Top 10 Tips for Any Garden by Charlie Dobbin
1. Use pots or urns to welcome friends and family at your front door. Freshen them seasonally with appropriate flowers and greens.
2. Before planting, fix your soil first. This means add organic matter - compost, topsoil, manure, peat moss…all will help.
3. Choose plants for their final location. Keep in mind sun/shade exposure, and wet/dry conditions
4. Use 2 –4 cm of mulch on all your gardens to help hold moisture in the soil and control weeds.
5. Fertilize your garden in the early spring. Stop fertilizing garden plants at the end of July (this doesn’t include lawns and annual flowers and vegetables).
6. Visit your garden as often as possible (daily is best – with a glass of wine is better). Soak in the tranquility, but keep on the lookout for any pests or diseases (it’s much easier to control problems earlier than later).
7. Following the rule of ‘good garden hygiene’ will help avoid many potential future problems (remove and discard any diseased plant material).
8 Don’t be afraid to prune. Rule of thumb is remove any dead, diseased or damaged stems in early spring on all your plants. Trim flowering plants right after they flower to encourage lots of  blooms next year.
9. Encourage birds in your yard. They are not only a joy to watch, but many will eat bugs, cleanup debris and aerate your lawn and garden
10. Use 100% organic Dormant Spray outdoors in early spring to kill overwintering pests.
Have garden questions? Don't miss Charlie on Zoomer Radio as she hosts The Garden Show Saturday's at 9:00 am. You can also listen to past podcasts. Charlie will be on the Unilock Celebrity Stage presented by HGTV at Canada Blooms on Sunday March 18 at 1:00pm |
The Medinilla magnifica showcased at Canada Blooms in the Featured Growers of Ontario booth is the newest exclusive plant in North America; it is proving to be the best new upcoming plant, with its amazing exotic flowers blooming frequently and easy care requirements. 
beautiful pink flowers can grow to a length of approximately 50cm and area joy to behold.
for a very special evening of entertainment sponsored by NTDTV, which includes a spectacular Han couture Fashion Show with a tribute to the glorious Tang Dynasty, Chinese dance by the Phoenix Academy of Arts, a Martial Arts Performance featuring Luo Geyong, winner of the International Martial 
for 2012 as Tara Nolan, editor of 
determination and enthusiasm of our volunteers. To make the festival better than ever we need your help and expertise. Come, join us for a Gardener’s Getaway, work a little, play a little and share in the excitement.
