local dirt


Canada Blooms announces the 'Garvinea Sweet' series of gerberas as plant of the year


W


ith a bloom that will last for the entire Canadian summer, the ‘Garvinea Sweet’ series


of gerberas has been chosen by Canada Blooms as its 2016 plant of the year. The plant of the year pick is always a highly anticipated announcement that sets the stage for flower trends and colours for the upcoming spring. “The 'Garvinea


Sweet' series


Spring garden shows you won't want to miss!


Gardening Saturday March 19 Victoria Inn Hotel and Conference Centre Join gardeners of all knowledge levels and skills at the ninth annual Garden- ing Saturday and explore the trade- show floor featuring a variety of lead- ers in the home and garden industry, and learn from your fellow enthusiasts! www.gardeningsaturday.ca


Winnipeg Home and Garden Show April 1 to 3 RBC Convention Centre New show, new look, new venue! www.winnipeghomeandgarden- show.com


Huh?


Seedy origins – In the mid-1500s the term “seedy” was coined to reference “fruitful, abundant,”


and was defined as “abounding in seeds”. By 1739, probably in refer- ence to the shabby appearance of a


plant that has gone to seed, it began to be used as a term of disparage-


ment, meaning sordid, disreputable or unwell.


(Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper)


localgardener.net Here’s what happens when spider mites get out of control.


With cooler weather, gardeners’ attention shifts to indoor plants. Radio call-in shows are dominated by questions about pests on houseplants, and my own in-box starts to fill up with descriptions of curled and wilting leaves. Test your knowledge by answering true or false to the following questions. 1. Houseplants harbour fruit flies. 2. Fungus gnats are not terribly harmful to houseplants. 3. Spider mites actually are tiny spiders. 4. Spider mites spin webs to catch insects for food. 5. Spider mites prefer a dry environment. 6. Scale is a hard-shell fungus that grows on plant stems. 7. Mealy bugs are a kind of scale. 8. Scales can be washed off plants with a gentle stream of water. 9. One single whitefly can destroy a large plant. 10. Spider mites, whitefly and aphids can all be eradicated with a single spraying of permethrin.


Check your answers online at localgardener.net. Dreaming 2016 • 5 of gerberas is a great plant for people


with all different levels of gardening know-how,” said Terry Caddo, Gener- al Manager of Canada Blooms. “The 'Garvinea Sweet' is a reliable garden performer in the spring, summer and fall with increased disease toler- ance, cold tolerance and an excel- lent re-bloom habit that makes it the perfect plant for everyone and the perfect plant to be named Canada Blooms 2016 plant of the year.”


These gerberas come in fun, bright colours. ? Find answers online


Do you


know what’s bugging your houseplants?


Photo by Paramecium. Photo courtesy of Florist Holland B.V.


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