1 For Summer Blooms
Home Hardware McKenzie Calla Lily Big Dipper Flowering Bulbs
$17.99
To ensure gorgeous flowers keep the soil consistently moist but never wet, plant at a depth twice the size of the bulb and feed with tomato fertilizer.
2 Save & Multiply
Home Hardware McKenzie Dahlia Tahiti Sunrise Flowering Bulbs (30)
$11.99
In fall lift tubers and store in a cool dark place indoors. In spring, divide healthy tubers with eyes from main stem and replant (thereby multiplying).
3 Loves Sandy Soil
Home Hardware McKenzie Jersey Giant Asparagus Bulbs – 5 Pack
$9.99
Amend soil with sand, lime and compost before planting crowns in well-drained, deep trenches. Do not harvest spears in the first two years.
4 Easy To Grow
Home Hardware McKenzie Gladiolus Tropical Blend Flowering Bulbs
$17.99
Not fussy about soil, but requires full sun and doesn’t like being wet. Plant after the last frost date in 1-2 week increments for continuous blooms.
5 Great For Baskets
Home Hardware McKenzie Everbearing Strawberry Bulbs
$8.99
Opt for a spot with plenty of sunlight, and choose a basket with drainage. Add perlite to soil for even further drainage and remove runners or replant.
Bonus: Grow Your Own
If you think growing something like passionfruit in zone 3 is impossible, think again. With a little planning, preparation and (ok, this one’s a bit more involved) a greenhouse, you can grow a wide array of warmer weather plants.
The key is to start early, plant seed indoors in late winter. Grow lights will help speed up the process but a sunny windowsill works just fine. A few weeks before the last frost date, acclimatize plants to outdoors by placing them in the greenhouse for a few hours each day. Bring them inside at night.
Once the frost date has passed move the plants to the greenhouse permanently over the summer. If fruit or blooms haven’t arrived by fall, once again bring the plants inside and place under grow lights or a sunny window sill.
This original article first appeared in the SUMMEr 2025 issue of City Style and Living Magazine.
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