Dividing Perennials

 One of the wonderful things about perennial plants in the garden is that you can start very early in the spring and not be as concerned about late frosts.

We have an amazing selection of plants that will return year after year to bring colour to your garden at various times of the year.
One of the questions we are frequently asked has to do with dividing exiting perennials in the garden Here is a link that will help you.  http://bit.ly/QrtsOw

from Canadian Gardening.com

Resilient pansy plants- great for spring season!

Pansies can take a lot as can be seen in the pictures! That's what makes them a great spring season flower!! Perfect for decorating the front walk- brings a smile to all who see. 

It's all up from here

Vertical gardening seems to be the new trend in gardening. Starting slowly over the last few years, it has blossomed into an incredible art that will only keep on expanding. 

Being a Huron County girl, growing up on farms with wide open spaces and big gardens, it's a little hard for me to "imagine" small. Having said that, I LOVE the creative juices pouring out of those who live in towns and cities with very little space!! A great site for ideas that I was looking at is www.microgardener.com 

She has wonderful ideas that are practical and easy to create. 

You can create too! From something as simple as decorative pots on the wall to a whole wall of plants, all it takes is some time and tools. 

Spring is "springing" up!

Signs of Spring are popping up all over, even with these super cold temperatures! Snowdrops are blooming, tulips are daring to emerge from the earth, snow is slowly melting and swans have been spotted flying overheard!
 It has been a busy 2 weeks for us here, planting hanging baskets, potting perennials and transplanting tiny plants from tray to container. Our benches and greenhouses are being filled with the colour of spring-green and smell like freshly dug earth. This time of year we dress in layers, going from seeing our breath in the morning to a t-shirt by afternoon. We anticipate with excitement the arrival of truly warm weather and you our valued customers and friends.

lettuce plants ready for transplanting

hanging baskets ready to be hung

snowdrops in the snow

sedum

tulips emerging

Soon time to start seeds indoors!

If you like to start seeds indoors, it will soon be time! Peppers, tomatoes, petunias and eggplants are all seeds that need a much longer growing time than we have here in Canada. Peppers and eggplants should be started 8-10 weeks before the last chance of frost so approximately the second week of March. Petunias can be started anytime now as they take 10-12 weeks. Tomatoes can be started late March which is 6-8 weeks before last chance of frost.

There are four essential ingredients needed to start seeds. Water, Temperature, Soil and Light.

Soil: Trays need to be filled with a special growing medium, never regular garden soil. The roots need aeration and garden soil is just too compact.

Water: The soil needs to be kept moist, never drying out or too wet.

Temperature: The temperature of the soil should be kept at 21-25 C in order for seeds to germinate and grow properly. There are special heating mats available which keep the temperature constant.

Light is super important. Ideally, grow lights 3" above the seed trays is the best. Light that is too far away can make the seedlings stretch, becoming straggly and weak. Not a great way for plants to start out.

If you've never started your own seeds before, start small. Experiment with placement, light and warmth. It's a lovely feeling to see a seed grow right before your very eyes!

And the seeding begins!

This week is our first week seeding for spring! From petunias to peppers, we have over 200 trays to be filled and placed in the germination chamber. Once seeds sprout, trays are placed on the bench with heat below to keep the seeds warm while growing.