Green Thumb Newsletter: Spring 2022
Green Thumb Newsletter Spring 2022
Well, well, well! That’s what I said in 2020, and in 2021 we didn’t even issue a newsletter. With COVID-19 in our midst, and it continues to be, I wasn’t even certain that we were going to be able to be open last season. For those of you who follow our pandemic updates on our website, you will remember that we were only allowed to have so many people on our premises in May and June of 2021 due to retail capacity limits. We elected to allow visitors in by appointment. Who wants to line up outside our gates – no sidewalks in the middle of a business park – also very dangerous!
This season, we will be open to the public – please come during our ‘open’ hours. We would prefer you come masked and please retain the 2 metre distance between you and others that are not from your bubble. If you don’t feel comfortable coming then, you may make an appointment in advance for another time that works for you. Please no drop-ins as appointments! If we can accommodate your schedule, we will. Same same for curbside pickup – if that works for you, we can have your cart of goodies waiting outside our gates during non-shopping hours.
We are not back to normal…our suppliers have labour shortages and many other difficulties (e.g. drought, unusual winter weather, increased fuel prices and freight/delivery difficulties). Quantities of our plants and supplies should be fine; your first choice of plant may or may not be available…and yes, prices are increasing and in some cases, sky-rocketing e.g. grass seed.
For now, our gardening services are back up and running this year. We will be playing catch up, as last year we had to operate using reduced numbers on our crews, severely limiting our capacity for getting as many gardens done as we would have wanted.
2022 is the Year of the Garden – ‘Live the Garden Life’ — see www.yearofthegarden.ca.
There is lots of news on their website; their message is: Plant Red for loved ones lost during the pandemic, for the front-line workers and to show your Canadian Garden Pride.
We’re all in this together. Hope to see you soon, however you feel comfortable visiting.
Mary Shearman Reid
Owner, Green Thumb Garden Centre
The Plant Search on our website includes more plants than in previous years. Plants are sorted in the same categories as in our display areas and the photos will give you an idea of how the plants will look when they are all grown up. We carry all plants that are listed, or we can readily get them. The perennial ones are hardy for Ottawa (zone 5a). Annuals and herbs are not listed on our plant search. If you can’t find the ones you want, please ask.
Please see the Frequently Asked Questions on our website for more details on how to plant, how to water, our guarantee and our return policy.
Remember that you can find us on Facebook. Either on our website or on Facebook, you’ll find out about our goings-on, future speaking venues, our staff’s floral pick and helpful garden hints. Please tell your friends and family about us!
Perennial of the year
The Perennial Plant Association is a North American group of growers, garden designers, nursery and garden centre owners. This group votes for the Perennial of the Year. The winners are usually known for their year-round interest, their ease of care, their ability to thrive in a wide range of zones and varying growing conditions.
This year’s winner is Little Bluestem, Schizachyrium scoparium, and its cultivars. It is a bit unusual to include ‘its cultivars’ but it seems that this relates to hardiness zones. Little Bluestem, as a grass, has multi-season interest. It’s a wide clump of blue-green foliage that stands upright and remains so, even through inclement weather. As Fall approaches, it becomes pink, copper and orange-red tones topped with tiny seed tufts. Make this plant happy with sun and well drained soil!
Why not check it out on our website under our Plant search:
Green Thumb Membership
Your Green Thumb membership continues from year to year — it’s our way of thanking you for your business. No matter what level of discount you had last year, your membership is automatically renewed with your first purchase; just remind us that you’re a member. Your membership entitles you to discounts that increase, depending on your total yearly purchases. Just save your receipts and bring them in.
| Level | Annual purchases | Most items | Trees, shrubs, perennials |
| Green | $100 | 10% | 15% |
| Silver | $150 | 12% | 17% |
| Gold | $300 | 15% | 20% |
Please note: the only reason we have your name, address/email address and phone number on file is to be able to share these discounts with you and to send you our newsletter or other Green Thumb information — we do not sell our customer list to anybody. If you do not want to be a Green Thumb member and receive these benefits, please let us know.
New feature!
This year, we are delighted to be partnering with LapisDragon Arts, a mother-daughter team with a passion for art and flowers. A complete Canadian initiative of mugs, tote-bags, note pads, cards and so on. Even their packaging is Canadian and – nope, not plastic – biodegradable and ready for your compost heap when no longer needed! See https://www.lapisdragonarts.com/
