The Growing Season (Matt McFarland)

Matt from The Growing Season chats with Joël Lamoureux about saturation watering, fertilizer and compost on Moose In The Morning.

Listen to more of our content. CLICK HERE. 

Matt from The Growing Season chats with Joël Lamoureux about the Spongy Moth, its affects on large trees and how to battle it.

Listen to more of our content. CLICK HERE. 

Earth Wind and Fire LOVED September and so do we. 

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss one of the loveliest times of the year.

Dahlias, ferns, lillies, dicentra, asters, rose of sharon and many more are chatted about at length. 

It doesn't have to be the month that we start winding down!  September is the most wonderful time of the year!   

Tune in! 

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

They're the last gasp of planting.  They're one of the first gasps of colour in the spring.

Fall bulbs - a sure fire way to irritate Matt McFarland.

Jack, Lynne and their aforementioned son steer The Growing Season into the waters of all that is bulbous. 

Tulips, hyacinths, muscari, daffodils, snow drops and many more are chatted about.  How deep do you plant them?  WHEN should you be plating them and is weather a factor in the timeframe to plant?

Matt updates you on the goings on of Cole the cat.   

Tune in!

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

I'd like a red maple!   Great, here's a green one.  BUT, I want a red one!   Patience, young Jedi.

The former exchange is brought to by "common," as in this is a common conversation. 

Jack. Lynne and Matt McFarland chat about what goes into creating that gorgeous fall colour that is about to blanket many parts of Southern Ontario.

Why are reds, oranges and yellows so prominent?  Is there a correlation between summer weather and all colour?  Will moisture affect the intensity of a trees autumnal offerings?   We touch on all this. 

Matt cries controversy when it comes to certain aspects of this chat.

You'll want to tune in.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

You're telling me they let these people occupy the airwaves for 3 WHOLE YEARS!?

You know it!

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland chat about what they've learned over the last year and how that dovetails into what they've learned over the last 3 on air. 

The trio discuss magnolias blooming in the fall, bees on planes, gin, trees being ground up for ice cream and weird horticultural cousins. 

In typical Growing Season fashion, you're gonna come away smiling and full to the brim with info. 

Strap in and celebrate with us!

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

If you're a turkey it is time to go into hiding!

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland celebrate Thanksgiving in style. 

The trio chat about crabapples, potatoes, squash, pumpkins and many more of your favourite Thanksgiving favourites.  Its STUFFED full of info.

You'll want to tune into hear how the apple migrated from Tien Shan Mountains.  Its a flushable conversation!

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

"Pink is my favourite colour" Aerosmith once wrote, and we couldn't agree more.

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss the colour pink and its place in your garden.

Further, the trio chat about Breast Cancer Awareness Month and its use of pink in promotions.

Roses, flowering almonds, carnations and many more are discussed.

How did the crabapple make its way to North America?  You'll be surprised.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

Are you going nuts?

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland sure are as they discuss Nuts, Seeds and Berries on this week’s episode of The Growing Season.

Sunflower seeds, filberts, corn, blueberries, strawberries and many more are chatted about over the course of 54 minutes.

What sets sunflower seeds apart from every other seed?  Is a Pine Nut a seed or a nut? 

Cranberries, pH strips and Pugs peeing profusely. Yup. That’s also chatted about.

Tune in! 

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

OHHHH NO!   I have a poisonous plant in my  garden! 

Our is guess is you have many. 

On this week's episode of The Growing Season, Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss Halloween, its history and many of the traditions that go along with this ghoulish celebration. 

As well, the trio elaborate on the notion that 20% of the plant materials in your garden are toxic or poisonous. 

Yews, cotoneaster, digitalis, poison ivy, hydrangea, peyote and many more are chatted about. 

What's the difference between "toxic" and "poisonous." 

You'll find out.  All that and more on The Growing Season.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

Its about that time!   

The growing season is wrapping up and we're chatting about it on The Growing Season. 

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland dive into the ins-and-outs of getting your lawns and flower beds prepped for the winter. 

How do the root systems of plants survive the winter?   When should you be fertilizing your lawn in the fall?   SHOULD you be fertilizing in the fall?   What about over-seeding? 

The trio chat about removing leaves from your lawn.  Do you leaf the leafs :). How do you deal with them.

Further, The McFarlands chat about Remembrance Day and poppies.

All that and more on The Growing Season.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

Well, its that time!

For many of us this is the time of the year that tastes bittersweet.   The summer months have come to a close and we prepare to move inside for the winter. 

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland continue their "Bedtime" series with part 2.

Staking and burlapping sensitive shrubs and trees, storage of bulbs, watering of your plant materials right before freeze up and turning off your exterior taps.

How do you prep your water feature for the winter? Why are skunks and moles digging up your lawn at this time of year?

All that and more on The Growing Season.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

So the birds fly south.   The butterflies follow. 

But what about the raccoons?   The spiders?   The Earwigs?   

Where do the insects and animals that overwinter in Canada go?   Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland uncover the mysteries surrounding the overwintering practices of many of the creatures that live along side us.

Some hummingbirds overwinter here in Ontario.   What do they eat over the winter when nectar is non existent?  We chat about that.

How deep do the worms have to dig to survive the cold of the winter?   Do they put on a winter skin?   Kinda!   We'll let you know.

All that and more on The Growing Season.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

We're all sick.  All of us...

The McFarlands attempt to dull the knife a little and discuss medicinal and aromatic plants on this week's episode of The Growing Season.

Jack, Lynne and Matt discuss lavender, peppermint, chamomile, ginseng, gingko and many more medicinal favourites. 

How about "scented stuff?"  Yup, they chat about that as well. 

Further, the relationship between plants and DNA is revealed.  It sounds like the stuff out of science fiction.  You'll want to listen in.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

And here we are again!   

As The McFarland's place a bow on another year, The Growing Season kicks off the holiday season with North Pole Horticulture. 

Could the Pine Trees that feature decorations prominently in The North Pole stylings of kids movies at this time of year even grow that far north?

Are they practicing horticulture in the arctic and, if so, how?

Wouldn't the reduced light/heat conditions make it difficult to grow anything?   

Jack, Lynne and Matt answer these questions and unearth a ton more about Santa's home base!

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

Its all here, wrapped up in a nice little bow, pardon the pun.

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland guide The Growing Season into the All-Star game of Christmas.  The heavy hitters are featured prominently.

Christmas Trees, both real and artificial, poinsettias, Santa Claus and candy canes are just some of the tropes explored.

What kind of real Christmas tree sheds needles the least?   What are the latest "no drop" trees on the market?   Is using a real tree "murder?"   Matt gets heated. 

If its Christmas-horticulture related we have it covered on The Growing Season.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE.

So what if you don't want to use the traditional Christmas Tree?

What if you're allergic or live in a setting that doesn't allow for such a decoration? 

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss the various alternate Christmas Trees that many are using for these situations.  Norfolk Island Pine, Rosemary, Potted Spruce and many more are discussed.  Their specific care needs and requirements are all outlined.

On the second half of the show The Growing Season trio discuss how Christmas is celebrated across the globe.  Some interesting traditions are brought to light.

Listen in!

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

So what about all the other Christmas traditions that aren't Christmas Trees or Poinsettias?

Holiday movies and music are touched on off the top of the show.  Why was popcorn banned around Christmas years ago?

Amaryllis, stockings, mistletoe just to name a few...  How did these wonders become forever linked to the celebrations of Christmas Season. 

Spend your Christmas Eve with Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland as they continue the holiday format on The Growing Season.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

And that's a wrap!

The McFarland's put a bow on 2022 as they guide The Growing Season into the realm of Horticultural Spirits.

In honour of New Years, the trio chat about the ins and outs of turning plants into the alcohol we enjoy at this time of the year.

Why is Champagne called Champagne?   What is the difference between Champagne and sparkling wine? 

Matt guides the listener through the beer fermentation process.  He discusses the differences between ale, lager and pilsner beer.

Hops, barley, aromatics and many more plants are chatted about. 

The happiest of New Years to you and yours from all of us at The Growing Season.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

"Celebrate endings—for they precede new beginnings." - Jonathan Huie.

And that is just what The Growing Season is up to this week.

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland celebrate 2022 by digging deep into some of the things that didn't get their full due during 2022. 

Insects that see in certain colours and how to attract them to your garden space.  What about a natural defence against the Japanese Beetle?   There is a weapon of mass destruction that nature has already provided us.  The McFarlands discuss it. 

Bloom patterns, fire chocolate plants and how to save the banana from extinction are just some of the things discussed. 

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

Divas!   They're divas I tell you. 

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss house plants on this week's episode of The Growing Season.

Jack's disdain for these horticultural organisms is on full display as the trio discuss Croton, Snake Plant, Benjamin Fig, Jade Plant/Money Tree, and many more. 

What is the easiest house plant to grow for first timers?  The TGS crew offer some opinions.   How do you water these beasts?  What about light?   Are there any general rules to abide by? 

All that and more on this week's petulant podcast.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

THE SPIDERS!    GET RID OF THE SPIDERS!!!

So you've got an infestation of insidious insects inside your home.  Now what? 

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland follow up last week's houseplant show with the insects that can cause significant damage to your already petulant horganisms. 

Aphids, mealy bugs, and spider mites are all sap suckers and they ADORE your indoor plant materials.

In addition to the nasties, the TGS crew chat about beneficial indoor insects. Spiders, house centipedes and silver fish round out the conversation.

You’ll be disgusted to learn what clothes moths eat. It’ll make you reconsider your deodorant.

All that and more!  Let’s get bugged out! 

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

"The world is a wondrous place..."

The Growing Season pays homage to The Twilight Zone and Unsolved Mysteries by diving into the weird and wonderful of the natural world.

Jack, Lynne and Matt discuss the strangeness of ghost orchids, fire weed, ghost plants, bee orchids, and many more hortganisms that fall into the "what?" category. 

Further, insects are discussed.  House centipedes, ticks, fire ash beetles, spiders and more all become a topic of conversation. 

A chat about komodo dragons prompts Matt to tell a story that will make you smile.

In what can only be described as science non-fiction, the world’s seed vault is discussed. Zombie apocalypse?  Don’t worry, we’re covered.

All that strangeness can be found on this week's episode of The Growing Season.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

"Baby, its cold outside...."

And it is!   Many parts of Canada are finally experiencing the frigid frosts framing a Canadian winter.

In honour of that Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland guide this week's episode of The Growing Season into Horticultural Fuels.

The trio discuss natural gas, wind, solar and hydrogen electric energy sources from cost and environmental impact perspectives.  Is there anything upcoming that could provide us with power but limit ecological fallout?  The trio uncover some interesting ideas. 

Jeffrey Rowe, client of The McFarland's stops by to chat about his Central Boiler Outdoor Furnace and how he uses the wood existing on his spacious property to heat his home.  Its quite the system and quite the chat. 

Listen in. 

Visit Central Boiler online.  CLICK HERE.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

RISE and shine!

It's that time of year again... Roses, chocolate, wine, sun flowers, devils walking stick... wait.

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland guide The Growing Season into sexy plants just in time for Valentines Day.

Heath, watermelon, lavender, ginseng and many more plants with an aphrodisiacal bent feature prominently on what has proven to be a popular series on the show.

Windy meat... you'll want to tune in to hear how beans may be just the thing to put a tilt in your kilt.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

"Ohhh the weather outside is frightful..."

Actually, for residents of Southern Ontario, this years weather has been anything but that.   

Despite the wimpy winter Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland dive into the science behind  winters wonders -snow and ice.

Do we need snow?  What happens in a winter such as this years when we have little snow.  Will the plants vitality be affected as a result?

The differences between snow and ice are discussed as well as the geometry of snowflakes AND the weight of all that ice on various materials. 

We talk science but we also talk igloos, quinzees and hypothermia.  Its an interesting 54 minutes!   Grab your woolies and join us.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

So what about the big ones?

The Growing Season spends much of its time chatting about the newest varieties of plant materials to grace the aisles of nurseries.

But how about the monolithic entities that have dotted our skies for hundreds of years?

Bristlecone pines, giant sequoias and dawn redwoods have co-existed with humans for centuries and Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland chat about them.

300 year old cedars and ancient cacti are also focused on.

Kori Kody joins the trio from California to chat about the horticultural elders that grace the grounds at Berkeley.

The elders, the Jedi council - that’s what the McFarland’s focus on today.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

Sometimes you just gotta wear it.

In what has become an annual tradition, The McFarlands spend some time focusing on the plant materials that go into making textiles.

Cotton, flax, bamboo, oranges, apples and grapes are all revealed to be highly used to create clothing and even leather products. 

Jack, Lynne and Matt discuss sustainability and how the "green-washing" of materials is making it harder to eliminate badness from the clothes we wear.

Enter the cow.  You're not going to believe how this creature figures into the creation of textiles.  Its a MOO-tiful situation.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

The Growing Season trio attempt to take the PTSD out of the process by which plants make food.

Hopefully this helps make the process clear.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

"You light up my life!"

There's something to that age old expression.  In  honour of Daylight Savings Time returning to our circadian rhythms, Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss all things light.

How much time does the sun have left?   What would happen if it just shut off?

The McFarland Query System insults the trio...

The sun's effects on plant materials is heavily discussed and the condensed version of an explanation of photosynthesis is tackled.   Don't worry, we keep it digestible!

Fertilizer, water splitting, nuclear fusion and solar panels are all brushed up against on this science-heavy talk about that yellow orb in the sky.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

That's right, you can use molasses to fertilize your plant materials!   

We're not kidding!   Let Jack, Lynne and Matt explain the how-to's!

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

I'm sorry, it grows WHERE?

The Growing Season trio dives into some of harshest environments on earth that boast some of the most unique growing conditions.

The International Space Station, Mt. Everest and deep below the earth's surface are all places that, on the outside, seem to be least hospitable for plant growth yet are flying in the face of those assertions. 

The city of Sudbury comes into focus as one of the most cutting edge in horticultural thinking. 

Jack, Lynne and Matt highlight plants that grow in salt and shade.

Matt makes a joke that works its way though the episode and caps off the affairs in style. 

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

The Growing Season trio spend 53 seconds outlining salt tolerant plants - rapid fire. Buckle up!

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

The Growing Season's McFarland trio step into the shade and deliver the names of some of the plants that they use routinely for shadier environments.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

And we're out walking sites! 

Matt McFarland has started the wheels in motion for the 2023 Landscape Season and it all begins with a little walk around sites. 

During these site walks and discussions with clientele the many challenges with their sites are highlighted. 

Light or lack of it, mature trees up against a house, grass that refuses to grow under said trees, roof overhangs and how to deal with the drought conditions under said areas.  All this and more come into focus on this week's episode of The Growing Season. 

Is there a natural defence against mosquitoes?  Spoiler alert: THERE IS  and you can turn these challenging pests into a thing of the past with one simple trick. 

Tune in to find out.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

"That's a lovely backyard!   I especially like the geese you've added to your lawn..."

Spring - the promise of growth anew and the time of the year when you can splash in that large puddle just off the corner of your deck.

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland chat about spring flooding and site water issues on this week's episode of The Growing Season. 

Compacted soil, the types of earth, and what to do if you've got standing water on your site are just some of the topics on the menu. 

Is standing water an emergency?  We discuss it. 

Further, Matt discusses the shutdown processes necessary for your snowblower.  Its that time of year!

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

There seems to be some trepidation around the pruning of hydrangeas. 

New wood, old wood - what does that even mean?

Which varieties of hydrangeas are pruned when? 

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland break down the ins and outs of pruning these horticultural beauties.

Lets de-stress this mess.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

Those are the biggest rabbit droppings I've ever seen!

Easter is the celebration du jour on this week's episode of The Growing Season.  The McFarlands chat about all things horticulture that intersect with all things Easter and how those traditions came to be.

Easter lilies, spring bulbs and hydrangeas are just some of the plant materials discussed on this week's show. 

Speaking of hydrangeas, Matt discusses the pruning of said plants and outlines the how-tos to remove any of the anxiety surrounding trimming. 

All that and more on the Easter edition of The Growing Season.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

Its totally time for trim!

The Growing Season touches on a topic that many would be interested in hearing about during this time of the year.  Pruning!

What plants do you prune in the spring?  Is spring spring different from the pruning you would use at other times of the year.  How do you prune plants that bloom on "new wood?"

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss all of that. 

Sterilizing your pruning tools, where to make your cuts and how much to take off are just some of the things you'll hear this week! 

Tune in.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

In a similar fashion to Valentines Day, it should be Earth Day every day.

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss the many aspects of earth day and how it intersects with horticulture on this week's episode of The Growing Season.

Plastics being found in oceans, rivers and inside the stomachs of small birds, the pros and cons of "the cardboard method" of installing flower beds and fertilizer from places you wouldn't expect geographically AND biologically are just some of what is discussed.

Which large trees produce the most oxygen?   You'll be surprised. 

Bamboos, grasses and the relationship to the air we breath are a topic of interest.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

We get asked about essential tools ALL THE TIME!

FELCO, that is a name that we use on a regular basis.  Crafting the finest in Swiss made horticultural pruning tools, FELCO's are a tool that we have close by on every jobiste.   Ryan amberg, of FELCO, joins Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland on this week's episode of The Growing Season. 

The quartet chat about winter pruning, spring pruning, what's new in FELCO products and advice for homeowners. 

On the first half the show The McFarlands discuss the pruning of edibles.  Apples, berry bushes and pruning rules are all outlined. 

Prune in!

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

And we're STILL out walking sites! 

Matt McFarland is busy with construction projects as the 2023 build season is underway.

In honour of the beginnings of "shovels in the ground" The McFarlands present part 2 of their "Garden Challenges" series.

Soil pH, shade/light conditions and sentimental plant materials on job sites are just some of the topics touched on during this episode's 54 minutes.

When is a plant passed its best before date?   How do you when its time for reset prune or a throw out?   Jack, Lynne and Matt openly discuss the ins and outs of knowing when its time to say sayonara.

Why are oaks so expensive?  You'll find out.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE.
 

Jack McFarland, from The Growing Season, chats with Joël Lamoureux about the how to deal with grubs in your lawn without using chemicals.

Listen to more of our content. CLICK HERE. 

Lynne McFarland, from The Growing Season, chats with Joël Lamoureux about the how to get your gardens ready for spring the professional way.

Listen to more of our content. CLICK HERE. 

One of the most popular colours in horticulture takes centre stage on this week's episode of The Growing Season.

Purple highlights the first TGS colour series episode of the season. 

Grapes, sweet pea, lavender, smokebush, hydrangea, crimson king maple, phlox and the cones on a fir tree are just some of the plants discussed on this episode. 

Tips for success from The Growing Season features discussions on clemati pruning.  When, where and how to prune these vines are all discussed.

Bud, a new friend from Tennessee, joins the show and The McFarland Query system berates the trio.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE.
 

"Hey now, you're an All-Star!!!"

We'd use the song but there's copyright and all that. 

In what is an annual tradition, The Growing Season expands its listenership to include its MOOSE FM audience and what better way to honour the tradition than to highlight the highlights of the month of May. 

Lilacs feature prominently into the conversation.  Matt's opinion this May All-Star is highlighted and he introduces the audience to a new character that will  be featured again, we're sure.

Dandelions - are they a May All-Star?   Jack, Lynne and Matt discuss. 

Crabapples, their origins and their prominence at this time of year are a focus of discussion.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

Highway to safe zone!   

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland take The Growing Season into a votive of annual flowers. 

Now that we're into the Top Gun of annual planting time the McFarland's thought it was a perfect time to discuss annuals.  Planting, watering and maintaining annuals are highlights. 

Impatiens, begonias, geraniums, petunias, lobelia, coleus, dracaena thrillers and many more are chatted about.

Planting annuals under trees is also touched on.  Will annuals grow under a tree?  The trio discuss. 

You can plant them!   Its safe!

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

WOW!   That's a long title. 

If you thought that was a lot, wait till you see how much info is packed into 53 minutes!

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland follow up last week's chat about annuals with a chat about pots, containers, hanging baskets and raised planters.  Basically, any time you made your flower bed an above ground pool!

What are some of the challenges unique to raised garden areas?   How do you deal with water and fertilizer? 

What about if you're building a raised planter out of timber?  What timber do you use if you're growing plants for consumption?

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

NOW WE'RE TALKING!!!

For the McFarlands, rock is akin to religion and makes up most of the dinner table conversation.  The McFarland boys LOVE working with rock.

The Growing Season radio show discusses the rockery adventures of The Growing Season construction business on this episode of The Growing Season.  That's a lot of TGS! 

Jack, Lynne and Matt chat about the history of rock, where it comes from, how its harvested and brought to your garden.

What types of rock should you be considering for your garden?  How MUCH and what SIZE should you be considering?  These are great questions and they lead to insightful answers.

What about plant material?   What plants go well with rock?  The McFarlands chat about it.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

It’s that time of year! 

Flowers in bloom, birds chirping and speeches from your aunt Trudy about how you covered yourself in peanut butter and rolled around on her white couches as a kid.

IT’S WEDDING SEASON!

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss how horticulture intersects with weddings during the most popular month to tie the knot.

Roses, Lily of the valley, carnations, ferns, even dandelions get some love in the plant department.

How can you extend the life of your bouquet? How do florists ensure blooming for the bride?  You’ll find out.

Matt regales listeners with tales of playing music at weddings. He’s been to a LOT of weddings….

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE.

Take an aircraft carrier and stand it up, end to end, on your property. 

That's what we're chatting about.  AIRCRAFT CARRIER sized leafers.  BIG, BIIIGGG TREES!

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland chat about the sights they've seen on jobsites  with regards to monstrous trees planted in the wrong places.

What should you plant if you have the property and space to do so?  The trio offer some trees to consider and some to avoid at all costs. 

Maples, Oaks, Tulip Trees, Beech, Birch and London Plane Tree are just some of the leaf dumpers we chat about. 

The McFarlands also spend some time with the no-gos - trees that you should avoid planting to steer you away from trouble.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

STOP! 

That’s what many of us think when we see the colour red.

In fact, that’s precisely what the colour does in your gardens.

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss the wonders of the colour red on this week’s episode of The Growing Season.

Highlighting the latest entry into the  Colour Series are Cardinal Flowers, Roses, Horsechesnut, Coneflower, Delphinium (YES, delphinium!), Phlox and many more.

What creates the red colour in red coloured flowers?  Are pollinators attracted to the colour red?

Annual geraniums…the Ferrari of red flowers feature as well.

Get a bed of red by following along! 

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

You sunk my Battleship!

Well, in this case, you planted it.

The sister program to our Aircraft Carriers show, Battleships chats about large evergreen trees - the ones the size of a Battleship.

Pine, Spruce, Fir, Redwood, Cedar and much more are discussed at length as Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland guide you through the do's and dont's of selecting a massive conifer.

White pines around pools - we'll tell you why you shouldn't plant one around a pool.  We found out the hard way.    Pruning evergreens is discussed. 

BEWARE OF THE NEGATIVE ZONE!

All that much more on The Growing Season.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

Schools out for the summer! 

How do you tend to those lovely gardens when you’re at the cottage? 

What do you plant at the cottage when you’re only there infrequently? 

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss the ins and outs of keeping your gardens looking wonderful whilst you’re away.

So, you don’t own a cottage. No problem, the trio chat about the plants that can withstand stretches without water and the heat that accompanies July and August.

Veronica, Spirea, Viburnum, Yarrow, Sedum, Hens and Chicks are just some of the tough customers that would do well if left alone for extended periods of time.

Poison Ivy features on Tips For Success From The Growing Season. How to identify and what to do if you’re exposed to this nasty beast are discussed.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

"I'm sorry Kate, but there are going to be times in your garden where green is going to be the only colour..."

Why?   Why does this have to be the way that it is?  Kate! Get a second opinion.

Jack, Lynne and Matt discuss long blooming plants and how to bloom phase so that your garden is colourful from March to early November. 

It's possible and The Growing Season tells you how to do it.

Sedum, tickseed, phlox, weigela, rose of sharon and the legendary potentilla are all spotlighted in an effort to keep the colour coming consecutively. 

Tips For Success From The Growing Season features tips on how to prolong the length of blooms on annuals, perennials and flowering shrubs. 

Lynne discusses frustrating your annuals on purpose to keep them blooming for ever and ever. 

Matt gushes over Yarrow - and why wouldn't you?   THIS THING BLOOMS LIKE STINK!

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

NOT THESE BUGS AGAIN!

The McFarlands guide The Growing Season into another entry of their BUGSENSE series.  This week Jack, Matt and Lynne chat about the critters that BUG you when you're out in the garden.

Japanese beetles and mosquitoes are the focus this week.

On the first half of the show the trio chat about how to deter mosquitos naturally, when they are the most active and what exactly are they doing here, on earth?

The second half features a discussion on this years big, buggy monster - The Japanese Beetle.  The McFarland's assist you with a fight plan and discuss the ins and outs of these pesky pets, partaking in patrolling your plants profusely. 

All that and more on The Growing Season.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

Why not get Jurassic Park with it?

Hostas - some of the most unique and prehistoric looking plants are front and centre in this week's episode of The Growing Season.  

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland dive into the ins and outs of one of the most versatile plants you can incorporate into your landscape. 

Do you have the dreaded "shade/drought" scenario?   No matter, we have a solution.

Halcyon, June, Captain Kirk, Mouse Ears, Touch of Class and many more Hosta varieties are discussed in length.  

Lynne's neighbour Judy stops by to liven up the proceedings.  

Want to really make those hostas happy?  GIVE THEM A BATH!  Kinda.   You'll see.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

Soooo...uhhhh... what if it doesn't flower?  Is there another option that can provide colour and interest that isn't flower based?

Ohhhh yeah.   

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland chat about spots, stripes and variegation and how you can use plants that feature these to dress up your garden. 

Harlequin maple, caladium, coleus, hosta, lung wort, birch, dogwood and many more are used to help insert interest into your garden.  Variegated weigela is fawned over.

Tibetan cherry.   Have you ever seen one of these things?   GOOGLE IT!  The McFarlands chat about the wonders of it.

A special guest wrangles control of the microphone.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

It’s all about the style! 

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland set sail on a new series for The Growing Season, entitled “Being Stylish.”

Focusing on various styles of landscape design and and install  the first entry out of the gate discusses modern landscape design.

What makes a design modern?  How do you achieve the sleek lines, minimalist features and make it look cohesive? 

Don’t fret, The McFarlands have you covered.

Plant selection, tree selection and paving ideas, this week’s episode takes a step by step approach to breaking down modern design.

The trio laugh and entertain their way through 54 minutes.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

Orange you glad you tuned in?

We know, it’s an eye-rollingly terrible joke BUT it’s super topical.

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss the colour orange in horticultural terms on this week’s episode of The Growing Season.

Coneflower, quince, nasturtium, day lilies and some of the most gorgeous azaleas around are a fraction of the plant materials discussed.

Potentilla has been given a name change and Matt rants about it. The McFarland’s highlight the orange variety as well as its groundcover  option.

Companion colours to orange and how to design with them are discussed. 

How do you keep your produce crisp for long periods of time?  We fill you in on the how’s.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

That looks like a lot of labor!

On this weeks episode of The Growing Season, the McFarland’s chat about the most labour intensive parts of both landscaping and gardening.

What are some of their most hated tasks? Are there ways of mitigating the enormous amount of labour and pain associated with those tasks? Jack, Lynne, and Matt will take you through all the ins and outs and reveal some of the industry tips and tricks from their 100+ years in the horticultural field.

River pebbles. Yuck!

Improper design and maintenance causing horticultural nightmares is a task that gets Matt all riled up.

What is the proper sequencing when undertaking a large landscape project? Matt outlines how he plans a project out for clients to keep ease in mind.

The history of Labour Day is discussed, and you’ll be surprised to know that it’s a Canadian innovation!

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

THERE'S MORE???

The Growing Season dives into the plant materials that give you not ONE but TWO blooming cycles per season. 

Let's get this straight - there are plants that will bloom more than once?   

YUP.  In fact, there are many.

Bloomerang Lilac, Sonic Bloom Weigela, Japanese Kerria, Daylilies, Yarrow and Black Eyed Susans are just some of the plant materials that are discussed in the 54 minutes that Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland spend chatting.

Why is the fall colour coming so early this year?  The trio try to get to the bottom of it.

When should you stop the fertilizing regiment you've been using on your flower beds?  The McFarland's offer some suggestions.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE.

Is it a blessing? Is it a curse?

It’s a…it’s a… corner lot!

One of the most challenging properties to design and beautify is the dreaded corner lot. Visible on all sides, the corner lot has to be designed just-so to make it shine.

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland corner you with advice that will make everyone, including your neighbours, happy.

What plants are recommended for a corner lot?  What are the special circumstances that make this type of property unique?

Salt tolerance, urban pollution tolerance and animal urine issues are all discussed.

Let The Growing Season help you design your corner with flair.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

"What's wrong with my [FILL IN THE BLANK]?"  "I water it routinely, it’s fertilized on a six week cycle, I prune it religiously and it’s not thriving!

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland hear this ALL. THE. TIME.  In fact, the correlation between over-caring for your plant materials and their failure to thrive is a strong one.  

On this episode of The Growing Season,  the McFarland's guide you through the ins and outs of "Overs,"  as in over-watering, over-pruning, over-fertilizing and over-salting.  

What are some simple guidelines for fertilizing your plant materials?  What does stress from overdoing it look like and I can I correct it?

The trio discuss plants that are "over-tolerant" and how to design a garden with these plants in mind. 

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE.

You're telling me they let these people occupy the airwaves for 4 WHOLE YEARS!?

You know it!

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland chat about what they've learned over the last year and how that dovetails into what they've learned over the last 4 on air. 

The trio discuss spring shrubs blooming in the fall, poppies and opium, scented plants and the most bizarre plants available.

How can you tell if a plant is poisonous?  There are some simple tricks. We’ll fin you in. 

In typical Growing Season fashion, you're gonna come away smiling and full to the brim with info. 

Strap in and celebrate with us!

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

For us Canadians, the holiday season kicks off now...

The Growing Season discusses Thanksgiving and its horticultural intersects on this week's episode of the show. 

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland breezily chat about the history of Thanksgiving and our indigenous people's efforts to not only aid the pilgrims but to affect our fall colour in profound ways. 

 Are you planting fall bulbs for spring emergence?

The McFarlands talk about the proper planting of fall bulbs and the many  scenarios that can effect their spring bloom.  "Flex spaces" in gardens are discussed from a design perspective.

How do you store fall bulbs?  How deep do you plant them?  What temperatures should be present to engage your bulb planting switches?

Lynne discusses how to keep critters from transplanting your bulbs.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE.

"AND ITS ALL ABOUT THAT RAKE, 'BOUT THAT RAKE, NO SHOVEL!!!"

It's autumn, the leaves are changing colour and falling from their lofty perches.  It happens every year and every year we marvel at its magnificence. 

The Growing Season celebrates autumn and its horticultural goings on in part 1 of this series.

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland explain the science behind fall colour. 

Red Maples, Sugar Maples, Red Oaks, Gingko, Black Tupelo, Sumac, Tiger Eyes Sumac, Poplar, Birch and Aspen are just some of the plants discussed. 

Why was the hydrangea season so BONKERS this year?  The trio explains.

Also, MATT HATES BURNING BUSHES AND TELLS YOU WHY! Matt also gushes about the absolute best shrub/tree ever to be created.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE.

"AND ITS STILL ALL ABOUT THAT RAKE, 'BOUT THAT RAKE, NO SHOVEL!!!"

In part 2 of their "Autumn's Beauty" series, Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland guide The Growing Season into more of the beauty that is autumn.

Are dahlias perennials in Mexico?   Do they have a life expectancy when they are continually growing?   This sparks a conversation.

Hawthorn, Mountain Ash, Witch Hazel, Contorted Hazel, Pieris Japonica, Viburnum and Fothergilla are just some of the plants discussed. 

Sweetspire!   IT SMELLS SOOOOOO GREAT.

What is the most hardy late flowering perennial?   You'll be interested to find out that it's not a chrysanthemum.

All that and much more on Autumn's Beauty pt. 2 on The Growing Season.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

Pumpkins, poison plants, grave digging and cows.  Wait... is this the wrong show?

The Growing Season dives into all things halloween and how the spookiest time of the year intersects with horticulture.

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland chat about pumpkins and turnips and various other plants that can be carved into jack-o-lanterns.

What is the difference between poison and toxic?  The trio uncover the answers.

Loco-weed, belladonna, yews, elderberry, mountain ash berries  and many others are discussed with respect to their possible poison parts.

Matt discusses his trip to Cuba.  There were some questionable horticultural choices made on the resort.  Poisoning of the bride and groom was narrowly avoided.  SUGAR CANE!   It's awesome.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

Some birds and butterflies fly south but where do the other creatures go?

This week's episode of The Growing Season dives into migration south and the staygration that many creatures employ to survive the sub-zero months.

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland chat about skunks, raccoons, squirrels, chipmunks and many more of the critters that cohabitate with us. 

How long can a human survive buried underneath snow?   An interesting story emerges.

A hilarious skit concerning a posse of rabbits develops.

Jack and Matt discuss deer damage on trees and shrubs and how to prevent or mitigate the amount of damage that deers can cause. 

Dogwood, birch, ash, maples and many more species are discussed with respect to their winter attributes.  

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE.

Lets get ready for the long sleep!

In part 1 of this series The Growing Season jumps into a pile of leaves before they're blown into the flower beds for the off-season. 

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss the how-to's of what to do to get your property prepped for the winter season.

How do you prep your lawn for a long sleep?  What are the benefits of gypsum?  Can you use it in the fall?

The composition of triple mix topsoil is discussed and how it relates to all those leaves your trees are dropping at this time of year.

Sumacs become a focal point and The McFarland Query System chimes in to help.

The difference between form pruning and function during are uncovered. 

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

Lets get ready for the long sleep one more time...

In part 2 of this series The Growing Season jumps into a pile of leaves before they're blown into the flower beds for the off-season. 

In honour of Remembrance Day Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss poppies and why they were so prominent in Flander's Fields.  You'll be surprised to learn why the poppies thrived in a war-time environment.

What is the most dangerous thing found in a pile of leaves?   

Cars setting leaves on fire?  Yup.  the trio discuss it.

Overwintering your water features is discussed and Matt tells a story about why The Growing Season changed its fall water feature cleaning process.

Winter treatment for sensitive plants is a topic that is touched on.  How do you prep your Japanese Maples and Hydrangea Standards for the winter months?

All that and more on The Growing Season.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

Winter is just about here but The Growing Season asks the question: "Can you garden in areas like Antarctica, The Arctic, The North Pole and other sub-zero climates?"

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland dive into the plants that survive and thrive in environments that get way, way, wayyyy below zero.

What do deserts and sub-zero environments have in common?  More than you think.

Arctic willow, sedges, grasses, potatoes, cabbage, garlic and a question about White Pines covers the bases for plants.

What is silica and how does it tie into sub-zero horticulture?

You'll be surprised to learn the medical requirements and restrictions in place for those looking to work in a research station in Antarctica.  Its almost science fiction-esque.

Arctic bumblebees, nose bot flies and the arctic dance fly are just some of the insects that get the spotlight. 

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

The centrepiece of the Christmas Season becomes the centrepiece of this week's episode of The Growing Season.

So... This topic tends to create a debate.  What is the better environmental option?  A real tree or a fake tree?  Is there still a place for the real Christmas Tree or is it time to use the artificial tree for environmental reasons.  Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland dig into the topic.   It gets kinda heated.

Is there a better,  more sustainable option, when it comes to wrapping paper?   

What are the most popular real trees that are purchased at this time of the season?  You'll be surprised to know that the classics are still considered classic.

How do you properly set your real tree up?  There are some steps that the McFarlands guide you through that will help with real tree longevity.

The top 5 Real trees are run down.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE.

"Lynne!!!  ARE YOU HOME?"

Its the time of the year that visitors just drop by for a...well... visit.

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss some of the runners up for most popular holiday fixtures on this week's episode of The Growing Season.

The trio discuss the making of a Christmas urn to adorn your front door.  Its not as daunting as you'd think.  Also, is there a way of growing plant materials on your property to use in your urns?  DOGWOOD...spoiler alert...dogwood.

How is a poinsettia forced to change colour?   Are botanists involved?

Succulents and their cousins are a hot topic.  Mistletoe is a bad, bad plant.  Its a parasitic nightmare of a organism. 

Strap in as The McFarlands discuss "flocking."

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

How to they celebrate Christmas in [INSERT PLACE HERE]?

The McFarlands guide The Growing Season into international waters as they explore Christmas Around The World.

Wreaths, garlands and their history are uncovered by Lynne McFarland.  Jack McFarland has an audio snafu and his family run with it. 

Why is fruit cake so heavy and where did it come from?   Matt asserts that you can build a house with fruit cake.  Spotted Richard, from the UK, is discussed. 

CLOVES!   What its a clove?

How do they celebrate in The Yukon?  What about Ireland? El Salvador, Caracas and Bolivia are explored. The Christmas Rooster is discussed, much to the bewilderment of Matt. 

Yule Lads, roller skates and opening your doors to unsavoury people are just some of the ways Christmas is celebrated in other parts of the world. 

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

And that's a wrap, ladies and gents. 

The final episode of The Growing Season focuses on the horticultural aspects of the final party of the year.

Beverages of all sorts are discussed. 

Terroir and its effect on the taste of wine and coffee becomes a topic of interest for Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland.

Does the mineral content of the rain in your area affect how your coffee will taste?  What about the micro particles that make up your soil? 

Alcohol... You knew it was coming.   What, on the plant list, goes into the creation of beer.  How about mead? What is the difference between gin and vodka?

How do hops affect the flavour of your beer and how would one grow a votive of hops?

Matt discusses champagne and its history.  What is the difference between champagne and sparkling wine? 

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

Lets turn the lights out.

On this week's episode of The Growing Season, The McFarland's kick off the New Year in style with a topic they've never covered. 

Jack, Lynne and Matt dive into "Night Vision."  As in creatures that are either equipped with great nocturnal sight OR creatures that don't. 

Where do you humans rank on the ability to see at night list?  You'd be surprised to learn where we feature.  Further, do human children see better at night than their adult counterparts?   There's a correlation with age.

Surprisingly bats don't appear much on this show as the trio intends to do a sequel later on in the year that will heavily discuss our winged friends.

Spiders, skunks, worms, cats, dogs, fish and more are discussed. 

Owls. Yup you know we had to go there.  What about Nighthawks?

Light and mice.  There's an interesting way to control mice using illumination. 

All that and more.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

So....uhhhh.... what would happen if the sun went out.  For, like, ever. 

The inaugural episode of what will become a series features a discussion on what would happen if the yellow orb in the sky turned its switches off. 

This week's episode of The Growing Season finds The McFarlands venturing into an extreme version of "what if?"

Jack, Lynne and Matt discuss the temperature on the surface of the earth if there was no sunlight.  Start to think about the implications of this.

How would we survive in insane sub-zero temperatures?   Where would humans live? What about animals?  What would they do to survive?   

Energy sources, food sources and travel are all discussed. 

All is not lost though.  Oxygen would come from sources that you wouldn't think, even though the plants producing our current O2 would be frozen off.

Matt stumbles upon a new idea.  Uh-oh.  Vitamin D and where humans would acquire it become an interesting chat.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE.

It's cold out there.   Like really cold!

In honour of the plummeting temps, Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland dive into a topic near and dear to the hearts of horticulturalists and contractors alike. 

WOOD.  We burn it, we build with it, we depend on it for shelter and heat.

Should we even be using wood as heat?   Is burning it a bad thing? 

The differences between softwood and hardwood are discussed and the ins and outs of how each varieties functions is outlined. 

What wood burns best?  What wood burns the worst and how do you properly season wood that will be fuel in the near future? 

Wood for furniture, interior and exterior construction is discussed.   What does that little SPF stamp that adorns construction lumber mean?  Why is it there?

The trio get wood!   Tune in.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

At the time of recording, the Greater Toronto Area has seen 30 hours of clear skies, so far, this winter. 

WHAT!?   Yeah.  Its been THAT dreary.

With that, Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland guide The Growing Season into a chat about low light houseplants. 

You can't get your gardening fix outdoors?  No matter, lets move things inside. 

Are there any easy tips to ensure vitality for indoor plants?  Are they easier or tougher to care for in comparison to their outdoor counterparts.

Using snow and rain as a water source is discussed.  What about tap water?   How is that for the watering of plants?

Indoor plants and your pets becomes a topic.

Croton, Snake plant, Schefflera, Money Plant, Jade Plant, Spider Plants, Aloe Veras, Bamboo Plants and many more are discussed. 

Tune in.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

Life finds a way…

Matt McFarland’s love of Jurassic Park takes centre stage on this week’s episode of The Growing Season.

Are there any prehistoric plants still around in present day?  You’ll be surprised to learn that the answer is resounding yes.

A breakdown of the lifecycle of the Gingko tree is tasked on the trio.

Trees the size of skyscrapers, bees changing size, and volcanic soil all fit into the McFarland’s trip into prehistoric plants.

A group of super secret pines in Australia is discussed.

Is black pepper prehistoric?

Is it possible to bring prehistoric plants via cloning a la Jurassic Park. Let’s find out.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

Let’s gather around the Yohimbe tree and get frisky!

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland guide The Growing Season into all things planted and sexy on this week’s episode.

In honour of Valentines Day the trio discuss the upcoming plants that put a tilt in your kilt.

Is there any truth to the rumour of aphrodisiacs being a part of certain plants’ operating system? 

Which profession gets the most action? You’ll be surprised to learn.

Onions, garlic, chocolate,  Spanish fly, nettles and ants are linked to arousal. Yes. Nettles.

Will honey get your honey in the mood. Yes. Listen in to find out how.

Bananas and pomegranate. Stock up.

Pansies, violas and morning glories are also known to start engines.

Tune in.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

Knickers made of nettles?   Wouldn't that hurt?

This week Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss how horticulture and textiles converge. 

The Growing Season tackles the putting on of your plants, as in how textiles are created using plants in an effort to increase sustainability.

Athletic supports, dresses, tops, bottoms, hand bags and many more garments are all being made using materials like potato skins, pineapple parts and apples. 

Can you get high if your hemp hoodie burns?   The trio pontificate.

Matt rants on organic farming. 

Parblex... Popular in Ireland AND during the Superbowl.   You'll find out what we're talking about.

Tune in.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE.
 

Soooo, how exactly does that dandelion grown AND THRIVE in the asphalt on the 401?

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss extremes and how horticultural organisms have adapted to exist in such environments. 

Alpine areas, extreme cold, extreme heat, lack of oxygen and many locations come into focus on this episode of The Growing Season.

How exactly do they grow plant materials on the space station?   What measures are taken to ensure success?

The adaptations of plants growing in extremely moist areas is an interesting topic.

To make a long story short, these plants grow in the most inhospitable environments imaginable and The McFarland's uncover it.

Tune in.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

We know, we know, you're ACHING to get out into your garden and start the wheels in motion. 

Can you do ANYTHING in the garden right now?   How about pruning?  Is it too early to prune?   Many of us would like to get a head start on gardening activities so this week's topic dovetails perfectly.

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland dive into the topic of dormancy pruning and why/when it can be done. 

The various types of pruning are discussed and when they are to be used.

New wood, old wood and all the in-betweens are explored on this week's episode of The Growing Season.

What if you've had ice damage on a tree?  Do you prune now or do you have to wait? 

Tune in.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

So you're looking to take a vacation.   Let The Growing Season guide you through a tropical destination The McFarland's have longed to visit. 

FIJI.

Let's travel to Fiji via the radio waves.  Jack, Lynne and Matt continue their "Destination Tropical" series into one of the most beautiful places on earth. 

The flora, the fauna, the language, the food, the ins and outs of the Fijian culture are explored.

What do they farm in Fiji?   You'll be surprised to know that its not exactly what you would think.   Even their exports - you'll be surprised to learn what Fiji exports in high amounts.

The Flametree is an interesting plant.  The Fijians adore it and its foliage will amaze you.

Santa Claus show up on a Jet Ski.  So there's that.

Relatives of the palm tree are discussed. 

Tune in.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

Lets get down to some horticultural history.

Gardens through time are the focus of this week's episode of The Growing Season. 

The Aztecs, The Myans, The Romans, The French, The Indians and The Japanese come into focus as some of the innovators in garden tech.  The French, in particular, have some sordid history intertwined with their horticulture.

THEY HAD THEIR CAKE AND ATE AND ATE AND ATE!

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland meander through the history books and uncover some of the most discussed horticultural spaces that have ever graced a landscape. 

Matt also details The Growing Season's new position featuring in horticultural segments on The Weather Network. 

Being so close to St. Patrick's Day the trio discuss the ins and outs of how horticulture intersect with Green Beer Day. What was the main cause of the potato famine in Ireland?   How does this tie into St. Patrick's Day.

All that and more...

Tune in.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

LET'S SPRING INTO...WELL...SPRING.

Its here and, even though there is snow on the ground for much of the GTA, Spring is here.

Jack, Lynne and Matt kick off the growing season in style.  What can you being doing in your flower beds RIGHT NOW?   Spoiler alert - NOTHING.  The trio explains.

Sharpening shovels and landscape pruners come into focus.  What brand of pruners should you buy?  Matt gushes about FELCO's.

How do you sharpen a shovel?   How often do you sharpen them?   What about pruners?

When should you do a light service on your lawn equipment? The McFarlands explain. 

The crew chat about fertilizer and how to get your lawn into a spring type feeling.  Gypsum becomes a focal point.

Is it possible to damage your soil if you work it too early.  YUP.  BEWARE!!!!!

Epsome salts could be a band aid for your plants.  The McFarland's explain how.

Tune in.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE.

Bunnies, bulbs and bougainvillea! 

We’ll, not the last one but it started with “B” so it fit.

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland continue to celebrate spring on The Growing Season.

McFarland Park is about to undergo an expansion. The trio detail the new elements to be installed.

Jack and Lynne offer an update that may impact the show slightly over the next few months.

We’d love your positive thoughts and energy.

Onto horticulture!  Being that it’s Easter weekend why not focus on Hydrangeas and Easter Lilles. How do you care for these little plants indoors?  How do you transfer them outdoors and have them survive?

Matt talks about plant field trips.

Battling chinch and Japanese beetle naturally is discussed.

Avoiding stepping on emerging plants Cole’s into focus. Matt hates bulbs. He explains why.

Why perennials should you be splitting at this time of year?  What perennials shouldn’t be split right now? 

What perennials should not be split EVER?

Spring fertilizer is discussed.

Tune in.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

Its safe to finally prune your plants, people!

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland guide The Growing Season into the heart of spring pruning and all of its related topics. 

When can you prune?   If its been 10 degrees during the daytime over the course of 7 days you are good to go. 

How do you transition plants from indoors to outdoors?   What about those hydrangeas that you received for easter?   Can those be transplanted?   How?

Jack McFarland creates a sound bite for the ages. 

"Your plant is not sick because its being attacked by insects, its being attacked by insects because its sick..."   This becomes a topic of discussion.   Pruning for plant health is addressed.

Coppicing of plant materials and how to use the technique to rejuvenate an older plant becomes chat fodder.

The central leader of a tree and its importance is highlighted. 

Proper pruning practices are discussed.

Tune in.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE.

Landscape design is in FULL SWING for The McFarlands.

Jack, Lynne and Matt discuss the ins and outs of Landscape Design on The Growing Season. 

Matt outlines how his business model works.  The differences between a landscape consult, design and install are discussed.

Why do you, as a homeowner, need a landscape design?   Does the design make the landscape process easier for you?   The trio discuss. 

The McFarlands chat about how a site meet with a potential contractor will go.  Its nothing to be scared of.

How can you make sure your designer includes as many of your ideas as humanly possible in the final product?  The Growing Season crew help you out.

Your mobile phone is a useful tool in landscape design but not in the way you'd think.  Listen to find out.

Your shade/light conditions, soil conditions and drainage are all areas of interest to your designer.   We chat about why.

Tune in.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

"Coming up we'll talk to you about edible herbs and how they can be considered 'sage advice!'"  [BA DUM CHING!]

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland celebrate Earth Day in style with a 54 minute discussion on plants that produce fruit, berries and nuts.

EDIBLES - not marijuana, but plants that produce stuff that can be eaten...

Apple trees, specifically espaliers, are highlighted.  Its a case of making lemons out of lemonade, so to speak.

Blueberries, raspberries, currents, strawberries are subjects of discourse to the surprise of absolutely no one.

How do you prune fruiting plant materials?   There are simple rules that will steer you away from trouble.

Is there a pruning method that will help to increase yield when it comes to fruiters.  YUP!   And we guide you through it!

Tune in.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland steer this week's episode of The Growing Season into all things Yellow.

The Growing Season's Colour Series continues with a colour that tends to be a divisive topic amongst gardeners.

Are you a fan of the colour yellow?   Do you dislike it?   If so, why?

Many of the heavy hitters in a yellow variety feature:  Dandelions, witch hazel, forsythia, daylily, tickseed, black eyed susie.

Matt detests forsythia and he explains why.

The trio discuss the loveliness of Japanese Kerria.  IT IS THE BEST.

Yellow hostas are a subject of discussion to great effect.

Matt plays "imagine, if you will" with Jack.  They step back in the mid 1980's. 

Tune in.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

Oh-oh-ah-ah-oh! Oh-oh-ahhhh-oh!

So what the heck are The McFarland’s using on landscape designs in 2024?

The Growing Season follows Matt into his annual practice of wiping the slate clean and starting over with his choices of plants.

Yucca is back on the menu!  For over 20 years the McFarland’s refused to use a yucca on a design. They explain why.

Phlox!  The science of hybridizing plants is discussed. Why the phlox are there sooo many new varieties of phlox!?

A new variety of pyramidal/pencil birch, a classic viburnum returns and roses, roses roses galore are touched on.

Matt shied away from roses for years and he explains why he’s rekindled his relationship with them.

Why is a serviceberry called a serviceberry?  You’ll be surprised.

Hydrangeas are almost discussed. Hehehehe. You’ll find out why.

Cherry Truffle sedum is not a dessert but it’s a sedum as sweet as a dessert!  The trio discuss. 

Tune in.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

Easy now!   There's no reason to get upset.

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland dive into trees that tear tirelessly.  They WEEP!    You get it?

The various organisms that are pendulous in nature become the focus of this week's episode of The Growing Season. 

"Pleaching" is discussed but Matt has no idea what it is.

Weeping beech, weeping willow, weeping redbud, weeping Japanese maple and the HOLY GRAIL of weepers - The Camperdown Elm are just some of focus.

This is flowering cherry season!   Many cherry trees weep so why not chat about it?

CRABAPPLES!   Friend or foe?

A new variety of Goldenrod is fawned over.

Tune in.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

Follow my lead!   Green is all you need. 

In some cases, the statement above is correct.  Horticulturally, green is used to keep your plant pals growing strong. 

But what about colour?   Is it possible to have all that green hold hands with some prolonged colour over the course of the spring, summer and  fall?

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland talk about long bloomers on this week's episode of The Growing Season.

What is a long bloomer?   How long is long in a bloomer?  The McFarland's reveal a little about how they design with prolonged flowerers.

Monarda, Roses, Goldenrod, Japanese Kerria, hostas, Coreopsis, Rozanne Geranium, Phlox, Lilac and the new Bloomerang Lilac come into focus.

Is the reblooming weigela?   Yup!   Its really cool!

Tune in.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

LLLLLEEEETTSS GET READY TO RRRRRUUUUUMMMMBBBBLLLLEEE!

In what will be called the greatest battle horticulture has ever seen The Growing Season has ringside seats in the fight between annuals and perennials.

Which will come out victorious? 

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland weigh in on the debate on this week's show? 

Aren't annuals more financially feasible?   Why choose perennials? 

What is an annual?   Is a Butterfly Bush an annual?  For The Growing Season it kinda is! Dahlias - are they annuals? Kinda.

The McFarland's chat about how to pick an annual at the nursery.  What is the most popular annual for 2024?

AND THEN PERENNIALS!  Tickseed, Blanket Flower, Black Eyed Susie, Helenium, Echinacea, Ligularia, Asters and more are the plants that feature in this week's show.

An update on Jack's health is broadcasted. 

Tune in.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE. 

The GTA has had record levels of rainfall over the last 6-8 weeks. What does that mean for gardeners.

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland open this week’s episode of The Growing Season with a rant from Matt.

Matt is offended!

Fear does all this rain mean for the growth of your plant material outside of rapid growth?

Disease and fungus can be exacerbated by rain. What should you look out for when it comes to moisture and disease.

The trio chat about pruning at this time of year.

“Windowing” is discussed and Matt explains why it’s necessary. Amending with much isn’t essential and the McFarlands explain why.

Tune in.

Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE.

What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE.

Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE.