Get the right tool for the right job!

Hello gardening friends….Wendy here. With my garden cleanse in full swing I have brought all my tools out of the shed and am attempting to make the most of them with my ‘girl power’. I am not a ‘man tool’ kind of girl, which means I need tools that are powerful with no plugs and strong but not heavy. I need to be able to pack them around easily and they need to do the best job with the least amount of effort and in the quickest time.

I have our Multi-Purpose Shears for the very small jobs like cutting flowers for indoors. They are great for dead heading and they’re fabulous for removing small branches that have overgrown the walkway and threaten to smack me each time I pass. I probably shouldn’t use them as much as I do but they are just so darn handy!

The Pocket Boy Silky Saw is my absolute favourite and I take it out pretty much every day for some cut or other. I was pruning my Rhododendrons earlier in the year and the wood was so old and so tough that I thought I might actually need a ‘man toy’ but alas the Silky Saw proved its worth right then and there! It cut through the Rhodo wood like butter and made the job a breeze.  Right now I’m engaged in the fight of the century with a Pussy Willow monster and a 25 year old Wisteria that are both threatening the very foundations of my rancher! The Pocket Boy has two cutting angles and they really come in handy when you are bent over sideways under the cedars trying to reach a wayward trunk. This is my must-have, cannot be without, tool!

The Japanese Curved Sickle is new to me and I’ve gotten a lot of use out of it this season. When I was doing some serious hacking of Periwinkle I was able to hack it right down to the ground and then use the tool to pull out the deep-set roots as well. When I needed to loosen some soil for planting my Hostas (and was too lazy to go back to my shed) I used the sickle like a hoe and it broke the ground beautifully. It’s lightweight, very strong and easy to handle.

The Delta Hoe has been put to good use as a ground breaker in my garden and is really handy for shaking at the squirrels in a threatening manner, but I cannot wait to use it in the fall for bulb planting. The handle is fairly long, the edges are nice and sharp and it is light in weight. It will definitely be my main bulb planting tool because I will be able to dig deeper and larger holes to pop the bulbs into and I should be able to do it without disturbing the surrounding plantings.

The Double Duty Hoe & Spade is quite an ominous looking tool and performs a great number of tasks very easily. It is very handy when you need to loosen established plants in a close setting. I found it particularly helpful with the overgrown Iris Rhizomes. I was able to loosen the roots and dig a little and then easily pull them up all with the same tool.

I had to transplant some Lily bulbs or loose them and with this tool I found I could loosen the soil all around the edges and then gently pry loose the bulb, roots and all, without too much disturbance to the roots.

So…I’ve got to say a huge ‘Hoorah’ for the tools I have that do not need to be plugged in or gassed up in order for me to use them successfully in my garden. They give me the power to control the beasts within my garden domain, all by myself…

Hello it’s Wendy ….. and I’m very excited because I’ll soon be able to harvest the garlic that I planted last fall! I had grown garlic once a few years before and had great success with it until that fateful day of transporting all my garlic bounty to my Mom and Dad’s place. I was going to share this great farming experience with them and had carefully laid the fabulous braided masterpiece on the roof of my car until I had the kids secured inside. You can imagine my surprise when I arrived at their house and realized I had left it on the roof of my car to fend for itself! ARGH! Somewhere between Langley and Mission my bounty of garlic had flown off the roof and on to the side of the road, never to be enjoyed by me. Hopefully someone or something got to enjoy it…

The Botanus garlic comes from the Okanagan region of British Columbia and is grown without pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers. When the first shipment arrived late last summer I could not believe how beautiful it was. The heads were nice large ones, blemish free and ready to be split into cloves and planted in the garden. I chose the German Red for its really pungent flavour and the Music variety for the lasting aftertaste. I planted most of the cloves in a lovely sunny spot and marked them well, a few were planted in pots on the front patio just to see how they would do. All have come up and look amazing although I must admit when they came up I thought they were some kind of unusual grass that I had forgotten I’d planted.

As the weeks progressed some have developed curly scapes at the top of the stems. These scapes can be cut off and used in soups, sauces and stir fry’s and should last in the fridge for a week or more. These scapes are delicious and are very expensive when purchased from local farmer’s markets and specialty food stores. The double benefit is that you get to enjoy them and by cutting these scapes off you allow the garlic to keep growing and getting larger.

I’ve been anticipating this harvest for some time and now I’m just waiting for the lower third to half of the plant’s leaves to turn brown. This is a good sign they are ready and I will then gently dig around one of the plants and lift it out to see if it is large enough to harvest. If not, I’ll give it a little more time, but not too long as the bulb can split making it hard to dig up and can affect the taste. I think the hardest part will be after I’ve dug the mature bulb and brushed all the soil off (not washed) when I’ll have to let it cure for 2-3 weeks. I’m itching to use them! For the curing process they cannot be in the sun because they can burn and the taste will be compromised. Instead they need to be hung in a well ventilated, shady spot until dry and ready for use. Not too much longer now!

I have my recipes at the ready, Easy Garlic Beef and my absolute favourite, Baked Salmon with Maple Garlic Marinade! This year I’m going to try the Silverskin Soft-Neck for all my roasted garlic recipes and the Yugoslavian just because it sounds like a variety that I could use for every recipe that I want some extra ‘heat’! I would totally recommend growing this super plant. All you need is some nice rich soil, a very sunny location and a little patience. Have Fun!

Easy Garlic Beef

1 lb of your favourite cut of beef (sliced as thinly as possible), 1/4 cup Soya sauce, 1/3 cup olive or canola oil, 3 tbsp white sugar, 3 cloves garlic (crushed)

Mix the Soya sauce, oil, sugar and garlic together in a container or freezer bag and add all the beef to this mixture. Allow to marinate in the fridge for at least half an hour and up to two. Preheat the broiler in your oven for 5 minutes and place your marinated beef on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Place the cookie sheet under the broiler and cook for about 2 minutes and then remove from oven. Turn all the beef over and cook the other side for another 2 minutes.

This recipe is fabulous over rice and really lends itself well to your own tastes. That means you can add more garlic or less (I don’t think so!) or less oil if your beef is fatty. I have also made the marinade, added the sliced beef and tossed them into a freezer bag and placed them in the freezer, I thaw, cook and enjoy later in the week.

Baked or Barbecued Salmon with Maple Garlic Marinade

1 salmon filet (enough for 4 people), 3 cloves of garlic (crushed), 1/4 cup Soya sauce, 1/4 cup maple syrup, 1 tbsp brown sugar, juice of half a lemon or lime, a little salt and pepper to taste

Place the salmon fillet on a tinfoil bed and bring the sides up so the marinade cannot escape. When doing this in the oven I lay it on a cookie sheet for stability and for the barbecue I do 2 layers of tinfoil and have the cookie sheet handy for emergencies. Turn the oven to 400 degrees or the barbecue to medium.

Add the remaining ingredients together in a small bowl and stir until well mixed. Pour this liquid mixture over the salmon and let it sit for a few minutes. Lift the salmon up a couple of times so the marinade can reach under the fish as well. Place the salmon in the oven or on the barbecue for about 20 minutes. Check the centre of the salmon to be sure it is fully cooked; the meat will be opaque, but still fork tender. Remove from oven and serve on a platter with steamed and buttered new potatoes or on top of steaming white rice!

Delicious!!

  Hello everyone…Wendy here!

This has been a season of change for me and it has been very evident in my garden as well. I no longer want the completely ‘wild all over’ look. I’m looking to tone down the volume of plantings and up the brightness factor! I have been hard at work cleaning up all the overgrown Daylilies and Iris that need some air and light to start producing more blooms. I am not good at thinning, separating or dividing plants, because it feels like I’m losing a valuable piece of my landscape, but I know that if I don’t do it they will stop producing blooms for me. There already is far too much green compared to the pinks, yellows and purples of years gone by.

Let the cleansing continue!

While pulling, cutting and sorting through my vast front yard of exuberance and overgrowth, I have noticed that my colour preferences have changed from when I started laying the foundations of this garden. The garden that used to be mostly blues and purples with soft pinks is taking a turn and I’m definitely moving towards the brighter shades and crisp colour palettes.

This revelation moved me to discover what the colours in my garden symbolize. It is truly fascinating stuff and literally goes back thousands of years. So after looking through books and websites and then combining that with my own experiences with colours over the years I believe you can choose plants whose colours will hold great meaning for you and the colours you choose will tell the world lots about you.

BLUE

From the bright sparkling blue of Allium Azureum to the deep and dark blues of the Muscari neglectum and the Iris reticulata Cantab, this colour brings calm and peacefulness to outdoor spaces. It is the colour of peace and inspires us to linger in the garden for some quiet moments to restore ourselves.

PINK

Think pink like the tulip Florissa and you can’t help but think of sweetness and youth. The softer pink tones of the Toronto Lily and Gypsy Queen Hyacinth bring a sincerity and positive energy to the garden and will often remind us of gardens from our childhood. You can transform your space to a simpler more innocent time by choosing flowers that bloom in fabulous shades of pink all through the season.

PURPLE

Purple has long been thought of as the colour of royalty and when you plant bold purple flowers like Iris Eye of the Tiger it proves it. Dark purple tulips have the same effect and definitely command respect when planted in large groups in a garden. There are so many shades of purple flowers that you can plant that will provide a real depth of contrast and lessen the formality of this admirable colour.

RED

Red is the colour of love and symbolizes beauty, courage and heat. Plant a mass of beautiful blood red tulips like Miranda, Lipgloss and Bastogne to name a few, in your garden and you will feel the energy they send out. They will keep you captivated from the moment the small buds emerge up until the last petals fall. Red is totally captivating!

WHITE

Often associated with purity, white flowers evoke a simple beauty that is extremely satisfying. You can plant white flowers to bloom one after another, starting early with Snowstorm Crocus and Galanthus nivalis and ending with the Double Late Mount Tacoma Tulips. Each white treasure will bring an elegance and luxuriance to your garden.

YELLOW

This is the colour that makes you smile and symbolizes friendship. There is nothing like the sun-drenched colour of Allium moly luteum planted with Pipit, Tripartite and Yellow Cheerfulness Narcissi to pick up your spirits on a grey day. The tulips Sweetheart, Monte Carlo and Honky Tonk will actually resemble bright lights turned on in your garden space. They all send a message of new beginnings and happiness and this is what I’m looking for.

ORANGE

Plant an orange flower garden and the message is clear, you have a passion for life and are proud to share it with all. Orange symbolizes enthusiasm, and confidence and with the flowers of Cape Cod and Ramona Tulips, planted alongside Brunello Lilies and the Tanzanian Tangerine Iris your garden will explode with the message that you love life.

GREEN

Green says nature and symbolizes health, resilience, good fortune and youth. The greens of Deirdre Tulips alongside the Misty Glen Narcissi and Allium Hair make for a space that will fill you with optimism and will renew your soul.

LAVENDER

Lavender is femininity all grown up and symbolizes grace and elegance in your garden. From the statuesque Allium christophii to the lavender shades of Blue Heron Tulips and the early blooming Blue Pearl Crocus you can fill your garden with their quiet and understated brilliance.

From soft shades to brilliant oranges and yellows I am moving forward to recreate my garden to reflect the person I am today, who knows what tomorrow will bring? Perhaps my garden can tell you…

This is Elke, hello everybody!

 It’s that time of year - the time that makes all the hard work and thoughts we put into our garden in the fall worth the effort.

 As I am walking along my flower beds I am so glad I took the time and planted a few Allium ‘Purple Sensation’,  ‘Globemaster’, moly luteum, bulgaricum and sphaerocephalon last fall.

Sometimes it feels like that the word beauty or beautiful is hardly strong enough to describe these gorgeous flowers . Allium ‘Purple Sensation’ and moly luteum are in full bloom right now and smile at me as we speak and its again living proof why we all love gardening. How can you not love these great balls of fire?

 We have fourteen different kinds of Alliums in our catalogue this year and I will definitely make sure I plant more of them. All of them have their own way of shining. What I really like a lot is the fact that they bloom from early spring to early summer. Right now I am enjoying  ‘Globemaster’ and moly luteum, but I can already see the buds of bulgaricum appearing which are just amazingly beautiful. I am also looking forward to the sphaerocephalon (s.p.h. or drumsticks as we call them)  as it is  one of my favourite because it will bloom  later in the season to end my Allium season with a drum roll!  Alliums are very easy to  grow and are not prone to many problems. Good drainage is important but that’s the main rule for successfuly growing of any kind of bulb. Too wet conditions can lead to rot. The deer don’t like them and the height  range they come in  makes it easy to find one perfect for your desired spot. Alliums grow in ground cover heights (Allium moly luteum, ostrowskianum and neapolitanum) through the mid size of  Alliums such as ‘Ivory Queen’ and schubertii to larger and taller varieties like Allium atropurpureum, azureum, bulgaricum, christophii, giganteum, ‘Globemaster’, ‘Hair’, ‘Mount Everest’,’ Purple Sensation’ and Allium sphaerocephalon.  They do well as cut flowers and the seed heads of the big ball-shaped varieties make a winter garden very attractive. It’s a plant that has it all … easy to grow, attractive, colourful, aesthetic, fun, long lasting as a cut flower, perfect for containers  and great as winter decoration.   

What else could you be looking for?

  Hello everybody Elke here!

As I am working away in my garden I have 1001 thoughts going through my mind. This sounds probably crazy to you, but it’s a very relaxing way for me to sort out my thoughts and ideas.

Looking at all the flowers and green shoots coming up and breaking through its more than amazing and fascinating to me. Nature has such power and an unbelievable beauty.

Taking care of such beauty is more important than ever and doing so in a ‘green’ way is even more crucial.

I thought that sharing our tried and true home solutions for a natural garden would be a great way of helping each other out. So please feel free to leave your tips and tricks in the comment section of this blog.  I’ve been thinking about all the things I’ve learned from my parents and grandparents and things I’ve read about over the years. In doing so I’ve also realized that a lot of people have no idea how much home solutions are actually in their house right now. Lets just go through the counter and cupboards under your sink, the pantry and the shelves in your laundry room to see what we can find!

How about …

Dish soap

Mix 3 tablespoons of mild soap with about 4 liters of water and put it in a spray bottle ….

dish soap is an insecticide that helps against aphids.

Baking soda

2 tablespoons of baking soda mixed with 2 liter of water and a drop of mild detergent makes an excellent fungicide against black spots.

Coffee grinds

A healthy plant is a stronger plant…there’s no doubt about that and coffee grinds are a great source of nitrogen. The (N) in your fertilizer that promotes green growth in plants.  Throw your grinds in your garden instead of into your garbage!

Borax and sugar

Mix of ½ part Borax with ½ parts sugar and place it close to where the ants are coming from. If possible near the ant hill itself. The ants will collect the mixture bringing it back to the mound.  Keep away from pets.

Beer

I know, it sounds like such a waste using beer in your garden but it does help. Fill a margarine container 1/3 with beer and sink it into the ground about ground level. Slugs will be attracted, fall in and die. Clean out your container often.

Wood ashes from your fire place

Talk about healthy plants …. it is said that ashes can be used as light mulch around your lilies to make them healthier and stronger.

Vinegar

Spay full strength vinegar on the weeds in your driveway and make sure it’s hot and sunny when you do it. Weeds will eventually burn and disappear from your driveway.

Only spray on weeds you want to get rid off. Vinegar will burn what ever you spay it on.

..and than there’s good old boiling water…

Boiling water will break the weeds cell walls and kill it.

That’s just a few tips …. so please ,as mentioned above feel free to tell us about your own tricks and home solutions.

We gardener’s have to stick together!

  Hello Fellow Gardeners,

Wendy here…

My garden is bursting with colour and everywhere I look something new is happening, some is welcome and some not so. There is the sea of blue flowers from ‘Forget Me Not’ seeds planted over 10 years ago. They have found their way into every corner of my garden and I welcome them.

There are the Periwinkle clumps dotted with beautiful blue flowers that have spread and threaten to take over their various corners, not so welcome… I seem to learn more from my “mistakes” than from anything else, because they take longer and require more muscle to correct. Oh well, it’s all a mystery until you do it once!

I saw the greatest setup in a garden last year and thought I would share it with you.

This resourceful gardener had started tender seedlings and small roots under the cover of plastic pop bottle cloches. These cloches not only protect from slugs and bugs but they also create a little mini greenhouse effect inside while protecting the plants from deluges of rain. The small opening at the top allows the heat to escape by itself and the water to trickle down the sides. This inventive cloche allows us to reuse the 2 litre plastic bottles that most of us have in our homes, giving them a more productive life before they get recycled.

-Start this project by removing all the labels from your 2 litre plastic bottles and washing them thoroughly because the more light the plants can receive, the better.

-To achieve the best results, you can cut the bottle as close to the rounded bottom as possible.

-Slip this bottle over your new planting with the spout side up.

-Now push the bottle into the soil until it is steady and solid. This will give you a wall above and below the soil level.

-When the plant is close to outgrowing this cloche, you can remove it completely or cut the top half off so that you have a 4 or 5 inch sleeve still remaining. This remaining section can still prevent some of the damage done from underground pests and will offer some protection from above as well.

-At every stage of this project you need to recycle all the pieces of plastic properly.

I love it when we gardeners think of ways to reduce, reuse and recycle what we already have because it’s usually smart, functional and beautiful too.

Well, I’ve got to get back to my favorite pastime… gardening! So I’ll say goodbye for now and I wish you all a great day in your garden!

  Happy Earth Day Everybody from all of us at Botanus!

Elke here:

April 22nd is officially Earth Day but really EVERY day is Earth Day!

Having been born in Europe I grew up with recycling paper, plastic, aluminum foil, cans and recycling glass - even separating it into its different colours. I can’t remember the last time my parents used a hose watering their garden. For years and years now they have collected rainwater in big bins and water their garden with watering cans.

No sprinkler, no hose!

It’s just too expensive and also kind of a waste.

We learned from a very young age not to let the water run while brushing our teeth, turn off the lights after we left the room, separate the garbage ……  and just be more aware of wasting energy.

When I moved to Canada about 11 years ago it was hard for me to understand that there was only one garbage can and the only restriction in watering your garden with a sprinkler was only during a very hot summer and even then we could still use the sprinkler just not everyday.

At Canada Blooms in Toronto this past March I could see a lot of examples of how to save energy and water and was very happy that so many businesses took the initiative to make people aware of how easy some of the things can be. It’s great to see that so many people save and recycle and look for new ideas on how to do so.

I thought since it’s Earth Day and we all have different ways of saving and recycling it would be a great idea if you would let us know how YOU do it .

Let us know your tips and tricks how you compost and collect water, how you deal with conserving energy in your home and garden.

Cant wait to hear your comments!

Help us make a difference!!

Here’s a few ideas to get us started:

Choose soaker hoses or drip irrigation that use 50% less water than sprinklers

(did you know that sprinklers can use as much as 1,000 liter of water per hour?)

Water in the early morning or evening, rather than during the heat of the day when it is not good for your plants and as much as 50% of the water is lost to evaporation.

Use mulch to reduce evaporation and the quick drying of your soil. This also discourages weeds and moderates your soil temperature.

 Giving your plant roots a good soaking once or twice a week is much better than a light watering every day.

Invest in a rain barrel. Your roof collects tens of thousands of liters of rain every year which runs strait into the sewer . It’s free water for you to use for watering your garden, your houseplants or washing your car.

Now please let us know your ideas and again to all of you

HAPPY EARTH DAY!!

Hi everyone Wendy here ………. 

Many people may think that the order they place in the mail is fairly straight forward with nothing to be learned except the order details themselves. For the most part this is true but there are certain things I learn from some of the mail orders that land on my desk. Now please don’t be nervous after that statement, no secrets will be revealed in this article that could embarrass anyone. Over the years I have come to know some of you through the, not so obvious, details of your orders and this is my little thank you for that.

For example, I absolutely loved the order with the little dirt stained fingerprints that meant you had taken the time to go into the garden with that little special someone as your helper. I imagined them trailing behind you choosing items and then even helping you to plant them once they had arrived. A new generation of avid gardeners in the making, one can only hope!

Another order arrived with coffee stained edges and that spoke to me of a stroll through a dew filled garden, with a hot cup of coffee, on a warm spring morning. The order form that had been soaked and carefully dried, the pages distorted and thick from the experience, made me smile. I imagined you running out of the house after you had turned on the sprinkler and then remembered that your order form was still on the potting bench, next to t he sprinkler!

The tell tale signs of bugs, dirt and stains from the blue jeans on the order form as it had been in and out of your pants pocket all day long. These interesting marks have all been observed and enjoyed by me as I process these ‘simple orders’ … very telling indeed.

Much of my imaginings also include little pictures of you that you create in my mind by using coloured pens to write the orders or the perfumed scented paper and envelopes that they arrive with.

I especially love the rolled edges of the order from the gardener excited to get the order in on time and nervously rolling the pages as they wandered through the garden making choices. Then the piece de resistance, the amazing floral stamps and return address labels! Everything from Lady Slippers to roses to butterflies and spades and they all tell me a little something about you. You are great, you love gardening and you love to receive luscious plants from people who care as much about gardening as you do.

Thanks for telling me all this without even knowing you did  and I say keep up the good work!

I love getting to know you better… 

Hi Elke here again!

Friday at Canada Blooms was Design Day and I couldn’t wait to walk through the show again with my focus on details and design. It’s all in the design, isn’t it? Little things make a big difference in almost everything.

There is just something special if the napkins on your table match the tablecloth colour or blend in with the pattern of your dishes. It just looks better when the towels in your bathroom match the mat on the floor or have a colour theme with the walls in your bathroom.

And so is it with your garden. Little details make the big “wow” effect and it really is just a question of design not money. Ok, ok, it could be big bucks but it doesn’t have to.

Details can be created with many different things  in your garden:

Paving details

Scuptures

Furniture

Containers

Water features

and of course Plants

Paving details, for example, are an easy way to create an intersting look…don’t just plaster down concrete and be done with it. Create details with river rocks, bricks, create mosaiks. Mix up different textures and materials. Keep spaces between the flagstones and plant moss plants in between or mix in some crushed rocks. Bricks can be layed in the form of a star or circle and make it look interesting. Scrap pieces of old dishes can be used to create a mosaik. Things like that create an interesting look.

Sculptures are always a great focal point and just need a little bit of extra attention. A nice solid or calm background will not compete with your sculpture and make it a focal point. Create a stage, like a platform out of wood or stone, to place your sculpture on.

Furniture is a big part of garden design these days. Especially after all these new designs of winter hardy furniture and fabrics. There was a great variety to be seen at Canada Blooms and lots of expert advise about them. Furniture doesn’t just come in wicker or wood …. the possibilities are endless. Wrought iron, plastic wicker look, wood or even concrete are only a few different ideas that help to create details with your furniture  in your garden or on your patio.

Containers …… ahhhhhh yes containers…….!

A big tree in the middle of a pot can create drama and a statement. Structures like a wire pyramide that is used to support your plants and lets them grow up the structure also create a different look. Even just a few branches of a corkscrew willow pushed into the middle of your container makes a big impact.

The colour of your container can set off the wall behind it and help make it all look very stylish. Think indoors ….. just like you have a nice tablecloth on your dining room table or you put all the work into finding the right fabric for your drapes, you can do the same outdoors with the colour of your fence and pots and plants.

Water features can create a BIG impact. Again …. they don’t have to be the big crashing water fall with a humungeous pond that takes up all your space. A small bubble rock that calms you down placed on a small space of river rocks running into the ground can make all the difference.

Plants are, of course, are the most important elements in our gardens and with a little bit of planing we can create beautiful effects and statements. One big plant placed thoughtfully can be as impressive as a field of hundreds of plants. Look at the beauty of each plant, their different colours, sizes, blooming habits or foliage and place them in a spot that’s just perfect for them.

Design your garden and patio with little details and you create a wow effect without much work. Design is in the detail and there are soooooo many ways to create details. Just go for it! Be yourself and show off what you like.

The show is over now and we’re headed for home. Thanks again to all of you who stopped by to say hello. And to all of those who weren’t able to come I hope you’ve gotten a little taste of what Flower Power is all about! Thank goodness spring is on its way so that we can put into practice some of the things we’ve seen!

Hello gardening friends … Elke again reporting to you from Canada Blooms!

We are at the half way point of Canada Blooms and are enjoying every minute of it. It’s so much fun talking to customers that make the extra effort to find our booth and have a chat with us. We really appreciate this. Our customers are great and a show like Canada Blooms gives us the chance to meet and chat and discuss and tell stories and laugh together. A big ‘Thank You’ to everybody that has come by to see us.

This year’s show kicked off the season with the theme ‘Flower Power’ encompassing the idealism and optimism of the 60’s and the inspirational power of gardens and flowers as well as the power that lies within us as responsible gardeners to do our part in an eco way of living. 

 I noticed a great deal of examples in different displays of how to be part of the changing way we are living and gardening. There are wonderful ideas such as how to collect rain water, create designer birdhouses built out of recycled household materials and green roofs that not only look great but also help to get the green space back into the city. Air improvement and relaxing spaces are created all at once. The eco word is being spread!

  Landscape Ontario and The Garden Club of Toronto, as the host of Canada Blooms, uses the ‘convenient truth’ that Canada Blooms just happens to run during Ontario’s spring break and is offering a children’s program called ‘Can You Dig It’ especially for kids.  It’s an absolutely superb design of a children’s playground and is being used to inspire kids and get them back into a healthy way of playing, learning and living.

As I walked into the playground display, my heart was smiling as I saw how much fun the kids had playing in there. There was an oversized wooden xylophone hanging from a tree, drums out of pipes and recycled metal barrels sunken into the ground, cute little wooden stumps for sitting around a tree table and workshops on how to plant seeds and grow your own sunflowers. Wow, how wonderful! The happy laughing, the sounds of the instruments and the smiling faces of the kids showed quite clearly that there is hope for a great future as long as we decide to take part in changing the way we live and teach and being more mindful. Interactive playing for kids doesn’t have to include an electrical plug or an internet connection!

There is soooooo much to see here and soooo much to learn. I am not sure if I will get through everything that I want to see even though I am here for almost a full week. It’s not just the show gardens but also the market place which is filled with countless ideas and gadgets and garden deco. There are also the great talks that are everywhere and about everything, floral demonstrations and displays that interest me - especially as I am a trained florist for over 25 years.

The personal contact and talking to these brilliant creative gardeners and landscapers and the fact that we all love to be in our booth meeting new people and talking to already existing customers makes being at this show more than just worthwhile!

I am not sure if I can get you excited enough to come and see and enjoy, but what I know for sure is that I love it all!  I love that we at Botanus have the chance to share the power of the flowers with our customers on a daily basis, that we work with great plants and excellent quality products, that with every package we send out we are part of creating a better world and happier people.

Today is Design Day…….can’t wait!