Sooke Garden Club May 27: Colourful containers for four seasons

The Sooke Garden Club explores container planting at its May 27 meeting.

By Cory McInnis

My favourite time of garden season is creating containers, planters and anything that will hold plants.

I still remember my first job at Glamory Greenhouse, where I was hired as a labourer. I did all the tasks the other staff didn’t have to think about – sorting trays, cleaning pots, taking the netting off the plugs, filling the soil barrels and more.

I was involved with all the jobs of running a greenhouse from beginning to end.

When I noticed all the beautiful containers were made for sun, I mentioned there were no shade containers and asked if I could put one together.

As a new hire, greener than green at working with plants, I was given a chance to create one. So, I added hostas, heuchera, lobelia, begonias, coleus and neco vine, to a large container. It sold quickly and I was asked to do more and I became addicted to creating a mix of plants that live together well and present an eye-catching statement.

As lifelong gardener, Bonita Elliott started with her mother as a mentor. Her own garden, which she tends with her husband, is an acre in size with vegetable gardens, flower beds, fruit trees.

As a lifetime member of the Peninsula Garden Club, a member of the Victoria Floral Artists Guild and a certified landscape designer, Bonita will present ideas on planting and designing containers for all four seasons at the Sooke Garden Club’s May 27 meeting.

The presentation explore colour theory, and the pros and cons of different container types.

Join us for the next meeting on Wednesday, May 27, at 7 p.m. at the Juan de Fuca Local Area Services Building (CRD Building) address #3 – 7450 Butler Rd., off Otter Point Road.

Drop-ins are welcome for $5, however if you would like to become a member, check out sookegardenclub.ca or email at Sookegc@gmail.com, and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram.