Mother Nature in Ottawa is confused. Winter! Spring! Snow! Rain! +10! -40! It’s enough to make you want to put your head under the covers and hibernate til June.
We have just the solution for you: if Mother Nature won’t bring Spring to you, go find it!
Beautiful spring bulbs and green plants are the way to March sanity. We have gorgeous tulips, adorable mini daffodils, sweet muscari, and heavenly scented hyacinths to fill your home with the promise of the glory that will eventually come to our frazzled city.
We’ll be carrying 4″ spring bulbs plants from now until you see them outside and they are super easy to care for. All you need is a bright location with a bit of sunlight and to water them about once a week. That’s it! The blooms will last between 1-2 weeks and once they are done blooming you can keep the bulbs to plant in the garden for future blooms!
Gardening forced bulbs successfully does take a little aftercare. Once the flowers have faded, clip back the bloom stem, but keep on all green leaves. Keep the plant in a sunny location and water regularly until the leaves start to yellow naturally. Warning: they will not be pretty! Let the leaves die back on their own and stop watering at this point. once the pot is completely dry and the leaves are crispy, you can trim back the dead greens and move the pot into a cool, dry place for storage over the rest of spring/summer. You can also remove the bulbs from the pot and store in a bag with sawdust or a similar dry medium. Be sure to label them! In the fall, pick a nice sunny spot in the yard to plant! Forced bulbs may not bloom the following year, but they will be ready to go by the year after. Check out our tips on bulb care for more info.
Not sure where to start? Let us help you! As our terrarium workshops continue to be massively popular, we want to change it up a bit and turn our focus toward the spring blooms. Sign up for our March 23rd workshop in which we’ll teach you how to plant up your own charming bulb dish OR how to make your own fresh spring flower vase arrangement. Your choice! Call the store to book your spot, they fill up fast! We’re still doing the terrarium classes as well! Join us March 17th for a classic terrarium workshop. Call to reserve! 613-729-6911