BT Toronto Blogs

2010 Top Five Garden Trends

Number 10: Bright and Bolds: 

2010 is the year to express happiness in the garden via bright and bold colours.  Watch out for orange, purple and punchy pinks to ring in the new garden season.

Number 9:  Container Gardening and Patio Pot Water Gardens:

Condo’s and smaller residential properties makes Container gardening still a popular trend for 2010.  A growing potted pleasure: portable water gardens in pots.  Just pop in the plants, fill with water and pop in a gold fish for mosquito larvae control and presto your own little aquatic heaven.

Number 8:  Chemical Free

Earth Day 2009 a complete ban of cosmetic pesticide use in Ontario and it currently looks like other provinces will follow suit.  Chemical free gardens the only choice and the right one.

Number 7:  Outdoor Entertaining:

Outdoor Kitchens, pizza ovens, tv’s and couches the outdoor living room will grow into many landscapes this year.

Number 6:  Water-wise Gardening:

Canada is the second largest user of water per capita.  We have no choice but to use our water wisely!!

Number 5 GREEN is still Growing:

Plant the pot vegetables, bio-degradable plant tags, green roofs and VOC outdoor paints green is groovy in 2010.  According to National Marketing Institute, four out of five people say they’re still buying green products and services today–which sometimes cost more–even in the midst of a US recession. More than two thirds say they will select green over traditional– “if it works”.

Number 4 Proven plants that work:

Perennials with long bloom periods all season garden interest and disease and insect resistance.

Number 3 Slow Gardening – Enjoying nature

Seed starting and enjoying the process of plants and their harvest.

According to LOHAS –Lifestyle of Health and Sustain ability seed

sales are up 30-50% and canning saw a whopping 45% increase.

Number 2 Community Gardens:

Produce sharing with community-supported agricultural farms and produce exchanges are

springing up throughout urban and suburban and rural communities. The take-home message is: urban farming is cool; urban wastelands are not.

Number 1 Vegetable Gardening

From Tomatoes to acorn squash, potage gardens to square foot gardening.  Vegetable gardens are growing at a rapid rate.  A recent survey by the National Gardening Association shows a 19 percent burst of new hobby country farms and urban edible gardens over last year.

(SOURCES: www.gardenmediagroup.com/pressroom/trends10.pdf)

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WOW! What a bash….talk about an amazing warm up to NYE! My good friends from CtiyTV came out in droves to support Kardinal Offishall’s 12th annual breast cancer fundraiser….needless to say tons of money was raised (for an incredibly worthy cause) and LOADS of fun was had (I don’t remember the last time I danced so hard….we all did). A very big thank-you to everyone involved in pulling such an amazing night off…and of course, special thanks to my friends Tracy Moore, Dwight Drummond, Kris Reyes, Tracy Peart (make-up wizard), April Kalloo (floor director diva), Adrian Sousa (web guru), Josie Dizon (PA princess), David Ringer (floor director extraordinaire) and Mohit Rajhans (sassy segment producer)…….you made the night an extremely memorable one….thank-you for your friendship and wicked dance moves…as you can see….they all took over the dance floor and kept the Kardi Party going all night long….let’s keep the fever flowing as we lead up to the biggest party in the nation and it’s FREE!!! Seven acts…2 jam-packed hours….Mission District, Faber Drive, Anjulie, Jarvis Church, Karl Wolfe, Kardinal Offishall and Rock of Ages! Starts at 10pm on CityTV.
Count it…SEVEN acts ON channel SEVEN! Be there or be square! Wait a minute…it is in the square…Nathan Phillips Square…get it? Tee hee…Sorry, couldn’t help myself.
Be safe friends…here’s to a healthy, happy, prosperous and safe 2010…
Dina

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Hi friends…so there I was…spread out like a starfish…ready to finally catch some z’s and enjoy my vacay day (my dear husband kept me up all night long…seranading me with his sweet symphony if you know what I mean)! Aleks jumped out of bed for work this morning (refreshed), me, not so much, (although I was so comforted by the fact that I could sleep in and would savour every minute). I sprawled out my limbs, buried my head in my pillow and then…’Brrrrrrrinnnngggg’ ‘brrrrinnnng.” Noooooooo! It was the phone…it rang and rang..and rang. It was Aleks and he needed me. Fast. Here I am (pink fleece pajamas and all) waiting for a tow truck with my hubby, minutes before his car died. Finished. Kaput. A Santa helper came to the rescue with his tow truck (he’s wearing a Santa hat. Cute touch). Oh well…’tis the season…who needs sleep anyway? I’m sorry I missed BT this morning, my dear friend April Kalloo (you know and love her as our brilliant Floor Director), finally got engaged to her equally fabulous beau Kevin Gopwani! I love those two so much…we are all so happy for the lovebirds, a truly perfect twosome …..at least there’s some good news to share….well friends, me and my comfie jammies and coat are about to take off for the day and run a bunch of errands (only to get ready for Kardi’s party at This is London tonight). At this rate…I will arrive in my jammies…truly ‘unfashionably late.’ Hope to see you there (tickets at the door)…it’s all for a great cause after all. Good luck with your last-minute shopping….see you at the malls and have a very happy and healthy holiday! Merry Christmas! Jenn and Frank will be ready with their warm smiles and hot chocolate first thing tomorrow morning…

Dina

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I’m ‘Offishall-y” inviting you to come on out my friends…’tis the season to reach out, have fun and do some good all at once.
He’s the headliner for our huge New Year’s Eve show at Nathan Philips Square, he’s taking over the world with his string of hits, he’s a longtime friend and he’s throwing a huge bash to support breast cancer along with some very VIP friends!
Yes, Kardinal Offishall is throwing his annual bash at This is London this Wednesday so give yourself a break and come on down….I’m lending my support along with Frank, Jennifer, Kris Reyes, Tracy Moore and Dwight Drummond (to name a few). 25 bucks gets you in the door in advance, hope to see you there!
And this just in, we made the big announcement today…Faber Drive has just been added to our stellar lineup for the NYE show!
You are all writing in and talking about how incredible the performances are this year and you’re right…we needed to celebrate CityTV’s 25th Anniversary of the NYE bash with a bang up lineup so you get 7 amazing acts beginning at 10pm sharp, when we go LIVE to air in front of millions across the country!
Mission District, Anjulie, Faber Drive, Jarvis Church, Karl Wolf, Rock of Ages and Kardinal will rock this country like never before as we usher in 2010!
Its an honour and a thrill to be a part of the biggest party in the nation….come on down to join us at this annual, free, event  and join the 40,000 revellers who will be there rain or snow!!!
And thanks again to all of you who came out in droves to make the Spirit of the Season on Friday morning. You are all so wonderful… our incredible extended family and you made it our biggest holiday bash yet! Thank-you again for your love, support and generousity…you are amazing men, women and children and we are blessed to have you.
Good luck getting in that last-minute shopping…
Dina

EVENT DETAILS:

The 12th Annual Kardinal Offishall Christmas Charity Gala
This is London, 364 Richmond Street W.
This Wednesday, Doors open at 9 p.m.
Tickets are $25 in advance/$35 at the door
Are available at http://www.ticketweb.ca/, Play De Records and Broadway Fashions

Comedian Russell Peters will host this event with special appearances by Estelle, Starting from Scratch and Kardinal himself to name a few.  All net proceeds will benefit the Breast Cancer Society of Canada.

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Thanks to all our viewers that joined us this morning at the Sheraton Centre and to all those watching from home. Special Thanks to LifeExperiences.ca!