2021: Everything Old is New Again!

Happy New Year to all the wonderful customers and gardeners who frequent our website!

We so appreciate your friendship and loyalty as we venture into 2021 with high hopes of putting 2020 behind us and look to the future. I know I’m tired of shovelling already this winter and would rather be in the house deciding what seeds I’ll be buying in spring 2021!

So much has changed. One thing that hasn’t changed is people’s love of plants and gardening. In fact, I think I would be safe in saying that it has increased in popularity. 2021 is shaping up to become an even bigger year for the gardening world. Because of Covid19 we are spending more time at home resurrecting old hobbies and family traditions. To borrow a much-used phrase; “everything old is new again!” This includes indoor and outdoor gardening in a big way.

Walk amongst the tropical indoor plants and re-energize your soul.

Who doesn’t look forward to spring! Saskatchewan gardeners appreciate spring more than anyone on the planet. We are the eternal optimists. Green is a calming color – a stress reliever. People feel good and positive when they are nurturing and growing plants. It is a world we can somewhat control when the rest of our world is so uncertain. An indoor tropical oasis and outdoor vegetable garden not only provides us with good feelings and delicious food but serves as an educational experience for us and young future gardeners.

So this winter let us take some time to think and plan our Spring 2021 gardens! Don your best mask and visit Floral Acres. Walk amongst the tropical indoor plants and re-energize your soul. Surround yourself with tropical plants in your home! They will not only relieve some stress but will provide you with filtered clean air. Grab a cup of coffee or tea and research growing indoor and outdoor plants.

What are the Top 10 - 2021 Gardening Trends?

 Here's a list of the Top 10 - 2021 Gardening Trends! Some of these trends are repeats from other years but certainly worth a look.

1. Balcony Gardening- tropical plants, flowers and yes, vegetables.
2. Wild Gardens – native plant gardening.
3. Inside-Outside – blending the two areas together.
4. Raised Garden Beds
5. Permaculture Gardening
6. Windowsill Gardens
7. White Gardens
8. Grey Gardens – plants with grey foliage ( no powdery mildew here!).
   Grey hard landscaping such as grey fencing and grey stone patios.
9. Cottage Gardens
10. Tiny Gardens 

I would also like to add that new varieties of old favorite annuals and perennials and are popular again. This includes Peonies, Sweet-peas, Gladioli, Coleus ( wow, what happened to Coleus!), Geraniums , Gloxinia, Petunias and African Violets just to name a few. For all the new gardeners – Saskatoon is in Zone 3b!

New varieties of old favourite annuals and perennials and are popular again!

 Other enjoyable gardening activities to do during the winter:

• Clean your gardening tools – not so fun but in the spring, you’ll be glad you did!
• Feeding birds in winter
• Plan your vegetable garden.
• Study up on how to start seeds. 
• Plan your annual and perennial beds. Take it a step further and color your plan according to bloom time. 
• While you are out shovelling, cleaning snow off of your shrubs and evergreens
• Check on the bulbs you are overwintering in your basement. 
• Take an online gardening course from the University of Saskatchewan. For the new gardener they offer an online Garden Fundamentals course. 
• Create a tropical paradise in your own home. Even a small reading area surrounded with tropical plants is a great stress reliever.
• Organize garden photos and plant tags. 
• Plan your planters and window boxes. Always have a Plan B.
• Do a bit of research on soils and fertilizer for indoor and outdoor flowers, shrubs and trees. Not the most exciting activity but so important. If you do not have great soil, you will not have a great garden.
• Join the Saskatoon Horticultural Society. A great group of people with an unlimited wealth of gardening knowledge.

Above all take the winter to do something new for yourself. Why not let gardening indoors and out be that something? What plants work well in a Zone 3b shade garden? Include the kids in your gardening plans! A great learning experience to enjoy with mom and dad! The net is full of fun ideas for young gardeners. 

Leave us a comment and let us know what gardening activities you plant to do during the winter!