Gardening Gab

Certified Garden Tour

gardeninggab — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 19:59:33 +0000

Keirstyn Eric of Brampton, Ont.

Keirstyn sent in a slew of gorgeous photos of the Region of Peel’s Teaching Garden at the Brampton Community Recycling Centre.

Bird house and bath for feathered friends

High bush Cranberry

Phlox

Prairie Coneflower

flowery words

gardeninggab — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 20:59:51 +0000

I saw these garden stakes over at Apartment Therapy and thought they were a hoot. Buy them here.

Certified Garden Tour

gardeninggab — Thu, 22 May 2008 17:04:15 +0000

Debbie and Claude Pageau’s winged wonderland in Timberlea, Nova Scotia

Three years ago, Debbie and Claude revamped their boring backyard, with only a grassy lawn to its name, into a thriving garden. The couple designed their yard with their winged friends in mind. “I have a birdbath and also saucers of water for sparrows and juncos. Mourning doves love the white millet,” says Debbie. Kudos to Debbie and Claude for making the best of a clean slate!

Phlox, white and purple echinacea and hunter roses flag a bird bath.

A female pileated woodpecker shows her baby how to search for tasty bugs.

A painted lady butterfly settles on white hydrangea

Goldfinches, young and old, adore the niger feeder

Grackles cruise the lawn

A black duck makes a cameo appearance

What’s Blooming at CWF

gardeninggab — Fri, 16 May 2008 14:29:53 +0000

I started my work at the Canadian Wildlife Federation in late March. We had an overwhelming winter in Ottawa this year with snow in the forecast nearly every day. Sometimes we’d get a couple of centimetres, sometimes a whalloping snow storm. Blech. I’d started to grow so accustomed to a mass of powdery snow stretching over the federation’s terrain that I never suspected glorious flora hid underneath it, waiting for its chance to blossom. Take a gander at what’s blooming in our garden this week!

Barren Ground Strawberry

Pasque Flower

Bellwort

Bluets

Virginia Bluebells

Mitrewort

Wild Geranium

Wild Ginger Flower (on the ground)

Certified Garden Tour

gardeninggab — Tue, 13 May 2008 17:23:17 +0000

Diane’s Wildlife Haven in Walsingham, Ontario

To kick off our Certified Garden Tours, we give you Diane Salter’s garden in Walsingham, Ontario. Enjoy the view!

Diane’s pond is the perfect spot for birds and critters alike to grab a sip or take a dip

Butterfly Weed

An Eastern Foxsnake makes itself at home on Diane’s front deck

Grey Headed Coneflowers standing tall

A Yellow-Spotted Salamander sneaks by a window well

An American Lady butterfly nabs some nectar from a Purple Coneflower

Certify your Garden

gardeninggab — Tue, 13 May 2008 15:54:55 +0000

The Canadian Wildlife Federation launched the Backyard Habitat Certification Program in 2000 hoping to prompt Canadians to garden responsibly. If your garden is wildlife friendly, pesticide free and filled with native plants, why not make it official and certify your garden with us? If you want to learn more about how to create an oasis for wildlife in your backyard, visit Wild About Gardening for tips on how to make your garden grow for critters and humans alike to enjoy. Go ahead. Flaunt your green thumb.

Photo by Sarah Coulber

Majestic Monarchs

gardeninggab — Mon, 12 May 2008 20:00:03 +0000

Looking to create a monarch butterfly oasis in your backyard? Think milkweeds. This budding plant fends off hungry bugs and birds with a poison called cardiacglycosides. And since it doesn’t affect monarch butterflies and larvae, predators that try to snack on these majestic creatures become sick and learn to steer clear of them altogether.

If you live in eastern Canada, Ontario or Quebec, plant Common or Swamp Milkweed. For westerners, Green Milkweed is perfect for Manitoba’s climate, while Show or Low Milkweed grows best in Alberta. Whatever you do, avoid the use of herbicides at all costs as they wipe out milkweed and other sources of nectar for monarchs thereby threatening their food source.

Look for the first wave of monarchs to arrive in your backyard Canada in early June.

Photo by MrClean1982 on Flickr

Aspects of Wildlife Friendly Gardening

gardeninggab — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 15:38:25 +0000

Winter is a good time to verify whether you’ve met the year-round needs of wildlife. Are there birds visiting your garden? Do they have a place to seek shelter in cold weather? If your garden is looking a bit barren, you might want to consider adding an evergreen this spring. Evergreen trees and shrubs offer year-round protection from inclement weather and also provide places to hide from predators. They also add some interesting colour to the omnipresent blanket of white in winter landscapes. There are four main things to consider when planning out your garden: food, water, space and shelter.

Food: Make sure you plant species that meet the dietary needs of local wildlife. You’ll attract a variety of animals whose needs aren’t met by seed feeders and you’ll add more colour to your garden!

Water: Water is a very important element and easy to provide for wildlife. Simply put out a bowl of water on a stump when the temperature is above freezing, or create a pond. Whatever you do will be appreciated!

Space: Wildlife see your garden in 3-D. They are attracted to different shapes and varying heights. Add lots of layers, including shrubs, trees and perennials, to increase the wildlife traffic through your garden.

Shelter: Give little critters some place to hide out from predators or keep warm during the winter months.

aspects-of-wildlife-friendly-garden.mp3

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Native wildlife gardens

gardeninggab — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 18:24:40 +0000

What is a native plant? Simply put, they are plants that were here before the European settlement. They are great for wildlife-friendly gardening! Native plants are used to local conditions and because of this they will thrive (without the need for harmful pesticides!) and are better suited to meet the needs of wildlife. Some wildlife species are actually entirely dependent on the availability of certain native plants. Spruces, harebells and ferns oh my!

Read more about these and other native plants: http://www.wildaboutgardening.org/en/features/section5/index.asp

Find a good source for native plants near you. Visit http://www.wildaboutgardening.org/en/gab/section3/index.htm

Check out the native plant encyclopedia http://www.wildaboutgardening.org/en/growing/section4/index.htm

Click below to listen to some great advice from Maria MacRae, Manager of Backyard Habitat!

native-wildlife-gardening.mp3

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Benefits to your garden from wildlife

gardeninggab — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 18:40:28 +0000

the cold outside has me dreaming of warmer days and envisioning the green under the snow that is waiting to pop out at the first sign of spring! I bet my excitement for spring is only eclipsed by that of the many creatures that feed, live and frolic in my garden.

Remember: As much as you are helping out wildlife by providing food sources for them, they are also helping you by keeping insect pests away. Ladybugs, tiger beetles and other little critters keep your plants healthy because they eat the eggs of other insects and, as a result, keeping your garden safe! Toads, snakes, dragonflies and many more animals are your allies! Keep them happy. Read more:

http://www.wildaboutgardening.org/en/attracting/section5/index.htm

Listen to Maria, Manager of Backyard Habitat, give some great advice! Benefits to your Garden from wildlife

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