The Garden Shift

Season 2 closes with Kirstin Hicks of Tidal & Timber Studio -she brings the flora and fauna of coastal and boreal landscapes closer to home through her art. Working in Thunder Bay she has spent much of her professional career in natural resource management. Inspired by the forests of Northern Ontario, Lake Superior and nature walks with her field golden retriever- her art communicates an intim...

This episode was first shared in Season One. It's one of my favorites because it's filled with good advice. Lorraine wants you to get started right where you are. Small changes in your garden can bring big results. Host plants for birds, allowing diversity of species in your lawn, planting up a hellstrip, it's all about reconciling with nature. Enjoy this jam packed episode and Lorraine's story ab...

Are you a cottage owner, conservation practitioner, or lake association? Laura Thomas, owner of Hidden Habitat wants you to grow the right native plant in the right place. Visit her at the nursery and she will show you how. We talk about shoreline seed mixes, seed orchards and plant sex. Hidden Habitat Muskoka Conservancy

Can this be the year your meadow dreams come true? New Directions in American Landscapes Designer Larry Weaner has wise words for gardeners who dream of a  meadow  "By understanding nature’s next ‘move’... we are better able to make intelligent decisions resulting in less maintenance requirements and a more successful end result". In this episode Toronto Master Gardener Tena van Andel will share h...

The Garden Shift invited Pat Concessi for an impromptu chat-between gardening friends. Zigzag Goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis), Large-Leaved Aster (Eurybia macrophylla) and Golden Alexander (Zizea aurea) are all making an appearance.

Ewa Bednarczuk knows habitats, she worked on prairies, forests, woodlands and wetlands across Ontario. Now with her online course you can learn to restore and do your part in your own yard. We talk about the lessons, Q & A Hub and community support that will make you a restorer of habitat. Ewa knows soil, plants and interactions and wants you to be a force for good. Neighbourhood Habitat Soil...

The Paw Paw tree, Asimina triloba, is a Carolinian tree that needs our attention. Perfect for a home or community garden, this tree has suffered habitat loss and may be further suffering from bad public relations. In this episode The Garden Shift welcomes Dan Bissonnette - he talks ecological importance of this native species. We learn how to grow from seed and what this tree needs to produce deli...

You may know Sayeh Beheshti from Underhill Seed Sitters, Don't Mess With the Don or North American Native Plant Society. In this episode, hosted by Pat Concessi they talk about the gift economy and how society improves when we give our time to those in need. Sayeh shares her garden with all the creatures that have been there long before she started gardening. Learn about nature journaling, bac...

Mosquito fogging, cooking fiddleheads, arsenic and more. Join my guest Dianne Azzarello for an insightful look at the potential risk associated with natural elements, in our gardens. Dianne has worked in the pharmaceutical industry for 38 years. Xerces Study- Mosquito Fogging Mosquito Bucket Health Canada- Food Safety for Fiddleheads Using Pesticides in Ontario Silent Spring, Rachel Carson

The RHS is the UK's leading gardening charity- founded in 1804. In this episode we are joined by Leigh Hunt. Leigh is the Principal Horticultural Advisor at Wisley Garden where he works with over 150 scientists to help deliver gardening advice to their members. We talk about Bringing Nature Home Initiative (2026), Jennifer Owens' 30 year bug study, resilience in plants, primroses, slugs, hedgehogs...

Learn about agroecology and growing seed crops with my guest, seed farmer and author Dan Brisebois. We talk about 'First Seed Mindset' and building a relationship with a plant. What species make a good seed crop, will there be cross pollination, what's a F1 seed, don't be afraid of Brassicas, and lots of vegetable tips will be shared. Ferme Tourne-Sol Co-Op The Seed Farmer , New Society Publisher,...

Junaid is an ecologist who knows nature can heal. His journey starts in Pakistan where nature was always somewhere else. Moving to Canada and now living in Peterborough he sought out a connection to the land through both traditional indigenous learning and alliances with community groups and organizations. Junaid reflects "I see my work is to weave together people's understanding of what it is to...

Would you like to collaborate with a team of volunteers while enjoying some nature therapy? Toronto Nature Stewards may be the organization for you. Pat Concessi is a caring citizen and she wants you to get to know the ravines. Learn why some plants are harmful in the ravine ecosystem and need to be removed, what species may appear in your garden and how to identify , remove and dispose them. http...

Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP) Canada is a registered Canadian charity widely recognized as the pre-eminent authority on the bird-building collision issue. Millions of birds die every year from collisions with windows. What can we do to safeguard birds in our yards. Michael discusses option for our windows and placement of our bird feeders. https://flap.org/ Global Bird Collision Mapper http...

Joanna Dyer is teaching her young family to love bees and bugs, removing invasive plants, experimenting with garden techniques like dead hedges and seed snails and growing new species at every opportunity. Her Shift is happening at a racing pace in her garden in Hamilton, Ontario. Follow Joanna on Instagram: the_native_gardening_novice Order Wild Ginger -Ontario Native Plant: https://onplants.ca/s...

Victoria Badham joins today from the Toronto Wildlife Centre. Thousands of calls are handled on the hotline in the busy part of the year. Rescues, medical care , rehabilitation and education are all components of this charity's mission. Victoria answers questions and dispels myths around the wildlife that show up in our urban gardens. What to do and what not to do. Building a healthy community for...

Dr Elaine Wiersma research at Lakehead University highlights the special opportunity that gardeners have to make positive change as stewards, conservationists, guerilla gardeners, advocates, learners and teachers . We discuss her new project - Whispers From the North, a nursery she opened in 2021 in Pass Lake Ontario. Special species like Early Figwort, Northern Sweetgrass and Poverty Oat Grass ar...

Social Media sensation Grant Minkhorst is hooked on gardening. He wants you to jump in and make mistakes. A clever and often hilarious communicator , we talk the joy of flowers, starting from seed , and pest management . gardeninggrant.com News- How To Start Your Garden for the Season https://globalnews.ca/video/11200929/how-to-start-your-garden-for-the-season Grant recommends: https://www.ted.com...

Sean James is an ecological landscape expert. With his extensive horticultural knowledge he creates gardens that are public pleasing. Bold features, drifts of plants and seasonal vignettes make up his designs. This episode is jam packed with plant choices that can bring both birds and bees to your garden. Some plants of note are Bladdernut , Black Cherry, Silky Dogwood and Arrowleaf Aster. Notes h...

In this episode you will meet community builder & Toronto Master Gardener Jen Morley. Jen cares about the natural world and does her part right in her neighbourhood in downtown Toronto. She entered the Master Gardener training program in 2023 and has fast become a rising star.  A skilled writer, editor and communicator with a knack for making connections and bringing people together. Listen in...

In today's episode you will hear from Andrea D'Silva the owner of Swallowtail Native Plants an online specialized seed company. Why is growing plants from local seed important and what seeds are easy to try if you are new to growing native plants from seeds. Winter is the time to buy seeds and Andrea gives great tips on how to have success with germination. Blue Flag Iris , Wild Basil and Prairie...

In this episode we continue on the theme of naturalized gardens and out dated by-laws that penalize gardeners who want to do their part for nature. The City of Burlington is taking ecologist Karen Barnes to court over her naturalized garden, that was deliberately planted, maintained, free of noxious weeds and not obstructing any sidewalk or sightline. It's been a battle that has seen her front...

Douglas Counter goes to court in Counter v City of Toronto (2002) to express his pro-environmental views of how to manage a garden on privately maintained public property. Listen to a passionate gardener who fought and won this case for all Canadian gardeners. Recorded in Nov.2025 Contact Douglas: dcu.humanature@rogers.com Spacing Toronto |   https://spacing.ca/toronto/2024/08/21/from-drainage-dit...

The Garden Shift is back for 2026. In this episode we define & explore common botanical terms used in ecology and horticulture. What is a weed? What makes a plant invasive? Is a naturalized plant bad for an ecosystem? Ryan Godfrey, Senior Conservation Research Associate Specialist at WWF Canada, makes sense of it all. Use the chart found in this link to follow along: https://wwf.ca/stories/bot...

Listen in as we close the year with TMG Pat Concessi and Tena van Andel. This is a tell all- as we share real stories from our own gardens. Don't miss the last few minutes when we are joined by researcher David Lawrie from the Toronto Region and Conservation Authority- he will outline the work to create safe passage for an endagered species who you might recognize from The Garden Shift podcast cov...