Home & Garden

- 03 GARDEN Home 2016 & "We have older gardeners coming in who say, 'I want that Manitoba Bush. I want fantastic tomatoes,' because they know that they're good strong tomatoes that those senior gardeners have grown up with," she says. For the flower garden, Hrycyna recommends new varieties of reliable standbys like geraniums and especially petunias. "The colour palettes that you have within the petunia family right now are outstanding," she says. "There is one called Night Sky that is blue- speckled with white dots and looks like a paint splatter, and one called Johnny Flame which is fuschia to a dark, dark purple eye." For gardeners who don't want bright colour, there is Black Satin, coloured a purple so deep it's almost black. Another fun variety is Crazytunia Mandeville, which resembles Mandevilla. "Some of these new mixed-blend petunias are not just a solid red, a solid blue, a solid yellow," Hrycyna says. "They are almost like warm watercolour washes mixed in the blends of the colours that makes them attractive and look vintage." There are other planting trends as well. Succulents are very popular with burgundy colours and the tillandsias (air plants) are also available in peach and burgundy. And many people are paying particular attention to plants that attract pollinators. "Bee gardens are still going strong and so are hummingbird and butterfly gardens with asclepias tuberosa (butterfly weed)," she says. "They are so attractive to people because they know that looking after and caring for these insects in our gardens is beneficial." Garden style is big, too. "What really reflects what's going on in gardens is how people are accessorizing their garden," Hrycyna says. Beautiful lanterns are popular, allowing homeowners to bring atmosphere to the outdoor space. "Our gardens aren't just for the day, they are also for the evening, so be creative with the lanterns," she advises. "We turn some of them into fairy gardens, or if the glass comes out you can hang them from your trees as a planting vessel with beautiful ferns and impatiens cascading from them." For accessorizing, the sky's the limit: Do you want a metal crane? Or do you want an angel? "That's where creating a garden starts to show your design style," she says. "People are really doing that indoor/outdoor feeling, decorating their yards with little items just like they would with their living rooms." There is also a wide variety of containers available, including those that look weighty but are easier to lift and maintain than heavy planters. "Ceramics are still strong because of some of the colour combinations you are able to get and some of the textures as well," she says. "Gazebos are also strong. Garden swings are coming back and people like the little metal fencing with a little more detail to it." Many homes are being built with smaller lots and Hrycyna says that trend is stirring interest in smaller-size versions of popular plants like Hydrangea. "Raised gardens are also really trending, and because some of these areas are much smaller, they are doing vegetables in containers," she says. "If they are dedicating space to garden in their yard, older gardeners are raising their gardens so they are not on their knees and they are at a height so they can sit at the edge, or work comfortably standing to pick their fruits and vegetables." And finally, there's one more big thing on the gardening horizon — a special event that is coming to the nursery. "At the end of June and into July, we are going to have a rambling garden for kids that features palm trees, canopy plants and other plants that have not changed since the dinosaurs," says Hrycyna. There will even be a few dinosaurs peeking out from the foliage, she says. "One of the dinosaurs is over five feet tall!" Learn more at St. Marys Nursery & Garden Centre Ltd., at 2901 St. Mary's Rd. or check out services and events online at www. stmarysnurseryandgardencentre.ca. PHOTOS BY DARCY FINLEY "PEOPLE ARE REALLY DOING THAT INDOOR/ OUTDOOR FEELING, DECORATING THEIR YARDS WITH LITTLE ITEMS JUST LIKE THEY WOULD WITH THEIR LIVING ROOMS."

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