Our Florists Rock!

The ladies who work in our floral department are busy ladies at this time of year. They create endless amounts of fresh, beautiful arrangements and bouquets for the folks of Port Coquitlam. The next two weeks will bring many an evening engagement for most of us and our florists are here to help! Think of us when you’re heading out the door to dinner with the neighbours or friends. Every hostess appreciates fresh blooms tastefully arranged in chunky vases or simple bouquets ready to drop in her own containers. Our coolers are stuffed with a huge assortment of cut flowers and our staff are always ready to custom create lovely floral orders for you while you wait. You don’t need to go empty handed for dinner as long as we are here!

Fresh Greens

Arriving weekly now are bundles upon bundles of fresh greens and boughs ready for you to transform your homes to festive Christmas wonderlands! Choose from pine, cedar, balsam and fir boughs perfect for stuffing in pots outside or draping across mantles. Pine seems to have the most fragrance while cedar, because of its softer form, is easiest to shape. Also available to tuck in arrangements for added texture and color are blueberry twigs, holly stems and evergreen magnolia branches. It’s easy to combine these greens and create your own winter combinations. Fresh product will last indoors well for about 3 weeks (depending on the room temperature) and outdoors for many, many weeks!

Dormant Spraying

Winter spraying of fruit trees and roses can begin now to prevent overwintering of insect and fungal problems. Dormant Kits are typically used for this purpose. They are a combination of lime sulphur and horticultural oil. It is recommended spraying 3 times over the course of the winter. Space your applications 3-4 weeks apart and be sure to spray on a dry day that is above freezing. This provides a huge advantage to your 2013 growing season.

The Smell of Christmas

Paperwhites are a traditional Christmas flower perfect for adorning dining tables or anywhere else in your home. A variety of highly fragrant indoor narcissus, they come in white or yellow. You can purchase them potted up and ready to bloom or buy them in the bulb form and pot them up yourself to bloom in approximately 6 weeks. The already started varieties are usually the single bloom Paperwhite Inbal and the double bloom Paperwhite Erlicheer. If you would rather pot up your own, we stock Ziva (single white), Erlicheer (double creamy white), Inbal (single white), Chinese Sacred Lily (single white with yellow center) and Grand Soleil D’or (yellow with orange centers). Add these beauties to your indoor spaces for a fragrant touch of Christmas!

Winter's Embrace

It's time now to put our leafy pals to sleep for a long winter's nap. With container gardens this is particularly important since our green friends don't have the warmth of the earth to protect them from the ravages of old man winter. 

1. Wrapping your pots with burlap will give the root systems of your plants added insulation. Cold air that swirls around the container can freeze any roots that come in contact with the sides. Mulching the surface will also protect our verdant companions from winter's icy embrace.

2. For those extremely cold nights, put a tent of burlap or bubble wrap over the pots to trap heat, but remove as soon as the temperatures begin to rise. When using bubble wrap for this purpose, do not leave on too long as it does not breath like natural bires do and can promote fungle growth. If you are worried about your potted trees, wrapping the truck with burlap will help them manage those bitter winds in January, especially outdoor palms.

3. Moving your pots against the wall of the building will also help, as it will both shelter them from the weather and provide a bit of radiated heat from the building itself.

So there you have it, tuck your container garden to bed and wish it sweet dreams through the long night of winter.

Time to break out the Suet Blocks

With winter soon approaching, it’s time to get out our suet cages and hang some suet blocks for our wee feathered friends. Suet is traditionally used as a substitute for insects birds would normally eat during the summer. It is a lard based quick source of high energy and heat. It is very clean with no feeders to clean and no mess left underneath. It will attract Jays, Woodpeckers, Chickadees, Nuthatches and more to your yard. Prices start at $1.97 per block. We currently stock 4 varieties: Nutty Mix, Berry Punch, Woodpecker Mix, and Raisin Crunch.

Winterizing Bananas and Palms

Now is the time to winterize your hardy palms (windmill variety) and bananas. Bananas should always be protected regardless of age or size. Windmill palms should be protected as long as they are still a manageable size to do so. Older, well established tall palms are nearly impossible to wrap but by this stage they are strong enough to withstand our winters.

Bananas
• Cut the stalk underneath the lowest leaf. On tall bananas this could be quite high. Compost leaves.
• Using rebar or wooden stakes, tall enough to go above the stalks, surround the banana.
• Use chicken wire or strong plastic netting to go around the stakes making a round cage.
• Back fill with dry straw or leaves raked from your property. Fill the cage all the way over the top of
the tallest stalk.
• Some people do this only and others will cover the whole cage with a tarp. If you use a tarp be sure to weight it down so it stays in place during strong winter winds.
• You may opt out of building a cage and instead mound your dry filler over the stalks and underneath
over the roots. Then use a landscape fabric over top to keep it all in place and again, weight it down to prevent it from blowing off.

 
Hardy Palms in the ground
• Begin by gathering all the palm fronds together in your arms so they point to the sky. This means a
great big bear hug! Often it can take two people. Tie them securely with a non-binding tie such as
panty hose or a knitted scarf. This will prevent the tie from cutting into the fronds and damaging them.
• Using long sections of burlap, begin from the bottom of the trunk wrapping doing 3 revolutions all the way up to the top including all the fronds. Secure the top well to prevent it from unraveling.
• Mulch underneath around the roots with straw or lawn raked leaves. Cover this with landscape fabric to prevent it from blowing away.

Hardy Palms in containers
• Move the pot to a spot sheltered from wind. In a corner or under deck roofs are good choices.
• Fronds can still be gathered together and burlap wrapped.
• Purchase a large sheet of bubble wrap and wrap the pot only. This helps insulate the roots from the
effects of winter freezing.
• Water only as needed over the winter months. This will be probably only 2 or 3 times. Water well
when you do.

These steps should protect your plants in the months ahead. In early spring the wraps can be removed. Usually this is any where from late March to mid April weather depending.

Adding seasonal colour to your planters with perennials

Don’t despair if your pots are looking dim and grim. There are plenty of options for you that do not involve the basic winter pansies, like wonderful perennials. While most perennials will not bloom during the winter months, there are many with dazzling foliage that has the ability to spice up your dull pots just in time for the holidays.

Here are a few of my favourites:

Heucheras for partial sun/shade:
Key Lime Pie: ruffled chartreuse leaves that will really pop on those dull winter days.
Electra: similar to Key Lime Pie, only with scarlet red veins in the leaf.
Peach Crisp: well, just peachy!
Blackout: black as night and just as dramatic.

Grasses/Sedges for full sun and partial sun:
Carex “Blue Zinger”- graceful light blue strap like leaves.
Sweet Flag - glossy golden leaves with a slight green stripe down the centre. Absolutely glows this time of year.
Carex “Ice Ballet”- subtle green and gold variegated strap like leaves.
Black Mondo Grass - while not technically being a grass, this member of the lily family has striking black leaves with a green underside and blooms purple.
Blue Fescue Grass - Spiky intensely blue leaves with a flowing growing habit.

Euphorbias for full sun and partial sun: 
Glacier Blue - one of my new favourites! Blue leaves with white edges. A combination of great colour and great texture, all in one plant.
Blackbird - dramatic purple and green leaves.

Other perennials worthy of mentioning:
Wintergreen - this partial sun and shade evergreen ground cover produces red berries in fall and winter along with green and bronze leaves.
Skimmia japonica - this shade and partial sun plant actually flowers in winter! Some varieties have white or dark pink flowers in November and December.
Golden Club Moss - this shade plant is just as it sounds a moss. Like a golden carpet, it is great for under planting existing shrubs.

So there you have it! There are plenty of plants that can liven up your pots beside pansies. So think outside the pot, and use perennials to colour your world.
~Wade Hunter, Nursery Manager

End of the Month Checklist

I’ve compiled a general list of tasks that should be completed by the end of the month. These are the final steps necessary to ‘put your garden to bed’ for the winter. I find this always bittersweet as it is saying farewell to my favorite place, my garden, for the long winter. Time spent now will pay off next spring!

• Bring in fuchsias, begonias and geraniums
• Cut back raspberry canes that have grown too long
• Dig up dahlias and gladiolas before the first frost and store in a cool, dry place
• Divide large clumps of rhubarb
• Mulch root crops like carrots, onions and parsnips and they will last much longer in the ground
• Keep the lawn raked and clear of debris, compost any leaves
• Winterize your roses
• Have all bird feeders cleaned, filled and ready for our feathered friends
• Allow ornamental grasses to die back and don’t cut back until spring
• Have tools cleaned, oiled and stored
• Lime your lawn if haven’t already, this is very important!
• Mulch flower beds with mild mushroom manure
• Drain and turn off underground sprinkler system. It can be very expensive if you forget!
• Second to last thing: wrap and mulch bananas and hardy palms
• Last thing: take all hoses off and store for the winter

The root of the Problem

To mulch or not to mulch, that is the question.

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of bad soil quality, or to take up arms against a sea of troubles, including the long run, poor plant health and winter damaged roots.

The benefits of mulching in the fall are two-fold; it will protect root systems from frost and it will retain soil heat. For evergreen shrubs, mulching will help retain moisture over the winter which in turn will protect from the plant drying out in the springtime.

There are many different types of mulch, as much as the birds in the air. Okay… well maybe that’s an exaggeration, but here are a few: pine needles, straw, chopped leaves, wood chips, and compost. If you are so inclined to use wood chips or bark mulch, use a composted one. Straight bark mulch or wood chips tend to steal nitrogen from the soil like a thief in the night as they break down.

Regardless of which medium you may choose, apply it in a two to three inch layer only. Any more and you could smother the plant’s root system. Also, pull away any excess mulch piled against the trunks of woody plants, as this can lead to rot and ultimately death. When the sun comes back ‘round and shines it’s happy light in the spring, pull the mulch away from more delicate perennials. This will help to not smother the roots, but for those woody perennials, leave it in place.

So there you have it! Do not go gently into that good night, fight the good fight on behalf of your leafy companions and mulch them as you like it.

Halloween Fun

Have you been in lately to see our Halloween department? If not then you must come see it soon!
We are loaded with all kinds of fun and unique Halloween decorations perfect for parties, front porch
decorating, gifts, you name it! The selection is second to none for unusual items not seen in box stores or discount chain stores. If you enjoy adding a little fun Halloween in your decorating, check out our black wire spider webs (over 24 inches wide) for only $10.99 or our glass novelty bottles of mystery potions guaranteed to send chills down your guests spines! We have ladies gloves complete with scary fingernails and spider headpieces (that are a big hit with the under 12 crowd). Drop in soon as stock is moving fast!

Crop Covers

Soon you will be clearing out your vegetable gardens leaving the ground empty. Bare, exposed soil
is a magnet for neighbourhood cats. It also compacts from the heavy winter rains and loses valuable
nutrients due to leaching. To prevent any of these from happening, smart gardeners sow cover crops.
A cover crop is an annual crop of greens used to prevent erosion, prevent soil compaction and add
nutrition back to the soil. Sown in the fall, they grow quickly and stay all winter long. In early spring,
around 4 weeks before you plan to begin planting your new vegetables, you then cut it down and turn it over in the soil allowing it to decompose and enrich the earth. We currently stock two different options of cover crops; Fall Rye and Legume Mix. I have used fall rye for years and it always gets my veggie garden off to a good start each year. It also has kept the family cat from using the garden for his own purpose!

Winter Care for Roses

I like to have my garden ‘put to bed’ for the winter by Nov. 1st each year. Roses need protection from
deep cold snaps so a little effort now will keep them safe and warm to thrive again next year. Begin by stripping all the leaves from the stems. If they were healthy leaves then add them to your compost pile. If they showed signs of black spot or mildew then discard them. Pick up all leaves that are underneath the plant as well to prevent potential fungal spores from overwintering in the ground. Next mound a mulch of straw, sawdust or bark mulch high enough to cover the graft. This acts as a blanket insulating the roots for roses planted in the ground. If you grow roses in containers, I recommend if possible moving the pots to a sheltered area in a corner with wind breaks around it. Then follow the same steps with leaf stripping and mulching. You can even wrap the pot in bubble wrap. This is a great way to winter protect many container plants. It’s inexpensive and gives that extra bit of warmth during winter cold snaps.

Bulb Beauties

Autumn blooming crocus (Colchicums) are here at Art Knapp Urban Garden and what stunning  bulbs they are! Planted in September and blooming soon after, colchicums bear gorgeous crocus-like blooms on slender stems. White, soft purple and pink-toned varieties are available with their foliage appearing just after they bloom. They are wonderful naturalizers and are very impressive as mass plantings. We even carry Saffron crocus bulbs for those chefs out there.

1. Pick up your bulbs at our store (I love Snow Crocus because when nothing seems
to want to grow in the winter, those little beauties start popping up in Jan/Feb)

2. Dig the hole. Place the bulbs inside with something to help with the roots. (I have falling head
over heels for Mychorrizae or Myke as we call it for short. This stuff is fantastic!)

3. Cover with soil and water. Let the bulbs do all the work! You'll have great colour
for spring and you barely had to lift a finger.

We just received our first shipment of bulbs this week... so start planning your spring colour  scheme now! 

Time to spring into fall... fall planting that is!

Well it's fall and so you say to yourself, "Self, you really missed the boat on  gardening this year! There were a lot of distractions: bad weather early on, gorgeous weather later on, the beach, the seawall, that camping trip. Oh  that camping trip!" All solid reasons not to spend time in the garden.

But wait! It's not too late! The second planting season is upon us. Most  perennials, as well as trees and shrubs, do better in the long run when  planted in the fall. In fall, you plants will go into warm soil and benefit  from high moisture levels which is ideal for root development. What's more, their roots will continue to develop for the most of the winter season down here on the south coast, and will be thoroughly established by the  following summer.

So you see, fall is by far the best time to plant trees, shrubs and perennials so spring into your fall planting today! Or even tomorrow.

Don't fear the Reaper!

Now is the time to plant your cool season crops and reap the benefits of our wonderfully temperate climate. Cool weather crops include both greens and crucifers (think broccoli & cabbage).

For your greens, think about spinach, arugula, swiss chard and kale. Also, lettuce is a great one to plant now as it is a speedy crop and can be harvested within weeks. You can either plant seedlings or sow seeds directly in the ground. It's just that easy! Radishes are super fast too, maturing in just 25 days! Mmm...

And finally come the crucifers: broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts and cauliflower. All autumn dinner table favourites that thrive in cooler temperatures.

So you see, summer may be over, but the harvest will continue for a long time yet. Whether you are planting fall seeds or seedlings, we have plants that will allow you to get our there and reap what ye have sown!

Save These Beauties!

Soon we will be ‘clearing’ out the garden in preparation for winter. Annuals that served us nicely
through the summer will soon be at the end of their life cycle and will be pulled out to make room
for fall color and spring flowering bulbs. Don’t be too quick to compost all your summer color! Some
of these beauties can be easily overwintered for enjoyment next summer. I’ve included these photos
of a Dragon Wing begonia and a Gartenmeister fuchsia that I kept over from last season. Last fall,
when I was emptying planters at the nursery, I couldn’t bring myself to throw out these two as they
were still blooming and looking great. I dug them out of the planters and shoved them in 2 gallon
pots. I cut the fuchsia back to roughly 5 inches tall and the begonia to 3 inches. Then I brought them
home for their winter accommodations in my attached garage. This is a perfect place to overwinter
tender plant material because it remains cool but is always above freezing. I watered sparingly over
the winter months (meaning once every 6 weeks or so) so they have just enough moisture to survive
during dormancy. In April I moved them out into my unheated greenhouse and began increasing their
waterings. Soon they were leafing out again and as you can see they were gorgeous this past summer.
Give this a try if you have an attached garage or other suitable cool space. The rewards are worth it!

The Colours of Fall

Fall is a season bursting with its own palette of beautiful color. Travel tours are organized around
autumn displays of color in eastern Canada and the United States. The blazing reds, bright yellows
and burnt oranges of shade trees and deciduous shrubs are poster worthy. You can have this too in
your own gardens with a little strategic planting and planning. This is the best time of year to wander
throughout nurseries and take note of different shrubs and trees with fall leaf color that appeals to you. Every garden should have at least one shade tree and a few shrubs that provide autumn interest.

October is the best month for planting nursery stock so I recommend getting out to the garden centre
and choosing from among the following for some of the best fall performers:

Shrubs
Fothergilla, Smokebush, Blueberry, Oakleaf hydrangea, Burning bush, Viburnum varieties

Shade Trees
Oxydendrum (Sourwood), Maples (Large leaf and Japanese), Stewartia, Dogwoods, Redbud, Katsura

Covering your garden bed

Benefits of using a Cover Crop
Cover crops, also known as green manures, are grown to improve and protect your garden beds. They are a natural way to suppress weed development in your soil by providing a little healthy competition for those unwanted intruders. Cover crops also reduce soil erosion and loss of nutrients leaching out of your soil because of the stabilizing effects of it’s root system.

Cover crops can also provide a home for beneficial insects such as ladybugs. Their root systems help loosen and aerate the soil, which improves rooting of future crops and promotes a healthy population of soil microbes. A variety of crops can be used such as field peas, fava beans, crimson clover, buckwheat, corn salad and fall rye. Each cover crop has specific benefits and care requirements.

How to Grow
A cover crop can be seeded anytime there is a bare area in the soil, however they are most commonly used in late summer or early fall when the vegetable crop has been harvested and the soil is bare. Another option is to sow cover crops around existing vegetables that are close to maturity, which allows for the cover crops to establish when the veggies are harvested.

To seed a cover crop simply broadcast the seed thickly over the soil and rake or till the seed to ensure good seed and soil contact. If the cover crop survives throughtout the winter, be sure to chop it up and till in into the ground to make sure it doesn’t grow too big. Wait two to four weeks after tilling-in a cover crop to start new seeds to allow for proper decomposition.

Different types of Cover Crops
Legumes, such as crimson clover, fava beans and winter field peas make an excellent cover crop because of they are nitrogen fixers. Legumes’ symbiotic relationship with soil microbes allow them to capture nitrogen from the atmosphere and make it available to the plant, thus building up the nitrogen reserves in the soil.

Cover crops add an amazing amount of nitrogen to the soil. An acre of fava beans grown and worked into the soil is equivalent to using about 10 tons of manure.

Grasses, such as fall rye, can be planted in the fall and tilled the following spring. Grasses are not high in nitrogen but grow rapidly creating a living mulch that prevents weeds and produces lots of organic material.

Another non-traditional cover crop is Corn Salad. It’s winter hardiness and ease of tilling in the following spring make it an excellent candidate. You can also snack on the leaves in the winter.

Sowing a mixture of the leguminous and grassy-type cover crops will increase your coverage and provide nitrogen for the plants to come.

Fall Hanging Baskets

Have you seen the Proven Winners Fall hanging baskets? They are beautiful and the answer for people looking for replacements for their tired summer baskets. Using combinations of colorful and interesting perennials, the growers for Proven Winners products have masterfully created gorgeous hanging baskets that will look good well in to the fall. With protection from the elements they will last through the winter and will resume growing in early spring when the daytime temperatures warm up and the days begin getting longer. They do not have to be hung. They can be set on plant stands by front doors and look great! However you choose to display them, we guarantee you’ll be happy with these fall beauties!

Planting Winter Pansies

Everyone likes the cheery face of the pansy! Why not plant some this fall to enjoy in autumn and then again in early spring? Winter pansies are so named because they bloom in the latter part of the year when not much else is in bloom. A true winter pansy will have a bicolor face rather than a solid color. The best time to plant them is in September if the weather is not too hot. All pansies are cool weather crops so plant when the weather is cooler. When planted in September or early October they will have
time to root-on as the soil temperature is still warm but the air is cool. This will put them in better shape to survive the winter and will give them a head start in early spring when the temperature warms up again. Be sure to deadhead regularly to promote continuous blooming. When the thermometer drops below 5 degrees Celsius pansies will curl downward. They are simply going dormant until warmer days arrive. By March they will be rising up and blooming once again. That is always such a welcome sight after the long winter months. We currently stock many beautiful fibre packs of pansies in assorted colors. Stop by soon to pick yours!

Plan for a Colorful Spring Now

The Fall Bulbs have arrived! The Fall bulbs have arrived! This change up in seasons is always exciting for us Nursery staff. Every year we open each case of bulbs with the eagerness of a child on Christmas morning. You would think after years of seeing them come in we would get complacent but each year we delight in seeing all the fun varieties of daffodils and tulips and plenty more. They are referred to as ‘Fall bulbs’ because they are planted in the fall for blooming the following spring.

An afternoon of digging and planting is all that is required for a spring color show. Simply dig, drop,
done! It is probably the least amount of work for the greatest reward. Each spring day new blossoms
will emerge from the earth. Purchase bulbs soon (as some varieties sell out quickly) and store in a cool, dry location until October when they can be planted. They will root in the warm soil nicely before Old Man winter arrives and be in good shape for spring blooming. This year extend beyond the standard daffodils or tulips and try different flowering bulbs like snowdrops and glory-of-the-snow and more!

Light Up Your Patio

This is the time of year when we all are outside enjoying the lovely warm summer evenings. What is more enjoyable than having soft lighting surrounding us as we sit with friends, wineglass in hand, around patio tables? We stock many different options for just that purpose. Starting from the small, we have the tabletop Décor Solar Light Jar in assorted colors for only $8.50. Next we have the Décor Solar String Light strand of 10 dragonflies with color changing LED for only $16.50. Then we have the Garden Meadow Solar Lantern in assorted shapes for $25.00 that will shine for 6-8 hours! Also fun is the Paradise Flameless Candle on Stick which looks great sunk into flowerbeds or lighting pathways. It is priced at $13.00. Be sure that these solar powered items are placed in direct sunlight all day for maximum charging. Stop in soon and check these and more fun stuff for tables and patios soon!

The Forgotten Vine

In this new era of high density living, customers are increasingly asking for plant material to provide
privacy. Many homeowners have installed large trellises with the hopes of having something full and lush to cover it. The most common requests are for clematis, ivy and honeysuckle. These are all lovely vines but for sheer wild and unabashed growth look no further than the classic grapevine! The amount of growth in one growing season for young vines can be staggering. We received our 2012 stock of assorted grapes in early March. Since then I have hacked them back twice (I even considered using a machete they were so tangled amongst themselves). These were only small one gallon pot size starter vines! My own Niagra white grape (pictured here) at home has also been ruled in sharply twice this season before it completely covers my greenhouse. It is only 3 years old!

Of course, there is the added advantage of the fruit your vine will produce. Clusters of red or green grapes are lovely to look at and feel oh so Mediterranean! If you really want an Italian garden look, then plant the deep purple/blue Concord variety. If wildlife is a concern where you live then snip off the clusters as they develop and simply enjoy the vine for its classic grape leaf. All that is required for a successful growing site is as much sun as possible and plenty of room to ramble. All the other common sense requirements apply; good soil, light feedings regularly and ample water until established. We still have plenty of inexpensive starter varieties of grapevines left. Give this overlooked vine consideration!

Sweet Success!

I will be forever grateful to a customer in May who took the time to chat with me and tell me his secrets to growing great cucumbers. He said he only grows Sweet Success cucumbers. They are a long English type. He explained he grows them on 8 foot lengths of rebar, continually tying them as they climb to the sky. I was so intrigued by his passion for Sweet Success that I planted a few myself.

As you can see from the photos of my garden, I was blessed with a bumper crop of long, textbook
perfect cucumbers! I’ve been bringing armloads to work to give to my co-workers, handing more over the fence to neighbours, and feeding the family plenty of cucumber salad. From only 3 plants, I’ve been astonished at the volume they have produced.

I only used 6 foot garden stakes and that proved to be inadequate. Remember that close to a foot will
be buried in the ground so now you are left with only 5 feet. Next year I’m going to be prepared and use 10 foot long 1”x1” cedar stakes from the lumber store. Growing long English type cucumbers vertically ensures they grow long and straight. When allowed to ramble along the ground, they still taste the same but are no longer straight but curled.

Growing them in a raised bed proved to be the key to their survival. During the 6 week period from late May through all of June, when we were inundated with cold and wet conditions, I watched the wee transplants sitting in the soil shivering. Every week I thought oh well, they’ll not be able to withstand this cold any longer. But hang in there they did! Once the sun finally came out, the growth took off like gangbusters. Having them in raised beds kept their roots from rotting as the soil has no choice but to drain because of gravity. There is also the added benefit of warmer soil temperature so all and all, raised vegetable beds are an efficient method of successful growing. Be sure to try the Sweet Success cucumber next year. I guarantee you’ll be happy you did!

Fabulous Fall Containers

Now is the time to freshen tired summer containers with fresh fall plantings. Many summer annuals will be past their peak and there is plenty of gorgeous plant material available that will provide color and interest well into autumn. Choose from among purple asters, ornamental kale, wispy grasses and the ever-popular garden mums. When planning your arrangements, always keep in mind three elements: color (either foliage or bloom), texture and form.

Color: asters, mums, pansies, heucheras, rudbeckias

Texture: ferns, hypericum (with its berries), kale

Form: ornamental grasses, New Zealand Flax, cordylines

Be sure to include something for height (grasses will provide this), fullness for the center (this is where your color choices will come in) and something to spill over (think ivies, periwinkle or creeping jenny). Following this simple formula will give you a professional looking planter worthy of placing at your front door or on your deck!

Keep up with the Feeding!

We are in the prime growing season for most flowers, trees and shrubs. That is why it is vitally important to be feeding your plants regularly. The beginning part of the month will be the last time for feeding large trees and hedges. Perennials should be fed now, as they are actively growing, and annuals should be fed weekly to maximize their bloom potential before they’re gone in the fall. Don’t forget about the veggies. They need weekly feeding as well before harvest time arrives. Look around your yard and see what might have been missed on the feeding schedule (things like vines for instance). Time spent applying healthy food to your plants always pays off!

Have a Backyard Grocery Store

This morning I thought my bowl of cereal looked a bit bland so slipped on my garden crocs and with bowl in hand, plucked a handful of fat, ripe blueberries from my raised vegetable garden to add to my breakfast. A short time later, I needed some leafy greens to add to my sandwich so again I slipped on my garden crocs and ventured the 15 feet out the backdoor to the ‘produce patch’. This time, instead of picking the usual bronze leaf lettuce, I reached for the dill and basil and put that in my sandwich. It was a pleasant change from lettuce. This got me thinking about how easy it was to grow my own fresh food. I have written many articles on growing all sorts of food but sometimes it bears repeating. IT IS EASY! You don’t have to plant an acre and be tied down to long days of toiling in the garden. Start small and see how much you enjoy slipping out back to the garden and harvesting your very own food.

I mention this because there is still so much available in the way of food crops to buy and plant. We have lots of blueberry bushes loaded with fruit, although the staff has to be reined in from sampling too heavily. We still have good supplies of strawberry plants, kiwi vines, raspberries, and much more. In the vegetable department, we still have plenty of pepper plants, tomatoes, squashes and kale. It’s not too late to pop in a few edible plants either into pots for container gardening or into empty spots in sunny gardens. With your first mouthful of homegrown goodness, you’ll be glad you made the effort!

Hooray for Hydrangeas

This is the time of the year when hydrangeas are at their prime. They will hold their blooming splendor well into the fall making them a valuable component of the garden. When you mention hydrangeas most people automatically think of the large round blue flowering variety. There is sooo much more available! The variety of colors and types is amazing and often underutilized. Choose from wee dwarf varieties (such as the lovely Pia) to tall tree form hydrangeas (such as the Pee Gee) to the bushy, rounded form of the
Oak Leaf hydrangea. Bloom shape is again varied with the round ball form of the macrophylla’s, the flat, delicate form of the lacecap and the conical form of the paniculatas. Flower color ranges from pure whites (such as the Incrediball) to soft pinks to purple, blue and limes (as in Limelight).

White hydrangeas will always remain true in color but pink and blue varieties can change depending on the soil composition they are grown in. Turning the bloom color either pink or blue can be achieved with the addition of either lime or aluminum sulphate. I admit to having a soft spot for hydrangeas for a few reasons: they are hardy, rarely get disease or insects, pretty low maintenance and bloom for long periods.

This is a picture of my 4 year old tree form Pee Gee hydrangea. Notice the solid stake it has. The blooms are so large and heavy, it actually split the stem one year due to the weight. I gave it a brutally hard prune and the next year it came back nicely with stronger stems. When all the blooms open, I often have people walking by comment on its beauty and ask what kind of tree it is. They are always surprised to learn it is a hydrangea because again, most people only think of the big, blue ball shrubs as hydrangeas.

If you’re looking for something easy and gratifying to add to your garden then give another look at the wide, world of hydarngeas!

Queen of the Cut Flowers

Queen of the Cut Flowers

Ask any florist and they will agree the lovely delphinium is truly queen of the cut flowers. Arrangements using these delicate beauties are absolutely stunning! Colors range from pure whites to deep purples and blues. Use of this bloom for arranging in large vases dates back to Victorian times. They are classic because of their form, prized for their longevity and deserve their status as queen.

Pricey to purchase as a cut because of their delicate nature, growing your own is an easy option.
Requirements include full sun, well drained rich soil and slug protection. Plant in backgrounds as some varieties grow to 5 feet! Tall bloom spikes may need to be staked. Delphiniums can start to bloom as early as June while some varieties bloom well into August. Cold hardiness is not an issue here as most delphiniums are hardy to –40C.

We currently stock many different colors including purples, blues, lavenders and raspberry.

Another Fragrant Beauty

Another Fragrant Beauty

Mother Nature loves her perfume and she lavishes it on this next beauty! The Oriental Lily group is
intoxicatingly fragrant as well as being gorgeous. Enjoy their blooms in the garden or for use in large vases indoors. Bloom time is later than other lilies so they can be planted with Asiatic lilies that bloom earlier. Asiatic lilies are very hardy and make excellent border and patio pot choices. Planting different types and varieties of lilies ensures a prolonged blooming period and height and color ranges. We currently stock many types of lilies that are either in bud or bursting into color. Hardiness ranges from zone 3-9. Mature heights range from 14” all the way to 48”. I recommend checking out the stunning ‘Casa Blanca’ lily with its enormous pure white perfumed blooms and the ‘Stargazer’ lily with its deep fuchsia colored blooms.

Lilies are exceptional perennials. They are easy to grow in full sun to light shade. Divide clumps in fall every several years. Stems should be staked for tall growing varieties.

Hypericum Mystical Series

Hypericum Mystical Series

A recently new introduction of landscape Hypericum shrubs from Fisher Farms in Oregon is a fun choice for the home gardener. In recent years Hypericum has risen to the top 50 cut flower stems in the world, making it the most successful berry producing shrub ever. With the introduction of the Mystical Series, you can enjoy Hypericum that were exclusively bred for the cut flower industry in your own garden! What does this mean? It guarantees beautifully colored fruits on perfectly branched varieties for your enjoyment, whether its in the garden or as cuts for your home. Choose from red, orange or black berries and fill your fall garden with interest and your floral arrangements with lovely colored hips! Perfect for a sunny border, Hypericum can be used as a specimen plant or in drifts where they truly show off.

In spring, enjoy bright yellow blooms on compact low bushes. Varieties available are Mystical Orange, Mystical Red Star and Mystical Black. Mature height 30-36”.  Zones 5-9

Lil’ Kim Rose of Sharon

Lil’ Kim Rose of Sharon

I love it when new twists on old favorites come on the market. This week it’s a new form of Rose of
Sharon. A unique dwarf variety with dainty little white flowers punctuated with a showy red eye. Late
summer flowers last for up to three days instead of the typical one of Rose of Sharon. Lovely in containers or as a hedge or specimen shrub. Plant in partial to full sun in a well drained soil. Prune in fall and feed in early spring for the best show of flowers. Once established, seldom needs watering. Mature height is three to four feet tall and wide. Hardiness zone 5-8.

Proven Winners Market Mates

Proven Winners Market Mates

Proven winner plants are preferred by both new and experienced gardeners because a better garden starts with a better plant. Proven Winners are top performers – healthy, disease resistant, and easy to grow producing long lasting color with wow power.

The plants that make the final cut are chosen for their all- season color and bountiful blooms, resistance to disease and insects, and tolerance of heat and humidity. The rigorous selection process takes 2 to 3 years to assure Proven Winner plants perform better while using fewer chemicals.

To help you enjoy the best success with your hanging baskets, we are proud to offer Proven Winner Market Mates. These are professionally themed plant combinations available in all color schemes.

Here is a quick sampling of our current combinations:
• White Celebration – an all white assortment including petunias and lobelia
• Love at First Sight – pink, white, coral red
• Bright Skies – lavender, pink, white
• Fragrance Mix – heliotrope, nemesia, chocolate cosmos
• Shade Combo – lime, orange, black, blue
• Lemon Zest – lime, blues, lemon
• Calibrachoa Vibrant Mix – reds, oranges, yellow

We have carried this line of Market Mates for a few years now and believe me, we have a dedicated group of customers that return year after year to purchase them because they have enjoyed great success in their hanging baskets. Note: They can be used for planter pots as well. I use two Market Mates in my half barrel deck planter and they look FABULOUS every year!

The beautiful Jasmine Vine

The beautiful Jasmine Vine

Jasmine has long been treasured for it’s delicate, sweet scent. There are many, many varieties of jasmine but this article concentrates on the lovely Star Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides). This is probably my favorite jasmine because of its long, long blooming time. It is an evergreen vine with dark green small glossy leaves and masses of tiny star shaped white fragrant blossoms. It is not prone to any fungal diseases (unlike other fragrant vines) and I’ve never seen it with insects of any kind.

Star Jasmine arrive in garden centres in May, in full bloom, and remain in full bloom until close to
Halloween! This is great value for the money. Unfortunately, they are rated a zone 8 hardiness which
means you can leave them outside in winter only if you live in sunny Whiterock or perhaps English Bay. For this reason, it recommended they be grown in a container that can be overwintered in a greenhouse or naturally lit garages.

We have a huge stock of them in all sizes ranges from staked one gallon pots to stunning trellis specimens in 5 gallon pots. Stop by soon to inhale their beautiful scent!

Kilimanjaro Viburnum

Kilimanjaro Viburnum

A new and hardy shrub, Viburnum plicatum ‘Kilimanjaro’ has flat clusters of pure white flowers in
early summer and a striking, upright and pyramidal shape. The attractive flowers are followed by masses of bright pinkish/red berries in late summer/early autumn. This is a handsome specimen shrub with a distinctively narrow habit. It flowers best in a sunny position. Grows 8’ tall and 2-3’ wide. Zone 5

This is a new item for us here and we are quite excited to share it with our customers who are looking
for something with interest but have small spaces. The beauty of the Kilimanjaro is that it only takes up vertical space!

Plant Summer Bulbs Now

Plant Summer Bulbs Now

For summer color in flower beds, plant bulbs, corms and tubers now and they’ll carry color through the summer, many times into early fall. Right now there is a wide array of lillies, dahlias, gladiolas to name just a few. Many of these bulbs will remain forever in your flower beds (growing larger each year) while a few may need to be lifted in the fall for winter storage.

When planting, remember to plant each bulb as deep as the diameter of the bulb; if the diameter is one inch, plant the bulb one inch deep. The soil needs to be well-drained and mulchy, with lots of organic materials. Apply a small amount of all purpose fertilizer after the bulb emerges from the soil.
Some of my favorites include crocosmia, acidanthera, tigridia and sparaxis. Try something new this year and you may have your own new favorite!

Heirloom Tomatoes – Have You Tried Black?

Heirloom Tomatoes – Have You Tried Black?

Art Knapps has enjoyed a long association with a well known local grower of heirloom tomatoes. Boy, after a conversation with him, you’ll be pumped up and eager to experiment with all sorts of unique heirloom varieties! The difference between a regular tomatoe and an heirloom variety is often in taste. Commercial tomatoes are grown for hardiness as they often have to travel thousands of miles before landing in your local grocery store. These tomatoes have to stand up to the rigors of much handling but lack the ‘fresh picked from the garden’ taste. Heirloom tomatoes are varieties that were grown pre1950 before mass hybridization began. Our grandparents would have saved their own seed from year to year. Thus each growing season, the tomatoe would have remained true to type.

Heirloom tomatoes are softer than grocery store types but if you are eating them right after picking, then this is not a problem. Sometimes the fruit will be slightly misshapen but if it’s just going in your BLT sandwich, who cares? Great flavor is what home gardeners want and heirlooms trump grocery store tomatoes every time!

There are so many varieties, I’m not even going to try to list them but instead in this article am
concentrating on one category of heirloom, the black tomatoes! They are called black because of their dark blood-red skin and dark flesh. Again, after chatting this week with our heirloom grower, he convinced me to try black tomatoes because he claims they have the most real, from your childhood taste of all colors of tomatoes.

There are 2 types we carry: Black Krim and Black Cherry.

Black Krim – an indeterminate tomatoe, medium size fruit, strong, sweet smokey taste, fantastic depth of flavor

Black Cherry – indeterminate, rare variety, dark flesh, rich complex taste, vigorous, one of the few black cherries

Because both of these varieties are indeterminate, allow more space than if they were bush types. They can grow to 6 feet but I often pinch out the top growth to keep them down to 4-5 feet.

Try these, like me, this year and we can all compare notes in September! (Supplies are limited)

Raspberry Shortcake

Raspberry Shortcake

Raspberry shortcake offers everyone a chance to enjoy raspberries like never before. This revolutionary, thornless raspberry has an endearing compact, rounded growth habit and thrives in a patio pot or in the landscape. Perfect for children and adults, this carefree patio raspberry requires no staking, or big garden spaces. Raspberry Shortcake produces full-sized, nutritious and super sweet raspberries mid-summer.

This dwarf red raspberry produces abundant new canes each spring and fruits on new canes that have gone through a winter dormancy period. Once fruiting is finished, prune out canes at the base that have fruited leaving new canes to fruit next season.

Raspberry Shortcake is best suited to large patio containers, and will fill out no matter the shape! If you choose to plant Raspberry Shortcake in the ground, as with any raspberry, take care to plant in an open landscape or garden where moderate spreading is tolerable.

Grows 2’-3’      Medium size fruit
Zones 5-8        Flavor: Sweet/Vanilla Essence

The Wonderful World of Onions

The Wonderful World of Onions

What kitchen pantry wouldn’t be complete without the presence of wonderful onions. While not being as glamorous or trendy as say arugula, imagine meals without the unmistakable flavour of onion! There is such variety available to home gardeners that can be grown in your backyard with minimal effort! Onions are sold in roughly ½ lb packages in the bulb form. Started from this size, they will mature faster than if started from seed. The exception is green bunching onions that can quickly be grown from seed. Green onions can be grown in large containers but the rest will be better in the ground. Plant them now to get them rooting as fast as possible.

Here is a quick listing of choices of onions you could grow this year:

Yellow – This is the traditional cooking and storage onion. It’s what you buy all winter long from the grocery store in 5lb mesh bags. It is medium size with yellow skin, lower sugar content but great storing abilities.

White – A higher moisture content than yellow onions so they won’t do well at storing but have a nice flavour and typically are larger than yellow onions.

Red – Everyone has had red onions if they’ve ever eaten a greek salad. Red onions have a red skin over red/white flesh. They are often large yet any I’ve grown have only been medium sized at best. That being said, I just finished the last red onion from last years’ crop and it was still as perfect as the day I pulled it out!

Shallots – A small brown skinned onion with a mild flavour. It’s small size lends itself to being easily chopped into fine bits when only a small amount of onions is required.

Multipliers – This onion type produces clusters of small onions for each bulb planted. They are mild and can be slightly garlicky if your soil allows. Soil composition plays a role in the flavour of all onions.

Walla Walla – This onion is usually purchased in starter root form that is roughly 4 inches long. This onion is named after the area in Washington state it was developed in. Because of it’s high moisture content, it must be eaten fresh as it will not keep. Walla Walla onions are however famous for their high sugar content making them fabulous for eating raw in salads, sandwiches and on steaks (my personal favorite).

Spanish – This is another name for a yellow, storage onion.

Reblooming Lilacs!

Reblooming Lilacs!

A few years ago, there came on the market a fabulous new type of lilac called Bloomerang. It blooms in the spring and again from midsummer to frost. It’s small habit fits into any garden with a sunny spot. All lilacs love heat, sun and once established can be drought tolerant. Top dress with lime (applied at the drip line) once yearly in early spring and feed with a low nitrogen fertilizer in spring. They are not heavy feeders so don’t go overboard. Prune lightly after blooming to maintain a nice shape. Bloomerangs will attract hummingbirds and blooms can be cut and enjoyed indoors. There is nothing like the unique, sweet scent of the lovely lilac!

Pruning Is Like Flossing

Pruning Is Like Flossing

One of the most overlooked or forgotten tasks in the garden is pruning. It’s kind of like flossing one’s teeth. Dental professionals tell us flossing must be done regularly for good health but we often let it slide. Pruning keeps shrubs and bushes healthy. It removes dead, damaged or weak branches. It also can determine form and structure. Yes there are many rules for pruning, but don’t let that daunt you. If you aren’t sure if a certain shrub needs pruning (because not all do), research on-line, consult a gardening book or ask advice at your favorite nursery.

Some shrubs, like rhododendrons, don’t normally require pruning because they naturally maintain a dense form. Older, neglected rhododendrons may, for esthetic reasons, cry out for a major overhaul to bring them back to their original glory. Because rhodos form their flower buds the previous year, this will result in loss of blooms for one year. It’s worth the sacrifice because in the end you will be left with a rejuvenated, beautiful to look at shrub. This type of pruning should be done in the dormant time.

If a plant grows too tall or large from lack of pruning, it can overwhelm neighboring plants and
surroundings. A little pruning each year helps keep the plant in bounds, keep it healthy, allows good light penetration , improves air circulation and encourages blooms every year.

Grow Your Own

Grow Your Own

Want to find a low cost way to grow  your own herbs, veggies and flowers?
We have seed prices starting at only 99¢ per package!  Our seed are from Canadian companies such Westcoast Seeds, Pacific NorthWest Seeds, Nature's Garden and Mr. Fothergill's. Renee's Garden is an international seed company that also has great prices and products. Our selection has organic seeds, seeds for container gardening and kids varieties to fit any style of gardening.

Plus we carry various seed supplies from starter soils to windowsill greenhouses to peat pellets. We have
everything to get your garden growing and get you one step closer to eating for less than if you bought it at the grocery store.

Vegging Out This Spring

Vegging Out This Spring

An often asked question is "Can I grow food at this time of year?" To which I answer, "Sure you can!" Here are a few recommended crops for early spring in this cold weather.

Lettuce: Cool, wet springs are perfect for growing lettuce as it won't bolt and you should get multiple harvests out of each plant. Plus it is simply crisper and tastes better when grown in cooler temperatures.

Peas: Traditionally St. Patrick's Day has been the time to plant your first peas, but planting in April is fine as well. Peas prefer warmer temperatures, but they don't like the heat. Peas are known to grow well after the last frost. Snow Peas and Sugar Snap Peas do especially well in these conditions.

Rhubarb: Rhubarb is a cool season crop that is grown for it's leaf stalks which are both sweet and tart. It is great for pies... or tarts and is a perennial too!

Spinach: Spinach loves cool weather and is a quick grower, so you'll have to keep planting new spinach to extend the harvest. It is great in salads, hot or cold. Mmmmm!

Other cool weather crops including both vegetables and herbs are:
Parsley: Both a traditional curled and tastier flat leafed Italian varieties are available.
Cilantro: Quite flavorful!
Dill: Good with fish, and great for pickling!
Swiss Chard: Great in salads and full of nutrition too!
Arugula: Also called rocket is full of peppery goodness.
Onions and Chives: A perennial crop that adds zest and flavor to any meal.

So there you go! Have at it and start planting your spring crops today to enjoy them tomorrow! Well not really tomorrow tomorrow, but you know what we mean.

Tender Love and Care for your Lawn

Tender Love and Care for your Lawn

Here are some simple things to remember:

1. Keep off the lawn in the early spring until the ground has dried out, and firmed up enough to walk on.

2. Rake up leaves and other debris, as rotting vegetation can transfer leaf mold to your lawn. This can cause unsitely dead patches.

3. As our soil on the wet coast is pretty acidic, apply ime in early spring to neutralize some of that acid. Grass is not partial to acidic soil, so your lawn with love a bit of lime!

4. Aeration is recommended, and should be done every other year or so. More often in high traffic areas as soil compaction squeezes out air pockets and suffacates the root systems. Aerating allows oxygen to get to the roots and will reinvigorate a tired lawn. Remember, roots need air too!

So hop to it and give your lawn the tender love and care it needs to thrive!

5 Rules to Successful Gardening

5 Rules to Successful Gardening

Having spent more than 2 decades in the horticulture industry and having served thousands of customers along the way, I often thought there are some very basic gardening rules that if people were aware of them it would make a huge impact on their gardening endeavors.I’ve repeated these ground rules (pardon the pun, I couldn’t resist) often while speaking to Garden Clubs and thought an article was definitely warranted. They are mostly common sense but when said out loud or read in print maybe they will remain in one’s memory.

1. Patience – Ask any old gardener and he will agree. Patience must be exercised in spades (again pardon the pun) to enjoy long term success in gardening. Rome wasn’t built over night and your garden won’t turn into the Gardens at Versailles over night either. Many conifers and deciduous trees appear to “sit doing nothing” for up to 3 years after planting while in reality they are growing. The growth is all underground where you can’t see it but trust me, it’s there! Top growth will naturally follow as soon as the roots have established themselves. Certain plants are slow to leaf out each spring; like hibiscus syriacus or Rose of Sharon or Nurserymens Nightmare as it’s often called by those of us in the industry. It often won’t leaf out until nearly June causing many customers to unceremoniously rip it out of the ground, return it to the nursery and exclaim loudly “This plant is dead!” Well, it is now we often reply. I have a friend who was given a Photinia in tree form that was taken roughly out of it’s home and dropped in her yard. She planted it and waited. And waited. And waited. Meanwhile it had almost completely defoliated and I admit to being skeptical myself as to it’s survival. My friend, being of Scottish descent, stubbornly clung to the hope that the tree would indeed survive and flourish. Well it’s a good thing I didn’t wager on it’s demise because sure enough, it began to leaf out again and I chastised myself for not following the number one rule of gardening!

2. Work with what you have – So many times I am asked by customers things like “What can I grow underneath my cedars?” Oh dear. Very, very, little grows well under cedars because cedars are water hogs and take all the moisture for themselves, not to mention they drop needles constantly making the soil quite acidic and lastly create too much shade for most plants to have a hope at survival. Yet people persevere purchasing more and more plants because by gum they want to have something under their cedars!! Fighting against challenges such as too much shade, too much sun, too little moisture, too much slope, etc. is counter productive. Accept that sometimes you will have a spot in your yard that simply won’t do what you want it to. Give in to reality and embrace the options. Low elevation with water pooling? Try not planting and instead think pea gravel for it’s drainage qualities. You can always dress up the area with containers filled with color. Grass won’t grow well in your North facing back yard? Stop trying to grow grass and think of maybe putting slate pieces in with creeping thyme or Scotch Moss peeking out from between them. Step back and look at the area with a more objective eye and think of alternatives. Ask and listen to advice at your local nursery for help with problem areas and mostly be willing to think outside of the box!

3. Proper site preparation – There is an old saying that I first heard from Bill Vanderzalm many years ago. It simply states “Don’t put a $10 plant in a 10 cent hole”. Still holds true today. Common sense but yet you’d be surprised how often its ignored. The most expensive plant in the world will not flourish if the soil is poor! Take the time before planting to properly prepare the planting hole. Start with good quality planter soil for container gardening for example. Invest in soil conditioners, manures, or composts if you are not sure of the quality of what’s in your yard. Use gardeners’ secrets like liquid transplanter at planting (probably the smartest thing you can do). It’s absolutely worth every penny. Think of it as money well spent. Enough said.

4. Fall is for planting – I once worked at a nursery with a young chap from Britain called Niles. He was (andstill is) a trained horticulturist. He used to tell me of the crazy fall seasons at nurseries in England. Britons know (it must be in their blood, world class gardeners that they are) that fall is truly for planting! A typical May day in any BC garden centre is a typical fall day in a British garden centre. The Canadian horticulture industry has tried promoting this concept for years but it appears to be ingrained in our psyches to do the bulk of our planting in spring. Sadly, people are losing out on the best time for planting shrubs and trees. Now let me explain exactly why this is so. In fall, the ground temperature is warm and the air is cool. Perfect rooting and growing conditions for freshly planted shrubs and trees. In spring, the ground is cool and the air can be warm. Not perfect rooting and growing conditions for freshly planted shrubs and trees. Any person who has started seeds indoors will confirm that soil temperature is critical to success. Roots naturally reach out in warm soils and stop cold in cool soils. Cooler air temps are desired because then there isn’t any heat stress. Trees and shrubs will actually do a lot of root growing through the fall and into early winter, getting themselves established before the following spring giving them a head start. Again, it’s the common sense thing.

5. Be realistic of your time – If you are a weekend gardener that likes a tidy, manicured yard whilst enjoying other backyard pursuits such as reading a good book in your chaise, playing fetch with Fido or leisurely chats with friends who bring beer then don’t plant a rose garden of hybrid teas! Be realistic about how much time you are willing to devote to maintenance of your plantings. Often people have misconceptions as to the amount of work involved with some of the plant selections they make. On the other hand, there are many keen gardeners out there who think nothing of spending a whole day lovingly tending to their flora. Be specific when inquiring with nursery staff about the care required for plant material you find interesting. Low maintenance choices abound so be honest and decide before planting how much time can you devote to these plants. It is possible to have a fabulous garden for almost every skill level of gardener. All you have to do is ask the right questions.

New Low GI Potatoes

New Low GI Potatoes

New this year is the Low GI Seed Potatoe ‘Nicola’. The glycemic index (GI) is a ranking of carbohydrates on a scale of 0 to 100 according to the extent to which they raise blood sugar levels in the 2 or 3 hours after eating. Foods with a high GI are those which are rapidly digested and absorbed and result in fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Foods with a glycemic index value below 55 are low GI foods, by virtue of their slow digestion and absorption, they release blood sugar gradually into the bloodstream – keeping blood sugar levels steady, and have proven benefits for health.

Low GI foods are often the ones with “good” carbohydrates, low fat, high dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals. These foods help in keeping the blood sugar levels stable. Low GI diets have been shown to improve both glucose and lipid levels in people with diabetes (type 1 and 2).

Sold in 500 gram packages, they are ready for harvest in late summer. If you don’t have a vegetable garden you can try growing them in potatoe bags which are ideal for patios or balconies. Each bag requires only 3-5 seed potatoes in approximately 40 litres of compost. They have an opening section for easier harvest and side carry handles. Sold in packages of 2.

Thinking of Going Organic?

Thinking of Going Organic?

In the last few years, more and more of our customers have been inquiring about organic gardening. There is increased awareness regarding the importance of returning to the gardening methods and principles of our great grandparents when stewardship of the land was paramount. If homesteaders didn’t take care of their land, their very survival could be at stake. Fortunately there are now many more organic options in the way of products available at the consumer level than there was 10 years ago. Products such as biodegradable landscape fabric to biological pest controls. Here are some very simple tips to grow organically.

• Start from the ground up. Build a healthy soil with compost or manures. It encourages the beneficial microbes to do their job and lessens the need for additional applications of synthetic fertilizers. Products such as bone or blood meal, green sand, kelp, glacial rock dust are examples of organic sources of soil health enhancers.

• When starting your own flowers or vegetables, choose organic seeds. Seeds of Change is a seed company that has for 25 years, committed itself to harvesting and preserving seed free from being genetically modified and is grown without synthetic herbicides or pesticides. The seed is collected from only certified growers.

• Utilize Mother Nature’s own army of insect eaters by purchasing ladybugs and releasing them into your yard for a natural control of aphids.

• Plant flowers amongst your veggies to attract pollinators and insect eaters.

• Rotate your crops. Try not to plant the same crop in the same spot year after year. This will prevent depletion of various minerals from the soil and will not allow disease and or fungal spores to build up in the soil.

• Practise biodiversity. Instead of concentrating on a handful of plant varieties, include many different species to increase you garden’s biodiversity. This is easier than it sounds; merely tuck a curly parsley into your mixed annual planter that sits on your back deck or squeeze a few marigolds in with your lettuce rows. Be very brave and plant lovage in the back of flower beds and marvel at its thirst for greatness! (If you’ve ever grown lovage, you’ll know what I mean). The more variety of plants in your yard and garden, the more butterflies, ladybugs, pollinators and birds you will attract, and that my friends is a good thing!

Planting Guide

Planting Guide

A little care and a few simple steps when planting new plants will get you well on your way to a successful garden.

When to plant

Today, most hardy nursery stock is grown directly in the container you purchase the plant in or has been dug and potted at the proper time of year. Since this minimizes transplant shock, it’s now completely safe to plant from April through to November.

You’re not limited to spring and fall planting only. When planting in the summer, water to a depth of at least 10 cm (4”), and never allow new plants to dry out. Be aware of natural precipitation and adjust your watering schedule accordingly. Autumn can be dry and warm as well so continue to pay attention to soil moistness. As long as the soil is dark in colour and cool to the touch you don’t need to water that day. Transplant established plants in early spring before they leaf out. Consult an expert from Art Knapp Plantland for more information.

Care Upon Arrival

How to Plant... evergreens, shrubs, and trees.

Step 1

Dig a hole twice as wide as the container and 20 cm (8”) deeper. If the soil is compacted, gently loosen it at the bottom and on the sides with your shovel.

Step 2

Fill the bottom 20 cm (8”) with Planting Mix and pack it down so the rootball doesn’t sink below ground level when watered.

Step 3

Measure the height of the rootball before lowering it into the hole especially in the case of large plants that are very heavy. You want your plant to be 2.5-5 cm (1-2”) above grade to allow for some initial sinking.

Step 4

Lower the rootball into the planting hole following directions listed for different containers. Make sure all plants are watered well in their containers before planting.

Step 5

Adjust the position of the plant in the hole so that the sides are facing in the desired direction.

Step 6

Start filling the sides of the hole with Planting Mix and pack firmly as you go to avoid air pockets. Once you have filled the hole halfway, water to remove air pockets and continue to fill the hole with a mix of Planting Mix and existing soil.

Step 7

For larger plants, make a circular ridge of soil that forms a trench so that water won’t run off.

Step 8

To strengthen and stimulate root growth add Transplanter with water as per directions and water area thoroughly with this mixture.

Step 9

Trees will need to be staked so that they will grow straight and if not staked they end up leaning away from the wind. Secure the trunk to the stakes using tree ties (as pictured above). Check these ties regularly to ensure they don’t tighten around the bark. Remove stakes and ties after one or two years when the plant feels firmly rooted and doesn’t move when lightly shaken. Left longer, these ties can severely damage bark and impede the flow of nutrients and water to the upper branches.