Spring rush hits Sask. garden centres as seed demand surges

A changeable start to spring has Saskatchewan gardeners wasting no time getting their hands dirty, and it showed at local garden centres.

At Dutch Growers, which has centres in both Sasktoon and Regina, co-owner Rick Van Duyvendyk said the rush is coming quickly after a long winter, with more people than usual already stocking up on seeds and supplies.

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He said the demand is being driven in part by people wanting more control over their food and their grocery bills.

“Everybody wants to start planting their own garden, have their own home food security, food that’s right outside the door rather than the expensive grocery store,” Van Duyvendyk said.

“Seed (sales) have just been growing like crazy.”

That demand isn’t limited to just one type of product. Van Duyvendyk said customers are buying across the board, especially vegetable seeds, and many are starting earlier than in previous years.

“It’s everything in the vegetables right now — carrots, radishes, lettuce, potatoes, onion sets,” he said.

“They’re stocking up so they don’t have to start searching for it later.”

That early push may be a lesson learned from last year, when certain items were harder to find.

Van Duyvendyk said some varieties of potatoes and carrots were in short supply, prompting some shoppers to plan for this season as early as January.

Beyond the garden, he said the spring rush was also tied to yard planning and landscaping, with timelines tightening quickly.

“If you want to get a landscaper to help you out, you can’t wait until May,” he said. “From what I’ve heard, they’re all booking up into the middle of summer already.”

While warmer weather has arrived, Van Duyvendyk said people are still easing into yard work, with conditions only recently improving enough to start cleaning up outdoor spaces.

“You can start getting into the yard now shrubs are finally showing themselves,” he said.

But he warned gardeners not to jump the gun on lawn care, pointing to a simple rule of thumb.

“When you can walk out into your grass with your sock feet without getting wet, then you can start raking your grass,” he said.

There were also some important seasonal reminders, including avoiding pruning certain trees this time of year.

Van Duyvendyk reminded people that elm trees should not be trimmed between April and September, as they can attract beetles that spread Dutch elm disease.

Despite those cautions, he said spring remains one of the most rewarding times of year in the garden centre.

“It’s just opening up the greenhouses and smelling the dirt and humidity,” he said. “All the plants starting up and growing — it never gets old.”

Read more:

• ‘Be patient’: Saskatchewan will get into a warmer spring eventually
• Garden Talk: Everything you need to know to set up a backyard greenhouse
• Garden Talk: How can I prevent snow mold on my lawn right now?