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www.markcullen.com
Mark Cullen
FOR BRANT NEWS
The larger the island of knowledge, the longer the shoreline of wonder.
– Ralph W. Sockman
It seems like yesterday that the number of hobby gardeners that were online searching for information was small and they were branded as nerds.
Today, it is not unusual to find people attending gardening functions with their iPad in tow. They are usually the first to come up with the answer to a tough gardening question or the source of a rare plant or product.
Gardeners have caught up with the times.
With this in mind, I share my favourite gardening websites. This list is not exhaustive: no doubt you have a website or two that you would add. Between my research assistant, Brenda (who spends a lot of time on this stuff), and myself, here is what we have to offer today, subject to change by the hour.
This is the source for information about anything to do with industry activity. If you are thinking of hiring a lawn maintenance company, landscaper, garden planner, or if you are looking for work in the gardening industry, this is the site for you.
In addition to steering you in the right direction where contractors are concerned, the Landscape Ontario site also provides garden design tips, a plant encyclopedia, hardiness zone map, frequently asked questions and more.
This site has an extensive plant library with search function, care tips, design ideas and great photos.
Thinking of colour in your garden? How about planting a sequence of flowers that provide you with the ultimate symphony of colour from one end of the season to the other?
Here is your best source of information about perennials. There is a searchable library of perennial plants that is expansive. You can search by bloom colour, bloom time, hardiness zone, sun exposure and care required.
Word of caution here: this is an American site. The “hardiness zones” should be cross-referenced with the Canadian zone map found on the Landscape Ontario site or at my own site, www.markcullen.com.
Planning your veggie garden for next season? This is my No. 1 source of seeds and cultural information for food plants. There are easy-to-follow growing tips for veggies and many ornamentals, too. While this site originates in Prince Edward Island, the fact remains that they garden in Zone 5 and so do I (just north of Toronto). Gardeners in the City of Toronto garden in Zone 6. This information works for us.
This is the global guide to cultivated plants. If it were a book, you would have trouble lifting it (thank goodness for eReaders). Find detailed information about trees, shrubs, vegetables, vines, perennials, annuals, moss, aquatic, fungi, ferns, orchids, ground cover, grasses and houseplants.
That just about covers it, wouldn’t you say? The site includes high-resolution images. While this is not where I go for design advice or answers to my mole or skunk problems, it is the perfect site for the dedicated plant lover.
The second-fastest growth in the gardening business is the planting of native species (food gardening is No. 1). The Canadian Wildlife Federation shows you how to attract wildlife, find plants native to your region, create a garden in small spaces and attract desirable wildlife. There is a seasonal garden guide that is a handy reminder of what you need to be doing in the garden from one month to the next – kind of like my monthly newsletter, only exclusive to the native plant gardener.
The Compost Council of Canada provides all of the information that you need to compost successfully. And how to deal with raccoons, mice and the like where your compost is concerned.
Smelly compost bin? Too heavy to lift and turn? Is your compost not ‘cooking’ like it should? The answers are there.
If I had a buck for every time someone asked me how to control the grubs in their lawn, I would be able to double the tree canopy in Toronto myself. Alas, the answers to this question and many others are here.
Natural Insect Control specializes in beneficial insects, biological pest controls, beneficial nematodes and ladybugs. You may want to know about these “beneficial insects,” as they are the good guys.
We all enjoy eating out. How about going out to pick your food so you can eat in? Harvest Ontario provides a guide to local farm markets, pick-your-own, farmers’ markets, farm-gate honey producers and bed and breakfast locations. This is a terrific guide to “eco-tourism” in our province. Leave hungry, come home rested and ready to cook up a storm.
