This Spring, get the best selection and save 10% by pre-ordering your spring-planing bulbs (such as begonias, lillies, and dahlias) from Garden Retreat.

How it works:

1) Download the 2012 Spring Bulb Order Form(spreadsheet), and fill out your contact information and order quantities. Please change the name of the spreadsheet file to your last name. *Remember to include your name, e-mail address, and phone number in the form.*

2) Email the form to stacey@gardenretreat.ca, or fax to our office: (403) 255-8249. You should receive confirmation of your order within 3 business days by email or phone. You do not need to prepay.

3)  The bulbs will arrive in-store the week of March 5, 2012.

The deadline to place or change your order is February 29, 2012.
Happy Planting!

What’s Derek Doing? Is Garden Retreat’s monthly to-do list for your greenhouse.

February in the Greenhouse It’s time to start seeding! Now is a good time to start sowing cooler crop plants that can stand the cooler spring temperatures in Calgary. These can be moved outside later.   If you are heating your backyard greenhouse, then now is a good time to start your tomatoes, especially those with a longer maturity period.   You can also start some of your bedding plants from seed now, if you didn’t get them as plugs, such as sweet peas, alyssum, and verbena.   When you’re sowing your own seeds it helps to speed up germination with a heat mat placed underneath the seeding tray, and a seeding dome to help keep the temperature stable and the moisture levels up.

There are many different ways to seed, you can use plastic inserts in an insert tray, expandable peat/coir pellets, or degradable coir pots that can be planted right in the garden, to avoid disturbing the roots. For a seeding mix, you should use something light and fluffy, such as pro-mix.

Remember to put your new seedlings under lights as soon as they break the soil; this will help your plant stay strong and preventing it from becoming leggy. As it grows, just adjust the height of the light. There are many different kinds of lights you can use, such as compact fluorescent, LED, or HPS. Do your research, and make sure the light you buy is full spectrum.

While you wait for your seedlings to grow, always watch for any sign of bugs or diseases on your plants, especially on the underside of leaves. Take actin right away with insecticidal soap or an anti-damping agent, such as Serenade.

If you didn’t give your greenhouse a good cleaning before winter, its not a bad idea to do so before you put your sensitive seedlings out there. Use a high pressure spray of water mixed with bleach or spray a ready to use product called “30 seconds”. Who wants to start off the season with aphids all over everything green? Get them now! Also help protect them with bubble insulation.

   
One Love,
 
Derek