Category Archives: Planting

Maximizing the Beauty of Spring Bulbs

May 13, 2024 peterboroughmastergardeners Leave a comment

By Marilyn Homewood, Master Gardener

Each year, I marvel when the colour returns to the garden in the form of spring bulbs and each year I make a plan to add more! The beds are full of narcissus so much so that I have started planting in spots in my front fields. However, this fall I am aiming to do a Stinzenplanten (a Dutch term also known as a stinze lawn or stinze). A stinzenplanten is a naturalized and wild bulb garden that lives underground and emerges in the earliest spring. Why am I writing about a fall project now?? Some of the best fall bulb prices by retailers such as Veseys and Brecks take place in May when everyone is busy planting their summer gardens.

Because stinzes are planted using many of the “minor” bulbs, they begin to bloom very early thereby extending your season. Generally, they (and their foliage) are gone by the time you need to mow the lawn. (This is important since bulbs recharge for the following year by absorbing sunrays through their green foliage. Once the foliage has yellowed it is safe to mow). This does of course depend on the bulbs you choose to use. In my own experience daffodils do not make great candidates for this type of endeavour. Their long, heavy foliage does not yellow until mid June. That is a long time to go without mowing!!

In our zone by picking bulbs from the very early spring, early spring and midspring groups you should have 6 plus weeks of solid bloom.

Very Early Spring Bulbs include Snowdrops (Galanthus woronowwii) the first to appear, often from under the snow; Winter aconite (Eranthis cilicica) a sunny yellow hardy bulb.

Early Spring varieties include Snow glories (Chiondoxa forbesii) whose star shape flowers comes in a variety of blue colours, Crocus (Crocus vernus and species crocus) is a striking bloom that is available in many different colours.

Early to Mid Spring bulbs to consider are Blue Shades Anemone (Anenome blanda) with its daisy like appearance which look a little less formal than the other bulbs; Snakes Head Fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris) is an unusual bloom with its checkerboard appearance; Grape Hyacinth (Muscari) known for its unique, grape like clusters of flowers in a variety of colours.

Selecting the best spot for your display

For most of us, underplanting the entire lawn would not be feasible so why not choose a spot that will give the best show for your viewing pleasure. Remembering that the stinze will start in winter when we are still very housebound. Pick a well-drained area as you would for any bulb. Not only do you avoid the bulbs rotting but this will encourage spread and naturalization of your planting. Some folks choose areas under and around deciduous trees.

For me, I am going to borrow an idea from @mettebfauerskov and lay my stinze out following a random pattern of the garden hose on a section of lawn that is between the laneway and an island bed. It will be easily seen from the house and driving in and out.

Bulbs should be planted about 3 inches deep and can be planted as close as 3 inches. Many people use their bulb agars to drill the holes and then throw 2 or 3 bulbs into each hole and cover with dirt. I will probably just use my hori hori knife to dig. Most of these bulbs are not bothered by wildlife. Crocus is the exception but, in my experience, when you are planting large numbers, the squirrels never get them all (I overplant this bulb to account for some loss). As well, if you put your planting off until the end of October the feeding frenzy has begun to subside and there is less pressure on your bulbs.

Resources

What is a Stinzenplanten? How to turn your lawn into an exciting spring garden feature

https://fedcoseeds.com/bulbs/naturalizing-with-bulbs.html

Light, Planting, Vegetable Gardening

Planning a Container Vegetable Garden

April 29, 2024 peterboroughmastergardeners Leave a comment

By Carol Anderson, Master Gardener in Training

Even with a small space, container vegetable gardening can be successful resulting in the production of a wide selection of fresh vegetables and herbs for consumption available throughout the growing season. Careful planning, ensuring the proper environmental conditions are considered and adhering to the appropriate cultural conditions will all ensure success.

The first step in planning is to consider what you are most likely to consume – growing vegetables with either a low yield or low interest by you and your family will not likely inspire you to provide the proper care and maintenance to be successful. However, choosing vegetables and herbs that deliver throughout the season and which you/your family will enjoy is a good starting place. Next … consider the environmental conditions (sunlight, temperature, nutritional requirements, and watering needs) and cultural conditions (such as space needed, soil requirements and plant compatibility) as this will assist you in the selection and scope of your vegetable container garden.

A chart, such as in the example below, allows you to carefully consider the location, groupings and planting schedule for the vegetables and herbs under consideration. Keep in mind one critical factor in our climate…the growing season in our region is short (~134 days for 5a/b) https://www.almanac.com/gardening/frostdates/ON

Two strategies to extend this season are: 1. For crops that have a longer growing season, start them by seed indoors or purchase them as a seedling/small plant (e.g. tomatoes), and 2. Plant some cold-hardy or semi-cold-hardy vegetables to extend the season beyond the first frost (e.g. broccoli, kale, radish, carrot). In addition, I recommend that herbs be purchased as small plants as they will begin to provide season-long enjoyment quickly and are quite reasonably priced.

Another consideration to increase yield is “succession planting” – a method whereby the same crop can be sown multiple times, spaced apart in intervals. This strategy can also be utilized with inter-planting whereby a row of one crop is alternated with another crop (in this case with a shorter growing season). Once the early harvest occurs, another row of the first crop can be sewn in its’ place. This allows for 2 different crops to be planted together in the same container (e.g. carrots and radishes) with successive harvests in a small space.

One of the final considerations is time…which as we all know is precious. Understanding how much time you want to invest in the garden is important. As with any vegetable garden, sowing seeds, transplanting, fertilizing, harvesting and inspecting the plants takes time. One added component with container vegetables is the need to additional watering. Depending on the weather some crops may need to be watered daily or even twice/day. If the container garden is significant, a drip irrigation system for containers (e.g. with a backflow preventer), should be considered to reduce the watering workload!!

Table 1. Example of a Vegetables/Herbs Planning Chart

*Vegetable/ Herb*	*Days* *To Germ.*	*Days to Harvest*	*Environmental* *Considerations*	*Other* *Considerations*	*Yield* *(kg/3m row)*
Beans (Pole) (DS)	6-14	65-70	Sun; Average Moisture; Sandy well drained soil	Space seeds 6-8” around base of pole in tripod; fertilize with 10-10-10 after pods set	2.5-4.5
Kale (T)	N/A		Sun; well drained loam with high organic matter	Heavy feeder; starter and then 30-0-0	2-3.5
Tomatoes (Cherry) (T)	N/A	50-65	Sun; slightly acidic well drained soil	Heavy feeder – use starter, then 33-0-0 two weeks before first ripening and 5-10-5 two weeks after ripening; bury stem deep when transplanting	100-200/ plant
Peppers (T)	N/A	70-85	Sun; well drained loose soil; average moisture	Light feeder; transplant when soil is warm	2-8
Carrots (DS)	10-14	55	Sun; Average Moisture; Deep, well-aerated sandy loam	Sow shallow 3-5 weeks before the last frost; can be sown every 3 weeks for continuous harvest	3-4.5
Radishes (DS)	4-7	20-25	As above	Sow in early spring at 1/2”; thin to 2”; inter-plant with carrots	+++
Leaf Lettuce (T)	N/A	40-80	Sun/tolerates shade; rich well drained loam	Medium to heavy feeder; use starter and side dress if additional needed;	2-4.5
Basil (T)	7-14		Sun; Moist nutrient rich soil; well drained	Pinch central stem to encourage a bushy plant; harvest the plant often for ongoing growth	Cont.
Oregano (T)	N/A	N/A	Sun/part shade; needs good drainage		Cont.
Rosemary (T)	N/A	N/A	Sun; well drained sandy or loamy soil; drought tolerant	Light feeder: mix compost into the soil and then use balanced fertilizer as needed	Cont.
Thyme (T)	N/A	N/A	Sun; sandy/poor soil tolerated; dry conditions preferred	All purpose fertilizer in the spring at half strength	Cont.

DS= direct sew seed/T=transplant small plant

Once you have determined your crops to be considered for your container vegetable garden, it is a good idea to identify the containers to be used and the arrangement of these containers (see Photos 1&2 below). Containers should not only be organized to maximize space and sunlight, but also to be esthetically appealing.

In the arrangement on the left in photo 1, the tall pole beans and cherry tomato plant is set at the back, with the peppers, carrots, radishes, and green onions at the front – providing a layered look and maximizing space on a deck.

Other considerations can be either a “tower” or a Living Wall whereby vegetables/herbs are stacked, utilizing only a small footprint in a small space. A Living Wall can be created whereby multiple planters are suspended by rope or chain under the edge of a deck (as long as there is full sunlight); lettuce, potatoes, and other mixes of vegetables and herbs can be placed together creating an appealing planting with various heights and trailing plants and herbs.

If you have an inclination for growing your own food, do not be discouraged if you do not have access to a traditional garden space. Small space vegetable gardening provides an opportunity to be creative, and if planned properly, you can eat healthy fresh vegetables throughout the season.

Bees & Pollinators, Birds, Dreams, Garden Design, Native Plants, Perennials, Planting, Shrubs & Trees

Creating a Wildlife Friendly Hedgerow in my Ontario Garden

January 22, 2024 peterboroughmastergardeners Leave a comment

by Emma Murphy, Master Gardener

Although I’ve lived in Canada for almost 50 years, I grew up in Bristol, England for some of my formative years, and always loved the traditional hedgerows that existed along rural roads and properties. Every time we return to the UK on a trip, I marvel at the diversity and intricacy of these functional garden/farm structures.

On our three quarter of an acre property in a small village north of Peterborough (Zone 4b/5a) I have a neighbour on one side who has a chain link fence and loves their golf green lawn. On the other side there is no fence at all, but I’ve been growing a few elderberries (Sambucus canadensis) and cup plants (Silphium perfoliatum) to hide a poorly maintained house – the first shrub suckers well and the second plant grows fast and tall.

So I’d love to have a traditional English-style hedgerow on both edges that would provide visual screening as well as animal and bird habitat…so I went looking to see how to adapt the traditional English hedgerow to Ontario.

Hedgerows can provide amazing bird habitat

The origins of hedgerows

It’s thought that hedgerows (or hedges) were first used by humans as ‘dead hedges’ to enclose livestock using thorny plants. Once agriculture began, clearing woodlands created fields with tree and shrub boundaries that were managed to create livestock-proof ‘living fences’.

Hedgerows have been planted since the time of the Romans and reached their peak in Britain during the Enclosure Acts of the 1700s when an estimated 200,000 miles of mostly hawthorn (Crataegus spp) hedgerows were planted.

Credit: People’s Trust for Endangered Species, UK

Hedgerows have many purposes, as you can see from this graphic from the People’s Trust for Endangered Species. They have an excellent video on how to manage a hedgerow here, but it’s not quite the same in Ontario, as we don’t have the same hedgerow species or coppicing techniques.

In their best form I think hedgerows can be a mini-ecosystem with key ingredients that animals and birds need to survive — food, shelter, nesting and denning sites. Hedgerows also function as corridors, connecting one habitat to another and offering a safe passage for wildlife. They help muffle sound, create privacy, and act as windbreaks.

Definitely not a short term project

According to the Ottawa Field Naturalists Club (OFNC), the ideal hedgerow is

Planted with a variety of berry- and seed-bearing shrubs for food
Interspersed with cedar for added cover
Thick, bushy, largely unpruned and entangled with vines

The Ontario Rural Skills Network suggests that hedgerows can be single species but are best if they comprise a diversity of plants. Planting should be very dense, with a double line spaced 40cm (16in) apart with plants in a staggered pattern at 30cm (12in), giving 5 plants per metre.

Because they’re comprised of living shrubs, hedgerows grow and require management. It’s all about creating a balance between growth and avoiding them becoming gapped and unmanageable. A hedgerow may take seven to 10 years to establish, depending on the species composition.

This young hedgerow bordering a field features native plants that provide habitat for beneficial insects and pollinators. Photo: Janet Donnelly, © Oregon State University

Making a plan

I’m just at the beginning of my plan for hedgerows on our property, but winter is a great time to do research. Both sites are sunny and have well drained soil, and I want to focus on using Ontario native plants as much as possible. I’m looking at a combination of seed- or nut-bearing shrubs (like speckled alder and hazel) and berry producers (serviceberry, chokecherry, red osier dogwood). Thorny shrubs (native roses, wild raspberry, hawthorns) will give added wildlife protection. The design will probably be different for each one, but that’s the fun of it.

The OFNC has excellent lists of plants you can consider for an Ontario hedgerow. I’m thinking about using

Speckled alder (Alnus incana)
Beaked hazel (Corylus cornuta)
Hawthorns (Crataegus spp.)
Common elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)
Flowering raspberry (Rubus odoratus)
Willow spp. (Salix spp.) – native if I can find them – there is an amazing group in
Choke cherry (Prunus virginiana)
Red osier dogwood (Cornus stolonifera or C. sericea)
Eastern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis)
Wild (riverbank) grape (Vitis riparia)

Next steps

I’m just at the beginning of my journey. In my next blog post on March 25^th, I’ll give you an update on my research and my plans for my spring hedgerow projects. Until then, here’s some interesting sites to look at if you are thinking about something similar. And, by all means, if you have created a hedgerow in your Ontario garden, I would love to hear about it.

More resources

Creating a hedgerow for wildlife (Canada)

Hedgelink (UK)

National Hedgel ayin g Society (UK)

The traditional farm hedgerow (Canada)

Surrey Wildlife Trust – how to lay a hedge (UK)

1000 Islands Master Gardeners – Wildscaping with hedgerows (Canada)

How to plant a hedgerow in the home landscape (Ohio, US)

How to Start a Hedgerow (5 Steps) (Washington State, US)

A Guide to Hedgerows: Plantings That Enhance Biodiversity, Sustainability and Functionality (Oregon State U Extension)

Healthy hedgerows on your land (UK)

What have hedgerows ever done for us? how hedges benefit us (UK)

Birds, Native Plants, Perennials, Planting

Gardening for Birds Through the Seasons

January 15, 2024 peterboroughmastergardeners 4 Comments

By Silvia Strobl, Master Gardener in Training

More than 1 in 4 birds have disappeared in North America since 1970, primarily due to habitat loss according to a recent study. As gardeners we can help to mitigate further declines by adding native plants to our gardens that meet seasonal bird habitat needs. If you would like to help, consider whether you can add one or more of the Ontario native plants noted below in your 2024 garden plans. All these are easy to grow, low maintenance, prefer full to part sun, and tolerate a wide range of soil conditions—ideal for almost any garden! Click on the plant names for Ontario specific growing information and photos.

In spring, food for early returning migrants is critical. The catkins of Pussy Willow (Salix discolor) and other willow species are an important early nectar and pollen source for native bees, but they also attract insects which feed returning Eastern Phoebes, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Chickadees, and other insect eating birds.

Northern Oriole among Willow catkins in early spring (photo credit: Beth McEwen)

For returning Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, growing a patch of Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) provides a critical source of early nectar. Providing a succession of nectar sources for hummingbird parents will entice them to nest and let you enjoy the flight chases of the juvenile birds in late summer. Include native plants with red, orange, or pink tubular flowers such as Scarlet Beebalm (Monarda didyma), Fly Honeysuckle (Lonicera canadensis), or Northern Bush Honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera).

If you have room to plant only one tree in your yard, make it a Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa), Red Oak (Q. rubra), or Black Cherry (Prunus serotina). These trees support the greatest numbers of caterpillar species and hence provide important food high in protein for Chickadees and other birds raising nestlings in our short, temperate summers. To rear one clutch, Chickadees require up to 9000 caterpillars. Trees also provide structure and cover for nests.

Small, garden-size shrubs such as Serviceberries (Amelanchier spp.), Common Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) and Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) produce early season berries that provide food for Cedar Waxwings, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Catbirds, and Robins. These shrubs also provide cover for nesting birds.

Cedar Waxwing eating a Smooth Serviceberry (*Amelanchier laevis*) berry in late June/early July in the author’s former Peterborough Garden (photo credit: Silvia Strobl)

For fall and winter bird habitat, grow a variety of plants that provide food, including:

Native Sunflowers, Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Black-eyed Susan (Rudebekia hirta), and Asters (Symphyotrichum spp.) and stop deadheading at the end of August to promote production of seeds. Leave these plants standing overwinter to provide food for Goldfinches, Northern Cardinals, and Dark-eyed Juncos.
Shrubs such as Grey Dogwood (Cornus racemosa), American Plum (Prunus americana), Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) and the vine, Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) produce late-season berries that are rich in fats. Many insect-eating birds switch to eating berries in fall to store fat under their chests and wings to support either long journeys south or survival in our chilly winters. Berries of native shrubs have higher percentages of fat (6.5% to 48.7%) than most non-native shrubs (less than 1%) according to this study.
Conifer trees and shrubs such as Eastern White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis) provide sheltering cover for year-round resident birds such as Chickadees, Nuthatches and Mourning Doves.
Decaying stumps and logs attract numerous beetles and ants. If you must remove a tree that has died or outgrown your garden, consider leaving the standing dead tree or stump to decay and provide insect food for Pileated and other Woodpeckers.

Goldfinches enjoying seeds of Purple Coneflower against a backdrop of winter snow in the author’s current garden (photo credit: Silvia Strobl)

You can have a spectacular garden by adding native plants. And, when you see birds using your garden, you will not only feel good about your contribution to bird conservation, but you will enjoy your garden even more!

The author’s (mostly native plant) garden in early August (photo credit: Silvia Strobl)

Native Plant Sources

A key issue for those trying to grow native plants is finding them. To help you, the Halton Master Gardeners maintains a map of Ontario native plant nurseries that also provides websites and contact information. Always phone the nursery first to confirm they will be open.

Native Plants Nurseries in Southern Ontario – Updated April 2023

Other Resources

In Our Nature. Nd. Native Plants for Hummingbirds. https://www.inournature.ca/plants-for-hummingbirds

In our Nature. N. 30 Native Shrubs for Ontario Gardens: Your go-to reference for the best shrubs for gardeners and wildlife. https://www.inournature.ca/best-native-shrubs

Tallamy, D.W. 2019, Nature’s Best Hope: a new approach to conservation that starts in your yard. Timber Press. 256 pp.

Related Over the Fence Blogs

EXPANDING YOUR NATIVE PLANT PALETTE

ATTRACTING BIRDS 1

ATTRACTING BIRDS, PART 2

ATTRACTING BIRDS PART 3

Advice, Garden rejuvenation, Information, Perennials, Planting

Divide to Multiply

March 27, 2023 peterboroughmastergardeners Leave a comment

by Marilyn Homewood, Master Gardener

Despite the lingering snow, the longer days and stronger sun tell us that spring is indeed here! With that we begin to think about all of the chores we wish to accomplish. Division of perennials is a common task. So why do we divide?

Division is a common means of vegetative propagation. It is an easy way to increase the number of plants you have available. Division is also required maintenance for some perennials in order to achieve maximum bloom year after year. Although a fairly simple process, there are a couple of considerations you must make.

Time of Year

Because successful division depends on the growth of new roots, the best times of the year to divide are spring and fall when the soil is warm, water is available and stressors are at a minimum.

Many perennials can also be divided during the summer months but high temperatures mean an increase in water loss. This leads to a stressed plant so extra care must be provided to ensure the plant remain well hydrated. Also, there are some ornamental grasses that only grow new roots in the spring. These plants should not be divided in the fall as they will not grow new roots that can take up water.

Method of Division

This will depend on the type of root and crown system the plant has. No matter the type of plant, keep in mind that each plant division must contain at least one bud or growing point and a few healthy roots. If you are unsure of the what you are dealing with, there is a link to a list from the University of Minnesota at the end of this blog.

Clumpers – These plants often have fibrous root systems sometimes with rhizomes but grow many smaller crowns at the base of the original each having its own root system. This often makes for easy separation with little tissue damage. Examples include ajuga, daylily and hosta.

Runners – These are plants that spread by covering the ground by shallow horizontal stems. They root along their nodes and send up new shoots making them easily dividable by separating the root ball. Examples include bee balm and goldenrod.

Tight, woody crowns – These plants are a little more challenging to divide as the buds are often tightly packed on a hardened crown. For best results the plant must be older when split to ensure that divisions with have growing points. Examples include baptisia and peony.

Thick rhizomes or tubers – Rhizomes are technically stems that grow underground. Divided sections must contain at least one growing eye. Examples in this group would be bearded iris and dahlia. These varieties should only be divided when dormant.

Tap rooted plants –These cannot rarely be divided unless multiple tap roots have developed and are better propagated by using root cuttings. Plants in this group includes oriental poppies.

Basic Steps for Division

Dig out the plant. If not replanting immediately, protect from desiccation. Removing the plant from the ground can destroy tiny root hairs (responsible for water uptake). Protecting the plant means a faster recovery on the division is replanted. I often place the root ball in a plastic bag and place in a shaded area.
Separate your plant into pieces using the most appropriate method. Make sure to take generous divisions of sufficient size to ensure growing points and healthy roots.
Replant, digging hole wide enough. Roots like to grow out and down so give them enough space to spread out. Be sure that the soil has good contact with the root system by firming the soil then water the division in, slowly allowing the soil to further settle against the roots.

Resources

The Science Behind Plant Division

Divide and Conquer: How to Divide and Multiply Perennials

How and When to Divide Perennials

Table for Dividing Perennials

Planting, Seeds, Websites

The Case for Coir

March 6, 2023 peterboroughmastergardeners 4 Comments

By Christine Freeburn, Master Gardener

For many years, we have been told of the depleted bogs where peat has been harvested and why we should not be buying it. Many gardeners wonder what they would use to replace this product that is a great soil amendment and seed starting medium.

Peat is an organic naturally forming product which can take hundreds of years to replace. We all know the history of peat bogs in the British Isles when peat was used to heat homes and then mined irresponsibly, destroying wetlands and ecosystems. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is a group which is responsible for setting up a Peatland Programme in the UK.

Did you know that Canada is the largest producer and exporter of horticultural peat, with about 1.3 million tonnes of peat being mined in 2010? Peat companies must, however, follow federal and provincial guidelines. Just recently, in Manitoba, this ruling occurred: On January 20th, 2023, Moswa Meadows and Fish Lake Fen were designated as provincially significant peatlands in the newly created Provincially Significant Peatlands Regulation in order to ensure the biodiversity of the two areas is preserved. Specified development activities, including mining, forestry, agriculture, and peat harvesting, are now prohibited across the nearly 28,000 hectares that make up Moswa Meadows and Fish Lake Fen and will ensure the areas can continue to provide long-term beneficial goods and services including carbon sequestration and storage, water filtration, and flood mitigation. For more about peat management in Canada, check out

Peat Mining in Manitoba

Coir (pronounced COY-er) comes from the coconut plant. It is the part between the meaty white flesh and the hard outer shell. Because coconuts are grown and harvested for food, coir is readily available. India is the largest exporter of coir. It can be used on its own as a growing medium for seed starting and root cuttings or as a soil amendment for holding moisture and is a great replacement for peat.

Coir has a pH of 5.7 to 6.5 which is perfect for plants to obtain nutrients. It can be used in containers to help hold moisture and lighten soil. The square foot garden formula is one third peat moss, vermiculite and compost, so coir would be an excellent peat replacement. Coir last longer than peat, being slower to breakdown. It has no odour. It gives sandy soil more structure. Excess salt may be a problem, however, rinsing with fresh water a few times should remove enough of the salt.

Coir is available in many different ways including bales, bricks, pots and discs. Compressed blocks need to have warm water added for it to absorb and expand, just like peat. Place the brick in a bucket, add water and watch it expand. The coir will absorb the water, and can expand by up to 15%. It will soften and have a fluffy texture which can then be placed in pots for planting slips or rooting plants. The small disks also need to have water for them to expand and act like the peat pods we are familiar with. And like the peat pods, these coir disks can be planted directly into the garden. Check out this article: What is Coconut Coir?

Coir products are available online at many sites like Veseys Seed s. I have also found them in Peavey’s and Home Hardware in Peterborough. Let’s all be responsible by purchasing coir rather than peat.

Advice, Annuals, Dreams, Native Plants, Perennials, Planting, Seeds, Winter Sowing

The KISS Principle – Winter Sowing 101

December 26, 2022 peterboroughmastergardeners Leave a comment

By Emma Murphy, Master Gardener

“If it’s not easy, you’re doing it wrong” Trudi Davidoff

For the last few years I’ve been hearing people (especially those in the native plant field) raving about winter sowing. What’s that I asked? Simple, they said – a germination method where you put seeds in an enclosed container out in your garden in winter and let Mother Nature make you more plants.

Hmm, I thought, that sounds too easy. As someone who has struggled for year with starting plants from seeds (especially annuals, vegetables, or herbs) and lost many sad looking seedlings to damping off I was intrigued.

Now I know it really is straightforward (although it requires an Ontario twist – more later) – and I am all about using a KISS principle – Keep It Simple Stupid!

My plants – June 2022. As you can see not all successful. I love the Hunk O’ (or Chunk O’) transplanting method once they have grown (see FAQs)

Started in 2000 by Trudi Greissle Davidoff of New York in an essay, the Winter Sowing Method is a low cost (bonus!!!), temperate climate method of producing sturdy plants for your garden. There is no need to set up lights or have a space inside your house and best of all, no hardening off process. In 2006, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recognized the viability of the technique by adding the term to the National Agricultural Library Thesaurus.

The Basics

So how does it work? For winter sowing you use a recycled container (bonus!) to create a mini greenhouse that protects the seeds from animals, birds and other pests, as well as from our often variable spring weather, until they get big enough to transplant into your garden. This is one case when you actually want your seeds to be placed outdoors and exposed to the elements (including freezing temperatures, snow, and rain).

You can use any container that’s deep enough to hold sufficient potting mix and has a clear or translucent covering that is tall enough to allow the transplants to grow. It must have drainage holes in the bottom as well as ventilation holes in the top. You can use perennial or annual seeds – basically anything as long as it isn’t a tropical seed (for obvious reasons). Native seeds are particularly good because they need a period of cold stratification to germinate – why not take advantage of natural temperatures, rather than artificially refrigerating seeds that need this process?

My winter sowing containers – January 2022

You fill the container with potting mix (at least 4-5 inches), sprinkle in your seeds, make sure the mix is moist, tape or secure the top of the container in some fashion, and put it outside. It’s good to check on the containers periodically so they don’t dry out or become waterlogged. Then you wait – it really is that simple.

Ok, I know there are questions – When do I start where I live? When do I plant x seeds? What soil do I use? Let me try and answer some of the basic ones and point you to other resources as well.

Trudi’s original website is no longer active but there is a very active Facebook page that follows her method – Winter Sowers – which I highly recommend for all the basic information and lively discussions amongst members. Trudi is an admin on the page.

Timing for Winter Sowing?

You can start winter sowing anytime after the Winter Solstice (December 21^st). Perennials are generally done first, as they often require (or benefit from) cold stratification, then hardy annuals, then tender annuals. But the bottom line is that the seeds will germinate when the conditions are right for each kind of seed. That is the beauty of winter sowing! Many people winter sow their perennials in January but then wait until March to start their annuals. It really doesn’t matter – do what works for you!

They are ready to plant whenever the outside temperature has sufficiently warmed and they are the right size (2 to 3 inches or more importantly at least two sets of real leaves).

What Soil to use?

It’s recommended to use a sterile potting soil mix; avoid soil bags that say they are ‘weed free’ because they can contain chemicals mixed into soil to prevent any weed seeds in that bag from germinating. So they will also prevent the germination of seeds you sow in that same soil! If you live in an extremely dry environment, you might want to use soil that has moisture retentive crystals – otherwise this is not necessary (and can even be a problem in wet winter regions like the U.S. Pacific Northwest). Using fertilized soil for a sowing medium is a personal preference.

What Containers? The Ontario Twist

Most winter sowers tend to use milk jugs for their seeds, but these are not readily available in Ontario – we still love our milk bags! But the reality is that you can use any container for winter sowing as long as it can hold at least 3 inches (7.6 cm) of potting soil. I have seen various other things used – juice bottles, clear pop bottles, blue and green bottles, aluminum pans, salad boxes, plastic containers, pretzel barrels, cheese curl containers, ice cream buckets, nut containers, and vinegar jugs. They must be translucent (some light passes through) or transparent (all light passes through). Opaque materials will not work. Personally I have used the large fresh spinach containers or aluminum roasting pans with clear lids.

You do need some sort of cover on your container, as it helps keep heavy rains under control (so they drip slowly into your containers), it keeps more moisture in so that you have a higher germination rate of your seeds, and it keeps weed seeds out of your containers.

How do I Label?

Labelling is really important unless you’re a genius at identifying new sprouts! I recommend putting in two labels – one on the underside of your tray and one on a popsicle stick in the container. Trudi recommends using duct tape and an industrial sharpie. Tip – place your labels before you fill the tray with soil and put them so they don’t impede the water drainage holes. There is lots of discussion on the best pens to use for labelling – everything from paint pens to garden markers, livestock markers, and china/grease markers.

This will be my second year winter sowing just north of Peterborough – I learned a lot in my first year, most importantly to transplant my seedlings before they get too big and dry out. I wrote a blog earlier this year about some of the cool native plants that I winter sowed last winter.

I hope this blog encourages you to consider winter sowing for your garden, particularly for native species to your area – seeds are so much cheaper than plants and then once they go to seed you are all set to grow even more plants, either for yourself or to share with friends!

Want More Information?

Some videos (and posts) you may want to check out – there are lots of winter sowing videos out there (sometimes with conflicting information) but these are two that are recommended by the online group

Dolly Foster – Hort4U Winter Sowing Presentation

All The Dirt on Winter Sowing

Planting Native Seeds (Facebook link)

WinterSowing 101 – Jug Prep (if you have milk jugs) (Facebook link)

Frequently Asked Questions (Facebook link)

Garden Design, Garden rejuvenation, Perennials, Planting, Travel

Exploring Two Special English Gardens (and the Gardeners behind them)

October 31, 2022 peterboroughmastergardeners 2 Comments

by Emma Murphy, Master Gardener

This week I had the pleasure of doing my first in-person presentation in almost three years to the Peterborough Horticultural Society on some very special south England gardens that my husband and I were able to visit in May 2022.

National Garden Scheme

I also talked about the amazing UK National Garden Scheme (NGS), where gardeners open their private gardens on specific days during the year to raise funds for primarily health charities. Since many people had never heard of the NGS, I thought I’d share with a wider audience with my blog for this month.

The NGS gives access to over 3,500 exceptional private gardens in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands, which in turn raise impressive amounts of money for nursing and health charities through admissions, teas and cake. And it’s not just about seeing beautiful gardens – there is a strong focus on physical and mental health benefits of gardens too. They also support other charities doing amazing work in gardens, and provide health and grant bursaries to help community gardening projects. You can read more here.

How I wish we could start something similar here in Canada (or Ontario, or Peterborough)! Imagine all the good that could happen just from sharing our gardens with people. I’ll have to think more about this.

So we managed to see two very special private gardens (that both open for the NGS as well) and get to meet the gardeners behind the garden, which is always my favourite thing to do when I visit to a garden. I want to understand the inspiration, the goals and objectives, and the plans for the future…because we all know our gardens are ever evolving places.

Waterperry Gardens

Waterperry Gardens (east of Oxford in Oxfordshire) has a long legacy and an amazing history as one of the few horticultural schools for women (from 1943 to 1971) – run by two outstanding women – Beatrix Havergal and her partner Avice Sanders.

It’s an 80 acre estate with 8 acres of formal gardens, and is famous for the herbaceous border. This is what it looked like May 2022 when we visited, and how it looks now (fall 2022, photo courtesy of Head Gardener Pat Havers, who I was lucky enough to meet in person in probably the busiest time of the year!) I love this blog written about her in 2017.

Photo courtesy of Pat Havers (taken by Mark Lord Photography)

You know you’re a hard core gardener when your Mum takes you to work in a wheelbarrow!

Pat grew up in the gardens as her mother worked there, and has been working there herself for the past 20 years -10 years as Head Gardener.

“Living in the village it was every little girl’s dream to have this haven on their doorstep”, says Pat. “I would spend hours running through the beds and asking all the gardeners questions about their work. This soon caught Miss Havergal’s eye and I became the youngest student of hers at just the age of 4. My guess is perhaps she did this to keep me out of trouble.“

Her passion for the gardens were evident in everything she said. I found out about her favourite quiet space (down by the River Thame), and the incredible legacy established by Havergal and Sanders, that continues to this day in terms of courses, plant identification tags, and garden design.

This garden is the Formal Garden/Silent Garden, where people are encouraged to turn off the phones and just enjoy the beautiful knot garden, sculptures, and seasonal changes.

St Timothee Garden

Just a bit further east near Maidenhead in Berkshire is St Timothee, a spectacular 2 acre private country garden planted for year-round interest with a variety of different colour-themed borders, each featuring a wide range of hardy perennials, shrubs and ornamental grasses.

The garden artist at work here is Sarah Pajwani, and I love her approach to gardening (similar to my own), and especially her focus on making her gardens appealing all year round, including those winter months. While England obviously doesn’t have the harsh winters we have here, her focus is on maintaining structure and colour in the garden.

An overgrown field area when she moved in (2006), Sarah created a design rationale with the help of professional landscapers, but then set about filling her garden with plants of her choice, border by border. She definitely loves her purples and pinks, but also has a few ‘hot’ borders with lovely reds, oranges and yellows.

There are so many lovely aspects to her gardens, including a large pond, wild meadow, potting shed, and formal parterre garden. While we were there in May, her photos of her winter garden are amazing, designed to have year round interest that’s easy to manage.

Sarah’s garden received national recognition in 2021, being recognized by The English Garden magazine as the National Winner for favourite garden. A garden not to be missed if you are in the area!

This excellent garden blog shows the beauty of the St Timothee Garden in wintertime, when it’s one of the first to open for the NGS.

While we did enjoy seeing many of the ‘signature’ ‘must see’ gardens on our English trip – like Sissinghurst, Hidcote, Kiftsgate Court Gardens, and Great Dixter – it was these private gardens – where we had the opportunity to meet the gardeners – that were the highlight of our trip. So if you’re in the UK, be sure to check out the NGS website for what gardens are open while you are there – they have a great interface to help you – either by week or by arrangement.

(Special thanks to the magic of Twitter for connecting me to Ontario gardener Lynette, who connected me to master gardener Nicki in Sussex, who helped me find these very special gardens and gardeners. You will both be on my list of gardens to see next time I’m in your area.)

Advice, Bees & Pollinators, Birds, Books, Native Plants, Planting

Native Plant Gardening for Birds, Bees & Butterflies

October 3, 2022 peterboroughmastergardeners 1 Comment

by MJ Parker, Master Gardener

I recently downloaded “Native Plant Gardening for Birds, Bees & Butterflies” from my local library. This book was a fabulous find for me because I am currently planning a buffer area by the water in our new place. Going through this book reminded me of when I was a kid with a new Sears or Eaton’s catalogue – always an exciting event – something only people of a certain age will remember.

The book was written by an entomologist, Jaret C. Daniels, currently living in Florida but the area covered by the book is the upper Midwest which is roughly parallel to us here. I have ordered plants from Minnesota before with no problems and some of the plants I currently grow are in the book.About 1/4 of the book is devoted to why we should plant gardens for birds, bees and butterflies. He does a brief summary on a number of topics about the actual mechanics.

Most of the book, however, was a precis of individual plants roughly divided into sun, shade, and bog. Each plant started with a picture, then a summary of what it would attract and ended with specific location and cultivar tips. And this plant section was the part that I found extremely interesting and helpful.

So what I did was I sat down with a pen and paper over a number of days and compiled a list of what would work for me and plants I wanted to get. I ended up with a comprehensive list of plants, some I had forgotten to bring from the old place and some completely new to me.

And to date I have already placed 2 seed orders for some of the things on my list.

Bees & Pollinators, Garden Design, Garden rejuvenation, Native Plants, Perennials, Planting, Propagation

The Golden Glow Has Got To Go

September 5, 2022 peterboroughmastergardeners 3 Comments

By Emma Murphy, Master Gardener

Last year around this time I wrote a blog about reclaiming a garden bed from the dreaded ditch lily (Hemerocallis fulva), now considered an invasive species by many organizations including Ontario Parks and the US Fish & Wildlife Service and the U. S. National Park Service. If you’ve ever struggled with this plant you know what I mean.

The other plant growing in our large Lakefield garden when we moved in (more than 20 years ago) is what I was told was called an ‘outhouse plant‘. I eventually learned that the Latin name for this plant (also called golden glow or tall coneflower) was Rudbeckia laciniata “Hortensia”.

Rudbeckia laciniata “Hortensia” or Outhouse Plant, circa 2005 in my garden

It’s a cultivar of our native Rudbeckia laciniata, also known as Cut Leaf Coneflower or Green Headed Coneflower, which has a lovely simple daisylike flower (whereas the Hortesia cultivar is a double ‘puffy’ flower).

Our lovely R. laciniata elsewhere in the garden. It will do better (and flop less) if it’s in a garden bed with other tall and native plants.

Native *R. laciniata* flower to the left and *R. Hortensia* (double flower) to the right

The outhouse plant was pleasant enough so I let them grow for years in what I call our ‘back 40’, meaning our naturalized garden area at the back of the property, behind the cedar rail fence. Yes they were tall and gangly, and fell over in thunderstorms. Yes they spread, but they gave the prolific Canada Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) and New England Asters (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) a run for their money in August/September. And hey, I had more than enough to deal with in the rest of my more organized garden!

However, as I started to learn more about both native (and invasive) plants over the years I realized that I might have a problem. The outhouse plant isn’t a huge problem per se, as it can be controlled through digging, Chelsea chop etc., but its double shape means that it offers minimal benefit as food for our pollinators. And I wanted plants that not only look beautiful but have an ecological benefit. So I sat in my hammock and pondered.

Sitting in my hammock contemplating the outhouse plant’s fate
(he’s watching on the right)

As a result of winter sowing (first time this past winter – highly recommend!) I have lots of new native plant seedlings, including some of the ones I featured in my May blog – A Few of My Favourite Native Plants – Culver’s Root (Veronicastrum Virginicum), Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis), and Green Headed Coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata). I certainly have lots of the native Rudbeckia, as well as Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum), Giant Ironweed (Vernonia gigantea), and Purple Giant Hyssop (Agastache scrophulariifolia).

So the clearing of the outhouse plant began in earnest last week, and by the end of two afternoons I had an area to work with.

Then removal of the actual plants and roots

Definitely not light work, but not too difficult either compared to other plants. The area is now clear, and I’ll be putting in Green Headed Coneflower (the native), Boneset, Giant Ironweed, and Purple Giant Hyssop. They can all tolerate a little competition (a good thing for native plants, especially tall ones) and basic soils.

If I have space I might even mix in some shorter plants like native Bush honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera) and Pearly Everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea) in at the front as they can tolerate dry conditions. The area is mostly sunny all day. Unfortunately my beloved Cardinal Flower and Turtlehead are too dry for this location.

We’ll see how this experiment works and check back in with you all on another blog. If it works we’ll expand into another area of outhouse plant that I recently cut down, but haven’t removed yet…a work in progress. There are only so many hours in my (still working part time) day. And I still need to get that Canada Ggoldenrod under control…but that’s another story…