Getting Your Garden Ready for Spring
Cast off the winter chill and gear up for spring! Our guide has all the resources you need for a great start to the season.
What to Plant
Glory of the snow (chionodoxa luciliae) is one of the earliest flowers to bloom in spring. This brightly coloured bulb originates from the Mediterranean and is one of the hardiest bulbs you can have in your garden.
Glory of the snow need very little care to flourish, adding great variety to a well defined flowering palette. The grass-like leaves appear in early spring and towards the end of March the bulbs form sprays of small, six-petalled blooms generally in shades of blue, but they also appear in pink and white. The flower lasts for approximately two weeks or more before disappearing until the next year.
Lavender (lavandula) has been used for a number of purposes since antiquity; boasting culinary, medicinal and aesthetic value.
Lavender is one of the harder plants to grow, but by choosing the right species and landscape you can grow this classic in your own back garden. The best variety to grow in Ontario is the English lavandula angustifolia, a hardier species that can fare well amidst harsh temperatures.
For more information on lavender and its uses click here.
Basil (Ocimum basilicum) considered the “king of herbs,” is a perennial plant originally native to tropical regions of Asia.
Basil is one of the easiest herbs to grow, as long as its environment has suitable light and temperature levels. In Canada basil grows best during late spring or summer, when there is little chance of frost. The herb appears in varying leaf colours and sizes, combining nicely with other garden plants.
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) makes a great addition to any herb garden due to its wonderful fragrance and taste. The plant also has aesthetic appeal, developing small flowers in late spring.
Rosemary is a perennial and can be grown all year around, its flowers appear in blue, pink, white and purple and its leaves are evergreen. Rosemary is primarily known for its culinary attributions, but is also used in landscaping, particularly in areas with a Mediterranean climate.
Where and How to Plant it
Glory of the snow is best suited to rockeries, but can also be placed along garden paths, under trees or in elevated flower beds.
Plant the glory of the snow bulbs three inches deep, each spread one to three inches apart, in any kind of soil. The bulbs can receive either full sun or light shade, but in warmer climates moderate shade is necessary to prevent the flowers from fading too quickly. Glory of the snow appreciates moist soil so keep plants watered consistently throughout the growing season.
For more ideas on how to plant and care for glory of the snow click here.
Lavender looks best as bunches next to rocky areas and as edging for garden borders.
Lavender plants will tolerate many growing conditions, but it thrives in warm, well-drained soil and full sun. Non-acidic soil is preferable to enhance the fragrance, whilst lean soil will encourage a higher concentration of oils. Once established, lavender is a tough plant and extremely drought resistant.
Watch the following instructional video for more advice on how to grow your own lavender.
Basil can be grown outside in vegetable garden rows, in herb gardens or in clumps along flower borders.
Grow basil in well-drained soil of average fertility in full sun, spacing each seed about ten inches apart. The soil should be well dug to allow good air circulation, adding organic compost to the soil a month before sowing will also help aeration. Make sure to water the soil around plants and not the leaves in order to prevent leaf spots.
Watch the follwing instructional video for more advice on how to grow your own basil.
Rosemary can similarly be grown outside in vegetable or herb gardens, or in groups near flower borders; where it takes well to pruning and can be made into conical or round topiaries.
Rosemary is usually propagated by cuttings, as seeds can be difficult to germinate. Choose a site that gets full sun or very light afternoon shade and has excellent drainage (raised beds are ideal). Plant at any time, setting transplants into the ground at the same depth they were growing in their nursery pots. Leave at least two feet all around to ensure good air circulation.
Click here for more information on how to grow and propagate rosemary.
Have more flowers and herbs you’d like to hear about? Go to our website www.onthedanforth.ca and send in your suggestions and queries.
If you have had previous experiences with any of the plants mentioned, please go to our website and share your stories and ideas with us. The first 10 responses will receive free copies of Passport to Gardening: A Sourcebook for the Twenty-First Century Gardener by Katherine Lailberte.
