The Growing Season

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat!

"It's Gonna Be May!!!"

You can almost picture Justin Timberlake crooning it.

On this weeks episode of The Growing Season, Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland dive into the All-Stars of one of the most beautiful months on the calendar.

" The mistakes of May" kick the show off in style.  Matt runs down the weather and why it may not be the right time to plant annuals outdoors.

What do you do if you've bought your annuals and its going to get below freezing?

Watering in spring vs. summer is explored.

Climate Change vs. Global Warming is discussed. 

How to properly "harden off" tropical plants to acclimate them to the outdoors features.

Matt rants against crabapples but Jack changes his mind on things.  

FLAMETHROWERS and the 80's.  YEAH BABY!

Jack discusses ornamental trees and an unlikely specimen is mentioned.  Jack has planted a bunch of these... Matt - not so much. 

Hawthorns are just some of the major all-stars of May. 

Matt highlights a way he makes sure he's planting in zone. Jack is having Japanese Maple problems. 

The McFarlands HANG OUT in Lilacville. 

Don't prune your candles.   WHAT? Speaking of what - is the economy rebounding?   Let's debate. 

Serviceberry get their moment in the sun to cap the show off. 

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.

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat!

Its all by design...

Literally.

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland continue their Landscape Design chat on this week's episode of The Growing Season.

"95% of all designs need a tree, even on the small designs." Matt discusses why he feels this is the case.

We have to bring down the immensity of the house - that's a Mattism.

Lilacs, Baby Blue Eyes Spruce, Cumulus Serviceberry and Apollo Sugar Maples feature prominently in this chat. 

What is a Red Osier Dogwood and why is it important?

Jack McFarland sees a fence and gets REALLY excited.  A fence area in shade and Jack dies a little bit. 

Clematis, morning glory, espaliers and more...  The trio discuss garden mirrors and how to use them.  Matt tells a sci-fi story. 

Matt's fear of poison plants effects his designs significantly.  Matt won't use Yews.  You's read that right - he won't use Yews.

The use of epicurean plants must be designed with caution. 

Juglans nigra and its insanely effective way of reducing competition is discussed. 

The legendary Ginkgo biloba comes into focus. 

Daphne, Buckthorn, Rhododendrons, Azaleas and Poison Sumac are some plants to look out for. 

Everything is poisonous - what?

What's better than one Contorted Corkscrew Hazel? 14!!!

The show ends with a moment of silence. 

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.

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat!

Let's design, shall we?

The Growing Season discusses a major facet of their horticultural business on this week's episode of the show.  Strap in.  Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland talk about step 1 of your horticultural renovation. 

Martial Arts kicks off the show.  Matt's daughter is learning to break boards with her feet. 

Design work from last fall = construction work for this spring.  That's the play. 

The design process when engaging with The Growing Season is a long one BUT it reaps rewards down the line.  Matt explains why.

Delivery fees for materials are going to increase this year?  Why?

Matt cues the rant music when discussing design fees and his feelings regarding "hardscapers." 

Whatever the size of the patio that you feel would suit you isn't big enough.  Trust us.  150% of the time it isn't big enough.  The trio explain why.  You need 3' of space behind any patio chair for traffic flow. 

"Design with the future in mind..."

Repetition of plant materials in a garden space breeds familiarity between spaces. 

Matt has some GORGEOUS jobs upcoming. 

Soil, soil and more soil. What is the average pH on client's sites? 

Plants for wet sites and plants for dry sites are discussed.  Some of those that tolerate wet locations will surprise you.

Black Eyed Susie, Joe Eye Weed, Iris, Day lily, Pussy Willow, Dogwood, Clethras, Climbing Hydrangea, Oakleaf Hydrangea, Butterfly Bush and Japanese Kerria are just some of the plants discussed. 

Matt narrows his fern palette to one family. Its a good family.

Irrigation is not for startup.  It is for maintenance. 

Garden Design do's and don'ts are uncovered. How do you determine what your shade/light conditions are on your property?

How much time do you have to devote to gardening and what is your budget?

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.

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat!

The drums of war can be heard on lawns throughout the country.

That's right.  They're coming... The silent insurgence will rob you of your verdant green carpet and replace it with a votive of yellow blooms. 

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland dive into weed warfare on this week's episode of The Growing Season. 

Rats have become a problem in gardens across the country and the trio dive into why this is.  The problem is on the rise this year. 

Matt details his Ragdoll Cat's new patrol route.  Its been modified this season.   He's now inspecting the interiors of homes in an effort to keep the neighbourhood safe. 

How do you create a "leaf mould cage?"  Why do worms dot the sidewalks when its been rainy outside?

"All the weeds that show up in the spring got their start last fall..." - Jack McFarland

Matt rants about crabgrass and biological control.  What's the correlation between lawns and white clover?

Topdressing comes into focus.

Matt is going to be bringing Humber College students to jobsites. 

Stigmas surrounding interlock lead into a discussion about weeding your flowerbeds. 

Don't mulch a flowerbed in its first season.  Just don't. 

Edging a bed comes down to C=C.  Construction = cash. Mothers Day presents are discussed. 

"Up, down, all around" is a great way to remember what the different fertilizer numbers mean. 

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.

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat!

Lets do it again, shall we?  

Picking up where last week's show left off, Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland put a final cut on their spring pruning series for 2026.

The show starts with a marijuana chat.  What? Bear cubs abound in Canada and Matt takes the time to make a joke about hibernating. 

Platypus...Matt gushes. 

TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER!

A broken tree leader times three finishes off a talk from last week. Mark Banks cost a company bank.

What does the tree leader do in regards to the operating system of the tree?   It's fascinating. Field tags on trees prompt a conversation with Matt.

What happens if you don't remove your tree's winter sweater? Matt explains.

Sun scald frost crack is discussed. 

Lets prune a clematis together.  There are some rules and the McFarlands go over the ins and outs.

Don't prune when you're high!   DANGEROUS!

Roses and their various family members are discussed.  There was a stigma surrounding roses that seems to have faded.  Why?

Morden Manitoba is a hotbed for rose development.  Why again? 

The prunus family and their pruning requirements comes into focus. Jack tells a peach tree story.

What is "open pruning?" MATT HATES BLUEBERRY PLANTS!!! HATTTTEESSSS. 

Currents and white pine.   UH-OH.  You'll find out why.

The difference between raspberry plants cap the show off. 

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.

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat!

The McFarland's guide The Growing Season into the three groups of Clematis and how/when to prune them.  Its a simple little chat that makes things easy to understand.  Enjoy!

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!

Lets get clippy, clippy, shall we?

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland prune off the crossers, rubbers, dead, broken, malformed and diseased part of your emerging plants on this week's episode of The Growing Season. 

Pruning is front and centre at this time of year and The McFarlands dive, secateurs first, into the subject. 

It's still too early to be out in the gardens.  Its much too wet. Jack isn't listening to Matt, obviously. 

Why are fruit trees pruned in January/February?  The trio examine exactly why this happens.  The trees are just starting to show "bud swell."  What does that mean?

Is this a good time to transplant trees?

What is the difference, in appearance, between a leaf bud and a flower bud?

Lynne discusses sharpening and disinfecting your pruning tools.  She has some cool tips.

Matt contradicts himself and then gushes over a Contorted Corkscrew Witch hazel.  Ohh baby.  Sooo cool. 

Juglans nigra tops the list of "weirdo plants."  Open wounds or wombs.  There is a debate. 

Mountain Ash and their propensity for acquiring "fire blight" is discussed.  Pruning of Japanese Maples is an art.  Matt highlights the finer points. 

What is cambium and why is it important?  Top graft, top graft, top grafts... What?

A spider web of pruning on Weeping Mulberries sparks a tale. 

Repair of lightning damage on trees closes the show out. 

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.

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat!

POP QUIZ TIME!!!

Matt McFarland is about to teach a course on turf at Humber College and decided that his students' first assignment could be incorporated into this week's episode of The Growing Season. 

The McFarland's dive into some wonderful, and unknown, facts regarding that green carpet that covers your lawn. 

Jack kicks off the show with a "new age" discussion that sends the start off on a tangent. 

What is "No Mow May?"  Its a popular idea and the TGS trio dive into it. The pros and cons of this little event are highlighted. 

When is the proper time to start cutting your lawn?  The ins and outs of fertilizer become a topic of focus.  What do the various numbers mean?

Slow release is only for nitrogen.  WHAT!?

Photosynthesis...ROIGHT!  Gypsum is an industry secret that is revealed to y'all.

A pH reset! What is an aerator?  What is a dethatcher?

Grass takes in carbon and expels oxygen.  Its a pretty beneficial plant. Everything plus the carbon sink is highlighted. 

Comparisons and contrasts between artificial turf and natural turf come into focus.

Can we eliminate the use of fertilizer altogether?

What are the wildflowers that grow in your lawn that are the first foods for our pollinators? 

Matt RANTS.  Nematodes to the rescue...

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.

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat!

DON'T EAT THOSE CHOCOLATE RAISINS. 

Its that time of year that chocolate raisins, aka Bunny Poop, comes into focus horticulturally. The largest bunny of them all appears this weekend - The EASTER BUNNY.

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland detail what Easter means to their family.  Jack and Lynne have an especially important event tied to the Easter weekend. 

The tree that gives chocolate is the first in line at the horticultural party. The TGS trio highlight its history. 

The "midge fly" has a major role in chocolate and Matt asserts that Easter's prototypical creature needs to be reassessed. 

Easter and Australia is discussed.  What is a Nelly White? Why are we talking about Komodo dragons?

Where are Easter Lily's grown? How do you care for them when they find their way into your home?  Lynne details the how-to.

A brand new gadget could be the key to perfect tropical plant watering.

Lynne eats.  Matt vomits. 

Forced air and radiators in homes tie into the care of your Easter plants. 

Chrysanthemum, poinsettias, deciduous trees and soya beans factor into a discussion. 

A brand new hydrangea variety is created on the fly.  Speaking of hydrangeas, getting all sciency with their bloom colour caps the show off.

How do you "harden off" an easter hydrangea to allow it to be transplanted into your flower beds.

Can you plant dahlia bulbs right now?

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!

No!   It's not Halloween yet. 

But, "THEY'RE HERE!"  That famous line uttered in Steven Spielberg's 1982 classic "Poltergeist" becomes the jumping off point for this week's episode of The Growing Season. 

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland dive into all the horticultural items that are current emerging at this time of the year. 

"This is not the time to be out on job sites..."   We know, its a downer BUT that doesn't mean we can't talk about what's to come...

Movie trivia kicks the show off.  With the amount of snow and cold that gripped the GTA this winter passed are we to expect a reduced amount of Japanese Beetles this season? The McFarlands discuss.

Matt has some news with regards to Humber College.

What pollinators emerge first?  You'd be surprised to learn.  

Matt discusses "No Mow May" and its pros and cons. Trilliums and ants.  There's a link.  Let's uncover it. 

Tundra Swans.  WHAT?  Some birds make a 90,000km trip to return to our borders in the spring.  Why do certain birds migrate and others don't?

Why does Daylight Savings Time exist?  Why is it still being used?

Migration is driven by nature, not by bird feeders.

Which birds return to our trees first in the earliest parts of the spring?

Ravens are remarkably intelligent.

Plants that "bloom on old wood" need to be pruned at a specific time.  The McFarlands discuss. 

The trio's favourite flowering spring plants are revealed. 

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.