The Magic of Spring Goes International

Canada Blooms is excited to have two gardens featuring Countries from outside of Canada.

China
Pacific East Landscaping has partnered with NTD Television to bring you the Chinese Culture Garden.
“We are proud to bring the grace of Chinese landscapes to Canada Blooms. Come experience Chinese tea tasting in the beautiful pagoda; look for the winding bridge and stone-paved path over a pond of leisurely gold fish; marvel at the connection of man and ever-changing nature as reflected in how the building, the stones and the movement of the water sit together; and learn how the harmony of the Five Elements may bring balance and peace to your garden.”

Ireland
Parklane has partnered with Tourism Ireland and Royal Irish Tours to create "A Spring Gathering"
"A garden inspired by the natural and man-made landscapes of Ireland. Parklane's design creates a space for visitors to gather and celebrate new life, rebirth and spring. Walk the cobbled pathways set amongst the standing stones and rolling emerald hills. Then pause to consider the magic of our past…and future. Be sure to ask about your chance to win a trip for two to Ireland for 'The Gathering Ireland 2013.'"
Find out all about The Gathering below.

One lucky person will have a chance to win a trip to Spain, courtesy of Connaissance Travel and Tours, the Tourist Office of Spain and Air Canada. This would be an excellent opportunity to discover the culture and heritage of Spain including the flora and fauna that it has to offer

By casting a your vote for your favourite garden for the "People's Choice Garden Award" at the Festival in the Toronto Star booth, Connaissance Travel booth or Tourist Office of Spain booth you can enter a draw to win a trip for two to Spain!

Please note that there are some flight restriction dates. Full contest details will be available at the Festival.

Visit the Scotts Miracle-Gro Learning Stage

Located next to the New Plant/Product Showcase, the Scotts Miracle-Gro Learning Stage is the one place you can go to find out what is new and innovative at Canada Blooms.
Bring your garden related problems to the Scotts Stage and the knowledgeable Scotts Associates will be glad to help you solve your dilemmas. Visitors come and see why we say the experts from Scotts Canada and Miracle Gro have the answers.

New Products Showcase

The Canada Blooms New Plant & Product Showcase is back!
The New Plant & Product Showcase is one of the highlights at Canada Blooms. Featuring the newest and most innovative gardening, landscaping and outdoor products available from the Marketplace vendors as well new plants and plant varieties, the Showcase is among the top destinations of visitors and the media at Canada Blooms. In the past, products and plants featured in the showcase have been identified and broadcast to viewers of The Marilyn Denis Show, Breakfast Television, Cityline, CTV with Mark Cullen, among others. The New Plant & Product Showcase is located in G22A to give visitors a quick access to what's going to be "hot" for the 2013 gardening season.

Canada Blooms Education – over 200 hours of Seminars, Demonstrations and Talks with the most knowledgeable garden and landscape professionals.

This year we are pleased to present some of the best Garden Professional in Canada including Canada AM's Mark Cullen, AM740's Charlie Dobbin, Landscape Ontario's Denis Flanagan as well as many renowned garden authors. Click to view bios or some of the topics on our 2013 speakers.

The Unilock Celebrity Stage presented by HGTV
Each day, events and educational programs were presented on the Unilock Celebrity Stage presented by HGTV. This year we are excited to have a co-located Celebrity Stage. Each day visitors will enjoy programming that is both entertaining and relative to Home as well as Garden topics.

Join us for Celebrity Flower Arranging, Floral Superstars and of course the energetic and talented stylings of Albert Graves of Bloemen Decor, Nemo Nauta and Neville MacKay

Visitors joined us for special experiences ranging from Celebrity Flower Arranging to Canada’s premier gardening experts, which included Mark Cullen, Denis Flanagan, Charlie Dobbin, Marjorie Mason and others. Topics included: Plants That Attract Beneficial Insects, Dramatic Containers, Get Growing, Every Tree Counts and much more.

Speaker: Neville MacKay

Speaker: Ken Beattie

Grey Power Garden Solutions Speaker Series
This year's garden experts are ready to update you on everything they need to know to make your garden something special. Informative and fun presentations take place throughout the day on Friday March 17, Tuesday March 19, Thursday March 21 and Saturday March 23 in Salon 102

Speakers: Tony Post & Rodger Tschanz

Speaker Videos
Senga Lindsay	Beckie Fox
Rodger Tschanz

Master Gardeners of Ontario Speaker Series

Master Gardeners of Ontario is an organization dedicated to providing horticultural information to the public. It began in 1985 as a program of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) but it is now an independent non-profit organization. Participants provide horticultural information to the public via garden clinics, telephone, letters, displays, workshops, television, radio and newspaper articles. For example, the Master Gardeners have advice clinics at Canada Blooms in Toronto to answer horticultural questions from the public.

Visitors are invited to come have fun while discovering the Do's and Don'ts for this year's garden season with the experts from the Master Gardeners of Ontario. Informative and fun presentations will take place throughout the day Saturday March 16, Monday March 18, Wednesday March 20 and Friday March 22 in Salon 102.

Special Children's Programs

Children's Gardening Experience presented by
Floral Dimensions & Fafard

This special area is designed to demystify gardening and horticulture for children. Designed for ages 5-12 years this area engages eager sprouts demonstrating how practical, easy and affordable gardening really is.

Little Sprouts will be encouraged to "play in the dirt" at special worktables set up within the Children's Gardening Experience area (located in booth G2). There they will discover the difference between a plant and a weed, a spade and a hoe, and soil versus compost. Several questions will be addressed and sprouts will have a chance to plant a summer-flowering bulb and a vegetable seed.  Over the ten days of the festival, it is estimated that over 700 young people will take part in a 45-minute education program where they will learn about gardening, tools, practices.  The program will culminate with a scavenger hunt that will take the youth on a visit of the 20+ gardens and features of Canada Blooms.

The program will run for 45 minutes on every hour from 11 am to 7 pm on March 15, 16, 17 and March 22, 23, 24 and from 4 pm to 8 pm on March 18 to 21. The young participants will be able to keep track of their plant's growth and let us know, via our Facebook page.

Please note that parents must accompany children and that specific times will be dedicated to scouts and girl guides.

Our wonderful sponsors include Fafard, Floral Dimensions, All Treat Farms, Compost Council of Canada, Divert, Freeman Herbs, Fungardenseeds.com, OSC Seeds, Redbud Supply, Sheridan Nurseries, Vanhof & Blokker and Van Noort Bulb Co. We thank them for helping make the Children's Gardening Experience a truly wonderful initiative.

The Canadian Wildlife Federation Natural Playground built by Bienenstock.

In partnership with the Canadian Wildlife Federation, Bienenstock is back, connecting kids to nature in another spectacular playground. This fully accessible playground is designed to inspire teachers and parents to engage all five senses through play. This is the outdoor learning lab of the future at a time when our child's brains are still forming... the place where they will begin their journey towards a lifelong connection to nature, art and music.
Enter through a twisted log fort along a path of wood and stone through a lush forest of maples, birches, and hemlocks. A slide carved from a 300 yr old oak, sand and water play, a chime fence,  a sideways tree climber, and interactive programming from The Canadian Wildlife Federation and Bienenstock, will engage children of all ages and abilities. Come and learn about the playgrounds of our future.

Please note that parents must accompany children.

Toronto Flower Shows Children's Entries

TFS has some fun ways for your sprouts to get involved in gardening.
Kids ages 12 or under can design a bug made of dried plant material and enter it in the Abracadabra Class. Their design can represent a real bug or one created by their imaginations and can use any type of dried plant material – such as seeds, leaves, flowers or bark.
Or how about a fruit or vegetable resprouted or rooted in a container which they can enter in the Herbology Class. A perfect example of this is an avocado pit rooted in water in a clear jar.
A description of the class and all the rules and regulations for entering are in the competitor’s schedule on the Canada Blooms or Garden Club of Toronto websites. The class is open to all children ages 12 or under andentries must be delivered on Wednesday, March 13th.
For further information contact Nancy or Roz.
Get your children excited about horticulture and start planning their entries in The Toronto Flower Show!

Meet Bob The Builder

Friday March 15 at Noon , Bob the Builder will be on the Unilock Celebrity Stage presented by HGTV.

Peelin' Pops by Nestle

Nestle is offering a new product to their delicious line up featured at Canada Blooms -- Vanilla Banana Peelin' Pops. Fun for kids of all ages. Pick up one at the Nestle carts located near the the Canadian Wildlife Federation Natural Playground and the Children's Gardening Experience. Proceeds go toward community horticultural projects.

If you’re 50 or over with a good driving record, find out how much your years of good driving can save you. As a part of a unique group of drivers, Grey Power rewards you with savings on your car insurance. It’s time to benefit from your experience and get the insurance rates you deserve.
Find out more about Grey Power's offer.
* NOTE: Promotion runs until March 5, 2013.
One ticket per person. Offer valid until March 5, 2013. Tickets will be available atthe Canada Blooms Ticket Office and may only be picked up by the person receiving the quote.

Get Curbalicious with Re/Max
Drop by booths 31 & 32 and Get Curbalicious with Re/Max. 4 different home front displays are the backdrop for creative curb appeal gardens featuring: Ecoman, J. Garfield Thompson Landscape, Plant World and Denis Flanagan, CLD.

While there don't forget to enter for a chance to win your own Landscape Makeover which includes a Custom Design, Homeowner Blueprint Plan, Gardeners Care package and $10,000 financial credits for goods and services.  No Cash Value.

It’s the Canadian Cancer Society’s 75th anniversary – come celebrate the great strides we’ve made in preventing cancer, saving lives and supporting people living with cancer. Visit our booth in the Sponsor’s section to purchase and wear a daffodil pin in support of Canadians living with cancer. Find out how you can do more in the fight for life this April by visiting fightback.ca.

Twinings Tea Tasting Area
Step back, relax and discover a world of exotic tastes in the Twinings Tea Tasting Area. Every sip of Twinings – now available in black, chai, herbals and green tea – is a delightful, perfectly blended balance of flavor, taste and aroma. Discover a complex dance of art, science and experience that has taken centuries to perfect – that superb cup of tea – while taking in the breathtaking sights of Canada Blooms. For an added bonus sign up today for Twinings Tea Mails!

Discover Canada's Garden Route in Hall A and enter for chance to win a trip for two to any garden destination along the new Canada's Garden Route, compliments of Via Rail Canada and the New Classical 96.3 FM. To learn more about the many exceptional gardens along Canada's Garden Route by clicking here.

Drop by to find out about all the exciting destinations with representatives from Butchart Gardens, Toronto Botanical Garden, Royal Botanical Gardens, Reford Gardens and more.

Reif Estate Winery and Mori Gardens invite you to explore their new Wine Sensory Garden to contemplate the colours, aromas and flavours used to describe wines in a relaxed garden oasis. Mori Gardens is sure to inspire you to add just the right detail to make your outdoor living area beautiful and tranquil this spring and Reif Estate will share wines that will pair perfectly with cheese samples presented by Dairy Farmers of Canada. Reif will be pouring a Riesling, Chardonnay Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Merlot as well as the Trend Wines by Steven and Chris and will have special offers to visit the winery this summer, recipe cards and  an on-line contest you can enter with your smart phone.

pickOntario Avenue - Fresh Bouquets and Floral Superstars

Did you know that some of the best cut and potted flowers and plants at your local florists are grown right here in Ontario?
pickOntario represents the flower growers of Ontario and promotes the beautiful flowers they grow! These growers produce 75 varieties of cut flowers, 120 varieties of indoor potted plants and many more outside gardening plants in their greenhouses here in Ontario. At Canada Blooms, Ontario growers will be selling many of the flowers that they grow. It is important to know what types of flowers are grown in Ontario so that you can support the Ontario economy and buy fresh local Ontario cut flowers and potted plants! Come visit the booth to purchase your Ontario flowers and learn more about the Ontario floriculture industry!  Love Life, Pick Flowers!
Drop by pickOntario Growers’ booth and meet the Ontario growers and see the flowers that they grow in their greenhouses here is Ontario! There are so many cut flowers and potted plants grown in Ontario and at the pickOntario Growers’ booth, these products will be available for purchase. There will also be various demonstrations and educational segments on stage in the pickOntario Growers’ booth daily.

The Flowers of Rock'n'Roll - Nemo Nauta & 'Elvis Presley'
Floral designer and instructor Nemo Nauta (CIFD) shows us true art as he designs beautiful arrangements with Ontario flowers and ‘Elvis Presley’, will be singing to and giving these bouquets out to a few special women!
3 pm, Friday March 15
Roy "Elvis Presley" Leblanc will also be on stage Thursday March 21 at 2pm

Flower Arranging With Flair - Albert Graves
Albert is a veteran of the Canada Blooms stage and is well-known among all those who attend! The designs that he creates with Ontario flowers will have women up and dancing in their chairs with hopes of bringing one of his beautiful local creations home. To watch Albert in action at Canada Blooms click here.
1 pm, Saturday March 23
Albert Graves will also be on stage Friday March 22 and Sunday March 24 at 2pm

Floral Superstars
Join emcee Nicholas Smith (Opening Night Flowers) and Annabel Yarnell (Thistles and Twine) and enjoy a special afternoon with the Floral Superstars, a talented, somewhat rowdy group of the most highly acclaimed florists in Ontario.
1pm, Tuesday March 19 and 4pm, Friday March 22

Albert Graves	Nemo Nauta	'Elvis Presley' Roy Leblanc	Nicholas Smith

Jump into Ireland at The Gathering Spring Garden

Parklane Nurseries and Tourism Ireland celebrate The Gathering Ireland 2013 by presenting The Gathering Spring Garden at Canada Blooms, a 2,600 square foot lush green landscape designed to bring the beauty of Ireland’s culture, history and scenery to life.  Venturing through a cliff wall into an intimate Gathering space visitors reconnect with the magic of people and nature.  Experience the mystery of standing stones, dolmens and turloughes all set amongst misty green mounds encapsulating the splendor of The Emerald Isle in spring. 

The Gathering is a year-long celebration of Ireland, its culture, heritage, sport, music and its people and features over 3,000 events and festivals taking place in towns, villages and cities across Ireland throughout 2013.

“There is something very mysterious, mystical and magical about Ireland,” says Anna Van Maris garden designer and president at Parklane Nurseries who was inspired to create The Gathering Garden following a recent visit to Ireland. Check out her blog on www.parklane.on.ca  for exclusive behind the scenes secrets in the making of this unforgettable garden. 

During Canada Blooms visit The Gathering Garden and meet one of Ireland’s leading celebrity gardeners Trevor Edwards (www.trevoredwardsgardens.com); discover more about B+B Ireland, South East Ireland and The National Trust; and enter a competition to win a scenic driving holiday of Ireland, courtesy of Royal Irish Tours.

Top Garden festivals in The Gathering – be part of it!
Bloom: 30 May – 3 June
Specialist Plant Fair: 28 April
Midlands Home & Garden Festival: 4 - 6 May
Rose Week at Altamont Gardens: 24 – 28 June
Galway Garden Festival: 6 - 7 July
Blarney in Bloom: 13 July

Visit www.ireland.com for more details. 

Toronto Flower Show Horticultural and Design Competition
Over 12,000 sq. ft. of stunning floral creations. The competition is open to non-professional exhibitors as well as garden club members; this is a great opportunity for competitors to show off their floral design or horticulture talent, or for visitors to gain helpful hints that they can try at home after the festival.
Canada Blooms is also home to the International Competition, past entries have come from Australia, Bermuda, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, the UK, the USA and of course Canada.
If however you don't have a green thumb, Master Gardeners of Toronto will be on hand to give advice on care for house plants in the Toronto Botanical Garden booth.

For more information on The Toronto Flower Show click here.

Gardener's Fare: Horticultural, Not-For-Profit and Community Organizations
Conveniently located near the Toronto Botanical Garden Booth and the Grey Power Garden Solutions Stage, visitors are invited to have questions ready for the people that know about horticulture. Societies, companies and associations will be on site to provide you with the latest information.

Binational Alliance

Canadian Wildlife Federation

Communities in Bloom

Ontario Horticultural Assocation

The North American Native Plant Society

The Toronto Rhododendron Society

and more!

Take a break while visiting Canada Blooms at the new relaxation and tasting areas. Enjoying a special tea tasting at the Twinings Tea Tasting Area, or discover wonderful wines at the Wine Sensory Garden presented by Reif Estate Winery and Mori Gardens. Special daily menus will be available in the new Blooms Cafe presented by Active Adult Magazine. There will also be food court located in Hall F in the National Home Show.
Visit the NEW Toronto Botanical Garden Shop where you can purchase the latest gardening books and meet with garden authors. Visitors can also speak with the experts from Scotts Canada and receive the latest information on spring plantings.
Don't forget to tour the National Home Show as well. Your entrance is FREE with your Canada Blooms Ticket.