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More unusual trees surviving on the prairies

Sask Perennial Society
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More unusual trees surviving on the prairies

Bernadette Vangool

In 2002 my daughter and I were on a bus trip to Manitoba. We were both relatively new to the perennial gardening scene, and were amazed at the diversity of plant material available in Manitoba nurseries, from trees to shrubs as well as perennials. One of the trees we came across at a Morden Nursery was the Catalpa tree; the Northern or Western Catalpa (Catalpa speciosa) which survives in sheltered microclimates in Manitoba.

Not to be scared away from a mere hardiness label, my daughter decided to order a tree and planted it on the boulevard in front of her tiny home in the Exhibition area. Many years later, she has since moved, but the tree still survives on the boulevard.

Northern Catalpa is native to a relatively small area where the Mississippi and Ohio rivers meet in western Kentucky and western Tennessee. It has been cultivated in Ohio for two hundred years, where it was used by farmers to make fence posts, furniture and as trim boards in building. Northern Catalpa it is now naturalized in the mid western United States. A fast-growing tree in its native range it is much slower growing in the north. You can view the Catalpa in Patterson Gardens or in the boulevard on the corner of Hilliard Street and McPherson Avenue in Saskatoon.

The leaves come out late spring and are still small and yellowish while many other trees have dark foliage. Leaves grow quite large on long stalks on opposite sides of twigs. Leaves can be 15cm in width (5 to 6 inches), are heart shaped at the top but come down in a triangle to a very narrow pointy tip. The Catalpa flowers in July, and has clusters of large bell-like white flowers with purple spots in the centre. The seed pods resemble narrow but very long beans which persist through winter, hence its other name ‘cigar tree’. In fall the leaves will yellow and drop off, or some years they will all fall to the ground after a hard frost. In northern climates like ours it probably will only attain a height of around 15 metres, compared to its usual height of 30 metres.

Another oddity in the landscape at the Saskatoon Forestry Farm park is the white mulberry tree (Morus alba). Probably a left over from the days when the Forestry Farm was the Sutherland Forest Nursery Station. This tree is quite small and is in a stand of trees between the wedding garden and the Kinsmen Playground, it faces the lawn. The white mulberry has varied leaves some oval and smooth edged and others are lobed. The flowers are catkins in spring. Its edible fruit ranges from whitish to pink but turns almost black when ripe, resembling an elongated blackberry.

Bernadette Vangool Photo
A branch of the white mulberry showing the different leave patterns on one tree.

A native to China and India, it was cultivated to feed silkworms employed in the commercial production of silk. It was introduced to Canada in the 1800’s as a fruit tree and is now widely naturalized in warmer zones and a concern in regions like Ontario where it is considered an invasive species and will outcompete the endangered red mulberry.

Another plant I have encountered at the Forestry Farm and have not seen elsewhere is Oregon Grape (Berberis aquifolium). This shrub is native to the Pacific North West from Oregon to British Columbia. It is a zone 5 plant which has been surviving at the Robin Smith Meditation Garden since it was opened around 1998. I do not know if it was planted then or was a holdover from the nursery days.

In it’s native habitat Oregon Grape will flower in spring with yellow clusters of flowers and will later in summer bear fruit clusters. At the Meditation Garden I have never seen it flower, nor bear fruit. It has beautiful shiny leaves resembling English holly. This year with the copious rain, it has really flourished, but only as a ground cover, not really a shrub. The leaves are evergreen, sometimes getting a purplish sheen in winter.

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) for a list of upcoming gardening events.

Our Facebook readers asked for more Brian Baldwin

Sask Perennial Society
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Our Facebook readers asked for more Brian Baldwin

Ginkgo

By Brian Baldwin

Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) is horticulture’s best-known living fossil. Abundant and cosmopolitan in the fossil record extending back 270 million years, the tree was thought long extinct by western scientists. Then in 1690 botanist Engelbert Kaempfer (1651–1716) happened upon a small grove of living ginkgos growing in the garden of a Japanese temple. He brought seeds back to The Netherlands and planted them in the Utrecht Botanical Garden, where those 300-year-old trees remain today.

Unchanged for 270 million years, no other tree offers so direct a link to the past. Cambridge professor, Sir Albert Seward (1863–1941) remarked: “It appeals to the historic soul: we see it as an emblem of changelessness, a heritage from worlds too remote for our human intelligence to grasp, a tree which has in its keeping the secrets of the immeasurable past.”

Every ginkgo leaf is living antiquity. They are the only leaves alive today that demonstrate the ancient pattern of dichotomous venation. That is, veins fork like the letter Y, eventually generating a bi-lobed, fan-shaped leaf. These distinctive leaves are apple green and flutter in a gentle breeze so a large tree looks like an enormous maidenhair fern. They turn brilliant yellow in autumn and drop all at once as if on cue.

The name “ginkgo” is Chinese, meaning “silver apricot,” referring to the seed. While it would be easy to call these soft tan-yellow, plum-like structures “fruits,” ginkgo is so ancient it predates the evolution of fruit. It simply produces naked seeds, placing it among our most ancient gymnosperms—plants that produce naked seeds—and our most ancient of seed producing plants.

Ginkgo trees are either male or female with only males being recommended horticulturally. This is due to the seed’s oily covering, which is highly charged with butanoic acid, the same substance responsible for the smell of rancid butter.

As an exchange student in the late 1980s, I lived near the New Zealand city of Hastings, where the main street was planted with both male and female ginkgos. When the seeds fell in autumn, one could nearly skate through the oil slick on the pavement, while breathing in the strong disagreeable odor of rancid butter.

Despite genetics unaltered by hundreds of millions of years, ginkgos survive tenaciously in the modern world. They thrive in today’s polluted cities better than almost any other tree, have essentially no insect or disease problems and withstand remarkable root crowding, growing well in pots. They are also very long lived with some in Asia thought to be 3,000 years old. Perhaps the most remarkable testament to their survival are four highly revered ginkgos growing in central Hiroshima. All were within two kilometers of the 1945 blast and while little else survived amid the holocaust; those four trees remain alive today, still bearing scorch wounds.

Saskatchewan falls just outside the hardiness range for ginkgo, but one should never underestimate the miracle of the microclimate. I know of a number of small ginkgos thriving within Saskatoon’s heat island. Two are on the University of Saskatchewan campus: the smaller in the southwest corner of the plot behind the Biology Building, and the larger at Innovation Place. It is tucked into an exquisite microclimate just outside the Sedco Centre doors that face west onto the pelican pool. The others are in private gardens around the city. Of those, I own two: one is presently emerging from its sixth winter in the backyard, and the other (the lucky twin) lives in a pot and winters in a 4°C cooler. Both continue to do well and provide a glimpse of living antiquity that can truly touch the historic soul.

Brian Baldwin was with the Department of Plant Sciences in the College of Agriculture at the University of Saskatchewan. Since his passing I am not sure what happened to his potted Ginkgo, nor the fate of the tree in his yard. I did venture out to the University of Saskatchewan today and found the tree at the Atrium at Innovation Place doing well. It was unclear from his description in the article as to the exact location of the second tree on campus. There has been some construction in that area, with new pathways etc. I was unable to find the smaller tree.

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) for a list of upcoming gardening events.

Gardens at the Forestry Farm Park

Sask Perennial Society
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Gardens at the Forestry Farm Park

Bernadette Vangool

In 1996 the Saskatchewan Perennial Society embarked on an ambitious project to establish a Meditation Garden at the Forestry Farm Park in the location where the Foreman’s house had recently been demolished. Robin Smith a landscape architect with Meewasin, and also a past president of our Society had envisioned the garden, but unfortunately passed away in 1994 from cancer. Using Robin’s concept drawings of the area that occupied the Foreman’s Residence and the adjacent vegetable garden, Grace Berg an active member of the Perennial Society designed the Meditation Garden and a few years later the Heritage Rose Garden. Both gardens perpetuate the tradition of the former Sutherland Nursery Station to showcase plant material that does well in our climate, so that visitors can get ideas and inspiration to alter their home gardens and embrace winter hardy specimens that will endure through many years. To that end labels were made to identify species and cultivars in both gardens.

The Robin Smith Meditation garden which opened in 1998 was flanked on the North and East sides with the original caragana edges planted in 1913. To the West The City of Saskatoon installed two rock walls and added some lilacs and mature cedars, to the South original lilac hedges separated the garden from grassy field that at one time was a vegetable garden. The bermed perennial borders and a dry gravelled stream ending in a large pond and bog area were the focal point of the garden. Two benches along a pathway around the garden, which included a little bridge, crossing the stream, provided a resting place for visitors to contemplate and admire the garden. An old Manitoba Maple provided low branches that often served as a backdrop for wedding and graduation photographs. Sometimes throughout the year, the volunteers who weed, and top-dress the garden with compost have to accommodate the artists who often use the space to paint the landscape or particular plants of interest. Today, the pond has all but disappeared, but bog plants that thrive in the low moist areas have been introduced. An effort is made to replace plants when needed and in the last few years we have started to introduce some native plants under the old Maple tree.

In 2003 work was started on the Heritage Rose Garden. The volunteers who had built the arbor at the entrance of the gardens were called upon again to build additional structures in the Rose Garden to tie the gardens together. We worked with the Art Placement Committee of the City of Saskatoon to get some sculptures installed in both gardens. While this garden would be focussing on Roses predominately it also included trees by prairie plant breeders such as Percy Wright’s ‘Thunderchild’ crab apple, Les Kerr’s ‘Fuchsia Girl’ crab apple and ‘Rudolph’ a crab apple introduced by Frank Skinner. The crab apples are usually in their glory in the 2nd and 3rd week in May. Unfortunately, we lost ‘Rudolph’ (the tree) to a plow wind last year. Interesting shrubs in the garden include ‘Abbotsford’ Potentilla, ‘Blizzard’ Mockorange, and the ‘Sutherland Golden’ and ‘Goldenlocks’ elder, both introductions from Les Kerr, who was the second Superintendent of the Sutherland Forest Nursery.

The majority of the roses featured in the gardens were bred in Canada, with the exception of  three pavement roses, which are rugosa roses that originated in Germany. We have ‘Foxy Pavement’, ‘Purple Pavement’ and we recently added ‘Snow Pavement’. These roses are very hardy, produce very large rose hips and when in bloom, perfume the whole garden.

Because the gardens are so well hidden, from the road, we have had to deal with some vandalism, one example is the pond that we could not maintain in its natural form, as rocks were continually pushed into the water. Labels are being moved around by elves at night, to make things interesting and at times frustrating for volunteers. Peony cages disappear. Nevertheless, working at the gardens with other like-minded people is a joy. Volunteers are always welcome to join us at our ‘Labour and Learn’ and ‘Weedy Wednesday’ sessions. You can check our website Calendar for dates and times.

Next time you are at the Forestry Farm Park, don’t forget to take a stroll down Foreman Road and through the everchanging landscape of the gardens.

This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society (SPS; saskperennial@hotmail.com). Check our website (www.saskperennial.ca) or Facebook page for a list of upcoming gardening events.

Aster Yellows – a common garden disease

Sask Perennial Society
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Aster Yellows – a common garden disease

Jill Thomson, Saskatchewan Perennial Society

If you find a plant with strange growth in your garden, it may well have aster yellows disease. This disease was first identified on aster flowers many years ago. The responsible organism is a minute piece of virus-like genetic material called a phytoplasma, primarily transmitted by leafhoppers. When a leafhopper feeds on an infected plant, it sucks up phytoplasma particles and its salivary glands become “infected”. When feeding on healthy plants, 10-14 days after initial infection of the insect,  the leafhopper injects phytoplasma into the phloem and disease symptoms will appear in the plant 10-40 days later. There is no cure for aster yellows and infected plants should be removed as they become reservoirs of infection, capable of increasing the amount of disease present.

The disease has an extremely wide host range including many ornamentals such as aster, delphinium, coneflower, calendula, zinnia, chrysanthemum, petunia and snapdragon. Vegetables and herbs such as lettuce, carrot, pumpkin, tomato, celery and coriander can also become infected.

Disease symptoms can be very variable depending on the host plant. In many cases plants become stunted and very yellow looking (chlorotic), but occasionally the plants are taller than normal and stand out from the rest of a crop of healthy plants as is the case in canola and coriander fields. Another obvious symptom is flowers do not develop normal petals. Instead, the flowers typically look like a cluster of abnormal, yellowish-green, bladder-like leaves. This can be seen in delphinium, echinacea, calendula, aster, and even dandelion.

Carrots are a common host if the leafhopper population is high. The first sign of carrot infection is bronzing of the leaves followed by a dense growth of small, chlorotic leaves at the top of the carrot. When the carrots are pulled up, a mass of small roots has usually developed on the main carrot root, and the carrot will have a bitter flavour. Disease symptoms may differ depending upon what host species is infected. For example, while carrot roots may be bitter and hairy, lettuce may show pink or tan spots and have twisted inner leaves. Several years ago, there was a very high population of leafhoppers, and a pumpkin patch at the University of Saskatchewan was affected. The infected pumpkin plants were very obvious as they were extremely chlorotic, the leaves were abnormally shaped and no flowers developed. Obviously this had a severe impact on yield as none of the infected plants could produce pumpkins.

Photo by Jill Thomson.
Infected pumpkin – note the large, chlorotic leaves and smaller abnormally shaped leaves.

Occasionally, similar symptoms can be caused by infection with other viruses, or accidental exposure to herbicide. In the latter case, plants sometimes recover and symptoms disappear. This does not happen with aster yellows infection.

Management strategies to help control the disease:

1. Remove isolated specimens of infected plants. Early diagnosis and prompt removal of infected specimens help reduce the spread of the disease. Also, infected vegetables can be harvested early which is helpful in reducing the reservoir of infection.

2. Reduce leafhopper numbers. This can be difficult, however. Susceptible crops, or individual plants, can be covered with fine mesh cloth to keep leafhoppers away from the plants.

3. Remove weeds that may provide an early source of infection for feeding leafhoppers. Dandelions can survive our winters even when infected, and leafhoppers feeding in the spring can pick up the phytoplasma and transmit it to healthy garden plants.

4. Plant less susceptible species such as geranium, impatiens, nicotiana, salvia and verbena. This is helpful if you are having difficulty with aster yellows infection in the flower bed.

Jill Thomson is a plant disease specialist (retired) who enjoys gardening in Saskatoon with her family, including the grandchildren and dogs. This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society (SPS; saskperennial@hotmail.com). Check our website (www.saskperennial.ca) or Facebook page for a list of upcoming gardening events.

Mindful gardening: your own personal oasis

Sask Perennial Society
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Mindful gardening: your own personal oasis

Bernadette Vangool

Have you ever wanted to get away from all the annoying emails and posts on Facebook as well as the doom and gloom in the news of the day? Well,…here is your chance…You can make yourself a garden, your own personal oasis. A place you can sit, work or play while enjoying nature.

It need not be big; some people only have a small balcony. Apartment dwellers can perhaps garden indoors in front of a sunny window. For some of you who want to grow your own vegetables, you can join a community garden in your neighbourhood. A local garden club can also offer opportunities to garden with others. The Saskatchewan Perennial Society maintains two gardens at the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park and Zoo; the Robin Smith Meditation Garden and the Heritage Rose Garden. They are always looking for volunteers. To take part, all you have to do is show up, (with your favourite garden implement, some mosquito spray and on hot days a water bottle), to a labour and learn session on a Saturday morning, or perhaps join us on Weedy Wednesday to garden in the evening hours. You can check the Calendar on our website for dates and times. All these activities free you from doomsday scrolling, take you away from everyday worries while at the same time benefiting the environment. Let’s make the world a better place, one plant at a time.

Besides reducing stress and anxiety while tending your garden plot, you can increase the benefits to the environment by introducing some native plants into your landscape. Native plants are by and large relatively low maintenance. As they are adapted to the local soil, temperature and rainfall patterns, they often require less water. These plants also benefit native wildlife, pollinators and birds. Before you embark on this endeavor, you might want to do some homework on the behaviour of the plants you want to introduce. Some natives may be too aggressive when grown in the urban garden setting.

As you become familiar with gardening, observe what is blooming in your yard at different seasons from early spring to late fall. Optimally there should be some plants blooming throughout the year (winter excepted of course). These plants need not be perennials per se. They can be shrubs, like flowering cherry, plum and apple trees in early spring, Amur maple and Ohio buckeye trees in June, and linden trees in late June. All will be abuzz with life at bloom time. Add other pollinator friendly (not necessary native) plants that bloom throughout the year. There are many to choose from, such as bee balm, purple cone flower, helianthus, goldenrod and aster to name just a few. Many of these provide both pollen and nectar.

If you are interested in attracting specific butterflies, you can provide both their food source, which the adults feed on, and their host plant, on which the adults lay their eggs, and the caterpillars feed on. Providing both host and food plants in your garden will more likely attract the species of butterfly you are interested in. In case of the host plant, you will have to expect some damage on the leaves as caterpillars are feeding.

If you plant it they will come. With the shrubs and trees in place you are now creating the perfect setting for birds to invade. Who does not enjoy seeing birds at the feeder or splashing in the bird bath while looking out the kitchen window, sipping on that first cup of coffee? You can enjoy these creatures even more by providing some grasses and other plants such as sunflowers, while Mountain Ash will provide berries for your feathered friends throughout the winter.

To get ideas for this great garden adventure, join some of your local garden clubs for a garden tour. The following events are just some of those I know about:
Saskatoon Horticultural Society – Garden Tour – Saturday, July 11 from 1pm to 5pm
Tickets on sale at Dutch Growers and both Early’s locations – $15.00.
Saskatchewan Perennial Society – Garden Tour – Sunday, July 12 from 1pm to 4pm. Free
Addresses for all 5 gardens on the tour will be handed out at the start locations.
1609 Adelaide Street or 106 Harvard Crescent.
NEST – Secret Garden Tour – Sunday, July 19 from 1pm to 5pm
Secret Garden Tour passports available from Dutch Growers and Early’s south end.
$25.00 per passport – In support of Refugee Settlement in Saskatoon.
Honeywood Heritage Nursery – Lilies in Bloom – Sunday, July 19 from11am to 4pm
Parkside, Sk. Entertainment by local musicians, Artisan Displays, Wagon Tours
Gift Shop to purchase shrubs, lilies and perennials
Admission $10.00. 12 & under Free

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) for a list of upcoming gardening events.

A 2026 Update on the Dutch Elm Disease situation in Saskatchewan

Sask Perennial Society
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A 2026 Update on the Dutch Elm Disease situation in Saskatchewan

Jill Thomson

In June 2024, I wrote an article on the status of Dutch Elm Disease (DED) in Saskatchewan (Pinned to top of our Facebook page www.facebook.com/saskperennial). Since then, there have been significant changes in the disease progression, with more damage to our trees occurring. A few weeks ago I was sitting outside a house on Eastlake Avenue, in the Broadway area of Saskatoon, and it struck me how bare and exposed that street would be if all the elms were removed. Elm trees are an ideal shade tree for city streets and were used extensively in North American cities for a  hundred years and more, until civic planners realized about 30 -40 years ago that these trees were very vulnerable to the deadly DED. Since then, a number of different types of trees have been planted in urban streets and parks , unfortunately many of these seem to have significant disease or insect problems and do not do well in urban environments. On the street where I live, developed in the 1960’s, a variety of trees have been planted, as well as the stately elm, which certainly would lessen the impact of destruction of the elms. However, I was horrified a few weeks ago when a city crew began cutting down a large elm at the end of our block. I rushed down to see what was happening and was very relieved when the manager of the crew explained the main trunk of the tree was splitting, making it structurally unsound and a possible danger to houses and people. I counted the rings on the remaining stump and there were at least 50, so that elm was likely planted just after the houses were built on our street.

The Saskatchewan Crop Protection Lab (CPL), based in Regina, has been identifying wood infected with DED, testing samples at no charge for several years. This means the status of the disease prevalence can be monitored in the cities that submit samples. The majority of the city samples have been from Regina, Moose Jaw and Saskatoon. Following are the findings for the last year of testing.

In Regina 111 of 236 samples were  infected with DED (positive) , in Moose Jaw 53 of 91 samples were positive, and in Saskatoon 43 of 245 samples were positive, resulting in the removal of 62 trees. 

An article posted by Phil Tank, on CBC news , February 9, 2026 outlines the progress of the disease in Saskatoon:

2015 – first case of DED
2021 – 2 cases
2023 – 4 cases
2024 – 11 cases, 18 mature elms removed
2025 – 41 cases (reported as 43 cases by CPL, I do not know why these values are different!), 62 trees removed.

It is obvious that the disease is becoming more prevalent each year and the number of trees removed is also increasing. Saskatoon City Hall has stated they anticipate an increasing surge in the number of infected trees. It is important for the public to recognize possible symptoms of DED:  in late June to mid-July, sudden yellowing and flagging of one or more branches at the top of the tree; the leaves wilt, turn yellow (later brown), but stay on the branch. If you notice these symptoms, City management should be informed so that samples can be taken and the tree removed if it is infected with DED. There are other reasons why a tree may look infected, and a laboratory test is required to confirm the diagnosis.

Photo by Bernadette Vanpool
The Elm trees on Cairns Avenue in Saskatoon.

Another important way that disease spread can be reduced is by stopping storage and movement of possibly infected wood. Signs warning the public not to transport firewood around the province have been posted along highways for a number of years. Storage of elm firewood in the city may also help spread transmission of the disease by elm bark beetles. City crews have been looking for, removing and disposing of elm firewood on private properties. The City has also waived the landfill fees for public disposal of elm wood, which helps remove infected wood from the disease cycle.

We all need to be vigilant, to help protect the elm trees that contribute so much to the comfort of our city lives.

For more information, or to get a tree inspected contact – Dutch Elm Disease | City of Saskatoon

This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society (SPS; saskperennial@hotmail.com). Check our website (www.saskperennial.ca) or Facebook page for a list of upcoming gardening events.

Practical advice for choosing city-sensible trees

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Practical advice for choosing city-sensible trees

Erl Svendsen

Trees are rather permanent features of your yard and should be chosen with some care.

The most important advice I can give is to choose smaller trees.

Aesthetics: A large tree can overpower a house. Your house is part of the landscape and all elements should work together, both living and non-living. Your goal is to complement your house and use their height as well their colour, texture, and drama (e.g., narrow and tall) to add interest. Trees can also be used to frame or block views, but if the tree is very large, you may block more than you intended.  When we moved into our  current house, the previous owner had planted four Colorado spruce along the back fence. But because they could potentially block the view into the park, she advised us that she needed to hire someone to shear them twice a year to limit their height and spread. Twenty-year old spruce should have been 20-30 feet tall and 10-15 feet wide, but these were perfect cones, at most 15 feet tall by about 8 feet wide. One of the first things we did that fall was ‘prune’ them to the ground and replace them with supposedly disease free and non-suckering aspen (they were neither as it turned out).

Safety: If a branch breaks off or the whole tree falls over due to age, disease or wind, you don’t want it to fall and crush your house, garage, car, fence, etc. A few years ago, the neighbour across the alley had very large poplars lining the back of their yard. A plow wind came through and knocked over two. Fortunately, the trees fell across the alley, not towards the house. But they blocked the alley until city crews showed up the next week. Damage (this time) was limited to crushed fences.

Function: Trees reduce wind, create shade, and can reduce cooling costs in summer. Short to moderately tall trees provide these functions as much as very tall trees.

Removal: The larger the tree, the more expensive it is to hire someone to take the tree down, chop it up for firewood, or take it to the landfill. And, if you intend to replant, removing the stump and roots can be challenging (also expensive).

My second piece of advice is to know what you’re planting.

Function: Consider what do you want from your tree. Trees can provide shade, frame or block a view, produce food, perfume the world, add texture and colour, provide habitat for birds, and create drama.

Characteristics: Know the height, width, hardiness, drought and flood tolerance, water and soil requirements, fall colour, leaf colour and shape, flowers, scent (personally, I love the smell of lindens in bloom but not Russian olives), fruit, seed type (and amount), fall colour, etc. Some tree species can either be diecious (have both male and female flower parts on the same tree, e.g., pine) or monecious (separate male (produce pollen) or female (produce seeds) trees, e.g., green ash). Growth rate is often mentioned as an important consideration. However, fast growing trees can be shorter-lived and have ‘weak’ wood (i.e., prone to broken branches). And ‘slow-growing’ trees can still add a foot or more per year – the burr oak in my front yard does not know it’s supposed to be slow.

Avoid potential problems: Choose trees that are resistant to disease and insects; produce none to few suckers; have limited seed production (e.g., avoid trees that produce ‘fluff’, drifts of seeds, heavy loads of acorns, etc.); and opt for dwarf varieties when possible.

My third piece of advice is to realize that you are not alone.

Although you can do what you want in your own yard, within reason, the trees in your yard are part of the so-called urban forest. Consider the larger landscape and whether you want to stand out or blend in with the neighbourhood – either is fine, but be purposeful. Also, consider how your trees will impact your immediate neighbours: will your neighbours appreciate large branches hanging over your shared fence (and will they take it into their own hands to deal with that?)? Will they thank you for the forest of suckers that have appeared in their beds and lawn?  How much unplanned/unwanted shade will they receive from your trees? And while the wind distributes and redistributes leaves from near and far, what will they think about the ‘free’ fruit and seeds/acorns that they need to clean up from your trees.

My final piece of advice is, “The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is now.” (Anon)

Erl Svendsen gardens in Saskatoon. This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society (SPS; saskperennial@hotmail.com). Check our website (www.saskperennial.ca) or Facebook page for a list of upcoming gardening events.

Peonies the most forgiving flowers

Sask Perennial Society
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Peonies the most forgiving flowers

Bernadette Vangool

Saskatchewan Perennial Society

If you ever walked in an abandoned farm yard, one neglected for five years or more, one of the most likely perennials to have withstood the constant neglect is the peony.

When the Indian Head Nursery closed in 2012, a lot of perennials and peonies were dug out by gardening enthusiast, yet today, you can still find peonies along some of the buildings, as well as in the area where the perennial gardens were located. I also found some peonies in bloom at my mother in law’s place, long after she had moved from her farmyard into a memory care facility.

There are over 30 species of peonies (Paeonia), many of these have single flowers, with five or more petals. Species peonies were the breeding parents of the large flowered peonies we have in our gardens. In the last ten years, I have added some species peonies to my garden. They flower earlier in the spring and extend the flowering season in my front yard. Another benefit is that they are shorter in stature and have single flowers, which means that they do not require staking.

There are three types of peonies. Herbaceous peonies, also known as Chinese peonies or garden peonies, these are native to eastern Asia. Tree peonies hail from China and are not hardy on the prairies, and the Itoh peony which is an intersectional peony. The Itoh peony is named after Dr. Toichi Itoh from Japan who after thousands of failed attempts, was successful  in 1948 with a cross between a yellow tree peony (pollen parent) ‘Alice Harding’ and a herbaceous peony P. lactiflora ‘Kakoden’ (seed parent). This cross produced 37 seedlings. Unfortunately, Dr. Itoh died before any of his seedlings actually flowered.

In China, peonies have been cultivated for centuries. In the early days they were used and cultivated for medicinal purposes. Ornamental plants were developed from these and started to appear in the Imperial Gardens. By the tenth century they were a common addition to Chinese gardens. Earnest cultivation in the west and extensive breeding started in France in the 1820s.

There are many varieties to choose from. Although peony roots are typically planted and divided in fall, if you purchase, or are given a plant, do get it into the ground as soon as possible. Choose your planting spot wisely, as peonies don’t like to be moved and may sulk for a couple of years after transplanting. Do not plant your roots too deep, new eyes should be just below the surface of the soil. Find a sunny spot, 6 to 8 hours of sunlight is ideal for good flowering, although the Itoh peonies will produce with less light.

Even though we are told to clean up garden debris in the spring rather than the fall, if at all possible do clean up the dead peony stems in the fall. This will curb botrytis or fungus growth which is prevalent in cold, wet spring years. The fungus spores overwinter on old plant debris. If you had any foliage problems during the year, discard the foliage in  the garbage rather than the compost pile.

In spring as early as possible, ensure that all old foliage is removed and move mulch or leaflitter away from the base of the plant. Make sure not to disturb the buds. If your plant is young in its second or third year, you could spread some slow-release fertilizer at the base. (low nitrogen number). This will ensure good root growth. Mature plants usually do not require fertilizer.

If you grow peonies with large double flowers, make sure you have your peony rings or other stakes in place before they are actively growing. You don’t want to be struggling to get stems in place later. Itoh peonies have a long bloom time and generally can stand on their own.

Water your peonies around the base to prevent diseases such as powdery mildew. Mature plants are drought tolerant but can benefit from watering during dry spells. Any young perennials benefit from more frequent watering in the first couple of years.

If you are in the Regina area and would like to know more about growing peonies the Prairie Peony Society is having their 2026 Peony Show on Saturday, June 27, 2026 at the Regina Senior Centre, 2134 Winnipeg Street. Public viewing is from 1-5pm

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) for a list of upcoming gardening events.

Farewell my dear friend

Sask Perennial Society
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Farewell my dear friend

Bernadette Vangool

On April 20 the Saskatchewan horticultural community lost a dear friend, organizer, writer, volunteer and musician – Jacqueline Bantle. While family members knew her as Jacqueline or Auntie J, her horticultural friends dubbed her Jackie.

Even though Jacqueline had thought that music was her greatest asset, with a Bachelor of Education with a major in music, a short foray into teaching music to high school students, made her realize this was not quite the right fit. She loved nature and being outdoors and needed something more in that direction. She put her education degree on the shelf,  peruse her options in the University of Saskatchewan calendar, and landed in horticulture. Student summer work opportunities at the University cemented her resolve that horticulture was right for her. Her love of nature was enhanced, and she delighted in watching things grow.

After graduating, Jackie worked as a technician in a variety of  areas, and eventually put her focus on vegetable growing. She enjoyed sharing her knowledge with others and always seemed to make it an effortless and fun experience for all. Her latest position with the University was as manager of the Agriculture greenhouses, which also included the horticultural field lab as well as the Beamish Conservatory in the Agriculture Building.

During her 30 year tenure with the University, other horticultural opportunities presented themselves, some of which she tackled on a purely voluntary basis. These included her regular contributions to the Saskatchewan Perennial Society weekly column, which was published in Bridges in Saskatoon and in other weekly papers across the province. She joined the writing team in 2009 and contributed until her accident.

I still picture her across my kitchen table, a mere week before her unfortunate fall. She was wearing a new pair of glasses and her signature smile, as she enthusiastically proposed topics we could write about in upcoming articles. Our schedule quickly filled up with Jackie volunteering to write the majority of articles. Through this endeavor, and the many workshops she presented, she touched the lives of many.

Another venture was her involvement with the Saskatchewan Horticultural Association (SHA) of which she became the treasurer in 2019. This greatly eased the burden for the board, which previously had to move the accounts to different banks every couple of years,  depending on the location of the treasurer.  She also organized the SHA spring workshops and traveled the province with colleagues to present different topics of interest to a  particular community.

Jackie was on the board of the Saskatchewan Greenhouse Growers Association, the advisory board of Gardenscape and The Gardener for Canadian Climates, where she also contributed as a writer. Work sessions at the Gardener were often followed by supper or a few drinks at Amigos or Los Palapas, always an enjoyable and often insightful time.

Besides her horticultural interests she continued her practice of music, playing either the piano or the flute for the ten o’clock choir at St Philiip Neri. I especially recall the times that she improvised on instrumentals to fill in gaps of time not actually covered by song. These were very inspired and often emotional for me.

Quoting from her obituary – “She had an unforgettable smile and laugh, described as her ‘secret weapon’ paired with an exceptional sense of humor. Accepting and non-judgemental, Jacqueline approached life with openness. She was a strong, very capable and independent woman who always had your back and was always ready to listen.”

Her students loved her spirit and the fun she brought to learning. She was not just a teacher, but a true friend. She will be missed by many.   Farewell Dear Friend.

This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society (SPS; saskperennial@hotmail.com). Check our website (www.saskperennial.ca) or Facebook page for a list of upcoming gardening events.

Believe it or not, spring is on its way!

Sask Perennial Society
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Believe it or not, spring is on its way!

Bernadette Vangool

While we patiently wait for the snow to stop and the temperature to rise, what can gardeners do to prepare for spring’s arrival?

I for one have become impatient.  Succumbing to the gardening bug, I have seeded some tomatoes indoors (even though I normally depend on others for my tomato transplants). I have also seeded some cucumbers (perhaps a bit too early) into Jiffy pots as they often do not germinate well in my garden beds. The jiffy pots allow you to transplant the seedlings into the garden without disturbing the roots, thus reducing transplant shock when transferring  them to your garden.

Now that we are introducing new plants to our indoor space, is a good time to take stock of houseplants – inspect  them for new leggy growth and prune them back if needed. With the improved sunlight indoors, it’s good practice to start to fertilize your indoor plants. Some can benefit from being turned once a week, so they don’t get lopsided when they start growing towards the sun. As you are introducing new seedlings to the mix, it is also prudent to keep an eye out for pests, such as aphids, mealy bugs and those dreaded fungus gnats.

If you are like me, winter is a time when most of our days are spent on or near the couch. I do make it a habit to go out for a walk each day, but that does not compare to the exercise you get while gardening. In preparation for the gardening season, a good practice is to get off your tush and get some exercise. Start with some easy stretches, some deep knee bends, maybe lift some weights. You don’t have to buy weights. Just go to the kitchen and use some canned goods! Get those arms in shape. Remember, when you finally do get into your garden, take it easy. You don’t have to do it all in one day.

Next, a visit to the garden shed is in order. Inspect your shovels, pruners, lawnmower blades and hoes. All can probably benefit from sharpening – and the pruners will love some oil. Sharp, well-oiled tools are a joy to work with. Check your supply of garden gloves, stakes, tomato cages, peony rings and replenish where needed. I like to design my own hanging baskets – and those plastic pots need replacing every few years as the hangers tend to become brittle with age. You can also check to see if any wooden containers or raised garden beds need any repairs. Perhaps you can paint or oil the wood to extend their lifespan. If your peonies need staking, now is a good time to put your peony rings in place, rather than trying to get the stalks through the ring later.

Once the snow is gone you can dedicate some time to pruning woody shrubs and fruit trees. Start by removing any branches that were damaged over the winter. Next, remove all limbs or branches that are crossing or rubbing against each other. Then remove water spouts and suckers. In small shrubs like spirea, remove any dead branches from the centre and give them a bit of a trim to shape them. Spring flowering shrubs like weigela, lilac, mock orange and bridal wreath spirea are best pruned after they have flowered, as earlier pruning may remove all of this year’s flowering buds. Roses can also wait until after they have leafed out. This way, it is easy to see which branches will be the most vigorous. Prune out the less healthy growth and dead branches.

Ornamental grasses and most alliums can now be cut back, before the new growth starts pushing through the old. There’s nothing worse than trying to selectively prune a mess of mixed stems. You can also trim back heliopsis stems, Joe Pye weed and other tall perennials and clean up the foliage of other perennials I generally leave last year’s fallen leaves in place until late spring. Then I remove surplus leaf mulch and dead stalks that look untidy. When the ice is gone from the pond, I use the pond water to water the perennial beds and early bloomers such as hepatica and crocus. The roses by the driveway also get their watering from the pond. After a week, the pond is usually ready for a good clean and refill ready for the season.

Happy gardening everyone, and don’t forget to smell the flowers.

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) for a list of upcoming gardening events.

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