To mow, or not to mow, that is the question
Maria Olkinitskaya picking dandelions at Baie Verte CV event, NB (Photo by NCC)
During the month of May, the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is encouraging people to hold off on trimming their lawn in favour of letting the flowers and grasses grow, to provide habitat for insects and birds. The idea is to reimagine our...
We’re in a biodiversity crisis. What we plant and how we alter landscapes matters
Front yard naturalization in spring. (Photo by Lorraine Johnson)
Spring hadn’t officially sprung, but the season was warm, and so the annual ritual began. People began to clean up the dried stalks and dead leaves protecting the earth. While tidying up, people were also throwing out countless insects...
Create a messy garden for nature
Gardening is a great way to connect with nature (Photo by Lisa via Pexels)
As the warmer weather rolls across the country, many people have started tidying their garden for spring planting. But did you know that by leaving some of the stems and stalks that we traditionally clean up in the spring, you can create habitat...
Adventures in native gardening
Wild bergamot (Photo by Nicole Senyi/NCC staff)
If you live in Ontario, as I do, you’ll know we had a run of some pretty nice weather in early April — albeit with the odd blizzard mixed in here and there! But now, with the sun shining, birds singing and nowhere to go, getting...
Gardening with native plants this spring
Wild bergamot (Photo by Sarah Ludlow/NCC staff)
I love to garden. I excitedly begin planning for the next year as soon as the autumn chill settles over the Prairies. I’m always impatient for spring to arrive, and it doesn't help when the seed catalogues start arriving in November. I find...
Do you get enough Vitamin N?
Father and child by the lake (Photo by Laubenstein Karen, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/Wikimedia Commons)
You find yourself breathing more deeply, taking in the sharp scent of pine and the sweet mustiness of leaves returning to dust on the forest floor beneath your feet. For a moment, the quiet is broken only by birdsong — the notes that...
Rhubarb and monarchs: an unlikely duo
Monarch butterfly on aster (Photo by June Swift)
June is my favourite month. That time of year when you’re on the cusp of hot summer weather, daydreaming of how you’ll spend the dog days of summer in some sort of lake or having a picnic in the shade. For gardeners like myself,...
Heard it from a Scout: 5 ways to reuse your Halloween pumpkin
Jack-o-lanterns (Photo from Creative Commons)
During the Halloween season, a staggering number of pumpkins become jack-o-lanterns on October 31. But by the next morning, we're left wondering how to reuse them. From recipes to candles, here are five creative ways to find a second use for your...
A little help from my friends: How fallen leaves support biodiversity and climate
Leaf litter (Photo by Kaboompics.com via Pexels/Canva)
What’s your favourite part of autumn? Is it carving pumpkins for Halloween or going for long walks in the crisp air? Perhaps it’s spending time with loved ones over a hearty meal. But the main hallmark of autumn is the dramatic...
Lasagna garden
My dog, Kahlua, in her new backyard (Photo by Carys Richards/NCC staff)
This summer I purchased a house, and alongside the responsibility of being a first-time home owner came the excitement of having my own yard to create a garden in. When I took possession of the house, the backyard looked a lot like this: flat and...
