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...
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,...
Lasagna garden
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...
Saving the bees: Plants to help our buzzing buddies
American bumble bee (Photo by K.S. Gardener/iNaturalist)
Humans have a very delicate relationship with bees. Despite their importance, many of us fail to understand just how much bees impact our daily lives — and how much we’re putting them at risk. Canada has over 850 native bee species,...
Support local biodiversity by avoiding invasive plants in your garden
With gardening season upon us, the warm weather brings hope that your favourite plot of soil will be better than it was last year. At the Invasive Species Centre, we have one request as you mull over your garden plans for 2019: please avoid the...
Why I'm getting rid of my hostas
I love going to the cottage. We have a little cabin nestled between a hill and a lake near Algonquin Park, in the heart of Ontario’s cottage country. There are so many things I love about this place. Water, moose and amazing autumn colours....
Going head to head with the prairie rose
Prairie rose (Photo by Karol Dabbs)
I cannot kill this dang plant growing in my garden! Emotionally I can’t kill it, because it means something to me, and literally, because I accidentally tried and it didn’t die. This hardy little number is the prairie rose, and...
Experimenting with native species in small spaces
Honeybee on butterflyweed (Photo by NCC)
Earlier this summer, a group of Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) Leaders in Conservation visited St. Williams Nursery & Ecology Centre in Norfolk County, Ontario, for a tour of the nursery's impressive facility. With several years of...
Keep your garden Canadian, eh?
Blue flag iris (Photo by Mike Dembeck)
Many of the plants we have in our yards are not native to Canada. In some cases, these non-native plants are invasive and can intrude into nearby natural areas or affect the growth and spread of native species. In most cases, native plants provide...
Bombs away...Seed bombs, that is!
Volunteer throwing seed bombs into experimental test plot at Conservation Volunteers event in Alberta. (Photo by NCC)
Do you have a patch of hard–to-reach garden space? What about an exposed piece of earth that you’d like to restore to native vegetation? Or perhaps you are simply looking for an enjoyable, hands-on activity for you and your family to...
