Not to be missed!

Come to our 5th Annual Native Plant Sale!!

Over 40 native species are available - some hard to find! Lots of variety - you'll find low, medium and tall native flowering plants and grasses for sun, shade, dry and moist conditions. Some woodland species too!

• Sale will be held outdoors in the driveway.

• Please park on the opposite side of the street.

• Plants are potted in biodegradable 12-oz. paper containers filled with clean soilless mix - no danger of invasive pests in soil.

• Labeled tags are weatherproof.

• BYOB - bring your own boxes!

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Most plants are $3.50 each. Special plants are $8.00 to $20.00 each, depending on size and rarity. Cash, checks, and e-transfers accepted.

Upcoming educational webinars

May webinar presentations...

Interesting, informative, and relevant - We conduct our workshops as FREE Zoom presentations for individual registrants, with a question period afterward. Helpful information sheets are downloadable.

***Presentations for groups can be arranged for a fee. Contact us for more information.

Native Trees and Shrubs for Small Spaces

• Sat. May 4 @ 10:00 a.m.

Even with limited space, you have many options for choosing small native trees and shrubs in your yard. Learn which species are best for your region, considering important ecological services including nectar, pollen, fruit, seeds, nuts and berries, cover, and bird nesting sites. A guide for sourcing and correctly planting your new trees and shrubs will also be provided.

Create a Woodland Garden With Native Plants

• Sat. May 11 @ 10:00 a.m.

Learning how to plant a woodland garden is easy and rewarding. Why not transform your patch of shade into a cool and tranquil garden oasis using native plants? This workshop will get you started. It's a great way to celebrate our natural woodland heritage and provide a refuge for wildlife as well!

...with more Zoom webinars coming in June!

Pollinator-friendly Container Gardens

• Sat. June 8 @ 10:00 a.m.

Have you run out of room to plant in your garden? Can’t grow certain plants because you don’t have the right soil conditions? Tired of replacing annuals in containers? Native container gardening is the new frontier – beautiful and eco-beneficial! A list of container-loving “all-star” natives is provided.

Beginner’s Guide to Identifying Butterflies, hosted by BB and presented by Stephanie Keeler!

• Sat. June 15 @ 10:00 a.m.

We invited guest speaker Stephanie Keeler from The Riverwood Conservancy to share her expertise about how to identify Ontario’s butterflies by shape, size, and colour. This presentation will help you distinguish the 5 families of Ontario butterflies, along with practical tips on providing their preferred food host native plants to entice them to your backyard or balcony.

Biodiversity Buzz

Hello Vanessas! Our much-loved spring migrants return

by Stephanie Keeler

Have you noticed dozens of black and red butterflies fluttering past you while in your garden, on the trails of Riverwood, or even when driving home from work? It is common knowledge that our beautiful and beloved Monarch Butterflies migrate large distances to overwintering sites in Mexico, but they are not the only butterflies (or insects in fact) that migrate!

Recently, if you live in Southern Ontario or alike,  you may have observed small, black and red butterflies floating past you. These are different species of butterflies in the Nymphalida family of butterflies, also known as “Brushfoots”.

The most abundant of the species in the past month are the red admirals and the American ladies – so let’s talk about these brilliant migrants! Get the details in Stephanie's article here>>

To learn more about identifying butterflies this summer, join us online on Saturday, June 15th at 10 am, when we host Stephanie's webinar A Beginner’s Guide to Butterfly ID

Did you know?

• Red admiral butterfly migrants are seen in May over most of southern Canada (mid-April at Point Pelee). There are two or possibly three generations per year, with fresh specimens seen even in September. They occasionally overwinter successfully in Canada in mild winters. Did this one overwinter?

• It's a fighter! This is a conspicuous and aggressive butterfly that often claims a territory, like a road through a woods or even a parking lot, and defends it against all comers.

Biodiversity Buzz

Quench beneficial backyard insects' thirst with a water feature

by Pamela Sleightholm

Water features have long been popular in gardens, not only for their aesthetic appeal but also for their ecological benefits.

Incorporating a water feature into your garden can provide a haven for wildlife, help attract beneficial insects, and contribute to the overall health of your garden ecosystem.

One of the primary ecological benefits of including a water feature in your garden is the role it plays in supporting wildlife. Birds, insects, and other small animals rely on water for drinking and bathing, and a well-maintained water feature can provide a consistent and reliable water source for these creatures. Find out more in Pamela's full article here>>

Biodiversity Buzz

Plant names: past, present and future

Why excrement of the stars, corpse’s face powder or raven’s ochre might be the best and truest names for a puffball mushroom

by Heather Raithby Doyle

Plant names take us down a rambling, interesting road. It turns out there is a lot of history in a name, and omission as well. 

Why, for example, do so many native plants have “weed” in their name? So many glorious plants: Joe Pye weed, swamp milkweed, butterfly weed, tickweed, and sneezeweed have weed as part of their common name. According to scholars, these names are a legacy from colonial settlers who, not familiar with the New World plants, designated them weeds.

Below: Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnal) is reported to be named by Linnaeus himself, and refers to a legend that these flowers sprung up where Helen of Troy’s tears fell. The sneezing part refers to snuff made from its leaves, which caused sneezing and expelling of evil spirits. Photo: Joshua Meyer

Food for thought...

Indigenous names for plants, of course, have been around much longer than 300 years. These indigenous names deserve respect and attention, and help keep indigenous language alive. Could we find a way to tie the past to our shared future? If we can learn Latin, why not learn Anishinaabemowin, the original language of the Mississauga First Nation which is critically eroding. Using Indigenous names would be one step towards reconciliation.

Read the rest of Heather's fascinating article ...>>>

Garden Buzz

Native gardener to-do list: May/June

1. Do some garden planning. Where can you tuck in a few more native plants? Is this the year you create a boulevard garden?

2. Plant a tree. First choice should be a native keystone species (oak, maple, willow, birch, sumac, cherry), and make sure you give it a good start by planting properly.

3. Order native plants and/or seeds! Plan to attend our 5th Annual Native Plant Sale on June 1 & 2. We sell native plant seeds collected from our gardens. Most species we grow are indigenous to the GTA. Order them on our social media pages or shop in person at our outreach booths. Check out this handy LIST OF NATIVE SPRING-BLOOMING PLANTS and info in The Spring Blooms are Coming

4. Take a course or attend a presentation! Register for a free BB online workshop, or attend our in-person presentations at the Riverwood Conservancy and elsewhere in Mississauga.

5. Read a book on native plant gardening, biodiversity conservation, or pollinating insects. Recommended for spring: A New Garden Ethic: Cultivating Defiant Compassion for an Uncertain Future and Prairie Up: An Introduction to Natural Garden Design, both by Benjamin Vogt.

6. Get the iNaturalist app for your smartphone to help identify plants and wildlife, and report sightings of wild fauna and flora.

Looking for a rewarding volunteer experience? Dive in! Join our Board of Directors or volunteer for a project!

We’re looking for volunteers to join us in developing our exciting new projects and initiatives. We encourage applicants from across the City of Mississauga and from diverse backgrounds and living circumstances.

Are you someone with enthusiasm and a willingness to collaborate with others?  Particularly, if you have leadership skills or experience in fundraising, project management or horticulture, or if you’re someone who likes to turn ideas into action, we’d be happy to hear from you.  

Interested? Contact us at info@bloomingboulevards.org and/or click the button to apply.