Episodes
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Inspired by a recent job, The Growing Season dives into the ins and outs of "Courtyard Gardens."
What exactly is a Courtyard Garden? What is the difference between a courtyard and a patio? Are there similarities?
The history of the courtyard its highlighted and Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland dive into their experiences with such spaces.
What plants are appropriate OR on-style for courtyard locations. With sun and shade being considerations the trio dive into recommendations.
With the garden being surrounded by walls how do you deal with the heat emanating from vertical barriers?
Hardsape materials come into focus. Are there drawbacks to specific paving materials. Matt talks about paving design.
The impact of a small amount of grass becomes a topic of conversation.
Accent plants and unique trees creates moments of gush in The McFarlands.
Espaliers and courtyards have become synonymous. Haven't heard of an espalier? Lets change that.
Vines, vines and more vines... Walls = vines!
Courtyard furniture selection and patio size are highlights.
Tune in.
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Its the spookiest time of the year!
Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland dive into the horticultural aspects of Halloween.
The history of the holiday, where it originated and why its still celebrated today kick the show off.
Pumpkins, beets and turnips have been used a jack-o-lanterns throughout the course of history. A character named "Stingy Jack" is discussed.
Can livestock eat the pumpkins after they are used on Halloween?
Sugar cane is a prominent plant material in Halloween's events. The trio discuss.
Peanuts and how they grow are chatted about. The query system is used to clarify the biology of the peanut plant.
Matt goes OFF THE RAILS when the discussion of artificial vanilla surfaces. Its absolutely hilarious to hear how far he takes this episode of "Imagine If You Will."
Gum and its environmental impact are discussed.
The heavy hitters in poisonous plants are highlighted. Belladonna, mushrooms, yews, fall bulbs and many more topics of conversation.
Tune in.
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Episodes manquant?
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Stay frosty…
Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland dive into the cold, hard facts about frost and it’s relation to the plants in your garden.
The Growing Season gets chilly.
What exactly is frost? The trio explain.
Does frost affect leaf drop on your deciduous plants?
High frost vs. low frost - the battle rages on.
Thickly leaved plants seem to tolerate frost. Ligularia, sedums and various hostas are known to be frost tolerant.
A simple sprinkler system might be the thing to delay frost damage. Mowing your lawn and frost. Is there a danger to your lawn if you’re mowing a frosty lawn?
Sheets and blankets are also used to protect against frost.
Bark thickness and cold temperatures is discussed. Specifically fruit trees.
Does frost affect plants that are blooming? Does frost affect blooms in similar ways to leaves?
Matt outlines how deciduous trees drop leaves.
Fall bulbs, garlic and winter wheat become a focus with relation to frost.
Tune in.
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Its a tough time of year to be a turkey! BUT, its a wonderful time of year to be a tree!
Thanksgiving in Canada features prominently on this week's episode of The Growing Season.
Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland dive into the history of Thanksgiving and why it is celebrated at different times in the Great White North.
Matt talks about the challenges of dressing his kids this time of year. Jack reminisces about this time last year.
Turkey families...How are the chicks parented?
Cranberries - why is the bog harvesting procedure necessary?
As they do on an annual basis, The McFarlands describe the processes involved with the trees leaves changing colour. Why is it that the fall colour appears at the top of the tree first and then proceeds downwards?
Fog and grass seed are linked.
The FALL-stars as far as fall leaf colour are discussed.
Poplar, Linden, Red Maple, Burning Bush, Downey Serviceberry, Blueberries, Mountainash and many more horticultural organisms are a focus.
Birds eating fermented berries and becoming intoxicated! Yup, you heard that right!
Tune in.
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This episode of The Growing Season is brought to you from the bottom of a hole filled with fall bulbs.
Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland guide this week's show into a colourful cornucopia of mums and bulbs.
Chrysanthemums - the all-stars of this time of year but Matt argues that Asters are Asterlutely better. Listen in to find out why.
Are the planting of bulbs and mums in fashion these days? The McFarlands debate.
How do you choose a mum at the store? How are mums and poinsettias similar?
Mums and asters... From the same family?
The challenges of keeping your fall planted bulbs safe from squirrels and rodents are discussed. Matt chats about Ghostbusters.
Are bulbs more an annoyance when installing a landscape? Matt yells. The proper way to plant a fall planted bulb is discussed.
The types of tulips are discussed as is the required chill period necessary to make bulbs grow.
Bulb blindness is an issue. The McFarland's explain what and why.
Wear gloves when planting bulbs... We'll tell you why.
Swiss Chalet... Its a topic.
Tune in.
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It’s that time of year again.
The Growing Season celebrates 5 years on the airwaves by highlighting what they’ve learned over the last year in horticulture.
Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss the weather.
Rain, rain, rain and more rain kick off the show. The GTA set records for precipitation this past summer so it’s fitting that precipitation is where we start.
Pasta. Matt talks about pasta. What?
Are cedars easy to transplant? Not so much. Matt explains his thoughts on the subject.
What measures have those in control of flood mitigation taken to prevent catastrophe with regards to excessive water events?
Pavement doesn’t absorb water…
With all this rain, will grub infestations be on the rise? The trio talk about nematodes and how to use them to fight grubs.
Ants, worms, mosquitoes and cockroaches come into focus.
Will it be a green Christmas this year? The McFarlands use history to assess the chances.
Sustainable design comes up and Matt rants.
Colorado Blue Spruce and Austrian Pine are aging all over the GTA.
Tune in.
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Cottage season is drawing to a close, with many of us lamenting it’s exit.
BUT, that doesn’t mean we can’t squeeze the few final drops of cottaging into this week’s episode of The Growing Season.
Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland do an about face from last week’s affairs and dove into the colourful chaos of Country Cottage Gardens on this week’s episode of The Growing Season.
What is the difference between Japanese Gardens and Country Cottage Gardens?
Are there tie-ins between English Gardens and Country Cottage Gardens? Yup and we explore those connections.
Feel free to use a plethora of perennials in your Country Cottage Garden. The more stems the better as it lends to the chaos.
Can you use roses in a Country Cottage Garden and still be “on theme?”
Matt talks about an interesting technique he uses for rock that he’s applied to shrubs.
Native/pollinator plants are discussed.
Mind your neighbours - they might have a part to play in your landscape design choices.
Tune in.
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What in the Foo Dog is going on?
Things get serene on this week’s episode of The Growing Season when The McFarland’s focus on Japanese Gardens.
Jack, Lynne and Matt compare and contrast Japanese Gardens with Modern Gardens. You’d be surprised how much they have in common.
What are the elements that make up a Japanese Garden?
Statuary, evergreens, maples, rockery stone and wooden structures have all become popular links to the items you’d normally see in a Japanese garden.
Matt gets Miyagi.
Are Japanese Gardens maintenance heavy? You’d think they’d be light on the maintenance with the sparseness of their design and yet…
Gravel, a prominent feature in Japanese Gardens, becomes a subject of discussion.
Paving materials and shapes of pavers are discussed.
Tune in.
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Are you sneezing with bloodshot eyes and a swollen mess?
Yup. It’s that time of year. Seasonal allergies running rampant ruining your routine regularly.
Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss all things pollen on this week’s episode of The Growing Season.
Jack and Lynne discuss the absolute monster of a bald faced hornets nest that has appeared in one of their trees.
What are the different methods of pollination? How are tropical plants pollinated?
The most heavy duty pollinating plants are explored and the timeframes when they seek to procreate are highlighted.
What’s pollinating right now?
Matt recounts a lilac story that resulted in some hard feelings between his client and a neighbour.
Will climate change effect pollination? What are the heavy hitters of pollination?
Pine pollination is highlighted. It’s an interesting activity.
Tune in.
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We’ll that’s a laborious undertaking.
Horticultural construction can be a tiring but rewarding endeavour.
Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland celebrate Labour Day by discussing some of the ways they make professional horticulture easier.
Jack discusses the differences between how a jobsite was run in the 1970’s compared to now.
Matt dives deep into how he makes pruning easier for his clientele after they’ve had their property upgraded by The Growing Season.
“Tuning their pruning…”
Can you use animals feces as fertilizer?
Matt talks about why he’s implemented using a toolbelt on-site.
Is there any way to make mulching flower beds easier? There is and Matt outlines how he does it.
How to reduce your cleanup after cutting your lawn quicker comes into focus. Matt tells a story about a rock and a Mercedes.
Interlock patio hacks. Yup we have those as well!
How do you get stains off of landscape pavers? The trio discuss.
Tune in.
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The days are getting shorter. The nights are getting cooler.
Its August, but that doesn't mean that the growing season is over.
Speaking of The Growing Season, Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland touch on the all stars of August on this week's show.
BUT FIRST: We have officially survived the rainiest summer on record in the GTA. Yeah. It’s been that rainy. We’ve over doubled our average rainfall for the months of June to August, pummelling the old record into oblivion.
Biologically, how does all this rain effect your plant materials? It’s surprising what they do to deal with all this water.
Speaking of plants, Rozanne perennial geranium, phlox, coneflower, black eyed Susie and many more are chatted about.
Cheyenne Spirit Coneflower for the win!
Matt chastises Jack about his antiquated attitude regarding Russian Sage.
If you’ve never used Sedum you may want to join the fan club after this show.
Tune in.
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We’re seeing red!
The TGS Colour Series continues its colourful journey on this week’s episode of The Growing Season.
Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland highlight all things red and horticultural.
Roses feature prominently to the surprise of no one. Matt discusses some of the rules he’s set up for himself with regards to roses.
There are supposedly “indestructible” roses. Is that true? We highlight it.
Do the pollinators see red? How about hummingbirds? The McFarland’s suggest plant materials that will attract your polliniferous pals.
Japanese quince, honeysuckle, and DOGWOOD.
Many dogwood have the most glorious red bark that look glorious in the winter months.
With the topic being “red” the trio discuss tomatoes and the blossom end rot affecting many of the tomatoes growing across the GTA.
How do you battle blossom end rot? Lynne discusses.
Tune in.
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"The world is a wondrous place.
Filled with sights, sounds and imagination.
Childhood innocence gives way to our adult realities.
Do not adjust your podcast, join The Growing Season for strange, BUT true."
The Growing Season ventures into the wonderful world of weird and The McFarlands are on-board.
Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland offer some insight into an interesting idea that they came up with over the winter months.
Ants, Tamarisk, Belladonna and Coal are all seemingly innocent parts of our lives but they all come with spoonfuls of strange.
Its Unsolved Mysteries meets Nat Geo...
Are diamonds just an over compressed lump coal?
What is a salt cedar and why aren't they used any more?
Is there a vine/plant creeping around your flower bed that is capable of killing a human with its on-board defences? Yes! And you've seen this plant before.
Why are ants so prolific this year?
You'll come away learning some wonderful facts you can lay on your fellow campers whilst sitting around the fire...
Tune in.
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Cue "Holiday Road" by Lindsay Buckingham... You know the song - from the Vacation Movies.
I found out long ago
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
It's a long way down the Holiday Road
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)Holiday Road...
Holiday Road....BUT THEN DISASTER STRIKES!
Mosquitos, wasps, hornets, ants, flys, poison ivy, poison sumac and poison oak are just some of the things that can ruin a rendezvous with Christie Brinkley in her Ferrari 308 GTS Quattrovalvole (WHAT. A. CAR!).
Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland break down the horticultural hazards that can make your vacay go sideways on this week's episode of The Growing Season.
Jack McFarland has completed his course of radiation and updates the listeners on his health.
Spiders...AHHHHH. Why are they necessary?
How to rid yourself of wasps and mosquitos can be easy if you know what to do. The trio outline the steps you need to take.
Can your pets get poison ivy AND can a human develop a tolerance to it?
The most deadly insect? You'd be surprised to learn...
Do flys pollinate and what exactly is purpose of an ant?
Tune in.
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At the time of recording the Greater Toronto Area has received a summer's worth of rain in just 4 weeks.
Less than one month into summer and the many of us have seen as much or more rain than we usually get in 3 full months.
Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss the absolutely insane amount of precipitation we've seen this year.
French drains, dry wells and all manners of flood mitigation methods are discussed. Why are there more flood incidents recently?
Matt discusses a bylaw that he feels should be passed. It will effect your backyard plans. How does this dovetail into a potential hwy 413 build?
The cost of food will rise due to all this rain. Why?
As far as plant materials, are there any that will take a "standing water" situation and even thrive in such a locale?
Astilbe, ferns, black eyed susie, alder, willow, birch, phlox, rose mallow, dogwood and winter berry are just some of the plants discussed this week.
Patio construction with drainage in mind is discussed. How does the degree of slope effect water drainage? Matt plays "Imagine If You Will."
Rain gardens and how to build them become a focus.
Tune in.
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What's better than one colour? How about two? Three? MORE!
The Growing Season returns to their TGS Colour Series with a bang.
Bi-Colour/Colour Gradients are the latest entry in the Colour Series library.
Jack McFarland updates the listeners on his ongoing cancer treatments.
The trio discuss the trend of plants featuring blooms and leaves that change colour throughout seasons that aren't necessarily the autumn.
Hydrangeas come into focus but they aren't the only horticultural organism that features colour gradient blooms.
Is bi-colour the result of a genetic flaw? You'll be interested to know.
The differences between bi-tonal and bi-coloured plants are discussed.
How do you design with these types of plants? Is variegation considered bin-tonal?
Petunias, pansies and snapdragons are great examples of colour-gradient annuals. The trio chat about these all-stars.
Bi-colour lilacs! OHHHH BABY!
Tune in.
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All hail Charlotte's Web!
Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss the ins and outs of using ferns in your landscape and/or your landscape designs.
Matt details the various degrees of success he's had with using ferns and, specifically, fern varieties.
The fern life-cycle is explored. Outside of the spores that we all have heard about puddles and gametophytes feature prominently.
Do ferns display a fall colour change? What varieties would you use to feature this change to its fullest effect?
Ferns and fiddleheads. How should your prepare the fiddleheads for eating?
Companion/pairing plants are discussed when considering ferns. What pairs best in this case? The McFarlands explain. HINT: Think coralbells.
What are the shade/light conditions necessary to fern thrivability.
Ghost ferns, painted fern, cinnamon fern, brilliance autumn fern, ostrich fern and many more are discussed.
Can you split a fern? How so?
Tune in.
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They're one of the most asked about plant materials on sites and designs and The McFarlands spend 54 minutes discussing them on this week's episode of The Growing Season.
Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland spend close to an hour on hydrangeas.
From 5-10 classic varieties to dozens upon dozens of variations of the flowering shrub the hydrangea has bloomed in popularity.
Oakleaf, big leaf, smooth, french, panicle and climbers are all discussed alongside how and what to design in with them.
Is it true that hydrangeas can take dense shade? Yes and no. The trio explain.
How do you prune hydrangeas? That's where things get interesting. Matt explains in heavy detail how and when to prune the various varieties of hydrangeas. It can be overwhelming.
Are there reblooming hydrangeas? If so, how would one get them to rebloom?
What about ever bloomers? Is there such a thing.
The McFarlands discuss hydrangea trees and how to design with them.
Tune in.
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Children of the wind, rejoice!
Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland unearth the secrets of ornamental grasses on this week's episode of The Growing Season.
All grasses can be linked back to something called "The Timothy Grass." What's the history of said grass? How does the lineage work?
What about grasses in shade? They exist and THEY ARE WONDERFUL!
Matt tells a story about lilac's pollinating and by-law officers. Not kidding.
Forest grass, festuca, Red Baron grass, ribbon grass, zebra grass and sedges all come into focus.
Jack explains how to transplant your potted grasses and keep them for the winter to include in your gardening adventures next season.
Why are grasses so prominent in modern landscapes?
How do you prune ornamental grasses? Lynne explains.
Tune in.
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You’d be amazed at how many horticultural organisms have cancer fighting elements built in.
Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland base this week’s episode of The Growing Season on Jack’s recovery from cancer.
Jack details his stay at the Princess Margaret Cancer Lodge and how The Growing Season can get involved in the gardens there.
Black Walnut, maple, pines are just some of the plants that are discussed.
BUT! Insects. Insects come into focus. Ants are being used to “sniff out” cancer tumours. Studies are being conducted but the early results are interesting.
Wasps and dogs are also known to be used to fight cancer.
Thyme can be used for many an application but it’s effect on cancer is discussed. How about maple syrup. Good for pancakes AND for cancer.
Jack licks toads or at least Matt imagines he should.
Lynne details a cancer treatment using almonds that was prominent decades ago.
Tune in.
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