Ask Categories: Balcony & Container Gardening

Old Brick Planter

Hello Dear Master Gardener, Last year we moved to a 70 years old home in Toronto that is facing east. There is a huge brick planter in front of the home, about 3 feet tall, maybe 20 feet wide and…

Cactus Support!

Hi, I purchased this cactus recently and he is starting to turn brown. I’ve been told that this might be due to too much water or not enough sunlight. Additionally, I’ve been told that my pot should be draining. I…

Runaway Bride Hydrangea

This potted shrub has produced a superlative display. Then instead of deadheading it I actually pruned it by mistake in midsummer. Now it is taking over my balcony! What to do? There are still a few flowers – do I…

Pollinator-attracting flowers for shady balcony

I would like to attract pollinators to my 5th floor balcony container garden, but have had success growing only ferns, coleus and fibrous rooted begonias – not plants with numerous bright flowers. I have seen two or three bees around…

Rhododendron

Hello. I planted a small rhododendron in fall 2021. In the spring, it appeared to be alive but unfortunately, I came across it on a hot day lying on its side, with its roots exposed. I think some animal appeared…

Covered porch greenhouse

Hello! I have a rather large fully covered front porch. It is not heated, but I am wondering if there is any way I might use that space as a greenhouse in the spring? It is north facing unfortunately, but…

Plant storage over winter

I live in Markham, need to find a place/greenhouse that can store plants over the winter. There was a place that we sent plants for years is no longer doing so.  No luck finding anything in Google.  Could you help?…

Annual devastation by spider mites

Hello, master gardener. Spider mites are my nemesis. I engage in a, mostly losing, battle with them every year over the the plants I try to grow in planters on my east-by-south-east-facing Riverdale balcony. They devastate my aristolochia and impatiens,…

Dwarf juliette cherry tree

my family bought this for me for father’s day a number of weeks ago and i have put it in some black soil/potting mix. the pot faces east and gets the morning and late morning sun. It was water daily…

Tree transplant from garden into container

I have a self seeded Japanese Maple, about two feet tall. It is growing into another self seeded Japanese Maple which is much larger, approx 3-4’ tall. I would like to separate the smaller one from the larger one, and…