Murray Wood: Who's hot... and who's not
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The Victoria Day long weekend may come with chilly temperatures and even the possibility of snow in parts of Saskatchewan, but gardening experts say that’s not stopping people from getting their hands dirty.
For many across the province, May long marks the unofficial start of gardening season, and garden centres had been preparing for one of their busiest weekends of the year.
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Rick Van Duyvendyk, co-owner of Dutch Growers and host of Garden Talk, said the May long weekend is usually busy and Saskatchewan gardeners are no strangers to unpredictable spring weather.
“In the years that I’ve been in gardening, which has been almost all my life, at least once every 10 years we look at getting snow or something cold on the May long weekend,” he said. “I’ve seen it before.”
Environment Canada forecasts called for cool temperatures, rain and even the chance of snow in parts of southern Saskatchewan through the long weekend.
Seed packets fill the shelves at a Regina garden centre ahead of the Victoria Day long weekend, traditionally one of the busiest periods of the year for Saskatchewan gardeners. (Jacob Bamhour/980 CJME)
While that may scare off some casual gardeners, Van Duyvendyk said experienced gardeners know not to panic.
“The avid gardeners all come into the garden centre because they know that there’s some varieties of vegetables or flowers that they want to have each year,” he said.
“It’s the weekend gardeners that just want to hold off.”
Van Duyvendyk said some specialty plants, particularly hot peppers, unique tomatoes and specialty cucumbers, can sell out quickly during the May long rush. He encourages gardeners to buy early, even if temperatures remain cool.
“If you get your plants, especially if you want specialty ones, you want hot peppers, or you want a special cucumber or tomato, or whatever, get in and get your plants,” he said.
However, he stressed that those warmer-weather plants should not immediately stay outdoors overnight. Instead, gardeners should acclimatize them gradually.
“That means putting them out during the day and bringing them in at nighttime,” he explained. “You do that about three or four days, and then they’ll be acclimatized to go outside.”
Van Duyvendyk said many common garden crops are already perfectly safe to plant despite the colder forecast.
“Peas, carrots, potatoes, onions, garlic, all that kind of stuff you can put in the ground,” he said. “The weather is not going to affect them.”
“My garden is all in already,” Van Duyvendyk said. “I have all my seeds in the ground.”
The recent moisture moving through Saskatchewan could also benefit gardens heading into summer.
“The rain we’re getting is the perfect setup,” he said.
Tropical plants and greenery are displayed inside a Regina greenhouse during the busy spring gardening season. (Jacob Bamhour/980 CJME)
Van Duyvendyk added that trees and evergreens can also still be safely planted during cooler spring conditions, noting Saskatchewan gardeners have successfully dealt with unpredictable May weather for generations.
For many gardeners, the long weekend remains less about perfect weather and more about finally getting the growing season underway.
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