Many people look at the Victoria Day long weekend as the unofficial start to the gardening season; but, with the recent warm weather thumbs are already turning green.
The calendar says mid-May, but the weather and blooming flowers at area nurseries and garden centres makes it feel like July.
"Spring is here," says Kennedy Johnston, owner and manager of Peter Knippel Nursery and Garden Centre in South Ottawa. "It’s just made everything explode, the plants are coming to life for sure and the people are coming out."
Summer-like weather in mid-spring has many looking to spruce up their front gardens, balconies, and backyards.
"I’m here to learn about gardening and what plants to plant," Khadija Chhil tells CTV News Ottawa, while shopping for plants on Friday. "Lots to learn."
She’s taking advantage of the recent warm weather too to get a head start on her garden.
"Maybe, or I’m a bit late - because the weather has been so good!" she says.
For those with green thumbs, planting adds, "Colour, looks attractive -otherwise it just looks like a drab green," say another customer and gardener, Richard Langevin.
IS IT TOO SOON TO PLANT?
Although next week’s forecast shows cooler temperatures, Johnston has a tip for gardeners.
"For many things, it’s just fine. Some of the stuff that’s just come in - (like annuals), you’d want to what we call 'harden off'. So bring them out during the day and in at night especially if it’s cool, just for a few days so that they get acclimatized, because they’ve been used to growing in the greenhouse."
Suzanne Mooney, a gardener and customer, says she’ll take precautions in case the weather gets colder.
"We will buy some things today, we will not necessarily put them in the ground."
