Garden Wisdom Blog — seeds

Why grow strawberries at all, when there are so many plump, juicy ones available in the grocery store? For me, that’s like asking, “Why grow tomatoes from seed when the stores have lots, even in winter?” Anyone who has enjoyed a home grown tomato will understand the inescapable truth about harvesting the fruits when they are truly ripe, and at the peak of their flavour potential. They do not compare to the relatively bland and watery tomatoes available in most grocery stores that are the product of a mass production greenhouse system. The luxury of harvesting truly ripe fruits for...

Well it’s that time of year again… The 2018 Gardening Guide is out in the hands of many gardeners, and providing a glimmer of hope about the coming season. Winter is just about to commence (three more days from the Solstice at the time of writing), but it marks the point when the days begin to grow longer. For gardeners, that’s a key turning point. Our main trial garden on our farm underwent a sizeable expansion in 2017 as we took on seed trials for the All-America Selections, [AAS] as well as our own extensive trials of new products. The...

Here is a blend of flowers native to eastern North America that are adapted to survive the sometimes shifting weather of the Maritimes, New England, and the St. Lawrence coast. This mix of fourteen showy plants is primarily composed of perennials, but includes the annual Gaillardia. It is sure to create a feast for the eyes and return for years to come. Here is the list of component species in our East Coast Wildflowers Blend: Blue Wild Indigo (Baptisia australis) Brown-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia triloba) Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) Eastern Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) Gayfeather (Liatris spicata) Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea) Indian...

This blend of North American native wildflower species was selected for areas with cold winters and hot summers. The ideal region straddles the Rocky Mountains and foothills, from BC’s central interior to Calgary, and from Jasper National Park down to central Oregon and western Idaho. This cold hardy blend can take a fairly harsh winter, and return each spring to feed wild pollinators and increase biodiversity. It’s composed of 100% native wildflower species. Check out the list of Upland Blend Wildflowers Ingredients: Arrowleaf Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata) Deerhorn Clarkia (Clarkia pulchella) Globe Gilia (Gilia capitata)Lewis Flax (Linum lewisii)Munro's Globemallow (Sphaeralcea munroana)...

This is a list of the twenty-one component species of our Great Lakes Wildflower Blend, and it includes annuals, biennials, and perennials. While this blend will grow in nearly any garden, its components are all selected natives to the Great Lakes region. By that we mean from the Canadian Shield in southeast Manitoba to New York State, and from Illinois and Indiana to southern Quebec. This blend contains no invasive species. Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) Clasping Coneflower (Dracopis amplexicaulis) Dwarf Evening Primrose (Oenothera macrocarpa) Grey-Headed Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata) Indian Blanket (Gaillardia pulchella) Lance-Leaved Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata)...