Author: Trish Murphy

Artist: botanical, still life, and natural history illustration.
Garden designer: native plants and naturalistic gardens

Notes on Plant ID

I had an email this morning from someone whose plant ID app was telling her that plants she had bought from me as Anise-hyssop were Stinging Nettle or possible Catnip. Now, I have never used a plant ID app but, for plants whose most easily distinguishing features are non-visual — familiar scents for Anise-hyssop and… Continue reading Notes on Plant ID

Plant Availability for June 18th market

Tall Sunflower at Beaux Arbres

To pre-order for pick-up at the Saturday, June 18th Westboro Farmers’ Market, please download and make your selection from the latest Plant Availability List. We will be coming into Ottawa Friday late afternoon. If you cannot make the Saturday market, perhaps picking up your order Friday evening from our Britannia area parking lot is possible.… Continue reading Plant Availability for June 18th market

Some Ottawa Valley Wildflowers

Small Skullcap in an Ottawa valley alvar

We had something to pick up in Wilno and a delivery to make to Killaloe, so we made a little holiday of it, a break from the nursery, having a nice picnic at Golden Lake, and lovely walk in a bit of publicly accessible alvar at the Fourth Chute. Here are some photos of some… Continue reading Some Ottawa Valley Wildflowers

Plant Availability List for the June 4th market

Dwarf Arctic Iris in the Rock Garden.

I have a new Plant Availability List for pre-ordering for pick-up at the June 4th Westboro Farmers’ Market. Many of the summer-flowering sunny meadow are now available, some in very limited quantities. I have been potting up seedlings like crazy all week – this year’s seedlings of things like Anise-hyssop, Swamp Milkweed, and White Snakeroot,… Continue reading Plant Availability List for the June 4th market

Beaux Arbres at Westboro Farmers’ Market on Saturday

Ozark Sundrops

We will be a vendor at Westboro Farmers’ Market for their opening day, this Saturday, May 21st. I have a new Plant Availability List if you wish to pre-order for pick up at the market. The response to our plants at the Friends of the Farm Sale last Sunday was stupendous. We were just about… Continue reading Beaux Arbres at Westboro Farmers’ Market on Saturday

Warm-season Plants Starting to Grow

Royal Catchfly, Silene regia

A week of (very) warm weather has pushed all sorts of summer-blooming, heat-loving plants into growth, unfortunately not in time for the pre-orders for the Friends of the Farm Sale on Sunday. I will be bringing a smattering of summer-blooming flowers to the sale, along with many spring flowers. And you have more chances to… Continue reading Warm-season Plants Starting to Grow

Plant Availability List for May, 2022

Bird's Eye Primrose

The long spell of cold weather in the latter part of April really slowed down plant growth, but I promised a Plant Availability List for the first of May, so here it is. The fine weather forecasted for the next week or so might bring many more species into growth. If there are enough additional… Continue reading Plant Availability List for May, 2022

First Flower of the Spring: Prairie Crocus

Prairie Crocus starting to show colour in early spring.

Last post, when I said I would have to move the Prairie Crocuses to a cool spot to keep them in bloom for the Friends of the Farm sale, I wasn’t joking, but I didn’t think I would have to start doing the move on April 2nd. Yesterday, the largest bud on the Prairie Crocuses… Continue reading First Flower of the Spring: Prairie Crocus