Many native plant species require cold, moist stratification (a period of cold, including freezing, temperatures) for their seeds to germinate. That’s our basic winter, full of danger for seeds that need to land on suitable soil, avoid drought and floods, and elude hungry birds, and other winter hazards. What if there was an easy way READ MORE
Author: Bev Wagar
A gentle look at ruderals
By Beverley Wagar, 1000 Islands Master Gardeners This article was inspired by Lorraine Johnson’s online chat on November 27th 2025, part of the ongoing “Ask a Master Gardener” webinar series hosted by the 1000 Islands Master Gardeners. For the zoom link, sign up for the TIMG newsletter (opens in new tab). Say you’ve driven to READ MORE
“Mudding In” and other planting tips
It was in 2016 when I heard the term “mudding in” at a garden club meeting—and I haven’t heard it or read it since. It sounded odd, even made-up, but coming from a Master Gardener, “mudding in” demanded some research, which I did. Yes it’s for real. Likely a British thing, but a thing nonetheless. READ MORE
Resources for Ecological Gardeners
This is a work in progress. Last update: March 31, 2026 If you read just one thing, make it this short but comprehensive article in Connecticut Gardener magazine, by Kim Eiermanhttp://monarchawardshamilton.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Becoming-An-Ecological-Gardener.pdf Another more comprehensive read for the curious and skeptical: “The Basics of Ecological Landscaping” from the Ecological Landscape Alliancehttps://www.ecolandscaping.org/10/developing-healthy-landscapes/ecological-landscaping-101/the-basics-of-ecological-landscaping/ E. O. Wilson’s classic article READ MORE
The Plunk-and-Plop School of Gardening
This article originally appeared in the October 2022 issue of Cross Pollination, the newsletter of the Halton Region Master Gardeners. Late one evening in mid-September I was walking around my small urban garden with a plant in each hand, unaware that my husband was watching. “Looking for a place to plant those?” he asked. “Yup. READ MORE