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Year of the Garden

2022 has been proclaimed Year of the Garden. You will find communities, retailers, and garden centres from coast to coast participating in activities promoting gardening and educating those willing to get their hands a little dirty. 

Many gardeners have moved to container gardening in the recent years.  It’s perfect if you have a unique or minimal space, and an all-inclusive way to garden for those with disabilities or movement restrictions. A great product I found at Alternative Choice Garden Centre located at 34th and Patricia Ave in Brandon, was the VegTrug. The VegTrug is a durable raised garden bed offered in a variety of sizes and designs. It is sourced from sustainable plantation grown fir and comes with fitted membrane liners; ideal for growing a variety of herbs and vegetables like lettuce, onions, carrots, peppers and strawberries.

While tomatoes may overtake your raised garden, you can look at dwarf varieties such as the Micro Tom Tomato which only grows 12-18” high.  A pepper variety to try would be the Cosmo Edible Potted Pepper.  It grows 8-10” high and produces red to purple hot peppers.  For vining vegetables, you may want to try growing them up a trellis, while staying away from heavier produce like squash.  You can also include flowers like marigolds, which help keep pests away, at the same time attracting bees and other important pollinators.   

Keep in mind you should have the proper soil mix when putting together your container or raised bed garden. Top soil is heavy and not ideal for growing. Ask one of the many experts at Alternative Choice Garden Centre for their recommendations on which soil mix to use for your garden. While there, pick up your seeds or starter plants when it is time to plant your garden. 


What to watch out for!

New this Spring, look for the Hummingbird Falls Salvia. Perfect for hanging baskets or container gardens, this cascading blue flower is a natural feeder for hummingbirds. Ditch your traditional hummingbird feeder for this beautiful feature plant in your yard. 

The Supertunia Vista Jazzberry is a hybrid of the petunia. If you want a bold, colourful plant in your container, this is it!  It is a continuous bloomer, as well as heat and drought tolerant. 

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