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Blog

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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Festivals of Lights: Ramadan and Eid-ul-fitr

April 1, 2022

Around the world, people celebrate festivals with specific traditions and customs. When people come to Canada, depending on the food and plants available, they adapt ...

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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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Festivals of Lights: Lunar New Year

February 8, 2022

Around the world, people celebrate festivals with specific traditions and customs. When people come to Canada, depending on the food and plants available, they adapt ...

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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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Festivals of Lights: Kwanzaa

December 26, 2021

Around the world, people celebrate festivals with specific traditions and customs. When people come to Canada, depending on the food and plants available, they adapt ...

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Festivals of Lights: Christmas

December 20, 2021

Around the world, people celebrate festivals with specific traditions and customs. When people come to Canada, depending on the food and plants available, they adapt ...

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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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Festivals of Lights: Hanukkah

November 25, 2021

Around the world, people celebrate festivals with specific traditions and customs. When people come to Canada, depending on the food and plants available, they adapt ...

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