By Ava Green

As soon as warm weather and sunshine arrive in Southern Ontario, it’s time to head to the garden centre and pick up all the plants we’ve been dreaming about all winter long! May 24th is generally the date we look forward to — the unofficial marker when frosty mornings are behind us and the promise of summer is ahead. 

By now, cool-weather plants like cabbage, Brussels sprouts, peas, and lettuce should be well established in the vegetable garden. And for everything else, it’s go time!

TIP: Before you start planting, this is the ideal time to amend your soil. Top up your garden beds with fresh topsoil or enrich them with compost to improve soil health, add nutrients, and promote vigorous plant growth. Don’t forget to refresh the soil in your containers as well, with potting mix or compost.

Warm Weather Vegetables

When soil temperatures are consistently 60°F (15°C) or higher, it’s safe to plant all the warm-weather vegetable crops we’ve been waiting for! Plants that thrive in warmer weather include tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, cucumbers, zucchini and corn.

At Eising Garden Centre, you’ll find vegetables in 6-packs, 4” pots, trellised patio containers, patio bowls and hanging baskets - while supplies last, of course!

Herbs also love warm weather, and tender varieties like basil are safe to plant once all danger of frost has passed. Whether you plant herbs directly into the ground or create a potted herb garden near the kitchen door, they’ll add fresh flavour to your meals all season long. A container of herbs also makes a wonderful gift when visiting friends and family for a summer BBQ.

While you’re in the vegetable and herb aisle, keep an eye out for everbearing strawberries in planters and containers of tropical fruits like lemons, limes, and oranges.

Annual Flowers

Winter-weary flower beds can be revived almost instantly with a burst of colourful annuals! If you’re looking for an immediate impact and blooms that last all summer long, annual flowers are the answer.

Whether you plant them in beds, containers, window boxes, or hanging baskets — or choose from one of our gorgeous pre-planted options — just add water and fertilizer, and you’ll be rewarded with a vibrant display that keeps on giving.

Perennials

While perennials may not bloom all summer, many offer extended bloom periods, and by combining different varieties, you can create a succession of flowers that lasts for months. Perennials also provide essential greenery to anchor your garden and enhance the look of your flowering plants.

You can plant perennials from spring through fall, but getting them into the ground now gives them a strong start. From hostas and ornamental grasses to daisies and delphiniums, there’s a perennial for every style of garden — and the best part is, they’ll return each spring like dependable old friends.

Trees, Shrubs and Vines

Often called “the bones” of the garden, trees, shrubs, and climbing vines add essential structure, height, and seasonal interest. Planting them now allows you to design your garden layers thoughtfully, incorporating annuals and perennials around their base.

Spring is also the prime time to purchase and plant fruit trees and fruiting shrubs. At Eising, spring offers the best selection for starting your home orchard. Are you thinking of adding a few edible shrubs? Gooseberries, haskaps, hardy kiwi, rhubarb and raspberries are excellent choices.

Mulch

Okay, it’s not a plant, but this is a reminder to add mulch to your garden beds or containers. After planting, adding a layer of mulch to your garden beds or containers helps retain soil moisture, reduces transplant shock, and suppresses weeds. Even if a few weeds manage to sneak through, mulch makes them easier to pull.

Water Garden Plants

If you have a garden pond, spring is the perfect time to add water plants. Floating plants, such as water hyacinths and water lilies, help shade the pond’s surface, reducing algae blooms. Marginal or bog plants, such as water iris, papyrus, and cattails, also help keep the water healthy and clear by improving oxygen levels and providing habitats for beneficial wildlife.

Time to Grow!

May is one of the most anticipated and exciting months in the garden. Whether you’re dreaming of fresh vegetables, a lush landscape, or a colourful flower display, planting now sets the stage for a beautiful, bountiful season. Visit us at Eising Garden Centre to find everything you need — and let’s get growing!

While many gardeners in Southern Ontario follow the popular planting date of May 24th, when we’re usually safe from frost, you may be surprised to know that April is not too early for certain plants!

Once the ground has thawed and is workable, there’s plenty you can start growing. In Zones 6a-6b, this usually happens around four weeks before May 24th. While frost is still a possibility, many cold-tolerant plants not only survive a light frost but thrive in cooler weather. To check if the soil is ready, simply dig up a handful and squeeze it. If it sticks together, it’s too wet to work with—wait a few more days for it to dry out. Once the soil is ready, it’s time to plant those cool-weather crops!

Cool Weather Vegetables

Radishes: Radishes are fast-growing and perfect for planting in April because they love cooler weather. Sow them directly from seed.

Peas: April is the perfect time to plant peas outdoors as soon as the soil is workable. Soak pea seeds in water for 8-10 hours before planting them to help germination.

Lettuce, Spinach, Arugula, Asian Greens (Tatsoi, Mizuna, Pak Choi and Leaf Mustard) : It’s best to sow seeds for leafy greens or plant seedlings early in the spring as they will grow quickly in cool weather. Plant more seeds or seedlings every 10-14 days for a succession of greens until hotter temperatures make them bolt (go to seed) and become bitter.

Potatoes: Seed potatoes can be planted in mid to late April as soon as the soil is workable.

Onions: Plant onion sets or seedlings that have already been started in early spring and enjoy a harvest in late summer or fall.

Carrots: Plant carrot seeds in April, and they will be ready for harvest later in the spring or early summer. They take a little longer to grow, but planting early gives you a head start. You will enjoy carrots all summer long by planting more seeds a few weeks later.

Tip: It’s a good idea to keep some frost protection like row cover handy for lettuce, peas and spinach just in case the temperatures dip below zero.

Bonus: Many garden pests, like earwigs and slugs, are still overwintering in April and won’t feast on your tender plants.

Cold-Tolerant Flowers

Pansies: Add a pot of Pansies to cheer up a front porch, and it instantly feels like spring! Plants can go into a sunny spot in the ground when temperatures reach 7-21 celsius and are regularly staying above freezing.

Violas: These cool-weather flowers can withstand light frosts and are perfect for containers or for planting in garden beds

Gladiolas: Even though the weather is still cool, this resilient summer-blooming bulb can be planted in a sunny area of the garden in April. 

Bonus: Pansies and Violas also love cool weather in the fall.

Perennials, Trees and Shrubs

Two to three weeks before the threat of frost has passed, many potted perennials, shrubs and trees, either dormant or with leaves, can be planted. (If you’re not purchasing from us, be sure to check whether the plants were grown outdoors or acclimated to cooler temperatures and ensure they’re hardy enough for Southern Ontario.)

While perennials, trees, and shrubs can be planted throughout spring, summer, or fall, the combination of warming soil and increased rainfall in spring creates the perfect conditions for successful transplanting.

Come into Eising Garden Centre to see the many seeds and plants available for you to add to your garden in April!

Additional Resource: Landscape Ontario provides an excellent online Tree Planting Guide.

In this case, the plants Hens and Chicks, not the feathery friends.

Sempervivum, also known as Hens and Chicks or Houseleek, are a group of succulents that are becoming very popular in Southern Ontario. Here’s why these cold hardy perennial plants are gaining attention.

Low-maintenance

Low-maintenance is the item on everyone’s checklist, right? Hens and Chicks are known for being no-fuss. Sempervivum require very little soil, fertilizer or water. They’re sun-loving, hardy, resilient, and drought-tolerant. When you don’t have a lot of time to garden, you’ll be grateful that your Hens and Chicks need minimal care once they become established.

Versatile, and Did We Mention Low-maintenance?

Sempervivum will grow in full sun to partial shade, and average to poor soil as long as they have good drainage. They will manage just fine in poor soil and harsh conditions like heat and cold! This makes Hens and Chicks the perfect candidate for that spot in the garden where nothing else wants to grow. The spot that’s too hot, or too windy, the soil is rocky or gritty and not ideal or it’s eroding, like on a slope.

These rugged warriors can be grown on rooftops, ledges, walls, in rock gardens, hanging baskets, troughs and containers. Just make sure there are drainage holes. Too much water is their only enemy and will result in their roots rotting.

Chick Charms

While most Hens and Chicks are low-growing, 8-15 cm tall, they will all spread 30 cm and more - as much as you like, really. This is because they produce small plants, known as “chicks” or offsets around the main plant. The “Chick Charms”. Chicks can also be transplanted to start a whole new plant.

Tough and Beautiful

As a ground cover, Sempervivum can add visual interest and contrast to a border of annuals or perennials.

While they’re known for their pretty rosette-shaped clusters of foliage, you may not realize that Hens and Chicks also come in a variety of colours, and produce stunning blooms in summer.

Once a plant blooms, deadhead the flower and pull up the soft parent plant with it. The plant dies when it blooms, but new chicks will grow and replace it.

Hens and Chicks fleshy leaves make them less attractive to many garden pests and they are generally resistant to diseases. Tough plants for sure, and worthy of a spot in the garden. The next time you’re in Eising Garden Centre, we recommend that you peruse the Sempervivum section here in Simcoe and give these outstanding succulents a try!

We’ve been seeing so many creative ideas for garden and landscape design lately, and we’re particularly interested in one element of backyard design that doesn’t get as much attention: garden paths and stepping stones. After all, it’s hard to truly appreciate your garden without a good path to help you navigate through it! 

On top of giving you a better view of all the hard work you’ve put into your garden, you can also use pathway design as a tool for separating your yard into different areas, creating the illusion of more space and providing a framework for your design layout. A simple, straight path isn’t all that exciting, but a winding path that curves around trees and surrounding terrain adds a bit of whimsy, inviting you to explore the space. 

We always love getting creative and thinking outside the box when it comes to landscaping projects. These stone pathway ideas are a perfect first step to transforming your space. 

Recycled Mosaic Flower Stepping Stone 

Lots of folks have been interested in recycled garden path ideas, because fancy stones aren’t always the most budget-friendly material. Plus, reusing our available resources and reducing landfill waste is always a big win! One of our favourite walkway ideas on a budget is the classic mosaic stepping stone, but with a fun twist that us garden geeks can really get behind: floral motifs! 

Instead of placing your mosaic materials into a random pattern, arrange them in a swirling, geometric pattern that resembles a blooming flower! Use one round piece in the very centre, and then place the “petals” all around it. Suitable recyclable materials for your mosaic stones include:

• Broken china  
• Bottles and glassware
• Crystals
• Colourful rocks
• Shells

A general-purpose sand-mix concrete will be the best material for walking path stones full of mosaic pieces, because it’s nice and smooth and won’t take away from the colorful accents, whereas a gravel mix would be too pebbly and uneven. Remember to use a generous layer of grout on top of your stones to fill in all the cracks and cover up any sharp edges. 

Stone Pathways With Phlox And Other Groundcovers

Instead of plopping some paver stones on the lawn and calling it a day, why not jazz things up a bit with some colourful flowering groundcover plants? There are many low-growing plants that form dense mats of foliage and can handle a little bit of trampling without sustaining any damage, so they make lovely alternatives to grass, and they really make your pathway pop! 

Creeping phlox is one of our favourite flowering groundcovers, because its candy-coloured shades of purple, pink and blue look like something out of a fantasy novel. Imagine, instead of the same old green lawn grass, your garden path was surrounded by a cotton candy meadow! Here are a few other eye-catching groundcovers we highly recommend:

• Creeping thyme
• Deadnettle
• Sedum
• Candytuft
• Bugleweed 
• Clover

To see more flowering plants and groundcovers for the yard, check out our brand new webstore that’s loaded with images of our available plants! 

Container Garden Pathway Design

A clever way to add a border along your pathway without digging anything up is by lining the walkway with container gardens! This is an opportunity to really get creative, as you’ve got limitless options for your layout. You can go streamlined and buy a bunch of terracotta pots all in the same size, or you can mix and match different sizes and colours with a few funky accent containers thrown in for extra impact. 

You can also play around with the different heights of the plants you put in your containers. Taller flowering plants like salvia and cardinal flowers, potted conifers, or even creeping plants on small trellises can act as a great divider between the yard and the walkway. Smaller flowering plants have more of an understated look, but are great if you don’t want to block the view of your surrounding garden plants. 

Got any wild landscaping ideas of your own that you’d like to try to take on? We’d love to help! Our team of expert landscape consultants are happy to answer any questions you may have about DIY backyard makeovers. Visit us in-store or shop online to see our selection of plants and patio decor that are ready to make a new home in your backyard.

We love decorating for Canada Day, but lately we’ve been compelled to avoid buying disposable plastic decorations, and instead look for eco-friendly alternatives. We figured, what better way to show your Canadian pride than through your garden? A red and white décor colour palette is so timeless and beautiful, and it’s all the more festive once July 1st rolls around!

Want some intel on the best new annuals to plant in your Canada Day themed garden? Here are some of our favourites for summer 2020 here in Simcoe. Our online store is now up and running, so if you don’t feel like swinging by the garden centre, you can order these beauties for citywide delivery! 

Red Annual Plants And Flowers For Canada Day

Red is such a powerful, vibrant colour that makes a strong impact, yet it’s so versatile and classic. Plant these fire ultra-red flowers and plants in your yard, for a gorgeous pop of colour that brings to mind that big, bright red maple leaf we all know and love. 

Whopper Begonia: Bronze Red

This shade-tolerant flower never fails to brighten up the darker corners of our yards, bursting with red blossoms reaching up to 3 inches wide. The bronze leaves kind of have a warmer, reddish cast to them too, so they’ll really help to create a streamlined, consistent colour scheme. Grow them with ease in garden beds or containers, and they’ll treat you with blossoms from spring until fall.

Coleus: Red Wizard

This high-impact foliage plant is perfect for Canada Day—candy apple red with a skinny white trim! Ideally, some morning sun and dappled afternoon shade will help your coleus to grow lush and bright, and you’ll need to water them extra often if they’re in a container. Coleus are fun to grow, because you can propagate them by simply placing cuttings in a cup of water, so you can easily turn one plant into several to give away to friends and family.

Crimson Mandevilla

These romantic vining plants grow so rapidly, by the end of the summer their volume and size is colossal. They’re often grown in containers or hanging baskets, but if you want a really impressive display that boasts Canada’s colours, grow them on a tall, white trellis so they can climb right up. We recommend growing them in full sun, near a wall to give them some protection from the wind.

Red Impatiens

Shade-tolerant, low-maintenance, and self-cleaning—there’s just so many reasons why these annuals remain to be some of the most popular flowers year after year. Impatiens grown in containers will probably need daily watering, but if you have a shaded garden bed with a layer of mulch, you can get away with watering them about twice per week. For ultimate blooming action, add water soluble fertilizer every two weeks until the end of summer. 

White Annual Plants And Flowers For Canada Day

White flowers and icy, frosted foliage are so incomparably elegant and lovely in the garden, and they always match your home’s outdoor colour palette, whether it’s cool or warm. Try some of these creamy white flowers and foliage plants in your Canada Day garden! 

Helichrysum: Silver Spike

The silvery white, slender, spiky leaves of this plant look like a burst of fireworks—extra appropriate for this national holiday! They’re especially beautiful in mixed container arrangements, bringing contrasting colour and texture that really stands out among ruffly flowers in ultra-rich hues. Plant in full sun!

White Heliotrope

These clusters of little white blossoms look just like scoops of vanilla ice cream, and the best part is, they smell like it too! You can enjoy the flowers of this continuous bloomer all the way until the first frost of winter. It gets its name from the Greek words “helios” (sun) and “tropos” (turn) because the flower heads turn to face the sunlight! 

Hypoestes: White Splash

Also known as the Polka Dot Plant, this variety of hypoestes is totally covered in white speckles and splotches. It likes full sun, lots of water, weekly fertilizer in the summer, and fast-draining soil. They look especially cute as potted plants, and since it’s rare for one plant to survive more than a year, we recommend propagating a cutting so you can enjoy it as a houseplant at the end of the growing season. 

Nonstop Begonia: White/Bronze

The massive double flower heads on this gorgeous annual flower are just like big, fluffy clouds. Through summer until mid-autumn, you can enjoy these long lasting blooms that sit in a bed of dramatic, dark foliage—deep greenish-bronze with hints of red. Partial shade is totally comfortable for this variety, but try to avoid complete shade if possible. 

 

Have a happy and safe Canada Day, from all of us at Eising Greenhouse and Garden Centre! If there are any tools or supplies you need in time for your backyard barbecue party, we’ve got you covered. Visit us in-store or shop online for all your backyard entertaining needs.