Ideas & How To's

Your summer garden is fading but your fall garden is just getting started. Discover the 5 best fall flowers for Ontario gardens and containers, from frost hardy pansies that bloom again in spring to ornamental kale that gets more beautiful with every frost. Keep your GTA garden and front porch stunning right through to November.

Growing your own garlic is one of the most rewarding and foolproof crops an Ontario gardener can take on. Discover exactly when and how to plant hardneck garlic in Zone 6a this fall, from choosing the right varieties for a Canadian winter to planting depth, mulching, harvesting scapes, and pulling your best bulbs next July.

Late summer is actually the best time of year to plant perennials in Ontario and right now garden centres are offering their best prices of the season. Discover the 5 best perennials to plant in August and September for years of colour in your Zone 6a garden, from coneflowers and black eyed Susans to the plant that blooms when everything else has stopped.

The spring garden you have been dreaming about starts with a decision you make right now. Discover the best spring bulbs to plant this fall in your Zone 6a Ontario garden, from squirrel proof daffodils and fragrant hyacinths to the lasagna planting method that gives you colour from April right through to June.

Something has been at your plants and you need answers fast. Discover how to accurately identify and treat the most common late summer garden pests and diseases affecting Ontario Zone 6a gardens in August and September, from powdery mildew and tomato blight to aphids, hornworms, and squash vine borers.

August is not the end of your growing season. It is the beginning of your second one. Discover exactly what cool season vegetables to plant right now in your Zone 6a Ontario garden for a fresh fall harvest, from fast growing radishes and spinach to kale that gets sweeter with every frost.

Tired of losing the battle against summer weeds? Discover a smarter, more proactive approach to weeding that works with weed biology rather than against it. From identifying the most common Ontario garden weeds to mulching, no-dig techniques, and choosing the right tools, this guide will change how you think about weeding for good.

Discover the Three Sisters garden, an ancient Indigenous companion planting tradition practiced by the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe peoples of Ontario for centuries. Learn how corn, beans, and squash work together to create a self-sustaining, productive, and deeply meaningful food garden that thrives in Zone 6a right through to fall harvest.

July is the month your garden asks the most of you. Discover the essential summer maintenance tasks every GTA gardener needs to stay on top of right now, from smarter weeding habits and knowing which plants to deadhead (and which to leave alone), to watering deeply and efficiently through the heat of an Ontario summer. A little consistent effort in July keeps your garden looking its best all the way through to fall.

Turn that soggy corner of your Brampton backyard into something beautiful. Discover how to build a rain garden that captures rainwater runoff, supports native pollinators, and helps your local stormwater system, all while adding a stunning new feature to your Zone 6a garden.

June is the perfect time to plant annuals for a Brampton garden bursting with colour all summer long. Discover seven heat loving favourites, from classic petunias to underused gems like lantana, all perfectly suited to Zone 6a gardens and containers.