So much for May flowers — chilly conditions delay garden centre operations

Local garden centres say the weather is delaying their operations, as cold and snowy conditions descend on southern Alberta.

Staff at Blue Grass Nursery near Airdrie say they're getting lots of calls from customers looking to pick up their favourite tree, shrub or flower, but the store says it's too cold for them to put those out.

"We watch the weather. Every single day here. It's very, very important," said Sheena Haffner, marketing manager at Blue Grass Nursery.

"People are so excited. They're itching to get going. We understand, we are too, this is the best time of the year."

The shop has been unable to bring in all the products that it normally would due to concerns about frost, but Haffner said there are other things people can do, like cleaning up their yards, gently raking, loosening soil, and getting lists ready for shopping.

Hana Hammad, who was shopping at Blue Grass Nursery Friday, said she's eager to get a start on things because it's been a long winter.

"I usually come a little later, but this year I just want to feel the spring. So I wanted to come out and pick the plants that I want to plant," she said.

"It's one of my favourite days of the year to come out to the garden."

Bad news

The outlook moving forward isn't exactly sunny.

David Phillips, senior climatologist at Environment Canada, said unseasonably cold temperatures are the result of a polar vortex-like cold front.

"We're locked into this cold air — it's hugging all of the province," he said.

And while having snow in May isn't unusual, he said, cold temperatures don't usually linger for as long as they have.

"Usually this taste of winter is a one or two day wonder...and we may go another week with this."

Phillips said it might be about mid-May before Alberta starts warming up again.