Spring Showers will bring May Flowers

~ May 18, 2011

This spring has been one of the coldest and rainiest in memory. I encourage you to take advantage of this unusual weather and visit your local garden centre.

“A rainy day is a great time to visit a garden centre — not only does it give you a head start on your neighbours, it can also be a rewarding shopping experience. Shorter line-ups at the cash register, parking spaces close to the entrance and a full inventory of plants will make life less hectic. Easier access to knowledgeable staff, just waiting to offer local gardening advice will ensure your garden gets off to a fantastic start this year,” says my buddy Denis Flanagan, public relations manager, Landscape Ontario.

The late spring has another bonus for shoppers — garden centre staff are spending more time caring for plants which are bigger and healthier than ever. And a rainy day is automatically a great day for planting!

Get out in the garden now to ensure you won’t be playing catch-up when the weather finally does warm up. Here are a few activities to get you through this cold and wet spring:

· Plant woody plants and hardy perennials now! Ontario garden centre inventories have never been as healthy or looked as good. The late spring has provided great growing conditions and extra time for plants to mature.
· Think ahead. Landscape projects that you would like to tackle this summer take planning, conceptualization and design. Avoid disappointment by calling contractors now. If waiting until late May they may already be booked.

Your best source to find local garden centres, contractors and other specialties is at http://www.landscapeontario.com/. “Find a Company” by searching a city, postal code, or specialty, etc.