Martin Ford
Five Garden Features Children Love Other Than A Lawn
Shade and shadow provided by trees and tall shrubs are places children enjoy playing under and near - it excites their imagination and...
Martin Ford
- Apr 12, 2021
- 1 min
Five important factors which will influence your decision on where to plant trees in your garden:
Framing views you prefer and at the same time placing groups of trees and tall shrubs to mask less desirable angles Groups of trees...
Martin Ford
- Dec 30, 2020
- 1 min
SERIES: TOP TREES for Urban Home Landscapes
Our ‘Top Trees’ series highlights Martin’s favourite trees *under 10 metres* to use in urban home landscape designs - except for Top...
Martin Ford
- Nov 16, 2020
- 2 min
Fallen leaves are solid gold
Darwin studied earthworms for decades before he wrote his final paper concluding that earthworms are responsible for creating our soils –...
Martin Ford
- Nov 16, 2020
- 3 min
The 'danger' of guaranteeing newly planted trees
A nursery grown tree has had its root system minimized to make it lighter to transport and to reduce transplant shock. To still enable...
Martin Ford
- Oct 15, 2020
- 3 min
Selective leaf colour change in trees
The changes of colour in sugar maples at autumn time give us a vivid picture of this species’ internal process of readying itself for the...
Martin Ford
- Oct 15, 2020
- 8 min
Top "Classic Canadian" Trees for Urban Home Landscapes (Zone 5)
Our ‘Top Trees’ series typically highlights Martin’s favourite trees 'under 10 metres' for use in urban home landscapes – not so this...
Martin Ford
- Sep 29, 2020
- 1 min
Tree Walk in Downtown Guelph
Saturday, October 10, 2020 at 2pm Learn to read trees - what makes our city trees happy and healthy? Find out how we can each do our part...
Martin Ford
- Jul 15, 2020
- 6 min
Top Trees of Striking Form Under 10 Metres for Urban Home Landscapes (Zone 5)
Our ‘Top Trees’ series highlights Martin’s favourite trees under 10 metres for use in urban home landscapes. This month, we showcase some...
Martin Ford
- Apr 15, 2020
- 2 min
More Reasons to Stay Home!
How to Make Your Home Landscape into a Private Haven now...(even during a pandemic!) Stay Home! … is what we’re advised. We are spending...
Martin Ford
- Jan 18, 2019
- 3 min
Accidental Strangulation!
It seemed innocent enough when this tree was used as a post for a washing line; several years later this picture shows the result. All...
Martin Ford
- Nov 1, 2018
- 1 min
Pruning - Its Mysteries and Pleasures
Pruning is the essential art of living with plants in and around our homes. We share the same space, and for fruiting trees and shrubs,...
Martin Ford
- Sep 17, 2018
- 2 min
If Trees Could Talk Along the Walk
It’s a good time of year to see tree health because the trees which are struggling will already have started to change colour and...
Martin Ford
- May 27, 2018
- 1 min
Water, Water Everywhere, But Ne'er a Drop to Drink!
Water that roots can access is of paramount importance to the health of a tree. The most effective application of water for city trees is...
Martin Ford
- May 19, 2018
- 2 min
More Ways To Understand The Health Of A Tree
Previously we looked at three key ways to 'read' the health of a mature tree: last year’s new growth, basal root flare, and evenness of...
Martin Ford
- Mar 6, 2018
- 1 min
Welcoming Trees into our Gardens and Neighborhood
Pocket Woodlands™ Workshop - Arboretum University of Guelph - April 28, 2018 Trees seem to be mysterious and often leave us with more...
Martin Ford
- May 23, 2017
- 1 min
Welcome the Wisteria
Guelph's Largest Wisteria Vine is Coming into Bloom Sunday June 4, 2017 12pm - 3pm 39 Emslie St - 4 Blocks S of downtown Guelph 450+ Foot...