WATCH: The ground is still frozen and the recent cycle of freeze and thaw will hurt plants, putting spring gardening plans on hold. Lama Nicolas reports.
TORONTO – This weekend’s blanket of snow across the GTA was proof Mother Nature is fickle and experts suggests avid gardeners hold-off before planting outdoors and start with plants that do well in containers.
“It’s horrible, I just don’t know what to expect with the weather,” said Darko Trifunovic of Neighbourhood Landscaping.
Darko is typically doing garden prep and spring cleaning by this time of year, but the cold has set him back by at least two weeks.
“The plants don’t want to go into the cold ground yet, they like it to be warmer,” he said
The city of Mississauga is also trapped in this seasonal limbo and beautifying Canada’s 6th largest municipality, with 480 parks, also puts more at stake.
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“We buy thousands and thousands of plants,” said Frank Buckley, the city’s manager of south district park operations.
The parks department’s overall operating budget is $23 million, which covers maintenance, clean up and waste management.
Last year the city planted around 90 thousand annual plants, but this year’s work can’t begin for another couple of months according to staff.
“It’s slow, there is still dormant cold temperatures here, deep frost in the ground, and we’re waiting for the frost to leave,” said Buckley.
But gardening enthusiasts who can’t wait for more consistent seasonal temperatures can bring spring into their homes.
“Start with some of the potted plants for now,” said Lilia Santos of Islington Nurseries. She says the safest time to plant outdoors is the weekend of May 24.
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