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!

My Top Pollinator Picks of 2012 Part 1

I am introducing a new segment to my blog on my love for gardening. Lately it's been very dark and gloomy in the city and I am getting that antsy feeling about getting into my gardening again. The only thing that keeps me sane and satisfying in my garden-less home in the big city seems to be creating plans and lists, doing research, reading and dreaming of my garden. Let's just say I have been doing a lot of research this winter. I am determined to have the best gardening season yet, and I'm excited to share some of my designs and ideas!

One important factor that you should always be thinking of when you plan your garden or choose plants is about your pollinators. They may not be "your" pollinators, your bees, your butterflies, they are wild guests to your party. The more pollinators in your garden, is a direct indicator of your garden's success. It's an amazing feeling, walking out into your garden and hearing a symphony of buzzing and movement.

Your garden should be a haven for wildlife, even the small, stinging variety. Don't be afraid, let them in, when they are busy collecting nectar, they are less likely to bother your family. Here I have a review list of The Top Pollinator Picks of 2012. You can buy them online or in store, I'll post updates in the summer and I hope you will like my selections.

The Milkweed Family/ Butterfly Weed - (Asclepias)

These are beautiful twists on the common milkweed variety that grows wild across Canada. Its a self-seeding perennial, with wide array of colours ranging from dark purple-pink flowers to orange, pink and white, with soft green rubberised foliage. It grows tall and blooms in the late summer. Attract bumble bees and mother butterflies with this buzz-drug. Hummingbirds also enjoy flowers in the Asclepias family.

Purple Milkweed - Asclepias purpurascens

Pink Cinderella Milkweed - Asclepias Cinderella

White Milkweed - Asclepias ballet

Butterfly Weed - Gay Butterflies

The Rudbekia Family - (Black Eyed Susan)

There are amazing rudbekia varieties on the market this year. My top pics are special, because the flower size and showy colours are outstanding. Hummingbirds, butterflies, bees and other pollinators love intense "warm" spectrum colours like reds, oranges, yellows, pinks and magenta. My picks are all very different from the transitional Black Eyed Susan, yet easy to grow from seed.

Rudbekia - Hot Chocolate, Prairie Sun, Cherry Brandy, Morrocan Sun Mix

The Cone Flower Family - (Echinacea)

Cone flowers have long been known for their medical properties and as a perennial garden staple in the 19th century. Let's cut to the nectar! These lovelies are hardy, long blooming and can draw in every kind of pollinator with just one look. At the end of the season, they also function as finch jungle gyms, spreading new valuable seed to the bed bellow. Aren't they amazing!

Echinacea - PowWow Wild Berry, Hot Papaya & Gumdrop, Tiki Torch, Double Decker, Raspberry Truffle, Green Envy, Secret Joy, Amazing Dream

July 27th- Garden Update!

Some volunteer raspberries from the far side of the garden.

Yellow and green beans by the fist-full. Crunchy, sweet and organic.

Echinacea and Black-Eyed-Susan growing in my pepper garden to attract bees.

Organic Danvers and Dragon carrots, freshly picked & eaten.