The City Gardener: Welcome spring with flowering plants

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Outside, spring may still be weeks away – but that doesn’t mean you can’t put on a fine flower show indoors

I don’t know about you, but by this time of year, I’ve pretty much had enough of winter. And this one seems to have been particularly gruesome. (Admittedly, I say that pretty much every year about now.)

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But fortunately, March is the time when many flowering indoor plants get ready for their big show, and with a little care, you can get a jump on spring even when the view outside is still grey and stormy.

The quickest route to instant spring is, of course, potted (or “forced”) flowering bulbs. The corner grocers and garden stores are full of them now, and they’re not expensive.

For longest-lasting flowers, Look for the ones that have multiple stems and plenty of buds but aren’t blooming yet. Water (if needed) and stick the pot in a cool, bright window. Tada!

You can plant them in the garden later, but whether they will bloom again next year is chancy. I’ve found that forced tulips rarely give a repeat performance, but crocuses, daffodils and hyacinths sometimes do.

Keep watering the pots and let the leaves grow up; once the ground is warm enough to work, dig a hole the same size as the pot and stick the entire soil ball in the ground level with the surface. Add a bit of plant food or a couple of handfuls of compost, and let the leaves grow and die down naturally.

Potted Easter lilies are actually a tropical member of the lily family but can survive in gardens as far north as Zone 5, which covers most of the GTA and Ottawa. If you live in a colder zone, try planting them in a sheltered part of your garden and cross your fingers.

There are actually quite a few flowering houseplants that will readily bloom this time of the year. Here are a few of my personal favourites; but if you’ve been looking for an excuse to visit the garden centre, you might discover a few new favourites of your own.

Hibiscus: Hibiscuses hail from tropical paradises like Hawaii and the Caribbean, and will bring that eternal sunshine into your home. Keep in mind, though, that to flower properly they need full sun and rich soil or regular feeding.

Anthurium: Anthuriums are an under-rated, easy-care plant that produces showy red, pink or white blossoms (actually, a modified leaf) with prominent stamens over glossy, dark green leaves. A healthy anthurium blossoms reliably in spring, and often at repeat intervals all through the year.

Cyclamen: You may have acquired a cyclamen at Christmastime when the stores were full of them, and been disappointed when it died down. It’s not necessarily neglect; they

normally go dormant for a couple of months in late winter. Put it in a dark corner, stop watering, and keep an eye on it; eventually (if it’s survived), new growth will appear. Bring it out into the light, give it water and food, and it may very well bloom anew.

Hydrangea: Potted hydrangeas tend to appear in the stores by late March or early April, and they’re a spectacular spring plant, with giant pink, blue or white ball-shaped blooms. Keep your hydrangea evenly moist and place in a bright window (or even, once the weather warms up, outside) and the blooms will last for weeks. When flowering is done, plant in a sunny, well-drained spot. Over time, it might even grow into a fine hydrangea bush.

Pansies: Pansies are a favourite with children the world over for their sweet, kitten-like “faces.” Perennials in their native California, they can be planted in your Canadian garden earlier than many other garden annuals, and they’re great in window boxes. Pinch each blossom off as soon as it fades, to encourage reblooming and prolong the show. If you like, plant potted pansies in the garden once the ground warms up; they may bloom again later in the season, but they rarely if ever rebloom a second year.

Please feel free to write in with questions, to comment or to share your own city gardening
adventures with Martha. Write to her at marthasgarden07@gmail.com.