At greengate garden centres, you get the very best in gardening - all year long.

Why settle for anything less than the healthiest plants available sourced from the best growers? Insist on the hardiest perennials, annuals, trees, shrubs, tropical plants, indoor flowering, seeds and bulbs. Our garden specialists are happy to help you choose everything you need: hand selected to grow in the Calgary climate and micro climates. Drop by greengate to browse for statuary, pond supplies, Stihl power tools or just take a stroll through our Cravo greenhouses to satisfy your need for green.

At your service,

greengate

Visit our "What's NEW" page and see what great new items we have at greengate!

ALL 4 inch annuals are now 40% off!
(and all sizes down from there)

(while supplies last):

• 4 inch annuals
• 4 inch Proven Winners
• 606
• 2 inch annuals
• 4 inch grasses
• 4 inch vegetables
• 4 inch geraniums

*NOTE: Excludes herbs, planters and everything larger than a 4 inch pot.

Are you ready to plant?

We are! We are your local Certified Proven Winners garden centre.

Not only do we carry the best in the Proven Winners line-up we have 25 certified Proven Winners staff members who can answer all the questions you may have. They are also able to help you select the Proven Winner plants that are perfect for your garden.

To get you salivating here is a link to this year's Proven Winners: "The Gardener's Idea Book"

How Dirt Makes You Happy!

"Happy Gardening!"

Gardeners say it all the time, but what does it actually mean?

In the simplest way, it just means to have a good time gardening, but did you know that dirt itself can make you happy? Not just in the way gardening is a fun and satisfying hobby, but scientifically.

According to studies

done by Mary O'Brien, an oncologist at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London and later, Dr. Chris Lowry at the University of Bristol and University College London, it seems the culprit is the bacteria Mycobacterium vaccae. This particular bacterium appears to be a natural biological antidepressant that is present in soil and has no discernable adverse health effects. Just a tablespoon of earth can contain as many as 50 billion microbes of which the Mycobacterium vaccae bacteria are just a portion. This bacterium seems to work on us like antidepressant drugs such as Prozac.

Interest in this natural miracle

arose after cancer patients were treated by O'Brien with Mycobacterium vaccae as a cure for lung cancer. Although the treatment failed as a cure, subjects unexpectedly reported increases in happiness, vitality and quality of life. Lowry tested the theory on mice and reasoned that this effect could be caused by activation of neurons in the brain that contained serotonin.

Serotonin

is a chemical messenger that's believed to act as a mood stabilizer. It also assists in motor skills, healing of wounds, digestion and bone health. It helps produce healthy sleeping patterns and is commonly linked to feeling good and living longer. Conversely, a lack of serotonin is linked to depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder and bipolar problems.

These antidepressant microbes

are easy to utilize as they are introduced to our bloodstreams through physical contact with earth and by breathing them in. To reap the benefits, all you need to do is garden. Perhaps we should all be spending more time playing in the dirt!

Most avid gardeners

say that their green spaces are happy places; that gardening is a stress reducer and mood lifter. Therefore, the presence of a soil bacteria antidepressant isn't surprising to them. The science is fascinating, but not shocking to the happy gardener.

Need motivation

to hoe out weeds, plants trees or sow that garden? Worry not. Just rub some dirt on your hands, take a deep breath and carry on. You have harnessed the natural antidepressant in the dirt! You'll be happier, healthier and getting things done in the garden. Happy Gardening!