Plants - All

The Philodendron 'Mars' is an eye catching hybrid Philodendron known for its striking new growth that starts as orange-yellow and matures into shades of lime green.

Scientific Name: Philodendron Mars

Common Name: Philodendron Mars

Light: Medium to bright, indirect light

Growth: Can grow one to two feet per year

Watering: When top 2 inches are dry

Pet Safe: No

Care: Easy

The Philodendron "Painted Lady" Is a cultivated hybrid, not a naturally occurring plant.  The parent plants of this hybrid is native to tropical regions of South America.  The Painted Lady is a great house plant for beginners. The biggest trick is ensuring its gorgeous variegation stays vibrant and bright by giving it enough light and being cautious not to overwater. 

Scientific Name: Philodendron erubescens 'Painted Lady' 

Common Name: Painted Lady Philodendron

Light: Bright, Indirect light

Growth: Slow to moderate growth

Watering: Allow the soil to almost dry completely and then water thoroughly

Pet Safe: No

Care: Easy

This shimmery stunning plant is native to Vietnam and China.  Since they come from a place such as Vietnam,  they thrive in warm humid environments.  The contrast of the metallic markings with darker green border makes is so visually pleasing and a great addition to your indoor plant collection.

Scientific Name: Pilea Cadierei

Common Name: Aluminum Plant/Watermelon Pilea

Growth: This plant can spread as well as grow upright.  It can grow up to 12 inches high.

Light: Bright indirect light 

Watering: When top soil is dry, ensure good drainage 

Pet Safe: Yes

Care: Easy

A fun plant with leaves that look like it’s been splashed with paint. Comes in a variety of colours!  The Polka Dot plant originates from the island of Madagascar.  It is also found in South Africa and Southeast Asia. The beautiful polka dots on its leaves symbolize creativity and it is believed to bring positive energy and enhance the ambiance of any room.

Scientific Name: Hypoestes Phyllostachya

Common Name: Polka Dot Plant

Light: Bright indirect light

Growth: Can grow up to 12 inches tall

Watering: Keep evenly hydrated, likes to be misted

Pet Safe: Yes

Care: Intermediate 

The Neon Pothos is one of the most distinct varieties of this Pothos family.  These heart shaped leaves are golden yellow or bright green.  When new growth appears, the colour is more vibrant and brighter than the older leaves. Neon Pothos are great for hanging baskets and it is a remarkable trailing plant.  This plant is native to French Polynesia.

Scientific Name: Epipremnum Aureum

Common Name: Golden Pothos/ Neon Pothos

Light: Bright indirect light to low light

Watering: Keep evenly hydrated, ensure good drainage 

Growth: When mature, the leaves can grow to 3 feet long.  The vine itself can grow very long if in the right conditions.  If it starts to look "leggy", make sure it's in a bright spot and trim the vine to encourage more growth.

Pet Safe: No

Care: Easy

The Hawaiian Pothos is a wonderfully hardy plant that has the most beautiful green heart shaped leaves with yellow brush strokes of colour. It originates from French Polynesia.  It's considered an ideal houseplant because of its resilience.

Scientific Name: Epipremnum Aureum

Common Name: Hawaiian Pothos

Light: Medium to bright light

Growth: A few feet long, depending on conditions

Watering: When the top two inches is dry, water thoroughly 

Pet safe: No

Care: Easy

The Marble Pothos is known for its striking green and white variegation.  Marble Pothos are great for hanging baskets and it is a remarkable trailing plant.  This plant is native to French Polynesia.

Scientific Name: Epipremnum Aureum

Common Name: Marble Queen Pothos

Light: Bright indirect light to low light

Watering: Keep evenly hydrated, ensure good drainage 

Growth: In ideal conditions this plant can grow 12-18 inches a year.

Pet Safe: No

Care: Easy

Cacti store water in their stems, which is why they are thrive in the desert. The spines on cacti are actually modified leaves. They help to protect the plant from animals and reduce water loss by shading the stem. The Rattail Cactus originates from South Western Mexico.

Scientific Name: Disocactus flagelliformis

Common Name: Rattail Cactus

Growth: Can grow 3-6 feet long

Light: Bright, Indirect sun

Watering: Let the soil dry out completely before watering

Pet Safe: Yes

Care: Easy

Originating from the rainforests of Brazil, in its native habitat, it thrives in the warm, humid, and shaded conditions found on the rainforest floor, growing under the canopy of taller vegetation.  With its stunning spotted leaves with beautiful dark and light green colours, this is sure to be a plant that everyone admires in your home.

Scientific Name: Goeppertia insignis

Common Name: Rattlesnake Calathea

Light: Bright,indirect light

Growth: Can spread 2-3 feet

Watering: When the soil in the pot is dry halfway down

Pet Safe: Yes

Care: Easy

Peek under the leaves of this plant for a surprise pop of purple!  Originating from Southern Mexico, this attractive plant can grow small white flowers emerging from the purple, boat shaped bracts, resembling a cradle.

Scientific Name: Tradescantia spathacea

Common Name: Rhoeo Tricolour, Moses-in-a-cradle, Oyster plant, Boat Lily

Growth: 2 feet high and 2 feet wide

Light: Bright indirect light to full sun

Watering: When top soil is dry, likes to be misted

Pet Safe: No

Care: Easy

The Chanin is a beautiful plant that has slender, pointed leaves that radiate outwards in a fan-like formation.  It is a matte green, almost frozen mint colour.  The leaves are plump, fleshy, and exceptionally pleasing to the touch.  This plant originates from Thailand and is also in the family of the common Snake Plant.

Scientific Name: Dracaena trifasciata

Common Name: Sansevieria Chanin, Silver Syreni

Light: Can tolerate low light but thrives in indirect light

Growth: Slow growth rate

Watering: Allow soil to dry out completely before watering.

Pet Safe: No

Care: Easy

An easy indoor plant that is hardy and visually interesting.  This plant originates from the tropical regions of West Africa. It forms dense clumps of leaves, creating an architectural and visually appealing display.

Scientific Name: Dracaena Angolensis

Common Name: Sansevieria Cylindrica "Fernwood Mikado"

Growth: Can grow 2-3 feet tall

Light: Low light to bright indirect light

Watering: Once soil is completely dry.  Typically every 2-6 weeks

Pet Safe: No

Care: Easy

A delightful, spiral-growing low-light plant that adds tons of interest and charm to your snake plant collection. This plant originated from Thailand and is a rare variety of the common Snake Plant.  The plant was named "Yaya" after the breeder's beloved pet bird.

Scientific Name: Dracaena Trifasciata

Common Name: Sansevieria Yaya

Light: Tolerates low light conditions, but bright, indirect light will help maintain vibrant foliage and clear marking

Growth: It is a very slow growing plant

Water: Only when completely dry

Pet Safe: No

Care: Easy

It's the Shrimp Plant!  This quirky plant has beautifully interesting flowers that resemble shrimps!  Native to Mexico, it is a tropical evergreen shrub that has made an interesting house plant.  With its constant flowering, you can enjoy the flowers all year round.

Scientific Name: Justicia Brandegeeana

Common Name: Shrimp Plant or False Hop

Light: Part shade or indirect light

Watering: Keep soil consistently wet but not soggy.

Growth:  Can grow to 4 feet tall

Pet Safe: Yes, but consuming large amounts can cause your pet to get sick.

Care: Easy

The Snake Plant, also known as the "mother-in-law's tongue", is one of the hardiest plants around.  It originates from West and Central Africa.  You can find them in dry, rocky, desert like areas.  Some people love them because they symbolize resilience and good luck. Snake Plants reduce allergens in the environment by releasing oxygen into the air, making them an air-purifying plant.  

Scientific Name: Dracaena trifasciata, formerly Sansevieria trifasciata

Common Name: Snake Plant

Growth: Can grow to 6 feet tall

Light: Bright indirect light to low light

Watering: Water sparingly 

Pet Safe: No

Care: Easy

The Snake Plant, also known as the "mother-in-law's tongue", is one of the hardiest plants around.  It originates from West and Central Africa.  You can find them in dry, rocky, desert like areas.  Some people love them because they symbolize resilience and good luck. Snake Plants reduce allergens in the environment by releasing oxygen into the air, making them an air-purifying plant.  

Scientific Name: Dracaena trifasciata, formerly Sansevieria trifasciata

Common Name: Snake Plant

Growth: Can grow to 6 feet tall

Light: Bright indirect light to low light

Watering: Water sparingly 

Pet Safe: No

Care: Easy

This fun succulent variety is distinctive for its banana shaped leaves! Originating from rocky regions of South Africa.  Being from a dry area, they do not require a lot of watering.  Just like succulents, these guys can last through a drought. String of Bananas is a perfect plant for a hanging basket with its long trailing vines!

Scientific Name: Curio Radicans

Common Name: String of Bananas

Light: Bright indirect light 

Watering: When top soil is dry, ensure good drainage 

Growth: Can reach up to lengths of 36 inches

Pet Safe: No

Care: Intermediate

The String of Turtles is a cute little plant that resembles turtle shells.  It originates from the rainforests of Ecuador and Brazil. It thrives in warm, humid conditions, growing as a trailing vine.  A plant that is very easy to propagate and thrives in terrariums.

Scientific Name:  Peperomia Prostrata

Common Name: String of Turtles

Growth: Could reach 12 inches long

Light: Bright indirect light 

Watering: When top soil is dry, ensure good drainage 

Pet Safe: Yes

Care: Intermediate

Sunflowers are a must-grow annual each season - their bright, cheery faces make me smile, and I absolutely love them in fall bouquets. They're always covered in bees of all sizes, even ladybugs. Then the birds, squirrels and chipmunks feast on the seeds.

I adore Ring of Fire, with their chocolate brown centres surrounded by golden yellow petals that turn to red. People ask me about them every year. I find the more sun they get, the deeper the red colour.

Ring of Fire is a basal branching variety, so you get multiple blooms off each plant. When you're tight on space, this is a bonus. Succession plant the seeds for continuous blooms.

Chipmunks and squirrels LOVE sunflower seeds and small shoots, and will relentlessly dig up the seeds and/or chop the tender plants off. My neighbours have heard my sobs and swearing in equal measure over the years. Here are my tried and tested ways to fight them:

1. Direct sow seeds in containers or pots, then completely cage them with small-holed wire mesh (forget plastic - they will eat right through it) for as long as possible
2. Start seeds indoors 4 weeks before last frost, then transplant to the garden with tall, wire mesh collars around the seedlings and DO NOT remove all season

Note: I learned the hard way that sunflowers are allelopathic, meaning they give off toxins that impede the growth of or even kill other plants. They also deplete soil of nutrients. Because I grow so much food in containers, I now grow my sunflowers in separate pots and place them near their fruit, veg and herb companions

Type: Annual

Height: 4-5 ft.

Light: full sun

Soil: heavy feeders, sunflowers need organically-rich soil that's well draining

Planting: Sow in warm soil after the danger of frost, 1/2" deep, 6" apart

Harvest: 8-12 weeks

The Sunset Jade, different from the original Jade, has yellow and red edged leaves making it stand out just a little bit more.  Originating from South Africa, this Jade is known for its easy care, low maintenance qualities.  One of most popular succulents around!

Scientific Name: Crassula Ovata 

Common Name: Jade, Lucky Plant, Money Tree

Growth: about 2 inches of height per year indoors

Light: Bright indirect light to full sun

Watering: Let dry out between waterings

Pet Safe: No

Care: Easy