\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
![\"Jpg](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/4220363_web1_Jpg-1_classic-perennials_Siberian-Iris_Swans-in-Flight_-with-low-carpet-of-Cerastium-to.jpeg\")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
Jpg 1_classic perennials_Siberian Iris_Swans in Flight_ with low carpet of Cerastium tomentosum Snow-in-Summer<\/p>\n
Walters Gardens photo<\/p>\n
Siberian iris swans in flight with a low carpet of white-flowered snow-in-summer are classic perennials.<\/p>\n
But above all, you will need beautiful plants that flower reliably.<\/p>\n
Garden club plant sales are a stellar opportunity \u2014 a gold mine \u2014 for finding old-fashioned plant treasures ideal for creating a romantic, flower-filled garden. In the coming weeks, a range of events are scheduled to take place in Winnipeg and throughout the province. Here are just some of the many events you won\u2019t want to miss.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, May 21, the Charleswood Garden Club will host its annual plant auction at St. Mary Anglican Church, 3830 Roblin Blvd. The auction begins at 6:30 p.m.<\/p>\n
Beausejour Daylily Display Gardens hosts its spring plant sale on Saturday, May 23 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon at Beausejour Daylily Gardens, 1st Street North, Beausejour.<\/p>\n
The East Kildonan Garden Club\u2019s annual plant sale is on Wednesday, May 27t at Holy Eucharist Parish Centre, 460 Munroe Ave. Doors open at 6 p.m.<\/p>\n
The 28th annual Selkirk and District Horticultural Society plant sale will be held on Friday, May 29 at the Memorial Hall, 368 Jemima St., Selkirk. The sale runs from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Leila Wegert photo<\/p>\n Masses of vibrant blue larkspur and Flanders poppies combine to create a classic cottage garden look.<\/p>\n On May 30, The West Kildonan Horticultural Society hosts its annual Fiesta Day plant sale, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Seven Oaks Arboretum, 430 Partridge Ave.<\/p>\n The Manitoba Master Gardener Association will hold its annual plant sale on June 6, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Bronx Park Community Club, 720 Henderson Hwy.<\/p>\n On June 7, the Can-West Iris Society Iris Show will be held at the Bourkevale Community Centre, 100 Ferry Rd.<\/p>\n Each one of these events is open to the public and admission is free. In addition to tried-and-true perennials that come directly from members\u2019 own gardens, there are also seed-grown annuals and vegetable plants for sale.<\/p>\n \u201cSome of the favourites among gardeners that sell out really fast include peonies, irises and daylilies,\u201d says Renata Cook, president of the East Kildonan Garden Club. Other plants high in demand, says Cook, include milkweed, bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), echinacea coneflower, giant hyssop and nodding pink onion (Allium cernuum).<\/p>\n Leila Wegert, organization director for the Selkirk and District Horticultural Society (SDHS), has already potted up more than 68 plants for the sale from her own spacious garden in St. Andrews. Last week, she was excited to see that the self-seeding larkspur in her vegetable patch was coming up.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Cheryl Geske photo<\/p>\n Peonies, like this Paeonia raspberry sundae, are among the most popular plants at garden club sales. Buy in multiples and plant in groups.<\/p>\n \u201cMy perennial flax and snow-in-summer are greening, too. I am confident that I will have many plants to bring to the SDHS sale,\u201d says Wegert.<\/p>\n Perennial flax (Linum perenne) has a wild, airy appearance, perfect for a classic cottage garden. Snow-in-summer (Cerastium tomentosum) is the quintessential border plant with silvery-gray foliage and masses of small, white daisy-like flowers.<\/p>\n Wegert says that hollyhocks were a popular item at last year\u2019s sale. An old-fashioned plant, hollyhocks seem to be enjoying a resurgence, she says. But not everyone finds it easy to grow hollyhocks. That\u2019s another reason that garden club plant sales find such a ready audience \u2014 expert gardeners are on hand to share knowledge and advice.<\/p>\n Wegert grows larkspur in her garden every year. Larkspur is a common name for delphinium, however, it is considered an annual. \u201cIt is very long blooming, good for cut flowers, airy in a grouping, easy care, and self seeds readily,\u201d says Wegert. \u201cI put some in the sale every year.\u201d<\/p>\n In her own beautiful garden, Wegert grows drifts of blue-flowered larkspur together with the scarlet-red blooms of Flanders lady bird poppy (Papaver commutatum). A garden classic, the Flanders poppy is an heirloom annual that self-seeds and returns year after year.<\/p>\n \u201cThe seeds for larkspur originally came from my mother\u2019s garden in Steinbach in 1986 when I scattered them at our cottage,\u201d says Wegert. \u201cWhen I started my garden in St. Andrews, I scattered the seeds around everywhere. For a few years, I had way too many, so I have been more diligent about deadheading. They really do much better if they are thinned out as one plant can make quite a nice large grouping if they are given the space.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Jpg 4_unusual finds_Clematis Huldine_perennial vine<\/p>\n Val Thomson photo<\/p>\n Garden club plant sales can be a source of unusual finds, like this perennial vine, clematis Huldine.<\/p>\n Wegert combines larkspur and Flanders poppies with Centaurea cyanus cornflower, which is also known as bachelor\u2019s button. Centaurea is another popular item at the SDHS plant sale.<\/p>\n A highly sought-after item, says Wegert, is Crater Lake blue speedwell. The full name is Veronica austriaca subsp. teucrium Crater Lake Blue. It has been awarded the prestigious Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit. I have looked for it at garden centres but never found it. But it is a staple plant at the SDHS sale.<\/p>\n What makes Crater Lake Blue speedwell so appealing is its intense gentian blue flowers that bloom from late spring to early summer. \u201cLike all Veronica speedwell varieties, it self-seeds so I have had lots of seedlings over the years. Crater Lake blue blooms earlier than other varieties. It is shorter (about 30 to 38 cm tall), too, and more mounded,\u201d says Wegert.<\/p>\n Peonies fly out the door. Often sold as tuberous roots with three to five eye root divisions, they should be planted immediately. Cheryl Geske grows sweeps of peonies in her Gimli garden which she combines with annual calendula flowers. \u201cThey provide some vibrant colour close to the peony foliage that remains after the blooms are finished,\u201d says Geske.<\/p>\n \n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n \t\t\tWinnipeg Gardener<\/p>\n Monthly<\/p>\n What you need to know now about gardening in Winnipeg. An email with advice, ideas and tips to keep your outdoor and indoor plants growing.<\/p>\n \t\t\tSign up for Winnipeg Gardener<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t Irises are perennial favourites that are quickly snapped up, too. Bearded iris is among the most popular selection at the SDHS plant sale. At the CanWest Iris Society Iris Show, however, iris enthusiasts have a heyday choosing from a wide selection of heritage varieties and rare specimens.<\/p>\n Spring is a time when many gardeners divide hosta plants and daylilies. Both are popular items at plant sales because often the selection is more varied than what you might find at a garden centre. You may be fortunate enough also to find an unusual variety of clematis, a beloved perennial vine.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Jpg 5_masses of flowers_delphinium_plant densely_add a structural element<\/p>\n Val Thomson photo<\/p>\n Consider planting masses of old-fashioned flowers like delphiniums this spring. Plant densely and add a structural element.<\/p>\n Garden club and garden society plant sales are high stakes shopping events. Competition is fierce as participants are determined to secure the most highly desired items \u2014 gardeners may even use their elbows. Plan to arrive early and remember to bring cash as well as your own carry-out containers.<\/p>\n Let me know what treasures you find!<\/p>\n colleenizacharias@gmail.com<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Colleen Zacharias Colleen Zacharias writes about many aspects of gardening including trends, plant recommendations, and how-to information that is uniquely relevant to Prairie gardeners. She has written a column for the Free Press since 2010 and pens the monthly newsletter Winnipeg Gardener<\/a>. Read more about Colleen<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Colleen produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Gardening columnist
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n