 | The 8th Annual Canadale Spring Garden Show was also a celebration of the Garden Centre’s 60th anniversary. Bill and Joan Intven came to Canada in 1950 with the dream of opening a nursery. Upon arrival they worked to realize their vision and in April of 1955 purchased a derelict tobacco farm and soon started retail sales. They called their business Canadale in respect for their newly adopted country. |
Eventually son Tom and daughter Pauline took over management of the wholesale and retail divisions of the business. Over the years, many of the family’s third generation and several long-term dedicated staff have also worked at Canadale.
The Canadale spring show has become an annual anticipated first taste of spring and source of garden information and inspiration. This year’s slate of seminars kicked off with a trip through “Sixty Years of Gardening Trends” with Jim Stinson. 2015 marks Jim’s own 30th anniversary at Canadale. He noted, “Things have changed a great deal since I showed up here, from a small garden centre with no greenhouses here and basically mud paths out back – I am amazed how much things have changed in thirty years.”
He then looked back even further to sixty years ago. In the 1950s, when the Intvens began their business, homes were generally smaller and lawns and gardens were bigger. Today, the trend is to bigger homes, smaller lots and more outdoor living rooms (and furniture). Though garden space is at a premium, Jim emphasized that the opportunities to be creative and the choices in plants are greater than ever with many ways to create impact and enjoyment in smaller spaces.
Old favourites are rapidly being developed into new varieties which are smaller, more hardy, showier and easier to grow. That’s true, he said, even for the queen of the garden, the traditionally demanding rose. “The- knockout rose is the number one selling rose in North America.” It’s long-blooming, doesn’t need spraying or trimming and is hardy with lots of colour. “Thirty years ago there were mostly only hybrid teas.”
The Canadale spring show has become an annual anticipated first taste of spring and source of garden information and inspiration. This year’s slate of seminars kicked off with a trip through “Sixty Years of Gardening Trends” with Jim Stinson. 2015 marks Jim’s own 30th anniversary at Canadale. He noted, “Things have changed a great deal since I showed up here, from a small garden centre with no greenhouses here and basically mud paths out back – I am amazed how much things have changed in thirty years.”
He then looked back even further to sixty years ago. In the 1950s, when the Intvens began their business, homes were generally smaller and lawns and gardens were bigger. Today, the trend is to bigger homes, smaller lots and more outdoor living rooms (and furniture). Though garden space is at a premium, Jim emphasized that the opportunities to be creative and the choices in plants are greater than ever with many ways to create impact and enjoyment in smaller spaces.
Old favourites are rapidly being developed into new varieties which are smaller, more hardy, showier and easier to grow. That’s true, he said, even for the queen of the garden, the traditionally demanding rose. “The- knockout rose is the number one selling rose in North America.” It’s long-blooming, doesn’t need spraying or trimming and is hardy with lots of colour. “Thirty years ago there were mostly only hybrid teas.”
He also mentioned blossoming growth in fairy gardening and terrariums, incorporating flowers for cutting, more resistant plants which don’t require spraying and growing your own food in smaller spaces. One unique example of a plant developed to give good value in a small space is “Ketchup and Fries”, a tomato grafted onto a potato (possible because both are in the nightshade family).
The seminar gave an informative overview of the phenomenal amount of change in gardening and plants, and the trend to smaller gardens. Jim concluded, however, that in spite of all that change and dealing with smaller gardens “It’s pretty basic, putting a plant in the ground, nurturing it watching it grow, enjoying it – and I don’t think that basic thing is going to change … we still want to dig in the dirt … whether it’s in a container, on a patio, on the ground … to see something grow is what it’s all about.”
The seminar gave an informative overview of the phenomenal amount of change in gardening and plants, and the trend to smaller gardens. Jim concluded, however, that in spite of all that change and dealing with smaller gardens “It’s pretty basic, putting a plant in the ground, nurturing it watching it grow, enjoying it – and I don’t think that basic thing is going to change … we still want to dig in the dirt … whether it’s in a container, on a patio, on the ground … to see something grow is what it’s all about.”
The Spring Garden Show included a full slate of seminars, workshops, local landscapers and garden-related vendors, along with entertainment, fun for kids and a host of community organizations. Above, bread from Our Little Farm (top left); Ryan Harris of Century Chocolates and Krista of Special Occasions Creation & Design (top right); Andy DeVries of Concreations (bottom left).
Over $5,000 was raised for the St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital at this year's show. The award-winning Canadale Garden Centre is located at 269 Sunset Dr. in St. Thomas. Find out more at www.canadale.ca and sign up for their newsletter for updates, news, events and sales.
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