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 of gerberas is a great plant for people of


Spring garden shows you won’t want to miss!


Calgary Home and Garden Show Feb. 25 to 28 BMO Centre & Corral, Stampede Park www.calgaryhgs.com


Edmonton Home and Garden Show Mar. 17 to 20 Northlands, Edmonton Expo Centre www.edmontonhomeandgarden. com


Calgary Horticultural Society Garden Show April 9 to 10 Spruce Meadows www.calhort.org


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 temps, 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


all different levels of gardening know- how,” said Terry Caddo, General 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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