Make sure you have an arrangement that is suitable to your conditions (sun, shade, wind). Assess when your plant requires water; in most cases container arrangements in the sun will require daily watering. Shade arrangements may need water less frequently. Water thoroughly and deeply and until the container feels heavy and water drips from the drainage hole. If the plant is too dry, water will run out quickly. In this case the soil is stressed and has shrunken form the side of the pot allowing the water to run out quickly. Water it then re-water a short time later when the soil has relaxed and expanded. If possible, water in the morning so your arrangement is fully hydrated going in to the heat of the day.

If using liquid or water soluble fertilizer, fertilizer is required at least every two weeks. If using slow release pellets, reapply mid-summer. Be sure to not fertilize when the soil is dry as the fertilizer may burn the roots. Dampen first with clear water, then use fertilized water.

Environmental factors providing intense extremes like frosty nights, cool winds or relentless heat can damage your arrangement. Be aware of weather conditions and set down out of wind or sun or inside overnight if needed to protect.

Additional details and benefits of our Customer Appreciation Card can be found on the Customer Card page of this website.

The show runs Thursday night, all day Friday (Good Friday) and Saturday. The show closes Saturday night so vendors can spend Easter Sunday with family.

Details can be found at: www.peterboroughgardens.ca. See you there!

At 10:00 a.m. we will be offering a free Seminar titled “What’s New for 2012?” Vikki will highlight the new annual and perennial varieties and how to use them in your gardens. Please call ahead to reserve a seat. And at 1:00 p.m. our hands-on workshop, “B-Lime-y! It’s Spring!” will run. We will use the lime green pot shown above and fill it full of green and yellow flowers for spring (indoors).

New for the Spring Fling, special prices will be offered during a one day only Hot Pot Sale! A selection of empty patio pots (new designs for 2012!) will be gathered together and offered at one time only sale prices.

If you choose to make a purchase on Saturday March 17, we will ask you which local horticultural society you would like your purchase to be credited to: Peterborough, Lakefield, Omemee, Bancroft, or Norwood. If your local horticultural society is not represented, then we will add it to the list of options! During our Spring Fling, 10% of your pre-tax purchase amount will be “flung” back to one of these groups in the form of a Griffin’s gift card that they can use at their discretion. Let’s have fun on March 17 as we welcome warm days ahead with our Spring Fling and provide a little sunshine to our local garden groups.

If your houseplants are frustrating you, please know that you are not alone. Last week I sent to the curb the fern I intended to overwinter. It was too messy in our home and I no longer wanted to leave the vacuum cleaner beside it, plugged in, ready to suck up the wafting, dry fronds. I had had enough.

Many plants what were originally outdoor plants, like tropicals or foliage plants, suffer when they are over wintered indoors. During the winter, the light qualities are compromised in our homes, due to low-E glass windows and a weak winter sun, and plants that have been vigorously growing in the warm late summer sun are shocked when brought indoors. Not only are the light qualities lower, but our homes are dry and air tight. Our heating systems keep the air dry and our quest to be energy efficient force our homes to be lacking natural humidity and moisture. In this unnatural environment the plants lose a lot of leaves and any new growth tends to be weak in vigour and colour.

If you stick it out with these plants, know that as long as the plant has life in it (lightly scratch the bark or stock on a tropical plant to see if there is green underneath), you can put it outdoors as a shadow of its former self and still bring it back to glory. Kyle, the greenhouse manager at Griffin’s, often jokes at putting out his “hibis-stick” each spring, after all of the leaves fall off through the winter. Be sure to wait until all threat of frost is over before you slowly put any plant that spent the winter indoors outside. Gradually re-introduce it to the sunshine to avoid the sun burn effect.

While indoors, all houseplants benefit from consistent watering and prefer locations that are far from blasts of cool temperatures or forced heat, like wood stoves or furnace vents. In April or May, when the spring sun begins to have more strength and sunny windows in our homes become favorable again, you can re-introduce houseplant fertilizer (a specific liquid fertilizer or an all-purpose water soluble version, cut to half strength) to your watering routine and you will see growth and improved leaf colour. New growth will be stronger and more attractive than the spindly growth you may have had in the winter months.

Pests can be controlled on houseplants by catching the problem early. Check leaves (tops and undersides) each time you water. Watch for dust-like residue on leaves, speck-like bugs on stems or leaves and little fruit fly-like pests circling your plants and resting on the soil. If you have a problem and catch it early, you are much more likely to fix it with one or two applications of a good insecticidal soap, like Safer’s End-All.

There is great benefit to sticking it out with houseplants in these challenging winter months. Plants in our homes offer cleaner air and lift our spirits. Plants perk up dull areas, reinforce the home owner’s personality and design style and generally, make a house, a home.

But what if you’ve already tossed out houseplants this winter or you don’t really “do” houseplants? The health and style benefits and a touch of Spring can still be introduced to home by using pots of spring bulbs. Fresh pots of tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and crocus are readily available in good garden centres. Unique items like “pussy willow” plants, succulents, cyclamen, and heather can be found and enjoyed for months with few special requirements and care issues since these are fresh, new plants intended for seasonal use for a short period on your home.

With the onset of Spring, our homes become less dependent on dry heat, our windows open for a few hours each day and our dry, air tight winter homes transition to a more comfortable environment for the plants that remain indoors all year. Plants that are just visiting for the winter can go back outdoors, causing less mess and fuss and making them happy to be alive and thrive. And we, as their care-givers, can be happy and proud that we all made to Spring.

Visit www.griffinsgreenhouses.com for more information.

Exclusions are only gift cards, custom orders and workshops – all other Christmas and regular inventory is on sale! Don’t miss this sale!

White pine is blue-green in colour and is fluffy and fresh used as an accent branch in fresh flower arrangements. Re-cut the end of each branch prior to submerging in to fresh water in the vase and add lovely seasonal cut flowers like amaryllis, roses, red and white candy-cane speckled carnations, freesia, sunny-faced gerbera daisies or any flower that you wish. Poinsettias can also be used as an unusual cut flower. Cut the colourful bracts (“blooms”) and be sure to dab the milky white sap that secretes with a paper towel and then quickly sear the end of the stem under a candle or match until it is sealed. Put the Poinsettia bloom into luke-warm water and it will remain fresh for about ten days. If it wilts in the water in the first hour, re-cut the end and try re-sealing it again.

When using evergreens in fresh flower arrangements, cut the pine branches at various lengths to provide various levels of height with some branches flirting with the blooms at the top of the vase and others dancing over the sides of the vase. Small pieces of pine can also float in wide-mouthed bowls of water that also have ruby coloured floating cranberries (yes, regular fresh cranberries from the grocer float) and lovely floating candles. This simple, shimmering bowl makes a lovely, simple and safe table centerpiece.

Collections of evergreens can be added to plastic water vials (the kind one would get at the base of a single rose from a florist) and tucked into real or artificial garland along a mantle, around a door frame or down a banister. Holly, small fresh flowers and mistletoe can also be added into these arrangements in this fashion.

Small pieces of pine can be paired with cedar, spruce or balsam, tied with a ribbon and placed behind picture frames, curled around candle stick stems, at each place setting, tied to goodie gift bags or perched on present tops. This is best done a few days prior to an event or social gathering to ensure optimal freshness.

Adding evergreen branches to potted plants adds pizzazz and originality to standard seasonal plants. British Columbian Cedar (also known as Western Cedar), Boxwood and White Pine are the best evergreens to use for this project. When firmly placed in the soil of the potted plant these evergreens should not dry out (the moisture from the soil will keep them hydrated), but if they did become dry from being placed in the plant too early (best to do a few weeks or less prior to an event), BC Cedar, Boxwood and White Pine do not show their dryness. They may appear dry to the touch, but will not look dry and unappealing.

Enjoy seasonal decorating with fresh evergreens and lovely fresh and potted flowers!