In this episode of Down the Garden Path podcast, Joanne welcomes Katie Tamony of Monrovia Plants to dispel five myths about growing roses. About Katie Tamony Katie’s official title is Chief Marketing Officer, but really, she is Monrovia's chief storyteller and trendspotter. She has more than 25 years of expertise in the lifestyle and leisure industries. About Monrovia Inspired by the beauty of plants, gardens, and landscapes everywhere, Harry E. Rosedale, Sr. founded Monrovia in 1926 to be...

In this episode of Down the Garden Path, landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses Hosta Virus X with returning guest Dawn Golloher from Gardens Plus. Dawn Golloher is the owner-operator of Gardens Plus, an independent garden centre in Peterborough, Ontario, specializing in easy-care perennials.  Here are some of the questions and topics covered in this episode: Can you tell us more about Hosta Virus X? The virus was first discovered in 1996. It spreads from the sap in the hosta leaves...

This week on Down the Garden Path, Joanne Shaw welcomes Garden Media's Katie Dubow back to the podcast to discuss new plants and products for 2024. About Katie Dubow Katie Dubow is the president of Garden Media Group, a women-owned and run public relations firm specializing in the home and garden industry and celebrating its 31st year in business. Author of the annual Garden Trends Report, Dubow travels the world scouting and presenting garden trends to audiences from Italy to Chicago. ...

In this episode of Down the Garden Path, landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses hellebores with returning guest Dawn Golloher from Gardens Plus. Dawn Golloher is the owner-operator of Gardens Plus, an independent garden centre in Peterborough, Ontario, specializing in easy-care perennials.  Here are some of the questions and topics covered in this episode: Can you give us a bit of a history on hellebores? There are several classifications of hellebores. Helleborus niger and Helleborus...

In this episode of Down the Garden Path, Joanne Shaw welcomes author Margot Anne Kelley to discuss her new book, A Gardener at the End of the World. A gardener’s pandemic journal that combines memoir with an exploration of the natural world both inside and outside the garden, it explores questions of what we can preserve - of history, genetic biodiversity, culture, language and what we cannot. It is ideal for any reader curious about the overlap of nature, science and history. Here are some...

In this episode of Down the Garden Path, Joanne Shaw welcomes Tom Watson from BOLD to discuss landscape lightning. Tom Watson is a Senior Business Development Manager with BOLD (Best Outdoor Living Design), focusing on his territory in Central Ontario. After working in business operations for over nine years, leveraging cutting-edge technologies for strategic growth and process improvement, Tom entered the outdoor lighting industry. Here are some of the questions and topics covered in this...

In this episode of Down the Garden Path, Joanne Shaw welcomes Nick and Hilary VanderHeide of Creekside Growers to discuss their dahlia farm in Delhi, Ontario. Nick and Hilary VanderHeide started Creekside Growers in 2009 on a farm in a little-known Ontario Hamlet called Hartford, about 45 minutes outside Hamilton toward Lake Erie. Since the start of Creekside Growers in 2009, Nick and Hilary have grown the business into many different sectors. Creekside Growers started as a field-grown...

In this episode of Down the Garden Path, Joanne Shaw welcomes Elaine Willis to the podcast to discuss Unilock's focus on sustainability.  Unilock is North America's premier manufacturer of concrete interlocking paving stones and segmental wall products. For 50 years, Unilock has been helping people create beautiful outdoor spaces. Elaine embarked on her career at Unilock over 25 years ago, leveraging her blend of sales and design expertise. In 2023, she embraced a new opportunity as the...

In this episode of Down the Garden Path, Joanne Shaw welcomes Julia Dimakos back to the podcast to discuss microgreens and sprouting. Julia Dimakos’ 7000 square foot kitchen garden is in Mono, Ontario, on 25 acres on the Niagara Escarpment. Julia has been growing vegetables and writing about gardening for over 13 years. She was twice published in Canadian Organic Grower magazine and became a published author in July 2022 with her first book, Tea Gardening for Beginners. Here are some of the...

Before Down the Garden Path became a podcast, it was a weekly radio show on RealityRadio101.com! In this last installment of our "vintage" podcast episodes from 2017, Joanne Shaw and Matthew Dressing learn more about ponds and their ecosystems with Aquascape's Ernest Williams. Ernest educates listeners on water treatments, beneficial bacteria and best practices in pond maintenance. They discuss the importance of plants and review the math required to calculate how many fish to put in a pond...

Before Down the Garden Path became a podcast, it was a weekly radio show on RealityRadio101.com! In this "vintage" episode from April 2017, Joanne Shaw and Matthew Dressing discuss some common misconceptions about water features with Aquascape's Ernest Williams. They also talk about the different liner options and how to calculate the correct size pump. (Yes, they had to do some MATH!) Tune in to learn more about what Aquascape has to offer. Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram,...

Before Down the Garden Path became a podcast, it was a weekly radio show on RealityRadio101.com! In part two of this "vintage" episode from October 2016, Joanne Shaw continues her discussion with highly regarded landscape designer, author and teacher, Jan Johnsen. They explore many of the ancient traditions from all over the world that Jan writes about in her book, Heaven is a Garden - Designing Serene Outdoor Spaces for Inspiration and Reflection, and how  they can be applied to modern...

Before Down the Garden Path became a podcast, it was a weekly radio show on RealityRadio101.com! In part one of this "vintage" episode from October 2016, Joanne Shaw discusses landscape design with Jan Johnsen. A highly regarded landscape designer, author and teacher, Jan has a passion for plants and beautiful gardens. In her book, Heaven is a Garden - Designing Serene Outdoor Spaces for Inspiration and Reflection, she draws on ancient traditions and modern trends to reveal the deep...

Before Down the Garden Path became a podcast, it was a weekly radio show on RealityRadio101.com! In this "vintage" episode from September 2016, Joanne Shaw discusses hellstrip gardening with author Evelyn Hadden, a national speaker and author of four garden books, including Hellstrip Gardening. What's a Hellstrip? We all contend with that troublesome stretch between the sidewalk and the road, or the space nestled between driveways – commonly referred to as the "hellstrip." It’s easy to...

Before Down the Garden Path became a podcast, it was a weekly radio show on RealityRadio101.com! In this "vintage" episode from February 2016, Joanne Shaw discusses orchid growing tips and tricks with Bruce Rogers, owner of Bruce Rogers Orchids and author of The Orchid Whisperer. They also discuss tips for beginners, as well as a few of Bruce's favourite tricks. Listen and enjoy! Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast. You can also email...

In this episode of Down the Garden Path, Joanne Shaw and Matthew Dressing discuss bushes with berries for the birds that you can add to your landscape. These bushes are different than other fruit bushes like blueberry and raspberry, etc.  They came up with five different ones for you to consider and a few honourable mentions. Five shrubs to attract, feed, and help shelter birds in your yard in the colder months of the year:  Common Snowberry, Symphoricarpos alba Black Chokeberry, Aronia...

In this episode of Down the Garden Path, Joanne Shaw and Matthew Dressing discuss the three types of holly and their popularity as a replacement for boxwoods. Here are some of the topics covered in this episode: Two notable holly species to add for winter interest in your garden. Ilex aquifolium, Common or Christmas Holly: evergreen with slightly sharp leaves and red berries on the female plants Ilex verticillata, Winterberry: North American native, deciduous holly Honourable mention:...

Just when we think we have seen it all regarding our garden and pest issues, we learn about another pest we need to educate ourselves about. This week on Down the Garden Path, Joanne welcomes Sean James to discuss jumping worms, what they are and why we need to be on the lookout for them in our gardens. Sean James, owner of Sean James Consulting & Design, has been gardening professionally since age sixteen. He is a graduate of the prestigious Niagara Parks School of Horticulture, a...

In this episode of Down the Garden Path, Joanne Shaw and Matthew Dressing discuss the rarely talked about spring ephemerals, what they are, their importance, and how you can use them in your garden. Here are some of the topics covered in this episode: What are spring ephemerals? Why are they important? How can you use them in your garden? Where can you find them? Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast. You can also email your questions and...

In this episode of Down the Garden Path, Joanne Shaw and Matthew Dressing welcome back author Susan Poizner, this time to discuss her new book Grow Fruit Trees Fast: A Beginner's Guide. Susan is an urban orchardist, the creator of the fruit tree care training website OrchardPeople.com, and the author of the fruit tree care book Growing Urban Orchards. She has trained thousands of new growers worldwide in her in-person workshops and online courses. Susan is an ISA Certified Arborist and an...

In this episode of Down the Garden Path, Joanne Shaw and Matthew Dressing provide some tips and tricks and do’s and don'ts for your November garden. Here are some of the topics covered in this episode: Planting bulbs Cleaning up your vegetable garden in time for winter Why you should not cut back your perennials Check out our Five Fall Lawn Care Tips for November lawn care. How to protect your trees, shrubs, and evergreens from animals and winter Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram,...

In this episode of Down the Garden Path, Joanne Shaw and Matthew Dressing discuss Joanne's experience at the Garden Bloggers Fling in Philadelphia this September. The Garden Bloggers Fling began in Spring 2008 as a meet-up for garden bloggers across the U.S. It soon became a must-attend, blogger-run annual event (paused only by the pandemic) hosted by organizers in a different city each year. Today the Fling has grown — while the name has been shortened — to include content creators across...

In this episode of Down the Garden Path, landscape designers Joanne Shaw and Matthew Dressing discuss lasagna gardening, also known as no-till gardening. Here are some of the topics covered in this episode: What is lasagna gardening? Where can you build a lasagna garden? The steps you need to follow to build your own lasagna garden. Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast.   You can also email your questions and comments to...

In this episode of Down the Garden Path, landscape designers Joanne Shaw and Matthew Dressing review their top five lawn care tips for fall. Here are some of the topics covered in this episode: When to aerate and/or dethatch Top dress with a high-quality compost Why it's too late to put down seed Applying corn gluten Using fertilizer  Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast.   You can also email your questions and comments to...