A Small Step towards Spring

For the past few years, our very first Spring outing has been a vendor table at the Ontario Horticultural Association District 2 AGM. This year, the AGM was hosted by the Pembroke Horticultural Association last Saturday, April 12th. The date was early this year and the spring weather has been miserable. We do not have… Continue reading A Small Step towards Spring

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More snow

There is a hoop house under there.

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Species List for Seedy Saturday, 2019

Getting excited about spring? Looking forward to getting into your garden? Seedy Saturday is a great boost to the spirits — all those little packets of potential: heritage vegetable seeds, garlic bulbs, seed potatoes, and wildflower seed galore. I have put up the list of species Beaux Arbres will be bringing to Seedy Saturday on… Continue reading Species List for Seedy Saturday, 2019

May I Introduce: Glaucous Honeysuckle

Fruit of Glaucous Honeysuckle.

Although it is quite common in woods and hedgerows, this native honeysuckle is known to few gardeners. Glaucous Honeysuckle’s red tubular flowers with yellow anthers, in mid-spring, have the same colour scheme as the much better known Wild Columbine, and it should come as no surprise that ruby-throated hummingbirds are the pollinators it has evolved… Continue reading May I Introduce: Glaucous Honeysuckle

A Portrait of Sunflowers

Maximilian's Sunflower with bee

We went to hear Kerri Weller, of the Ottawa Society of Botanical Artists, at the Nepean Horticultural Society, last Thursday evening, Ms Weller gave a quick overview of the history of botanical art and illustration in Western art. She pointed out a lovely feature of the classic plant portraits by Maria Sybila Merian from the… Continue reading A Portrait of Sunflowers

An Urban Pollinator Garden

Berit Erickson dropped by last week to pick up some native plant seeds and talk to me about her demonstration pollinator garden, on a busy corner lot in the west end of Ottawa . Working in her yard, Berit realized how interested passers-by were in her flowers. Berit herself had noticed how much more lively… Continue reading An Urban Pollinator Garden

May I Introduce: Dwarf Canadian Primrose

Dwarf Canadian Primrose in hypertufa trough.

My first encounter with this charming little native primrose was on the wave swept shore of Lake Huron, on the Bruce Peninsula, where limestone pavements shelve incrementally down to the water’s edge. Nestled in tiny, moist cracks in the limestone, never far from the spray, were some small pink flowers with yellow centres, Primula mistassinica.… Continue reading May I Introduce: Dwarf Canadian Primrose

May I Introduce: Downy Skullcap

Downy Skullcap, Scutellaria incana

While active outdoor gardening is on pause, this is a good time to introduce some wildflowers which may not be known to most gardeners in the Ottawa area. These flowers may be unfamiliar because they are not native to the the Ottawa Valley, but hail from further south in the USA, as does today’s species,… Continue reading May I Introduce: Downy Skullcap

A Festive Yuletide to All

Beaux Arbres nursery will be re-opening May, 2019, with even more wonderful native plant species. Hope to see you Mothers’ Day at the Rare and Unusual Plant Sale, Ottawa. Until then, stay warm and plan gardens.

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Spring Visit to Alpine Garden, MBG

Dearf Mountain Fleabane at The Montreal Botanical Garden

Remembering a visit to the Montreal Botanical Garden, May, 2018. Beaux Arbres will have Shooting Star (Dodecatheon) for sale in the spring. Rock Whitlow-grass at the Montreal Botanical Garden Eastern Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) The Alpine Garden at MBG is divided into areas planted with species from different regions of the world. I was delighted… Continue reading Spring Visit to Alpine Garden, MBG