May long planting is always a gamble

By Lethbridge Herald on May 16, 2025.

Al Beeber
Lethbridge Herald

A long weekend is here – the one when gardeners in southern Alberta feel it’s safe to start planting.

Heading to greenhouses or bringing the bedding plants outside is as much of a tradition this weekend as camping.

From the weather of many previous years, we know that this may not be the ideal weekend for planting or tenting but tradition is tradition.

With the impact of climate change, I wonder if we do indeed need to wait this long to begin plunking annuals into flower beds or tomatoes  and peppers into pots.

When I was an active and devoted member of the horticulture society  years ago with a fairly impressive rose garden in the backyard of the  Stafford Drive house, I had no hesitation planting hybrid teas and  other varieties earlier in the month. I often ordered roses from Ontario and would in April dig holes in the garden and cover them deeply with soil to prevent frost damage. And I never lost any.

Of course, nature can always surprise us with a late spring snowstorm and put all of our plans on the shelf for another weekend. But after  the much needed rain earlier this week, the likelihood of a dry long weekend looks reasonable with only a small chance of rain possible  Saturday and Sunday and a reasonable possibility of less than one  millimetre of moisture on Monday. Highs of 17 aren’t fantastic for a long weekend but if there is no wind or cotton in the air, we all can  consider that a win.

And after last weekend, any weekend with no cotton floating through the air is going to be a good one, even if the wind blows and the rain  pours.

While I still have roses in the yard, my enthusiasm for gardening has long waned but there is still a planter out front and a bed in the  back that Izzy has made her own for digging which is better than her  ripping up the lawn.

For me, the usual flowers to plant are marigolds and petunias which  are hardy and still colourful. And this year, I’ll spread sunflower seeds around the beds again for the benefit of pollinators and birds.

From various websites, I’ve compiled a list of a few annuals that might be of interest to those people who want colour in their yards while conserving previous water.

Among those recommended by experts are portulaca, the California poppy, dusty miller – which I’ve grown often, zinnias, celosia  (another I used to frequently buy) gaillardia (ditto) and of course, the ever reliable marigold.

Verbena, nasturtiums and salvia are also good picks for dry climates.

For perennials, such flowers as astilbe, baby’s breath, brown-eyed susans and daylilies are considered good choices in Alberta. I can personally vouch for the daylilies which are hands-down my favourite flower – easy to grow and even intense sunlight doesn’t seem to bother  them in my yard.

Whatever your tastes are, what’s important is that you buy what suits  your tastes and your yard. After all, you’re the person spending the money and the effort.

Enjoy!