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By Miles Hunter, 2020/07/08

July 8th, 2020

Add a Tropical Touch to your garden with hardy Hibiscus!

Hibiscus come in many forms. If you have ever taken a Hawaiian vacation you have probably seen them used as hedges. However, if you live here in the greater Vancouver area there are varieties of Hibiscus that are hardy enough to survive our winters. The Hibiscus syriacus varieties, known as the Hardy Hibiscus or Rose of Sharon, are capable of surviving winters as cold as -20 C (-5 F). The most attractive feature of these plants is their blooms. They produce an abundance of blooms from July through September. Every garden should have a Hardy Hibiscus as they make an excellent back drop to your annual or perennial flower beds. There are several varieties to choose from including:

• ‘Blushing Bride’
• ‘Lavender Chiffon’
• ‘Red Heart’
• ‘White Chiffon’

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By Miles Hunter, 2020/07/06

July 6th, 2020

Add warmth to your garden with Echinacea!

Echinacea (or Coneflower) are one of the most popular perennials, they love full sun and lots of heat. They have large, showy flower heads, blooming from early to late summer. Many varieties bloom until frosts in the fall. Some varieties can be used for herbal or medicinal purposes. They work well at attracting butterflies to your garden. There are many varieties for you to choose from.

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By Miles Hunter, 2020/07/04

July 4th, 2020

Enjoy the devilishly beautiful blooms of Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’

Crocosmia are one of the best summer flowering perennials to have in your garden. They produce clumps of sword-shaped leaves. These leaves are topped with tall, arching spikes of tubular funnel-shaped blossoms in mid to late summer. There are several named varieties available, in a range of hot colours. The most popular variety is the ‘Lucifer’. Lucifer has brilliant flame-red flowers, and a tall habit. They attract butterflies and hummingbirds and make an outstanding cut flower in a bouquet. Every garden should have at least one variety of Crocosmia in it and Lucifer is by far the most popular variety. There is also ‘Emily McKenzie’ which is a bright Orange and ‘George Davidson’ which is a golden yellow.

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By Miles Hunter, 2020/06/22

June 22nd, 2020

These Knock Out Roses pack a beautiful punch!

The original Knock Out® Rose was introduced 20 years ago and forever changed the way we think about roses. With additional colors and flower forms to choose from, plus the flower power and easy maintenance that you know and love, it’s easy to understand why Knock Out® Roses are the #1 rose brand in North America.

Our stores carry the Double Red and the Double Pink Knock out roses. These are durable, hardy, disease resistant roses worthy of any garden.

Rose Knock Out Pink Double

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By Miles Hunter, 2020/06/08

June 8th, 2020

Welcome Summer to Your Garden with Delphiniums!

Delphiniums, or Larkspur, make a great addition to your summer Perennial garden. These towering beauties make an excellent backdrop in a garden bed or a stunning centerpiece for a summer planter. They can range in height from 12 inches to over 5 feet tall. They come in an array of blues, lavenders, pinks, and whites. The flower from late spring until late summer and if you remove the flowers that have finished blooming they may re-flower again in late summer early fall.

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By Miles Hunter, 2020/05/15

May 15th, 2020

Welcome the new Endless Summer Hydrangea ‘Summer Crush’ to your garden!

If you have ever had a Hydrangea that did not flower and did not understand why, then this is the variety for you. The Original ‘Endless Summer’ Hydrangea was the first hydrangea to bloom on both old and new wood. So no matter how you prune them they flower every year. There are now five varieties in the Endless Summer Collection to choose from:

• Hydrangea ‘Endless Summer’ - The Original, flowers can be Pink or Blue
• Hydrangea ‘Blushing Bride’ - pure white blooms with semi-double florets that mature to pink
• Hydrangea ‘Twist N Shout’ - a Lace-cap type with vivid colour and sturdy stems
• Hydrangea ‘Bloomstruck’ – a newer addition to the endless summer collection this is a beautiful pink or blue mophead type
• Hydrangea ‘Summer Crush’ – the newest addition to the series has beautiful red/pink blooms

The repeat blooms of the Endless Summer® Collection truly offer gardeners an endless summer of incredible colour. These hardy plants are perfect for everything from foundation planting to container gardening. They even make an ideal floral arrangement or table setting as cut flowers.

The colour of the Original Endless Summer can be altered from pink to blue. For more information visit www.endlesssummerblooms.com.

For our information brochure about growing Hydrangeas click here.

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By Miles Hunter, 2020/05/10

May 10th, 2020

Enjoy the sweet scents of summer with Lavender!

Lavender (Lavandula) is a romantic flower and every gardener should have at least one variety in their garden. They love a sunny location with good drainage. Lavender is extremely drought tolerant once it is established, but it should be watered regularly when young.

Two of the hardiest and best know varieties are the English varieties (Lavendula angustifolia) ‘Hidcote’ and ‘Munstead’. These varieties of English Lavender produce wonderfully fragrant blue-lavender coloured flowers during the summer. You can also try several new varieties of English Lavender including one called ‘Felice’. This new variety produces beautiful blue flowers in late May and early June.

Another popular variety of Lavender is the Spanish Lavender (Lavendula stoechas) ‘Anouk’. This variety produces a consistent display of flowers from June through September. To encourage them to repeatedly bloom is it best to cut them back after they produce their first set of flowers to encourage the second bloom.

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By Miles Hunter, 2020/05/01

May 1st, 2020

Hanging Baskets make a great Mother’s Day Gift

The most popular gift for Mothers Day is a Hanging Basket and our stores carry a great selection of them. You can choose from the mixed baskets for sun or shade. These will have a mix of Geraniums, Petunias, Lobelia, Fuchsia, Calibrachoa, and many other great trailing plants. They start at $29.99 for a 10 in pot and go up to $119.99 for the large Moss baskets.

Be sure to come in to our stores and have a look at the great selection available for you or your mother.

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By Miles Hunter, 2020/04/15

April 15th, 2020

Add colour to your garden with an Azalea!

Spring is easy to enjoy with Japanese Azaleas. These compact evergreen shrubs flowers reliably every spring. They are one of the easiest shrubs to plant and grow, requiring little to no pruning. They thrive in partial sun or partial shade in well drained soil. There are many varieties to choose from and most of them grow to be about 2 to 3 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide.

If you already have one of these great plants in your garden now is a great time to fertilize with a Rhododendron and Azalea fertilizer and top dress with a compost or mulch like Sea Soil.

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By Miles Hunter, 2020/04/13

April 13th, 2020

The Rhododendrons are coming into bloom!

Spring is bursting into bloom and the most florific plants here in greater Vancouver are the Rhododendrons. There are hundreds of varieties available in a range of colours from white to purple, red to yellow. As you walk or drive around the city you see them everywhere. One of the first to bloom is Rhododendron ‘PJM’. This beautiful purple variety will light up a dark corner of your garden. It will grow 4 to 6 feet tall, likes acidic soil.

Click here for our information brochure about how to plant and care for Rhododendrons.