The Growing Season

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! Orange you glad you tuned in? We know, it’s an eye-rollingly terrible joke BUT it’s super topical. Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss the colour orange in horticultural terms on this week’s episode of The Growing Season. Coneflower, quince, nasturtium, day lilies and some of the most gorgeous azaleas around are a fraction of the plant materials discus...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! It’s all about the style!  Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland set sail on a new series for The Growing Season, entitled “Being Stylish.” Focusing on various styles of landscape design and and install  the first entry out of the gate discusses modern landscape design. What makes a design modern?  How do you achieve the sleek lines, minimalist features and make...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! Soooo...uhhhh... what if it doesn't flower?  Is there another option that can provide colour and interest that isn't flower based? Ohhhh yeah.    Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland chat about spots, stripes and variegation and how you can use plants that feature these to dress up your garden.  Harlequin maple, caladium, coleus, hosta, lung wort, bir...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! Why not get Jurassic Park with it? Hostas - some of the most unique and prehistoric looking plants are front and centre in this week's episode of The Growing Season.   Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland dive into the ins and outs of one of the most versatile plants you can incorporate into your landscape.  Do you have the dreaded "shade/drought&quot...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! NOT THESE BUGS AGAIN! The McFarlands guide The Growing Season into another entry of their BUGSENSE series.  This week Jack, Matt and Lynne chat about the critters that BUG you when you're out in the garden. Japanese beetles and mosquitoes are the focus this week. On the first half of the show the trio chat about how to deter mosquitos naturally, when...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! "I'm sorry Kate, but there are going to be times in your garden where green is going to be the only colour..." Why?   Why does this have to be the way that it is?  Kate! Get a second opinion. Jack, Lynne and Matt discuss long blooming plants and how to bloom phase so that your garden is colourful from March to early November.  It's pos...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! Schools out for the summer!  How do you tend to those lovely gardens when you’re at the cottage?  What do you plant at the cottage when you’re only there infrequently?  Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss the ins and outs of keeping your gardens looking wonderful whilst you’re away. So, you don’t own a cottage. No problem, the trio chat about the plant...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! You sunk my Battleship! Well, in this case, you planted it. The sister program to our Aircraft Carriers show, Battleships chats about large evergreen trees - the ones the size of a Battleship. Pine, Spruce, Fir, Redwood, Cedar and much more are discussed at length as Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland guide you through the do's and dont's of selecti...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! STOP!  That’s what many of us think when we see the colour red. In fact, that’s precisely what the colour does in your gardens. Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss the wonders of the colour red on this week’s episode of The Growing Season. Highlighting the latest entry into the  Colour Series are Cardinal Flowers, Roses, Horsechesnut, Coneflower, Delph...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! Take an aircraft carrier and stand it up, end to end, on your property.  That's what we're chatting about.  AIRCRAFT CARRIER sized leafers.  BIG, BIIIGGG TREES! Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland chat about the sights they've seen on jobsites  with regards to monstrous trees planted in the wrong places. What should you plant if you have the pro...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! It’s that time of year!  Flowers in bloom, birds chirping and speeches from your aunt Trudy about how you covered yourself in peanut butter and rolled around on her white couches as a kid. IT’S WEDDING SEASON! Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss how horticulture intersects with weddings during the most popular month to tie the knot. Roses, Lily of the...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! NOW WE'RE TALKING!!! For the McFarlands, rock is akin to religion and makes up most of the dinner table conversation.  The McFarland boys LOVE working with rock. The Growing Season radio show discusses the rockery adventures of The Growing Season construction business on this episode of The Growing Season.  That's a lot of TGS!  Jack, Lynne and...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! WOW!   That's a long title.  If you thought that was a lot, wait till you see how much info is packed into 53 minutes! Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland follow up last week's chat about annuals with a chat about pots, containers, hanging baskets and raised planters.  Basically, any time you made your flower bed an above ground pool! What are some o...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! Highway to safe zone!    Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland take The Growing Season into a votive of annual flowers.  Now that we're into the Top Gun of annual planting time the McFarland's thought it was a perfect time to discuss annuals.  Planting, watering and maintaining annuals are highlights.  Impatiens, begonias, geraniums, petunias, lobelia,...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! "Hey now, you're an All-Star!!!" We'd use the song but there's copyright and all that.  In what is an annual tradition, The Growing Season expands its listenership to include its MOOSE FM audience and what better way to honour the tradition than to highlight the highlights of the month of May.  Lilacs feature prominently into the...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! One of the most popular colours in horticulture takes centre stage on this week's episode of The Growing Season. Purple highlights the first TGS colour series episode of the season.  Grapes, sweet pea, lavender, smokebush, hydrangea, crimson king maple, phlox and the cones on a fir tree are just some of the plants discussed on this episode.  Tips for...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! And we're STILL out walking sites!  Matt McFarland is busy with construction projects as the 2023 build season is underway. In honour of the beginnings of "shovels in the ground" The McFarlands present part 2 of their "Garden Challenges" series. Soil pH, shade/light conditions and sentimental plant materials on job sites are just...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! Lynne McFarland, from The Growing Season, chats with Joël Lamoureux about the how to get your gardens ready for spring the professional way. Listen to more of our content. CLICK HERE.  

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! Jack McFarland, from The Growing Season, chats with Joël Lamoureux about the how to deal with grubs in your lawn without using chemicals. Listen to more of our content. CLICK HERE.  

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! We get asked about essential tools ALL THE TIME! FELCO, that is a name that we use on a regular basis.  Crafting the finest in Swiss made horticultural pruning tools, FELCO's are a tool that we have close by on every jobiste.   Ryan amberg, of FELCO, joins Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland on this week's episode of The Growing Season.  The quartet...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! In a similar fashion to Valentines Day, it should be Earth Day every day. Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss the many aspects of earth day and how it intersects with horticulture on this week's episode of The Growing Season. Plastics being found in oceans, rivers and inside the stomachs of small birds, the pros and cons of "the cardboard met...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! Its totally time for trim! The Growing Season touches on a topic that many would be interested in hearing about during this time of the year.  Pruning! What plants do you prune in the spring?  Is spring spring different from the pruning you would use at other times of the year.  How do you prune plants that bloom on "new wood?" Jack, Lynne and M...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! Those are the biggest rabbit droppings I've ever seen! Easter is the celebration du jour on this week's episode of The Growing Season.  The McFarlands chat about all things horticulture that intersect with all things Easter and how those traditions came to be. Easter lilies, spring bulbs and hydrangeas are just some of the plant materials discus...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! There seems to be some trepidation around the pruning of hydrangeas.  New wood, old wood - what does that even mean? Which varieties of hydrangeas are pruned when?  Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland break down the ins and outs of pruning these horticultural beauties. Lets de-stress this mess. Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to he...

“Questions, concerns, queries?” Lets chat! "That's a lovely backyard!   I especially like the geese you've added to your lawn..." Spring - the promise of growth anew and the time of the year when you can splash in that large puddle just off the corner of your deck. Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland chat about spring flooding and site water issues on this week's episode of The...