Ask Categories: Perennials

Rockery on a shady, dry slope

Hello, I have a short south facing slope at the start of my front yard where it meets the sidewalk, with two large old silver maples at either side. It is about 30 feet long and 4 feet wide [with…

Pruning Anthony Spirea Timing

Today’s date is April 27. I live in Toronto. Is it too late in the Spring to prune back a well established spirea shrub to 6”? I don’t want to prune it so hard to not have growth and flowers.…

Spring bulb identification

Photo April 27, Don Mills, in my rockery. sunny leaves like a crocus. red flower, very short stem. One flower per stem. Flower about 2.5 in across. It came up for the first time this year, beside tulips and sedum…

My thyme doesn’t look good

Hello, I planted thyme beside the driveway in 2019. Although I did not do anything for overwintering, it came back and even became larger with pretty flowers last summer. Now it doesn’t look growing but I’m not sure if it’s…

North facing balcony with indirect sun

Hi there. I just bought condo in Toronto with has a very large open terrace facing north. i have been told it does get hot in summer and very windy. There appears to be sun on terrace in afternoon. I…

Cheering up an elder

Hi, I am looking to cheer someone up by planting some colourful, perennial flowers on his front lawn. He lives in Toronto, Ontario and the front of his house faces the west. I am interested in plants that are low…

Peony slow to return

I have a 20 year old peony in my north facing garden in East York and last year i hired a gardening service that cut back the foliage in early fall before hard frost. This spring I’m not seeing the…

Hostas and slugs

I live in Etobicoke surrounded by oak trees & clay soil.  I’m new to gardening hence this potential mistake below. Last fall, a friend offered me mature hostas from her garden because she was making room for new plants.  After…

Fertilizing Hostas in the Spring

Good evening. I am not a fan of commercial fertilizer, but I have heard that it is best to feed your hostas as they pop out of the ground in the spring. In the US they use Milorganite. I don’t…

Dahlias

Can i plant in soil where rosemary bushes grew?…