Spring is here, even if it doesn’t feel like it.
Sprouting gardening enthusiasts in Richmond are welcome to get their hands dirty with Gary Lewis, author and owner of the award-winning nursery Phoenix Perennials, who is holding a three-part workshop series at Brighouse library starting tomorrow.
Lewis fell in love with plants and propagation when his mom showed him how to propagate spider plants at a young age. He opened Phoenix Perennials 20 years ago, or 20 seasons ago as Lewis put it, in Richmond.
“I’ll have a whole bunch of plants, I’ll have pots, I’ll have soil. I might make a mess in the library for them to clean up later,” he said.
The workshops, which will focus on growing ornamental and edible plants in containers, are tailored to the needs of most Richmondites.
Container gardening stood out as an obvious choice as the library is close to condos and apartment towers with limited space, but it’s also popular for planting edible plants — even if one has a bigger backyard.
“Even though you might have a big backyard, you might not have a perfect spot… with the best light and where it’s easy to water,” Lewis explained.
Lewis will also be giving a presentation about ground cover plants in June based on his latest release, The Complete Book of Ground Covers.
According to Lewis, colourful blooms such as daffodils, tulips and primroses are currently the trending plants in Richmond.
“Because it’s so cold, everybody coming in (to his store) just wants colour.”
Edible plants such as lettuce, kale, tomatoes, mint and even wasabi are also popular in the community.
Tips for beginners
One of the biggest challenges for beginner gardeners this spring, said Lewis, is adapting to extreme weather conditions.
“It’s been so cold, so our gardens are probably a month behind,” he said. For example, cherries that would usually finish blooming around this time of year have yet to start blooming. Rows of succulents have also been huddling in the greenhouse as the weather hasn’t been warm enough for them to venture outside.
“If you think about it, the last couple of years have been really challenging for weather because we’ve had really cold winters… but then the last couple summers we had really crazy heat.”
Navigating the world of gardening can also be challenging due to the sheer amount of knowledge and possibilities, but Lewis has a helpful tip.
“Try not to get overwhelmed with all the possibilities and just focus on the areas that are most important to you and learn there,” he said.
“Follow your bliss,” he added.
The first workshop on ornamental containers will take place tomorrow, April 19. To find out more about the workshops and to register, click here.
