1
PLANT A
GARDEN
YOU’LL
ADORE
There’s no need to envy your
neighbours’ green thumbs when
it’s so easy to create your own
lush oasis
Add flower power
New blooms bring fragrant,
colourful bliss to your yard. Watt
suggests planting tried-and-true
petunias, pansies and geraniums—
they’re hardy and easy to grow.
Zinnias are also summer stunners
that come in hot hues. Because
these flowers are annuals, they
only last for one growing season.
The upside: If your fondness for
purple petunias fades over the
season, simply find a new flame
for next year.
Opt for ornamental
Flowering trees offer architectural
drama, romance and shade. For
small yards, Watt recommends
the Spring Snow Flowering Crab
(a.k.a. the Malus Spring Snow).
In full bloom, this crabapple tree
is cloaked in showy, fragrant
white flowers. And since it doesn’t
produce fruit, there’s no mess or
animal attractants.
Veg out
Succulent, sun-loving
tomatoes are great
staples for a vegetable
garden (even if they are
technically fruits). Herbs
are also popular; oregano,
basil and chives are heav-
enly with tomatoes. Add
to the mix by planting
some reliable greens:
30
summer 2017
AMA InsIder
“You can get a ton of produce out
of a little space if you’re growing
leaf lettuce.”
Less is more
“Grass is so high maintenance,”
Watt says. If you want an unde-
manding garden, it might
be time to break up
with your lawn. Instead,
AMA Extra
embrace water-wise
plants like stonecrop and
save 10% on
select regular-
hostas. And use practical
price seed
paving stones, not turf,
packets, bedding
plants, perennials
for your seating area. You
and statuary at
won’t need to constantly
parkland garden
centre.
move furniture or mow
AMARewards.ca/
the lawn to keep your
Parkland
grounds looking good.
Start with soil
Great gardens begin with rich,
well-drained soil, according Trudy
Watt, a horticulturalist at Red
Deer’s Parkland Garden Centre.
Lacklustre dirt? “You can always
add compost,” Watt says. “Peat
moss does well here in Alberta.”