By Jackie Bantle

As you look forward to spring and warmer weather, its time to start exercising those green thumbs.  Consider growing your own transplants for your garden.  The excitement and challenge of planting seeds, waiting for them to emerge and caring for the tiny plants until they are ready to be released to the outdoors is an excellent late winter activity for children and adults.  Growing your own transplants also enables you to grow vegetable cultivars that might not be available at your local greenhouse.  It is time to start planting some of those seeds! 

Vegetables that must be transplanted in order to mature during our relatively short growing season include:  tomatoes, peppers, celery, eggplant, Spanish onions, leeks and Brussels sprouts.  Vegetables that benefit from transplanting in the Prairie garden but are not required to be transplanted include: cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, melons, squash, pumpkins, cucumbers and corn. 

Not all vegetables should be seeded immediately.  Some vegetable seed takes longer to germinate or, grows very slowly once it has germinated.  Other vegetables dislike having their roots disturbed and are best transplanted outdoors when they are only 1-2 weeks old.     

The following table summarizes seeding dates for common vegetables that are transplanted.

Vegetable Type	Date to Seed	Seeding Depth (cm)
Pepper	March 15	0.5
Tomato	March 30	0.5
Eggplant	March 30	0.5
Celery	March 10	Cover very lightly – celery seeds need light to germinate
Spanish Onions	March 20	0.5
Leeks	March 10	0.5
Brussels sprouts and other brassica crops	April 10	0.25
Vine crops, corn	May 7	1

Vine crops and corn do not like to have their roots disturbed.  Grow these transplants in a Jiffy 7 peat pellet or a biodegradable container.  Both the container and the Jiffy 7 can be planted directly in the ground without disturbing the plant roots:  the developing roots will grow through the netting or the container. 

A few basic guidelines for growing your own transplants indoors will help ensure success. 

1) Use a commercially prepared media that has a mix of peat, vermiculite and perlite.  Garden soil is NOT recommended for any container since it does not drain properly and can be a source of insects and disease.

2) Containers should be clean and must have drainage holes in the bottom to ensure excess water drains away; thereby preventing root rot diseases.

3) Adequate lighting is crucial for growth of healthy transplants.  Supplemental lighting will be necessary.  Grow-lights can be purchased at most garden centers.  Place the lights 30-45 cm above the seedlings for 12-14 hours per day.  To test if the lighting is sufficient, the shadow cast on a white piece of paper at midday by an object 10-15cm above the paper should have a definite outline.

4)  Most commercial medias contain very few nutrients.  Apply a water soluble 20-20-20 fertilizer once/week.  Mix according to label directions.

The ideal transplant has a good root system but is not root bound.  The stem will be strong and the internodes between the sets of leaves will be small.  Transplants that are too tall will tend to break and dry out more easily once planted out into the garden.  To control transplant height, lightly brush the tops of the plants with a wooden stick or a rolled up towel or, place an oscillating fan approximately 3 feet from the transplants for 6 to 8 hours/day.  The gentle brushing or the gentle breeze will tend to decrease transplant height and strengthen stems. 

A large difference between day and night temperatures can also result in elongated transplants.  Warm days followed by cool nights tend to increase the internode length, resulting in ‘stretched’ plants.  Aim to keep the day and night temperatures within several degrees of each other to help minimize the length between internodes.

‘Damping Off’ is a fungal disease that can be a problem when starting seedlings.  Symptoms include poor seed germination or water-soaked, soft spots on the stem just above the soil line in newly emerged seedlings.  The seedlings topple over where the stem has become constricted.  No treatment is available for Damping Off.  Prevent the disease by using clean pots, providing adequate air movement around seedlings and resisting overcrowding seedlings. 

Good luck growing your transplants.  Spring will be here before we know it!

This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society (SPS; saskperennial@hotmail.com ). Check our website saskperennial.ca) or Facebook page (facebook.com/saskperennial). All Saskatchewan Perennial Society events are on hold until further notice.

by Jill Thomson

When we are introducing new plants to our gardens, growing conditions should be matched to plant preferences – soil type, drainage, hours of direct sunlight, amount of shade, proximity to other plants, shelter from wind, etc. Recently, I have realized that observing plants in their native habitat helps with choosing their placement in my garden. One of my favourite and frequent places to walk our dogs is at Chief Whitecap Park (CWP), south of Saskatoon. The park has a wide range of habitats, particularly if you walk through the undisturbed native prairie at the south end and then into the transition zone between the river bank and the river woodland, where prairie shrubs are found. You can scramble down the steep bank and walk along the river’s edge, then walk through the woodland in the valley before taking a path back up to the grassland. There are many beautiful native plants that bloom from the end of the first snow in the spring to the frosts and snow of fall. I have made notes and taken photos of the flowers that bloom sequentially throughout the season.

Many people walk through the park to see the prairie crocus (Anemone patens var. multifida) that flowers in the undisturbed prairie at the south end, even when we have a late snowfall. This plant needs to grow in undisturbed soil that is not shaded, and does not usually do well in a traditional garden. However, I have included its Latin name, because the native plant has been crossed with a European species (Anemone pulsatilla) and their hybrid offspring are a great addition to the garden.

Another favourite early flowering prairie plant is the three-flowered avens (Geum triflorum) and it is this plant that clued me in to taking notice of where plants like to grow. I had planted a specimen at the edge of my north-facing front yard, close to the sidewalk. It grew well for about 5 years but gradually died out as the rest of the garden grew taller and even the edge became shaded. Now I enjoy seeing it flourish in the open, sunny areas of the prairie area.

Liatris and Penstemon species are both showy, flowering plants that need to grow in full sun, and both can be seen flowering at CWP in the open grassy areas in mid-summer.

There are several plants that can do well in most conditions, and the wild rose (Rosa species) is an excellent example. Short stemmed plants are found in the sunny locations, with flowers varying from white through various shades of pink.

When growing in shaded areas, including the edges of the woodland and the denser underbrush in the river valley, the stems grow longer, reaching up in the canopy, and the flowers tend to be a darker, more vivid pink.

These may be different species, found in the differing habitats (e.g., prickly rose [Rosa acicularis ssp. sayi] in prairie habitats and Wood’s rose [Rosa woodsii var. woodsii] in treed habitats).

This type of rose can flourish under similar conditions in the garden, mine has grown well at the edge of my overgrown front yard for at least 25 years.

Honeysuckle (Lonicera species), fleabanes (Erigeron species) and lilies (Lilium species), are all plants that are usually found at the edge of wooded areas along the river bank. Relatives of these species will also do well in the semi-shaded areas of your garden.
In the woodland area, on the banks and along the river valley, you can find plants that might do well in shaded areas of your garden, but remember to see what moisture conditions they prefer.

Two-leaved Solomon’s seal (Maianthemum canadense), bunchberry (Cornus canadensis) and wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis) are all common understory plants. There is also a small patch of pink wintergreen (Pyrola asarifolia) I have seen beside one of the paths and I hope to buy some plants to try in my garden in 2021.

I have only mentioned a few of the many flowering plants you will see when walking in this park, and other native habitats.
An excellent reference book for identifying native plants that might do well in your garden is “Native plants for the short season yard” by Lyndon Penner.

Please remember that you should not dig up native plants from natural areas for two reasons. First, transplants may perform poorly and die within a short period as garden conditions are so different from where they were recently growing.

Second, you are creating an area of disturbance that will allow weeds to get a foothold. Rather, buy from reputable garden centres specializing in native plants that have grown plants from seed collected in a sustainable manner.

Jill Thomson is a plant disease specialist (retired) who enjoys walking her dogs at Chief Whitecap Park.

This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society (SPS; saskperennial@hotmail.com). Check our website saskperennial.ca) or Facebook page (facebook.com/saskperennial). All Saskatchewan Perennial Society events are on hold until further notice.

by Erl Svendsen

Hostas are the workhorses of a shade garden. They add colour, texture and interest. Most are hardy, take little care, have few pests on the Prairies and are well-behaved by staying where they’ve been planted. Hostas range in size from dwarfs to giants; leaf colour in blues, greens, yellows, whites/creams and in variegated combinations; leaves may be smooth, shiny, glaucus, wrinkly (reticulated), long and skinny, or wide and rounded; and flower colour is mostly limited to shades of pink, lavender and purple. 

But with 1000s of available cultivars and dozens more introduced every year, how do you choose the right one? The American Hosta Growers Association (www.hostagrowers.org) has been trying to help by highlighting a Hosta of the Year, a program they started in 1996. Selected cultivars have a proven track record and should be available in most garden centres at a reasonable price. 

This year’s winner, ‘Rainbow’s End’ (natural sport of ‘Obsession’) was selected by Hans Hansen and introduced in 2005 by Shady Oaks Nursery in Minnesota. Like all hostas, ‘Rainbow’s End’ is a mound-forming herbaceous perennial, consisting mostly of leaves arising from very short, compressed stems. At maturity, the medium-sized mounds are about 11 inches (28 cm) tall (not including flowering stalks) with a 21-inch (53-cm) spread. 

When the leaves of ‘Rainbow’s End’ first emerge (5-7 leaves per shoot or ‘eye’), they are shiny and predominantly yellow with dark green margins and random light and dark green streaks shooting into the leaf’s centre. As the leaves age, they lose some of their shine and the yellow matures to creamy-white. Like snowflakes, the variegation is so irregular that no two leaves look alike. This is in contrast to its progenitor, ‘Obsession’, which has dark green margins and subtle light and dark green variegation. Leaf blades have a wide rounded base and come to slightly downward curled point, about 4 inches (10 cm) wide and 6 inches (15 cm) long. The petioles add an additional 6.5 inches (17 cm) to the overall leaf length. 

In Minnesota, flowering begins in early August and continues for about three weeks. About 15-20 pale violet, unscented, tubular flowers are produced on attractive, showy red flowering stems that add an additional 5-8 inches (13-20 cm) in height to the mound. After flowering, remove the flowering stalks close to their base (use scissors or secateurs) to keep the mounds looking tidy.

For best results, plant in light to dark shade, in the front to middle of your border. ‘Rainbow’s End’ can be planted as a single specimen, used as a border or groundcover, or planted as a bright ribbon running through your perennial border to draw your eye to other interesting features in your garden. Your soil should be well-amended with compost or other organic matter.  Add a 3-4 inch (7-10 cm) layer of mulch to retain soil moisture and to protect the crowns from summer’s heat and winter’s cold. Hostas like to be kept evenly moist but not wet. 

Erl gardens in Saskatoon and tweets about on occasion @ErlSv.

by Sara Williams and Jackie Bantle

In the final part of our series on underutilized perennials, we focus on four uncommon perennials that should be more readily available to Prairie gardeners. 

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)

Native from Manitoba to Nova Scotia, both the common and the botanical names refer to the red root sap that was once used as a dye by Indigenous Peoples. If ever a flower deserved the term “ephemeral,” it is bloodroot. Once in bud, grab a cup of tea, a comfortable garden chair and a book of poetry. You have about 48 hours in which to sit and enjoy it. The flowers close at night and the petals soon fall. Nevertheless, it is breath-takingly gorgeous, especially the double form ‘Multiplex.’

The cup-shaped white flowers with orange-yellow stamens are 7 cm in diameter and held on stalks of about 10 cm. The double-flowered form lacks stamens and is longer lasting.

The basal leaves are as lovely as the flowers. Heart to kidney-shaped, lobed, and 15 to 30 cm across, they appear vertical before they unfold. By mid-summer, bloodroot has entered dormancy and disappeared.

This is a wonderful plant for a shaded border or woodland garden located in a protected location. They do best in evenly moist but well drained soil to which generous amounts of organic matter have been added.

Propagation

Bloodroot spreads slowly by rhizomes and can be propagated by careful division or by seed sown outdoors in the fall. The seed requires a cold period to ensure germination.  Plants are available from NVK Connon Nurseries and Canning Perennials; both located in Ontario.

‘Goldsmith’ dwarf variegated comfrey (Symphtum hybrid of unknown origin often sold as Symphytum grandiflorum ‘Variegatum’or S. ibericum ‘Jubilee’)

Here is a beautiful and well-behaved selection of comfrey that belies the reputation of the better known but wildly aggressive, rampant and invasive species. Once reputed to heal wounds, the common name, comfrey, is from the Middle English word cumfrie and the Old French fegier, meaning to cause coagulation of wounds. ‘Goldsmith’ is a variegated hybrid of unknown parentage. 

It forms a low clump of light green variegated leaves about 30 cm in height. Red buds mature to soft blue, bell-like flowers in drooping clusters from late spring to early summer. It has a rhizomatous rootstock.

‘Goldsmith’ is ideal for a shaded border or woodland garden. Remove any portions that revert to green.

Propagation

It is propagated by division or root or stem cuttings.  Plants are available from NVK nursery. 

‘The Beatles’ (Carex caryphyllea) is an ornamental grass. Its appearance is reminiscent of the haircuts sported by the famous British band; cute, slightly curly mop-head.  The short runners gradually form a colony of narrow green foliage about 20 cm in height. This is a well-behaved, hardy and very adaptable grass that will do well in sun or shade on a variety of soils. It is very drought-tolerant once established. It should be much more readily available.

Propagation:

‘The Beatles’ spreads by division.  Unfortunately, we were unable to find any nursery carrying this plant.  If you have more luck than we do, please let us know.

Giant white fleece flower (Persicaria polymorpha)

The giant white fleece flower was introduced to North American horticulture by Wolfgang Oehme, a German landscape architect who gained fame for his promotion of ornamental grasses.  This is indeed a giant of a perennial, but it is exceedingly well behaved and non-spreading. Native to the high elevation, gravelly slopes of China and Japan, it is the one that visitors always ask about.

Forming large, vase-shaped clumps, the giant white fleece flower produces enormous, fluffy spikes of creamy white flowers in July on stems 200 cm and higher! By September the flowers have muted to a soft tan. The large, pointed, green leaves compliment the flowers.

It will thrive in sun or shade in a variety of soils from dry to moist. It is extremely drought-tolerant once established. Use this as a specimen plant or at the back of a border.

Propagation:

Plants are available from Vesey’s Seeds in PEI and Paramount Nursery in Ottawa, Ontario.

Good luck with your perennial shopping.  Happy Gardening!

This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society (SPS; saskperennial@hotmail.com ). Check our website saskperennial.ca) or Facebook page (facebook.com/saskperennial). All Saskatchewan Perennial Society events are on hold until further notice.

by Sara Williams and Jackie Bantle

Last week we discussed several early blooming spring perennials that are completely hardy but under-utilized in the Prairie garden.  This week we continue with three more later spring blooming perennials that are dependable and noteworthy. 

Spring adonis (Adonis vernalis)

One of the hardiest and most lovely and dependable perennials, spring Adonis is also one of the least seen. According to Greek mythology, it was named after Adonis the Greek god of plants. The word vernalis means spring, the time when it blooms.

It forms a mound about 50 cm high of light green, finely dissected, almost ferny foliage. The single flowers, on 30 cm stems, are waxy yellow and buttercup-like. They are about 6 cm in diameter with 10 to 20 petals that open flat in early spring.

Spring adonis does best in evenly moist, well-drained soil well amended with organic matter. Plant spring adonis in the front of a border, a shade garden or a rock garden as it flourishes in both full sun and full shade.

Propagation

Spring adonis seeds need at least six weeks of temperatures below 5°C to initiate germination:  it is best to sow seed directly outdoors in fall or very early spring.   Seeds are available from Plant World Seeds (www.plant-world-seeds.com).  Wrightman Alpine Nursery in New Brunswick sells plants.  (www.wrightmanalpines.com) 

Fernleaf clematis (Clematis hirsutissima)

Most prairie gardeners are familiar with clematis as a vine, but the herbaceous, non-climbing clematis are less well known. Hairy or fern-leafed clematis (C. hirsutissima) is native to the Great Plains states and was first collected by John Scott in 1872 in Colorado. The species name means hairy and describes the long silky hairs on its foliage which is much divided and almost fern-like. The blue flowers appear in spring on 60 cm (2 ft) stems and are followed by feathery seed heads. It’s a truly hardy, lovely and rare plant.

Grow plants in full sun or light shade in soil with average moisture that has been well amended with organic matter. Plants are well suited to the front or mid-range of a perennial border.  Fernleaf clematis tolerates rabbits, deer and drought.

Propagation

They may be increased from seed or early spring division or propagated by cuttings in late spring before flowering. Plants are difficult to source but check with Honeywood Nursery in Parkside, Saskatchewan or Skinner’s Nursery in Roblin, Manitoba as possible suppliers.

Shield-leaf, astilboides (Astilboides tabularis)

If you have visited English gardens and marveled at (and had your photo taken with) Gunnera, here is a slightly smaller but much hardier version. Although unrelated, astilboides is the perfect antidote for “Gunnera withdrawal” when prairie garden travelers return home. The species name tabularis means table, a reference to the leaves. One of the common names, shield-leaf, describes the shield-like appearance of the foliage. Native to northern China, Manchuria and North Korea, where it grows in moist woodlands and near lakes and streams, Astilboides tabularis it is much hardier than its classification in many publications suggests. It has been grown for over a decade in a rural Saskatchewan garden (formerly zone 2, now designated as zone 3).

A bold plant of great architectural value, it is nevertheless well behaved, forming a slowly enlarging clump. Its large circular leaves are 30 to 45 cm (12-18 in.) in diameter and about 1 m (3 ft) in height. The leaf stalks are in the center of the leaf blade, giving them an umbrella-like appearance. As the genus name, astilboides, suggests, the creamy white flowers, formed on 120 cm (4 ft) stalks in early summer, resemble those of astilbe.

Plant astilboides in full or partial shade in humus rich but well drained soil. It demands even moisture but should not be water-logged. Mulching is beneficial. This is an excellent perennial for a shaded border or a woodland garden alongside ferns and hostas. 

Propagation

If you have a friend with this remarkable plant, it is easily propagated by divisions in early spring.  Seeds, available from Plant World Seeds, germinate easily under moist, room temperature conditions.  Plants are available from Gardenworks in Burnaby, BC and Fraser Thimble Farms located on Salt Spring Island.

Tune in next week for our final part 3 in this series studying Underutilized Perennials.

This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society (SPS; saskperennial@hotmail.com ). Check our website saskperennial.ca) or Facebook page (facebook.com/saskperennial). All Saskatchewan Perennial Society events are on hold until further notice.

by Jackie Bantle and Sara Williams

For the next few weeks, we will be presenting a selection of some lovely perennials, hardy and dependable, which should have a place in every northern garden.

Obtaining them can be a real challenge but well worth the effort. Sadly, they are seldom seen in our nurseries and garden centres. They’re in need of both a marketing agent and a propagation push on the part of the wholesale growers who supply our local nurseries. We have grown some of these species for more than 30 years and recommend them very highly.

Noble fumitory, corydalis (Corydalis nobilis)

Corydalis is one of our earliest perennials, forming leafy mounds of attractive, ferny, pinnately-compound foliage with a blue-green cast. The flowers, in large dense racemes, are bright yellow with a brown tip, each with four petals, one of which is spurred. They appear in early spring on 45 to 60 cm (18-24 in.) stems. By early summer they have entered dormancy, leaving not a trace until the next spring.

They do well in full sun to partial shade in well-drained soil with even moisture. Mark their position and take care not to place another plant over them once they become dormant. Place them adjacent to a perennial that will modestly spread into the space vacated by the corydalis by mid-summer. They are a well suited to the edge of a woodland or shade garden.

Note: Although the blue-flowered types are more readily available, they are not reliably hardy in most northern regions.
Corydalis nobilis will self-seed in a very gentle and limited way. Seeds are available from Plant World Seeds (www.plant-world-seeds.com), located in the UK and ships seeds globally. Seeds require a cold period and may take a few weeks or several months to germinate. Plants are available from Lost Horizons Nursery in southern Ontario (www.losthorizons.ca).

‘Rubie’s Choice’ creeping phlox (Phlox borealis)

The genus name is from a Greek word meaning “flame”, referring to the bright pink to red flowers of several species. From 8 to 20 cm (3-8 in.) in height, most have awl shaped, bright green leaves on creeping stems.

Spring blooming, they do best in full sun. Plants can be kept neat by shearing them after bloom.

They are stunning in a rock garden or as edging for a perennial border where the evergreen foliage remains attractive after bloom is finished.

‘Rubies Choice’ is a hybrid of Phlox borealis and P. subulata that originated in Hugh Skinner’s garden in the 1980s. It has bright pink flowers and is more resistant to browning out in winter than any other variety.

Seeds need light to germinate. At 20˚C, seeds should germinate in 7-10 days. Eden Brothers (www.edenbrothers.com) sells seed. Cuttings and plants are available from Wrightman Alpine Nursery in New Brunswick (www.wrightmanalpines.com). Bylands Nursery in BC sells plants. You may want to go directly to the source and contact Skinner’s Nursery and Garden Center in Roblin, Manitoba for plants.

Iris (Iris spp.)

Arctic Iris (Iris setosa var. arctica), native to Siberia and Alaska, thrives under normal garden conditions. Low and grassy, it is 15 to 30 cm (6-12 in.) tall and can be used as a ground cover, at the front of the border or in a sunny rock garden. It has light blue flowers. I. setosa var. indigo has dark violet blue flowers and is a little taller at 30 to 45 cm (12-18 in.).

Spurious iris, bastard iris (Iris spuria), introduced to English gardens as early as 1573, is native from northern Europe to western Asia. The name spuria means false and was given to this species because Linnaeus believed it wasn’t a true species but a group of hybrids.

They are about 90 cm (3 ft) in height with lilac to lavender flowers and erect, glaucous, blue-green foliage.

Hybrids of Iris spuria, available from specialty iris growers, are tall plants to 120 cm (4 ft) with spectacular flowers in an array of colours from yellow to blue, burgundy and brown. They bloom after the tall bearded iris and make excellent cut flowers.

Plant World Seeds sells both of these iris species. Seeds may require a dormant period and can be seeded outdoors in fall for spring germination. Arctic Iris plants are available through Valleybrook Gardens in Abbotsford, BC (www.valleybrook.com). Chapman Iris Farm in Guelph, Ontario (chapmaniris.com) sells Spurious iris plants.

This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society (SPS; saskperennial@hotmail.com). Check our website saskperennial.ca) or Facebook page (facebook.com/saskperennial). All Saskatchewan Perennial Society events are on hold until further notice.

by Erl Svendsen

Since 1933, you can trust recommendations from All-America Selections (www.all-americaselections.org) to have ‘superior garden performance,’ whether they are vegetables, annuals or perennials. You may be familiar with some of their past winners as they have truly stood the test of time: ‘Detroit’ beet (1934), ‘Straight-8’ cucumber (1935) and, more recently, ‘Purple Wave’ petunia (1995). While the 2021 winning crop is smaller than in past years, they are still champions.

‘Creme Brulee’ echalion (shallot): ‘Creme Brulee’ is a large (4-5 inches / 10-13 cm), easy-to-peel, single centred bulb with the typical coppery-pink outer skin and purple interior. Like onions, echalions are easy to grow in the home garden in full sun. Best started indoors, they can be harvested 98 days from transplant. Eaten raw in salads, they have a mild onion flavour with a hint of citrus; when sautéed, the sugars caramelize and add a depth of flavour that doesn’t overpower in a variety of home-cooked dishes.

‘Goldilocks’ acorn squash: One of the issues I have with some squash is that their vines can take over the world. Not this one! It is a compact bush type, taking up only a 4-5-foot (1.2-1.5-m) circle. The other issue I have with squash is their sometimes late harvest. But with ‘Goldilocks’, harvest can start very early, at 70 days after transplant. Each bush produces up to ten 1-pound (500 g), rounded, bright orange squash. When cooked, they have a sweet, rich nutty flavour with a great texture.

Kelos ‘Candela Pink’ celosia: This tall, stunning pink annual is versatile and can be grown equally well in containers and garden beds. The hot pink, poker-like flowers are 10-15 inches (25-40 cm) long, making the total plant height 25-30 inches (65-75 cm). With no deadheading needed, it earned the nickname ‘Energizer Bunny’ for its long bloom time, from late spring to fall. In addition to adding a bright splash of colour to your garden, it makes an excellent cut or dried flower. Planted in full to part sun, it tolerates heat and, for those on an acreage, it is deer resistant. It is propagated from cuttings only and not available from seed.

‘Pot-a-peno’ F1 jalapeno pepper: A very compact jalapeno pepper, and as its name suggests, it does well in containers including hanging baskets, making it perfect for patio and balcony gardens. Despite its small size, it produces masses of 3-4-inch (7.5-10-cm) long, moderately hot green peppers. Leave the peppers a few extra weeks to mature to red, and you’ll be rewarded with some spicy sweetness. Harvest can start as early as 45-50 days after transplanting, earlier than most other varieties, to give you a head start on salsa season. Plant in full sun.

‘Profusion Red Yellow Bicolor’ zinnia, an AAS Gold Medal winner (also Fleuroselect Gold Medal winner). In the past 25 years, only five other winners have been distinguished with a Gold Medal, and three of them belong to the Profusion zinnia series: Profusion Cherry (1999), Orange (1999) and White (2001). Like its forebears, this one flowers profusely from late spring to fall, on medium green, mounded, compact plants (8-14 inches / 20-35 cm). The bold and vibrant bicoloured blooms are 2.5 inches (6 cm) across. Starting out as yellow with red centres, the flowers mature to salmon, apricot and dusty rose shades, harmonizing beautifully with the newer blooms. Performing equally well in containers and the garden, they tolerate heat, rain and wind.

‘Sweet Daisy Birdy’ Leucanthemum (Shasta daisy): Unlike the tall, lanky Shasta daisies in your grandmother’s garden, this one is compact and free flowering. Bright white, 5-inch (7.5-cm) blooms with yellow centres top 18-24-inch (45-60-cm) dark green plants. It can be grown in containers as well as in the ground, towards the mid- and back border in full sun. Indoors, it adds height and brightness to informal bouquets. As a bonus, it attracts pollinators. Heat tolerant and hardy (to zone 3), it should thrive in our prairie gardens. Deadheading will help keep the plants looking their best.

Erl gardens in Saskatoon and occasionally tweets about it @ErlSv.

This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society (SPS; saskperennial@hotmail.com ). Check our website saskperennial.ca) or Facebook page (facebook.com/saskperennial). All Saskatchewan Perennial Society events are on hold until further notice.

by Erl Svendsen

The term ‘New Year resolution’ comes with a lot of baggage. Mostly, it’s because the typical resolution is too big and may require a change in behaviour (e.g. diet and exercise, write a novel). So, let’s just call them good ideas to aspire to so they seem less daunting and more achievable. Along that vein, my first ‘good idea’ for 2021 is to get my articles in on time.

Last year flew by but I managed to take the time to smell (and deadhead) the flowers and harvest my ridiculously large, many-coloured carrot patch – I still have many pounds to go, even after sharing about a third with friends, family and neighbours. I’ve never had such a crop of carrots, but that’s probably thanks to sticking to one of my good ideas from last year: spend more time taking care of my veggie garden, especially with regards to watering.

Another good idea I had last year was to plant something new. Last February, I fell in love with a picture of ‘Amazing Grey’ Shirley poppies with their delicate, single and semi-double ruffled flowers in storm-cloud colours: slate-blue, purple, lavender, and light grey. I had to have them. I sprinkled the dust-like seed directly on the ground and covered with a very thin layer of soil in May. After a few weeks, lime green seedlings emerged (I almost weeded them out) that by July were in full flower. In addition to attracting pollinators, quite a number of my fellow community gardeners remarked on them and asked if they could take a few seed pods to grow in their own garden. My new plant for 2021 is going to be another poppy, this time ‘Giant Rattle’ breadseed poppy sporting large golf ball-sized pods.

Another common gardener’s good idea is to visit other people’s gardens for inspiration (and to maybe convince the owner to share a cutting or division of something that catches your eye). Last year that was a challenge to do in person, but there are other ways to visit a garden. For example, The Gardener for Canadian Climates (formerly The Saskatchewan Gardener) often features beautiful gardens and their caretakers. And virtual garden tours of backyards to Botanic Gardens abound on the interweb (just ask Mr. Google for suggestions).

Maybe this is the year you start a compost pile to take care of your yard and kitchen scraps. The Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council (www.saskwastereduction.ca/recycle/resources/composting/) is an incredible resource with information and videos to help you get started, choosing the right style, and finding a ‘compost coach’ for a bit of one-on-one advice. If composting is not your thing but still want to divert your green waste from the landfill, consider dropping it off a municipal composting depot or signing up for the green bin program in your community.

As a final good idea for 2021, inspect your tools. Sharpen your spades, hoes and pruning equipment. Replace splintering handles and dull, impossible to sharpen blades. If a tool is completely useless, replace it with a ‘tool-for-life’ model. This is not a brand but rather a tool that is made from durable materials (e.g. one-piece cast metal trowel), is well designed (ergonomic) and comes highly recommended by your gardening friends. A lifetime guarantee is often a sign of quality. Even though a tool-for-life may seem expensive at first, you save money in the medium term as your not replacing it (unless your neighbour ‘borrows’ it).

Erl gardens in Saskatoon and tweets about on occasion @ErlSv

This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society (SPS; saskperennial@hotmail.com ). Check our website saskperennial.ca) or Facebook page (facebook.com/saskperennial). All Saskatchewan Perennial Society events are on hold until further notice.

by Bernadette Vangool

In 2010 an older gentleman joined the Saskatchewan Perennial Society. He seemed to have a keen interest in all things related to flowers and perennials. This gentleman, Lawrence Klutz was soon actively participating in all activities of the organization, starting in spring of 2011 as one of the volunteers manning the Saskatchewan Perennial Society’s booth at Gardenscape.

Lawrence was born into the farming community of Canora in 1937 and he and his wife Lorraine spent most of their lives there, only moving to Saskatoon in 2009 to be closer to their two children. Lawrence started out farming but eventually operated a flower shop in Canora. He was proud of the fact that when Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip visited Canora in 1987, he, Lorraine and Kevin Hryhoriw designed all the flower arrangements for the Royal Dinner tables as well as the bouquets presented to the queen when she embarked from the plane in Yorkton and again in Veregin, where she visited the National Doukhobor Heritage Village.

Lawrence was always community minded, and was recognized in 2009 for his 28 years as scout leader and was also a lifetime member of the Lyons club in Canora.

After his move to Saskatoon, he started work at Michaels as their designer in the flower section. He loved sharing his knowledge about flower arranging with customers and loved meeting people.

He completed the Master Gardener Program at the University in October 2011 and since then has volunteered each year at Gardenscape, helping with the set up of the University of Saskatchewan displays and gardens. He was instrumental in the development of the community garden at Varsity View. Helped dig the plots and plant a fruit row for the community, as well as helping out with pruning and clean up.

Lawrence became a Board member of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society in 2014 and took  an active part in the plant selection committee for our plant sale, which is part of our yearly Spring Plant Exchange event. In addition to contributing to the selection of plants ordered each spring, Lawrence also volunteered to have the plants delivered to his home, and to look after them till the actual plant exchange. He also over wintered and donated Canna lilies to the yearly plant sale, with all proceeds going to the Saskatchewan Perennial Society.

At the Plant Exchange, Lawrence soon joined, the select few among our members able to identify mystery plants brought to the exchange, and the conditions needed to keep these plants alive.

Besides his work at Michaels he also spent one day per week in the summer time maintaining the grounds of the Willowcrest condos and was a regular volunteer at the grounds of Ronald MacDonald House for the last five years.

Lawrence passed away on July 14, 2020 and will be remembered by his loving wife, Lorraine, his son and daughter and two grandchildren.

We last met with Lawrence at our board meeting in early March. We will miss his quiet manner and his input and participation in our yearly plant sale. We will miss especially our sharing sessions after the formal meetings, when Lawrence would invariably get out his cell phone and update us on the latest pictures and videos of his beloved grandchildren. We have also appreciated the goodies Lorraine sent along occasionally with Lawrence over the years that he was on the board.

Lawrence was a true gentleman, “a prince of a man” He will be missed by the members of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society, particularly by the members of the board with whom he worked. We all appreciated the way in which he shared his extensive knowledge of plants and gardening, in a positive and enlightening fashion.

This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society (SPS; saskperennial@hotmail.com ). Check our website (www.saskperennial.ca) or Facebook page (www.facebook.com/saskperennial).

This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society (SPS; saskperennial@hotmail.com ). Check our website saskperennial.ca) or Facebook page (facebook.com/saskperennial). All Saskatchewan Perennial Society events are on hold until further notice.

by Sara Williams

Campanula is the Latin word for “little bell” and describes the flowers of this genus – formed from the 5 lobes that are fused at the base in a bell-like form. The flowers are most commonly blue but can be white or in some species, shades of pink.

Most bellflowers thrive in moist, well drained soils in sun or partial shade. Mulch is beneficial to keep the soil cool and moist and to control weed germination.

Medium-sized species such as C. persicifolia and C. glomerata are striking in drifts in the mid-border. Low growing species such as C. cochlearifolia and C. carpatica are excellent plants at the edge of the border or in rock gardens.

Carpathian bellflower (Campanula carpatica) forms a 15- to 20-cm (6-8-in.) tussock of leaves with relatively large blue or white upturned flowers on stems up to 30 cm (12 in.) high from spring to late summer. Divide it every two to three years to maintain vigor. The following varieties are less hardy but more available than the species.

‘Blue Clips’ is more compact with blue flowers.

‘Deep Blue Clips’ is a compact dark blue form.  

‘White Clips’ is a compact white flowered form.  

Dwarf bellflower (or fairy thimble bellflower) (C. cochlearifolia) is a very compact species, 10 to 15 cm (4-6 in.) in height with tiny, deep green leaves and nodding blue or white flowers. Native to the mountains of Europe, the species name is from the Latin word for “little spoon” and describes the shape of the leaves. The plants spread by rhizomes to fill available spaces in the rock garden, around paving stones or at the edge of a path or border. It does best in well-drained soil in full sun.

‘Alba’ is a white form that is less winter hardy than the species.

‘Bavaria Blue’ has light blue flowers.

‘Blue Baby’ is dark blue.

‘Elizabeth Oliver’ has tiny double blue flowers.

‘Miranda’ has icy pale blue flowers.

Clustered bellflower (C. glomerata) is native to Europe and northern Asia with flowers clustered at the top of the stem. Plants are 15 to 60 cm (6-24 in.) high with a spread of 30 to 100 cm (12-36 in.). Shear after bloom for a tidier appearance. Plant them in full sun in well drained soils.

‘Acaulis’ is a shorter form that is almost stemless.

var. alba has white flowers and is 45 to 60 cm (18-24 in.) in height.

‘Superba’ is a vigorous, slightly taller variety with deep violet blue flowers.

Peach-leaved bellflower (C. persicifolia), native to the Balkan peninsula from Turkey into Russia, has foliage similar to a peach as suggested by both the common and Latin names. It is adapted to sun or partial shade in average well-drained soil. The plants spread by rhizomes, forming rosettes of deep green leaves with flower stems to 80 to 100 cm (30-40 in.) with blue or white flowers. It is easy to grow from seed.

‘Alba’ is a white flowered form, up to 80 cm (30 in.) tall.

‘Chettle Charm’ has elegant white flowers edged with blue. It is 75 to 90 cm (30-35 in.) high.

‘Takion Blue’ is a compact form, 40 to 50 cm (15-20 in.) high with pale blue flowers.

‘Takion White’ is a compact white flowered selection of 40 to 50 cm (15-20 in.) in height.

BEWARE the creeping bellflower (C. rapunculoides). This one is considered a serious weed of gardens, back alleys and even lawns. Several blooming, slender stems (in clumps or spread out) may reach 1 metre (3 feet) high or more. Nodding, deep blue to lavender bells develop singly from leaf axils on one side of the upper stem. They may seem harmless and even make a nice cut flower. But once in your yard or neighbourhood, they are poorly behaved, spreading rampantly, and take a great deal of effort to eradicate.

Sara Williams is the author of  Gardening Naturally with Hugh Skinner,  Creating the Prairie Xeriscape, and with Bob Bors, Growing Fruit in Northern Gardens. She gives workshops on a wide range of gardening topics throughout the prairies.

This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society (SPS; saskperennial@hotmail.com). Check our website saskperennial.ca) or Facebook page (facebook.com/saskperennial). All Saskatchewan Perennial Society events are on hold until further notice.

by Erl Svedson

W. Ray Hastings, founder of All-America Selections (AAS; www.all-americaselections.org), had an idea in 1932. He proposed a system of trial gardens across North America where breeder would supply seeds of their latest flower and vegetable varieties. Skilled, impartial judges would assess the plants. The first winners were announced in 1933 and, for the first time, home gardeners, farm seed and florist magazine editors had a reliable source of information about the best new varieties. Today, the non-profit continues to test new varieties in about 80 trial gardens in the USA and Canada. This year, they picked six winning vegetables that performed well in all regions.

Sweet corn ‘American Dream’: Very tender and super sweet, this new, early (77 days from planting) bicolour variety ticks all the check boxes. Plant seeds 8 inches apart in early June. One 8-inch cob per plant. Can be eaten fresh, roasted, grilled, frozen or canned.

Pak choi ‘Asian Delight F1’: also known as bok choi, this new compact, small to midsize (5-7 inch head) cultivar is slow to bolt. Mild tasting, leaves are dark green with a tender white rib. Space 8-10 inches apart. From seed, plants are ready to harvest after 30-50 days; from transplants, 25-40 days. For an extended harvest, stagger two or three plantings a week or two apart. Can also be grown in containers.

Cayenne pepper ‘Red Ember F1’: Early to mature, compact (2 feet gall) and prolific (20-50 peppers) this is an ideal hot pepper for us northerners. Peppers are a warm season plants, so start seed indoors in early February and transplant in the garden in early June. Space plants 1-1.5 feet apart in full sun. From transplant, harvest ripe red, sweet and moderately spicy peppers after 75 days. Can also be container grown.

Habanero pepper ‘Roulette F1’: Habanero’s have a reputation for being too hot for mere mortals. But not this one – all the flavour, but no heat. Start seeds in early April (85°F) for transplanting in early June. Space at least about 2 feet apart in full sun. Ready to start harvesting 85 days after transplanting.

Cocktail tomato ‘Red Racer F1’: Small (1.5-inch globe) but with big flavour. Wioth clusters of uniform fruit that ripen together on a compact bush (3 feet tall), it’s ideal for containers and small spaces. Space transplants 2 feet apart in the garden in early June; ready to harvest after 2 months. Suitable for containers.

Grape tomato ‘Valentine F1’: Sweet, prolific and early – exactly what you’d like to have in a salad or snacking tomato. Set transplants 2 feet apart in the garden in early June. An indeterminate type reaching up to 6 feet tall, ‘Valentine’ will need staking. Harvest dark red fruit starting 55 days after transplant. Intermediate resistance to early blight.

In addition to the trial gardens, there are nearly 200 AAS display gardens showcasing some of the latest winners, including one next to the south entrance to the Agriculture Building on the University of Saskatchewan Campus. Put a note in your calendar to visit it this summer.

Erl gardens in Saskatoon and recently started tweeting about it @ErlSv.

This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society (SPS; www.saskperennial.ca; hortscene@yahoo.com; www.facebook.com/saskperennial).

by Erl Svedsen

The non-profit organization All-America Selections (AAS; www.all-americaselections.org) recently announced their winning flower and vegetable varieties for 2018. This year, six ornamental annuals made the cut.

Canna ‘South Pacific Orange F1’: This canna is compact, reaching 15-52 inches and sports long-lasting bright orange flowers. Compared to other cannas, it produces more basal branches (which equals more flower spikes). It needs neither staking nor deadheading. Start from seed in mid- to late February.

Transplant seedlings to individual pots when large enough to handle. Plant outdoors in full sun after last frost. In fall, you can dig up the fleshy rhizomes and store as you would begonias, dahlias and other tender bulbs, tubers, roots and corms. Great for containers or a compact border.

Cuphea FloriGlory® Diana: Very showy and floriferous, this Mexican heather forms a carpet of magenta flowers overtop dark glossy green leaves, reaching about 12 inches tall by 16 inches in diameter.

This is a great plant for the prairie garden being drought, heat, wind and rain tolerant as well as providing colour well into fall. A full sun plant, great for containers, hanging baskets, and edging in beds and borders.

Gypsophila ‘Gypsy White Improved’: Described as a ‘fluffy white mound of beauty,’ this annual baby’s-breath produces hundreds of large semi-double white flowers over a dense, 10-inch compact globe. Does best in bright and cool conditions; will tolerate warmer condition if given enough water (not drought tolerant). Grow in containers or in the garden as an edger or ground cover.

[Note: ‘Gypsy White Improved’ is a non-invasive baby’s-breath species, Gypsophila muralis].

Marigold Super Hero™ Spry: This compact, early blooming French marigold, 10-12 inches tall, produces large (2-inch) bicolour flowers: bright yellow-gold petals overtop maroon lower petals. Drought and heat tolerant once established, plant in full sun for best results. Deadhead to promote blooming.

Ornamental Pepper ‘Onyx Red’: A real stunner – dark purple-black leaves and stems contrast with bright red fruit on this compact bushy plant. Plant in full sun, this ornamental pepper, provides season-long interest even without fruit.

It has some drought tolerance once established and needs August heat to really perform. In containers, it will grow to about 6 inches; in the garden (beds, borders, mass plantings), it can reach up to 10 inches.

Zinnia ‘Queenie Lime Orange’: Zinnias are as popular today as they were in your grandmother’s garden. This new variety is sturdy (no staking required) and compact (1.5-2 feet) with fully double bicolour blooms that progress through shades of lime, yellow, peach, salmon and orange as they age. Drought and heat tolerant, plant in full sun.

Super for the cut flower garden, flowers can last up to 3 weeks in a vase. When mass planted, the striking large dahlia-like flowers are a real showstopper.

In addition to about 80 trial gardens across the USA and Canada, there are nearly 200 display gardens showcasing some of the latest AAS winners, including one next to the south entrance to the Agriculture Building on the University of Saskatchewan Campus.
Put a note in your calendar to visit it this summer.

Erl gardens in Saskatoon and recently started tweeting about it @ErlSv.

This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society (SPS; www.saskperennial.ca; hortscene@yahoo.com; www.facebook.com/saskperennial).

by Erl Svendsen

As I look out at leafless trees and snow, I am not the least surprised that houseplants have been popular for centuries. And it doesn’t take snow on the ground to want to bring a little natural colour into our homes. 

No plant ever developed naturally to survive in a home. Compared to much of the outside world, houses are dark, dry and occasionally drafty. And rarely does it rain in your house unless the upstairs bathtub overflows. Thus, potted plants rely on a human to supply all essential care and nutrients. Fortunately, many plants are easily grown indoors.

Water: Wait until the top inch of soil is dry to the touch; then water until it comes out at the bottom of the pot. Never allow the pot to sit in water.

Fertilizer: Fertilize once or twice a month at half-strength according to the label instructions. 20-20-20 is a good general houseplant fertilizer. If you’re like me, and put off fertilizing (meaning to do it tomorrow or on the weekend), use a slow-release type specifically made for houseplants and apply it according to label directions, usually every 4, 6, 9 or 12 months, depending on the formulation.

Temperature: Keep plants away from furnace vents. Not only is forced air too hot in winter (and too cold in summer if you have air-conditioning), it is also very drying. In winter, keep plants away from the cold drafts of open doors and windows.

Light: Keep your houseplants out of a direct south exposure (although a few feet away is okay). West and east exposures are fine year-round. Place plants within inches of the glass to ensure sufficient light in a north window. But take care not trap them between the window and the curtains in winter. Containers for plants that are to be in direct sun should never be made of a dark material; the roots may literally cook to death.

Truly tough plants

The appropriately named cast-iron plant (Aspidistra elatior) was commonplace in Victorian parlours, able to survive low light and with little water. While the species has dark green leathery leaves, there are varieties with variegated and spotted foliage. Keep on the dry side and slightly pot-bound. Never use leaf-shine. 

The mother-in-law-tongue or snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata) has thick, long, narrow, dark green, upright leaves that come to a sharp point and can grow up to four feet. Dwarf and variegated varieties exist. It can survive neglect but should be given adequate light (within 2-3 feet of an east or west window; within 4-6 feet of a south window). Keep out of cold drafts and do not over-water. Prefers to be pot-bound.

The Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema sp.) resembles the cast-iron plant in many ways and may even be as tough. The leaves are generally a pale green with a silvery splotched pattern, and are closely attached to one another on a short stem. Numerous varieties exist, differing mainly in leaf pattern including ones with dark pink/red leaf edge. They thrive at room temperature and indirect light. Do not over-water.

The amaryllis (Hippeastrum sp.) does not usually make the list of tough plants; however, if you have a south exposure and don’t care if it flowers exactly at Christmas, this is a very tolerant plant. Long, narrow, light green leaves arise from a bulb and usually last 6-8 months. Remove them with a gentle tug as they yellow. Triggered by daylength, they flower in the fall and again in the spring.  Repot your amaryllis when it breaks its pot. Keep it on the dry and warm side.

Erl gardens in Saskatoon and recently started tweeting about it @ErlSv.

This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society (SPS; www.saskperennial.ca; hortscene@yahoo.com; www.facebook.com/saskperennial). Check out our Bulletin Board or Calendar for upcoming garden information sessions, workshops, tours and other events.

by Margaret Driver

Most of the lilies grown in prairie gardens are hybrids of Asiatic species. Their ancestors originated in Asia in a climate very similar to ours. They can vary in height from 10 inches to 4 feet and come in a generous range of colours, blooming variously from June to late August.

The Longiflorum-Asiatic (LA) hybrids have similar characteristics to the Asiatics, but are sturdier, bloom more profusely, and are altogether showier. They can be more prone to colour-breaking virus especially the purple-red varieties. These have been are primarily hybridized in Holland where disease resistance is not high on the list of breeding goals. All are up-facing.

Martagon lilies have very good disease-resistance and tolerate a wide range of conditions. They should be well watered when planted and given another good watering each spring and occasionally in summer during prolonged dry conditions. Otherwise, they require very little additional water, actually preferring being kept on the dry side. Their down-facing blooms are dainty, recurved and often described as turkscaps. Blooming begins during the last week in June and some have as many as 50 flowers per stem. They are best placed in a semi-shady spot.

The best time to plant lilies is mid- to late-September. Choose a site that is well drained and where they will receive at least 6 hours sun per day. Heavy soils should be amended with fibrous materials such as coarse peat moss. Sharp sand, washed gravel or crushed gravel can be added to beds as well to improve drainage. Lighter soils can be amended with compost or other organic material to improve water holding capacity. However, do not plant bulbs in close contact with rotted manure. For xeriscape gardens, Asiatics and martagons are usually the best bet, but a number of LA hybrids will perform well too.

Plant in small groups of 3 or 5 bulbs, spaced 20 to 25 cm (8 to 10 in.) apart. In light soils, final planting depth should be 3 times as deep as the bulb’s diameter (= 5-6 inches deep); in heavier soils, twice the depth as its diameter (= 4-5 inches).

CTo start, dig the hole 2 inches deeper than required, sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of general lawn fertilizer (e.g. 16-20-0 or 11-52-0) in the bottom, add back 2 inches of soil, then set the bulb in the bottom and cover with soil. Water well.

During the first winter, cover with mulch to add an extra layer of protection.

The lilies listed below are tried and true and highly recommended by experienced prairie lily gardeners. They are available from both garden centres and local lily societies as well as through mailorder.

Asiatic Lilies
Orange: ‘Amarylis’, ‘Buff Pixie’, ‘Enchantment’, ‘Katinka’, ‘Parkland Orange’, ‘Port Alberni Tiger’, ‘Reta’s Comet’, ‘Super Nova’

Yellow: ‘Butter Pixie’, ‘Canola Queen’, ‘Connecticut King’, ‘Edith’ (‘Aleida’), ‘Golden Age’, ‘Golden Princess’, ‘Gran Cru’, ‘Helios’, Haydee’ (‘Hilde’), ‘Ivory Pixie’, ‘Lemon Queen’, ‘Moon Pixie’, ‘Northern Lights’, ‘Petit Brigette’, ‘Yellow Pixie’, ‘Skydancer’

Pink: ‘Barber #17’, ‘Carol Jean’, ‘Chianti’, ‘Crete’, ‘Denia’, ‘Dusky Belles’, ‘Embarrassment’, ‘Honey Pink’, ‘Honeywind’, ‘Ikaria’ (‘Malta), ‘Melissa Jaime’, ‘Minuette’, ‘Monte Rosa’, ‘Pink Pixie’, ‘Prairie Pink’, ‘Robinson’s Comet’, ‘Sassy’, ‘Sonata’, ‘Toscana’, ‘Tropic Delight’, ‘Tropical Dream’

Peach: ‘Doeskin’, ‘Honey Queen’, ‘Peach Supreme’, ‘Salmon Cream’, ‘Tiger Babies’

White: ‘Centrefold’, ‘Cinnamon Toast’, ‘Misty Eyes’, ‘Mont Blanc’, ‘Moon Baby’, ‘Polar Bear’, ‘Roma’, ‘Sweet Surrender’

Red: ‘Bold Knight’, ‘Ed Brooman’, ‘Lovelite’, ‘Mirabella’, ‘Morden Butterfly’, ‘Olina’, ‘Petite’/’Petit’, ‘Red Carpet’, ‘Red Velvet’, ‘River Rouge’, ‘Rosefire’

LA hybrids
Yellow: ‘Royal Dream’, ‘Suncrest’

Pink: ‘Moneymaker’

Peach: ‘Royal Sunset’

Red: ‘Coral Fashion’, ‘Manhattan’, ‘Royal Parade’

Martagon Lilies
Yellow: ‘Mrs R. O. Backhouse’, ‘Joslin’

Pink: ‘Amelita’, ‘Moonyeen’, ‘Rosalinda’

Peach: ‘Brocade’,

Orange: ‘Orange Marmalade’

Whilte: ‘Tarlton’

Brown: ‘Dalhansonii’

For more information about these and other hardy lilies, or to purchase locally grown lilies, come to the Canadian Prairie Lily Society’s annual fall lily bulb sale at the Mall at Lawson Heights in Saskatoon, Sept 29-30, 10:00am-4:00pm. For sale: Asiatic, martagon, orientpet, trumpet, LA and species lilies of many colours, heights and blooming times. Money raised supports horticulture students at the University of Saskatchewan and Olds College.

Margaret is the past-President of the Canadian Prairie Lily Society (www.prairielily.ca).

This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society (SPS; www.saskperennial.ca; hortscene@yahoo.com; www.facebook.com/saskperennial). Check out our Bulletin Board or Calendar for upcoming events.

by Sara Williams

Common names such as “chokecherry” often provide a link between culture and horticulture. Few people would eat chokecherry out of hand, fresh off the bush. It’s simply too astringent. Yet once processed into jam, jelly, syrup or wine (or made into ice cream!), it is excellent and hard to beat.

Both the western chokecherry  (P. virginiana var. melanocarpa) and the easternchokecherry (P. virginiana  var. virginiana) are found here. The species name, virginiana, refers to part of its native range, the state of Virginia; melanocarpa means black fruited. Both species have purple to black fruitbut the eastern chokecherry also has variants with yellow to red fruit.

Found in bluffs, ravines, sand hills and open woodland, chokecherries are large, upright, suckering shrubs with smooth, slender reddish brown branches. Less often, they are small upright trees. Their form is generally rounded and irregular and from 6 to 30 feet tall. They grow rapidly, begin to fruit about 3 years after planting and live for about 40 years. There are several purple-leafed forms whose leaves emerge green and turn dark purple by early summer (e.g. ‘Schubert’).

The tendency of many chokecherries to sucker may be a problem when planted on a smaller property. They are recommended for informal shrub borders, wildlife plantings and shelterbelts, providing food and cover for birds. The white flowers are fragrant, about 3/8 inch across and held in loose racemes 3 to 6 inches long.

Chokecherry fruit (about 1/3 of an inch in diameter) develop in loose racemes. They are flavourful but astringent and contain a single seed (also called a pit or stone). Chokecherries are easy to harvest because each raceme generally holds 15 to 20 cherries that range in size from 4 to 12 mm in diameter. 75% is fleshy pulp and juice and 25% is the seed or pit.

They are usually harvested in the last half of August. Once fully ripe, the fruit becomes sweeter and more palatable. Freezing also reduces the astringency. Unripe fruit contains more pectin. To ensure that your jelly sets, use 1/4 to 1/3 under-ripe fruit – cherries that are more red than dark purple-black.

Although most plant parts contain cyanogenic glycoside prunasin (cyanide), which is converted to hydrocyanic (prussic) acid in the stomach, the meaty flesh of the fruit is not toxic. Chokecherries are dangerous only if large quantities of the fresh fruit are eaten without first removing the pits or when they have not been processed properly. Boiling (as is done with most processing) neutralizes these toxins. Steam extraction of juice can also be safely used.

Chokecherries are also high in healthy antioxidant pigments (anthocyanins) that give the fruit its characteristic purple and red colour and leave stains of the same colour on your clothes and counters. Colour is important. When making jam, jelly or syrup, keep in mind that the black-fruited varieties make a luxurious burgundy-coloured syrup. Red, orange and yellow-fruited varieties make a less vibrantly coloured (sometimes brown) syrup. On the positive side, trees with the lighter-coloured fruit look spectacular in the landscape.

Chokecherries are easy to find in the wild and along riverbanks, or you may wish to plant one. Among the named varieties are:

‘Bailey’s Select Schubert’, ‘Boughen Sweet’,‘Boughen’s Golden’, ‘Canada Red’,  ‘Garrington’, ‘Goertz’,  ‘Lee Red’, ‘Maxi’, ‘Midnight Schubert’, ‘Mission Red’, ‘Pickup’s Pride’,  ‘Robert’, and ‘Schubert.’

Black knot (Apiosporina morbosa), a fungal disease that overwinters in distinctive “knots” on infected Mayday and chokecherry trees, is a major problem, best dealt with by pruning off the galls. Disinfect your pruning tools with a 5% bleach solution or an alcohol-based disinfectant such as Lysol or 90% rubbing alcohol between cuts.

Sara is the author of numerous gardening books, among them the revised Creating the Prairie Xeriscape. And with Hugh Skinner: Gardening Naturally – A Chemical-free Handbook for the Prairies and Trees and Shrubs for the Prairies. Expect Fruit for Northern Gardens with Bob Bors in November, 2017. 

This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society (SPS; www.saskperennial.ca; hortscene@yahoo.com; www.facebook.com/saskperennial). Check out our Bulletin Board or Calendar for upcoming garden information sessions, workshops, tours and other events: Plant & Seed Exchange and Bulb sale, September 10, 1-4pm Forestry Farm Park and Zoo. Members Only but memberships (a mere $10) available at the door.

by Bernadette Vangool

This is part one of a two-part series on the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park and Zoo.

Nestled in the heart of Sutherland lies Saskatoon’s favourite picnic destination for young families, groups, weddings, seniors and singles. Saskatoon’s Forestry Farm Park and Zoo boasts an accredited zoo, fishing pond, miniature train, gardens, play areas and mature forest. It’s a great place to go jogging in the summer and skiing in the winter.

But the original purpose of this park just over 100 years ago was far different than today. Before settlement, the prairies were an expansive natural grassland. Whatever trees existed were found near water sources – creeks, rivers and lakes – while the plains themselves were covered by native grasses, sedges, flowers, drought tolerant shrubs and cacti. The majority of trees we see in the grainbelt today were planted by our pioneers and early settlers with the help of two nursery stations, one located in the south at Indian Head, and the other in the north, the Sutherland Forest Nursery Station – now the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park and Zoo.

Prairie settlers came in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Many of them brought familiar plants and seeds, only to be disappointed when so many withered and died because of the harsh prairie conditions. It became apparent that to settle the West and to make the land more hospitable, trees were needed to both beautify and act as shelterbelts for homesteads, livestock and crops.

The Dominion of Canada created the Experimental Farm at Indian Head in the late 1800s to develop and propagate prairie-hardy trees. By 1906, demand for shelterbelt trees exceeded the two million seedlings that Experimental Farm was able to ship out. So in 1913, Sutherland was chosen as the site for a sister station. James McLean, the first Superintendent, oversaw the planting of shelterbelts and propagation fields and the building of the red brick house that was to become his family’s home. Besides propagating reliable tree species, plant breeders developed new shrubs and trees for shelterbelts and for the beautification of prairie farmsteads,

Les Kerr, the second and last Superintendent from 1942-1965, had a background in horticulture with a strong interest in wildlife. He concentrated his breeding efforts on hardy, ornamental and disease-free shelterbelt trees and shrubs that would provide birds with habitat as well as fruit and seeds. He worked with caragana, elder, plum and other fruit trees.

Along with producing trees and conducting research, one of the Station’s functions was to act as a demonstration landscape to show what could be grown in this climate. Ash Avenue, planted in 1914, is still visible if you walk past the Kinsmen playground on your way to the trout pond. There is also still a row of bur oak as well as a small apple orchard from those early days. Now mature, this is the landscape we enjoy today.

In keeping with this tradition, the Saskatchewan Perennial Society developed and maintains two gardens. The Meditation Garden, found on the former site of the foreman’s house, is an informal, restful garden featuring a sunny border, a dry streambed, a bog garden and a shady area under an old Manitoba maple tree.

A short stroll brings visitors to the adjoining Heritage Rose Garden. This one is a tribute to the early prairie plant breeders who collected, selected and hybridized hardy ornamental plants. It includes ‘Sutherland Golden’ elder, ‘Goldenlocks’ elder, and ‘Fuchsia Girl’, an apple seedling of ‘Royalty’, all developed by Les Kerr. The original lilac and caragana hedges enclose the two gardens.

Monthly during the summer, the Friends of the Forestry Farm House host free guided leisurely walking tours through the park, identifying tree species, discussing shelterbelt use and function, and talking about the history of the remaining buildings. Mark your calendars for our next (and last for the season) tour on August 27, starting at 2:00 pm.

Bernadette is an avid gardener and a board member of both the Saskatchewan Perennial Society and Friends of the Forestry Farm House (www.fffh.ca).

by Erl Svendsen, PAg

When I was a child… ok, old people say stuff like that, but really, when I was young, summer camp meant spending a week away from home, living in cabins or tents with total strangers at a lake or in the woods, learning to swim, do crafts, start a fire, make new friends, recognize poisonous and edible plants and loads more. Once you got over your homesickness, you wanted to stay forever. Now, summer camp can still be that, but there are the weeklong sleep-in-your-own-bed varieties like drama, hockey, science, ecology and art camps. What all these camps have in common are stepping out your comfort zone, meeting new people (even making a new life-long friend), mastering a skill or craft, and learning something interesting. My question is, why do kids get to have all the fun?

The answer is, of course, adults have their own type of camp. For gardeners, there are plenty of opportunities. Starting with Hort Week, July 8-14, at the University of Saskatchewan (http://continuing.usask.ca/personal-interest/hort-week.php). Participants (aka campers) can register for one the free workshops (such as Gardening Naturally: Chemical Free Gardening on Thursday), free tours and any of the many courses offered during the week including making your own hypertufa pot, basic perennial gardening, safe use of pesticides and alternatives, groundcover and vines, how to prepare probiotic vegetables, herbal medicines from field and garden, lawns and lawn care and a whole lot more. Take in one day or the whole week. For more information, email gardening@usask.ca or phone 306-966-5097 (tip: take advantage of a 10% early-bird discount by registering by June 23).

For the busy gardener-camper, there are several day trips in Saskatoon. The Saskatchewan Perennial Society (SPS) hosts two free garden tours on June 11 and July 9 (for details, see Bulletin Board @ www.saskperennial.ca). The Friends of the Forestry Farm House (http://www.fffh.ca) likewise hosts free walking tours (June 25, July 16, August 27) starting from the Superintendent’s Residence, the big brick house at the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park and Zoo. The 8th annual Nest Secret Garden Tour (https://nestsaskatoon.net) on July 30 features 8 magnificent yards in Montgomery Place, Confederation Park and the University neighbourhoods – passports are available from Dutch Growers, McNally Robinson Bookstore and Anthology Home Collection. For a longer sojourn, join the Saskatchewan Horticultural Association on their 3-day bus tour exploring The South Saskatchewan River & The Great Sand Hills (for details, contact Sheila Glennie: sheglennie@gmail.com or 306-338-7304).

If volunteering is more your speed, there are a few garden-related opportunities. The first one that comes to mind is the Labour & Learn events at the two public gardens (the Robin Smith Meditation Garden and the Heritage Rose Garden) that the SPS created and maintain at the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park and Zoo. While helping to beautify a small corner of Saskatoon you have a chance to learn something new from a more experienced gardener or pass on a bit of gardening lore to a new-to-gardening volunteer. Just drop in with your favourite hand tools (see SPS Calendar-2017 @ www.saskperennial.ca). Another gardening volunteer opportunity is to join the Weedin’ Wednesday crew at the Garden Patch (3:30-7:30 every Wednesday, 900 block of 3rd Avenue North, just south of 33rd Street East and Warman Road). The Garden Patch (http://www.saskatoonfoodbank.org/urban-agriculture-the-garden-patch) is a community-driven urban agriculture initiative of the Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre. Since they planted their first seeds seven year ago, they have raised over 110,000 pounds of produce that has been distributed in our community. For other volunteer opportunities at the Garden Patch, phone 306.664.6565 ext 228 or email volunteer@saskatoonfoodbank.org.

Erl gardens in Saskatoon. He recently started tweeting @ErlSv.

This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society (SPS; www.saskperennial.ca; hortscene@yahoo.com; www.facebook.com/saskperennial). Check out our Bulletin Board or Calendar for upcoming garden information sessions, workshops, tours and other events. Got growing questions? Gardenline is here to help! Email gardenline@usask.ca with your questions or call Helen at 306-966-5865.

by Erl Svendsen

It’s time to give your yard a critical review: what to remove, what to fix, what to keep. After all, your yard is supposed to enhance your quality of life and your property value.

Start by getting rid of the unwanted by throwing out, recycling or donating old boards, tomato cages, leaky hoses, unused composters, garden tools, empty pots, bicycle tires, extra lawnmower, etc. You think you’ve cleverly hidden them out-of-sight under your deck, behind an old spruce or alongside your house but you’re not fooling anyone.

Next, deal with the weeds in your lawn, in your planting beds, in the gravel along that one side of your house and in the expansion joints in your driveway and sidewalks. You can dig them out or carefully spray them with an appropriate herbicide. To reduce future problems in your beds, add 3-4 inches of organic mulch to smoother seedlings.

Next, look at your trees. Have any outgrown their purpose/space? My neighbour just removed a white spruce planted too close to his house and our common fence. Now he has more light in his dining room and we have a better view. If you have less than 30% deadwood, prune your tree back into shape. Unless it’s top-dieback like most paper birches eventually develop (caused by bronze birch borer) – then remove and replace. If there’s 30-50% deadwood, you may be able to save it, but think about why there’s so much: not hardy (e.g. purple leaved Norway maple=replace); wrong location (too wet=improve drainage; too dry=increase irrigation; too much traffic=reduce foot & vehicle traffic); or it’s susceptible to pests and diseases (control pests or replace with a resistant species/specimen). Also think about how long it will take the tree to recover. If there is more than 50% deadwood, there’s something seriously wrong and it’s time to replace with a more suitable specimen.

Shrubs are more amenable to pruning and shaping than trees, and can recover from more dieback than trees… to a point. If a shrub has outgrown its space or has developed an unattractive shape you have a few options. Renewal prune: remove 1/3 of the oldest branches each year for three years. More drastic: prune over-mature shrubs to the ground to stimulate new growth. Or maybe it’s time for something different. With less than 50% deadwood, you can prune to improve its appearance. With more than 50%, you can still prune, but think about why there’s so much (as above for trees). It is also possible that last fall or winter was unusual in some way causing more than normal dieback. This spring, all my ‘Mini Sunglow’ spireas in the front yard are 90-100% dead. This, after eight years without skipping a beat. I’m blaming it on the ice/snow storm in early October. I think I’ll chance it and replace them with the same.

Finally, evaluate your perennials. Divide perennials that have outgrown their space. Too aggressive or expansive? Remove and replace with something better behaved.  Perennial with more than 50% winter dieback? Consider as above reasons why. As with my spireas, all my blue oatgrass and blue fescue are complete write-offs. Again, I’m blaming the unusual fall. But here I’m seeing an opportunity to try something new.

Erl gardens in Saskatoon. He recently started tweeting @ErlSv.

This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society (SPS; www.saskperennial.ca; hortscene@yahoo.com; www.facebook.com/saskperennial). Check out our Bulletin Board or Calendar for upcoming garden information sessions, workshops, tours and other events: Gardening at the UofS – http://gardening.usask.ca or call 306-966-5539. May 27, 9:00 am – Labour & Learn [a volunteer and learning opportunity, helping to maintain two public SPS gardens at the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo]. Got growing questions? Gardenline is here to help! Email gardenline@usask.ca with your questions or call Helen at 306-966-5865.

by Erl Svendsen

I was a little surprised to discover that there are over 3000 registered hosta cultivars. The choices are endless: giant, dwarf, green, gold, blue, variegated, wide leaf, narrow leaf, puckered leaf and twisted leaf. Do you want white flowers or mauve flowers? How about frangrance? You can have it all. With that much selection, how in the world does a gardener make a choice? And why are we usually limited to just a dozen or more of the same varieties year-after-year?

The American Hosta Growers Association (www.hostagrowers.org) understood this quandary 20 years ago when they started their ‘Hosta of the Year’ program. It was their way to encourage retailers to expand the range of cultivars they offered for sale by highlighting a cultivar that may be underused but is a good all-round garden plant with some great, interesting features.

This year’s Hosta of the Year is ‘Brother Stefan’. And it doesn’t disappoint. It was released in 1999 by Olga Petryszyn (known as the ‘Hosta Lady’, www.hostalady.com). It’s a medium-sized (25 inches tall x 30 inches wide) hosta with tri-colour puckered or seersucker leaves. Centred on the leaves is a gold maple leaf pattern (if you use your imagination) surrounded by chartreuse and edged in dark green. Pure white flower clusters fly above the mound of leaves in early summer. Because of its thick leaves, it is described as ‘slug resistant.’ I have also seen ‘deer resistant’ in some descriptions.

As with most hostas, it requires evenly moist soil. Amend you soil with plenty of organic matter and cover soil with 3-4 inches of organic mulch to conserve soil moisture, keep the roots cool in summer and protect them in winter from our extreme Prairie cold. Plant in part to full shade. In the garden, it makes a great accent plant or it can be used en masse as a border. It can also be grown in containers (in fall, dig plant into your garden) and the longer flower stems, up to 2 feet long, can be used a cut flowers.

Olga has registered several outstanding hosta cultivars, but her favourite, when asked, is ‘Brother Stefan’. It may turn out to be yours too.

Erl gardens in Saskatoon. He recently started tweeting @ErlSv.

This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society (SPS; www.saskperennial.ca; hortscene@yahoo.com; www.facebook.com/saskperennial). Check out our Bulletin Board or Calendar for upcoming garden information sessions, workshops, tours and other events: Gardening at the UofS – http://gardening.usask.ca or call 306-966-5539. May 27, 9:00 am – Labour & Learn [a volunteer and learning opportunity, helping to maintain two public SPS gardens at the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo]. Got growing questions? Gardenline is here to help! Email gardenline@usask.ca with your questions or call Helen at 306-966-5865.