Native Plants |
This page contains native plant information, which will grow as we learn!
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By Cathy Meagher Mar. 6, 2026;
Have any of you tried winter sowing? It is the preferred method for starting any native or perennial seeds that need cold stratification to get, hopefully, germination. A friend & I took a morning course last year with the good folks from the Maitland Trail group. They where quite enthusiastic. Me not so much. Apparently due to the mild winter & cold wet spring I had very poor germination. I have come to the conclusion that I am a rather impatient gardener. Fast forward to this winter: Lots more snow & far colder temperatures. I had some empty jugs & some seeds from my own garden that I had saved. Found some potting soil. Cut the jugs open, drilled drainage holes in bottom, added soil & seed, misted the soil, & duct taped it back together. Oh & discarded the lids. Trust me there are far better instructions out there than what I have just told you. Use a paint marker to label jugs or it will be a guessing game. This was done mid January. We already had so much snow here it was a challenge to find a spot to put jugs outside. Did not want them blowing away in a blizzard. So I dug them into the snow on our south sidewalk next to the steps. [Photos - click to enlarge] From there till mid Feb. they were on their own. Now its into March & they are talking double digit temps. The snow is all gone from around the jugs & its a bit early for germination. I think my jugs are going to cooler areas. Although getting some water in them from rain is not a problem as long as they drain. I will keep you posted as too how I make out. This year I have a bit of an experiment in mind to see if I can actually have some plants ready to put in the garden before fall !! Only time will tell. Below is a link to the Kincardine Record where Christine Roberts published a wonderful article that expands on this notion of "poor sneezeweed" ... please check it out and ENJOY!
https://www.kincardinerecord.com/story.php?id=19511 |
January
March
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By Cathy Meagher;
Any of the following has been learned thru trial & error, and by no means makes me any kind of an expert.
#1 Do your research !! Native planting has become very popular, but not all plants are native to Ontario. I would recommend 2 books to take the time to look through.
1. The Gardeners Guide to Native Plants of the Southern Great Lakes Region by Rick Gray & Shaun Booth
2. 100 Easy to Grow Native Plants for Canadian Gardens by Lorraine Johnson
Hopefully they are available at your local library or can be purchased at various outlets.
#2 Take note of the height of the plants. Many of the natives can be quite tall. For example with all the heat & humidity this year I have a Joe Pye Weed plant that is close to 8' tall. Thankfully it is planted next to a wall & has a bit of protection. The bees just have to fly a little higher to get to it! But there are also other varieties that are shorter.
#3 Buy good quality, well started plants from native plant people. The big box stores & garden centres have all jumped on the band wagon with over-inflated prices in my humble opinion. Read your labels !! Most of those all come from the same supplier. I know it's a bit of a drive but I can recommend;
GOLDEN ALEXANDERS native plants near Sarnia
THEDFORD NATIVE PLANTS near Thedford
both can be found online. Both have promptly answered any of my enquiries online.
#4 There is an excellent source of info online if you are on Facebook. Huron County Backyard Ecosystem Group. Most of the members are from the Clinton, Goderich area. Lots of good info being posted. They also hold zoom chats once a month. You don't have to be a member to join in.
Any of the following has been learned thru trial & error, and by no means makes me any kind of an expert.
#1 Do your research !! Native planting has become very popular, but not all plants are native to Ontario. I would recommend 2 books to take the time to look through.
1. The Gardeners Guide to Native Plants of the Southern Great Lakes Region by Rick Gray & Shaun Booth
2. 100 Easy to Grow Native Plants for Canadian Gardens by Lorraine Johnson
Hopefully they are available at your local library or can be purchased at various outlets.
#2 Take note of the height of the plants. Many of the natives can be quite tall. For example with all the heat & humidity this year I have a Joe Pye Weed plant that is close to 8' tall. Thankfully it is planted next to a wall & has a bit of protection. The bees just have to fly a little higher to get to it! But there are also other varieties that are shorter.
#3 Buy good quality, well started plants from native plant people. The big box stores & garden centres have all jumped on the band wagon with over-inflated prices in my humble opinion. Read your labels !! Most of those all come from the same supplier. I know it's a bit of a drive but I can recommend;
GOLDEN ALEXANDERS native plants near Sarnia
THEDFORD NATIVE PLANTS near Thedford
both can be found online. Both have promptly answered any of my enquiries online.
#4 There is an excellent source of info online if you are on Facebook. Huron County Backyard Ecosystem Group. Most of the members are from the Clinton, Goderich area. Lots of good info being posted. They also hold zoom chats once a month. You don't have to be a member to join in.
