Make some magic in your mini fairy garden

Container gardening, vertical gardening and growing food are some of the hottest trends in the garden for 2013.

This year, fruits and vegetables “are still really big. Anything to do with food is big, because people want to know where their food comes from,” says greengate garden centres greenhouse manager John Duncan, who is a speaker on the How-To Clinic stage during this weekend’s spring Garden Show.

Even if you don’t have a lot of space, you can still grow edibles, Duncan says, noting people can grow vegetables and herbs in containers. They can also do vertical gardening on walls; or rooftop gardening, to make the most of the space they have. Gardening in small spaces is a growing trend, with more people living in condos or in homes with smaller yards.

Another new trend that has popped up this season is fairy gardening. “It’s like miniature gardening,” Duncan explains. People buy little chairs, houses and other small-scale decorations, and, together with miniature trees and lowgrowing plants, use these decorative elements to enhance their yard. “It’s one of those things that has become very popular in North America.”

Duncan will be speaking about new gardening trends at the spring Garden Show on Saturday, April 13 from 3:15 to 4 p.m., on the How-To Clinic Stage. In his talk, What’s New in 2013 for Your Garden, Duncan will take the audience on a full colour tour of new plants for the 2013 growing season. He’ll cover gardening must-haves, overlooked plants and some of his favourite plants.