Top Picks from the 2013 CanWest Horticultural Show

Here’s a sneak peek at what’s hot in the garden for fall

Once a year B.C.’s finest horticultural industry suppliers come together at the CanWest Horticulture Show to display their latest products, compete for best booth bragging rights and have a good time. If you are a garden retailer, landscaper, consultant or just a garden geek, this is the place to get a snapshot on what to expect from the gardening world in the year ahead.

Outdoor kitchens and fire bowls

Local boy, Mark Perry of Kerrisdale Lumber Co., showcased a large collection of Alfresco outdoor kitchen products and Kingsman fire bowls. Kerrisdale Lumber’s awesome selection of high-end outdoor lifestyle products makes it possible to dine outside right into fall. Smoked summer squash anyone?

‘Kosmic Kale’

A brand new kale variety is on it’s way to our marketplace! Get in line because this plant is going to be a crowd pleaser. With it’s bluish-green and white variegated leaves, it is highly ornamental. This selection is supposed to have a more tender leaf than other kale varieties while still boasting the same health benefits, making it a winner in veggie gardens or ornamental containers.

Carnivorous Plants

Charles Darwin became fascinated with the Venus flytrap in 1875, describing it as “one of the most wonderful plants in the world.” Fast forward more than 100 years and get ready to be amazed. Carnivorous plants are adored for the way they make you feel like a kid again. Expect to see a fantastically fun variety of bug eating bog dwellers in your neighborhood garden centre sometime soon. (Many carnivorous plants will happily grow in a terrarium where humidity can be kept high and they can be viewed close up for full effect.)

Sweetheart Hoya

Tired of searching for the card that says just the right thing? Write it yourself on these awesome hoya heart leaves! Just pencil in what you want to say and in a few days the message appears on the leaf. There’s no “greener” way to say I love you.

Indigo Tomatoes

A cross between a dark-coloured heritage tomato and a beautiful wild variety, these tomatoes have a high concentrate of anthocyanins, the same antioxidant that gives blueberries their “superfood” status. As a bonus, the naturally occurring pigment is a beautiful deep purple, which makes this new line of tomatoes even more desirable. Keep a sharp eye for these next spring, as I’m sure they won’t be on the shelf for long.

Brazzleberries

You may have heard the buzz surrounding the Brazzleberries line this past spring. Two decades in the making, this collection of dazzling dwarf berry bushes has caught on quickly! Who ever thought you could grow a two-foot tall raspberry bush in a pot or have evergreen blueberries that are as attractive in winter as they are tasty? Collect them all and watch out for the newest addition to the series: Blueberry Glaze, a glossy leafed boxwood-looking shrub with small blue-black fruits.

LECHUZA Self-watering Planters

Manufactured and designed by the same company that owns Playmobil toys, these planters are slick, shiny, and carefully designed to take the guesswork out of when and how much to water your plants. It features a protective paint coating developed in conjunction with Volkswagen. The result is a UV safe, frost proof, and shatterproof finish. These planters can be used indoors or out. Their smooth, clean lines should fit in perfectly with any modern decor.