Get your garden fix where you can
Even in an average year, the next six weeks would be a whirlwind in Canadian garden sales, with May alone scooping up 70 per cent of annual plant and flower purchases.
Times being what they are, folks are understandably eager to get their green on early. Geography being what it is, however, lots of places aren’t quite ready for full-on, dirt-underthe-fingernails gardening.
While you hang on another week or so, gather inspiration from “The Kinfolk Garden — How to live with nature,” an extremely handsome coffeetable book that looks at the outdoor world, the home and how they intersect. It’s the latest in a lifestyle series from John Burns, also editor-inchief of quarterly, Copenhagen-based Kinfolk magazine, which encourages readers to approach life with “intention, energy, and community.”
This fascinating edition explores the garden as a place to work, play and entertain. Thirty well-told stories about gardeners, florists and homeowners around the globe are accompanied by pictures of these special places, which include a private palm “museum” in Marrakech, a sustainablydesigned glass house in the California desert and a home nestled in a boulder-strewn Mallorcan mountain grove.
The book is also a reminder of how well nature can be echoed in the home with simple gestures, like those London, England-based botanical artist Yasuyo Harvey (@ yasuyoharvey on Instagram) makes with spare but striking floral sculptures, collages and assemblages. Sourabh Gupta’s work has a similarly chiseled look; amazingly, though, his blooms are made from paper — with extraordinarilydetailed delicacy in shape and colour.
In the average home, a nod to nature can be as low risk as a houseplant in an interesting holder. Winnipeg-based home retailer EQ3 has simple, elegant and affordable options. Their round Dover planters are hand-formed to a mould from terracotta — a porous, clay-based ceramic that absorbs moisture and helps keep soil healthy. It also results in a slightly different texture for each piece. Good drainage comes through an appropriately sized hole and a sturdy base tray.
Hardy HangingPlanters are made from poly-coated paper, which makes these water-proof planters look like artfully crinkled brown
bags. They soften with use, so they’re a good fit for casual, unfussy spaces. Nice either on their own or in a group. Another idea: slip a potted plant into EQ3’s Faris basket, made of braided jute that can either stand upright or have its edges folded down to frame a plant.
Online plants sales have soared, as has the demand for locally sourced product. In Vancouver, for example, the family-owned Plants Vancouver sells local, sustainable, eco-friendly flora at accessible prices to its Metro area. Mass retailers like Home Depot tout connections with 32 Canadian growers, adding that the company is seeing rising interest in vegetable and herb
gardens, and outdoor spaces that incorporate native plants for pollinators.
Remember that even a tiny corner of the garden, deck, or balcony can be a draw for nature, and splash of colour. Home Depot’s exclusive Sunny Daze Calibrachoa (Million Bells), for example, is a vibrant purple and yellow plant that’s as versatile as heck. It grows well in both full sun and partial shade in planters, garden beds or hanging baskets, and attracts hummingbirds and other pollinators.
There are also simple ways to create a DIY garden feature, including the Algreen 32.5-inch vertical planter
from Rona, which can hang on a fence, deck or wall. The base is made from wood and holds integrated, customizable slots for three planters. It comes with a weatherresistant non-toxic seal and treatment, and assembly is basic. Inside, it could serve as a seasonally flexible indoor plant feature, possibly in the kitchen.
Even simpler: load the top of a bar-cart with plants and a pretty watering can, and tuck tools, pots and gloves on the bottom. So portable, it can be easily moved throughout the year to catch the sun — even onto a balcony for spring/ summer — making it extrasensible for small spaces.