CVC’s New Rain-ready Plant List
Have you ever wanted to create a rain garden, build a soakaway or plant a soggy area of your yard? You […] … Continue reading
Swamp Milkweed
The vibrant pink blooms of swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) will stand out in any rain garden. This great pollinator … Continue reading
Rain-ready Landscaping: When to DIY or Hire a Pro
You’ve decided a rain-ready landscape is the right fit for your yard. The next decision is whether to … Continue reading
Life Underground
When planning and planting our gardens, we often focus on what we see above ground, like birds nesting … Continue reading
American Hop-hornbeam
Looking for a small to medium-sized tree for your yard? American hop-hornbeam (Ostrya virginiana) is a great choice … Continue reading
How to Top-dress with Compost
The best (and easiest) way to improve the soil in your garden is to top-dress with compost. Top-dressing … Continue reading
Why Leaves Change Colour When They Shouldn’t (and How to Stop Them)
If the leaves on your trees and shrubs are changing unseasonably early, it could be a sign something’s wrong. … Continue reading
Why Leaves Change Colour
The switch from summer to fall can be bittersweet. But two things that help ease the transition are … Continue reading
Freeman Maple
Hardy and fast-growing, Freeman maple is a great shade tree suited to medium and large urban yards. Small … Continue reading
Backyard Ecosystem Restoration
Properly caring for your yard contributes to the health of our local and global ecosystems. Join Generation Restoration by healing … Continue reading
What Will You Restore?
What will you restore? On June 5, the United Nations declared the next ten years the Decade on … Continue reading
Trees for Healthy Urban Yards
Trees are service providers. They offer cooling shade, clean our air and water, sequester carbon and provide birds, insects … Continue reading
Keeping Your Cool
During the hot, dry summer months, a layer of mulch in the garden keeps soil and plant roots cool … Continue reading
Cooling the Urban Heat Island
Urban communities are often hotter in the summer than rural areas. This phenomenon is called urban heat island … Continue reading
Top Urban Shade Trees
Many local, native trees provide cooling shade for you, your family, your home, and your neighbourhood. They also … Continue reading
How to Deter Wasps
Wasps can be aggressive if you disturb their nest. They can also be annoying when you’re trying to … Continue reading
Pollination through Insects
Nectar, the tasty treat hidden inside a flower, feeds many small mammals, birds and insects. Most importantly, it … Continue reading
Foxglove Beardtongue
As one of our top pollinator plants, foxglove beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis) attracts bees, butterflies and even hummingbirds. Small … Continue reading
Removing Invasive Periwinkle
Periwinkle is one of many invasive plants found in backyards. Left unmanaged, this invasive ground cover can smother a garden … Continue reading
Where to Find Plants
If you’ve found invasive species growing in your yard, remove them and replace them with native plants. Removing invasive species … Continue reading
Alternatives to Invasive Plants
Aggressive invaders such as periwinkle, goutweed or “snow on the mountain” and English ivy can quickly take over large … Continue reading