Robert Pavlis

Understanding Wasps – They Are Not Evil!

Why do people hate wasps? They can sting, but 97% of wasp species don’t. A sting hurts but you can do things to avoid being stung. A lot of people have an unhealthy fear of wasps, probably because they know very little about them except for the common yellow jackets which almost every gardener can recognize.

In this post I will explore their world and hopefully reduce your fear of them. I’ll also show you how to avoid getting stung, or at least lower the chance of an encounter. Learn more about wasps – they are extremely important for the garden.

People are starting to like bees, at least a little bit. Now it is time to fall in love with wasps!

Wasps have hairless bodies, tend to be long and sleek with a narrow waist between the abdomen and thorax. — Wasps have hairless bodies and tend to be long and sleek with a narrow waist between the abdomen and thorax.

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Canada 150 Tulip – Confusion About Cultivar Names

Canada will celebrate its 150th birthday in 2017. To mark this celebration, Canada is launching a special tulip called ‘Canada 150’. The white and red colors of the tulip mimic the colors in our flag.

Where did the Canada 150 tulip originate? There are several stories floating around about its origin but much of this is not true. Canadians have been told that the tulip is only sold through a Canadian hardware stored called Home Hardware and is available in limited quantity. So it should be no surprise that ‘imposter tulips’ have been introduced into the Canadian market place. People will do anything for a loonie (the common name for our $1 coin).

Tulip 'Canada 150' aka Tulip ‘Carnaval de Rio’ — Tulip ‘Canada 150’ is the same plant as Tulip ‘Carnaval de Rio’

Follow me as I try to unravel the mysteries of the special Canada 150 tulip and learn more about the confusing world of naming plant cultivars.

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Low Maintenance Landscape Design – 10 Common Mistakes to Avoid

Low-maintenance landscape design is fairly easy to accomplish if you know what you are doing. It is also very easy to make small mistakes that increase the time you need to spend on garden maintenance. Why make extra work for yourself?

In this post, I’ll show you how to reduce your work by looking at 10 common mistakes people make when designing their gardens. Avoiding these mistakes is easy, and doing so usually leads to a better-designed landscape.

Low Maintenance Landscape Design: Narrow Strip of Grass — Low-Maintenance Landscape Design: Narrow Strip of Grass

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Comfrey – Is it a Dynamic Accumulator?

Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) is probably the most popular dynamic accumulator. Permaculturists swear by it, and organic gardeners use it frequently. Thousands of websites make all kinds of claims for it, and if you believe the claims, everyone should be growing comfrey to add nutrients to compost, mulch soil, and make plants grow better.

All of these benefits are derived from the fact that comfrey is one of the best dynamic accumulators – or so people claim. It is time to have a closer look at this miracle worker.

Comfrey dynamic accumulator — Comfrey – Is it a Dynamic Accumulator? Source; Cornelia Kopp

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Ruellia humilis

Petunias are very popular in the garden but in colder climates they are annuals. The wild petunia, Ruellia humilis, is a hardy perennial that can take the place of other petunias.

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Dynamic Accumulators – Do They Exist?

Dynamic accumulators, like comfrey, have become a hot topic. These plants are reported to have extraordinary powers to absorb more minerals than the average plant. This makes them very useful if you are trying to make nutrient-dense compost for your garden.

Imagine how great it would be if you could grow a plant that increases the nutrients you are lacking in the garden. That is precisely what people are doing with dynamic accumulator plants—or at least that is what is being claimed.

In this post, I will examine the idea of accumulator plants and try to figure out what they are. Do they exist? Do they add any real value? Is comfrey a good one?

Do dynamic accumulators exist? source: Ling

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Why Hydrangeas Don’t Flower

Why does my hydrangea not flower? This most commonly asked question about hydrangeas, especially in colder climates. The answer is not always a simple one but I’ll try to answer the question in this post.

Reasons for not flowering depend very much on the type of hydrangea you are growing. It is therefore important that you know the type. Have a look at Hydrangea Identification to find out which type you have.

Hydrangea paniculata 'limelight', If you select the right hydrangea it will flower reliably, by Robert Pavlis — Hydrangea paniculata ‘limelight’, If you select the right hydrangea it will flower reliably, by Robert Pavlis

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Hydrangea Myths

Hydrangeas are very popular shrubs for the garden, but they can be a bit tricky to grow if you listen to all of the hydrangea myths on the internet and in books. In this blog, I will look at the truth behind some of the more common hydrangea myths. Once you have the facts, you will find that hydrangeas are easy to grow.

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Hydrangea Identification

Are you wondering why your hydrangea is not flowering? Would you like to know when and how to prune your hydrangea? These are important questions, but no one can provide the correct answers until you know what type of hydrangea you have. This post will help with your hydrangea identification. It won’t provide cultivar names but it will identify the type of hydrangea.

It is always a good idea to keep plant names since it makes it so much easier to find the correct cultural information at a later date. But life happens and it is quite common for people to lose the name of a plant.

Hydrangea macrophylla blue bigleaf hydrangea, Hydrangea Identification — Hydrangea macrophylla also called the bigleaf hydrangea

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Are Flower Pots a Fire Hazard?

It has been a dry summer and flower pots are being blamed for several fires. The news headings are everywhere!

“Fire Chief Gord Weir stands outside of a home damaged by a fire …. He suspects the fire may have been caused by peat moss left in an old flower pot” (ref 1)
“Flower pots became a major Montreal fire hazard” (ref 2)
“Des Moines fire officials said a flower pot spontaneously combusted Wednesday, causing more than $80,000 in damage to a home” (ref 3)

The facts seem simple. Flower pot soil is made mostly of peat moss, something that burns easily. When it gets too hot it ignites and starts to burn. If the pot is near a home, the house also catches on fire.

What is the real story behind all this? Can peat moss spontaneously combust? Lets have a look at the facts.

Flower Pots Fire Hazard — Are flower pots a fire hazard?

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Itea virginica Little Henry

Itea virginica ‘Sprich’, aka Little Henry, is a small shrub that offers several seasons of interest. Adding it to a rock garden containing larger plants would be a perfect place for it. Alternatively it can make a nice addition to the front of a perennial bed. Since it can take quite heavy shade it also works well in a shade garden, next to your favorite hosta. It will look its best with at least 6 hours of sun.

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Earwigs – Getting Rid of the Pincher Bug

Earwigs (Forficula auricularia) are common garden insects that do very little damage to plants provided the numbers stay low. As the numbers increase, they can become a serious pest in the garden. When that happens it is time to get rid of the earwig bug or at least try to reduce their numbers to an acceptable level.

Female earwig nest, with baby pincher bugs. It is one of only a few insects that care for their young.

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