BT Toronto Blogs

Wow what a month!!  This month has been absolutely fantastic weather wise!  Very minimal rain and temps well above normal.  In fact this will be the first November since 1937 that we haven’t a trace of snow (I’m pretty certain we will not see a flake in the final days of November). 

This also happens to be the first year that I’ve contracted a company to remove snow off my driveway…a great investment!! Yeah, Yeah start teasing me now!!

In terms of plants I’m really happy we’ve seen some rain over the last few days.  Plant life requires moisture in fall to reduce stress of moisture loss during the winter months. 

I’m a little concerned about snow load.  Environment Canada is saying a green Christmas I’m saying lets wait and see.  Snow load is so important in the winter.  Snow insulates our plants from snap deep freezes and moderates the temps of soil surrounding the roots of plants.  Snow also provides much need moisture in the spring (when it thaws of course).  In the world of gardening in Ontario Snow is key!!

Our plants are responding to this November’s mild temps.  I’ve received several emails of spring flowering bulbs starting to poke up through the surface.  What can you do??  Nothing!!  Let Mother Nature take it’s course. If we receive a nice snow and gradually see our temps fall ..life is good.  If we get a snap freeze …you may not see happy tulips next spring in fact they may be stunted and lack blooms!!  Sorry!!

In the meantime the snow watch continues!!

Do you have a gardening questions??  Email me at frankieflowers@citytv.com

You can also follow me on Twitter @ frankferragine

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You are the best viewers in the world! Words can’t express how deeply touched we are by your show of love and support with The Toronto Sun Reader’s Choice Awards today. You have heavily rewarded us again this year. We are so humbled by it all. You see, here’s the thing….we all love what we do and are so grateful to be invited into your living rooms…so… to get any sort of recognition is just icing on the cake.

That said….we wouldn’t be anything without you or our tireless behind-the-scenes crew who make our show tic each and every day….we share this with each and every one of you.

I also need to make mention once again to my WHAM team of Wardrobe Hair and Makeup to whom I give all credit for making me look human at 4am. It’s all smoke and mirrors!

Congratulations to everyone else who won….and thank-you again for making Breakfast Television and CityTV your go-to station year after year. Thank-you also to everyone at The Sun for the wonderful presentation on the show this morning…we are still blushing and for once in our lives….collectively speechless….

Xo

Dina

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Get all our updates on contest, blogs and all else BT!

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Get all our updates on contest, blogs and all else BT!

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What a week!! Jamaica was Awesome…the People, the Sunshine, the Adventures.  Thanks to Sandals Dunn’s River, Air Canada Vacations and The Jamaica Tourist Board.  You made this trip a trip we will remember for a lifetime.  This morning we said good bye to our 5 couples.  Click the Play Button to see them leave with Splash!!  We will always be friends.

Check out the great pictures of the group on the Sandals Sunset Cruise, Tubing along the White River and the Beautiful Gardens of Jamaica.

Have a Safe and Happy Weekend

See you on Monday in TO

Jenn

CHUKKA Caribbean Adventures

Sandals Dunn’s River, Ocho Rios, Jamaica

www.sandals.com

Jamaica Tourist Board

www.visitjamaica.com

Air Canada Vacations

www.aircanadavacations.com

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Pictures Courtesy of Cliff Spicer

What an amazing night! I am officially feeling the Christmas Spirit thanks to each and everyone of you beautiful people who turned out in droves.

With the biggest, brightest, turnout yet….Toronto Eaton Centre and Swarovski hosted the 5th annual Swarovski Crystal Wish Tree unveiling, last night.

The Canadian Tenors delighted us with their beautiful voices (and spirits)….the new Swarovski ornaments were unveiled in the 35 foot high STUNNING tree!

And yes…the real stars…the children from the Children’s Wish Foundation took to the stage to remind us what it is all about…granting wishes for kids who are battling life-threatening illnesses….something no child should ever go through.

All five WISH children from previous years graced the stage with little Nailah Brooks shining brightly in the spotlight this year (she got her wish to meet Cinderella at Disney)….I loved meeting all of you….my family surprised me with a visit and the whole brilliant mood and spirit of the night made me very emotional.

Thank-you to all who came out (Sky, Erica, Shonna, Martha, Brittany)…so many wonderful faces and friends and viewers to mention….you all warmed my heart.

A special thank-you also to Fashion Crimes on Queen Street for outfitting me with the perfect magical pink dress for the night…..and hair accessory (they have TONS)….and of course, thank-you for having me host, I am honoured and so deeply grateful to be part of such a magical, beautiful, night.

xoxo

Have a great weekend,

Dina

Disney is an amazing place for everyone including someone like me who loves gardening.  With acres of gardens across Disney parks and Disney resorts Disney World Orlando has a horticultural staff of over 600 people.  They plant over 3 million annuals a year and they are internationally known for their amazing topiary Disney Characters. 

I got a behind the scenes look of Disney nursery and a look into the world of topiary design and construction.  Really cool and take it from a guy who has attempted topiaries a whole lot of work.  A little insider the steel frame of the Donald Duck picture below is the feature item to the entrance of Epcot during the 2010 Epcot Flower and Garden Festival March 03, 2010 – May 16, 2010

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/epcot/special-events/epcot-international-flower-and-garden-festival/

If you’re wondering what the picture is of the weird looking plant with the huge elephant looking base.  This is another discovery in the Disney Nursery called the Ant Plant the reason why is best described by www.toptropicals.com:

“Ant Plant” is an interesting and unusual epiphytic plant whose swollen base also provides housing for ants. Myrmecodia tuberosa have thick unbranched stems with larger leaves. They are sometimes covered with unusual structures, called clypeoli (shield like structures surrounding each leaf base). Clypeoli may have spines to give the stem an armored appearance. These spines can be simple or branched. The base of the stem develops into a tuber. The tuber is a brown or greyish color. There are entrance holes on the surface that connect to galleries inside the tuber. These galleries are split up. There are smooth walled galleries where ants live, and are protected. The plants take advantage of the ant’s waste products while the ants are thought to help protect the plant from predators. Many growers successfully use a mix of peat and perlite, or a combination of long-fiber sphagnum moss, chopped fir bark, and perlite which is very open but retains moisture. The plants are watered when the mix is just barely moist, because sphagnum is difficult to re-wet if it is allowed to become bone dry.

Disney is an adventure in plants.  Over the next few weeks I will jump back to feature more of my discoveries at Disney.  For now I’m off to researching a few new projects that will keep me “growing” over the next year…stay tuned!!

Frankie