Toronto gardening and garden writer's site

A couple of months ago Mark Disero, a rose enthusiast and fellow country gardener, who is practically a neighbor, contacted me about a two web sites that he has been developing.

I've had a chance to get to know Mark a little bit since then. He was the mastermind behind the first show to focus exclusively on Canadian roses. Sponsored by the Hamilton & Burlington Rose Society, the All-Canadian Rose Show took two years to organize, and showcased 125 Canadian cultivars at Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton/Burlington last June. This show was a tribute to the Canadian rose hybridizers and a celebration of the great Canadian-bred roses.

I'm sure that I disappoint Mark by not growing any roses, but we are inundated by Japanese beetles here (irrigated turf at the neighboring golf course really encourages them), and that's one battle I just don't have the energy to fight.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand. Mark's new sites are now live. One is gardenwriters.ca:

"I hope that gardeners can use my site to access great horticultural information specific to their climate. The information in the blogs is updated regularly from writers from across the country.

I hope this is an opportunity for garden writers to promote their writing skills, learn from their peers, (not only exchanging horticultural ideas but also ideas about web design and new technology), increase their website traffic, and most importantly sell their books."

Mark's second site is gardentoronto.ca. This one is a website directory for everything gardening within the 416 area code, and includes resources and links of interest to Toronto gardeners.

It's been fun to get to know Mark, and the other day he called with a tempting offer. It was to grab some lunch and then go garden centre hopping. Unfortunately, it was a garden boot camp day, and I had my helpers here, and couldn't leave. But that's exactly what I need once in awhile: a hort buddy to drag me off the farm to get some relief from May's insane do-to list.

© Yvonne Cunnington, Country Gardener

Tax credit for gardens and landscaping

Did you know that the Canadian government's new Home Renovation Tax Credit extends to some garden and landscaping projects?

You have until February 10, 2010, to get some money back on home and garden improvements. So, if you need it, there's extra incentive to spend on your garden this year.

This program means you can get a credit on eligible expenditures of more than $1,000, up to $10,000. At $10,000, the maximum tax credit is $1,350.

Obviously, home reno projects, such as a new bathroom, kitchen or roofing, even painting, qualify for the tax credit, but which landscaping projects can you claim? Here's a list:

* New sod
* Trees
* Shrubs
* Perennials
* Interlocking driveways
* Decks
* Retaining walls
* Pathways
* Irrigation and lighting systems
* Ponds and waterfalls
* Garden sheds
* Professional landscape design services
* Professional landscape contractor services

What you cannot claim is the expense of hiring somebody to clean up your yard. (Too bad!) Annuals, lawn and garden maintenance, tree maintenance, snow removal, hanging baskets, containers and planters also do not qualify. Essentially, the tax credit is for any improvement or renovation of an enduring nature to your home or the land on which your house sits.

If you're doing a project yourself, only the purchase of materials (landscape pavers, wood for a deck, for example) and enduring plants (perennials, sod, trees or shrubs) qualifies under the program. Your own labor isn't eligible. However, if you hire a contractor, you can claim the full cost for the tax credit. For more info from the horse's mouth, see FAQ at Canada Revenue Agency.

Will the tax credit give you an incentive to plan a project you might not have done this year? We don't have any landscaping projects in mind, but we are getting a new roof and some painting done. We were going to do these projects anyway, so the tax credit is a bonus for us.

© Yvonne Cunnington, Country Gardener