainfall for the months of June to August, pummelling the old record into oblivion.

Biologically, how does all this rain effect your plant materials? It’s surprising what they do to deal with all this water.

Speaking of plants, Rozanne perennial geranium, phlox, coneflower, black eyed Susie and many more are chatted about.

Cheyenne Spirit Coneflower for the win!   

Matt chastises Jack about his antiquated attitude regarding Russian Sage.

If you’ve never used Sedum you may want to join the fan club after this show.

Tune in.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE.
 

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat!

We’re seeing red! 

The TGS Colour Series continues its colourful journey on this week’s episode of The Growing Season.

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland highlight all things red and horticultural.

Roses feature prominently to the surprise of no one. Matt discusses some of the rules he’s set up for himself with regards to roses.

There are supposedly “indestructible” roses. Is that true?  We highlight it.

Do the pollinators see red? How about hummingbirds?  The McFarland’s suggest plant materials that will attract your polliniferous pals.

Japanese quince, honeysuckle, and DOGWOOD.

Many dogwood have the most glorious red bark that look glorious in the winter months.

With the topic being “red” the trio discuss tomatoes and the blossom end rot affecting many of the tomatoes growing across the GTA.

How do you battle blossom end rot?  Lynne discusses.

Tune in.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat!

"The world is a wondrous place.

Filled with sights, sounds and imagination. 

Childhood innocence gives way to our adult realities. 

Do not adjust your podcast, join The Growing Season for strange, BUT true."

The Growing Season ventures into the wonderful world of weird and The McFarlands are on-board.

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland offer some insight into an interesting idea that they came up with over the winter months. 

Ants, Tamarisk, Belladonna and Coal are all seemingly innocent parts of our lives but they all come with spoonfuls of strange. 

Its Unsolved Mysteries meets Nat Geo...

Are diamonds just an over compressed lump coal?

What is a salt cedar and why aren't they used any more?

Is there a vine/plant creeping around your flower bed that is capable of killing a human with its on-board defences?   Yes!  And you've seen this plant before.

Why are ants so prolific this year?

You'll come away learning some wonderful facts you can lay on your fellow campers whilst sitting around the fire...

Tune in.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat!

Cue "Holiday Road" by Lindsay Buckingham...  You know the song - from the Vacation Movies.

I found out long ago
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
It's a long way down the Holiday Road
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)

Holiday Road...
Holiday Road....

BUT THEN DISASTER STRIKES!

Mosquitos, wasps, hornets, ants, flys, poison ivy, poison sumac and poison oak are just some of the things that can ruin a rendezvous with Christie Brinkley in her Ferrari 308 GTS Quattrovalvole (WHAT. A. CAR!).

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland break down the horticultural hazards that can make your vacay go sideways on this week's episode of The Growing Season. 

Jack McFarland has completed his course of radiation and updates the listeners on his health. 

Spiders...AHHHHH.  Why are they necessary? 

How to rid yourself of wasps and mosquitos can be easy if you know what to do.   The trio outline the steps you need to take.

Can your pets get poison ivy AND can a human develop a tolerance to it?

The most deadly insect?  You'd be surprised to learn...

Do flys pollinate and what exactly is purpose of an ant?

Tune in.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE.

 

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat!

At the time of recording the Greater Toronto Area has received a summer's worth of rain in just 4 weeks. 

Less than one month into summer and the many of us have seen as much or more rain than we usually get in 3 full months. 

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss the absolutely insane amount of precipitation we've seen this year. 

French drains, dry wells and all manners of flood mitigation methods are discussed.  Why are there more flood incidents recently? 

Matt discusses a bylaw that he feels should be passed.  It will effect your backyard plans.   How does this dovetail into a potential hwy 413 build?

The cost of food will rise due to all this rain.  Why?

As far as plant materials, are there any that will take a "standing water" situation and even thrive in such a locale?

Astilbe, ferns, black eyed susie, alder, willow, birch, phlox, rose mallow, dogwood and winter berry are just some of the plants discussed this week. 

Patio construction with drainage in mind is discussed.  How does the degree of slope effect water drainage?   Matt plays "Imagine If You Will."

Rain gardens and how to build them become a focus. 

Tune in.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat!

What's better than one colour?  How about two? Three?  MORE!

The Growing Season returns to their TGS Colour Series with a bang. 

Bi-Colour/Colour Gradients are the latest entry in the Colour Series library. 

Jack McFarland updates the listeners on his ongoing cancer treatments. 

The trio discuss the trend of plants featuring blooms and leaves that change colour throughout seasons that aren't necessarily the autumn. 

Hydrangeas come into focus but they aren't the only horticultural organism that features colour gradient blooms. 

Is bi-colour the result of a genetic flaw?   You'll be interested to know.

The differences between bi-tonal and bi-coloured plants are discussed. 

How do you design with these types of plants?   Is variegation considered bin-tonal? 

Petunias, pansies and snapdragons are great examples of colour-gradient annuals.  The trio chat about these all-stars. 

Bi-colour lilacs!   OHHHH BABY!

Tune in.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE.

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat!

All hail Charlotte's Web!

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss the ins and outs of using ferns in your landscape and/or your landscape designs. 

Matt details the various degrees of success he's had with using ferns and, specifically, fern varieties. 

The fern life-cycle is explored.  Outside of the spores that we all have heard about puddles and gametophytes feature prominently. 

Do ferns display a fall colour change?   What varieties would you use to feature this change to its fullest effect?

Ferns and fiddleheads.  How should your prepare the fiddleheads for eating?

Companion/pairing plants are discussed when considering ferns.  What pairs best in this case?  The McFarlands explain.  HINT:  Think coralbells.

What are the shade/light conditions necessary to fern thrivability.

Ghost ferns, painted fern, cinnamon fern, brilliance autumn fern, ostrich fern and many more are discussed. 

Can you split a fern?   How so?

Tune in.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat!

They're one of the most asked about plant materials on sites and designs and The McFarlands spend 54 minutes discussing them on this week's episode of The Growing Season. 

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland spend close to an hour on hydrangeas. 

From 5-10 classic varieties to dozens upon dozens of variations of the flowering shrub the hydrangea has bloomed in popularity. 

Oakleaf, big leaf, smooth, french, panicle and climbers are all discussed alongside how and what to design in with them. 

Is it true that hydrangeas can take dense shade?   Yes and no.  The trio explain. 

How do you prune hydrangeas?   That's where things get interesting.  Matt explains in heavy detail how and when to prune the various varieties of hydrangeas.  It can be overwhelming.

Are there reblooming hydrangeas?   If so, how would one get them to rebloom?

What about ever bloomers?  Is there such a thing. 

The McFarlands discuss hydrangea trees and how to design with them. 

Tune in.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE.