Growing African Violets: A Toronto Master Gardeners Guide

African violets (Saintpaulia) are popular houseplants in Ontario, in part because they can flower continuously under ideal conditions.  They are members of the Gesneriaceae family, and are not related to the hardy outdoor violets that belong to the Violaceae family.…

Pelargonium (Geranium): A Toronto Master Gardeners Guide

The name “geranium” is often given to two members of the geranium family (Geraniaceae). However, the name really belongs to only one of them – the hardy perennial geranium, also known as a cranesbill (Geranium). The other geranium is a…

Growing Begonias Indoors: A Toronto Master Gardeners Guide

Originating in the tropics, begonias (family Begoniaceae) are among the largest and most diversified genus of indoor plants, with over one thousand species and thousands of hybrids varying from miniature terrarium-sized plants to giants over six feet in height. Begonias…

Growing Gesneriads: A Toronto Master Gardeners Guide

Several members of the Gesneriad family of plants originate in tropical forests where they have adapted to relatively low levels of light and fairly constant moderate to warm temperatures. As a result, many make good houseplants. A few of the…

Growing Orchids: A Toronto Master Gardeners Guide

  There are 15,000 to 35,000 different species of orchids and they are not all easy to grow. The orchids most generally cultivated are Cattleyas, Phalaenopsis (Moth Orchids), Paphiopedilums (Slipper Orchids) and Cymbidiums. Even within these general groups cultural requirements…

The Art of Bonsai: A Toronto Master Gardeners Guide

  Bonsai is the Japanese name for the art of growing trees in small containers and has been a tradition in China and Japan for centuries. It is also the name by which these miniature plants are known. They range…