Mike Likes Plants

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  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Native Plants
    • Advanced Search
      • Container Friendly Estimate Column
    • Education
      • Biodiversity and Connectivity
      • Container and Small Space Gardening
      • Plant Types
      • Pollinators
      • Soil
      • Water and Conservation
      • Wildlife Coexistence
  • Garden Planner
    • Cues to Care
    • Design and Arrangement Guide
    • Garden Type Tool
    • Site Analysis Tool
    • Where to Buy Native Plants
    • Garden Types and Inspiration
      • Container Gardens
      • Drought-Tolerant Gardens
      • Native Edible and Medicinal Gardens
      • Naturalized Area
      • Pollinator Gardens
      • Rain Gardens
      • Vertical Gardens
      • Wildlife Habitat Gardens

How Do I Know When to Start My Seeds?

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5 Tips to Keep Gardens Thriving While Away

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Native Plants That Thrive in Summer Heat

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How to Tell Weeds From Beneficial Native Plants

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How to attract pollinators – without a yard

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Link 1
Native Plant Database
Link 2
Garden Planner
Link 3
Site Analysis Tool
Link 4
Cues to Care

Recent Posts

  • Containers, soil and a knocked over tomato seedling.
    How Do I Know When to Start My Seeds?
  • Keeping your veggie patch watered while away can be stressful – but it doesn't need to be! Photo by jwvein / pixabay
    5 Tips to Keep Gardens Thriving While Away
  • Gaillardia aristata blanket flower
    Native Plants That Thrive in Summer Heat
  • A field of Monarda fitulosa, or Wild Bergamot
    How to Tell Weeds From Beneficial Native Plants
  • A bee on a sunflower
    How to attract pollinators – without a yard

Recent Comments

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Spring, allegedly. I see growth through resilience. How about you? https://www.instagram.com/p/DURbjXgjC5r/ https://www.instagram.com/p/DTJzuPeDFie/ Made a new friend at #beechwoodcemetery in #Ottawa on the weekend. A towering and regal Acer saccharum in full colour transition. #aster #urbanhorticulture #nature My first productive season of Oregano from seed! Excited to let these dry and bottle. The lengthening growing season in #HamONT means at least another one or two harvests before frost I think. Red habanero hot sauce, made with habaneros and jalapeños grown from seeds. Made a new friend.

MIke Howie

mikelikesplants_

horticulture capstone project

Spring, allegedly. Spring, allegedly.
I see growth through resilience. How about you? # I see growth through resilience. How about you?

#urbannature #hamont
Instagram post 18162094447410451 Instagram post 18162094447410451
Instagram post 18111373132714088 Instagram post 18111373132714088
Made a new friend at #beechwoodcemetery in #Ottawa Made a new friend at #beechwoodcemetery in #Ottawa on the weekend. A towering and regal Acer saccharum in full colour transition. 

#favouritetrees #urbanhorticulture
#aster #urbanhorticulture #nature #aster #urbanhorticulture #nature
My first productive season of Oregano from seed! E My first productive season of Oregano from seed! Excited to let these dry and bottle. The lengthening growing season in #HamONT means at least another one or two harvests before frost I think. 

#herbgarden #oregano #urbanfarming #backyardgarden
Red habanero hot sauce, made with habaneros and ja Red habanero hot sauce, made with habaneros and jalapeños grown from seeds. 

It tastes better when you grow it yourself. 

#hotsauce #habanero #urbanfarming #backyardgarden
Made a new friend. #treestagram #treesofhamont # Made a new friend. 

#treestagram #treesofhamont #salix
Won't do what you told me. #punkrockplants Won't do what you told me. 

#punkrockplants
Instagram post 18038718980664860 Instagram post 18038718980664860
Love seeing a green patio roof in downtown Hamilto Love seeing a green patio roof in downtown Hamilton. 

#greenroof #urbanhorticulture #climateresilience
First tomato of the season from the pêche heirloo First tomato of the season from the pêche heirloom variety! This little fruit is smaller than average, which makes sense as it came from a plant that had some early difficulties, but is now thriving. 

This variety has a pinkish hue, soft skin, and make for a delightful sauce. 

#backyardgarden #urbanagriculture #raisedbeds #containers
Early jalapeños fruiting right on time: early! @a Early jalapeños fruiting right on time: early! @annapolis_seeds 

#backyardgarden #urbanfarming #container
New friend! Would love to have a camera that can c New friend! Would love to have a camera that can capture movement in somewhat slow motion in macro mode. Any recommendations?

#Acrididae #JumpAround #grasshopper #urbanecosystem
Asclepias tuberosa. #butterflyweed #PollinatorPa Asclepias tuberosa. 

#butterflyweed #PollinatorPatch #urbangarden
Acalymma vittatum! Larvae of the striped cucumber Acalymma vittatum!

Larvae of the striped cucumber beetle on some of my zucchini plants. Neem oil may help, anyone have other tips?

#gardens #ediblegarden #ipm
Tagetes don't care. #punkrockplants #GardeningCana Tagetes don't care. #punkrockplants #GardeningCanada #marigold
Some plants give up in the heat. Others dig in and Some plants give up in the heat. Others dig in and keep going. These native species don’t need pampering—they’re built for long summers, dry soil, and full sun.

Wildflowers, grasses, perennials, and more.
If you're trying to garden smarter, not harder, this list might help.

🌼🌾🌿🌻
Full post now up at MikeLikesPlants.com as are all image credits. 

What native plant holds up best in your yard when it gets hot?👇

#NativePlants #GrowNative #NativePlantGarden #EcologicalGardening #WildflowerGarden #PlantNative #DroughtTolerantGarden #HeatTolerantPlants #WaterwiseGarden #RewildYourYard #SummerGarden #DryClimateGarden #FullSunPlants #HotWeatherPlants #LowWaterGarden #PollinatorPatch #PollinatorFriendly #BeeGarden #HabitatGarden #CanadianGardener #GardeningCanada #PrairiePlants #SouthernOntarioGarden #GardenersOfInstagram #MikeLikesPlants #RootedInPlace #GardenFolk #PrairieFolkVibes #PlantsThatRock
The back meadow is coming together! 🦋 🐝 🌎 The back meadow is coming together! 🦋 🐝 🌎 

I removed a number of invasive pioneer plants from the area between my raised beds and the property fence. These plants aren't ideal for pollinators and quickly overtake the native species I wanted there (like the well developed groupings of goldenrod and rudbeckia i don't think survived the winter and the chokeholds of aforementioned weeds). A trip to @northlandnursery_ont  yielded several young, native perennials (at a great price) who are now in the ground. 

The new friends include:
Monarda fistulosa (wild bergamot)
Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly milkweed)
Asclepias incarnata (swamp milkweed)
Coreopsis lancelota (Lance-leaved coreopsis)
Echinacea purpurea (purple coneflower)

I also picked up two Viola canadensis (Canada violet) for ground cover under a tall syringa vulgaris (lilac) in a shady corner. 

Can't wait to see them develop and who it brings to the yard!

I'm considering a native clover as a ground cover around these perennials, primarily to help keep back the pioneer plants. Does anyone have experience, tips or alternative suggestions?

#nativegarden #nativeplants #ecologicaldesign #gardening
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