Ottawa gardeners thinking ahead to next spring have a narrow window: fall bulb orders need to go in now so there's time to get tulips, daffodils and other spring bloomers into the ground before the soil freezes.
Two Canadian suppliers dominate the catalogue trade that many local gardeners rely on. Vesey's was founded in Prince Edward Island in 1939 and started out as a seed specialist before expanding into the bulb and perennial business most Ottawa gardeners know it for today. The company didn't publish its first dedicated bulb and perennial catalogue until 1999, a relatively recent addition to a business built on seeds.
Breck's has an even longer history, tracing its roots back to 1818. The company runs a Canadian fulfillment centre, and most of its stock ships directly from there rather than crossing the border, which matters for anyone trying to time an order against Ottawa's shrinking planting window this time of year.
Why the growing zone matters here
P.E.I., where Vesey's got its start, sits in garden zone 5b to 6a. That's similar to Toronto's climate and a little milder than Ottawa's. The gap matters for anyone using a catalogue's planting guidance without adjusting for it: a timeline written with P.E.I. or southern Ontario conditions in mind may run later than what actually works in Ottawa's shorter, colder fall. Local gardeners ordering from either supplier should plan to get bulbs in the ground earlier than the catalogue copy might suggest, rather than waiting for a date that assumes milder weather.
The over-ordering trap
There's a practical warning buried in the appeal of these catalogues: they're effective enough at selling that over-ordering is one of the most common mistakes gardeners make. Glossy photos of drifts of tulips or mixed daffodil beds make it easy to order far more bulbs than a given bed can actually hold, or more than there's realistically time to plant before the ground hardens. The fix isn't complicated: measure the actual planting area first, and order to fill it rather than to match the catalogue photo.
What this means for timing
With both suppliers already running their fall catalogues, the practical takeaway for Ottawa is to order promptly rather than browsing indefinitely. Bulbs sitting in a mail-order warehouse don't do a garden any good. Given the colder zone here compared to the catalogues' home base, erring on the early side for both ordering and planting gives spring bulbs the best shot at a full root system before winter sets in.
Sources: Yahoo News Canada (syndicated Postmedia 'City Gardener' column by Martha Uniacke Breen)
