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Description
The lighter side of landscaping. Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland, chat about horticulture served with a hearty helping of humour. With over 70 years of design and installation experience the McFarland boys dig into topics in a way you've rarely heard. Packed full of guests that represent various corners of the industry, The Growing Season is smile worthy.The Growing Season: No politics or pulpits, just plants and muddy workboots.
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These are the ones to watch! The McFarlands celebrate their 6 year anniversary discussing the all-stars of the autumnal season on this week's episode of The Growing Season. Canada geese kick off the show. Lynne discusses what she learned over the last year. Jack and Matt chime in. Potentillas, sprinklers and irrigation also feature. Silver linings and record breaking heat during the summer months are also correlated. Jack rants about fall colour change.&nb...
Good things come in small packages. Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland chat all things small on this week's episode of The Growing Season. Take the full-sized version of a large plant and miniaturize it and that's what we're talking about. The differences between full-sized, semi-dwarf and dwarf kick off the show. Espaliers are the first out of the gate. Squirrels and apple trees are a highlight. Baseball and apples. What!? Blueberries have been tough for The Growin...
"I'd love it to stay contained and grow slow..." These are the sentiments uttered by many a client that have crossed the McFarland's path. Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland dive into plants that are just what a client ordered on this week's episode of The Growing Season. Algae kicks the show off and you'll find out why. Juniper tags in quick and The McFarland's give these lovely evergreens their due. Pfitzers, Icee Blue, Blue Rug, Blue Chip and many more junipers are discussed. What ...
What's with all the insect activity!? Have you seen an upswing in insects in the garden of late? Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland dive into an increased presence of pollinators on this week's episode of The Growing Season. Grasshoppers and bees kick the show off. Do grasshoppers pollinate anything? You'll be surprised to know. Ants and Trilliums - there is a relationship there. Wasps and timber steps = stings for Matt. Jack tells the same 13 stories over and over....
More WOOD! You WOULDN’T want to miss this. Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland continue their Woodland Garden series on this week’s episode of The Growing Season. Picking up where last week’s episode left off, the trio dive into the plant material specifics that would look appropriate in a Woodland Design. Matt describes some curious behaviour on plants that he's currently observing on-sites. Jack outlines the two plants that tell you if there is enough water being applied to yo...
Sometimes you just gotta go for a walk in the woods. The McFarland's put their face in the mulch on this week's episode of The Growing Season. Jack, Lynne and Matt dive into part 1 of a two part series highlighting how to design and build a "woodland garden." What makes a woodland garden a woodland garden? Jack spins a yarn about a large woodland area that he created, for a client, in the 80's. Jack and Matt guide the listenership through an estimation exercise. Is ...
Geometric plants and small trees! This week's episode of The Growing Season changes what you've got into something even greater. Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland dive into lollipops, standards and pom-poms. WHAT!? The trio explain. What is the difference between a standard and a lollipop? Can they be both? What is a pom-pom that is not on a poodle or a cheerleader? Matt details his cat's adventures in the recent heat wave. How is kitty keeping cool amo...
WHEN WILL IT RAIN!? The Greater Toronto Area hasn't seen significant rainfall in over a month and the plants are starting to show the effects of drought. Your grass is the colour of Shredded Wheat and the heat is making it a struggle to keep your plants happy. What to do? Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland focus on water wise plants on this week's episode of The Growing Season. Lynne has changed how she's watering her flower beds. She describes how and the results thus far...
Look up! Its not just in the theatres these days, its on your arbours, trellises and fence lines. Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland look up on this week's episode of The Growing Season. All things that grow up and down are discussed on the most recent episode of TGS. Lynne is "3 foot 12 inches..." She's taller than that but it sets the tone for the show. Many clients don't know where to begin when it comes to choosing climbers. The McFarlands make a list of the most...
It’s all about Daisies and we and we ain’t talking bout pushing them up! Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland park this week’s episode of The Growing Season in a patch of Shasta’s. Matt talks about Daisy Dukes. Jack responds with “Ox Eyes.” Road Daisies and trains converge. 10% of the plants on earth are Daisies. Echinacea and Black Eyed Susie are members of the Daisy family. Who knew? The “Fibonacci Sequence” and phototropism are discussed. Poisonous Daisy family memb...
Its been dry and hot so how does that effect your lawn? Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland cut this week's episode of The Growing Season into your front lawn with a little grass talk. How do you protect your lawn against drought and heat? Matt discusses the ins and outs of irrigation systems. How much does it cost to install the system and what does it cost, on a monthly basis, to run one of these systems? A discussion on proper watering occurs. THE FIRE HOSE NOZZLE...
All stars in July aren’t only reserved for baseball! This week on The Growing Season, Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland dive into the horticultural all stars of July. Nothing blooms in July says the client. LIES. Matt tells a swimming story. HERstory returns to The Growing Seasom airwaves. Lynne discusses how the month of July got its name. What are the “Dog Days” of summer? TONS OF THINGS ARE BLOOMING RIGHT NOW. Portulaca, phlox, echinacea, delphinium and many more...
Currently blooming in a garden near you! The Growing Season highlights Lilies on this week’s episode. Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss the little blooming bombs that are currently visible in your garden. What makes a lily a lily? Are they native to Canada? What does Clint Eastwood have to do with Day Lilies? There is a correlation. They’re called Daylilies because they only bloom for a single day. Seriously. The trio discuss. Spider mite is discussed....
THINGS ARE GROWING LIKE CRAZY! Pruning in July takes centre stage on this week’s episode of The Growing Season. Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland open the show highlighting the amount of rain, heat and humidity the GTA has experienced over the last few weeks. How does this affect plant growth? How can you safely prune away from a plant? Is pruning in July different than pruning in early spring? Jack discusses “hardening off” in evergreens. What about pruning...
Happy Canada Day one and all! The Growing Season celebrates Canada’s birthday by highlighting horticulture in Reds and Whites. Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland kick the show off by chatting about the recent heat wave. It took Canada how long to acquire its own flag? You’d be surprised. Red in your garden looks great in small doses. Is a Japanese Maple considered “red?” Matt gushes about coneflowers. He’s a fan. The trio highlight the length of time it takes f...
So what’s BUGGING you? The dreaded “Box Moth” is public enemy number 1 this season. Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland get buggy on this week’s episode of The Growing Season. We’re seeing less insects out and about. It’s fact. And it’s scary. The trio discuss the lack of insects. We’re not seeing near the amount of bees, mosquitoes, flies and grasshoppers as we were 5 years. Is quintillion even a real number? What do mosquito companies use to spray for mosquito...
That’s a TON of material. EXACTLY! Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss rockeries and the plants that thrive in them on this week’s episode of The Growing Season. Rock gardens, moss and all manner of heavy material come into focus. The show starts off with a jobsite story. Where is this rock coming from? Are we tearing apart the Canadian Shield to acquire this? Is everything in Canada limestone? Matt talks about his family’s trip to Point Pelee. Mat...
So you wanna get finicky? Let’s talk about “Rose Stuff..” - Jack McFarland. This week, the McFarlands guide The Growing Season into English Rose Gardens. How long have roses been on earth? Rose hips contain 5X more vitamin C than oranges. Roses and Ecuador. You won’t believe the connection. Matt explains why he shied away from roses in years past. He also reveals why he’s changed his tune. Red leafed roses are tougher than green leaf varieties. ...
Trowels at the ready! Let’s annualize the situation. That’s right! It’s annual season on this week’s episode of The Growing Season. Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland chat all things annual and the planting of your short term friends. Do annuals attract pollinators? You won’t believe it. The McFarlands have planted and designed millions of annual flowers. That’s not an exaggeration. Matt tells a story about seeding portulaca in a commercial seed setting. ...
It’s the time of the year when one of the most lovely scents hangs in the air. It’s Lilac time! Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss one of the most fragrant horticultural blooms, the Lilac, on this week’s episode of The Growing Season. Matt used to shy away from using Lilacs. Not so much these days and he explains why. Jack kicks off the show with a story about a song. Lilacs came all the way from Europe. Matt has a realization. Subdivision lilacs vs fa...
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