Tag Archives: shrubs

POOR BACKYARD GROWTH

I live near Lake Ontario with a small yard with large tree.  There is a raised garden against the back fence. Have never been able to establish plants for any period of time except a burning bush. A lilac bush…

BOXWOOD BLIGHT REMOVAL

I have about 60 boxwood shrubs that I suspect have blight. Many are already dry & brown & leaves removed. I understand these infected plants must be burned or buried. Do you know of any company or place where they…

Hard Pruning Large Overgrown Lilac shrub/tree

Hello I understand that it’s possible to rejuvenate old lilacs by hard pruning them to about 8″ from the ground. I read that the best time to do this is March/April – before the growing season begins. I’m sure this…

serviceberry leaves

Hello from downtown Toronto. My “garden” is a terrace on the 21st floor. it faces north but gets lots of hot afternoon sun in the summer. Last year, I planted a Canadian serviceberry in a 28x24x27H insulated planter with mulch…

How to revive dying tree and bush

Hi, I moved into a house near steeles and bayview a couple yrs ago and noticed that this bush lining my driveway (see image) has a lot of branches where leaves just don’t grow. Is there a way for me…

Golden canker in soil?

Our pagoda dogwood died of golden canker. We cut it down to a stump last year and now several shoots are growing from the roots. Will this produce a healthy plant or is the new growth likely to get golden…

When to prune shrubs

Hello, When can I prune my Japanese lilac, weigela, and viburnum bushes? They are under a mature oak canopy and so produce a lot of long shoots from the top all summer. Also, as a result, they have become too…

Shrub for fungus-prone garden

We have a small urban backyard garden in Toronto. Our pagoda dogwood died of golden canker. Our serviceberry has rust (probably related to neighbouring juniper). We would like to plant a flowering shrub in the spot where the pagoda dogwood…

Little Quick Fire hydrangea in containers

When should I prune these and when and what should I fertilize these with? They are south east facing Lake Ontario on the 8th floor terrace. They are in containers and are starting to show new growth. They also get…