Gardeners are itching to get their hands in the dirt, but it’s been a slow start to the gardening season.
A lot of gardeners have been wishing spring would move along a little faster, and many of them were at garden centres this weekend searching for inspiration.
Rows of colourful flowers in bloom, potted plants, and budding trees line the rows at greenhouses in Barrie.
It’s paradise to those who like to get their hands dirty.
“It's just so full of life, and that's what it's all about,” says Sherry McArthur.
Greenhouses everywhere are well-stocked for spring. But gardening season is just getting started and the weather is still too unpredictable, so most people are holding off on planting for now.
“Just last week we had snow on Tuesday, and here it is almost 21 degrees,” says Sue Dixon at Bradford Greenhouses adding that causes “quite a hesitation” for gardeners.
Patricia Grant has been waiting a long time for today, which marks her first trip to a greenhouse.
“I think everyone is anxious to get outside and feel the sun and watch their gardens grow,” she says.
The weather has also put some big orders behind schedule, too. Staff at Barrie's Garden Centre have been waiting on a shipment of Colorado spruce trees for a month now – suppliers don't have them ready yet..
“They have to wait until the snow is gone from their field … before they can start digging these trees,” says Warren Patterson at Barrie's Garden Centre. “It hasn't been since the beginning of the week that they're able to get into the field.”
The good news, however, is that once the trees come in, they can be planted right away. So can shrubs.
As for flowers, pansies are the most resilient, so they can go in the ground now as well. While pansies are your best bet during the month of April, if you want more variety you can pick up other flowers and put them outside. However, experts recommend you put them in a portable pot. That way, you can bring them inside during the evening hours when the temperature tends to drop.
