Gardeners, rejoice! The spring season is now officially underway with the announcement that Cornell Design & Landscaping has opened its doors for business as of 10 a.m. on April 8, and everyone’s invited to stop by and see what’s available this year.
To kick off this year’s growing season, the greenhouse is announcing a few early discounts.
“We close the store in the winter, but we’re still growing all year round and we’ve got some sales on (right now),” said Leslie Cornell, the owner of Cornell Design & Landscaping.
The ongoing spring sale includes a 20 per cent discount on succulents and select full-sun plants, and Cornell said the sale will continue right up until the end of April.
Although it’s still too early to plant outdoors, Cornell said a few people have been trickling through the doors to begin their indoor seed germination projects in preparation for consistently warmer conditions.
“Next week we’re probably looking at rain all week, and cool (temperatures),” she said. “It’s going to be a while yet (before it’s safe to plant a vegetable crop outdoors).”
She cited June 1st as a surefire date to begin planting outdoor vegetables.
“Most people like to say after (May Long) weekend is safe, but I never trust it. I’ve seen it freeze in June.”
The best time to start taking established plants home is the last week of April, although Cornell pointed out that it’s always a good idea to do your browsing early and plan out your garden space around now.
If you plan on purchasing established vegetable plants, she suggested either a grow light or greenhouse covering so the plants don’t get leggy from poor lighting conditions during the wait.
The first crops to consider planting will be underground vegetables including potatoes, beets, radishes, carrots, and similar plants. These should still be delayed until around the first week in May once soil conditions are right.
“You could start getting potatoes in the ground as long as it’s not soaking wet and it’s warming up,” she noted.
Cornell suggested that any yard projects begin after next week’s anticipated cool weather has had a chance to pass over, and the team at Cornell Landscaping will start spring cleaning operations in earnest on the week of April 22.
“I might just leave it (alone) next week, (and) let things stay covered a little bit longer and protect our good bugs,” she said.
These beneficial insects overwinter under any shelter they can find, and it’s still too early for them to emerge safely. Species such as ladybugs are quite beneficial as they eat aphids and other pests that target vegetable crops.
This year’s inventory will feature several new hanging baskets and styles to match, alongside the greenhouses’ wide range of seeds. The seed potato inventory is expected to be available on or around Friday, April 19.
To celebrate Mother’s Day this Sunday, May 12, Cornell is planning a sale including perennials, hanging basket arrangements, and “some other surprises that we pop out for Mother’s Day.”
The Mother’s Day event will include a complementary $10 gift card with each gift card purchase.
If you need some help with your spring yard projects, the team at Cornell Landscaping is available to assist and adults over the age of 55 receive a 15 per cent discount.
“If you have any questions, just pop out or give us a call. We’re here to help, and that’s what makes us a little bit unique being a privately-owned garden centre – we have the time to talk to people,” Cornell said.
Cornell Design & Landscaping is now open Monday – Saturday from 10 – 4 daily with longer hours to resume in May.
The greenhouse is located 11 kilometres south of Moose Jaw along Highway 2 and can be reached at 306-693-8733. For more information, visit CornellTrees.com.
