We have reached out to our friends at Garden Party Toronto to get some recommendations on quarantine-friendly gardening, anything that does not require a visit to your local garden centre (at least for now).

Here are the ideas they gave us:

#1. Bring the outdoors inside with a cut branch! Try this with any Spring flowering tree or shrub. Our favourites are Apple, Magnolia, Lilac, or Forsythia. You can push a budding branch to blossom using these simple steps:

• cut a branch
• snip the cut end lengthwise 2″, or fray it by smashing the end with a mallet or hammer
• put in water and place in a sunlit are of your home
• watch as blossoms appear

#2. Learn how to identify Spring blooming bulbs and perennials on your sanity saving socially distanced walks. Now is a great time to observe the revival of our Canadian landscape. Use your lonely walks to connect with the plant life around you: watch for green leaves emerging from the ground and colourful buds bursting into bloom. Some showstopping Spring blooms to watch for are Tulips, Narcissus, Muscari, Crocus, and Hyacinth.

#3. Take this time to nurture your indoor plants! Are any of your plant babies getting too big for their pots? Gently lift your plant from it’s pot – if the roots have started twisting into a circle, it’s time to upgrade. Use a damp washcloth to remove winter dust from your indoor plants’ leaves. This enables the plant to better photosynthesize in the Spring sun. Check hydration levels with a dip of your finger into the soil, and remove any brown leaves or dead branches.

#4. Grow some of your own plants! Use cuttings from the plants you own to spawn new ones and grow your jungle. Easily done with many common indoor plants including Spider Plants, Jades, Pilea, Pothos and Succulents. Follow these simple directions:

• Using sharp scissors snip a healthy new shoot
• Clip about 1″ of the shoot’s stem
• Place your cutting in a dish of water until you see new roots form
• Then gently transfer to a pot with potting soil. Keep in a sunlit area away from drafts. Water regularly and watch it grow!