Blogs

Perhaps this sounds familiar: it’s summer, and the leaves on some of your plants have taken on a whitish hue. You curse the skies for dulling the vibrant greens of your pride and joy and worry it’s something serious. Well, my friends, this is powdery mildew. Few plant species are actually immune to this unwelcome visitor but the good news is, it’s generally not a threat to your plant’s health, and there are ways to mitigate the problem and prevent reinfection.

For fall leaf colour, there is one tree species that stands out as more magnificent than all the rest. Sugar maples (Acer saccharum) have a wonderful red to green gradient, and the brilliant yellow of the black walnut (Juglans nigra) shimmers in the sun. But it is the tamarack (Larix laricina), with its fluorescent yellow-orange needles, that wins my heart every year.

Did you know that National Forest Week is coming up? It starts Sunday, September 22 and all of us at LEAF are pretty excited. It’s a week that celebrates what we do all year long – protecting and improving the urban forest. Forests are fundamental to our economy, culture, traditions and history – and to our future. National Forest Week is a great opportunity for each of us to learn more about our forests, both urban and rural, and to get involved.

If you subscribe to our e-newsletter, “like” us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter (#watchyourash, @LEAF), chances are you’ve heard about the amazing job our EAB Ambassadors have been doing. Forty individuals have already signed up to become EAB Ambassadors in York Region, and many of them attended our free training session in Newmarket this past June.