Hort East 2010!

Hort East, the annual tradeshow for those involved in the Maritime horticultural industries (garden centers, nurseries, turf companies, etc.) is taking place this week and I dropped in yesterday morning for a quick peek at some of the new products that will be available in the coming year.

In the photo, you can see that OSC and Burpee each had booths at the show - Burpee also owns The Cook's Garden, the company that first introduced me to the legendary Lemon cucumber 15 years ago.. Since they were bought out by Burpee, The Cook's Garden doesn't ship to Canada anymore (mind you, neither does Burpee), but certain garden centers (like Oceanview in Chester, Scott's in NB) and stores like Zellers do bring in Burpee and The Cook's Garden seed racks in the spring.

Halifax Seed was also at Hort East, and so was the company that supplies Serenade, an organic fungicide that will be available to home gardeners this coming spring at garden centers - not big box stores. Serenade contains Bacillus subtilis, a bacteria that prevents a wide range of fungal problems on both ornamental and vegetable plants. Interesting.. but keep in mind that the best defense against pests and disease is a tidy garden with a wide range of plants - diversity! This encourages beneficial insects and pollinators, and can help break disease cycles..

I also met up with Cindy from Gardens East magazine, who flew in from BC for Hort East. It's been almost 9 months since the magazine launched in Atlantic Canada and the reception from gardeners has been fantastic! I've been very lucky to write a regular column in each issue and have met some amazing gardeners from across the region who have welcomed me into their gardens.

Happy Gardening!