Isn’t it great to be out planting! If you are looking to add to your collection of plants, or replace some that perhaps didn’t make it over the winter, remember that the Yorkton and District Horticultural Society Spring Plant and Bulb Sale will be on Friday, May 29 from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Parkland Mall. This is a one day sale, and your chance to choose from a nice selection of plants at great prices. I always suggest that it is better to come to the sale sooner rather than later for best selection, and this is especially true if you are looking for a specific plant. We have our regular shoppers who know this, and they are there first thing when the sale starts at 9:30! We are always so pleased to see them, and we look forward to seeing all of you at the sale! That’s Friday, May 29.
Calling all teachers! Education is an important part of the Horticultural Society, and the group offers limited bursaries up to $150 to classes for the “Junior Gardener” program. This program is to encourage young gardeners to get started in the fun of gardening: a project that will not only introduce them to how plants grow, show them where our food comes from, teach them respect for nature, but also hopefully instill a love of gardening that will become a lifelong pleasure. For more information, please visit our website at www.yorktonhort.ca (Remember, visit our website anytime and find out about upcoming events.)
Have you seen the stunning calla lilies that are takin the gardening scene by storm? They are truly an elegant flower that can add a unique touch to our plantings. They might seem like intimidating plants, but callas are really quite a carefree resident in our gardens.
Callas prefer full sun or partial shade. They enjoy moist soil that drains well, and they like to have some organic matter added to their soil to make it richer. Water them regularly, and that’s all it takes! I like them because they do very well in containers, so we can all enjoy them whether we have a garden or not.
And the colors! If you picture callas as only the formal “wedding white”, think again! They come in almost every color: vibrant yellows, paprika-hot oranges, cloud-like pinks, soft mauves, deep rich plums and burgundies, and even some that are such a deep purple they are almost black. They are all stunning and the flowers last a long time. I have seen some callas that have colorful leaves, beautiful even if they are not blooming!
I was always intimidated by callas, thinking that they were complicated to grow. A very kind gardening friend (and an outstanding gardener!) gave us some callas last year. They were simply amazing: they bloomed and bloomed, providing us with many cut flowers for the house. We brought them indoors in the fall, and they went dormant over winter. I was stunned and amazed to see them begin to send up shoots in the spring, and I can’t wait to see how they will do this year. Now that we have lost our fear of these majestic plants and see how easy-care they really are, we have added one or two new callas to our collection this year! So if you haven’t tried them before, give yourself a treat and try a calla!
Next time we have tea, I’ll tell you about the SHA bus tour that is coming up in mid-July; it’s a great way to take a mini gardening holiday, and see some fascinating horticultural sights!
Have a lovely week, gardeners, and enjoy the glorious fun of planting! Be sure to wear a hat!
