As the saying goes April showers... bring May flowers. This is a great the time to start planning and selecting flowers for the garden. It can be very helpful to draw the flower bed where you are planting your flowers to better visualize what it will look like.  It is important to understand that not all plants demand the same requirements of sun, water, fertilizer, space between plants and their different heights. Therefore doing a little bit of research can help prevent disappointment. You must keep in mind that annuals will only live for one growing season while perennials will come back for years to come.  One of the best perennial flowers that we can grow here in Southern Ontario is the purple coneflower ‘Merlot’ (Echinacea Purperea). This plant prefers full sun and performs best in well drained soil and can resist drought conditions!  White Sweet Alyssums (Lobularia Maritima) are excellent for borders or rock gardens, resists heat drought and do not require much fertilizer.

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~ André McNeely, Assistant Golf Superintendent