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An exclusive peek at Canada Blooms: The Flower & Garden Festival
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Carnival of ColourVandermeer Nursery and Earth Art Landscapes' Carnival of Colour Garden will transport you back to your childhood, where you can enjoy a fantastic romp in this Topsy-Turvy world of wonders.
This stunning garden will provide undeniable visual appeal for any gardener, the abundance of plants will astound viewers with their variety. The Carnival of Colour Garden is full of surprises, both natural and artistic, with something to catch your eye whichever way you look. You may want to make more than one tripVandermeer & Earth Art through this entertaining garden.
Visit Vandermeer Nursery a family owned destination garden centre just East of Toronto. Their retail store offers these products, as well as, tropicals, trees, shrubs, fish, pottery, and garden gift ware..
To see more 2016 Gardens click here.

Celebrating 20 Years

Garden Club of Toronto 1997 Kathy Dembroski 1997 Continuing and celebrating a  20 year tradition, the Toronto Flower Show at Canada Blooms presents ‘It’s A Party!'
In 1996, an innovative group co-chaired by Kathy Dembroski from the Garden Club of Toronto, and Marc Thiebaud  from Landscape Ontario, developed an idea to create an event to be held in Toronto in March to celebrate plants, flowers, and landscape design. And the result was Canada Blooms, a gift to Toronto and places further afield that celebrates Spring and the promise of warm weather and growing gardens.
Throughout the years, the festivals have been based on different themes. In 1997, it all  began with ”Secret Gardens,” “Flower Power,” “ Wild!,” “ From Sea to Sea,” and “Garden Party” are themes that have guided the Garden Club of Torontoorganizers and participants throughout the years.Though the locations and themes of the festival have changed over the years, the intent of the festival remains the same — to showcase the best of plants and flowers,and present ideas about both traditional and innovative ways to use them. The Garden Club of Toronto and Landscape Ontario members continue to organize a celebration that we hope will entertain and educate the festival-going public.
Photos from the first Canada Blooms 1997: Kathy Dembroski at the opening and the Garden Club of Toronto Garden
Opening Night Flowers at Canada BloomsLife is a Celebration!
This year the Floral Artists will showcase their talents as they present their own spin on "It's A Party" to reflect on six important moments as a person celebrate's thier life -- Birth, Wedding, Birthday, Anniversary, Special Holiday and an eventual Celebration of Life in the Bayview Flowers Floral Alley. Come see the dramatic and innovative creations of designers from Gatto Flowers, Fresh Floral Creations, Canadian Institute of Floral Design, Opening Night Flowers, Alma Florist/4165 Flowers and Ladybug Florist. Bayveiw FlowersThen vote for your favourite at the Toronto Star Booth and you could win a trip to Mont Tremblanc.
Queen by Bayview FlowersPiccolini by Bayview Flowers Discover Queen® and Piccolini™, two exciting new varieties of cut flowers grown exclusively by Bayview Flowers, that will be showcased at Canada Blooms. Queen® are perfect for those who have a busy schedule, you can enjoy beautiful fresh cut flowers that last an incredibly long time (five weeks) and with no need to change the water.  Queen® are grown exclusively in North America by Bayview Flowers and are so easy to care for because they are durable and don’t need much water to survive. The flowers come in an assortment of shades of pink, red, yellow and white. No muss, no fuss, just simply enjoy. The Piccolini™ cut flower is uniquely small and comes from the Gerbera family which is reflected in its assortment of vibrant colors. Its miniature size and cuteness factor make it an excellent detail in floral arrangements and bouquets.
Photos left Queen, right Piccolini, for more information visit Bayview Flowers.
Near NorthSee the beautiful Feature Gardens before the crowds!
Canada Blooms enthusiasts know that Morning Garden Tours are the best way to start off your visit to the festival. Discover the "inside secrets" of how those magnificent gardens are put together. Tours begin at 8:15 am, giving you time to enjoy each garden at your liesure before the festival opens. Tickets are available for only $40 and include all day admission to the festival as well as the National Home Show. A limited number of tickets are available for Friday, Saturday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Please note tickets must be purchased in advance.

Evening Tour Wednesday March 16th ONLYJennifer Harvey
Enjoy special treat. Starting at 6:30 pm, Jennifer Harvey will give a special intimate presentation on Why Flowers Are Essential To Your Next Party. Then experience the Gardens of Canada Blooms with a top notch tour guides... and don't forget your glass of wine. After the tour head out to visit the Garden Marketplace. Tickets for the evening event are $55 and includes all day entry to the festival and the National Home Show. Don’t miss out! Buy your ticket today online or at the Canada Blooms office.
Picture by David Ohashi, Garden by Near North
ExperTreesCurb appeal is important because it is the first impression given to neighbours and possibly potential home buyers about what is inside. So we strive to create a beautiful front yard, and if you live in a city setting you will know that that front yard space is petite and can pose some challenges.
Canada Blooms is excited about a new showcase this year – Do UpThe Doorsteps presented by Oaks by Brampton Brick – six designers will show visitors how to maximize the impact of their minimal yards.Oaks by Brampton Brick
You will see options that will include everything from edible landscapes to water features in a 10’ x 10’ space, and each will feature a different type of outdoor flooring product. Designers from Smallscapes, Green Art Landscape Design, ExperTrees, Gatto Flowers, Who Does Your Garden and Leja Landscape will go beyond the usual grass and flowers to find landscaping solutions to suit every taste.  
photo courtesy of ExpertTrees

Celebrity Challenges

Stump the Gardener Challenge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


STUMP THE GARDENER
Which one of these experts is unstumpable?

Garden Experts AM740's Garden Show host Charlie Dobbin, Landscape Ontario's Denis Flanagan, Canada's Favourite Gardener Ken Beattie and Toronto Botanical Garden's Paul Zammit will duke it out to see who knows the most about Garden Trivia. The Master Gardeners have come up with a number of tough questions to test these experts knowledge in everything garden.
Join this lively, informative panel to see who will have bragging rights to be the Canada Blooms' Top Garden Expert on the Unilock Celebrity Stage on Sunday March 13 at 12 pm.


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Floral Superstars Challenge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


PICKONTARIO'S FLORAL CHALLENGE
Who can create the most innovative designs in the time limit?
Floral Artists are provided a variety of cut flowers and accessories and given a limited time to come up with as many bouquets as they can.
Who wins? Everyone, because members of the audience have a chance to win these beautiful master pieces.
Canadian Academy of Floral Artist member Inta Taurins AIFD will emcee.
Wednesday, March 16 at 1pm and Thursday, March 17 at 2pm on the Unilock Celebrity Stage.pickOntario
Jennifer's WorkshopIn addition to the bevy of gardening and lifestyle seminars provided on three stages, Canada Blooms is please to offer a number of exciting hands-on workshops.

Discover Flowers Close Up: If you would like to get up-close and personal with your flower photography then join Mark Trusz as he demonstrates techniques and shows you all the equipment you will need to make beautiful big pictures of really small beautiful flowers.  For DSLR cameras learn about your options for lenses, filters, flashes and accessories for macro photography.
Offered Friday, March 11 and Saturday, March 12 at 6:30pm

Make a Terrarium with Jennifer Harvey CFD: Enjoy a demonstration of how to construct a unique and beautiful terrarium with succulents and flowers, construct your own, which you will then be able to take home and enjoy.
Offered Saturday, March 12 at 11:00am, presented by Gatto Flowers

Botanical Art Painting with Homa Bahadouri
: This workshop is open to beginners.  The upcoming season will offer plenty of inspiration, so why not let illustrator Homa Bahadouri teach your some fun and educational techniques that will allow you to immortalize those images on canvas.
Offered Saturday, March 12 at 2:00pm and Tuesday, March 15 at 6:30pm

Everyday is A Party with Jennifer Harvey CFD: Enjoy a demonstration on why flowers are so important to a party atmoshpere, then create a make and take bouquet project.
Offered Sunday, March 13 at 2:00pm presented by Gatto Flowers

Start Seeds From Scratch with Gwen Rattle: Getting a start on the season satisfies the itchy garden fingers and allows hope to blossom ahead of time! Watch this low-tech, hands –on demonstration of starting seeds in your own kitchen!
Master Gardener Gwen Rattle has lots of practical and economical tips for the beginning green thumb
Offered Sunday, March 13 at 2:30pm presented by the Master Gardeners of Ontario

Make Your Own Easter Centerpiece with Ashley Waltho CIFD: In thisworkshop, Ashley outlines some of the basics of floral design styles & techniques; and introduces proper care and Ashley's Workshophandling of fresh cut flowers.Bayview, Gatto, Rosa Flora logos You will create your own Easter Centerpiece to take home.
Offered on Saturday, March 19 at 11:00am presented by Bayview Flowers and Rosa Flora

These workshops do require an additonal fee and are offered as special interest or 'make and take' style classes offered by professionals in their field. Fees cover the cost of all materials as well as entrance into Canada Blooms and the National Home Show. Please click here to purchase tickets.
Note: If you plan on attending more than one workshop, contact our office (416-447-8655 x 7721 or info@canadablooms.com) for special pricing.

Be My Valentine

Valentine BouquetShow your loved ones how special they are this Valentine's Day
While Valentine's Day is one of the most romantic days of the year, it can also be the most stressful; but don't worry - finding the perfect gift that says  “I love you" can be as simple as selecting the right flower.
While everyone knows that long-stemmed red roses mean love, there are so many other varieties of flowers that will show your loved ones how much you care. They will appreciate the unique Valentine's gift."
With that in mind, Canada Blooms has created a list of Valentine's flowers and what each flower says about you and your relationship.
Red Tulips: When most people think of tulips they think of spring, but red tulips are considered a declaration of love. Gift your sweetheart with a bouquet of red tulips to show your love this year.
Daffodils: Daffodils symbolize new beginnings.  This is the perfect flower to give at the start of a new relationship or friendship.
Orchids: These rare blossoms symbolize love, beauty, strength and luxury. Gifting someone an exotic orchid lets them know that you are a bold person who likes to take chances.
Sunflowers: These flowers represent warmth, happiness and loyalty. While most people associate sunflowers with summertime, they are available all year round and are the perfect gift for that special person who lights up your day.Valentine Hearts
Gerbera Daisies: Symbolizing beauty, innocence andcheerfulness, gerbera daisies are a great gift for anyone, including mom. They also have beautiful large flowering heads and ability to last longer than other cut flowers.
Visitors to Canada Blooms can purchase the 'Garvinea Sweet' series of gerberas that was named Canada Blooms plant of the year.

Valentine's Day is a special day to show your loved ones how much they mean to you, by thinking outside the box and breaking from the ordinary, gifting them with flowers that have a special meaning will ensure they know that they are worth the extra effort.
Grout The GnomeGrout the Gnome is Landscape Ontario's official mascot who came on the scene a few years ago.
Mark Cullen's New BookGrout has been seen peeking around the gardens at Canada Blooms since 2014. Once the L.O. team realized they couldn't stop him from sneaking into the flower pots, they brought him along to the festival and he has joined them every year since.
Early last fall Grout snuck out and went exploring in the Canada Blooms Lounge where he stole some of Alice's (yes, of Wonderland) "eat me" cookies and now he had grown to over six feet.
He actually likes his new size and he is inviting visitors to stop by the Welcome booth across from the Toronto Flower Show and snap a picture with him. Post your pic on Twitter, Facebook and/or Instgram with the #GroutatBlooms and you could win a copy of Mark Cullen's brand new book The New Canadian Garden from Dundurn Press. There will be a winner each day.
Also take your pic in the Flower Shower in the Toronto Flower Show and share it for another opportunity to win Mark's book, also one winner each day.
For great garden advice visit www.markcullen.com and sign up for his newsletter
Garden Experience WorkshopCome play in the dirt!
The Fafard Garden Experience Easter BunnyWorkshop is perfect for children from Fafard Logo 5 to 95. Fafard provides a great hands on experience that will demystify gardening. Come discover the difference between a plant and a weed, a spade and a hoe, and soil versus compost. Learn the do's and don'ts of planting and leave with a advice and your own seedling so you can start your very own garden.OSC, Somerville, Veggie Guy

Monday, March 14 is Family Day at Canada Blooms and the National Home Show. Bring your camera and have your picture taken with the Easter Bunny (10am-1pm).
Kent FordEnter to Win
2 Morning Garden Tour Tickets
for Wednesday, March 16 at 8:15am


Garden Tours are the
Best Way to See Canada Blooms.
What better way to discover all the
behind the scenes information
you just can't get on your own.
Click here to enter!

Congratualtions to Joyce Shane
winner of the GTA Home & Reno Show Ticket Contest
It's A Party BadgeCanada Blooms needs your help and expertise to make the festival better than ever. Come, join us for a Gardener’s Getaway, work a little, play a little and share in the excitement.
If you volunteered last year, invite a friend or two to join you. 
This is a great way to put your skill to use or learn new skills, meet people and just have fun. As our thank you to you every volunteer will receive a ticket to the festival (Canada Blooms/Home Show) and a plant of the day courtesy of pickOntario. 
Visit our website and sign up today. If you have any questions please contact Volunteer Coordinator: Martha Walsh at volunteers@canadablooms.com or call the main office 416-447-8655 x 7721.
Come volunteer, Canada Blooms needs you to flourish.
Please note that both the TTC and GO Train have stops at the Enercare Centre,
also from Monday – Friday Parking will be FREE after 4:00 pm.
If you have already signed up, thank you, and we will be sending out confirmations in the next couple of weeks.
The Volunteer Orientation Package will be available online after Feburary 14

Upcoming Events

Toronto Botanical GardenVisit Canada Blooms at 'Get the Jump on Spring' February 20th. Come to the 22nd annual one-day gardening extravaganza at the Toronto Botanical Garden, 777 Lawrence Ave E from 10 am to 4 pm.  
There will be 30+ garden-related exhibitors – horticultural societies, garden clubs and environmental organizations; along with Master Gardeners to answer your gardening questions.Parking and admission to the show are free, although a $2 donation is appreciated and will give you an entry for hourly door-prize draws. 
For more information call 416-397-1341 or www.torontobotanicalgarden.ca/jump. Get the Jump on Spring is a co-production of the Toronto Botanical Garden and the Ontario Horticultural Society.

Bus Tours

BusLooking for a bus tour coming to Canada Blooms in your area?
Visit our website for a list of tour groups.
Remember to keep checking back for more updates.

If you have an upcoming garden related event that is of interest to our readers, let us know at news@canadablooms.com and we might include it in upcoming issues of our newsletter.

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Canada Blooms was founded by the Garden Club of Toronto and Landscape Ontario
Garden Club of Toronto Landscape Ontario
 
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