by Helen Nicolaou
Spring is such an exciting time of the year, as gardeners look forward to seeing signs of their fall-planted bulbs emerge and established spring shrubs burst into bloom.
Although the midday sun is deceiving, day temperatures can fool us into rushing out and purchasing potted annuals for planters. Yet beware, it’s still too early. Night temperatures can plummet below freezing, leaving tender plants to be brought indoors for protection. Tender plants can be set-back, when temperatures are not favourable, so they may be a waste of effort and money.
Here are a few tips to pass the time in the yard, until the soil is workable. One, is to prune damaged branches, due to this winter's extreme winter temperatures. Second is, moniter signs of growth to determine if plants were lost. Third, visiting garden centre nurseries for inspiration can be a nice break and will satisfy the senses from the winter blues. Fourth, check local garden events which have speakers and seed exchanges.
In addition, spring has many businesses offering seed displays which include annual /perennial flowers, vegetables and herbs. Remember to read the instructions on the back of the package, as some seeds need special requirements to germinate, such as stratification and can take weeks before the seed will germinate. While other seeds such as annual flowers and vegetables will quickly germinate, they require transplanting into bigger pots or they will become root bound and stunted. Only when the outside soil has reached a favourable temperature of 15-20c, can the tender plants be transplanted into the garden. When it comes to vegetable seeds, only plan to buy what you like to eat, as at full growth you may end with more work than anticipated and become overwhelmed when the entire harvest has matured all at once.
The first Pine Ridge Garden Club meeting, at the Nestleton Community Centre, was on March 11th. It was very well attended, with members and guests enjoying refreshments and sweet and savoury offerings. We thank Anna Miyzen, who presented on “My Favourite Perennials and Trees” and shared her lovely gardens with us.
Coming up on Tuesday, April 1st, at 7:30 p.m., Jillian Bishop, from Urban Tomato, will take the guess work out of “Seed Starting.” This will include reading seed packages, proper timing, containers, soil, tips and tricks.
Our Annual Plant, Bake and Yard Sale is quickly approaching, on Saturday, May 17th and members are asked for donations. Items needed are seedlings of tomato, pepper, cucumber, lettuce, and herbs. Popular perennials in demand are plants such as astilbe, heuckera, hydrangea, hostas and small shrubs. When you contribute, please add a description of the colour and growth habit of the plant, on the pot. There will be a full list of perennials posted at the entrance of the hall, across from the sign-in table.
Enjoy an evening of refreshments, a monthly interesting speaker, garden chit-chat and door prizes. Remember to Lug-A-Mug.
We are looking forward to seeing all our gardening friends. Guests are always welcome. To become a member, visit our website pineridgegardenclub.com or see Carolyn at the meeting.
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