Safe gardening tips:
- Observe basic rules for physical distancing to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
- Keep our trips to a minimum when visiting garden centres.
- Shop at less busy times or order online for delivery or pick-up to avoid the crowd.
- Join online gardening training events such as the ones organized by the Calgary Horticultural Society!
The City of Calgary put up together a set of YardSmart principles. Follow these steps to achieve gardening success this summer:
Design your yard
Get good-quality soil
- Use Top Soil Calculator to determine how much soil is needed. At least eight inches is recommended for a healthy garden.
- Many stores (in-person/online) sell gardening soil. Compare the prices before making your decision.
- Improve your soil by adding compost. Visit Compost.org to learn how.
- Pick up complimentary compost from May 10 to June 26 from the Green Cart Compost Giveaway program run by the City.
Choose plants
- Find annuals, perennials, groundcovers, and grasses that thrive in Calgary.
- Find trees and shrubs that are hardy enough for our unique climate.
- Download the YardSmart Perennials and Trees and Shrubs plant guides.
Add mulch
- Mulch is material (e.g. wood chips, stones, decaying leaves, bark, or compost) spread around or over a plant to enrich the soil or reduce evaporation from the soil.
- Visit Plan Your YardSmart to find out how much mulch you need
Water your garden
- Capture and use rainwater for your garden. Check out this guide on how to use a rain barrel.
- Multilingual Homeowner Water Guides for new, developing landscaping (available in English, Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Punjabi, and Urdu)
Word of the Day:
Horticulture: the art of growing flowers and other ornamental plants
