Every gardener in Leaside understands the challenges of gardening in the north. But climate change has given us more than just rising temperatures and strange seasons, it’s given us record-breaking extremes and weather events that …more
“You need nature more than she needs you. It’s not an equal relationship. Serve her well and she will look after you. Abuse her and everyone loses.” – Monty Don With 100 members in the …more
Those dirty little hands were out in early June helping to make some of our Leaside parks more beautiful and it’s all thanks to the Leaside Garden Society, the City of Toronto Parks Dept., the …more
The hedge is a landscape classic used for its streamlined elegance. But for thousands of years, it served other, more functional purposes. From its humble hedgerow beginnings as a handy source of nuts, berries and …more
Ecological freeloaders, botanical bullies or terrestrial tyrants are just a few ways to describe the behaviour of invasive plants. They steal resources, smother or strangle other plants and can take over an entire landscape. The …more
Last month I wrote about the Leaside Garden Society’s Junior Gardener Program and how the many benefits of garden-based learning can help our youth to become smarter, happier and healthier. After quoting encouraging words from …more
If you ever wondered why vanilla is so expensive, it might interest you to know that almost all vanilla produced today is pollinated by human hands. What’s more interesting, is that the technique for doing …more
One morning, while eating grapefruit, my friend Bonnie’s daughter asked, “What would happen if we planted this seed?” So, together they planted it, gently watered and patiently waited with big hopes for a tiny sprout …more
![Frederick Gage Todd. Wm. Notman & Son [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.](https://leasidelife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Frederick_Gage_Todd_featured-326x245.jpg)
Gardening can be as simple as finding a spot, digging a trench and filling it with a few plants. Voilà! But to a mindful gardener, the act of planting is one of greater responsibility. One …more
December is the month when things finally quiet down for gardeners. Oh sure, there’s always a tree or two left to prune and a few more plants to protect but mostly it’s a watch and …more
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