The Growing Season

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....

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 ever...

Happy Canada Day one and all! 

The Growing Season celebrates Canada’s birthday by highlighting horticulture in Reds and Whites. 

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland kick the show off by chatting about the recent heat wave. 

It took Canada how long to acquire its own flag? You’d be surprised. 

Red in your garden looks great in small doses. 

Is a Japanese Maple considered “red?”

Matt gushes about coneflowers. He’s a fan. 

The trio highlight the ...

So what’s BUGGING you? 

The dreaded “Box Moth” is public enemy number 1 this season. 

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland get buggy on this week’s episode of The Growing Season. 

We’re seeing less insects out and about. It’s fact. And it’s scary. The trio discuss the lack of insects. 

We’re not seeing near the amount of bees, mosquitoes, flies and grasshoppers as we were 5 years. 

Is quintillion even a real number? 

What do mosquito companies...

That’s a TON of material. EXACTLY! 

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss rockeries and the plants that thrive in them on this week’s episode of The Growing Season. 

Rock gardens, moss and all manner of heavy material come into focus. 

The show starts off with a jobsite story. 

Where is this rock coming from? Are we tearing apart the Canadian Shield to acquire this? 

Is everything in Canada limestone? 

Matt talks about his family’s trip...

So you wanna get finicky? 

Let’s talk about “Rose Stuff..” - Jack McFarland. 

This week, the McFarlands guide The Growing Season into English Rose Gardens. 

How long have roses been on earth? 

Rose hips contain 5X more vitamin C than oranges. 

Roses and Ecuador.  You won’t believe the connection. 

Matt explains why he shied away from roses in years past. He also reveals why he’s changed his tune. 

Red leafed roses are tougher than green l...

Trowels at the ready!  Let’s annualize the situation. 

That’s right! It’s annual season on this week’s episode of The Growing Season. 

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland chat all things annual and the planting of your short term friends. 

Do annuals attract pollinators? You won’t believe it. 

The McFarlands have planted and designed millions of annual flowers. That’s not an exaggeration. 

Matt tells a story about seeding portulaca in a comm...

It’s the time of the year when one of the most lovely scents hangs in the air. 

It’s Lilac time!  

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss one of the most fragrant horticultural blooms, the Lilac, on this week’s episode of The Growing Season. 

Matt used to shy away from using Lilacs. Not so much these days and he explains why. 

Jack kicks off the show with a story about a song. 

Lilacs came all the way from Europe. Matt has a realization...

Just in time for the May long weekend, The Growing Season focuses on The Colours Of Spring.  

THINGS ARE BLOOMING! 

Crabapples, Magnolias, Redbud, Bleeding Heart, Quince, Iris are just some of the plant materials that are in full-tilt boogey bloom at this time of the year.

Matt rants about Mothers Day and why he feels it takes centre stage over Father's Day. 

Orchids are discussed as a response to Matt's Mothers Day dealings.

...

Ornaments!?  Wait!   Are we talking about Christmas Trees?

Nope.   Its not that time of year.  

The Growing Season places ornamental trees front and centre this week. 

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland dive into the smaller cousins of the larger specimens that you're used to seeing.

What is an ornamental?  The trio discuss. 

Many times, new hybrids of plants are the result of a genetic mutation. 

Autumn Moon Japanese Maple becomes a to...

The McFarlands cap off their “Celebrating Spring 2025 series” the same way they always do - discussing Landscape Design.

The men of The Growing Season dish on their exploits at the drafting table.

Matt apologizes to a listener and tells an emotional story. 

The McFarlands recount winter 2025.

Lynne outlines the importance of knowing your hardiness zone. 

What happens if you plant out of zone?

Are you able to plant under a large tree? How...

Let's prune some edibles!

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland continue their celebration of spring with a discussion on daffodils and their link to cancer fundraising.

Matt rages against the forcing of bulbs.  

How long does an apple tree live?  Is there a legendarily old apple tree? 

The McFarland's dive into the science behind grafting and link it to modern day horticultural wonder in your flower beds.  

Why graft?  What's t...

Jurassic Park and horticulture meet in the middle!  

The McFarland’s continue to celebrate spring by highlighting a significant scientific achievement. 

How can this achievement be applied to horticulture? Lumber? Medicine? 

Jack, Lynne and Matt find answers to these questions on this week’s episode of The Growing Season. 

Increasing the lifespan of your evergreen uprights comes into direct focus. 

The pruning of your large horticultura...

Its finally here!

Cole the cat has the ZOOMIES!   What does that mean?  SPRING FEVER. 

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland celebrate the opening the outdoor horticultural season on this week's episode of The Growing Season.

Matt tells a story about workbooks, shoes and footwear galore.

Stiletto's and secateurs - typical of The McFarlands. 

Should you be out and about in your flower beds at this time of the year?  URGENT, URGENT, UR...

So does it do anything else? 

Picking up where last week left off, Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland highlight multi-purpose plants in the second part of the series on this week's episode of The Growing Season. 

Bamboo kicks of the hort-topics.  Why isn't bamboo more prominent in Canada? 

Fabrics, construction materials and aesthetics - bamboo can do it all. 

Toilet paper and how its made will dishearten you. 

Is sugar cane used ...

So what else does it do?

That's the focus of this week's episode of The Growing Season.  

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland dive into the Swiss Army knives of the horticultural world.  

Multi-Purpose plants come into focus.

Willows kick off the show in style.  You wouldn't believe the number of things a willow can be used for.  

Willows are packed full of calcium, so in a pinch you could use a willow to boost your calcium in...

Splish, splash I was taking a bath, walking around in my backyard!!! 

Everyone get their duck-waiters out! 

As a result of the immense amount of snow dropped in February 2025 many of our outdoor spaces are flooded.

“Keeping water away from home should be of paramount concern…”

Speaking of flooding, Matt McFarland tells tales of his recent adventures with his washing machine. 

Jack and Lynne McFarland help to pull the curtain back on dra...

Ahhhh, the familiar sounds of spring. 

Flying overhead, emerging from their southern getaway is the returning Canadian Geese. 

Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss all things avian on this week’s episode of The Growing Season. 

What percentage of Canada’s birds migrate south in the fall and return north in the spring? Why do they migrate? 

 How do the birds know when it’s right to make the return home?  Is there a scout crew that is ...

If you're thinking about a vacation, why not consider Mexico?

Canada and Mexico's involvement in Trump's idiotic trade war is the impetus for this week's episode of The Growing Season.  

Matt is spitting mad and he unloads on The President Of The United States.  Discussions of politics abound...

What are the temperatures like in Mexico, currently?  What about hardiness zones?

The average amount of precipitation in M...