LATEST ARTICLES

Garden Soil Amendments: Helpful or Harmful?

Sask Perennial Society
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Garden Soil Amendments: Helpful or Harmful?

Jackie Bantle
Saskatchewan Perennial Society

I am often asked, “How do I know if I have good soil?” or “What can I add to my soil to make it better?”  There are many soil amendments available.  Some amendments can be helpful, some can be costly and some can even be detrimental.  Before you spend a lot of time and money on amending your soil with a product, educate yourself on what that product is used for and whether or not it will be useful in your garden.  Following is a list of common soil amendments that might be recommended… or not!  

Compost is decomposed organic matter (ex. grass, leaves, food waste, paper and helpful living organisms like soil bacteria and fungus).  Compost is always a beneficial addition to your soil.  Compost not only adds nutrients to your soil that plants require, but it also adds organic matter and provides an excellent medium for micro-organisms to thrive.  Adding 5-10cm of compost each year to your garden and pots is recommended and will make other soil amendments unnecessary.

Synthetic fertilizers are added to soil to provide nutrients for plants.  Synthetic fertilizers are derived from mineral deposits or atmospheric nitrogen that are manufactured into products containing the elements that plants need.  Each synthetic fertilizer product is different and provides different levels of nutrients to plants.  Using synthetic fertilizers in your garden can be beneficial however, over fertilizing can damage plant roots, increase salt in the soil and pollute ground water.  Synthetic fertilizers do not add organic matter or provide increased habitat for soil micro-organisms.  Apply synthetic fertilizers only if necessary and according to label directions.

Unlike synthetic fertilizers, organic fertilizers add organic matter as well as nutrients to your soil.  Organic fertilizers are derived directly from plant or animal sources (ex. bone meal, alfalfa pellets, compost or manures) or from rock minerals that are finely ground (ex. limestone and rock sulphate).  Organic fertilizers, like well-rotted manure from your farmer friend, are much more cost efficient than the organic fertilizer you purchase in the fancy pink bag.

Gardeners are often concerned about the pH of their soil.  Most Saskatchewan soils have a pH somewhere between 6.1 and 7.5.  This pH range is recommended for most vegetables and flowers.  Prairie soils are very resistant to changes in pH because of the presence of free lime in the soil as well as their soil buffering capacity.  Adding Sulphur (to lower pH) or lime (to increase pH) is a waste of time and money in Saskatchewan soils.  Using synthetic fertilizers such as aluminum sulphate and ammonium sulphate to lower soil pH is also not recommended. 

Peat moss is often recommended to add to the soil to increase moisture holding capacity of the soil or to decrease the pH.  While peat moss will add organic matter to your garden, the soil pH will not change.  A more environmentally friendly and cost-efficient method for adding organic matter to your garden is adding compost or well-rotted manure.

Wood ashes contain calcium, potassium and some phosphorous.  Wood ashes can be high in salts which can increase the alkalinity of the soil over time.  Use wood ashes sparingly in your garden soil. 

Biochar is a charcoal-like substance that is a stable form of carbon.  Carbon is a necessary element in many plant growth processes.  Biochar is made by burning organic material from agricultural and forestry wastes (ie. biomass) in a controlled process called pyrolysis.  Biochar is helpful when added to soil according to label directions.

Probiotic soil conditioners are supplements containing beneficial bacteria, fungi and mycorrhizae.  There are many probiotic soil conditioners on the market these days.  Some of these conditioners are more beneficial than others.  The advantages and cost effectiveness of individual products varies greatly.

Many times over the years I have heard ‘experts’ recommend adding gypsum (calcium sulphate) to increase the porosity in heavily compacted soils.  This is not recommended.  The benefits of gypsum to decrease soil compaction are temporary.  If your soil is compacted, your soil needs more organic matter:  compost! 

And in conclusion:  add compost, compost and more compost!!!

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.

Spiders in the garden

Sask Perennial Society
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Spiders in the garden

Jill Thomson

Saskatchewan Perennial Society

I have always liked spiders, as anyone who read my 2024 Halloween article will have realized. For several summers I have been observing a rather dramatic spider who lives in our allotment garden in Saskatoon.

This spider lived in a web made in the potato plants in 2023 and in the tomato patch in 2024. The web was a very successful trap for any insects wandering around in the garden, judging by the size of the spiders at the end of the summer. The spiders became very obvious by September, quite a large, colourful spider with bright green/yellow patches on the body and obvious bands of colour on its long legs.

I took photos over several months both years, and the spider was identified as a Banded Garden spider (a very suitable name). When I checked the internet for images of Argiope trifasciata I realized I had only taken photos of the underside of the spider, with the obvious light greenish patches of colour and 8 light and dark brown banded legs. Next summer I will look for the light and dark stripes around the upper side of the spider, which makes it look rather different.

The specimens I have seen in my garden are likely the females (13-14.5mm) as the males are a lot smaller (about 1/3 of the size) which makes them less conspicuous. The male is seen in the web before mating, and then he usually dies. The female lays from 400 to over 1000 eggs in an egg sac that is a light brown, papery structure, more pointed at the apex. When I saw one last year, I thought the spider had caught prey and wrapped it up in a “lunch sac”, but that was not true. The sac contained eggs that hatch in late summer/fall but the spiderlings do not leave the sac until spring. Baby spiders are so cute! And I hope some survived the way in which our garden plots were cleared of vegetation and cultivated in the spring. Obviously, some have survived the past 2 winters as I have seen them in our patches of densely growing potatoes or tomatoes each summer. This year I will be watching out for the females earlier in the season, and if I find egg sacs in the fall, I will take them home and find a safer, undisturbed place for them to overwinter.

These spiders are not aggressive and are very unlikely to bite gardeners unless threatened. Their venom is not harmful to humans and a bite usually feels more like a pinch (according to a fact sheet I read, not from personal experience). In fact these spiders are definitely an asset to your garden as they trap and eat a wide range of insects, including mosquitoes, grasshoppers and wasps.  However, they do also eat beneficial insects such as bees and lacewings. Overpopulation by these spiders is prevented by predatory birds and larger spiders and I usually only notice one in my garden, though this year (2025) I will be making more careful observations. I also want to look more closely at the web which has a zig-zag pattern of strands in the centre (called a stabilimentum), which may help attract prey, or help prevent larger animals, like gardeners, from destroying the web. I am very pleased that these spiders live in our garden as their presence is said to be “an indicator of environmental health and biodiversity in an ecosystem”.

Another type of spider that I have enjoyed observing for over 10 years are the small to medium sized (usually about 10mm long) flower crab spiders (Misumena vatia) that live in the rose bush beside our front drive. These spiders do not weave webs but are known as ambush predators as they lie in wait for their prey, and then catch and kill them.  Our flowers are a bright pink, and the crab spiders are usually white with a rosy-pink band of colour. Crab spiders have 2 pairs of long front legs that curve inward, and they scuttle about like crabs. Typically, they lie in wait in the flower petals for an insect to land and start searching for pollen. They then move quickly and grab the insect with their long front legs. They bite the insect in the neck and pump venom into its body with hollow fangs. Like all spiders, crab spiders cannot eat solid food so the venom is used to digest the contents of the prey, and the liquid food is then ingested.  I noticed that both large and small bees visited our roses initially, and the spiders were only able to catch the small bees. I think either small bees are fast learners or the population was small initially, because it was not long before only the bigger bees were frequent visitors!

Watching the animals that share my garden spaces is a great source of pleasure for me, and I learn a lot when researching articles. There are so many interesting facts to be found, and passed on.

Jill Thomson is a retired plant pathologist who enjoys gardening with her family, including the dogs, and learning more about Saskatchewan’s ecosystems. 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.

Fritillaria another spring bloomer

Sask Perennial Society
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Fritillaria another spring bloomer

Bernadette Vangool

Saskatchewan Perennial Society

Fritillaria imperialis, as the name implies, is the emperor of all fritillaries. The regal stature of the plant, is anywhere from 70cm to 100cm in height. The lance-like, shiny green leaves, whorled around the upright lower stem, culminate in a ring of bell-shaped red, orange or yellow flowers around the stem are topped with a tuft of leaves. The combination of the flowers and tuft of leaves form a veritable tiara, making a commanding presence in the spring border.

This member of the lily family is native to the Middle East and Asia. In its native habitat, in the Himalayas and Turkey, it is the rare plant in the northern region that is pollinated by the Eurasian blue tit. This little bird, attracted by the nectar, rubs its head against the pollen in the flower cup and thus transfer it to other blooms. In cultivation European honey bees and bumble bees are also attracted to fritillaria.

Each year, I am alerted to its emergence, by the pungent foxy odour exuded by the leaves, perhaps announcing to people, pets and other small mammals its toxicity.

Even though this fritillary is not typically hardy in zone 3, the big box stores often have it available in fall, usually in packages containing two bulbs. One year I just could not resist the temptation. The bulbs I bought were the size of a small fist and smelled like skunk. They have a deep indent, where the stem used to be.

For best results, plant them on their side, to prevent water from collecting in this cavity and rotting out the bulb. Typically, they should be planted about 25cm deep in well-drained, humus rich soil. They are said to prefer full sun to partial shade. I planted one in full sun, and one about 50cm from the foundation of the house facing the morning sun. Perhaps because of the unique microclimate, close to the house, it has consistently bloomed each spring for the last five years. In the last two, it has sent up more than one stalk, but the smaller ones have died back before blooming. The bulb I planted in full sun, never appeared.

If you want to try this plant, purchase your bulbs as soon as they become available. The bulbs do not have a protective coating and need to be planted as soon as possible after harvest. Water them thoroughly after planting. In a dry spring, begin watering them as soon as the foliage emerges and throughout its growing season. After flowering, during the summer, it can be left warm and dry, I generally ignore it until the next spring,

For those of you who want to be assured of success, you may want to try Fritillaria meleagris, which is fully hardy in our region and will self-seed and naturalize in the right conditions. Fritillaria meleagris, also known as the snake lily or the checkered lily, is native to the flood river plains of Europe. It is available for purchase in fall, in an assortment of colours from purple to white, often displaying a checkerboard pattern. the leaves are grass-like. Plant them in humus rich soil, and like the Emperor, keep moist until the foliage dies down. I find they do better in dappled shade than in full sun.

Fritillaria pallidiflora also known as the Siberian fritillary is a pale flowered fritillary that naturalized in a friends garden in the Grasswood area. The flower cup is pale yellow or cream and the leaves are wider than Fritilaria meleagris.

Fritillaria is usually disease free, but is highly susceptible to the lily leaf beetle (lilioceris lilii). The lily beetle can decimate many plants in the lily family, including fritillaria, lilies, martagon lilies and also some hosta varieties. They will attack the flowers, stems, and buds of the Fritillaria. The best known method of control is to pick them off manually from the undersides of leaves. Disturbing the earth around their favourite plants will  expose the adults and you can dispatch them in some soapy water. Chemical control is not recommended as this will damage your fritillary plants and also be detrimental to beneficial insects.

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.

Pulmonaria, some more spring blossoms

Sask Perennial Society
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Pulmonaria, some more spring blossoms

Bernadette Vangool

Saskatchewan Perennial Society

As the crocuses and other small spring bulbs start fading from the landscape, Pulmonaria lifts up its sleepy head to provide some welcome colour in the early spring garden.

Pulmonaria is an herbaceous perennial consisting of about 18 species in the borginaceae family. About eight of these, native to central and north-eastern Europe, are known in cultivation. Often garden centres will label them simply as Pulmonaria, as many cultivars have undetermined species in their heritage.

In my garden, the Pulmonaria are planted in a border along the house, facing east to the morning sun. In nature, they are found as is an understorey plant in deciduous forests. So they will thrive in dappled shade rather than deep shade. Many varieties have white spots on their leaves. These are foliar air-pockets used in cooling the lower surface of the leaves. It is believed that varieties with more spots can tolerate sun better and can be planted in lighter locations. The mottled spotted leaves resemble a diseased lung, hence the Latin name for lung, pulmo, and the English name, lungwort, with wort meaning plant.

The most widespread Pulmonaria in Europe is P. officinalis which has heart-shaped, elongated leaves with white patches and sports small bunches of flowers. The white cultivar ,’Sissinghurst White’, named after Vita Sackville-West’s garden in Kent, England, is believed to have been developed from this species.

P. angustiflora and P. longiflora are narrow leaved varieties which are clump forming, The first one has narrow leaves without the spots whereas P. longiflora has narrow spotted leaves. The leaves start as heart-shaped but narrow towards the base, where they attach to the stem unstalked, clasping the stem. The leaves and flower stems are hairy. Short tubular flowers develop in tight little clusters. Buds usually have some pink and violet in them. but turn a deep blue when they mature.

I have two varieties in my yard. The red or deep pink variety begins blooming a full two weeks earlier than the blue variety, in early May, but continues its bloom period alongside the blue. It may be a descendent or perhaps it is P. rubra which is native to France and Spain. I acquired it at a plant exchange. It has the characteristics of P. rubra in that the foliage is a pale green without spots with oblong velvety leaves. It grows to a height of about 35 cm. It begins blooming close to ground level and then sends up taller stalks. Last year’s evergreen foliage dies back as new growth emerges. Clumps can spread to about 60 cm.

Photo by Bernadette Vangool
Pulmonaria at the Robin Smith Meditation Garden.

The second variety is one I acquired at the Robin Smith Meditation Garden, where it has naturalized and self-seeds freely. It was used as a ground cover surrounding the pond. This variety has darker green foliage, again without the spots. it grows slightly taller when in bloom but settles in with foliage that sits about 25cm high the remainder of the year. This is a blue variety.

As stated earlier, Pulmonaria prefer partial shade. Plant them in moist, well drained, humus rich soil. They will tolerate clay soils. Keep them consistently moist in hot dry weather. In the Meditation Garden at the Forestry Farm, I have come across the wilted, dusty foliage of these beauties after a spell of hot dry weather, when somehow the watering of the gardens had been overlooked. On these occasions, the plants readily recovered after a good soaking. Come spring, they announced the herald of the new season with seemingly few ill effects.

The root system of Pulmonaria are slowly creeping rhizomes and adventitious roots. Plants are best divided in fall, and benefit from division every four to five years, resulting in more vigorous plants. When planting, spread the roots with your fingers and do not bury the crown of the plant as this will lead to rotting.

Lungworts have few disease or pest problems. In damp weather it may on occasion develop powdery mildew and slugs may be a problem for some.

Since it blooms so early, it is a good nectar source for bees, butterflies and other pollinators.

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.

Harbingers of Spring

Sask Perennial Society
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Harbingers of Spring

Bernadette Vangool

Saskatchewan Perennial Society

As spring approaches, I am patiently waiting for the snow to subside, to make room for those long awaited spring blossoms. Many of us are familiar with the crocuses and other small bulbs such as scillas and pushkinias, these dainty flowers that can become naturalized in our yards and provide small flower carpets, pushing through last year’s leaf litter. Whenever I am starting or renewing a flower bed, I incorporate these spring bulbs in the fall of the planting year to give me joy for years to come.

One herald of spring, which is much rarer in the landscape is hepatica. These distinctive simple flowers make their appearance at about the same time as the crocuses but are usually planted in shade to partial shade. The rosettes of new  three lobed leaves spring up after the blue happy flowers have finished blooming Leaves spring up on hairy stems. They have a shiny green leathery surface and are hairy on the undersides. They persist throughout the year and into the following spring. Though faded in spring these leaves begin photosynthesis well before other plants are even up. Resulting in the early dainty flower display.

Hepatica is a genus of herbaceous plant in the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae). There are from 7 to 12 species of hepatica world wide. Hepatica hails from Central and Eastern Europe, Asia and also from Eastern North America. Wisconsin is home to two native species, H. acutiloba which is found in rich creek bottoms in sandy alkaline soil and H. Americana which prefers more acidic location on woodland slopes. In these areas they are known to hybridize.

Hepatica in my yard starts blooming in mid April and has a blooming period of a little over two weeks. A single flower emerges one day and then consecutive flowers continue opening over a period of time. The flowers close up in the evening and on rainy days. Most of the flowers are single, but some double flower variety have been developed in Japan where it has been cultivated since the 1700s. The flowers range from purple, to deep blue to pink and white. In my yard the blue varieties seem to be more robust, this may be due to their age in that they have been established longer. If it is a dry spring, I will lightly water hepaticas while in bloom.

Early pollinators, such as carpenter bees, sweat bees and mining bees are attracted to this plant. Hepatica flowers lack nectar, but the pollen is an important food source for bee larvae.

Hepatica also known as liverleaf, grows to about 5 to 15 cm high and a spread of about 20 cm. It prefers rich to average well drained soil. It does not like the soil to be compacted, so can benefit from a yearly light topdressing of compost. You can also loosen the soil around the plant when gardening in the vicinity. In Britain many enthusiasts, grow these beauties in greenhouses planted in pots of compost.

I obtained my hepaticas from gardening friends and are seldom seen at garden centres. It may be that they are difficult to produce in bulk and perhaps since they bloom so early, may not be an attractive buy for consumers. In the wild, seeds are dispersed by ants, who take the seed, which has a fleshy appendage to their nests. There the seed is discarded and will hopefully germinate to start a new plant away from the mother plant. I am relatively new to hepaticas so have not noticed any seed development on my plants. If you want to try and propagate your beauties, harvest the seeds about 60 days after flowering, and scatter them, where you like them to grow. A more reliable method of propagation is to divide the mother plant in August or September, tease the roots apart and plant your divisions. Keep disturbance to a minimum and plant the new plants right away in rich humus soil in full or partial shade. It is best placed in small clumps with little competition of more robust perennials. Find locations where it can thrive undisturbed for years.

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.

Tips for Growing Your Own Garden Transplants

Sask Perennial Society
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Tips for Growing Your Own Garden Transplants

By Jackie Bantle

SASKATCHEWAN PERENNIAL SOCIETY

In gardening, a transplant is a plant that is moved from one location to another location. For northern gardens, where the growing season is limited by spring and fall frosts, some plants must be germinated and grown into small plants indoors before they are planted outdoors. This extra growing period allows the plants to get a ‘head start’ on the growing season so that once they are placed outdoors, they will flower and/or mature during the relatively short growing season.

Growing your own transplants? Now is the time to start. For successful transplant production you will require: clean, smaller containers with drainage holes in the bottom that are 5-10 cm in diameter, depending on how big of a transplant you intend to grow; potting soil for growing indoors (a peatmoss based seedling mix with perlite and vermiculite is ideal); a warm (22˚C), sunny location for growing your seedlings; supplemental grow lights are preferred as even a south facing window can provide a challenge for growing good quality transplants; 20-20-20 soluble fertilize that will be applied weekly (mix according to label directions) and clean water at room temperature for watering plants. 

Vegetables that must be transplanted to mature during a northern growing season include celery, leeks, peppers, tomatoes, okra, Spanish onions, Brussels sprouts, eggplant, cantaloupe, watermelon, and okra.  Celery, leeks and Spanish onions are slow to germinate and grow: they should be started 10-12 weeks prior to planting out in spring. Peppers require 8-10 weeks ‘head start’, while tomatoes, okra, eggplant and Brussels sprouts should be started 6-8 weeks prior to planting out. Never use garden soil to grow your indoor transplants in containers.  Garden soil does not drain properly in containers and can be a source of insects and diseases. 

Cantaloupe and watermelon transplants should only be started 10 days prior to transplanting out. Although cantaloupe and watermelon need to be transplanted to produce mature fruit, they do not like to have their roots disturbed:  it is very important to minimize handling the roots when transplanting. Cucumbers, pumpkins and winter squash do not need to be transplanted but can benefit from it. Seeding these vine vegetables into a Jiffy 7 peat pellet and planting that pellet directly into the soil will minimize root damage. Prior to seeding, the flat Jiffy 7 discs are soaked in warm water. The flattened 5mm disc will suddenly expand into a 4cm cylinder surrounded by biodegradable netting which will allow roots to pass through as they grow. When transplanting out into the soil, the entire Jiffy 7 peat pellet must be covered with soil as pellets that are not covered will dry out quickly, drawing water away from the transplant. The vine vegetable transplants will be young: only exhibiting one or two true leaves besides the cotyledons. Unlike vine seedlings, transplants that require 6-12 weeks to grow (i.e. celery leeks, peppers, tomatoes, etc) should have at least 3-4 sets of true leaves with a strong, healthy root system. Healthy transplant roots should be white in color: tan or brown colored roots may indicate a root rot problem.

Some vegetables benefit from transplanting to avoid intense insect pressures that may decimate young, tiny seedlings. Brassica vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and kohlrabi are examples of these. Although the length of the growing season does not warrant transplanting, the tiny seedlings that emerge from direct seeded brassica plants outdoors can be easily destroyed by flea beetles early in spring. Start brassica transplants indoors 6 weeks prior to planting out. 

Many herbs benefit from transplanting out. Some herbs have very small seeds that require ideal growing conditions to germinate quickly and successfully: basil, marjoram, oregano, sage and thyme are examples of small-seeded herbs. Other herbs are slow growing and by the time they would reach a usable size, the gardening season would be nearly over. For best results, start herbs indoors 8-10 weeks prior to transplanting out. Dill and coriander are the exceptions, they are fast growing and do not require transplanting. Most herb seeds are quite small, cover them lightly and do not allow the soil surface to dry out during germination. 

Most annual flowers should be started indoors 8-10 weeks prior to planting out. Always check with the seed package as to whether the seed requires light to germinate: usually the smaller the seed, the more likely light is required for germination or the flower seed should only be lightly covered.  Zinnias, marigolds, sweet peas, calendula, morning glory, nasturtiums, celosia and cosmos can be direct seeded in the garden in mid-late May and will start blooming by early-mid July.

Are your transplants stretched out and ‘leggy’? A healthy transplant has a strong stem with short internodes: internodes are the length of the stem between leaves.  Whereas professional greenhouse growers have chemicals to spray to reduce the height of their transplants, a home grower does not have that option. Avoid leggy plants by providing ample space and adequate light for your seedlings to grow. Strengthen transplants stems by setting up an oscillating fan for 6-8 hours/day or lightly brushing the tops of your plants daily with a towel or stick to help control transplant height and increase stem girth.

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.

It’s spring: the gardening season is upon us

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It’s spring: the gardening season is upon us

Erl Svendsen

Saskatchewan Perennial Society

Even though there’s still snow on the ground, it’s not too early to start working in your garden.

This is a perfect time to prune your trees and shrubs, before the buds break and leaves develop.  Start by removing broken, obviously dead (bark is shriveled or peeling), diseased (black knot, cankers) or rubbing branches. Remove these at a natural point:  just above an outward facing bud (if the branch is no thicker than your finger where you wish to cut) or just above where the offending branch joins another. For diseased branches, make your cut at least 15 cm (6 inches) below any signs of infection. Next, remove any branches that have the potential to take an eye out while mowing or overhanging a sidewalk. To promote healing, do not make a flush cut (cut just outside the branch collar or swollen area just above where branches join) or leave a stump. If you can hang your hat on the stump, it’s too long.

Some shrubs like spireas and potentillas can be pruned hard, to within 15 cm of the ground, to renew their appearance if they have gotten leggy or overgrown. Otherwise, avoid removing more than 1/3 of the branches in any one year. Don’t forget to renovate your raspberry patch: remove old growth (last year’s fruiting canes) and any branches that are weak and spindly. Use sharp tools and wear eye protection when you are pruning. Use the right tool: for small diameter cuts (less than 3 cm), hand pruners are fine; for larger cuts, use a saw.

If pruning spring flowering trees and shrubs (e.g., forsythia, ornamental plum, apple, dogwood, saskatoon, lilac, etc), arrange some of cut branches in vases to ‘force’ them indoors for an early display.

Next, tackle your herbaceous perennials before they start putting on new growth. This is especially important at this time of year for early growers like irises, ornamental grasses, daylilies and chives.

To prevent or reduce snow mold problems, use a garden rake to spread out remaining snow.  Use a leaf rake to break up snow mold on exposed grass.  Wear a dust mask. Wait to power rake to remove built up thatch until after the ground has thawed (and dried) and there are signs of new growth.

If you haven’t already, buy your seeds. It’s not too late to order from a seed catalogue, but popular varieties may be running low. There are also lots of places in town to buy your seed. Read the package instructions to determine when you can start seedlings. It’s still too early for most like tomatoes, peppers (wait until early May for these for planting out in June), but there are a few that take a while to get started like eggplants. Some crops (cabbage, carrots, peas and spinach) can be seeded outdoors as soon as the soil is thawed, dried enough to work and still cool.

Take the time to clean, sharpen and/or repair your hand tools to start the season off right. Get a comfortable pair of leather gardening gloves to replace your worn out pair from last year. I have also started wearing cloth gloves with the palm and fingers coated with rubbery latex for good grip – these are inexpensive ($5-$10/pair), washable, breathable and waterproof (on the palm side). 

Finally, take advantage of the many opportunities to learn more about gardening.  Check out garden centres, nurseries, and some hardware stores (e.g. Lee Valley and Home Depot) to see what they’re offering in the way of information sessions and demonstrations. These are usually free. And there’s any number of gardening resources on the internet including entertaining and informative videos. Also, don’t forget drop by Gardenscape at Prairieland (March 28-30) to see what the greenhouses and nurseries have to offer this year.

After the work is done, buy yourself a bouquet of spring flowers like tulips or daffodils to brighten up your home.

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 scented garden is essential

Sask Perennial Society
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A scented garden is essential

Jackie Bantle

Saskatchewan Perennial Society

One thing about being in a garden is that it is always changing. Early in spring, plants bud out, early spring flowers emerge and the leaves follow next. During the summer different plants are flowering at various times, fruit is produced and finally the leaves start to turn colour. The garden is a delight for the eyes. But how does one make a garden a delight for the nose? By selecting plants for their different fragrances, a garden can be a bouquet of smells throughout the season. 

One of the first fragrances that I look forward to in spring is the fresh scent of the balsam poplar tree buds (Populus balsamifera). The balsamifera in the latin name refers to the sweet smelling resin given off by the buds in spring and the leaves when they are crushed. Although balsam poplars are not recommended for urban plantings in small yards, perhaps you can start off your fragrant garden season with a walk through an urban forest or a poplar forest near your favorite lake.

One of the earliest garden plants to produce fragrance are lilacs. Lilac flowers are a sure sign that the growing season is here. Every lilac has a varying degree of intensity but my favorite is still the common purple flowering lilac found in so many traditional Prairie yards. Other shrubs to consider growing in your yard for their fragrance include the mockorange, golden spice currant and various roses. Mockorange (Philadelphus coronarius) is a shrub 1.5-2m tall with white flowers that bloom in mid-late June. The prolific, fragrant blooms make this a shrub to grow next to a deck or sitting area of the yard.

There are very few plants that can garner the scented attention of someone like a rose. Not every rose is fragrant; be sure to check with your local garden centre to select one that is hardy and fragrant for your region. Rosa rugosa is a very hardy rose with a simple flower but excellent scent. ‘Henry Hudson’ is a white rugosa rose blend that starts to bloom in early summer. ‘Thérèse Bugnet’ is a multi-petalled light pink rose with a spicy fragrance that varies from mild to very strong. Both of these named cultivars are recommended for their summer fragrance.

Another shrub worth mentioning for its spectacular early summer fragrance is the Golden currant (Ribes aureum), sometime called the Spice currant. This 1.5m tall shrub has attractive tri-lobed leaves and produces lovely tubular yellow flowers in early summer. The blossoms have an intense clove-like/vanilla fragrance. Pollinated flowers produce berries that range in colour from yellow to red to black.

A mid-sized tree perfect for urban yards and recommended for its outstanding, eye-catching, early-summer blossoms with a pleasant fragrance is the Ivory Silk Tree Lilac (Syringa reticulata). The panicles of tiny white flowers in late spring/early summer attract hummingbirds, bees and butterflies.  A larger tree recommended for the urban yard is the linden tree.  The small and somewhat inconspicuous mid-summer blossoms of the linden tree (Tilia cordata) provide an enchanting aroma that will have you searching for the source. The stately linden tree is not only an excellent, well-behaved specimen for an urban yard but the flowers provide a surprisingly intense fragrance for their small size.

Besides trees and shrubs, there are several perennials that should be included in the landscape if you are trying to provide a fragrant garden. Bearded iris and peonies are early bloomers. The intensity of the fragrance will depend on the cultivar. ‘Dr. Alexander Fleming’ and ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ are two peonies that are recommended for their pleasant fragrances. Both types have light pink inflorescences. The Stargazer oriental lily is one of the more fragrant lilies available to Prairie gardeners, however, their hardiness can be temperamental in the Prairie region. ‘Flame Pink’ phlox, dianthus (also sometimes referred to as ‘Pinks’), Bee Balm and thyme are all perennials that will grow in the Prairie garden and provide lovely fragrances when they are blooming.

Of course, growing herbs in the garden is a way to ensure that there will be all sorts of lovely scents available for garden visitors to enjoy. Various types of mint are perennial and provide a wide range of aromas. Other herbs, like basil, eucalyptus, oregano, marjoram, sage, lemon balm, lavendar and summer savory are all annual plants in the Prairie garden: they do not overwinter. For best success, start these herbs indoors at least 8 weeks prior to planting out in spring. Starting annual herbs from seed directly in the garden is not only difficult but many of these tiny herb seeds need special care to germinate.

If you like to include annual flowers in your garden, try growing sweet alyssum, garden phlox, nicotiana, sweet peas, ‘Evening Scentsation’ petunia (or other older petunia types, four-o-clocks and Moon flower for some additional fragrances. The moon flower opens in the evening, providing a lovely evening fragrance for relaxing in the garden.

A garden without fragrance is incomplete. Even if you only provide a small pot of mint near your back door or a pine tree in the back yard, you will appreciate the different aromas that evolve from your plants. Start small and soon, you will have a wide array of scents and wonder how you could garden without them in the past. 

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.

Book Review: The Prairie Garden

Sask Perennial Society
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Book Review: The Prairie Garden

Bernadette Vangool

Saskatchewan Perennial Society

The Prairie Garden is Western Canada’s only garden annual and is published in Winnipeg, Manitoba by a non-profit volunteer committee dedicated to the advancement of horticulture in the prairies.This year’s theme of ‘Budget-minded Gardening.’ is right up my alley. And it probably comes at a good time for a lot of people in the face of the current economic pressures and food security challenges, with looming tariffs, possible job losses, and political uncertainty all around. Hopefully, most of the news is hot air and bluster and will soon melt into the background.

On to happier thoughts, “spring is only six weeks away”: wishful thinking, ha ha ha, and our gardens await our attention. In the interim there is time for some garden related reading and The Prairie Garden can provide that enjoyment. The Prairie Garden is available at McNally Robinson, at Early’s and many local garden centres across the province. Call first to ensure they have a copy for you. You can also order it on line through the website: www.theprairiegarden.ca

Over half of the over forty articles deal with ways to reduce spending on garden needs, be it from saving seeds, reducing watering costs to ideas of how to reuse and recycle garden materials such as sharing and dividing plants, reuse of pots etc.

Tim Wood suggests you can save time and money by planning your garden carefully and planting densely. That is, planting annuals, perennials and shrubs close together so they are effectively acting as a living mulch, preventing the sun from reaching the soil which will reduce weed growth. He suggests that some weeds can be left in between the dense plantings, providing mulch, thus reducing the need to purchase it. The same effect can be accomplished by planting shrubs that have horizontal spread via suckering, again providing a canopy to prevent weeds. The shrub approach needs careful planning with the required edging and hardscaping in place to reduce maintenance of unwelcome suckering into adjacent planting areas.

Sheryl Normandeau suggests that buying high quality tools can save you money in the long run. She gives useful information on the yearly maintenance of those tools such as oiling, sharpening and correct storage to ensure a long life and ease of use.

Elizabeth Sellors provides us with information about creating a fruit tree “guild” or mini food forest. Beginning with a major food tree, such as an apple and then adding an under-story smaller trees, shrubs, and an herbaceous layer, one can also add a cover crop that can be grown as a living mulch and include vines. For each of these layers, she has suggestions for which plants to use. She is basing her design on zone 3a plantings, which we can easily adapt to our zone which l believe remains 3b.

Besides the budget-friendly articles, there are the general prairie articles that this annual publication is known for, such as what is new and upcoming in roses from Rick Durand. Hugh Skinner tackles the subject of winter hardiness. Learn all you want to know about growing lemons on the prairies from Donna Balzer, and yes they do have to come in for winter so the focus is on compact plants that can be easily moved around, not your taller specimens.

Chris Penner, a native plant biologist, takes us through his experience of installing native plant under storey vegetation below his existing oak trees – which seemed to be declining in a somewhat dry lawn landscape. Using low to medium height species with a spreading habit, and mulching with natural wood mulch and leaf-litter over the deteriorating lawn, the area took on an orderly well kept appearance. Over time the trees also appeared healthier. It is important to remove perennial weeds before planting and mulching. Pictures of the planting after the first and second year of planting show the progress of the pleasing landscape.

These are only a few snippets of what awaits you between the covers of this publication. Get your copy today and enjoy!

Ranunculus: a beautiful cut flower for your garden

Sask Perennial Society
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Ranunculus: a beautiful cut flower for your garden

Jackie Bantle

Saskatchewan Perennial Society

One of the first reasons that I started to garden when I was younger was that I wanted to grow beautiful flowers. That passion has never left me. The first time I saw a ranunculus flower: I thought it was a rose. The delicate, multi-petaled, tight inflourescence was very similar to a slightly expanding rose bud or a miniature peony. This flower was unique and beautiful.

Ranunculus (Raununculus asiaticus), also sometimes referred to as Persian buttercups, are native to the island of Crete and Southwest Asia. ‘Ranunculua’ in latin refers to ‘little frog’ which refers to the fact that, like frogs, the ranunculua species is often found near water. Ranunculus was first introduced into Europe at the same time as the anemone and the tulip, during the 16th century.

Ranunculus asiaticus is a perennial in zones 6-10 however, in the Prairie growing region, ranunculus is treated as an annual. Ranunculus plants grow from underground storage organs known as corms. Ranunculus plants and corms are not tolerant to frost. For ranunculus plants to bloom during the Prairie summer, corms must be started indoors. It can take 12-16 weeks for ranunculus plants to bloom from planting time.

On the Praires, plant corms indoors in early March for June/July blossoms. Corms will initially look dry and whithered (like dried up little octopus). Soak corms in water for 1-3 hours prior to planting: corms ready for planting will be plump and increase in size. Immediately after soaking, plant corms in moist planting media, about 4-5cm deep, with the ‘claw-like’ parts of the corm facing downward. Keep the potting media moist until sprouts emerge. Once the sprouts emerge, the media can be allowed to dry out between waterings. Ranunculus are cool season flowers that prefer temperatures of 15-20°C but will grow in warmer temperatures.

Ranunculus are available in various colors: white, yellow, peach, pink and dark purple. Each plant produces multiple blossoms. Transplant ranunculus plants only after all danger of frost has passed. Plants should be spaced 25cm apart in the garden. Harden off plants for several days prior to planing out. Plant ranunculus plants in well-worked, fertile, well-draining soil in full sun. Keep the roots moist but don’t overwater. Ranunculus plants can be susceptible to powdery mildew so provide ample air flow around plants and avoid shady, damp locations.

Ranunculus flowers are excellent cut flowers. Stems can be 20-40cm tall, depending on the cultivar. The best time to cut ranunculus flowers for cut flowers is when the bud is colored but still closed. Ranunculus flowers cut at this stage will easily last 10-14 days in a vase at room temperature: replace the water in the vase every 3-4 days with fresh water. Cutting spent flowers from the plants outdoors in the garden will encourage more blooms throughout the growing season. Ranunculus flowers hold their color when they are dried and are often used as dried flowers. However, dried ranunculus flowers are very delicate and must be handled with care.

In order to save ranunculus corms from one year to the next, dig up the corms as soon as the plants have died back: this may happen even before fall frost as ranunculus plants do not grow well in extended hot temperatures over 30°C. Corms that are left in the ground (even if the ground is not frozen) may provide food for gophers and voles. Gently remove as much soil from the corms as possible without damaging the corms. Allow the corms to dry until they become hard and crisp. Place the corms in a paper bag and store them in a dry, cool location indoors until it is time to soak them in water again for next spring’s planting.

For those gardeners that have pets in their yard, be aware that all ranunculus species are poisonous to people and pets. If humans or pets chew on the plants, blisters form on the face and lips. The oil in the plant is also an eye irritant. The good news is that ranunculus give off an acrid taste that usually means that they are left alone by all creatures. 

If you are interested in trying to grow ranunculus this season, now is the time to order your corms. Check out websites and seed catalogues that sell summer flowering corms like gladiolas; chances are that they may also have ranunculus corms for sale.

Happy Gardening!.

For more information on ranunculus and other cut flowers, come meet Bailey Dueker a flower farmer at Boondock Flower Farm, north of Biggar Sk. on Wednesday, February 26, at 7.00pm at Lakewood Civic Centre, Cliff Wright Auditoium.

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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