Flower power season is almost upon us — the determining factor being the arrival of frost-free weather.
It’s almost here (always a bit of a roll of the dice) and no one is more ready to peddle their petals than my friends at K. Bosch & Sons Greenhouses, 4270 Portage Ave., who have thousands of gorgeous plants, trees and shrubs, etc. stockpiled and ready to go into the ground.
Walking into their greenhouse is an absolute delight for both the eyes and the nose. So much to choose from; variety beyond belief.
For those who just can’t wait for the arrival of "frost-free," Charlene Bosch tells me there are at least a couple of things to plant now which the frost won’t kill: "The little viola pansies, or Johnny jump-ups as a lot of people call them, and regular pansies. Frost generally doesn’t damage them. Onions and lettuce are OK, too — both handle frost well."
Otherwise, patience is the key, and one of the most eager and passionate groups of gardeners poised to plant is the tomato crew. Bosch says there is a very competitive element within this group, one of the main challenges being to have the biggest and best tomatoes ready for picking by the earliest possible date. The bragging rights for this accomplishment are huge and, surprise, surprise, this competitive tomato-growing "cult" (my word), is comprised mainly of men!
Men? Competitive? I find that shocking, as most of us are but gentle flowers, blowing in the breeze. Are so!
There’s certainly no shortage of tomatoes to go to war with at Bosch, as they offer 28 different varieties.
I had no idea there were that many kinds of tomatoes.
No competition amongst the pepper crowd, although, again, I’m surprised Bosch has 27 pepper options for you to choose from, ranging from very mild, to two of the hottest pepper plants in the world.
Bosch tells me she grows "peppers in pots," and munches on them all season. I might just have to raise a few of those myself. Peppers, mid-range for me, can be absolutely delicious!
Peppers not your thing? Perhaps you’d prefer pumpkins. There are two different types to be aware of here: Howden and Big Max.
Howden pumpkins are smaller, have a nice texture and are very suitable for the pie-making crowd; the Big Max is less suitable for pies, but perfect for the size-matters folks, competitions and earning more of those beloved bragging rights. I get that. It’s fun to have something fun to brag about.
My zone for that is hauling old stuff home. Rescuing old cars being the number one thrill for me. Love it.
Some people suggest those cars would make great planters. You don’t want to hear my suggestion for them.
There is one very popular plant currently selling like hotcakes at Bosch, and that is the beloved Tree Rose beauty, a large potted type that blooms like crazy. People absolutely love them. If you’re in the market for Tree Roses, you better hustle over to Bosch right away, for sooner than later they will have none left.
Along with what seems like an endless supply of beautiful flowering plants, Bosch also specializes in trees and shrubs, decorative accessories, "everything you need to fill your garden oasis," Bosch says, all carry-out size, allowing you to load up and go with ease.
They also carry a good supply of one of the most important things needed to create and maintain the good health of any plant or garden, some very high-end manure.
I’m told it’s really good... uh... stuff. Excellent!
K. Bosch and Sons, of course, is but one of many garden centres now ready to pamper your passion for plants, visit one today!
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