The Growing Season, Aug. 2, 2025 - Daisies and Family
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 of the Daisy family. Who knew? The “Fibonacci Sequence” and phototropism are discussed.Poisonous Daisy family members? Yup, you read that right. As well, lettuce… You won’t believe the tie-in. A rant about Russian Sage ups the hilarity. The trio wonder aloud why they don’t use English Daisy more. Further, they discuss why they don’t use Blanket Flower anymore. It could be snow related. The parts of the Daisy flower are outlined and then The McFarlands dive headlong into Echinacea. “Raspberry Beret Coneflower.” TRUST US. Moerheim this, Moerheim that. Criminally underused plant materials are highlighted. Sneezeweed and Ozark Sundrops are on this list. Jack’s obsession with Ice Plant gets a giggle. Tune in. 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.
--------
53:32
--------
53:32
The Growing Season, July 26, 2025 - LawnSense 2025
Its been dry and hot so how does that effect your lawn?Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland cut this week's episode of The Growing Season into your front lawn with a little grass talk. How do you protect your lawn against drought and heat? Matt discusses the ins and outs of irrigation systems. How much does it cost to install the system and what does it cost, on a monthly basis, to run one of these systems? A discussion on proper watering occurs. THE FIRE HOSE NOZZLE IS THE GREATEST WATERING DEVICE EVER. Saturation watering is the key to success on new plantings and lawns. What percentage of North America is lawn? 9 billion gallons of water is used to water lawns in the US PER DAY! Read that again...What is the correlation between "colonialism" and lawns.Is it okay to let your lawn burn off in the summer? Will it recover.The McFarland's debunk a myth.Artificial turf comes into focus. MATT HATES IT!The price between between artificial turf and real turf is compared. Groundcover alternatives to grass are explored, along with their pros, cons and history of use. Matt rages against Landscape Architect. Lynne tells a story about a neighbour destroying their whole lawn due to dandelion mitigation. "None of it is real..." In Playboy and Home and Gardens Magazine. How you cut your lawn will effect its health. Tune in. 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.
--------
53:32
--------
53:32
The Growing Season, July 19, 2025 - July All-Stars
All stars in July aren’t only reserved for baseball!This week on The Growing Season, Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland dive into the horticultural all stars of July. Nothing blooms in July says the client. LIES. Matt tells a swimming story. HERstory returns to The Growing Seasom airwaves. Lynne discusses how the month of July got its name. What are the “Dog Days” of summer? TONS OF THINGS ARE BLOOMING RIGHT NOW. Portulaca, phlox, echinacea, delphinium and many more are discussed. Is July too late to be planting a landscape? Even plant materials, if taken care of properly can thrive in a summer install. Are you going on vacation? It affects your new garden. “Water till the ground is shiny…” Sod watering is also touched on. Matt hates hosta blooms. Touch of Class Hosta gets its time in the spotlight. The Seven Sons tree is revealed. The trio discuss The Purple Smokebush. It’s a cool shrub. Serviceberry, serviceberry, serviceberry. Matt weeps about Butterfly Bush and Bloomerang Lilac. Hydrangea are going bonkers right now. LETS GO!!! Summersweet is underused but AWESOME. Many haven't heard of this gloriously scented perennial. Pine needles are not a great solution for acidifying soil.Rose mallow, blazing star, blanket flower, hollyhocks and lavender are all going GREAT GUNS right now.Why did the Ivory Silk Lilac's blooms blow out so quick this year? Jack and Matt argue about Russian Sage. Matt gushes about Phlox. Tune in. 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.
--------
53:38
--------
53:38
The Growing Season, July 12, 2025 - Lilies
Currently blooming in a garden near you! The Growing Season highlights Lilies on this week’s episode. Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss the little blooming bombs that are currently visible in your garden. What makes a lily a lily? Are they native to Canada? What does Clint Eastwood have to do with Day Lilies? There is a correlation. They’re called Daylilies because they only bloom for a single day. Seriously. The trio discuss. Spider mite is discussed. The name “Stella” is used continuously throughout the show. The McFarlands discuss their most used perennials. The blooming cycle of a rebloomer comes into focus. Daylilies, asiatic, calla, canna, sword lily and “ditch” lilies all share the spotlight. “Die-back” perennials become a focus. Matt loses his way. Well-behaved plants helps him find his way back. DARNED BLEEDING HEARTS. Tender bulbed varieties of Lilies are mentioned. Matt shies away from using delphiniums and gladiolus. Why?What is a “Turk’s Cap?”Epsom salts and Lilies are discussed. Companion plants for your Lillie’s are introduced. Tune in. 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.
--------
53:39
--------
53:39
The Growing Season, July 5, 2025 - Pruning In July
THINGS ARE GROWING LIKE CRAZY! Pruning in July takes centre stage on this week’s episode of The Growing Season. Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland open the show highlighting the amount of rain, heat and humidity the GTA has experienced over the last few weeks. How does this affect plant growth? How can you safely prune away from a plant? Is pruning in July different than pruning in early spring? Jack discusses “hardening off” in evergreens. What about pruning fruit trees. Is that possible at this time of year? Matt discusses the difference between form pruning and function pruning. Espaliers become a major focus. Matt tells a story about cherry trees. Jack highlights the rules of pruning. Can you prune when something is flowering? Fertilizing and pruning are discussed. The 6/8, 6/8 rule for Irises is revealed. Pruning roses down to 3 leaf groupings vs. 5 leaf groupings and how that effects bloom is a topic of discussed. Matt chats about how this time of the year features some challenges when it comes to major prune jobs. Jack HATES cornflower. Lynne discusses the commitment regarding hanging baskets. Tune in. 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.
The lighter side of landscaping. Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland, chat about horticulture served with a hearty helping of humour. With over 70 years of design and installation experience the McFarland boys dig into topics in a way you've rarely heard. Packed full of guests that represent various corners of the industry, The Growing Season is smile worthy.The Growing Season: No politics or pulpits, just plants and muddy workboots.
South Africa