Spring is here, but do we still need to exercise some restraint in our eagerness to plant?
In the case of hardy herbaceous perennials, it's a good rule of thumb to gradually adapt greenhouse-grown plants from their protected environment to the outdoors. Once acclimatized, they're ready to be planted as long as soil temperature and nighttime lows are consistent with the optimum start they need.
Annuals, however, are far more tender and not able to withstand temperatures that can still hover around or dip below zero at this time of year. Avoid storing them in full sun, since the black plastic containers quickly absorb the heat and can burn the root tips of the plants. Instead, gradually introduce them to the full strength of the sun's rays prior to planting.
For now, it's best to continue to store annuals indoors overnight unless you're potting them up into a larger container, which can be wheeled in and out of the garage or shed as needed. Don't forget to water regularly, but don't overdo it -- overwatering can spell demise. Emulate as much as possible the ideal conditions and careful nurturing they receive at the nursery.
Why do gardeners begin stockpiling annuals weeks before they can be safely planted? The answer is easy: We're eager, anxious and competitive, and we want to get all our favorites plus new selections before they're gone. After all, the early bird gets the worm.
I've visited more than a dozen greenhouses this month and found plenty of company at each one, with everyone carting out loads of plants to their waiting trunks. It's infectious -- what's more enticing than a greenhouse full of row upon row of lush plants sporting exotic foliage and tantalizing blooms?
Part of the fun is to go down the road less travelled to visit greenhouses some of us have only heard about before. My first stop this spring was at Aubin Nurseries, a wholesale nursery in Carman. Managed by the Aubin family for three generations since 1927, it supplies and develops prairie-hardy plants for hundreds of garden centres and is open to the public as well.
Visitors will find a diverse selection of perennials, trees and shrubs with the Prestige Select label, identifying them as fully adapted to Manitoba's harsh growing conditions. My choice was a Viburnum lantana tree form Mohican. Hardy to -35 C, it will provide creamy white flower clusters in early spring and showy orange-red fruit in July.
Morden Nurseries & Garden Centre, located just down the road, is also a family-run business. Co-owner Pat Timmerman introduced me to employee of the month Kramer -- a friendly, sizable cat who makes his home right beneath the customer-service desk.
Morden Nurseries offers a superb selection of heuchera and roses, including tea roses, all of the hardy roses, and a large selection of floribunda, grandiflora and hybrid tea roses.
I was also struck by the huge selection of hostas -- more than 50 varieties -- and, in particular, Orange Marmalade, which offers a rare orange variegation and numerous colour changes throughout the season.
Lorne and Kim Zacharias (no relation) own and operate Morden's Hillside Greenhouses in Morden, with 26,000 square feet of growing space. Enter the 10-metre-high interior of the 40-metre main greenhouse and the stage is set with a huge, centrally located pond surrounded by lush water plants and a backdrop of mature trees, including a magnificent weeping willow. Six smaller greenhouses feed off the main house, each focusing on a theme ranging from herbs, tomatoes and geraniums to hanging baskets, etc. The oniony-peppery scent at the entrance to the herb house is intoxicating.
The tomato house is packed with 75 different varieties of tomatoes, including heirloom varieties such as Mortgage Lifter. Originating in West Virginia in the 1930s, this mild and meaty tomato offers heavy yields, low acid, few seeds and excellent flavour. Brandy Wine, a large beefsteak variety considered to be the most famous heirloom tomato (1885 Amish), promises the perfect balance of acids and sugars. Tumbler is hailed as the best patio tomato, maturing in 49 days and perfect for containers.
Foliage geraniums, such as Indian Dunes6, are Kim's favourite recommendation for containers. Pair them with Red Sensation Cordyline. Also look for Calliope Hybrid geranium, which offers exceptional heat and drought tolerance. Fourteen years in the making, it represents a breakthrough in floral genetics.
Last year's stars were the black velvet petunias. This season, check out the new orange trailing petunias, such as Orange Flash, Surprise Orange Zest, Surprise Twist and Papaya.
Cat lovers will be interested in an accent plant called Variegated Cat Grass (Hordeum vulgare). Dried or juiced, it is edible for humans and provides vitamins and fibre for cats. After harvesting, just cut it back for regrowth.
Foothills Nursery, located near Winkler, is run by Dianne Toews, and daughter Sherrie Adams is the grower. The public can view display beds where they trial-plant vegetables and varieties of trees and shrubs. There are a large selection of succulents, unique pond plants and tropicals, including the ever-popular banana plant -- look for Musa Siam Ruby, which features large red leaves splashed with chartreuse. Adams' favourite: the new Celosia Intenz, with 45-centimetre-tall magenta-pink candles.
Next, I headed in the completely opposite direction, out to Fryfogel Flowers in Oakbank. Owner Don Fryfogel has been in the business for 25 years, starting his own nursery about seven years ago.
Tried-and-true favourites mingle closely here with numerous unexpected surprises, including Maple Sugar Hibiscus. This heat-tolerant, sun-loving annual, reminiscent of the Japanese maple with its textured, maple leaf-shaped burgundy-coloured leaves, will grow to a maximum height of 1.5 metres and produces chocolate-coloured flowers.
"Mahogany Splendor is even bigger," said greenhouse assistant Charlene Zarrillo. "Try it in a bed as an offset -- it provides lots of contrast."
Look for Royal Queen Purple Violet Tubeflower, which boasts a dramatic height of 1.2 metres and outstanding flower clusters of deep purple tubular flowers. Wendy's Wish Salvia, featuring shrimp-like, magenta-pink blooms and purple stems, also offers height for both landscapes and containers. Both attract hummingbirds.
Fryfogel introduced me to lemon-scented Aristolochia gigantea or Dutchman's Pipe, a vine with heart-shaped leaves and the most unusually shaped flowers. He also highly recommends Rhodochiton astrosanguineum, or Purple Bell Vine, which features pendulous, purplish red flowers that are simply stunning.
If there's room in your cart, add Jade Princess Ornamental Millet with its bright, chartreuse arching foliage and delightfully dark brown plumes.
The road leading to Glenlea Greenhouses, nestled in a picturesque, flood-protected site off Highway 75, welcomes new visitors with plenty of signs. Owners Sue and Rob MacLeod are breathing a sigh of relief now that their greenhouses have been moved to higher ground.
Gorgeous, well-fed hanging baskets, dripping with lush blooms, are started in February. Look for Super Trouper Pot Carnation in peach and Field of Dreams Zea Mays, a novelty bicolour ornamental grass with pink edging.
K. Bosch & Sons Greenhouses, at 4270 Portage Ave., has sat on family-owned property since the 1930s. The newly expanded greenhouse is filled with annuals and perennials, including a beautiful selection of rose standards. I marvelled at a rare yellow crown peony and couldn't resist Sherbet Cocktail Blend Phlox.
"Your garden is something to come home to," said matriarch Charlene Bosch. "When the economy is down, people are more interested in creating their own little Garden of Eden."
When planning your flower beds, she added, "wild and crazy is fun, but remember that neutral and subtle may be more pleasing to your visitors and entice them into your garden."
Documentary at Cinematheque
To Make a Farm: Documentary premiering at Cinematheque, 100 Arthur St., May 25, 26 and 30, at 7 p.m. One of the 10 most popular Canadian films at the Vancouver International Film Festival in 2011, this documentary examines the struggles and triumphs of small-scale organic farmers.
Special Guests: director Steve Suderman and Manitoba farmer Wes Huyghe
For more information: www.winnipegfilmgroup.com/cinematheque/to_make_a_farm.aspx
