Each time someone declares, “I don’t like junipers.”, I can’t help but wonder which unfortunate juniper they met. Somewhere along the way, there was probably one sad, skeletal, over-pruned shrub crouched beside a gas station or abandoned foundation planting, and suddenly an entire genus was sentenced for life. It’s a bit like saying you don’t like dogs because you once met a badly behaved Chihuahua. Junipers are one of the most versatile, resilient, and visually diverse group

There’s something quietly powerful happening in the garden world—and this data confirms what many of us have been sensing. At first glance, it might look like gardening still belongs to an older generation. The largest segment here is 65+ at 38.9%, followed by a tie between 25–34 and 45–54 at 22.2% each, and 55–64 at 16.7%. But look a little closer, and a more interesting story begins to unfold. The presence of the 25–34 group matching the 45–54 demographic is not a small det

After a slow, cool, and very wet spring across our region, it’s natural to feel behind in the garden. You’re not. In fact, this kind of spring often sets the stage for a strong, resilient summer garden—if you work with the conditions rather than against them. A few gentle reminders for right now: Soil needs time to warm and dry before planting Tender crops (beans, corn, annuals) are best left until late May or early June Seedlings benefit from gradual exposure outdoors (harde

It was the Summer of Gardening Hell. Nothing I attempted, did well. Most of the seeds I scattered, you know those easy peasy Cosmos, died. Again. The condo board decided to chop a bunch of trees down and in an afternoon I went from having a dappled shade garden with a bit of sun at the front to blazing sun everywhere. Away went the hostas, back to the Collingwood Garden Club / Horticultural Society for next year's plant sale. All of the vegetables I planted in the vegeta

This took 5 minutes. But no it did not. It took 3 weeks. 3 weeks of thinking of the shapes within the shapes; the client setting; what I will like; the textures I want; the mood I want to create. What follows is a week of second guessing, peeking at it again, and revising. (This photo is a week old. Rev 3 is current.) We forget about the importance of time in the creative process. Think time. Roll around in it time, as my friend Will taught me. Creative cloud gazing time.