Zehrs Market "Garden" 2013: First Visit

It looked like it might rain, but I still headed over to Zehrs in Guelph. I had the whole garden area to myself and they had just received all of there spring inventory. I was on a mission to do two things; scope out if they had the Ontario Natives plant rack yet... and to see what plants they had otherwise. Mission accomplished.

Ontario Natives, $3.99 each

They did indeed have the Ontario natives rack that they've had for about 3 seasons now. Last year I bought a foam flower "Tiarella cordifolia", but it hasn't shown any growth this year at all. It's a spring blooming flower, so we'll have to see what happens in the next few weeks. 

More perennial selection from President's Choice plants

They had some decent deals on the perennial plants, 4 for $20.00, some higher, some lower. I always do well on clearance here at the end of each season. I'll have to do an exclusively PC plant review in the next few weeks. The good, the bad, the ugly.

Ontario Natives "Our Native Plants"

I bought three Trillium to add to my collection, that makes 4. One traditional white, two pink and one red, the "Ontario Natives collection also had yellow, and one more red variety. It's really great marketing and a great idea. I feel it really makes the idea of native flowers more appealing to non-gardeners or non-serious gardeners. The nursery that propagates the native plants for "Ontario Natives" is called Sipkens Nurseries, Ltd. Wyoming, Ontario N0N 1T0. Each plant comes in a biodegradable coir fibre pot and the label is also biodegradable. All-in-all is a great concept, the label design needs a bit of work, and the plants should be in the pots longer in order to establish better roots, I'd rate it 7/10 in all areas.

Early May in the Garden 2013

Daffodils and Hardy Herbs

Mix of Narcissi and Double Daffodils

Solomon Seal, jumped up in just a few days, gorgeous specimen

Pink Lungwort... time to divide and sell!

Yellow Classic Tulips

Spiderwort- Tradescantia "Pink"

Rhubarb in the Garden... I need more of this

Strawberry Bed 2013, second year

Dwarf Irises "Purple" 

Tulips "Rococo" - Got two pots of these from brunch
centre pieces two years ago...

Pink Tulips and Poppies, tulips were also discounted
forced bulbs from a grocery store

My Costco Plants: April Bulbs

I bought a six-pack of mixed "forced" bulbs from Costco for about $5.99, sweet $1.00 a pot. It came with three Hyacinths, one white, two purple, and three mini-daffodils in yellow. I would say the daffodils had about 6-8 mini bulbs in each pot, a great deal. I planted them out in the front garden near the path leading to my door. I must say, 10/10 for those mini-daffodils, they are amazing! There is like 20-25 flowers on them right now, its an explosion of blooms!

At the end of the row, beyond the
double pink/white tulips

Nearing the end of it's best show,
you can still see plenty of blooms!

Purple Hyacinth almost done, one pot of mini-daffodils
and some pansies I added. One pansy has frilly edges.

This will not be my last costco trip... stay tuned for May!

Candy Lilies "Pardancanda"

The lovely background is provided
by my Giant Variegated Reed

I found some Candy Lilies at my all-time favourite Garden-Centre (The Potting Shed), and I just had to bring them home! They have minty-iris like foliage, and long lime stalks that support multiple small lily/orchid like flowers. My flower colour is a bi-coloured peachy-orange and pink-yellow bloom. After they bloom for a few days they twist away into a cocoon of sorts and develop a seed pod that burst open with shiny black lily-seeds. A very delicate looking plant, a great collectors plant to show off in an area, bees and pollinators love them! I can't wait to grow a massive clump, maybe collect some different colours. It's not uncommon to have multiple colours develop from one plant.

Beautiful fresh bloom from my Pardancanda

Candy Lily will grow to be about 24 inches tall at maturity extending to 3 feet tall with the flowers, with a spread of 18 inches. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 8 years.

This perennial does best in full sun to partial shade. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist growing conditions, but will not tolerate any standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. It is not particular as to soil type, but has a definite preference for acidic soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder zones. This plant can be propagated by division.

After bloom, pods, and a new flower in the centre

A new flower ready to pop open!

Some more brilliant examples of "Pardancanda"... I might have to start a collection...

To buy your very own Candy Lilies, you can visit your local garden centre (a good one, not a grocery store or a box store) or order a mixed bag online. Online nurseries also have unique colours and variations available.

Canadian Tire Garden Centre: Spring Review 2013

I did a recon missing to check out the Canadian Tire this year... looking pretty good this season, I might say. The inventory looks very healthy, very vigorous, nice sized plants, no pests, no moss. Some plants of course are decent deals and where as others are absolute steals. They like to rip you off in some areas, but I'll always give it high grades for clearance sales. I have also never lost a plant from Canadian Tire, they always come back the next year.

Large pots of Strawberries, Rhubarb, and Raspberries

Tradescantia "Red Cloud"...
I bought Tradescantia "Pink", they also had "Osprey"
(Must add that to my Wish-List)

Giant Colombine Flowers "Red & White"

Bonnie's Plants (Herbs, Veggies,  Fruits, Annuals)

Small perennials on sale for $1.89... price usually dips
again in July when the centres close for the season

Fruit trees selection at Canadian Tire,
Plums, Pears, Cherries and more...

They were flowering the second time I visited,
really lovely plants,  about $40.00 each

...More Canadian Tire visits to come!

Review: Martha Stewart Living Seeds/Bulbs

Martha Stewart Living Seeds/Bulbs

Rating: 8.5/10 (Bulbs) 3/10 (Seeds)
Price: $1.99 - $50.00

I've never tried any of Martha's plant products. She has an attractive selection of dormant bulbs and bare roots, sold in well designed packages, beautifully marketed and priced accordingly. She offers a limited variety of products, only sold at Home Depot in Canada and the USA. You can buy them in store or order online, and purchases over $45.00 include free shipping.

What I always say about free shipping is always spend what you need to get it. Why buy $30.00 worth or product and pay another $30.00 for shipping, it's like paying 2x over for your items and you might as well not shop online. If free shipping is $75.00 and up plan to spend $75.50 at that online nursery.

Martha's line is essentially picking the plants that are well designed for you, mixing specific colors and varieties for that modern magazine look. The most common examples would be lime green, white and pink tulips all in one bag, plant at random. No everyone likes to garden like that, so if you don't like colour mixes and pre-planned grab bags, her products aren't for you.

Blue Border Assortment
by Martha Stewart Living ($42.95 - 180 bulbs)

Hyacinth China Pink & Tulip Couleur Cardinal
by Martha Stewart Living ($26.88 - 48 bulbs)

She has many other assortments and plain packs of bulbs at which seem to be, very reasonable prices. The average price of her bulb packs is $25.00 for 15 - 35 bulbs depending on the species.

Examples of tulips available by Martha Stewart Living

She also has a limited number of seeds, they are a decent price online, but I've seen them be more expensive in store. There is nothing special about her seeds, and I might buy them on clearence or with a discount, they just don't seem that special. Her choices are basic heirloom and "pretty" no flowers, just veggies and herbs, water melon and cantaloupe.

Martha Stewart's Seed Collection 

She has other bulbs, non-spring bulbs like two varieties of lily, elephant ear, astillbe, peacock lilies, peonies and cana bulbs. They are fairly decent prices and I would consider buying them in store when the discounts roll around at the end of the season, not because I don't think they are worth the price they show now, I just think I'll save a lot by waiting and being a cheapo that I am. Clearance prices can show you how much the store actually bought them for, because they still think they can make profit from 80% off a regular price, home depot is an excellent discounter. For example one bag of 48 tulip bulbs is $30.00, thats 62 cents a bulb. When the bag of bulbs gets discounted 75% off, the price drops to $8.00, that's only 16 cents a bulb, wowza.

Other bulbs available. 

My final thoughts are, well done Martha Stewart Living plants, your seeds suck but your bulbs aren't that bad. Buy her product in your local Home Depot store and wait for the clearance prices at the end of  spring, yes, you may not have the best selection, but there should be some nice tulips to pick over, and they'll discount her other non-spring bulbs because box stores don't know the difference. I know I'll be checking out her products!

My Potting Shed Haul

In my last post I raved about The Potting Shed in Dunnville, ON. What I didn't add was my haul from that garden-shopping trip! I had a small budget, and there was so much to choose and consider, my main goals were; Quality, Size and Collection. In general the quality and size at The Potting Shed are above average, and I don't have to worry about choosing an unhealthy plant. They also stock plenty of unique and rare varieties that are hard to find anywhere else in the area.

Here is a photo of my haul, sitting at the side of the house, in the "Bike Walk-in Area" construction zone. Its protected from any intense sun and I can water them all in one place, before direct plantings. My haul included: Giant Variegated Reed, Hosta "Final Summation", Hosta "Alakazam", Hosta "Rainbow's End", Hosta "Variegated Mouse Ears" and a pot of Candy Lilies. The other plants you're seeing are a haul from a Zehrs garden centre clearance; Hosta "Abiqua Drinking Gourd", white echinacea, and "Big Bang" Coreopsis.

This is the super tall flower stem to Hosta "Final Summation", it actually ended up flowering on three separate stems over the course of the summer. It has gorgeous semi-shiny foliage and lavender flowers.

My placement for my three mini-esk Hosta varieties in my small shade garden, it's getting very cramped in there, I think I'm going to have to expand my shade garden.

Why The Potting Shed is my favorite nursery...

I love, love, love The Potting Shed! The Potting Shed, in Dunnville, Ontario, is one the best garden nurseries I've ever visited, ever. I've been to many nurseries in North America and this one has a great recipe. The layout and design of the place is wonderful, including a shaded perennial sale area, amazing (not too big, not too small) display gardens, multiple green houses, a daylily field, a converted barn/green house, corn silos with chickens and peafowl, a small barn with chickens, rabbits, goats and pot-belly pigs and one very grand pond and waterfall at the centre of the property.

The shaded perennial sale-display area. Looks like an old barn foundation.
Lots of little treats and surprises in each row and around every corner!

The pond feature is spectacular! Very stunning, yet natural and welcoming. 

The hosta display garden, designed to perfection with height and colour at play. 

Willow-leafed Sunflower, I absolutely love the texture of this plant!
The variegated Giant Reed is in the background, I took one home with me after this trip.

The display plant choices are a-typical and very modern, in the sense that its surprising, intriguing and very unique. The owner Jack Kent is very friendly, extremely knowledgeable and a kind soul. The nursery offers a very special "plant-shopping" experience, I find it very hard to spend less than an hour there and I still have more plants I want to take a peak at. The plant quality is very good, and it is priced accordingly. Although it's a bit out of my price range (being a starving student, and all),  I'm the perennial advisor to my family-home garden, so my say on plants usually wins out. The plant size and vigor is very consistent, I've never had one of there plants die on me, nor will I ever have to worry.

A collage of the various lilies I encountered, there were honestly so many nice ones to choose from! I especially liked the spider-daylilies! You can order 12 varieties for $99.00 through The Potting Shed's website.

If your in Dunnville Ontario, or live in Southern Ontario, go check out The Potting Shed! You won't be disappointed!

The daylily display area by the pond, plenty of show-stoppers.

The hosta display and sale shade-house, a stunning crop of over 200 varieties.

Daylilies and Asiatics together on display.

Hosta "Niagara Falls", a big beauty.

The daylily beds, too many varieties, its like a candy-shop!

More daylilies in a house.
 Stay tunned for a follow up post about my July plant haul and garden updates!