This list of ‘new’ plants is derived from the extensive trials that occurred last summer at the University of Guelph, Vineland Research and Innovation Centre in Niagara, the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington, and at the head office of Landscape Ontario (the industry trade association) in Milton.

Answers to some of the most common questions this time of year.

Here is my fool-proof guide to shopping for the best value in plants.

The North American Bird Conservation Initiative or NABCI has released the first ever publication entitled ‘The State of Canada’s Birds’ and it makes for fascinating reading.

The most important thing to remember is this: from the point of view of a plant, the #1 job they have is to become pollinated in order to reproduce.

The emerald ash borer (EAB) has crept up here from the mid western States, arriving there about 15 years ago from Asia.

‘The Roots of My Obsession’ is a written compilation by 30 gardening big wigs from around the world, mostly the U.S. and Britain, who wax eloquently about how they became gardeners and why they carry on.

Roots provide a number of functions in the garden, the first one being that of an anchor for the plant. The nature of a plant’s roots varies depending on the soil that a plant naturally grows in, the amount of wind that it would normally deal with, and the growth habit of the top portion of the plant.

It is finally here – Canada Blooms. As you read this article, there are thousands of volunteers moving into action at the Direct Energy Centre at Exhibition Place, preparing for the first big Saturday of the Flower and Garden Festival, which opened yesterday.

Celebrating their 17th year, ‘Blooms has been in the planning stages for a full year. Located at the Direct Energy Centre at Exhibition Place, the facility will be buzzing with activity for the entire week leading up to the Friday, March 15th opening.

I draw to your attention the great pleasure and immense satisfaction that can be derived from seed starting this time of year.

Getting started on your summer herb garden now is a good idea for a variety of reasons. We are starved for the smells of fresh herbs, you can ‘harvest’ a lot of herbs from your windowsill between now and planting time in May, and the activity of sowing and transplanting is a welcome break from winter activities, exciting as they may be.

The concept is to create a network of urban farms that are maintained and serviced by recovering drug addicts and alcoholics. Skills are taught to workers who otherwise have ‘barriers to employment’. Most have been incarcerated in their past. Each employee will maintain their case management for recovery, they will receive career coaching, their medications will be overseen and opportunities will be given to employees to mentor one another.

The varied concepts that revolve around ‘urban agriculture’ raise many issues for urban planners, developers, and the permanent residents who flank urban ‘farmland’. Let’s explore some of them here.

The new ‘urban farming community’ as envisioned here gets people out of their cars, encourages social interaction, the consumption of better quality [and less processed] food, boosts local employment and provides, according to Ladner, “a feast of spinoff health, community-building, exercise, green space, community safety, recreational and educational benefits.”

Randle Siddeley, the ‘Lord’ Kenilworth, was in Toronto for a book launch where he took some time to sit and discuss his new book, ‘Garden’, with my daughter Heather, a graduate in Landscape Architecture at the University of Guelph.

Today I explore how a plant feels, hears, and what it remembers. The author, Daniel Chamovitz, director of the Manna Centre for Plant Biosciences at Tel Aviv University, has a writing style that even I can understand. This is not high brow scientific information from an industry journal: it is extraordinary stuff about real-world plants delivered in plain language with a sprinkling of humour.

Mr. Chamovitz is the director of the Manna Centre for Plant Biosciences at TelAvivUniversity where he has been studying plant behaviour for many years. An accumulation of his considerable knowledge on the subject of how plants communicate is found in his recently published book, “What a Plant Knows. A field guide to the senses.”

Reflecting on the many lessons my garden has taught me.

Here is a guide to the myriad of plants and greens that you will find at your local garden retailers at this time of year.