A seismic shift in Canadian gardening
I recently completed my annual tour of the country and I have much to report. While Canadians are becoming aware of climate change and the impact it is having on our daily lives, there is a sea change in the gardening business.
My travels have taken me to many points in Ontario, Quebec and out West. My relationship with Home Hardware requires me to travel to some remote places, such as Fort St. John in northeastern B.C. and points between here and there. The launch of my new book, The New Canadian Garden, has also sent me around the country and I’ve talked with many Canadians who share a passion for gardening.
Here are the top five gardening talking points I heard from Canadians during my travels: Goodbye bees, hello heightened awareness The decline of the honey bee population has propagated so much discussion about pollinators and related topics that the ad campaign for Honey Nut Cheerios blew everyone out of the water. Cheerios launched the campaign at Canada Blooms this past March, expecting to give away about 35 million wildflower seeds across the country.
The company ended up giving away more than 100 million seeds because demand was so great. While we are sensitive to the general decline of bees, it is important to note we have more than 700 native bee species in Canada. Insect hotels While many Canadians are scratching their heads over the notion of attracting beneficial insects to their yards and gardens, many others are embracing the idea.
I have become acutely aware of the situation while travelling to the U.K. over the last few years, where they are a generation ahead of us on this one. Mason bee huts, hotels, habitat: call them what you want, retailers are surprised by the demand for such things. I predict insect hotels, butterfly habitat, mason bee huts and the like will be so popular in 20 years that they will be as common in Canadian backyards as bird feeders are now: more so in urban areas where awareness seems highest. Native plants This is not a revolutionary idea, but one that has been evolving for about 25 years. Canadians are planting more native species. These plants are generally lower maintenance than their hybrid cousins, they are reliably winter hardy when grown in their native zone and they attract pollinators quite nicely. A three- point punch for native plants! Garden retailers have caught on to this idea and are now offering a wide selection of them. Another big change to Canadian gardening. It’s all about the food While attending a book signing/ speaking engagement in Ottawa, I met a 22-year-old first-time gardener. I am always interested to know what draws a young person into the gardening fold, and I am surprised when the reason is anything other than food.
Indeed, Olivia was getting into raised-bed veggie gardening. Today’s 20- and 30-somethings are influencing all of us in profound ways, including how we garden. Seed suppliers tell me they are having trouble keeping vegetable and herb seeds on the racks. Especially kale seeds. Go figure. (Have the kids actually tasted this stuff?)
The point, of course, is we are growing food plants, including fruit trees and berry plants, in greater numbers than we have seen since the Victory Gardens of the Second World War. Birds, butterflies and hummingbirds This category is growing in popularity almost as quickly as food gardening. Now we are beginning to realize the positive impact our actions have on the entire natural cycle that occurs just outside our back doors when we attract birds, butterflies and hummingbirds to the garden.
First, feeding them birdseed, hummingbird nectar and planting nectar and pollen-rich flowering plants helps to bring them to your yard. Water features provide life and habitat for a host of desirable wildlife, especially still water (with a goldfish in it to control mosquitoes).
In the end, it is all about the frogs. If you manage to attract frogs, salamanders and toads to your yard — which you will do with the right plants and water — you will have passed the toughest biodiversity test of all: these creatures breathe through their skin and therefore are among the most environmentally sensitive.
When you find a frog in your yard, you are a champion of the environment. This is what leading-edge gardening is all about nowadays. Mark Cullen is an expert gardener, author and broadcaster. Get his free monthly newsletter at markcullen.com. Look for his new bestseller, The New Canadian Garden, published by Dundurn Press. Follow him on Twitter @MarkCullen4 and Facebook.