Plant-buying tips

I’ve bought them at yard sales, garden club plant sales, through mail order and from every retailer in town in addition to swapping them with friends.

This time of year I prowl garden centres on a weekly basis as new shipments arrive daily. I compare prices, size, colours, and stockiness of transplants for the annuals I’m looking for and stroll the aisles checking out what else is new for consumers.

Growers are always coming up with creative techniques to encourage gardeners to buy more. In the past few years we’ve seen the advent of the nine-pack for a price that’s typically much greater than two four-packs.

Larger, single pots of annuals are also available for those willing to pay for plants that have a considerable head start on others.

What pleases me is the sight of young, healthy, stocky shrubs like weigela, ninebark, and even Northern Lights azalea being offered in smaller pots for a fraction of the cost they’ve been sold in the past. For those who don’t mind waiting a few years for them to gain size, they’re a great bargain.

I’ve noticed a huge inventory of cedars at some places. A word of caution to novice gardeners who buy these is to water them well at planting time and make sure they are soaked at least once a week during the growing season.

There hasn’t been a terrific selection in impatiens yet, which is what I was looking for... but it’s still a little early. Some places did not even have any annuals out on Victoria Day weekend.

It’s nice to see some places expanding their collection and offering new cultivars. This year I noticed Vinca minor ‘Illumination’, a variegated periwinkle in my travels.

Remember to harden off any annuals you do purchase by setting them out increasingly longer each day. Loosen the roots when you remove them from their pot or pack and plant with a scoop of composted manure in the hole. Water weekly throughout the summer with a 20-20-20 water-soluble fertilizer.

Wait until at least the first week in June to put cold-sensitive plants like basil or cucumber transplants outside.