Pink Diamonds, what types of plants were you looking for? Perennials, shrubs, vines, etc? Do you have a certain design in mind (example, backyard patio with plants all around?

Glen

Well, here's a shot in the dark. If you have a sunny garden go with coneflowers, rudbeckias, delphiniums, coreopsis, and daylillies. Those are pretty easy for beginners. If you have shade look for hostas, ferns, tiarellas, heucheras and lamium. I have several Canadian roses because of their hardiness, but watch out for blackspot. Once you get the hang of watching for it, you can control disease problems as they appear. I love my Morden Blush roses (they're still blooming as I write this), Cuthbert Grant, Winnipeg Parks and Henry Hudson are good too.

You can ask at your local nurseries too. Their staff should be able to get you off to a good start. Make sure that you prepare your soil well in the beginning, though. Good soil is really the key.

Good Luck!

Hello there fellow Winnipeger. As for your questions on the type of plants to get going, I will list a few of what I have planted. Delphiniums if you have room because they will stand about 6 feet tall, I have beautiful bright yellow and pink lillies, pink coneflowers, red and mauve beebalm, dwarf galligardi, bright orange Gloriosas, Jacobs Ladder, Shasta Daisys, I have 9 different types of roses, the best that I have found are the HANSA, remember the snow fall we just had ?, well the Hansa stood tall and kept on blooming and it is about 4 feet tall and smells wonderful , the John Cabot is also another strong Rose but this one will grow 8-10 feet tall and spread it's branches out about 3 feet at least and also has a beautiful scent, I have a Simon Fraser and a Europena rose and these two are more short and bushy and still have their leaves and a couple of bloom, the other ones have lost their leaves already. I planted MUMS on the North side of the house, now remember, these will grow their leaves in the summer but it is in the early Fall that they show their blooms. Right now they are about 2 feet tall.

We moved into this house in July 2003 and I started to plant then, so it really took a 2 years to put on a show. These are all perennials and remember the little poem about perennials: The first year they sleep, the second year they Creep and the third year they Leap.

The plants that came with the house were : Peonies (which you have to cut down to the ground by the end of October), Pink Bleeding hearts and some really beautiful shrubs that put on a Pink show of hundred of flowers beginning in Sept. Loads of Hens and Chicks, ferns, Poppies that re-seed themselves, Bachelor buttons in blue, pink, mauve that also re-seed. I had to pull out so many this year because they were taking over.

I still love to buy ANNUAL: Geraniums, Coleus, Petuias, Angels Trumpets (I start these), Dahlia, Canna and Calla Lillies too (but you have to dig out the roots for the winter).

Hope this helps you a little. Have fun. I do.

Liz.