This pest free perennial is a show stopper in your home garden with it’s tall, bright plumes in shades of pink, purple, red and white sitting atop glossy fern-like leaves. When fully grown it can reach almost 4 feet tall and the flowers continue to bloom for several weeks.  Plant astilbe in partial shade with rich, moist soil.

Named after the arrangement of its leaves, this perennial thrives in shady conditions.  It can be planted in fertile and well draining soil and will grow up to 36 inches.  Jacob’s Ladder comes in shades of blue and white.

If you want to attract hummingbirds to your garden then this is a perfect, easy to grow perennial.  Columbine grow well in partial shade and well draining soil and can reach heights of 15-20 inches.  Another bonus to these plants is that they are resistant to insects and disease.  It is available in single and bicolour shades of yellow, pink, purple, white and blue.

Available in blue or pink, forget-me-not prefer rich, organic soil and partial shade.  It is a self seeder therefore can be quite prolific once planted in a formal garden but would be ideal for a wooded area. This perennial will grow equally in height and spread, up to 6 inches.

There is nothing like a garden center in Spring.

Rows and rows of bright,beautiful colour.

I’m in rainbow heaven.

Wish I could have one of these at home.

Producing beautiful arching displays of abundant and fragrant white flowers, this spirea is a great shrub to showcase in your garden each spring. Planted in the full sun or partial shade and with well draining soil the spirea will grow almost 10 feet wide and 8 feet high making it a great hedge or shrub border.

As a ‘green thumb’ who lives in a condo (sad I know) I am always finding ways to stay in touch with my horticultural side.  Whether it be visits to the RBG greenhouse, local garden centre, commandeering friends’ yards or even flower and trade shows I still find myself at ends with my lack of land yet need to get dirty.

I was super excited to discover there is a local greenhouse run by the city of Toronto that rents out space or allotments to anyone who wants one.  Gardeners of all age, race, and sex share ideas, plans, life stories and excitingly, plants in a 12,000 square foot area from October to May creating a wonderful little mix of old pros and eager beginners.

Having heard about this program from a co worker of mine I instantly fan-dangled my way into his next visit to his spot on a cold January morning. 

Barely enough room for one small person to get up the aisles, you are amazed by the rows and rows jammed packed with houseplants, cactus, orchids, annuals, even topiary that each person lovingly tends to.  One of the things that really struck a cord with me was the sense of community.  A fellow gardener visiting the same time as us was warning us about one of the sites that seemed to have a hungry worm problem.  He was happy to inform us he had checked through the plants and on the leaves and caught the dastardly fellow.  Each person renting out space share a common respect for gardening and plants and they look after each other.

Someone with OCD tendencies like myself can find the space overwhelming and crazy messy at first glance but as you walk up and down the aisle and take in each space as a whole you instantly begin plotting and planning how you would fill your space.

Of course a great idea like this is bound to be popular.  There is a waiting list you need to get on for the next available openings and any other questions you may have can be answered by calling Toronto Parks and Recreations greenhouse allotment program 416-392-8188 ext.11

Hopefully next winter I’ll see a few of you there.

This past couple of days I was packing up my Christmas Tree (yeah it’s fake…darn condo living) and it reminded me of a photo I had taken early last summer.  For those that are fortunate enough to have real trees each year please don’t do what this person did.  This is beside a walkway that leads to a residential green space.

Most communities have a garbage program the involves certain days were they will pick up your real tree if you leave it on the curb.  If you usually go to a tree farm to cut your own, ask them if they have a disposal policy that will allow you to return the tree to their site.  An evergreen like this will not compost fast, and while the neighbors can’t see it, obviously from this photo someone will notice it.  Biodegradable does not equal down right laziness.

Despite the fact that fall means the ending of the summer and impending gloom of winter, it can also be a very beautiful time of the year.  Here in Ontario our landscape is perfect for viewing the change of seasons and all it’s glorious colours.  If you have never taken a drive along one of the many routes in your area that have an abundant display, you should definitely put it on your do to list this Autumn.

The weather network is a great source to find out how much of a colour change the trees in your area are having.  So click here and enjoy!

Summer is my favourite time of the growing season because I’m a huge fan of bright and beautiful perennial gardens.  Yesterday I spent the day at the Toronto Botanical Gardens and want to share some pictures from their gorgeous grounds. Enjoy!