This long weekend promises to bring sunshine. It's a good time to put on your old jeans, worn T-shirt, grab some gloves and head into the garden for some sprucing up.
For many of us, May is when we finally get into our gardens to rid them of the weeds that have seemingly overrun our flowerbeds.
One of the first tips to successfully plant a garden is simple - the right place and the right plant, said Brian Gilmore, who along with partner Patti Maskall, owns and operates Prickly Pear Garden Centre in Steveston.
To make sure you are planting the right plant in the right place, you need to recognize what a plant needs regarding light, moisture, type of soil, and recommended uses, said Gilmore.
Whether you want to plant a vegetable garden, or fill one with a mix of perennials and annuals, knowing your garden before you head to the store is key.
Also important is knowing the opportune time to plant your vegetable garden, annuals, perennials or shrubs.
Now that Richmond is finally experiencing some warm weather, our first impulse is to get in the garden and plant, however, frost can be the death of your garden.
Having said that, Gilmore assured the News that it's not too early to plot. "Pretty much any plant, shrub or flower in the store can be placed in the ground right now. The flowers are plentiful right now and there are lots of varieties to choose from."
For many novice gardeners, knowing when to go ahead and plant can be confusing. To make things more complicated, not everything can be planted at the same time. However, Gilmore added, if you are unsure ask your garden centre.
Meantime, what is hitting the shelves right now is a hot new breed of tomato, a grafted one dubbed Mighty Mato - which includes 12 heirloom and four hybrid varieties.
"(The Mighty Mato) is said to be more disease free than other varieties," Gilmore said. "You get a stronger tomato, bigger yields and they taste really good."
Maskall added gardeners shouldn't forget another important component - the condition of your soil.
"You need to feed your garden the proper nutrients to thrive, so add horse manure and peat to your soil."
