Plants - All

The Chinese Evergreen also known as the Aglaonema - Sparkling Sarah is a vary easy plant to care for and they are a great choice for beginners! This plant is native to the tropical and subtropical rainforests of Southeast Asia and New Guinea, where it grows in low-light, humid conditions.

Scientific Name: Aglaonema

Common Name: Chinese Evergreen

Growth: 2-3 feet 

Light: Bright indirect light though it can withstand lowlight conditions 

Watering: They need to be watered when the top layer of soil drys out.

Pet Safe: no

Care: Easy

A curious palm sprouting straight from the coconut!  This palm, while kept indoors, will not grow into a tall tree. Their growth depends on the size of their pot. Coconut palms that are grown indoors are also not likely not reach a size that allows it to bear fruit.  As your palm grows, be sure to up the pot size to give the root system lots of room.  

Scientific Name: Cocos Nucifera

Common Name: Coconut Palm

Light: Full sun for as many hours as possible.  In the winter months, consider using a grow light to compensate for the shorter days.

Watering: Keep the soil consistently hydrated but not soggy.  Fertilize regularly if possible.

Pet safe: Yes

Care: Easy

Uxbridge Township’s flower!

These delightful beauties in cheery pinks (my favourite colour!) are showstoppers in my full sun gardens. 

Daisy-like blooms sit atop long, slender stems with feathery leaves, forming a cloud of colour. Once blooming, you’ll have non-stop flowers until a hard frost.

They crawl with bumblebees, hoverflies, sweat bees and ladybugs; I love sitting quiet and close to a patch of Cosmos, listening to soft buzzing and watching the action. Small birds such as goldfinches and chickadees eat seeds from the dried flower heads.

An excellent cut flower, lasting a week or more. East Gwillimbury Garden Club 3rd place winner in 2023, any other annuals category.

Open-pollinated

Heirloom

Type: annual, but reliably self-seeds and returns in my Zone 5b garden

Colour: pink shades, from pale to dark crimson, some variegated, yellow centres

Mix of single, double and fluted blooms

Height: 30-183 cm (1-6 ft)

Soil: well drained, drought tolerant

Light: full to partial (6+ hours/day)

Planting: direct sow lightly, no more than 1/4” deep, in warm soil after last frost. For earlier blooms, start seeds indoors 4 weeks before last frost, then transplant outside after hardening off (LINK: how to harden off seedlings)

Care: low maintenance. Deadhead regularly

Bloom time: early summer - hard frost

Carly’s Tip: Water soil first, let saturate, then plant seeds. This prevent seeds – especially light, delicate ones not deeply sown – from moving/washing away.

A member of the cactus family, this amazing plant will flower for you all year long! Keep it in a bright window and and it will be very happy

Light: Bright indirect light

Watering: When top soil is dry, ensure good drainage.

Pet Safe: No

Care: Easy

Butterflies, bees and hummingbirds love this plant's nectar, making Dense Blazing Star an excellent addition to pollinator gardens. Birds then eat the seeds through the winter.

I love the whimsical, long-lasting, bright, feathery pop of purples as it grows and flowers from the top down - truly unique. I grow it among White (dwarf) Lavender, Lance-Leaf Coreopsis, Spotted Bee Balm and Blanket Flower.

Type: Native Perennial

Height: 5 ft.

Light: full sun-part shade

Moisture: well draining, drought tolerant

Planting: Cold, moist stratification required - see options in photos, courtesy of Northern Wildflowers. Lightly cover (1/8" depth) with moist soil, and do not let seedlings dry out. OR direct sow in late fall to overwinter in the garden for blooms the following spring

Bloom time: July-late fall

Looking like a palm tree gives this plant a tropical look! This variety has lovely pink edges to its leaves.  This plant originates from tropical Madagascar and It can live for decades under the right conditions.  

Scientific Name: Dracaena Marginata "Colorama"

Common Name: Dracaena Colorama/Dragon Tree

Light: Bright indirect light

Growth: 4-6 feet tall indoors

Watering: Keep evenly hydrated

Pet Safe: No

Care: Easy

This variety has lovely lemon lime colour.  The Lemon Lime plant looks like it just came out of a Dr. Seuss book but this plant originates from tropical Africa, specifically regions of Sudan and Angola.  This plant is known for also removing toxins from the air.

Scientific Name:  Dracaena Fragrans

Common Name:  Dracaena Lemon Lime/Lemon Lime Corn Palm

Growth: Can reach 5-7 feet tall indoors

Light: Bright indirect light

Watering: Keep evenly hydrated

Pet Safe: No

Care: Easy

This gorgeous house plant has airy, textured leaves that start out bright green and mature to a bronze-green colour. A fabulous houseplant addition to add drama + interest.

Scientific Name: Plerandra elegantissima

Common Name: False Aralia

Light: Partial sun; place near a window for bright, indirect light 

Growth: Can reach 6 ft tall, 2-3 ft wide, but prune to keep it compact

Watering: Let top 2" dry between waterings + do not let it completely dry out; loves humidity + regular misting 

Pet Safe: No

Care: Intermediate

An elegant variety of ficus, with pink/cream coloured leaves. Originating from Southeast Asia.

Scientific Name: Ficus Shivereana

Common Name: Ficus Moonshine

Light: Bright indirect light 

Growth: Can grow quite tall indoors

Watering: When Top of soil is dry, ensure good drainage

Pet Safe: No

Care: Intermediate 

Native to parts in Southeast Asia, known for symbolizing abundance, happiness and wealth. This plant is a great addition to your plant collection with its beautifully spotted/painted thick leaves.

Scientific Name: Ficus Elastica Tineke

Common Name: Rubber Fig, Rubber Tree, Rubber Plant

Light: Bright, Indirect light

Growth: Can grow 2-5 Feet

Watering: When the top two inches are dry

Pet Safe: No

Care: Easy

This funky cactus has a zigzag pattern to its leaves and resembles a fishbone!

Unlike so many other Cacti, this little guy originates from the rainforests of Mexico.  Found along the mountains just off the Pacific Coast, It is an epiphyte, meaning it grows on trees, not in the ground in the wild. So it loves humid environments!

Scientific Name: Epiphyllum anguliger

Common Name: Fishbone Cactus, Ric Rac Cactus

Growth: Can grow up to 6 inches per year

Light: Bright indirect light 

Watering: Needs consistent moisture but not soggy.

Pet Safe: Yes

Care: Intermediate

This is a dangling plant that has beautiful bright purple flowers that look like tubes of lipstick!  The Curly Q is a variety of the Lipstick Plant. Known for its trailing stems, waxy leaves, and striking red, tubular flowers that resemble lipstick emerging from a tube. This plant is native to Southwest Asia, specifically Indonesia and Malaysia.

Scientific Name: Aeschynanthus Radicans

Common Name: Lipstick Plant/Curly Q

Light: Bright indirect light

Watering: Keep evenly hydrated, likes to be misted 

Growth: 2-3 feet long indoors

Pet Safe: Yes

Care: Intermediate 

A funky succulent with a spiky look!

Haworthia attenuata, also known as zebra haworthia, is native to Southern Africa.  This plant is very slow growing and has a life span of up to 50 years! In the wild, these plants grow in very harsh conditions and can be found buried in sand.

Scientific Name: Haworthia attenuata

Common Name: Zebra Haworthia

Growth: 1-6 inches in height

Light: Bright indirect light 

Watering: Let dry out between watering 

Pet Safe: Yes

Care: Easy

Also known as Wax Plants, hoyas are collectible tropical succulents native to Asia + Australia, and have a cult following! 

A less common hoya, the Lisa has a spectacular rainbow of leaf colours including dark green, lime green, creamy yellow, ruby red, and soft peach. When it's very happy + healthy, Hoya Lisa will grow stunning white, star-shaped flowers that smell like vanilla + chocolate!

Scientific Name: Hoya australis ssp. tenuipes 'Lisa'

Common Name: Hoya Lisa, Wax Plant Lisa, Porcelain Flower

Light: Bright, indirect light 

Growth: Vining up to 3 ft long; requires a trellis or hanging planter

Watering: Let soil almost completely dry out between watering 

Pet Safe: No

Care: Easy