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Greetings!
Are you ready to Spring into Summer! With the hopes that our summer weather is finally here to stay, we are taking entertaining outside! After our cool spring full of such wacky weather we are desperate for outdoor living!
This summer we are expecting our gardens to do more as travel plans change with vacations taken at home. Our outdoor living spaces are used more and more for cooking, socializing or relaxation. By using some strategically placed containers full of lush, bold and colourful plants, we can create privacy, drama and focal points. |
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The art of container gardening is not new. However, this trend has been gaining momentum over the past few years. With an increase of smaller gardens, condos and balconies, the amount of gardening space is diminishing. Even the tiniest outdoor space can be made beautiful with containers especially when combined with hanging baskets. Containers are great for decorating patios, decks, porches, defining walkways or hiding worn-out spaces in landscapes. There is no need to restrict pots just to hard surfaces. Place them in gardens, along walkways or any place in your landscape where you want to make a statement.
Gardening in containers creates an instant beauty. They are easy to put together whether it is with a big or small budget. This method of gardening is accessible to everyone, children and seniors alike. It also opens up so much creativity. Have fun creating arrangements with the colours and plants that will give your outdoor rooms a unique impact.
Before starting on your creations, take a look at the area where the container gardens will be placed. Does the area receive full sun or shade? What is the size of the space? Can it fit 3 assorted sized pots, or just one large dramatic one? What is the style of the area? Are you decorating a square cut flagstone patio, wooden porch or pool-side? All of these answers will help with the selection of containers (size, number and style) as well as plant material (colours, sun or shade, numbers).
Follow the links below to discover how easy it is to put it all together!
Do you know another gardener who might enjoy this article?
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Smart Cote Controlled Release Fertilizer
This Feed and Forget Hanging Basket Fertilizer is great for all containers. One feeding of SmartCote fertilizer replaces multiple feedings with other products. This product guarantees to produce more blooms in hanging baskets, planters, patio pots, window boxes and container gardens.
It is most effective when applied at planting time or shortly after. If it is applied later in the season, nutrient release will stop in the fall and resume in the spring. Sprinkle fertilizer evenly over the surface of the soil. For best results, work into the first ½ inch of the potting mix. Product is available at the Dufferin Garden Centre.
1 Kg Container Regular Price $ 16.99 (see coupon below) |
C-I-L Smart Mix
This Premium Potting Soil is perfect for Hanging Baskets and Container Gardening!
It is enriched with SmartCote Controlled Release Fertilizer to give your container plants the perfect amount of food. This soil mix also contains Moisture Plus crystals that help to keep the soil moist.
This mixture gives plants everything they need including a natural, organic compost. Product is available at the Dufferin Garden Centre. |
 Flameburners,
Flame Powered by Sunjel The finishing touch to your container garden is the new Fireburner. These lovely containers are approved fireplace fuel holders. Just remove the lid of the container and place a Sunjel canister (remove label first) into the holder compartment. Light the Sunjel canister with a long match or barbeque lighter and enjoy the easy and safe experience of a fire outdoors this summer
To extinguish, simply put the fireburner lid back in place. Sunjel is an environmentally friendly, clean burning and safe product if used in accordance to the manufactures' directions. Please keep out of reach of children.
Both the Fireburners in metal and ceramic and Sunjel canisters are available at the Dufferin Garden Centre. |
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Rozanne Cranesbill (Geranium 'Rozanne')
 This wonderful perennial has been given the honour of 2008 Perennial of the year by the Perennial Association. Rozanne prefers full sun to partial shade and has excellent long-season display of large saucer-shaped violet-blue flowers with white centres. This plant can flower for weeks or months, particularly in regions with cool summers. It forms a midsized mound (20" high and 23" spread) of deeply-cut green leaves that become a reddish brown in fall for added interest. It is a vigorous plant but never invasive. Performs well in the front of planting beds or borders. Rozanne has a nice habit for patio planters, window boxes and hanging baskets. Prefers average well-drained soils. It tolerates summer heat better when given ample moisture and partial shade. Such a lovely addition to a blue-themed container garden with iris and blue fescue or in a border with yarrow and dwarf daisies. Dufferin Garden Centre carries Rozanne Cranesbill as well as several other varieties of Perennial Geraniums. Spring at the Garden Centre |
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Design Tip ~ Element of Water in Your Landscape 
Both large and small garden spaces can benefit from a water feature. The addition of water has become a popular choice for landscape designs. These features can range from large ponds with rushing waterfalls to trickling and meandering streams to a bubbling container water garden on a balcony.
The sound of water is calming, elegant and adds a natural element to your garden. Water features have become more popular as environmental concerns and wilderness appeal has increased.
Can you envision this type of element in your garden? Is it a garden pond with koi, waterfall with rushing water to block out the noise of traffic or a simple fountain in a more formal garden. When considering the location of the water feature, take a look at the grade of the ground, accessibility for maintenance, levels of sunlight, proximity to main views and sitting areas?
Want to learn more? Dufferin Garden Centre carries a full line of pond equipment, complete kits, water plants and koi to complete your project. Come and join us for a Pondless Waterfall Workshop on June 21 at 9:00 am with lunch included. Pondless Water Features are great for people who don't want a pond, but are looking for the benefits of a waterfall and stream. Since they are designed with no standing water, pondless waterfalls are child safe and require less maintenance.
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Garden Tip ~ Pruning in the Perennial Border
In our April Newsletter, we discussed the art of pruning and how it applies to mostly trees and shrubs. This time of year, lets be a little more specific and take a look at how pruning can be applied in our perennial gardens.
Deadheading is an important chore in the garden. Removing the spent or faded flowers regularly spruces up the appearance of the plant, and allows the remaining flowers to be enjoyed. It also prevents seed formation and encourages more flower buds. This especially works well with daisy-type flowers, Summer Phlox and Blue Salvia).
For late spring and early summer flowering plants, once they are finished blooming, they usually end up looking spent. Cutting back these perennials to encourage a new fresh and attractive foliage is often done this time of year. The healthy new foliage also does a better job of storing energy in the roots for improved performance in future. Try this on Silver Mound Artemesia, Yarrow, Salvia and Spiderwort.
This is the time of year to pinch back the garden mums in order to achieve the perfect mound of flowers in September. Simply prune the plant lightly once or twice to encourage more branching and a more bushier habit. Remember to stop pinching mid-July or the late summer and fall flowering will be delayed. Some other perennials that respond well are Fall Asters, Beebalm, Black-Eyed Susan and Fall Sedums. |
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Name That Bloom!
Can you name these early summer bloomers? These are flowers you would see outside in your gardens and containers this time of year. Please send your answers via email, we will accept either Common or Latin names! The first three entries with the correct answers will receive a $5.00 gift card from the Dufferin Garden Centre. The answers will be published in next month's newsletter.
Our May Blooms;
1. Forget Me Not (Myosotis)
2. Fritillaria Crown Imperial
3. Red Trillium |
