The Growing Season

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat!

Geometric plants and small trees!

This week's episode of The Growing Season changes what you've got into something even greater. 

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland dive into lollipops, standards and pom-poms. 

WHAT!?   The trio explain.  What is the difference between a standard and a lollipop?  Can they be both?  What is a pom-pom that is not on a poodle or a cheerleader?

Matt details his cat's adventures in the recent heat wave.  How is kitty keeping cool amongst trees shedding early and farmers harvesting prematurely?

How do you properly water during a heat wave?

Hydrangeas and Japanese Maples kick the show off in style and then the paths wind off in many different directions. 

Maples, spruces, gingkoes and roses are also mentioned in a fast paced pontification. 

Why don't we use weeping mulberry anymore?   Why aren't people using Russian Cypress Standards? 

Matt HATES Edward Scissorhands.  He explains why and how much pruning standards need.  

Matt details the goings on in the 70's.

WHAT ARE ROSE TREES? Grafting and how to protect the grafts on a standard or lollipop are discussed.

Box Moths and how they are eviscerating shrubs across the GTA are discussed. 

Plant transformation via pruning caps 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.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE.

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WHEN WILL IT RAIN!?

The Greater Toronto Area hasn't seen significant rainfall in over a month and the plants are starting to show the effects of drought.

Your grass is the colour of Shredded Wheat and the heat is making it a struggle to keep your plants happy.  What to do? 

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland focus on water wise plants on this week's episode of The Growing Season. 

Lynne has changed how she's watering her flower beds.  She describes how and the results thus far.  Maybe it's time for many of us to shift what we've been doing.

What happens if a plant sheds it leaves due to drought?  Will it rebound?  

Matt develops a theory on-air. 

Where is the driest place on earth? 

Many trees on our client's properties have started to shed their leaves NOW.  Is this normal?  Why would trees do this at this time of the year?

A lawn can go three months without water and fully rebound so there is no need to panic.  

Hedges and their extensive watering needs are discussed. 

Trichomes, or "plant hairs" and their functions are highlighted.  You wouldn't believe how a hairy leaf is used.

Trees and the water transport systems become a focus.  How is soooo much water transported up and down in the tree's internal systems?

A quick clip on drip tips...

Wind, river pebbles and everything in between features. 

STOP CUTTING YOUR LAWN WHEN IT IS THIS DRY.   PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, STOP!

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!

Look up!

Its not just in the theatres these days, its on your arbours, trellises and fence lines.

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland look up on this week's episode of The Growing Season.  All things that grow up and down are discussed on the most recent episode of TGS. 

Lynne is "3 foot 12 inches..."  She's taller than that but it sets the tone for the show. 

Many clients don't know where to begin when it comes to choosing climbers.  The McFarlands make a list of the most popular ones. 

Climbing roses are rife with stigma. "The rose climber is not to be cleared..." The trio detail the ins and outs of your raised roses.

Matt details how he lines up pruning regimens for clients. 

Clematis become a focal point.  Matt outlines the various clematis groups. 

Privacy screens were incredibly popular 5 years ago but not so much now.  Why?  Matt explains why he feels that many missed the mark.

Trellis vs. Lattice.  What's the difference? The McFarlands explain. 

Any excuse to play bag pipe music is acceptable. 

What is a heat pump and how does it affect your horticultural organisms?  You won't believe how it coincides. 

What about garden statues?  What should you plant on obelisks and the like? 

Matt talks about a boo-boo on a client's site.  

Fence climbers and how to make nicey nicey with your neighbours comes into focus.  

"How old is your fence?"  The answer to that question affects if and when you utilize fence climbers.

Plants that climb brick. YIKES! 

Jack's grapevines are vigorous growers.  Why?

An airspace between your trellis is recommended.  The reason is quite simple. 

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.

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“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat!

It’s all about Daisies and we and we ain’t talking bout pushing them up! 

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland park this week’s episode of The Growing Season in a patch of Shasta’s. 

Matt talks about Daisy Dukes. Jack responds with “Ox Eyes.”

Road Daisies and trains converge. 

10% of the plants on earth are Daisies. 

Echinacea and Black Eyed Susie are members of the Daisy family. Who knew? 

The “Fibonacci Sequence” and phototropism are discussed.

Poisonous Daisy family members? Yup, you read that right.  As well, lettuce… You won’t believe the tie-in. 

A rant about Russian Sage ups the hilarity.  The trio wonder aloud why they don’t use English Daisy more. Further, they discuss why they don’t use Blanket Flower anymore. It could be snow related. 

The parts of the Daisy flower are outlined and then The McFarlands dive headlong into Echinacea. 

“Raspberry Beret Coneflower.” TRUST US. 

Moerheim this, Moerheim that. 

Criminally underused plant materials are highlighted. Sneezeweed and Ozark Sundrops are on this list. 

Jack’s obsession with Ice Plant gets a giggle. 

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.

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“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat!

Its been dry and hot so how does that effect your lawn?

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland cut this week's episode of The Growing Season into your front lawn with a little grass talk. 

How do you protect your lawn against drought and heat? 

Matt discusses the ins and outs of irrigation systems.  How much does it cost to install the system and what does it cost, on a monthly basis, to run one of these systems? 

A discussion on proper watering occurs.  

THE FIRE HOSE NOZZLE IS THE GREATEST WATERING DEVICE EVER. Saturation watering is the key to success on new plantings and lawns. 

What percentage of North America is lawn? 

9 billion gallons of water is used to water lawns in the US PER DAY!   Read that again...

What is the correlation between "colonialism" and lawns.

Is it okay to let your lawn burn off in the summer?  Will it recover.

The McFarland's debunk a myth.

Artificial turf comes into focus.  MATT HATES IT!

The price between between artificial turf and real turf is compared. 

Groundcover alternatives to grass are explored, along with their pros, cons and history of use. 

Matt rages against Landscape Architect. 

Lynne tells a story about a neighbour destroying their whole lawn due to dandelion mitigation. 

"None of it is real..." In Playboy and Home and Gardens Magazine. 

How you cut your lawn will effect its health. 

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 stars in July aren’t only reserved for baseball!

This week on The Growing Season, Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland dive into the horticultural all stars of July. 

Nothing blooms in July says the client. LIES. 

Matt tells a swimming story. 

HERstory returns to The Growing Seasom airwaves. Lynne discusses how the month of July got its name. What are the “Dog Days” of summer? 

TONS OF THINGS ARE BLOOMING RIGHT NOW. 

Portulaca, phlox, echinacea, delphinium and many more are discussed. 

Is July too late to be planting a landscape? Even plant materials, if taken care of properly can thrive in a summer install. 

Are you going on vacation? It affects your new garden. 

“Water till the ground is shiny…” Sod watering is also touched on. 

Matt hates hosta blooms. Touch of Class Hosta gets its time in the spotlight. 

The Seven Sons tree is revealed. The trio discuss The Purple Smokebush. It’s a cool shrub. 

Serviceberry, serviceberry, serviceberry. Matt weeps about Butterfly Bush and Bloomerang Lilac. 

Hydrangea are going bonkers right now. LETS GO!!! Summersweet is underused but AWESOME.  Many haven't heard of this gloriously scented perennial. 

Pine needles are not a great solution for acidifying soil.

Rose mallow, blazing star, blanket flower, hollyhocks and lavender are all going GREAT GUNS right now.

Why did the Ivory Silk Lilac's blooms blow out so quick this year? 

Jack and Matt argue about Russian Sage. 

Matt gushes about Phlox. 

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!

Currently blooming in a garden near you! 

The Growing Season highlights Lilies on this week’s episode. 

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss the little blooming bombs that are currently visible in your garden. 

What makes a lily a lily? Are they native to Canada? 

What does Clint Eastwood have to do with Day Lilies? There is a correlation. 

They’re called Daylilies because they only bloom for a single day. Seriously. The trio discuss. 

Spider mite is discussed.  The name “Stella” is used continuously throughout the show. 

The McFarlands discuss their most used perennials. The blooming cycle of a rebloomer comes into focus. 

Daylilies, asiatic, calla, canna, sword lily and “ditch” lilies all share the spotlight. 

“Die-back” perennials become a focus. 

Matt loses his way. Well-behaved plants helps him find his way back. 

DARNED BLEEDING HEARTS. 

Tender bulbed varieties of Lilies are mentioned. 

Matt shies away from using delphiniums and gladiolus. Why?

What is a “Turk’s Cap?”

Epsom salts and Lilies are discussed. 

Companion plants for your Lillie’s are introduced. 

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!

THINGS ARE GROWING LIKE CRAZY!  

Pruning in July takes centre stage on this week’s episode of The Growing Season. 

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland open the show highlighting the amount of rain, heat and humidity the GTA has experienced over the last few weeks. 

How does this affect plant growth? 

How can you safely prune away from a plant?  

Is pruning in July different than pruning in early spring? Jack discusses “hardening off” in evergreens. 

What about pruning fruit trees. Is that possible at this time of year? 

Matt discusses the difference between form pruning and function pruning. 

Espaliers become a major focus. Matt tells a story about cherry trees. 

Jack highlights the rules of pruning. Can you prune when something is flowering?  

Fertilizing and pruning are discussed. 

The 6/8, 6/8 rule for Irises is revealed. 

Pruning roses down to 3 leaf groupings vs. 5 leaf groupings and how that effects bloom is a topic of discussed. 

Matt chats about how this time of the year features some challenges when it comes to major prune jobs. 

Jack HATES cornflower. 

Lynne discusses the commitment regarding hanging baskets. 

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!

Happy Canada Day one and all! 

The Growing Season celebrates Canada’s birthday by highlighting horticulture in Reds and Whites. 

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland kick the show off by chatting about the recent heat wave. 

It took Canada how long to acquire its own flag? You’d be surprised. 

Red in your garden looks great in small doses. 

Is a Japanese Maple considered “red?”

Matt gushes about coneflowers. He’s a fan. 

The trio highlight the length of time it takes for rose climbers to bloom profusely. 

“Gardening is about patience…”

The 80’s and Astilbe cross paths.  Matt is in his element. 

If we’re talking about red it behooves us to chat about geraniums. 

Jurassic Park and chases. 

Matt tells a story about anemone and Jack scoffs. 

We talking white flowers? Then we’re gonna mention hydrangea. 

“Peonies will shed on the table…”

Lynne discusses an all-white hosta. You read that right. All white. 

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!

So what’s BUGGING you? 

The dreaded “Box Moth” is public enemy number 1 this season. 

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland get buggy on this week’s episode of The Growing Season. 

We’re seeing less insects out and about. It’s fact. And it’s scary. The trio discuss the lack of insects. 

We’re not seeing near the amount of bees, mosquitoes, flies and grasshoppers as we were 5 years. 

Is quintillion even a real number? 

What do mosquito companies use to spray for mosquitos? 

Mosquito mitigation becomes a focus. 

Sow bugs are AWESOME. The McFarlands explain why. Why do they roll up into a little ball? 

Diversification of plants is the key to pest control. 

Males in the insect world get the short end of the stick. Why is this a thing? 

Lady bugs are the Navy SEALS of you garden. Get a battalion. 

Boxwood alternatives are discussed whilst Matt rants. He’s ANGRY and lashes out at the landscape industry. 

Dead boxwoods make clients squirmy. 

Jack tells a hedge meets a snowplough story. 

How do you manage box moth? Are they cyclical? 

Spider mite gets its time in the spotlight. 

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.