We certainly feel like we have been on a roller coaster this year.

Last year about this time we were finalizing the number of gardens to be built, discussing the entrance display to be created by Bloemen Decor, the overhead installation in the Garden Hall being designed by Jennifer Harvey, as well as planning the second Canada Blooms Floral Artist of the Year Competition. The Toronto Flower Show had sent out their requests for interested International competitors, the schedule booklet had been finished and we were all moving along as planned.

Skip forward to the first week of March and we were full on for the set up, gardens, flower show and competition, floral alley, everything looked so bright and colourful, it really was an oasis after a long winter. We started to hear rumblings, the city and province were on the news daily in the last couple of days leading up to our opening. Then came the very hard decision, we didn't have all the details, but we knew that there was no way we could put our exhibitors, builders, volunteers, staff or attendees in a situation that might harm them.

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TFS: Potting Your Amaryllis

Harrowsmith: Winterizing Your Garden

Communities in Blooms Award Winners

Holiday Decorating Ideas

Recipe Corner

Landscape Ontario Celebrates Frontline Heroes

Highway of Heroes Tree Campaign

Blast From The Past

 

In Favour Of Real (Trees)	Book Nook
Every year we receive emails asking if we recommend the use of real trees vs. artificial for Christmas. This is an opportunity to finally set the record straight on this issue. In our opinion, real Christmas trees are the winner, hands down. The fresh cut Christmas tree that you buy off the lot, or from a reliable retailer, is plantation grown, not cut from the wild. (Continue reading)	Increasingly unpredictable weather patterns and pest infestations are challenging today’s vegetable gardeners. But best-selling author Niki Jabbour has a solution: Growing Under Cover. In this in-depth guide, Jabbour shows how to use row covers, shade cloth, low tunnels, cold frames, hoophouses, and other protective structures to create controlled growing spaces for vegetables to thrive. (Continue reading)