A couple of weeks ago, gardeners in northern North America were worried about the buds breaking prematurely. Gardeners on social media were wringing their hands in worry. But really it’s not a huge problem. Sure, there may be a few less flowers in spring, but most shrubs and trees will survive. The real problem is the numerous freeze/thaw cycles, which damage plants if garden beds haven’t been mulched.

Written on Thursday, February 9, 2012 in Blog, Gardening

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Written by Cristina da Silva

It has been a weird winter so far. Up and down temperatures, freeze and thaw. It’s the freezing part that worries me. Freezing means having to use salt on walkways. And as I gardener I try to minimize my salt use. Salt damages most plants.

Written on Tuesday, January 31, 2012 in Blog, Gardening

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Written by Cristina da Silva

Death and decay doesn’t sound like a lovely subject to talk about, but in the garden it’s a gardener’s delight. Really.

Written on Wednesday, November 2, 2011 in Gardening

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Written by Cristina da Silva

Fifteen years ago I started a garden maintenance company in Vancouver. It was a leap from working for other horticultural companies (seed companies, landscaping, gardening, garden centres) to working on my own.

It all sounds very brave and pioneer stuff and all of that. In truth, I was terrified.

Written on Saturday, October 22, 2011 in Gardening

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Written by Cristina da Silva

Fall is a glorious time of the year. As gardeners we don’t just appreciate the spectacular fall foliage colours we also rejoice in the sheer amount of potential leaf compost or leaf mulch. But we need to guard our transition from fall into winter. What we do today will affect our garden soil tomorrow.

Written on Thursday, October 13, 2011 in Gardening

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Written by Cristina da Silva

Mulching: the best gardening practice! And it’s trendy.

But mulching’s trendiness has a double edge sword. The upside is that more people are mulching. Yay! But the downside is that many of the products touting themselves as mulches are either a waste of time or money.

Written on Tuesday, October 11, 2011 in Gardening

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Written by Cristina da Silva

Bees and people go way back, from collecting honey from wild bees (13, 000 BC rock paintings) to domesticating wild bees for their honey (shown on 5th dynasty 2400 BC Egyptian sun temple walls). Any way you slice it, bees are part of our collective conscious.

Despite our long-standing connection with bees, we also need our bee-free zones. Busy buzzing bees can interfere in relaxation around the pool or patio, especially if you’re sipping a sweet summer cocktail! On the more serious side, about 1 in 1,000 people are allergic to bees. Keeping it bee-free is really important for these bee-allergic people.

Written on Thursday, June 24, 2010 in Gardening

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Written by Cristina da Silva

This summer is shaping up to be a scorcher in southern Ontario. With this heat and little rainfall, the least we can do for our plants (even our drought-tolerant ones) is to water them.

But before rushing off to water, give some thought to the costs involved to water resources and to your bank balance.

Written on Sunday, May 30, 2010 in Gardening

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Written by Cristina da Silva

Have you noticed that when you buy a certain type of car, you start to see that type of car everywhere? Well, the same thing happened to me when I planted a serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.). It seems like the most planted small tree in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)!

Written on Tuesday, April 27, 2010 in Gardening

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Written by Cristina da Silva

I’ve a bone to pick with the official website of Earth Day.

Written on Thursday, April 22, 2010 in Gardening

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Written by Cristina da Silva