PDF Resources and Info Sheets
January is the perfect month to get started on a winter sowing project. Many plants can easily be grown from seed at a very low cost. Read our Info Sheet for tips on getting started.
An Info Sheet from Conservation Halton covering two species of periwinkle, Big-Leaf Periwinkle (Vinca major) and Small-Leaf Periwinkle (Vinca minor), which are considered invasive and destructive to habitat in Ontario.
Created by Washington State University this publication reviews the current research into black walnut allelopathy and discusses the practical significance of gardening in the presence of black walnut trees.
Goldenrods are much maligned for causing hay fever (a widely circulated myth). There are some aggressive species, but many are well-behaved in the garden. They are an important late summer nectar and pollen source for a wide variety of pollinators. Read the Info Sheet from Live Green Toronto and plan to plant goldenrod in your garden this season.
Created by Halton Master Gardeners, this list was last updated in April of 2024. If you are having difficulty finding native plants in your area, this list will help. Some of the nurseries on the list do online orders. Be sure to call in advance to ensure the nursery is still active and carries the plants you are searching for.
Nature’s Best Hope with Doug Tallamy
Douglas Tallamy discusses simple steps that each of us can take to reverse declining biodiversity and why we must change our adversarial relationship with nature to a collaborative one, drawing concepts from his book “Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Yard”.
Making gorgeous pollinator gardens
This 90 minute video is a presentation sponsored by the North American Native Plant Society.
| Organization | Purpose | Website |
| Canadian Coalition for Invasive Plant Regulation | An organization devoted to changing government regulations to control the sale of invasive plants. | https://ccipr.ca |
| Missouri Botanical Gardens | Great information on growing plants | https://mobot.org |
| North American Native Plant Society | Information on growing native species, plant sales, seed exchanges, workshops | https://nanps.org |
| Carolinian Canada | A website devoted to establishing healthy ecosystems in Ontario’s Carolinian zone. | https://caroliniancanada.ca |
| Ontario Horticultural Association | The website of the Ontario Horticultural Society. Offers advice, education, newsletters and a listing of events. | https://gardenontario.org |
| Canadian Wildlife Federation | Their mission is to “conserve and inspire the conservation of Canada’s wildlife and habitats for use and enjoyment of all.” | https://cwf-fcf.org |
| Ontario Trees and Shrubs | An online field guide to Ontario’s trees and shrubs. | http://ontariotrees.com |
| Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Centre | The website contains a list of over 10,000 native plant species for North America, a large selection of images and plant lists, including lists for each province. | https://www.wildflower.org |
| Xerces Society, Pollinator Conservation Resource Centre | Includes plant lists, conservation guides, fact sheets and pollinator information. Includes information for each province. | https://www.xerces.org/pollinator-conservation/yards-and-gardens |
| Bug Guide | Their mission: “Using the best resources we have access to, we are creating a knowledge base to help each other and the online community.” | https://www.bugguide.net |
| Pollinator Partnership | A guide to selecting the best plants for pollinators. | https://www.pollinator.org |
| Seeds of Diversity | From their website:”We are a group of seed savers from coast to coast who protect Canada’s seed biodiversity by growing it ourselves and sharing it with others.” They site has a database that lists where to source specific seeds. | https://seeds.ca |
| Ontario Invasive Plant Council | Good resources on invasive species in Canada. | https://www.invasivespeciescentre.ca |
| Homegrown National Park | A website that promotes Doug Tallamy’s initiative to raises awareness and urgently inspires everyone to address the biodiversity crisis by adding native plants. | https://homegrownnationalpark.org |
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Invasive Plants
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