White Swan Properties

08/26/2023

https://horticultureforhomegardeners.ca/2023/08/26/20-common-summer-w**ds/

This is a follow up post to my popular article 20 Common Spring W**ds. There has been much interest out there for an expanded list of w**ds. This is the second, in what I hope will be a 3-part seri…

04/10/2022

As soon as the buds on the trees begin to open the Spongy moth larvae will begin hatching and feeding. In preparation for what may be another large outbreak here in southern Ontario, I have prepared this article.

The spongy moth (Lymantria dispar), is an invasive and highly destructive pest. When their numbers are high the larvae can completely defoliate trees, even forests. Formerly known as the gypsy moth…

03/20/2022

Happy Spring! Tools are all cleaned, disinfected, sharpened and oiled up, all ready for another garden season. I will be heading out to the gardens this week, between rain days. First up is dormant pruning and dormant oil spray. After seventeen years in business I still look forward to starting up each spring. Enjoy the season.🙂

04/30/2021

https://whiteswanproperties.blogspot.com/2021/04/ornamental-garden-tips-and-tasks-for_30.html

May is one of the busiest and exciting times in the garden. The days are getting warmer and longer. Plants are quickly filling out, w**ds are establishing and insects are buzzing all around. The trees are breaking out in leaf and spring flowering trees and shrubs are putting on their show. Mid May i...

04/24/2021

The w**ds are really starting to take hold, some are already blooming. Now is the time to be vigilant and keep them w**ded out to reduce your w**ding for the rest of the season.

The gardens here in Ontario are awakening from their winter slumber. Spring is a time of vigorous, active growth for both desirable and undesirable plants. Winter annual w**ds are in full force and…

04/20/2021

The hellebores have been lovely this spring.

04/11/2021

I have run into this disease twice this week. 2 different yards but on the same species of Japanese maple (Acer palmatum 'Viridis'). This time of year be on the look out for coral coloured spots on the bark of many woody plants especially maples, beech, walnut, honey locust, elm, hornbeam, horse chestnut, lindens and sycamores.

Coral Spot Nectria Canker on a weeping, green, split leaf Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum ‘Viridis’). The photo was taken in early spring when the coral coloured fungal fruiting bodies we…

04/01/2021

Signs of new life are bursting forth everywhere and spring flowers are preparing for their big show. It's an exciting time in the garden. April is traditionally a busy month in the garden. Spring cleanup begins and there are a host of other tasks to tend to. Following is a list of tips and tasks for...

03/12/2021

I have been busy over the past several weeks preparing a series of articles on poisonous to touch w**ds. With spring just around the corner it is a good time to brush up on identification skills for these dangerous plants.
The series covers:
-Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans and Toxicodendron Rydbergii)
-Giant Hogw**d (Heracleum mantegazzianum)
-Cow Parsnip (Heracleum maximum)
-Wild Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa)
-Poison Sumac (Toxicodendron vernix)
-Poison Oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum) and (Toxicodendron pubescens)
-Poisonous Hemlock (Conium maculatum)
Over the next week I will be posting a new w**d each day on both of my blogs. https://horticultureforhomegardeners.ca/ and https://whiteswanproperties.blogspot.com/ This project has been a great deal of work but I have learned a lot and I hope you will find the articles of benefit.

First up is poison ivy. https://horticultureforhomegardeners.ca/2021/03/12/toxic-to-touch-w**d-series-poison-ivy-toxicodendron-radicans-and-toxicodendron-rydbergii/

By: Kimberley Pacholko Eastern Poison Ivy, (Toxicodendron radicans) and Western Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron Rydbergii ) are important plants to learn how to identify for personal safety. Touching any…

03/04/2021

https://horticultureforhomegardeners.ca/2021/03/04/daylily-problems/

Leaf scorch on a daylily (Hemerocallis sp.) plant Daylilies (Hemerocallis sp.) are popular garden plants grown abundantly by home gardeners, cities and commercial properties alike. Their appeal in …

03/01/2021

March 1 today and only a couple of weeks left until spring. I hope to be back out in the gardens by mid-month. Look forward to seeing you all then.

02/21/2021

Juniper trees and shrubs are a popular choice in the ornamental home garden. These slow growing plants require little maintenance, are fairly drought tolerant, take full sun and are able to grow in a variety of soil types. They are fairly salt tolerant and make good road side plantings. In addition to this they are evergreens and provide year round beauty and interest to the landscape. With over 170 cultivated varieties to choice from there is one for almost any landscape situation. The biggest threat to these junipers is blight. Particularly Phomopsis blight and Kabatina blight. These 2 fungal blights first kill the growing tips then produce a canker on the stem that girdles the twig shutting down the transportation of water and nutrients to that area and the twig dies. The disease is most serious on young or newly transplanted junipers. Learning to recognize these diseases will help to empower home gardeners who care for these trees and shrubs.

Phomopsis blight on a young juniper topiary. On the top right hand corner you can see where the entire twig has died back to the main stem. There are also dead tips salt and peppered throughout the…