Spring is in The Mailbox!

As I face another day of bone chilling temperatures, my heart is warmed by the gradual appearance of gardening magazines in my mailbox. February and March are some of my favourite gardening months because Mother Nature has dictated that all I can do is dream. Furthermore, the appeal of spending hours on my hands and knees toiling away in the garden has not yet been tainted by harsh reality.

This time of year is also the best time to start researching and planning your gardening projects. This preplanning will mean that rather then impulsively buying whatever catches your eye at the garden centre, you will be looking for specific plants, or at least those with specific characteristics. As a result, not only will the plants you come home with fit better into your garden, but you might even have a few bucks left over to splurge on a whim.

When flipping through the catalogues and magazines I really encourage you to look at native plants. The biggest advantage with native plants is that once established, they tend to be heartier. Furthermore, they are generally more resistant to drought meaning they require less water. Perfect for the lazy gardener!

For more information about native gardening, check out: the Evergreen.ca Native Plant Directory.

Another type of plant to consider are "plants looking for a good home". Once established, most plants have to be thinned out, not only for the health of the plant, but also for the appearance of the garden. As a result, there are usually a whole bunch of plants that will either end up in the compost pile or need to find a new home. Because these plants have been grown 'locally' they will be harder to kill and even if they do not thrive, at least the price was right!

Finally, for folks that do not have a garden space, consider container gardening or getting involved with a group such as Evergreen. Both of these activities will provide you the opportunity to get your hands dirty, as well as the happiness that comes from seeing your efforts result in a beautiful sanctuary.