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Welcome Niigaanii: Cootes Paradise’s Newest Blandings Turtle

August 17, 2022

On Friday August 12, RBG's intrepid turtle team released Niigaanii, an endangered Blanding's turtle, marking the inaugural return of the first group of Blanding’s sent ...

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Smart Water Management in Your Garden

August 9, 2022

By Jessica Veter, Volunteer, Royal Botanical Gardens. Have I mentioned before how lazy I am? Why do I bother gardening at all? I’d rather lie ...

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Connecting to the Environment through Public Art: Urban Moorings Two

August 4, 2022

An Interview with the Curators of Urban Moorings Two On Tuesday August 2, four sculptures floated out onto Cootes Paradise along the Desjardins Trail, part ...

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Top 5 Long Blooming Perennials to Try This Summer

July 13, 2022

By Andrea Berwick CLD, Landscape Designer, Royal Botanical Gardens I don’t know about you but when I walk into a garden center, I become overwhelmed ...

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The Scent of Roses

July 8, 2022

By Ali Brown, Volunteer, Royal Botanical Gardens As you walk along a trail you don’t notice them right away, hiding just off the main path ...

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Lost & Found; the Creelman Lily Blooms Again

July 8, 2022

The “dean of hybridists”, “Grand Lady of Canadian Horticulture”, Isabella Preston (1881-1964) was a self-taught plant hybridist who began her horticultural journey as a student ...

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Foliage & Living Fossils: Summer Breezeway Display

July 5, 2022

As the heat warms the gardens outside, indoors the Breezeway transitions from bright spring bulbs to a lush landscape of foliage and subtle flowers. This ...

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Happy Birthday Thomas Baker McQuesten

June 29, 2022

By Dr. David Galbraith, Head of Science, Royal Botanical Gardens Hon. Thomas Baker McQuesten as transportation minister, 1940. Whitehern Historic House & Garden, via Wikimedia ...

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Giant Hogweed? It may be a look alike!

June 24, 2022

By Tys Theysmeyer, Head of Natural Areas, Royal Botanical Gardens The Invasive ornamental plant Giant Hogweed has several look-alike species flowering at similar times creating identification confusion.  ...

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Turtles on the Move

June 15, 2022

By Christie Brodie, Interpretation Projects Coordinator, Royal Botanical Gardens. With eight species, Ontario has the highest diversity of turtles in all of Canada. Sadly, they ...

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8 Ways to Attract Beneficial Insects to your Garden

June 10, 2022

By Jessica Veter, Volunteer, Royal Botanical Gardens. I’m a live-and-let-live kind of gardener, though that was sorely tested when an army of caterpillars were stripping ...

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New Technology & Grassland Restoration

May 25, 2022

By Tys Theysmeyer, Head of Natural Lands, Royal Botanical Gardens. The team from the Unmanned and Remote Sensing Innovation Centre at Mohawk College had another great day ...

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Hardening Off Isn’t Hard

May 18, 2022

By Jessica Veter, Volunteer, Royal Botanical Gardens. Imagine a beginner gardener and her first windowsill of tomato seedlings. As they stretched in the mediocre light, ...

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Spongy Moth Management

May 6, 2022

About Spongy Moths Lymantria dispar dispar (formerly known as Gypsy Moth or LDD) is a non-native invasive pest that was introduced in the late 19th century. ...

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In Memoriam – Freek Vrugtman

March 31, 2022

By Dr. David Galbraith, Head of Science, Royal Botanical Gardens. An institution with an 80-year history has seen many amazing people participate in its development and ...

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Bald Eagles Nest and Hamilton’s Biodiversity Action Plan

March 8, 2022

By Tys Theijsmeijer, Head of Natural Lands, Royal Botanical Gardens. One of our more famous species and among the first to nest annually is our local ...

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Boathouse Renewable Energy Project

January 18, 2022

By Chris McAnally, Environmental Sustainability Coordinator, Royal Botanical Gardens. If you’ve spent time in the Arboretum you've likely walked past the boathouse which is located ...

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Frozen Through Time: Cootes Paradise Marsh

January 13, 2022

By Christie Brodie, Interpretation Projects Coordinator, Royal Botanical Gardens. People have long enjoyed visiting Cootes Paradise Marsh in the winter. The frozen marsh has been ...

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Growing in 2021

December 9, 2021

By: Jon L. Peter, Curator & Plant Records Manager, Royal Botanical Gardens Photos by Jon L. Peter The 2021 growing period was a relatively good ...

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Ontario’s Inn-famous Crossroads: The Valley Inn and its Many Bridges

November 18, 2021

By Dr. David Galbraith, Head of Science; Tys Theijsmeijer, Head of Natural Lands, Royal Botanical Gardens. An exciting change is coming to a very picturesque site ...

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One Hundred Years of Remembrance Day Poppies

November 11, 2021

By Alex Henderson, Curator of Living Collections, Royal Botanical Gardens Remembrance Day poppies are artificial flowers worn to remember those who died for their country. They ...

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Rain Garden Attracts New Species at Risk Bumble Bee

November 4, 2021

By Brittany Killingbeck, Species at Risk Assistant, Royal Botanical Gardens. In the RBG Arboretum you will find a lovely rain garden nestled next to the Rasberry ...

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Try Out These Trails This Season

October 29, 2021

By: Emily Sharma, Communications Intern, Royal Botanical Gardens The scent of fallen leaves and vibrant palette of colours make RBG’s 27km of nature trails irresistible ...

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Taking a Careful Look at the Hendrie Gates

October 21, 2021

By Dr. David Galbraith, Head of Science, Royal Botanical Gardens. Last week at RBG we had the help of an amazingly talented team of artist ...

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Introducing Heptacodium miconioides

October 14, 2021

By Alex Henderson, Curator of Living Collections, Royal Botanical Gardens With the sun having recently crossed the celestial equator and welcoming the autumnal equinox, many of ...

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The Future of Trees

October 7, 2021

By Tys Theijsmeijer, Head of Natural Lands, Royal Botanical Gardens. Fall is defined by the changing colour of deciduous trees and made deeply special to each ...

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RBG’s New Healing Garden Evokes the First Botanical Gardens

September 30, 2021

By Dr. David Galbraith, Head of Science, Royal Botanical Gardens. Visiting Royal Botanical Gardens’ Healing Garden in Hendrie Park is a great way to encounter ...

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Treecycling at RBG

September 8, 2021

By Chris McAnally, Environmental Sustainability Coordinator, Royal Botanical Gardens. Sometimes at RBG we have to cut down trees. While we try to avoid it, it ...

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Whole Lot of Hosta

August 26, 2021

By: Jon L. Peter, Curator & Plant Records Manager, Royal Botanical Gardens Visitors to Royal Botanical Gardens often ask, “where are the flowers?” My answer ...

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More Magnificent Monarchs

August 20, 2021

By: Christie Brodie, Interpretation Projects Coordinator, Royal Botanical Gardens The highly recognizable and charismatic Monarch butterfly is a beloved garden guest. To help celebrate National ...

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A Garden of People: Connecting once again in the places we love.

August 19, 2021

By Megan Haley, Garden Interpreter, Royal Botanical Gardens. Every spring, the colours, smells, and sights of the season bring us out to gardens and trails. The ...

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Did You Know? RBG is a National Historic Site of Canada!

July 29, 2021

By Dr. David Galbraith, Head of Science, Royal Botanical Gardens. From coast to coast to coast, there are over 900 places designated National Historic Sites ...

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Joy in the Rose Garden

July 22, 2021

By Alex Henderson, Curator of Collections, Royal Botanical Gardens Exciting things have been happening in the Rose Garden based upon information gathered in 2020. Last ...

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How Starting a Vegetable Garden Made Me Rethink My Grocery Shopping

June 17, 2021

By Grace Hunter, Climate Change Garden Exhibit Interpretation Coordinator, June 2021, Royal Botanical Gardens In February 2021, during a dreary winter and seemingly endless lockdown, ...

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Lilacs and Living Collections

May 26, 2021

By Alex Henderson, Curator of Living Collections, Royal Botanical Gardens. Canada has produced several notable lilac hybridizers over the years. When it comes to female ...

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The Living Legacy of Linnaeus

May 21, 2021

By Dr. Jim Pringle, Plant Taxonomist, Royal Botanical Gardens. The plant held by Linnaeus in the attached portrait is the circumpolar species, Linnaea borealis L. ...

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Periurban Biodiversity – Why does it Matter?

May 20, 2021

By Dr. David Galbraith, Head of Science, Royal Botanical Gardens. Saturday 22 May is International Day for Biological Diversity 2021, and it’s a great time ...

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Tree Planting Tips

April 29, 2021

By Iona Whatford, Garden Interpreter and Jon L. Peter, Curator and Manager of Plant Records, Royal Botanical Gardens There is a never-ending list of benefits to ...

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Happy Birthday Aleksander Tamsalu!

April 26, 2021

By Dr. David Galbraith, Head of Science, Royal Botanical Gardens Wednesday 28 April 2021 is the 130th birthday of Aleksander Tamsalu, Royal Botanical Gardens’ first ...

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What’s in the Water at Cootes Paradise Marsh

April 23, 2021

By Tys Theysmeyer, Head of Natural Lands, Royal Botanical Gardens. What’s in the water? The answer is an ever-changing array of things. That said, most ...

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Ravishing Redbuds

April 21, 2021

By Jon L. Peter, Director of Horticulture, Royal Botanical Gardens. Thanks to hybridization and selection efforts, the redbud has become a very popular plant in ...

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Heating Degrees and Phenology

April 17, 2021

By Dr. David Galbraith, Head of Science, Royal Botanical Gardens. All life on earth is driven by chemical reactions. Chemical reactions in turn are linked ...

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Mediterranean Garden 2020-2021

April 14, 2021

By Chris Tarrant, Plant Propagation and Production Manager, Royal Botanical Gardens. Since my arrival at RBG in 2017, the Mediterranean Garden (or “Med House” as ...

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The Next Best Thing to Being Here

April 8, 2021

By Barbara McKean, Head of Education, Royal Botanical Gardens. Behind the scenes at RBG Centre, one member of our staff does a lot of travelling in ...

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Trail Running Impacts

April 1, 2021

By Jennifer Dick, Manager of Interpretation, Royal Botanical Gardens. I’ve been a hiker since I could walk. Exploring new trails to see different landscapes, learn to ...

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The Rise and Fall of our Wetlands

March 29, 2021

By Tys Theysmeyer, Head of Natural Lands, Royal Botanical Gardens. Lots of people are wondering what happened to all the water in Cootes Paradise Marsh this ...

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Controlling an Invasive Species: Spongy Moths

March 24, 2021

By Christie Brodie, Interpretation Projects Coordinator, Royal Botanical Gardens. Last summer, Spongy Moth (Lymantria dispar dispar, formerly known as LDD or Gypsy Moth) populations were ...

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Botanicult Fiction: The Secret Sounds of Spores

March 10, 2021

By Alex Henderson, Curator of Living Collections, Royal Botanical Gardens Header image: Secret Sounds of Spores, Inspace, installation view screen capture. The Secret Sounds of Spores ...

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Growing a Community: Seed Sharing

March 5, 2021

By Erin Aults, Library and Archives Specialist, Royal Botanical Gardens. If you are like me, you are eagerly awaiting the new, seemingly delicate green that ...

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Permeable Pavers in Scented Garden

March 3, 2021

By Chris McAnally, Environmental Sustainability Coordinator, Royal Botanical Gardens. At RBG we’ve been interested in incorporating permeable paving on our property for some time. We ...

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A Seasonal Display Primer

February 18, 2021

By Jim Mack, Head of Horticulture, Royal Botanical Gardens. The transition through the seasons may be slow and subtle, but from a horticultural point of ...

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In Search of the First Flower

February 10, 2021

By Dr. David Galbraith, Head of Science, Royal Botanical Gardens. Flowers are everywhere in our world today. The majestic Magnolias, Lilacs, and Roses are all ...

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Celebrating RBG’s Wetlands

February 2, 2021

By Barb McKean, Head of Education, Royal Botanical Gardens. What’s so special about wetlands? While the department at RBG that cares for and manages our ...

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Botanicult Fiction: “This Plant Eats Bits of Meat!”

February 1, 2021

By Alex Henderson, Curator of Living Collections, Royal Botanical Gardens Growing up in the north of England was frequently an austere experience spending my formative ...

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How Micro-Plastics Impact Plant Health and Our Food

January 28, 2021

By Nina Hunt, Herbarium Intern, Royal Botanical Gardens. Scientists estimate that one third of all plastic waste ends up in soils and freshwater. Most of ...

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Botanicult Fiction: 2001: A Space Odyssey

January 25, 2021

By Dr. David Galbraith, Head of Science, Royal Botanical Gardens More than fifty years after its premier, 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968, directed by Stanley Kubrick, written ...

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Being a Sub-Zero Locavore; eating local in winter

January 14, 2021

By Nadine Nesbitt, Public Programs Coordinator, Royal Botanical Gardens. Eating locally isn’t just good for our health, but helps to support our neighbourhood businesses and ...

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Is There a “Perfect” Time of Year to Hike?

January 12, 2021

By Jackson Hudecki, Special Programs Coordinator, Royal Botanical Gardens. I try not to use the word “perfect” to describe much in life, but recently some ...

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Winter Hiking on the Trails

January 4, 2021

By Barb McKean, Head of Education, Royal Botanical Gardens. Taking Care When Hiking Hamilton and Burlington have to be the hiking-est cities around. Linked by ...

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The Everlasting Battle of the Oak King and Holly King

December 23, 2020

By Alex Henderson, Curator of Living Collections, Royal Botanical Gardens. The day that many celebrate Christmas has its origins in the deep history of ancient ...

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Keeping Cozy in Winter: Squirrel Dreys

December 17, 2020

By Danielle Barrett, Education Resource Interpreter/Interprète de la nature, Royal Botanical Gardens. It is December and you go for a walk in your neighbourhood and ...

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Botanicult Fiction: Something Wicker This Way Comes

December 15, 2020

By Alex Henderson, Curator of Living Collections, Royal Botanical Gardens The Wicker Man is a 1973 film directed by Robin Hardy, written by Anthony Shaffer ...

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Botanicult Fiction: Star Trek’s The Infinite Vulcan

December 8, 2020

By Dr. David Galbraith, Head of Science, Royal Botanical Gardens Many Star Trek stories have become interconnected since the original series ran in the late ...

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Sustainable Gifting Guide

December 3, 2020

By Chris McAnally, Environmental Sustainability Coordinator, Royal Botanical Gardens. December is a time of celebration for many folks across several faiths and belief systems. For ...

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3 Sustainable Wrapping Ideas

November 30, 2020

The holidays are a time full of cheer and beauty, from the festive meals and brightly coloured lights, right through to the décor that brightens ...

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Botanicult Fiction: This Side of Paradise

November 25, 2020

By Dr. David Galbraith, Head of Science, Royal Botanical Gardens This Side of Paradise, the 24th episode of the first season of the original Star ...

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Exploring Conifers

November 24, 2020

By Jon Peter, Curator & Plant Records Manager, Royal Botanical Gardens. As we approach the holiday season and winter ahead, there is one division of ...

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The Art of Trees

November 20, 2020

By Iona Whatford, Garden Interpreter, Royal Botanical Gardens. Have you ever wondered what happens to fallen trees at RBG? Some become works of art which ...

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A World of Botany in a Piece of Cake

November 19, 2020

By Barb McKean, Head of Education, Royal Botanical Gardens. Not too long after we put the clocks back each fall, a harbinger of the holiday ...

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Botanicult Fiction: The Happening

November 18, 2020

By Alex Henderson, Curator of Living Collections, Royal Botanical Gardens The Happening is a 2008 film by M. Night Shyamalan starring Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, John Leguizamo, ...

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How a Common Wildflower became the Symbol of Remembrance Day

November 11, 2020

By Dr. David Galbraith, Head of Science, Royal Botanical Gardens. The common poppy (Papaver rhoeas) has for thousands of years been a familiar sight in ...

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Botanicult Fiction: Tomatoes, are they Fruit, Vegetables, or Murderers?

November 10, 2020

By Dr. David Galbraith, Head of Science, Royal Botanical Gardens Since the 1978 release of the movie Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! it has become ...

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A Botanical Perspective on Tea

November 5, 2020

By Nadia Cavallin, Field Botanist, Royal Botanical Gardens. I love tea so, as a botanist, it’s funny that I had not considered the plant much. ...

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You Otter Hear About This!

November 3, 2020

By Jackson Hudecki, Special Programs Coordinator, Royal Botanical Gardens. Out getting her nature fix and looking for birds this weekend, one of our staff came ...

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Supernatural Botany and Halloween

October 30, 2020

By Alex Henderson, Curator of Living Collections, Royal Botanical Gardens. 2020 has been the strangest year in most people’s living memories but as we approach ...

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The Mystery of Martimas, the Horse of Hendrie Park

October 29, 2020

By Lauren McAusland, Interpretation Intern, Royal Botanical Gardens. As the colourful leaves begin to fall and a chill enters the night air, you may have ...

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Bats at RBG

October 28, 2020

By Iona Whatford, Garden Interpreter, Royal Botanical Gardens. What comes to mind when you hear the word “bat”? Unfortunately, bats tend to get a bad ...

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On Outdoor Environmental Education

October 21, 2020

By Barb McKean, Head of Education, Royal Botanical Gardens. The pandemic has been a major disrupter in every sector of our society, shining its germy ...

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5 Reasons to Visit the Arboretum

October 16, 2020

By Jackson Hudecki, Special Programs Coordinator, Royal Botanical Gardens. If you have never heard of a “tree museum” before, you are probably not alone. One ...

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Charming Chrysanthemums

October 15, 2020

Chrysanthemums, also known as mums, are a fall favourite for many; they add beautiful fall tones to any garden or container. They come in many ...

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Botanicult Fiction: Will the Real James Bond Reveal Himself

October 8, 2020

By Alex Henderson, Curator of Living Collections, Royal Botanical Gardens. All life on earth depends on Plants. For this reason, I think we can thereforetalk ...

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All About Fall Colours

October 1, 2020

By Iona Whatford, Garden Interpreter, Royal Botanical Gardens. Fall is often celebrated for its cozy temperatures, yummy foods, and of course, colourful fall foliage. Beautiful ...

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Botanicult Fiction: Plants in Space, Fact or Fiction?

September 28, 2020

By Dr. David Galbraith, Head of Science, Royal Botanical Gardens It might seem like living plants in space is in the realm of science fiction, ...

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Evergreens vs Conifers

September 25, 2020

By Lauren McAusland, Interpretation Intern, Royal Botanical Gardens. As autumn arrives, you may have noticed that some leaves are already starting to turn those beautiful ...

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Botanicult Fiction: The Body Snatchers

September 23, 2020

By Alex Henderson, Curator of Living Collections, Royal Botanical Gardens. The Body Snatchers is a 1955 science fiction novel written by Jack Finney, originally serialized ...

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4 Ontario Trees on the Brink

September 23, 2020

By Christie Brodie, Interpretation Projects Coordinator, Royal Botanical Gardens. Trees are an important part of nearly all ecosystems. They provide us with shade, clean air, ...

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Growing Your Own Garlic

September 18, 2020

By Nadine Nesbitt, Public Programs Coordinator, Royal Botanical Gardens. With autumn’s breeze in the evening air, the end to an abundant growing season is seemingly ...

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Saving Seeds from Your Garden

September 17, 2020

By Rita Shaw, Volunteer, Royal Botanical Gardens. There are several reasons for saving seeds from your garden. Using seeds you have collected will save the ...

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Botanicult Fiction: The Flowering of the Strange Orchid

September 15, 2020

By Alex Henderson, Curator of Living Collections, Royal Botanical Gardens. The Flowering of the Strange Orchid is a short story by H.G. Wells, first published ...

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Growing Milkweed in Ontario

September 10, 2020

By Karin Davidson Taylor, Education Officer, Royal Botanical Gardens. Over the summer, milkweed plants have played a critical role in the lives of the Monarch ...

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Botanicult Fiction: Getting to Know Groot

September 9, 2020

By Dr. David Galbraith, Head of Science, Royal Botanical Gardens (with thanks to Tomasz Wiercioch) The Flora colossi are an amazing species. Able to grow ...

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Botanicult Fiction: Wakanda’s Heart-Shaped Herb

September 2, 2020

(In Memoriam, Chadwick Boseman, 29 November 1976 - 28 August 2020) By Dr. David Galbraith, Head of Science, Royal Botanical Gardens. Traditional societies are often ...

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Essential Pollinators in Your Edible Garden

August 27, 2020

By Karin Davidson Taylor, Education Program Officer, Royal Botanical Gardens. Each winter and spring, we spend time sorting through our seeds to decide what we’d ...

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Botanicult Fiction: Doctor Who The Seeds of Death

August 25, 2020

By Alex Henderson, Curator of Living Collections, Royal Botanical Gardens. H.G. Wells’ War of the World’s is the story that probably first springs to mind ...

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Where are the Monarchs?

August 20, 2020

By Karin Davidson Taylor, Education Program Officer, Royal Botanical Gardens. More than once this summer, I’ve heard the comments, “I haven’t seen as many Monarchs ...

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Planting for Monarchs

August 18, 2020

By Christie Brodie, Interpretation Projects Coordinator, Royal Botanical Gardens. The bold and beautiful Monarch butterfly is a welcome guest in any garden. As an insect, ...

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Botanicult Fiction: The Day of the Triffids

August 17, 2020

By Dr. David Galbraith, Head of Science, Royal Botanical Gardens. Many people encountered science fiction for the first time in high school when assigned John ...

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In Praise of Wasps

August 13, 2020

By Gabe Comezzi, Education Programs Coordinator, Royal Botanical Gardens. Few insects evoke sharper reactions among people of all ages as wasps do. After all, while ...

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Botanicult Fiction: The Ash Tree

August 12, 2020

By Alex Henderson, Curator of Living Collections, Royal Botanical Gardens. In recent years we have become familiar with the decline of ash trees thanks to the ...

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The Importance of Rose Evaluations

August 10, 2020

By Alex Henderson, Curator of Living Collections, Royal Botanical Gardens. As beautiful as the rose garden is it also provides RBG with several great educational ...

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Botanicult Fiction: E.T.(B.): The Extra-Terrestrial (Botanist)

August 6, 2020

By Dr. David Galbraith, Head of Science, Royal Botanical Gardens. In a California forest not far from Los Angeles, a gentle hand comes down to ...

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Celebrating Melons at RBG

August 5, 2020

By Gabe Comezzi, Education Programs Coordinator, Royal Botanical Gardens. For many home gardeners and fruit lovers, summer in Ontario would not be complete without the ...

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Botanicult Fiction: Maneater of Hydra

July 27, 2020

By Alex Henderson, Curator of Living Collections, Royal Botanical Gardens. Have the restrictions for COVID-19 left you feeling bored, frustrated and in need of new ...

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The Moths Eating Our Trees

July 22, 2020

By Christie Brodie, Interpretation Projects Coordinator, Royal Botanical Gardens. If you’ve walked along our trails recently, you may have noticed an abundance of caterpillars and ...

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Botanicult Fiction: The Dyson Tree – Spreading Leaf on a Comet

July 22, 2020

By Dr. David Galbraith, Head of Science, Royal Botanical Gardens. In early 2020 the world lost Dr. Freeman Dyson (15 December 1923 - 28 February ...

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