BY HEATHER KRAWCHUK
With the long weekend just a day away, planting flowers and gardens is on many peoples’ minds. Paul Bongers of The Country Basket Garden Centre took some time to talk about preparing your gardens and flower beds.
Paul said that the May 24th weekend is the general rule of thumb to get everything planted, but that some people try to rush it and end up losing plants. Others believe that gardens should be put in following the last full moon of May, while some think that it is after the last frost. “The problem with waiting until after the last frost is that nobody knows the answer as to when the last frost will come,” said Paul.
With the incredibly warm temperatures last week, Paul wasn’t surprised to see many people out buying plants. The problem with that, he said, is that people weren’t anticipating the frost which came this week. While some plants are hardier and can stand up to frost (pansies, cabbage and onions are just a few examples), most are not able to endure it.
Basil, peppers, begonias and other similar types of plants are very susceptible to the cold. Paul said that if you’ve planted your basil in the last two weeks that there’s a high likelihood that it will need to be planted again; the frost is too much for basil to handle.
If you have your pepper and tomato plants purchased already, Paul cautions that they should be kept inside and protected from the frost until the end of May or even until the first week of June. He said, “The biggest problem is that people plant on their schedule, not on the plants’ schedule.”
Another good tip that Paul shared was about perennials. “Just because perennials come back every year doesn’t mean that they can be planted at any time of the year,” he stated. No need to worry if you’ve already purchased perennials or other plants that don’t do well in frost, though. Even keeping them in the garage for another week overnight should protect them until it’s time to plant.
Paul also stresses the importance of fertilizing the soil that you’ll be using for flowers or vegetables. “One of the best things to help you be most successful is to use a good plant fertilizer. The number one thing that you can do in the spring to have success with your plants all summer is to fertilize your soil.” Paul recommends a fertilizer with a high middle number, such as 10-52-10.
The Country Basket Garden Centre grows and sells thousands of plants. They have ten green houses and offer, “a wide assortment of annuals, perennials, herbs, roses, vegetables, garden mums, Easter lilies, poinsettias, trees, and shrubs.” They also feature a full service Flower Boutique.
One of the best things about turning to a garden centre like The Country Basket is that they have experts on hand who are able to take the time to fully explain the requirements for any plant that you are purchasing. While some people shy away from buying plants at a garden centre due to the cost, it can actually be more costly in the long run to buy plants from places like grocery stores. This is because those plants are not cared for by experts and there are no experts on hand to advise you of their care.
Paul is excited about the stock that The Country Basket Garden Centre has. He said, “We have tons of new stuff this year – tropical plants, dahlias in a variety of colors, a new series of trailing petunias (including different colors and sizes), the list goes on and on.”
The garden centre is also excited to be selling lobularia this year – it is a “super plant” that grows in virtually any condition. You can plant it now and it will last into October, is what Paul said.
For more information about The Country Basket Garden Centre, you can visit their website at http://www.countrybasketniagara.com/. Do you have any tips or advice about gardening? We’d love to hear them, so please leave them in the comment section below!
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