The Growing Season

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! Its the time of the year when a simple walk to the bus stop can be TREACHEROUS! Many of us are salting our exterior surfaces to reduce the chance of slipping.  This week on The Growing Season, Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss salt and horticulture on part 1 of a two part series.  What are the effects on salt on the human body? Salt and the ambient a...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! You think it's wintry in the GTA?   Lets look and see what's happening in The Northwest Territories.  Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland continue the new year with a deep dive into Horticulture in the Northwest Territories on this week's episode of The Growing Season.  Matt highlights a wonderful development in his career.  Its been years in th...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! What if!? That's how we start off in 2026.  Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland get hypothetical.  The Growing Season kicks off the new year with your lawn in mind.   Your lawn, as in the thing buried under the snow.  Its gone! What if our grasslands just disappeared?  How would that effect our ecology? Why this topic? Why now? What is the opposite of gra...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! Take your fern to a film on New Years!  The Growing Season celebrates New Years in style by celebrating the intersection of film and horticulture.   Jack, Lynne and Matt discuss some of the ways blockbuster movies and TV shows have highlighted wonderful biomes.  New Years resolutions kick the show off.  Stranger Things' final episodes feature promine...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! Santa Claus is coming to town! In the penultimate episode of The Growing Season for 2025, Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss the some of your horticultural holiday favourites. Could you start a holiday themed decking company?  Famous Christmas music and moves kick the show off. Bing Crosby becomes a topic of discussion.  "All I want for Christmas...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! You knew it was coming!  Evergreens and Christmas Trees draw the spotlight on this week's episode of The Growing Season.  Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland highlight THE focal point of the Christmas Season for those of us that lean into horticultural interests.  What came first - evergreens or deciduous plants?  You'll be surprised to know.  Do rea...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! Santa Claus is coming to town! That's right, here we go.  Christmas 2025 on The Growing Season.   Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland are pleased to add a new entry to their annual holiday fare.  "Planted For Christmas" features 54 minutes of what you can plant in your horticultural space to harvest for Christmas decorations.  Christmas light fo...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! Brrrrr.  That's cold!  Its upon us.  The rain has turned white and remains on the ground.  Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss how humans navigate winter on this episode of The Growing Season.   Matt discusses his love of The Weather Network and snow days.   Lynne delivers the bad news about this winter's forecast.  Brine, road salt and the m...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! Humans aren't the only ones that have to adapt to a colder climate during the winter months.  Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland track the migration patterns of Canada geese.  Why do they fly south for the winter.  "Whiffing" is a landing maneuver used by geese.  What is it used for?  Matt talks about his love of the film "Predator: Badlan...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! More snoozy for your flower beds!  BedTime continues on The Growing Season and The McFarlands jump in with aplomb.  Can you plant trees at this time of the year?  Jack McFarland explains why this is a GREAT time to plant large deciduous organisms.   Matt tells a red maple story that he is about to plant for a longtime client.  Speaking of trees, Matt expl...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! Is it sleepy-time yet?  Almost.  The McFarlands guide The Growing Season into the final stretch of the horticultural season on this week's episode of The Growing Season. Poppies kick off the show and Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss poppy bloom time and why they don't use many poppies on designs.  Hint:  think peonies.  Why did poppies gro...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! Challenge accepted!!! With the horticultural season wrapping up, Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss the challenges they faced this year on this week’s episode of The Growing Season.  Winter 2025 kicks off the show’s content.  How did it feed into this summer’s water table? A rainy May and then blistering heat for the remainder of the summer.  Do you r...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! Is that your Mum? Its that time of year, ladies and gents.  The Growing Season highlights the wonders of fall on this week's episode.  Fall Mums, bulbs and much more are the fare that The McFarlands dine out on this week.   Halloween kicks off the show. Matt talks a little about his kids and their halloween adventures.  On the horticultural side, is...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! But wait!  There's more! Break out your Combine Harvesters and enjoy this week's episode of The Growing Season.  Harvest continues to feature front and centre.  The McFarland's update you, the listener, on Jack's health.  Matt McFarland discusses how the combine harvester featured prominently into his son's formative years.  The t...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! Happy Thanksgiving to one and all! Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland get Agricultural on this week's episode of The Growing Season.  Turkey's, Thanksgiving, loosening the belts and much more start the show off in style.  Pumpkin spice and pies are holiday favourites that Matt tees off on.  Matt gets ranty with Jack about cranberries.  Do cranberrie...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! These are the ones to watch! The McFarlands celebrate their 6 year anniversary discussing the all-stars of the autumnal season on this week's episode of The Growing Season.  Canada geese kick off the show.  Lynne discusses what she learned over the last year.  Jack and Matt chime in.  Potentillas, sprinklers and irrigation also feature.   Silver lini...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! Good things come in small packages.  Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland chat all things small on this week's episode of The Growing Season.   Take the full-sized version of a large plant and miniaturize it and that's what we're talking about.  The differences between full-sized, semi-dwarf and dwarf kick off the show. Espaliers are the first ou...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! "I'd love it to stay contained and grow slow..." These are the sentiments uttered by many a client that have crossed the McFarland's path.  Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland dive into plants that are just what a client ordered on this week's episode of The Growing Season. Algae kicks the show off and you'll find out why. Juniper...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! What's with all the insect activity!? Have you seen an upswing in insects in the garden of late?   Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland dive into an increased presence of pollinators on this week's episode of The Growing Season.  Grasshoppers and bees kick the show off.  Do grasshoppers pollinate anything? You'll be surprised to know.  Ants and T...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! More WOOD!   You WOULDN’T want to miss this.  Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland continue their Woodland Garden series on this week’s episode of The Growing Season. Picking up where last week’s episode left off, the trio dive into the plant material specifics that would look appropriate in a Woodland Design.  Matt describes some curious behaviour on plants th...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! Sometimes you just gotta go for a walk in the woods. The McFarland's put their face in the mulch on this week's episode of The Growing Season.   Jack, Lynne and Matt dive into part 1 of a two part series highlighting how to design and build a "woodland garden." What makes a woodland garden a woodland garden?   Jack spins a yarn about a...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! Geometric plants and small trees! This week's episode of The Growing Season changes what you've got into something even greater.  Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland dive into lollipops, standards and pom-poms.  WHAT!?   The trio explain.  What is the difference between a standard and a lollipop?  Can they be both?  What is a pom-pom that is not on a...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! WHEN WILL IT RAIN!? The Greater Toronto Area hasn't seen significant rainfall in over a month and the plants are starting to show the effects of drought. Your grass is the colour of Shredded Wheat and the heat is making it a struggle to keep your plants happy.  What to do?  Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland focus on water wise plants on this week's...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! Look up! Its not just in the theatres these days, its on your arbours, trellises and fence lines. Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland look up on this week's episode of The Growing Season.  All things that grow up and down are discussed on the most recent episode of TGS.  Lynne is "3 foot 12 inches..."  She's taller than that but it sets the...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! It’s all about Daisies and we and we ain’t talking bout pushing them up!  Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland park this week’s episode of The Growing Season in a patch of Shasta’s.  Matt talks about Daisy Dukes. Jack responds with “Ox Eyes.” Road Daisies and trains converge.  10% of the plants on earth are Daisies.  Echinacea and Black Eyed Susie are members o...