As the spring-like temperatures arrive in southern Alberta, local greenhouses around Lethbridge are busy preparing for the upcoming season.
Lethbridge has seen above seasonal temperatures for the last few weeks and local greenhouses say people are itching to get outside and start planting. Greenhouses have begun planting seeds, bringing in soil amendments and trying to time everything perfectly with the weather.
Dustin Napper, horticulturalist at Green Haven Garden Centre, says they are quickly preparing the greenhouse for the season, but reminds people it is still too early to start planting.
“A lot of people are excited with the weather right now, but we’re still probably at least a month away before [people should] start thinking about planting. We’re a month away roughly from when we would bring our trees, shrubs and perennials in for sale, so were pushing for about the middle of April right now to bring our nursery stock in.”
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Greenhouses are also anticipating a busy season. The pandemic has made people focus on their homes, with many wanting to create outdoor living spaces.
Erich Dyck, owner of Country Blooms Garden Centre, says his season last year was great and he’s hoping to have a repeat this spring, with COVID-19 protocols remaining in place.
“Last spring was amazing. Again, we had no idea if we were going to be able to open at all. All through March and April we were closed, we opened on May 4 last year. It was a really good experience. People at that point already knew what the retail shopping experience was like in other stores they had been to and we had the same protocols here. There were lineups, only so many people in, we followed all the health guidelines with disinfecting. People were amazing, they were patient, they weren’t pushy. It was great.”
Greenhouse staff say there are also benefits to gardening, including people’s mental health. People are encouraged to get outside this spring to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. Dyck says there are many great reasons to garden, however people are not fully aware of all the positive benefits that come with it.
“The therapy is huge, the mental health therapy, physical therapy as well. It’s movement, it’s exercises, squatting, bending, lifting, stuff like that. But just the mental aspect of it all. People are anxious to plant and grow things and have success with it. That’s what garden centres need, to really reach out to people, that they can ask the questions and hopefully have that success. All of us, even me, I’ve been in the gardening business for years and I’m still learning new things every year.”
Napper says there are lots of new trends that people are trying out and he encourages people to not be afraid to asks questions.
“Another big trend right now is vegetables and growing your own garden, your own food and knowing where that food comes from.”
Greenhouse staff recommend people wait until May long weekend before purchasing their flowers and vegetable to plant. They also say to watch the forecast as frost is common during spring mornings.
Below is a 360 video feature on Country Blooms Garden Centre.
