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Native Plant Nursery Name: Origin Native Plants
Posted on by ridgetownrick
Owner/Proprietor: Alexzander G Smith
Address: 5420 Hwy 6, Guelph, ON N1H 6J2
Web Site: https://www.originnativeplants.com/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/OriginNativePlants/
Other Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/originnativeplants/
Don’t you just hate it when you discover something really great, and then it’s no longer available? That was me in 2019 when I discovered Grand Moraine Growers just outside of Alma, Ontario. I placed an order that spring, and then in the fall, as I poured over their plant list for my fall purchases, found out the owner was retiring in October. When I voiced my genuine disappointment, they let me know that a new native plant nursery near Guelph was going to take over the rest of their inventory. That someone turned out to be Origin Native Plants.
Plant of the Month: Wild Leeks aka Ramps (Allium tricoccum)
Posted on by ridgetownrick
As I sit here in the comfort of my office, after an hour or so of shovelling out my driveway after one the biggest dumps of snow we’ve had here in the banana belt of southwestern Ontario in several years, my mind seems to naturally wander to spring and some of the early flowers in my garden. Today I am thinking about one of the first signs of spring here – the broad green leaves of wild leeks (or ramps, in some locales). Anyone who has wandered the early spring forests before the leaves come out on the trees has likely seen them. Their flowers don’t show up till later in the spring – after the leaves have completely died back for the summer – and many folks are surprised to learn that the little ball of white blossoms (think of a tall, onion flavoured lollypop and you’ll recognize them) are the same plant.
One of the great tragedies of our modern era is the loss of this species in many woodlots to overzealous foragers – especially in those woodlots near large municipal centres. Rather than harvest leeks from the wild, why not encourage more folks to grow these in their gardens. They do take a while to establish, but if they are sustainably managed your family and friends can enjoy this allium in the garden AND the kitchen for many years.
ARTICLE: It Doesn’t Have to Sting to be Good
Posted on by ridgetownrick
What do Admirals, Commas, Question Marks and Tortoiseshells all have in common? No, it’s not a love letter written by a shipwrecked seafarer on a desert island. These are all butterflies that are commonly found in the southern Great Lakes region and they, along with a few interesting moths, all use members of the nettle family (Urticaceae) as host plants.
Many of us are familiar with that not-so-lovely burning sensation when we inadvertently brush a bare leg or an arm against some Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica). This happens because the stems and leaves are covered with a lot of tiny, brittle, needle-like hairs called trichomes that easily break off when touched. At the base of these hairs is a potent mix of histamine, acetylcholine, serotonin and formic acid. And it is this chemical mixture that provides the stinging sensation that can last anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours, depending on your sensitivity level and the size of the dose you get.
BOOK REVIEW
The Midwest Native Plant Primer: 225 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden
Posted on by ridgetownrick
By Alan Branhagen
- Publisher: Timber Press, July 2020
- Paperback: 256 pages
- ISBN-10: 160469992
- Dimensions: 8” X 9”
- Price: $35.74 (Amazon.ca); $19.42 (Amazon.com – currently a 22% discount)
At first glance, Branhagen’s The Midwest Native Plant Primer looks like a great book for native plant gardeners. It has almost 45 pages in the introduction alone that covers topics like Why Cultivate Native Plants, and goes into some detail on what defines the Midwest, looking at the various habitats (grasslands, forests). And it is chock full of beautiful photos.
There’s a whole chapter on selecting native plants – how to choose your plant and what to avoid (i.e. right plant, wrong place), with a short section on gardening for birds and one on gardening for butterflies. He talks about the aesthetics of native plants in the garden (form, colour, fragrance, etc.), then devotes a chapter to Designing with Native Plants.
With lots of beautiful photographs and some great information in the lengthy introductory section, at one time I would likely have found this book delightful. But maybe my collection of books on native plant gardening is just getting too big. I found that the actual plant information is quite limited so it is unclear who its target market is or even what the overall purpose is. This book might make a great introductory book to native plants, but there are several overview books in print already and this one doesn’t really offer anything new. What’s worse, it misses out in a number of areas to be of any great value to a native plant gardener.
Other Random Stuff
Check out the December Jigsaw Puzzle
