Some great options about Christmas and climate (and a great newsletter overall) open.substack.com/pub/talkingc...

(Don’t worry. I’m not driving – being chauffeured.) One of the most distinctive canopies of our native trees – American Elm. See the ‘umbrella’ form? You can recognize it from many kilometers away. Baltimore Orioles love to nest in it with their hanging constructions.

I got a chance to help (design/planting) with a neat garden in Toronto, beside #WomensCollegeHospital : rain garden/native plants. Thx @ChristineDingeman for photos. Amazing how community members volunteer, & #CityofToronto volunteers from Bay Cloverhill Community Ass’n to help!

Booooo Winnipeg! www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Interesting article on University of Minnesota scientists researching the use of fungi to control #EmeraldAshBorer! www.mprnews.org/story/2025/1...

Folks ask abt rain garden plants. They must be drought/flood-tolerant, and maybe salt-tolerant. Check out paid content on @Patreon for my list. www.patreon.com/SeanJamesCon...

When you HAVE to damage tree roots… 

As you may know, my favourite deep-end-of-the-pool horticultural podcast is #InDefenceOfPlants. It’s a bit late, but here’s a great one on the benefits of leaving leaves. Check it out and subscribe! www.indefenseofplants.com/podcast/2025...

In Toronto

Thanks to friends, I got my first long-eared owl today (and, no, I won’t share its location because too many people go pester it – sorry) Great expression on its face!

Our big Waterdown eco-landscape is all finished and put to bed. Now we have to wait till spring for everything to come up. But I CAN’T wait! 😂 There are probably around 100 different host plants in this garden. (plants for caterpillars to feed on).

Mini update, and apparently it’s warmer than I thought! 😂

I know I posted a bit of this, but I want it to do it again, better! 🤣 the plants are all placed and almost done planting and the mulch is going down!

Exciting news! I’m going to be on-air on @ZoomerRadio (#am740) with the amazing Charlie Dobbin, on the #GardenShow this Saturday, Nov. 22 at 9am! This is a garden question call-in show, so have questions ready – 866-740-4740! #ListenLive here: zoomerradio.ca/programs/the...

1 of my fave things about landscaping? The incredible life we see! Yesterday, I heard a sound. My head shot up as I looked to the sky and saw a flock of #SandhillCranes. The flock grew as they used the thermals from the Niagara Escarpment to climb in the sky! Magnificent!

Latest update on our Waterdown project …

Screenshot these posters, so you can really read them: Some of the educational signage we have at the #MasterGardeners advice table at the #ROYALWinterFAIR. And… Come visit us, with questions!

Who’s going to the #RoyalWinterFair in Toronto today or tomorrow? Come ask me gardening questions @ the #MasterGardenersAdviceTable! booth 4014, very close to the Egg Education Center and the Growth Hub Stage. I’m there nine till 1 PM today and 1 PM till 6 tomorrow. 😁

Who’s going to the #RoyalWinterFair in Toronto today or tomorrow? Come ask me gardening questions @ the #MasterGardenersAdviceTable! booth 4014, very close to the Egg Education Center and the Growth Hub Stage. I’m there nine till 1 PM today and 1 PM till 6 tomorrow. 😁

For all you bird fanatics, we were graced today! #RedTailHawk

Morning observations (featuring Orik!)

All week at the #RoyalWinterFair at the CNE grounds this week, Master Gardeners will be answering your questions in person at our advice table. Come find us! I’ll be there this coming Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon! AND it’s an amazing event, definitely worth attending.

After #LittleCanada, we visited Allan Gardens. Especially beautiful on a snowy day.

Had a fun day with the crew. We went and visited #LittleCanada. Fun and I loved how it built people‘s curiosity about Canadian history! They had a stunning miniature version of Vancouver’s Dr. Sun Yat Sen Garden!

Michael Albanese of #AvesiStormwater and I are finally working together on a project! It’s a long-term series of mostly native plant gardens coupled with several #RainGardens. It’s going to be beautiful, and it’s great working together!

#SeedySaturday at the #GuelphPublicLibrary - 100 Norfolk St.! Lots of free seeds and cool vendors and folks to ask questions of including the Master Gardeners. I will be at their advice table just inside the door upstairs.

Our latest installation – a pretty gigantic garden and a HUGE rain garden – needed equipment this time. 🥴 Mostly native plantings to follow.

If you take the time to read the whole Gates memo (which I did), the bulk of the content was mostly solid and encouraging. Really! It was the FRAME that was off--very off, from the first line. And when your framing is off, then how you make decisions and set priorities is off. THAT'S the problem.

It's time to look at upgrading my truck and letting the ol'86 Chevy have a rest. 👀 for an F-250 crewcab. Let me know. Fall seems like a good time since demand is low so prices might be more in my favour. I suppose I'm thinking something around 10 years old would be about right...roughly.

First day at our new project! Very exciting! 

Really inspiring event!#HaltonMasterGardeners and #HamiltonNaturalists run a competition for eco-friendly gardens. As a past judge, I was invited. I took my helpers to show them that what they do makes a difference. So inspiring to see people using their gardens for Good. Congratulations to all!

Another tip for dividing perennials, this time… How do you deal with the giant ones? The ones that fight back like huge Hostas, grasses and, in this case, native #Goatsbeard?

A little visit to our native plant redux/rain garden project in Mississauga. It took forever to look like anything was happening, but it’s all coming together now!  lots of plants reused – several species added. 

#RoseSawfly is a challenging pest for roses in the garden. Here’s a tip for control.

Carrots are harvested. Not a bad haul considering one doesn’t need to really do anything except weed around them (which I didn’t lol) and water (which my friend did). These were grown in pure compost, from my compost pile, in pots.

We are so lucky to live in this beautiful place. Can’t wait to share it with everyone who comes to visit tomorrow for our little plant sale and property tour. 10765 Fifth Line Nassagaweya, Milton - 9-4

Just a friendly reminder: we are having our plant sale/garden tour Sunday from 9 AM until 4 PM. There will also be tours around the garden and our hyper-natural property! We are at: 10765 Fifth Line Nassagaweya Rockwood, Ontario Lots of native and a few non-native plants and lots to learn!

A very quick walkabout (because it started raining lol) on today’s progress! Great day!

A little bit on staking trees … search #OntarioLandscapeTreePlantingGuide to learn more, because we do it wrong all the time! This is especially important for professionals who THINK they’re doing it right, and municipalities who set the standards.

This ancient Olea europaea specimen exhibits extreme secondary growth, indicative of an age potentially exceeding 1,000 years. Its lignified, contorted trunk structure reflects centuries of cambial activity, drought adaptation, and environmental stress. #PlantSky #HouseGardening #GreenSky

Well, another plant off the list of things that we should be using. Too bad! I really like #IvorySilkLilac.

This little creature is really nifty type of #AssassinBug. It’s huge! Emesaya brevipennis is the scientific name, and it was on our front step last evening!

We have one plant (#PrairieSmoke - Geum triflorum) which is polluted with another (#GoldenFeatherGrass - Sorghastrum nutans). What do we do? 

Article in the @theglobeandmail.com today on what to do in the garden in the fall. www.theglobeandmail.com/life/article...

Perhaps the final walk through our almost-complete d Burlington landscape with its two rain gardens, native plantings and relayed front step.

Friday, October 3, 9 AM - noon! Volunteer garden maintenance @ #ValFlemingButterflyGarden - 5020 Serena Dr Beamsville. Our focus: deadheading perennials that get a bit too weedy & consolidating “volunteers” together with their parents. And if you know anyone who needs volunteer hours for school…

Garden/property tour and plant sale! Come and visit on October 12 from 9am til 4 PM! Lots of cool and a few rare plants for sale! Also the potential to dig some plants from the garden if folks are interested. 10765 Fifth Line Nassagaweya Rockwood Ontario (actually we’re just north of Milton)

The front yard on our little Burlington #RainGarden/ #NativePlanting landscape.

The backyard on our little Burlington #RainGarden/ #NativePlanting landscape.

Some interesting (I hope) insights on proper pruning.