The Growing Season

Matt McFarland
  • 5.0 (3)
  • HOME & GARDEN
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

The lighter side of landscaping. Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland, chat about horticulture served with a hearty helping of humour. With over 70 years of design and installation experience the McFarland boys dig into topics in a way you've rarely heard. Packed full of guests that represent various corners of the industry, The Growing Season is smile worthy.The Growing Season: No politics or pulpits, just plants and muddy workboots.

  1. The Growing Season, Jan 31, 2026 - Snowmageddon 2026

    6D AGO

    The Growing Season, Jan 31, 2026 - Snowmageddon 2026

    The GTA set records for snowfall! In light of the recent butt-whooping the Greater Toronto Area took in the recent, record setting, snowfall, Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland decided to use their Snowmageddon bullet on this week's episode of The Growing Season.  In an annual fashion, the trio highlight the events of the storm and take the opportunity to dive into all things white and fluffy.  1999's version of a snowstorm kicks the show off.  Matt correlates where he was then with where he is now.  HINT: it's the same place.  The amounts of snow, left by the ploughs, at the end of your driveway have been NUTS.  Matt rants.  Heavy metal accompanies said rant.   Jack details ways that you can avoid the windrow at the end of your driveway.  What is a "RAGING DULLARD?"  Various sizes and shapes of snow shovels come into focus.  What's the WORST winter-weather drive you've ever experienced?   Matt details his.  Where do you put all the snow that Mother Nature has donated to the City of Toronto?  The Great Lakes aren't frozen.  Does that have an effect on snowfalls?  Snowblower questions abound.  CC vs. Horsepower is explained. A Chevelle's engine block packed with snow turns into a trip down memory lane... Heated driveways - do they work?  Insulation in your home and frigidly cold temperatures overlap with an Avro Arrow story.  Snow is a fertilizer...we kid you not.  Can there be 2 similar snowflakes or is it a myth? Tune in. Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE. What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE. Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE.

    54 min
  2. The Growing Season, Jan 24, 2026 - Strange But True: Winter

    JAN 24

    The Growing Season, Jan 24, 2026 - Strange But True: Winter

    So we're in thick of it.  Right in the fluffy middle. Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland get real STRANGE on this week's episode of The Growing Season.  Winter, in all its glory, becomes the latest focus of Strange But True.  Penguins kick off the show.  Their breeding habits and marital preferences.   Their ability to withstand absolutely frigid temperatures and a freakish talent to hold their breath.  A group of penguins is called a "Waddle."  Cool, eh?  Penguin clouds...from you know where...  LOTS OF CLOUDS! Why has "Global Warming" been re-labelled "Climate Change?" There are lots of Penguins in Gotham City.   Matt takes great delight in talking about Batman.  Wood frogs and Walt Disney!?   Yup.  They correlate.  Reanimating catfish brings Disney and Wood Frogs to an interesting conclusion.  The lowest reported core temperature in a human will surprise you.  Scary avalanche stories are highlighted.  There is some real nightmare fuel here.  Alive, the film from 1993, becomes a discussion point.  "The Donner Party" from 1846-1847 is a story you probably haven't heard but won't soon forget.   What is the Iditarod? Its 1600km's of sheer canine will.  Bee's can "hold it" for absolutely insane lengths of time.  Where do they go to the bathroom in the winter?   Its kinda cool.  Cryoseisms and their role in recent history kicks off a Christmas Eve story.  A snow roller is not what you would think.  What is an "Ice Fern?" Tune in. Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE. What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE. Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE.

    54 min
  3. The Growing Season, Jan 17, 2026 - Salt And Horticulture Pt. 1

    JAN 17

    The Growing Season, Jan 17, 2026 - Salt And Horticulture Pt. 1

    Its the time of the year when a simple walk to the bus stop can be TREACHEROUS! Many of us are salting our exterior surfaces to reduce the chance of slipping.  This week on The Growing Season, Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss salt and horticulture on part 1 of a two part series.  What are the effects on salt on the human body? Salt and the ambient amount of salt in food is discussed.  Canned soup comes into focus.  Why is salt used in food? What about beverages?  A gas powered blender and ice hockey intersect.  How many milligrams of salt is necessary for a healthy diet on a daily basis?  The history of salt and its uses is chatted about.  Are Camels' humps water storage?   A myth is debunked.  Are there salt mines in Canada?  What about Ontario?  Where is "Death Valley" and what is the pH of the soil?  The trio guesses and Lynne NAILS it.  What animals THRIVE in salty environments? What animals need a dosage of salt to regulate their biological systems? Matt discusses his stinky feet and some advice is given that uses salt as a remedy for Matt's issues.  LEECHES and salt.  Memories from the late 80's abound.  Salt and your house pets are correlated.  Tune in. Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE. What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE. Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE.

    54 min
  4. The Growing Season, Jan 10, 2026 - Sub-zero Horticulture: Northwest Territories

    JAN 10

    The Growing Season, Jan 10, 2026 - Sub-zero Horticulture: Northwest Territories

    You think it's wintry in the GTA?   Lets look and see what's happening in The Northwest Territories.  Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland continue the new year with a deep dive into Horticulture in the Northwest Territories on this week's episode of The Growing Season.  Matt highlights a wonderful development in his career.  Its been years in the making.  A travelogue starts the proceedings.  Why is Yellowknife called Yellowknife?   HINT:  It has to do with Yellow Knives!  Frost free days and growing produce - what is the correlation?  What happens when you shrink the number of frost free days? Crowberry, Cloudberry, Saskatoon berry, Bearberry are just a few of the fruiters that feature.   Matt gushes about Serviceberry.  Is Bunchberry the flower of Canada?   There is a debate.  How can you get vitamin C and D, naturally,  in the Northwest Territories?  MUSHROOMS and vitamin D are a couple.  WHAT!?  How would one acquire fruit during the winter months in Yellowknife?  Would fresh produce be SUPER expensive in this area?  ICE ROAD TRUCKERS!   Dun, dun, dun... Chill hours, and how they affect the growth of fruit, are discussed.  Why are many of Canada's horticultural innovations coming from our prairie provinces?  Evergreen trees - do they exist in the Northwest Territories?  Matt tells a story about an engagement ring.  Tune in. Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE. What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE. Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE.

    54 min
  5. The Growing Season, Jan 3, 2026 - Gone: Grasslands

    JAN 3

    The Growing Season, Jan 3, 2026 - Gone: Grasslands

    What if!? That's how we start off in 2026.  Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland get hypothetical.  The Growing Season kicks off the new year with your lawn in mind.   Your lawn, as in the thing buried under the snow.  Its gone! What if our grasslands just disappeared?  How would that effect our ecology? Why this topic? Why now? What is the opposite of grasslands?  You'd be surprised to learn.  The differences between the water consumption of grasslands and forests are compared and contrasted.  Sound dampening of Grasslands and Trees...  Buffalo grass and its effect on the dust bowl in the 1930's is a journey through history.  Christopher Nolan's "Interstellar" ties into this topic with ease.  Cows, cows and more cows feature heavily into the show content.  Big, bovine basics.  What is a Texas Longhorn!? Female cows are kept pregnant almost constantly.  That's a lot of strain on a cows body.  What is a carbon sink? Is grass a filtration system for soil and water tables?  Toronto's Don Valley Parkway becomes a focus.  It's a parking lot but it's BEAUTIFUL.  Topographically it sits really low in its landmass.  How do they deal with flooding?  Grass is highly drought tolerant. It's also a colony plant.  How were the wildfires in California affected by government practices?  "The Asian Steps" is the largest grassland on earth.  IT'S REALLY BIG!  Tune in. Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE. What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE. Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE.

    54 min
  6. The Growing Season, Dec 27, 2025 - Horticulture And The Movies

    12/27/2025

    The Growing Season, Dec 27, 2025 - Horticulture And The Movies

    Take your fern to a film on New Years!  The Growing Season celebrates New Years in style by celebrating the intersection of film and horticulture.   Jack, Lynne and Matt discuss some of the ways blockbuster movies and TV shows have highlighted wonderful biomes.  New Years resolutions kick the show off.  Stranger Things' final episodes feature prominently.  Media and music personalities that have left us this year are discussed.  What does a location scout do for a living?  How does one become a location scout? Is location scouting a job that is been phased out due to technology?  On-location shoots are REALLY expensive.  How are modern filmmakers mitigating this expense?  Gilligan's Island and Lord of The Rings begin the journey of flora and film.  New Zealand's wild landscapes made the Lord Of The Rings films a wonder to behold.  How can one small country be the home to so many different climates?  The Martian and its desolate landscapes... WHERE WERE THEY FILMED? Australia has been the location that many filmmakers have used to enhance their films.  The McFarlands discuss.  JURASSIC PARK!   C'mon, how can we NOT talk about this film.  Tune in. Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE. What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE. Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE.

    54 min
  7. The Growing Season, Dec 20, 2025 - Christmas Visitors

    12/20/2025

    The Growing Season, Dec 20, 2025 - Christmas Visitors

    Santa Claus is coming to town! In the penultimate episode of The Growing Season for 2025, Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland discuss the some of your horticultural holiday favourites. Could you start a holiday themed decking company?  Famous Christmas music and moves kick the show off. Bing Crosby becomes a topic of discussion.  "All I want for Christmas," Mariah Carey's ubiquitous holiday hit has sold some copies.  LIKE A LOT OF COPIES.  Christmas Vacation, It's A Wonderful Life, Home Alone and Miracle on 34th Street are all talking points.  Frakincense and myrrh have a horticultural history.   50,000 trees are cut down, yearly, to make wrapping paper.  How can we reduce that number?  Potted rosemary as a small, indoor, Christmas tree is a wonderful option.  Lynne discusses "flocking" of Christmas Trees.  A word slip becomes a moment of hilarity.  The surgeon general stops by for some holiday advice.  The poinsettia and all its vibrant colours become a focus.   Matt tells a story about changing their leaf colour in a commercial setting.  How do you choose the perfect poinsettia?  Christmas cactus are a short day plant.  WHAT?   Mistletoe is a parasitic plant that likes to grow on other trees.  It takes all the water and nutrition from its host.  How did it become the focus of kissing?  Tune in. Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE. What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE. Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE.

    54 min
  8. The Growing Season, Dec 13, 2025 - Evergreens and Christmas Trees

    12/13/2025

    The Growing Season, Dec 13, 2025 - Evergreens and Christmas Trees

    You knew it was coming!  Evergreens and Christmas Trees draw the spotlight on this week's episode of The Growing Season.  Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland highlight THE focal point of the Christmas Season for those of us that lean into horticultural interests.  What came first - evergreens or deciduous plants?  You'll be surprised to know.  Do real Christmas trees provide significant income to those selling them at this time of year?  The pros and cons of real and artificial Christmas Trees are discussed.  Cancer, oxygen and the health benefits of either choice become a focus.  Do Christmas Trees need a specific soil to thrive during their growing process?  PREDATOR!   Bring the intergalactic space hunters.  Jack McFarland used to own a tree farm.  He tells of his adventures.  Allergies and real Christmas trees - is there a correlation? Are allergy sufferers affected by Christmases most prominent horticultural element?  Matt outlines how to prep your real Christmas tree for decorating.  The youngest host sold Christmas trees for years and he recounts the finer points of these memories.  The heaviest shedders all the way up to the least shedders cap the show off.  What is done with the real Christmas tree after New Years.  You'll find out... Tune in. Looking to book a consult for your property?  We'd love to help.  CLICK HERE. What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE. Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE.

    54 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

The lighter side of landscaping. Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland, chat about horticulture served with a hearty helping of humour. With over 70 years of design and installation experience the McFarland boys dig into topics in a way you've rarely heard. Packed full of guests that represent various corners of the industry, The Growing Season is smile worthy.The Growing Season: No politics or pulpits, just plants and muddy workboots.

Information

  • Creator
    Matt McFarland
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    187
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Growing Season
  • Show Website
    The Growing Season