A Cultivated Art Inc.

Fall is the season of Asters and Goldenrods when it comes to Ontario native flowers. A few of them, along with their seasonal companions, have now been added to the ‘A Year of Native Plants’ photo album. Pictures from Ottawa and Perth through the month of September.

Separating Rudbeckia seeds from dried seed heads, without getting prickles in your fingers

Monarda seeds don't always want to come out of their nice cozy seed heads, which can make it difficult to share them :-) This is the easiest way I've found to get them ready for storing for winter seeding, or for sending off to the Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library

Fall plant sale update: Some of the species that were in limited quantities are sold out but there are still plenty of these popular species still available: . - Canadian Columbine - Lance Leaf Coreopsis... - Canada Honeywort - Cardinal Flower - Great Blue Lobelia - Wild Bergamot - Spotted Horsemint - Foxglove Beardtongue - New England Aster . You can find more details and place orders here: https://acultivatedart.com/plants Submit orders before the end of day on Friday for pickup at the Land Care Day at Just Food Farm this Sunday https://fb.me/e/1CWdOdRga, or before the end of next week for pickup on Monday, September 27th

Rough Goldenrod and Great Blue Lobelia thriving together in a naturalized, partially shaded, seasonally wet area. Since both species grow in my urban yard, I'm confident that they will be fine with regular garden moisture and I'm going to tuck a few rough goldenrod into the Lobelia patch to replicate this lovely combination here in the city. Solidago rugosa https://acultivatedart.com/plants/solidago-rugosa Lobelia siphilitica https://acultivatedart.com/plants/lobelia-siphilitica

The online plant nursery is now open for fall orders. . Plants are $4 each, including HST . Pickup will be in Vanier ... . Orders can be placed through the online store here: https://acultivatedart.com/plants Quantity available, Botanical name, Common Name . 46 Agastache foeniculum, Anise Hyssop 34 Agastache scrophulariifolia, Giant Purple Hyssop 50 Aquilegia canadensis, Canadian Columbine 10 Artemisia ludoviciana, Silver Wormwood 5 Asclepias incarnata, Pink Swamp Milkweed 22 Coreopsis lanceolata, Lanceleaf Coreopsis 40 Cryptotaenia canadensis, Canadian Honewort SOLD OUT 5 Euthamia graminifolia, Flat-topped Goldenrod 15 Eutrochium maculatum, Spotted Joe-Pye Weed SOLD OUT 5 Helenium autumnale, Yellow Sneezeweed SOLD OUT 5 Hibiscus moscheutos, Swamp Rose-mallow 50 lobelia cardinalis, cardinal flower 35 Lobelia siphilitica, Great Blue Lobelia 30 Monarda fistulosa, Wild Bergamot 30 Monarda punctata, Spotted Horsemint 40 Penstemon digitalis, Foxglove Beardtongue 40 Scutellaria lateriflora, Blue Skullcap 20 Solidago bicolor, White goldenrod 32 Solidago caesia, Blue Stem Goldenrod 14 Solidago rugosa, Rough Goldenrod 5 Symphyotrichum laeve, Smooth Blue Aster 38 Symphyotrichum novae-angliae, New England Aster

Ecologically centered land care practices are gaining ground https://www.nytimes.com//spring-planting-fall-gardening.ht

Completing the native plant photo catch-up, these are from mid August until today. Ottawa and Perth

I've been getting some inquiries about the Learning Land Care course that I'll be offering next year, so it seems like a good time to post an update about locations, hours and dates. . We’ll gather every 2 weeks, from April to October, 2022, with a vacation break in August, for a total of 11 gatherings. . It will be available at two locations: ... Sweet William Farm at 139 March Rd in Kanata Starting April 28th The Just Food Farm at 2391 Pépin Ct in Blackburn Hamlet Starting May 5th . Daytime Option: Thursdays from 10:30 to 1:30 Evening Option: Thursdays from 6:00pm until dusk . Course fee is $495+hst for the full series of gatherings -If you are able to commit to attend the full series but are facing financial barriers, please let me know, I’ll be offering a couple of spaces in each group as pay what you can / full scholarship . Maximum of 10 participants per group. Minimum of 5 registered participants for a course to proceed. https://acultivatedart.com/learning-land-care See more

Join us at the Just Food Farm on September 19th for the free Land Care Day event.

I took a couple of weeks away from posting, so these are pictures of the native species that were blooming a couple of weeks ago. -Given the early blooming I'm seeing this year compared to last this is a good example of the stage they would usually be at come the start of September. All from the Perth area this time, photographed on August 16th.

Getting excited about this event in a few weeks! https://fb.me/e/1CWdOdRga I'll be giving a talk on Land Care principals at 11:00 and again at 1:00... There will also be presentations by: Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library The Fine Gardener Root in Nature A plant and seed giveaway and an 'Ask Me' table where you can bring your questions September 19th from 11:00am to 3:00pm at Just Food, 2391 Pépin Ct.

Hardscaping is where the bulk of carbon emissions in landscapes come from. Dry stone construction is among the lowest emissions options, as long as the stone is locally sourced.

I gave a talk last week through my work for the Society for Organic Urban Land Care. In it I explore a lot of things that have influenced my work in horticulture, some of the concerns that I have about the industry, and what I see as possibilities and opportunities for engaging in restorative, reciprocal relationships between humans, land and ecosystems. A recording is posted below and you can find a version that includes the Q&A after my presentation at organiclandcare.ca

If you've watched my video on how we have been creating garden beds, you may enjoy this look at garden created using this technique.

The steps we follow when creating a new garden on our rural site that won't be overrun by the existing ecosystem, as so often happens in permaculture and food forest projects.

Nature Conservancy Canada is running a Canada wide Bioblitz this week.

It is now official: My 2020 design season is fully booked. I'll be accepting new work as of mid April, 2021It is now official: My 2020 design season is fully booked. I'll be accepting new work as of mid April, 2021