This year, we discovered five enormous green hornworms happily eating our pepper plants.

A single hornworm can eat an impressive amount of foliage, so they are not always welcomed by gardeners. Instead of killing them, we moved ours away from the vegetable garden and placed them near the pond. There, they could become food for the birds or, if they were mature enough, burrow into the soil and begin their transformation.
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Hornworms found on peppers are usually tomato or tobacco hornworms. Both feed on plants in the nightshade family, including tomatoes, peppers, potatoes and eggplants. When fully grown, they leave the plant and burrow into the soil, where they become pupae before emerging as large moths.

What Does a Hornworm Become?

A tomato hornworm transforms into a five spotted hawkmoth, while a tobacco hornworm becomes a Carolina sphinx moth.

Both belong to the sphinx moth family. They are large, strong flying moths with long wings and thick bodies. Adults hover in front of flowers and use a long, tube shaped mouthpart to drink nectar. As they move between flowers, they can carry pollen and become valuable evening and nighttime pollinators.

You can sometimes tell the caterpillars apart by their markings. Tomato hornworms have white V shaped markings and a dark horn. Tobacco hornworms have straight diagonal lines and usually a reddish horn.

Is a Sphinx Moth the Same as a Hummingbird Moth?

This is where it becomes confusing.

Sphinx moths are sometimes called hawkmoths or hummingbird moths because they can hover over flowers and even fly backwards. Their rapid wings and long feeding tube make them look surprisingly similar to a tiny hummingbird.

However, the moth most people recognize as a hummingbird moth is the hummingbird clearwing moth. It is a different species within the same large sphinx moth family.

The hummingbird clearwing is smaller, often active during the day and has transparent wings with a fuzzy green and reddish body. The moths that develop from tomato and tobacco hornworms are generally larger, grey or brown, with solid wings, and are most active around dusk or after dark.

A Garden Pest or Part of the Ecosystem?

As caterpillars, hornworms can quickly damage vegetable plants. As adults, they become remarkable moths that visit flowers and help move pollen through the garden.

They are also part of the farm’s food chain. Hornworms provide food for birds and beneficial insects, while the adult moths become food for bats and other nighttime animals.

We certainly did not want five hungry hornworms finishing our pepper plants, but we also did not feel that they needed to be destroyed. Moving them gave nature the opportunity to decide what happened next.
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Sometimes the creature eating your garden today may become one of its pollinators tomorrow.

Lavender Harvest and Autumn Preparation for strong winter survival

August means another lavender harvest at Mingle Hill Farm.

This time, we are harvesting Lavandula × intermedia, also known as lavandin or French lavender. This is the large lavender plant you may recognize in your garden by its long flower stems and strong fragrance.

We grow our French lavender mainly for essential oil. The timing of the harvest is very important. We wait until the plants have passed their peak bloom, the flowers are beginning to fade and the bees are no longer visiting as often. We harvest before the plants begin producing seed.
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Harvesting too early or too late can affect both the amount and quality of the essential oil. Ontario growing guidance recommends harvesting lavender for essential oil after peak flowering.

Harvesting English Lavender

Our English lavender, Lavandula angustifolia, was harvested near the end of June.
English lavender is harvested much earlier, just as the first flowers begin to open. This helps preserve its beautiful colour, gentle flavour and calming aroma. It is the lavender we prefer for our teas and culinary products.

The best harvest time always depends on how the lavender will be used. Lavender for fresh bundles, dried flowers and culinary products is generally harvested near the beginning of bloom. Lavender grown for essential oil is left on the plant longer.

When to Trim Lavender in Ontario

Mid August is also an important time for lavender care.
After the flowers have been harvested, we trim our plants into tidy, rounded mounds. Annual trimming helps keep lavender compact and prevents the plants from becoming overly woody or splitting open in the centre.

Follow the flower stems down to where they rise above the leafy part of the plant. Trim the green growth into a rounded shape, removing approximately one third of this year’s growth.

Always leave healthy green leaves on the plant.

Never cut deeply into the bare, woody base. Old lavender wood may not produce new growth, and cutting too far down can permanently damage or kill the plant.
English lavender is generally more tolerant of pruning and cold Ontario winters than French lavender or lavandin. French lavender should be trimmed more carefully, with plenty of green growth left behind.

Pruning shortly after harvest gives the plants time to recover before winter arrives. Avoid waiting until late fall, as late pruning can increase the risk of winter damage in Ontario.

A little attention in August helps prepare your lavender for the cold months ahead and encourages healthier, fuller plants next summer.

Happy Lavender Growing!

Across the prairies, forests and coastlines of North America, native wild roses grew long before European ships appeared on the horizon. These roses, such as Rosa carolina, Rosa virginiana, Rosa nutkana and Rosa woodsii, were not bred for beauty. They were shaped by wind, winter and time. Their true treasure was not the flower at all. It was the bright red rosehip left behind once the petals fell.
Indigenous communities understood the importance of these fruits. Through long winters, rosehips were dried, brewed into teas, turned into syrups and added to food as a source of strength. Rosehips are naturally rich in vitamin C. They hold one of the highest concentrations found in any wild plant across the continent. For generations this small fruit supported wellness and resilience when fresh food was scarce.

When sailors arrived during the age of exploration, they faced a deadly problem. Months at sea meant no fresh food, which led to scurvy. Indigenous knowledge offered a solution. Sailors learned to use dried rosehips from North American shores to create teas that supported their health during long voyages. Rosehips were light to carry and remained nutrient rich even after drying. As a result, they became a simple and reliable protection at sea.
This quiet plant became part of maritime history and a bridge between cultures. The wisdom of how to use rosehips travelled across the Atlantic just as the ships did.

This morning, we are seeding our Lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum)—one of the most breathtaking cut flowers we grow on the farm. Often mistaken for a rose, Lisianthus has delicate, ruffled petals and comes in an array of colors, from soft pinks and purples to vibrant reds, yellows, greens, and even blue.

Growing Lisianthus: A Fickle Yet Rewarding FlowerUnlike roses, which I am less familiar with, Lisianthus is notoriously tricky to grow. We plant ours in the hoophouse because rain can stain the petals, reducing their beauty as a cut flower. This is a flower that demands patience—it requires a long growing season, which is why we are starting our seeds now at the end of February.

In the past, we seeded Lisianthus in January, following the lead of other farmers. However, this year, our seeds were delayed in Canadian Customs for over 40 days, despite being ordered from a large, reputable seed supplier. This setback meant adjusting our planting schedule, but we’re hopeful these blooms will still thrive.
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A Cut Flower That Lasts for Weeks ~ One of the best qualities of Lisianthus is its exceptionally long vase life. Unlike some flowers that wilt within days, I have had Lisianthus stems last for weeks in the farm shop. This durability makes them a top choice for bouquets, wedding arrangements, and floral displays.

How We Condition Our Cut Flowers for LongevityTo ensure the freshest, longest-lasting flowers, we carefully condition every bloom. Here’s our process:
🌸 Harvesting at the Coolest Part of the Day – Whenever possible, we cut our flowers early in the morning or late in the evening.
🌸 Immediate Cooling – The flowers are placed in our cooler at 0.5°C for a minimum of 24 hours.
🌸 Similar to Blanching Vegetables ~ Just like blanching stops vegetables from overcooking, cooling flowers helps preserve their freshness and extend their lifespan in the vase.

The Symbolism & Origins of Lisianthus ~ Beyond its beauty, Lisianthus carries deep meaning. It symbolizes gratitude, appreciation, and charisma, making it a perfect flower for gifts and special occasions. Interestingly, it is also the birth flower for those born under the Sagittarius zodiac sign.
Lisianthus, also known as prairie gentian or bluebell gentian, is native to prairies and fields stretching from northern Mexico up to Colorado and Nebraska. Depending on the variety, it can be grown as an annual or biennial, with single or branching stems reaching up to 3 feet tall.

Looking Ahead ~ Despite the challenges of growing Lisianthus, we remain committed to cultivating these elegant blooms. As we watch these tiny seeds develop into stunning flowers over the coming months, I’ll be sharing updates on their progress.
Have you grown Lisianthus before? Let me know in the comments—I’d love to hear about your experience!