I love a good party plant, and with Canada Day fast approaching, I’ve been thinking about the flowering plants I grow that simultaneously bear blooms of three different colours. Some gardeners may think that tricoloured plants are a little over the top, but that’s what makes these varieties so festive. My Campfire roses bear yellow, pink and deep rose-coloured petals that … [Read more...] about Three tricoloured plants for Canada’s 150th party
Viking maples invade Canada
The widely planted Norway maple (Acer platanoides) is not my favourite tree. I wouldn’t mind so much if it would stick to its native range — from Scandinavia to Turkey — but in Canada, it’s quite rightly the poster child for the invasive species lobby. Shade-tolerant Norway maples have thick, dense canopies that cast an impermeable shadow, together with a tangle of surface … [Read more...] about Viking maples invade Canada
Mayapple and maidenhair fern flourish in woodland garden
Mayapple In spite of trying my utmost, I was never able to grow our native mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum, Zone 3) in my Toronto garden. Each spring like clockwork a single leaf poked its head up, but in more than a decade I never achieved the requisite two leaves that signal a flower is on the way. When I moved 100 kilometres north of the city, it was a completely different … [Read more...] about Mayapple and maidenhair fern flourish in woodland garden
“Canadian Wild Flowers” book: a labour of love 150 years ago
Since childhood, I’ve been convinced that there’s no better way to spend a rainy afternoon than to search through the shelves of an out-of-the-way second-hand bookstore. Although these establishments have become increasingly rare over the years, they are far from extinct, and are further enhanced by several good websites that specialize in second-hand books. It was in this way … [Read more...] about “Canadian Wild Flowers” book: a labour of love 150 years ago
A gift from the West: The prairie crocus
The prairie crocus (or “pasqueflower”) often bursts into bloom before the last traces of winter snow have melted. It bears sumptuous cup-shaped lavender-purple flowers held above finely dissected fern-like leaves, and even after blooming, its fluffy silver seedheads (or “achenes”) remain attractive for many weeks. This year, my specimens began to flower with the grape … [Read more...] about A gift from the West: The prairie crocus
