The Growing Season

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! Its all about the LONG GAME!  Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland dive into the trees and shrubs that bloom for an INSANELY long time on this week's episode of The Growing Season. How long is long for a tree to bloom?   You'd be surprised to learn.  Matt discusses how his students LOVE derailing him during lectures.  They love to rev him up and watch...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! We know that many things bloom in June, but it behooves us to highlight some of the lesser known plants.   The Growing Season are over the moon for the June blooms on this week's show. Matt's adoration of June Cleaver is touched on.  He still has a crush.   Is the name June still popular?  What is the Summer Solstice and why is it important? The...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! GO BIG OR GO...BIGGER. Yup!  That's the deal this week.  Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland talk about "Aircraft Carriers" - their slang for insanely large shade trees. MORE gardens for the McFarlands, and this time its Lynne's fault.  There's some new tree-tech about to hit the McFarland household.  The benefits of having large shade...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! Rockeries and alpines are on your plate this week!  It'll be tough chew on this week's episode of The Growing Season.  Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland are all about AC/DC - they are about to rock, they have rocked, they would like you to rock with them... Shall we!? A modern-classic build kicks off the show.  Matt draws elements from what Jack wa...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! On this week’s episode of The Growing Season, the McFarland’s say hello to yellow. One of the most divisive colours, Jack, Lynne, and Matt discussed using yellow in landscape, designs and installs. Matt details and interesting estimating exercise that he’s been doing with his students at Humber College. From the design perspective, yellow can overwhelm a...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! It's our annual annual show that annually talks about annuals. Get out them trowels cuz its time to plant.  Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland dive into annuals 2026 on this week's episode of The Growing Season.  Matt has to walk his cat.  Its not by choice.  Otherwise its chaos.  Why are annual geraniums called geraniums?  They aren't geranium...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! "It's Gonna Be May!!!" You can almost picture Justin Timberlake crooning it. On this weeks episode of The Growing Season, Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland dive into the All-Stars of one of the most beautiful months on the calendar. " The mistakes of May" kick the show off in style.  Matt runs down the weather and why it may not be t...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! Its all by design... Literally. Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland continue their Landscape Design chat on this week's episode of The Growing Season. "95% of all designs need a tree, even on the small designs." Matt discusses why he feels this is the case. We have to bring down the immensity of the house - that's a Mattism. Lilacs, Baby Bl...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! Let's design, shall we? The Growing Season discusses a major facet of their horticultural business on this week's episode of the show.  Strap in.  Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland talk about step 1 of your horticultural renovation.  Martial Arts kicks off the show.  Matt's daughter is learning to break boards with her feet.  Design work from...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! The drums of war can be heard on lawns throughout the country. That's right.  They're coming... The silent insurgence will rob you of your verdant green carpet and replace it with a votive of yellow blooms.  Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland dive into weed warfare on this week's episode of The Growing Season.  Rats have become a problem in gar...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! Lets do it again, shall we?   Picking up where last week's show left off, Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland put a final cut on their spring pruning series for 2026. The show starts with a marijuana chat.  What? Bear cubs abound in Canada and Matt takes the time to make a joke about hibernating.  Platypus...Matt gushes.  TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER! A broken...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! The McFarland's guide The Growing Season into the three groups of Clematis and how/when to prune them.  Its a simple little chat that makes things easy to understand.  Enjoy! 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. 

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! Lets get clippy, clippy, shall we? Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland prune off the crossers, rubbers, dead, broken, malformed and diseased part of your emerging plants on this week's episode of The Growing Season.  Pruning is front and centre at this time of year and The McFarlands dive, secateurs first, into the subject.  It's still too early to b...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! POP QUIZ TIME!!! Matt McFarland is about to teach a course on turf at Humber College and decided that his students' first assignment could be incorporated into this week's episode of The Growing Season.  The McFarland's dive into some wonderful, and unknown, facts regarding that green carpet that covers your lawn.  Jack kicks off the show w...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! DON'T EAT THOSE CHOCOLATE RAISINS.  Its that time of year that chocolate raisins, aka Bunny Poop, comes into focus horticulturally. The largest bunny of them all appears this weekend - The EASTER BUNNY. Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland detail what Easter means to their family.  Jack and Lynne have an especially important event tied to the Easter weeken...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! No!   It's not Halloween yet.  But, "THEY'RE HERE!"  That famous line uttered in Steven Spielberg's 1982 classic "Poltergeist" becomes the jumping off point for this week's episode of The Growing Season.  Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland dive into all the horticultural items that are current emerging at this time of t...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! Jack McFarland is built to survive!  Jack calls in for the final time from Sunnybrook's St. John's rehab facility for final time on this week's episode of The Growing Season.  Jack, Lynne and Matt highlight the plants that can tolerate the wild swings in weather and temperature that are common at this time of the year.   There are so many t...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! Lets get EPIC for this year's Spring Break. Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland board a plane and take off for New Zealand on this week's episode of The Growing Season.  Matt confuses New Zealand and Australia.   Jack and Lynne correct his mistake. "The father south you go in New Zealand the cooler it is..." RIGHT.  Time to recalibrate the...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! We get by with a little help from our friends. Toronto's own Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre comes in with the ultimate save this week. Jack McFarland, fresh off of a shoulder replacement surgery, joins Lynne and Matt, by phone, for this week's episode of The Growing Season.  Calling in from a patient lounge, Jack details the ins and outs of h...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! RETREAT!   The winter has been so harsh maybe we should just accept our fate. Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland retreat to the joys of interior horticulture on this week's episode of The Growing Season. Houseplants take centre stage as the snow continues to dominate our landscapes.  How to water and WHAT to water with kicks off the proceedings.  "S...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! Sodium, sodium, they showed from their podium! Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland add another grain to their pile of salt with this week's Salt And Horticulture Pt. 2 on The Growing Season.  With the level of ice on walking and driving surfaces all across the GTA the trio felt it prudent to discuss salt tolerant plant materials.  Jack discusses an upcomi...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! That's an awfully nice fire ant hill you have there! Wait.  What!? Its the time of year that Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland overlay horticulture and Valentine's Day on The Growing Season.  Annually, the trio discuss the collision of the two and this year doesn't disappoint.  Roses kick the show off, naturally.  Where are roses grown commerc...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! Put on your hydrangea and lets get out and shovel the driveway! WHAT!? Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland highlight the intersection of textiles and horticulture on this week's episode of The Growing Season.  Matt opens the show with a discussion on a milestone that his family has reached. Silk moths and their fondness for mulberry begins the plant conte...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! The GTA set records for snowfall! In light of the recent butt-whooping the Greater Toronto Area took in the recent, record setting, snowfall, Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland decided to use their Snowmageddon bullet on this week's episode of The Growing Season.  In an annual fashion, the trio highlight the events of the storm and take the opportunity t...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! So we're in thick of it.  Right in the fluffy middle. Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland get real STRANGE on this week's episode of The Growing Season.  Winter, in all its glory, becomes the latest focus of Strange But True.  Penguins kick off the show.  Their breeding habits and marital preferences.   Their ability to withstand absolutely frigid te...