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John DegrootSarnia Observer |
Four cubic yards of mulch in the backyard and one more to go. Four cubic yards of mulch in the backyard and one more to go. Last week’s nice...
Four cubic yards of mulch in the backyard and one more to go. Last week’s nice weather had us putting down fresh mulch over the...
Six weeks. If you're starting veggie or flower seeds indoors, I recommend doing so six weeks before the last frost. Six weeks. If you’re starting...
Six weeks. If you are starting veggie or flower seeds indoors, I recommend doing so six weeks before the last frost. Most of us get the...
There is always something intriguing about a walk in the woods. There is always something intriguing about a walk in the woods. A recent stroll...
There is always something intriguing about a walk in the woods. My recent stroll through the Art Teasell Wildlife Refuge in Sarnia caused me to...
Bookworms easily could spend an hour or two in a bookstore, just to see what might spark their interest. Bookworms easily could spend an hour or two...
Bookworms could easily spend an hour or two in a bookstore, just to see what might spark their interest.
Not for me. Not in my yard. But if you’d like a pussy willow in your backyard, don’t let me stop you. Not for me. Not in my yard. But if you’d...
Not for me. Not in my yard. But if you’d like to have a pussy willow in your backyard, don’t let me stop you. Pussy willows are prized for...
Temperatures this winter have been milder than ever, boding well for ticks, but likely making life miserable for those of us who love to spend time...
Increasingly, backyards are becoming oases where folks can relax, be physically active, worship nature, harvest crops or whatever suits your fancy....
Blame it on the pandemic. Or blame it on a movement, a renewed understanding that backyards should be extensions of our home. Or blame it on ...
It won’t be long. Spring will be announced not by the calendar, but by the flowering shrubs. It won’t be long. Spring will be announced not by the...
It won’t be long. Spring will be announced not by the calendar, but by the flowering shrubs that open their blooms in a magnificent array of...
A few years ago, fiddle leaf fig was the tropical plant everyone wanted, but no one could find. A few years ago, fiddle leaf fig was the tropical...
We didn’t eat spinach often. But when we did, it wasn’t the most pleasant experience. We didn’t eat spinach often. But when we did, it wasn’t...
We didn’t eat spinach often. But when we did, it wasn’t the most pleasant experience. Mom would often ask me to go to Dominion Food store...
Vegetable and flower seeds have arrived, and gardeners would be advised to make their selection early before certain varieties are hard to find....
At first glance, in the dead of winter, trees and shrubs look like a collection of lifeless stems and branches. At first glance, in the dead of...
At first glance, in the dead of winter, trees and shrubs look like a collection of lifeless stems and branches. Not so. Take a closer look and...
Florida leads the U.S. in citrus fruit juice production, while California is a close second. Florida is the sunshine state. Florida also leads the...
Florida is the Sunshine State. Beaches, attractions, golf, sun, relaxation and all things in between. Florida also leads the way in citrus...
Tissue culture is a ticklish propagation technique, giving nursery growers one more way to make plants quickly, accurately and in great numbers. When...
If you plant a seed fallen from a Japanese red maple, it woon't grow into another Japanese red maple. If you plant a seed fallen from a Japanese red...
Try as you may, but if you planted a seed fallen from a Japanese red maple, it would not grow into another Japanese red maple. Rather, it would...
For lack of a better term, they are called broadleaf evergreens. No needles, no cones, just glossy green foliage that remains on the plant all year...
For lack of a better term, they are called broadleaf evergreens. Glossy green foliage, no needles, no cones, with foliage that remains on the plant...
All but a few of us want order in our lives.
Thirty and 40 years ago, the two most popular plants in our nursery were euonymus Gaiety (Euonymus fortuneii ‘Gaiety’) and purple leaf plum...
Oops, we goofed. Periodically the horticulture industry makes a mistake. Sort of like lemons in the auto industry. Nothing critical and...
Our affection for native plants is growing. Our affection for native plants is growing. Nature lovers and friends of the environment are slowly...
Our affection for native plants is growing. Nature lovers and friends of the environment are slowly ditching the likes of geraniums and gerbera...
The colours green and red have long been associated with Christmas. The colours green and red have long been associated with Christmas. Green, of...
The colours green and red have long been associated with Christmas. Green, of evergreens, represents eternal life while red is to remind us of...
She hates them. I admire them. She won. I dug them out. To be fair, the ornamental grass right behind the house was rather ugly. I planted...
It has been a while since I’ve seen a deer. We would spot a few when we lived in the rurals, but since moving to town, the only time I’ve seen a...
Canadians love progress. Because progress makes for a stronger economy. And rarely do we question the need for larger airports, new roads, more stores...
Canadians love progress. Because progress makes for a stronger economy. And rarely do we question the need for larger airports, new roads, more...
A decade ago, there were a lot of climate change deniers. Today, those who think climate change is a hoax are few and far between. A decade ago, there...
A decade ago, there were a lot of climate change deniers. Today, those who think climate change is a hoax are few and far between. A decade...
My friend Mike Smalls, retired landscape designer and landscaper and tireless advocate of restoring natural spaces, got 10 minutes at Monday’s...
My friend Mike Smalls, retired Landscape Designer and landscaper, and tireless advocate for restoration of natural spaces, was given ten minutes at a...
The Parable of the Sower tells of a farmer who sows seeds indiscriminately. The Parable of the Sower tells of a farmer who sows seeds...
In the Parable of the Sower, we are told of a farmer who sows seeds indiscriminately. Some seeds fall on the roadside with no soil, some on rocky...
My friend Mandi has become frustrated with a garden at her daughter’s school. My friend Mandi has become frustrated with a garden at her...
My friend Mandi became frustrated with the situation at her daughter’s school. A few years ago, the school decided to carve out a corner of the...
Where do you live? Whether you live at 123 Main St. or the third house past the corn crib on the 9th Concession, your municipal address is...
Garden mums are heroes of the fall garden. Garden mums are heroes of the fall garden. Easy to care for and inexpensive, they offer a splash of colour...
Garden mums are heroes of the fall garden. Easy to care for and inexpensive, mums will give a splash of colour that will last until we decorate the...