Canada: How Dutch designs are changing how Ontarians grow plants
Visit Niagara these days and their greenhouses dot the landscape, as familiar as grape vines. And behind all that hothouse glass, they’re working real magic with plants.
Many species which used to be out of reach here (because they were too rare, too expensive, too time-consuming, or simply too tricky to produce in our short growing season) are now commonly available at Ontario garden centres and supermarkets.
And for that, we can thank the remarkable know-how of the Netherlands newcomers.
Alstroemerias, Anthuriums, Asiatic and Oriental Lilies, Begonias, Boston ferns, colourful Calibrachoa, Cannas, Hibiscus, Mandevilla vines, Phalaenopsis . . . the list goes on and on.
Plants like these are now raised in the warmth and safety of Niagara’s greenhouses — then sold to us as cut flowers or ready-to-plant garden annuals and perennials. And because every part of the procedure is executed with Dutch efficiency, prices are amazingly low.
Click here to read the complete article at www.thestar.com
