Now is the time to start the planning of Spring color in your garden.  We have bulb packages available for planting this Fall to insure a colorful Spring.  Packages are available for those of you with container gardens as well as landscape.  Daffodils, Tulips, Crocus, Allium, and Iris are all available in a variety of colors and sizes.  Contact us today for your spring flowering Bulb planting.

 

Another IDS Show is over for the year.  There was a great turn out and the show was filled with inspiration.  Whether it involved the recycled phonebooths - Dialosaurus boothus by Lorraine Kwan & Kathryn Macdonald, to the perspectives of "Designing inside the Box" by the Interior Design Institute of BC.  It was a show full of unique and inspiring designs and included a lot of recycled or reused material in many of the products.

You may not want to be reminded but Fall is just around the corner and the garden centres are soon to have their fall bulbs available.  Are you recalling this Spring and your garden empty and in desperate need of some color.  We provide fall bulb planting packages in the color themes that you desire.  Contact us to book a consultation or to talk about our bulb pricing for this fall. 

Canwest is Vancouver's Horticultural Trade Show running on September 23rd and 24th at the Vancouver Convention Centre.  It is a great business opportunity for buyer and sellers within the Horticulture trade.  There are professional talks and seminars occurring within these tow days.  Tours are also available on many topics like Green Roofs, Gold Medal Gardens, and Nursery Tours.

I look forward to learning and networking at the trade show to enhance my company and service to my clients.  For more information please go the website www.canwesthortshow.com 

Vancouver will soon be having it's 2009 Interior Design Show on September 19-20th.  Outside Contemporary Garden Design will have a booth set up with container gardens on display and looking forward to meeting and discussing customers outdoor garden needs and possibilities.

Herbs are great for container gardening and make it easy to group plants according to how quickly they grow and the care that is required.  

Harvest your herbs on a regular basis and remove tips before flowering to keep your plant at its optimum.   

Watering is important for your garden & lawn, but did you know many people over water which leads to diseases and more weeds.  So before you turn on your sprinkler or hose think about these tips before using too much water and doubling your water bill in the summer.

Spring tips - rarely any watering is required in the spring.  Watering is on Mother Nature's tab and she usually provides enough rainfall for the garden and she gives it for FREE!

Many people don't realize that bulbs are easily grown in containers.  Planting them in the fall at the same time you would plant bulbs in the ground.  

A step by step process is as follows:

Step 1 - Select an appropriate container with a diametere of 10-12 inches minumum.  

Step 2 - Fill the Pot with enough quality potting soil so that the bulbs that are placed on top will be covered with enough soil to bury them at the proper depth.  (min 1 inch)

Many people view the summer being over at the end of August when work goes back to your regular schedule, children are back in school, and the traffic is back to its chaotic state. Your garden isn't finished yet!  There are many flowers that thrive late in summer and far into fall.  Some perennials with great long lasting color and will survive an early frost are Sedums, Asters, Rudbeckia, and Echinacea.