Get Ready to Garden in 2021

Gardening presents specific challenges due to our cold climate and short growing season in Canada. We went into research mode and found the best tips for getting the most out of your garden. Everything from checking the frost dates in your region to protecting your perennials through the Winter, and even how to choose the best grasses for Canada’s climate. 

Gardening & Frost Dates 

First, you need to know when your area’s growing season begins and ends to avoid losing plants to frost. The experts suggest planting or transplanting temperature-sensitive plants 10 days after the frost dates to be extra careful. A useful reference is the Farmer’s Almanac, which has been in print since 1818. 

Preparing for Cold Winters 

Perennials need to be kept alive with adequate winter protection; otherwise, they become one-season wonders. First, dig up the roots of the entire plant. Bring them indoors to a warm spot for the next few months, where they will become houseplants. You then pot the plants in good soil and grow them in a cool and bright area. You can also trim, prune, and use mulch to protect your perennials throughout the Winter. Keep them barely moist through the Winter, and once replanted in the spring, they’ll come back to life with the help of warmer temperatures and brighter light.  

Grass 

Growing and maintaining a lush green lawn can be a challenge. The experts say it starts with choosing the best type of grass. In Canada, the best varieties are cool-season grasses because Summers are short, and Winters are cold and snowy. Cool-season grasses grow actively in the Spring and Fall, slow down in Summer, and go dormant in the Winter. The following cool-season grasses are said to thrive in Canada’s cooler climate. 

The Best Grasses to Plant in Canada, Cool-Season Northern Grasses

Kentucky Bluegrass
Appearance: Fine to medium texture, canoe-shaped, dark blue-green
Ideal Mow-to Height: 6 to 8 cm
Description/Care: Hardy but not drought-tolerant, so water generously, disease-resistant, needs more fertilizer, and shallow roots make it a fair showpiece lawn but unsuitable for heavy foot traffic.  

Fescues, fine and tall
Appearance: Fine texture, bristle-leaved, medium green
Ideal Mow-to Height: 6 to 8 cm
Description/Care: Water deeply and infrequently (do not soak or make soggy), shade-tolerant, tolerates foot traffic very well, can perform well in poor soil, and is often mixed with other grasses. 

Bent Grass
Appearance: Fine texture, blades begin to bends at a couple of centimeters tall 
Ideal Mow-to Height: 3 to 4 cm
Description/Care: Needs generous watering (weekly during the height of the growing season), regularly cut to avoid stems from forming thick mats and thatching, famous for golf and tennis courses, and use a mower with very sharp blades. 

Perennial Rye Grass
Appearance: Fine texture, glossy, dark green
Ideal Mow-to Height: 6 to 8 cm
Description/Care: Has shallow roots, likes consistent water, disease-resistant, tolerates foot traffic well, excellent in full sun or shade (but not reliably hardy), germinates and grows quickly, and is often used in blends. 

Did you use any of these tips, or have others you think are helpful? Follow CanScribe on Instagram to share your thoughts and ideas with us!