Fall Gardening Chores: Part 2

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Fall Gardening Chores: Part 2

Jackie Bantle

Saskatchewan Perennial Society

Last week’s column focused mainly on vegetable harvest and getting lawns, shrubs and trees ready for winter.  This week’s column is about fall planting, pruning and perennial relocation tips.

Early fall can be an excellent time to plant shrubs, trees and perennials in the garden.  The cooler days and nights provide much better conditions for root and plant establishment as compared to the hot, dry days of summer.  At this time of the year, although the selection of plant availability might be limited, many nurseries and greenhouses have reduced their prices to get rid of stock before winter.  There are a few major steps to take to ensure the best chance of survival for these late season plantings.  First, always dig a hole that is at least 1.5 times larger than the plant root ball that you are burying.  Once the hole is dug, water the hole well, ensuring that the there is some standing water in the bottom of the hole and that the soil surrounding the hole is moist.  The depth of the hole should not be much deeper than the actual root ball that you are planting:  keep the soil level at the same level on the stem/trunk as what was in the pot. 

At this time of the year, many of the plants that you purchase could be dry and root bound in their pots.  If lightly massaging the roots doesn’t break up the tight ball, use a sharp knife to make vertical slices through the root ball (ie. from top to bottom) at 6 equally spaced locations around the perimeter of the root ball.  These slices should be 2-5cm deep, depending on the size of the root ball.  Thoroughly moisten the root ball with water prior to planting.  Whenever I plant new trees, shrubs or perennials, I add a product containing mycorrhizae to the hole prior to placing my plant in the hole.  Mycorrhizae is a naturally occurring fungus that will colonize plant roots and helps roots to uptake nutrients.  Watering in with a 10-52-10 fertilizer will also help get roots established however avoid any other fertilizers in fall since you want the roots to establish but you also want the top growth of the plant to be shutting down in preparation for winter.

If you have been planning to move some of your perennials or divide your perennials, early fall is a good time to do this job.  Perennials that have been in the garden for a long time and that don’t have any obvious insect or disease issues but seem to be losing vigor are often in need of division.  For most perennials, simply take a sharp spade and slice the perennial right down the center of the plant.  Ensure to take a good chunk of soil with the new perennial piece.  Some perennials that are really overgrown can be divided into 3 or more pieces.  Last year, a friend decided that she needed to thin out her irises in fall.  She ended up giving away pails of iris bulbs to many of her friends. 

Speaking of bulbs, if you want to enjoy some tulips or crocuses in your garden next spring, fall is the time to get those bulbs in the ground.  Plant spring blooming bulbs about 2-3x the depth of the bulb.  If you’re not sure of the hardiness of the bulbs, you may want to put a light cover of leaves or grass clippings over the new bulbs.  Do not water in the bulbs, there will be enough moisture in spring for the bulbs to grow.

If you had some spectacular calla or canna lilies, dahlias, gladiolas or begonias that you want to try to grow in next year’s garden, fall is the time to dig up those bulbs.  These bulbs can be left in the ground during a light frost to kill top growth however, the bulbs should be removed from the soil and brought indoors before the soil freezes.  These ‘summer’ bulbs should be stored in moist peat moss in paper bags in a dark, cool location.  The peat moss should remain slightly moist throughout the winter but not wet. 

Special geraniums that you want to save should be brought indoors prior to a killing frost.  Quarantine any outdoor plants that you are bringing indoors for several days to monitor for insects.  If you see critters crawling around, consider treating your plants with insecticidal soap or a strong blast of water in the bath tub for several weeks prior to letting them out of quarantine.  Herbs, succulents and any tropical plants can be brought indoors for winter.  Due to the lack of light, don’t expect those indoor plants to look as healthy as they did outdoors during the summer.

After the leaves have fallen off the trees and bushes in late fall, it is a good time to do some pruning.  The exception to this suggestion is to avoid pruning trees and shrubs that bloom in early spring (ex. lilacs, flowering plum, cherry, forsythia, Saskatoon berry, early blooming spirea, haskap berry, mock orange, viburnum species and Russian almond).  These shrubs produce flowers on last year’s growth and should be pruned immediately after flowering in spring.  Intense pruning of birch and maple trees should also be avoided in fall and early spring until after the sap has stopped flowing.  Of course, fall is a good time to prune your elm trees.  Do not store any of the pruned elm wood – it should be immediately burned or buried to prevent the spread of Dutch Elm Disease.

Have no fear gardeners, the season isn’t over.  There are still many chores to do in our gardens.  Good luck and have a wonderful fall.

Jackie Bantle is a horticulturist living near 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.

Fall gardening chores: part 1

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Fall gardening chores: part 1

Jackie Bantle

Saskatchewan Perennial Society

Fall is a bittersweet time for gardeners.  On one hand, all the hard work of the growing season is finally paying off with a delicious and varied harvest.  Yet, there’s a definite chill in the air, signaling the end of the season and cooler temperatures to come.  With the arrival of fall, there are still many tasks to complete to prepare our yards for the winter.

Not all plants respond equally to frost.  Crops that must be harvested prior to a killing frost (0ºC) include cucumbers, beans, eggplant, lettuce, watermelon, peas, peppers, zucchini, tomato, cantaloupe and corn. 

Onions are ready to harvest once their tops have fallen over.  Stubborn onion tops can be “encouraged” to fall over by lightly stepping on them.  Trim off the stems at the point at which they’re  broken. Harvest them if frosts of -1ºC or lower are predicted, allowing them to cure in a warm location (20ºC) with good air movement for about one week. 

Leeks can withstand a few degrees of frost and have a slightly sweeter flavour if they are exposed to cooler temperatures. 

Cabbage can withstand up to 3 degrees of frost.  Brussels sprouts benefit from several degrees of frost to encourage a sweet flavour and can withstand several hard frosts of  -4 or -5ºC as long as they thaw during the day.

Root and tuber crops such as beets, carrots, rutabagas and potatoes should be left in the ground for at least one killing frost to improve their sweetness.  As long as night temperatures do not dip below -4ºC and are above 8ºC during the day, the soil provides enough insulation to prevent the roots and tubers from freezing.  To encourage potato tuber skins to set, the tops should either be dead or physically removed for at least one week prior to harvest. 

Although winter squash and pumpkin vines freeze at 0ºC, the mature fruit can survive -4ºC.  Once harvested, cure them indoors in a warm (20ºC) dry location. Long term storage in a slightly cooler, dry basement is recommended for pumpkins and winter squash. Green pumpkins can be ripened to orange in a warm, sunny, dry location.

In addition to harvesting vegetables, it is time to prepare trees and perennials for the winter season.  Avoid fertilizing perennials, trees and shrubs in the late summer and early fall.  Reduce irrigation during this time as well.  Late applications of fertilizer and abundant water will encourage new, succulent growth which will not be winter hardy.  After leaves have fallen and top growth has been killed due to frost, one last deep thorough watering of perennials, trees and shrubs is recommended just prior to freeze-up.  Additionally, reduce lawn irrigation in the fall to slow grass down and prepare for cooler temperatures. Avoid applying fertilizer to lawns after Aug. 31. 

Whether or not to cut back perennial plants after fall frost is up to a gardener’s preference.  I like to keep any seed heads from my perennial plants intact over the winter in order to provide food for birds as well as some winter interest in the garden (ex. Karl Foerster grass waving above the winter snow).  Some gardeners prefer to clean up the perennial bed prior to snow fall so that they are ready for new growth in spring.  Plant debris can help collect snow, provide some protection for underground roots as well as a shelter for overwintering insects like lady bugs.   On the other hand, if you had an insect problem in your garden this year, removing plant debris and working up the soil prior to freeze-up may help to kill some of the pests that are trying to overwinter in the garden soil.

Of course, as the leaves fall, it is a good idea to rake up leaves off the lawn prior to snowfall.  Excess leaf material on the lawn overwinter can create a perfect environment for the growth of lawn snow mold.  Use those extra leaves to protect your tender perennials or add to your compost. 

If you have future plans to seed a new lawn or lay sod, fall is an excellent time to complete this task.  Without the stress of hot, dry conditions, the sod will have an excellent chance of forming strong roots.  Similarly, a newly seeded lawn will be easier to keep moist for quick seed germination in fall.  As long as you are able to cut the new lawn at least once prior to freeze-up, the lawn seedlings should survive the winter without much damage. 

Stay tuned for next week’s article when I discuss what trees and shrubs are best to prune in fall as well as moving perennials and fall planting.

Jackie Bantle is a horticulturist living 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 (www.facebook.com/saskperennial) for a list of upcoming gardening events.

Gardens at the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park

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Gardens at the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park

Bernadette Vangool

Saskatchewan Perennial Society

The Forestry Farm, formerly the Sutherland Forest Nursery Station, has been a meeting place for Saskatoon residents throughout its history, a destination for picnics, weddings, and social gatherings. The Nursery Station, along with producing trees and conducting research, also was a demonstration landscape to show the public what could be grown in this climate. In keeping with this tradition, both to be open to visitors as well as to demonstrate what can be grown, the Saskatchewan Perennial Society developed and maintains two gardens in the park.

In the mid 1990’s, Robin Smith, a past president and founding member of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society as well as a landscape architect by profession, imagined a public meditation garden. He passed away before his dream could become a reality, but the Saskatchewan Perennial Society was determined to make Robin’s dream a reality and convinced the Saskatoon Zoo and Forestry Farm Park to set aside land to be developed as the Robin Smith Gardens. At the time the Foreman’s House was slated for demolition. It had a large vegetable garden as part of the original landscape. This entire area was enclosed by a caragana hedge to the north and east side, a Manitoba maple shelterbelt to the south and a lilac border to the west. 

In 1998, the Meditation Garden was opened on a third of this space, (the area where the Foreman’s House was located), after many hours of volunteer labour, earth moving by City staff, donations of plant material, and overall management by the Society. Grace Berg designed the gardens guided by Robin’s concept drawings.  In addition to numerous hardy perennials, shrubs and trees, the Meditation Garden featured a dry stream bed and pond.

Because of vandalism, and the chance for young people to move rocks and stones around, mosquito concerns by different managers over the years, the pond is no more.

A second garden, the Heritage Rose Garden, was started in 2003 and takes up the remaining two thirds of the space. The garden was created to honour prairie plant breeders. City staff assisted in the laying out the bare bones of the garden by rototilling, moving soil and laying out the pathways, but the remaining work was completed by scores of volunteers.

Strong structural elements were incorporated into the garden from the beginning, with tall trellises and repurposed telephone poles to support vining plants.  It was natural to also include some sculptures. Pronghorn, a bronze sculpture by the late Bill Epp can be found peeking into the rose garden from the opening between the two gardens. Two sculptures by Don Foulds, Spiral Stack (a welded steel sculpture based on a spiral growth pattern) and Untitled (concrete over steel structure) are prominently featured. 

The Heritage Rose Garden contains trees, shrubs and plant material developed by Percy Wright, who gardened in Moose Range but finally settled in Sutherland. Robert Simonet and Georges Bugnet, rose breeders from Alberta and Frank Skinner a pioneer in plant breeding. It includes ‘Sutherland Golden’ elder, ‘Goldenlocks’ elder, and ‘Fuchsia Girl’, an apple seedling of ‘Royalty’, all developed by Les Kerr the second Superintendent of the Sutherland Nursery Station. Many of the plants in both gardens are labeled, (Public beware: kids love to move those labels around)  with the name of the plant, and in the case of the roses, the plant breeder who developed and introduced them for sale to the public The two gardens are still enclosed by the original lilac and caragana hedges.

During the creation of both gardens, volunteers learned about gardening on a grand scale; how to combine plants for colour, texture, shape, size and form; and more practical and simple things, like how deep to plant, how to divide perennials, the importance of mulch, and more.  The gardens continue to be maintained by volunteers and are still learning gardens.  From May until the beginning of October, volunteers meet for ‘Labour and Learn’ every third Saturday at 9am and work until noon, to weed, deadhead, prune and carry-on other garden tasks that may be required. We have also added Weedy Wednesdays to our schedule from 6pm to 8pm, as we never get quite finished with what needs doing.

Both gardens are the backdrop to weddings and family photo sessions, artist’s paintings and individuals seeking a contemplative environment.  The gardens are open year-round and can be found at the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo.

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.

Sunshine, Soil, and Smiles-A Guide to Gardening with Children

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Sunshine, Soil, and Smiles-A Guide to Gardening with Children

Ellen Misfeldt

Saskatchewan Perennial Society

Parenting is both a gift and a challenge—your world expands to include your children’s needs, and hobbies often take a backseat. But gardening is one hobby where kids can easily join in. It might get messy, and bean seeds may end up with the carrots, but their excitement and pride make every imperfect moment worth it.

Starting transplants indoors

If you’re someone who enjoys starting transplants indoors, it’s the perfect opportunity to get children excited about dirt, plants, and seeds. Let them help fill the trays or pots and gently pack down the soil. Kids love the tactile experience—especially if they can make “muddy puddles,” Peppa Pig-style!

Once children are around 2–3 years old, they can help plant larger seeds. A pencil works wonderfully for poking holes in the soil, and little hands can grasp it easily. Larger seeds are ideal for beginners—they’re easier to handle and place in the holes.

This is also a great time to teach them about planting depth: not burying seeds too deep, and how to sprinkle tiny seeds like lettuce on the surface. Let them help water the trays and check on them daily. They’ll be thrilled to look for signs of life and growth.

Thinning seedlings is another fun and educational activity. If they’re old enough to count, they can tally how many plants remain or how many they remove, or even make a planting journal and record their findings! Most children are fascinated by the roots and leaves of the discarded seedlings—it’s a great chance to explore plant anatomy up close.

Moving Outside-Spring is here!

Spring is the perfect time to get kids excited about gardening. A child-sized tool belt with gloves and a small shovel makes it feel special. For infants, babywearing lets you stay hands-on, while a bug-netted bassinet or playpen keeps them safe nearby. Crawlers love sitting in the dirt—just keep an eye out so they don’t snack on it!

Older children love helping with spring clean-up, especially removing leaf litter and hunting for ladybugs. It’s a great time to teach them the difference between good plants and weeds. The more you reinforce this habit, the more likely they’ll ask before pulling anything up. Once kids are old enough to use scissors or pruners safely, they can help trim away spent stems and last year’s growth to reveal the fresh new shoots underneath.

Time to Plant

Let the kids pick their favorite plants when you visit the garden center. If you want to spark their creativity, give them their own space in the garden or a container they can fill with plants they’ve chosen or grown themselves. Older children can even be given a budget to plan and select their plants—it’s a great way to teach decision-making and responsibility. Let them choose which fruits and veggies to grow. Any way to get them excited about vegetables is a win!

The same principles apply to planting in the garden as they did with indoor transplants. Let them handle the bigger seeds—beans, peas, pumpkins, zucchinis, watermelons, and cucumbers are all great choices for little hands. And let’s be honest, most kids love watermelon, so that one’s always a hit! Planting potatoes is another fun, kid-friendly activity. They can toss the seed potatoes into the holes or, if you’re feeling brave, help cut them up before planting.

The Plants are Growing-What’s the fun now?

Letting children pick and smell flowers throughout the growing season is a wonderful sensory activity. Helping with weeding is another great way to reinforce the “good plant vs. bad plant” rule. Show them the bees gathering pollen or the ladybugs hunting aphids—these little moments are fascinating for kids and help them understand the garden’s ecosystem. If your children are brave, they’ll love searching for worms and “putting them back home” into the dirt. 

This is also a perfect time to teach them about good bugs and bad bugs. A great place to start is the difference between lily beetles and ladybugs. Before long, they’ll become little garden experts—running to tell you every time they spot a bad lily beetle that needs squishing!

Be cautious with pesticides if you have little helpers in the garden—kids are sensitive to chemicals and love to touch everything. Whether you avoid them completely or use them carefully, always follow directions and consider safer alternatives to keep the garden fun and safe.

Time To Harvest

Harvest time is a whole new kind of fun. Teaching kids when things are ripe is not only a great learning experience—it’s genuinely helpful! Simple color-based tasks work well: pick the raspberries that are dark red, or only grab the red tomatoes. You can also turn it into a game—have them scout for zucchinis as long as their arm or melons as big as their head. Digging up potatoes becomes a scavenger hunt or a pirate’s treasure dig. It’s all about making the garden feel like an adventure.

The possibilities are endless—you just need to get the kids excited and engaged. And remember to have patience. Things will get mixed up, messy, and maybe a little chaotic, but that’s all part of the fun. These moments in the garden aren’t just about growing plants—they’re about growing memories.

Ellen is a graduate of the horticulture degree program at the University of Saskatchewan.  She works as a lab instructor in the Dept. of Plant Sciences, USASK.

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.

Planting with pets

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Planting with pets

Brooke Bedard

Saskatchewan Perennial Society

Creating a garden that feeds both people and pets is an enjoyable way to cultivate enrichment, mindfulness and joy at home.

When choosing plants, it is important to do research and choose varieties that are non-toxic to animals while producing delicious food and fruit for everyone. Planting with furry friends in mind takes into account accidental ingestion and a reminder that the garden can nourish animals too. 

Edible Plants Safe for People and Pets

A well planned garden can offer fresh, homegrown snacks that are safe for pets as they are tasty for people. Garden favourites like carrots and fresh peas offer a crunchy snack for both people and pets. Zucchini and green beans are easy to grow, packed with water, and offer a healthy dose of fiber and flavor for people and their companions. Pumpkin’s digestive benefits make it an easy addition to spaces shared by everyone.

Toxic Plants

While gardens are often peaceful, it is important to recognize that not all plants offer a safe space for animals. Many plants are toxic for pets, and some very common garden flowers can be harmful to ingest. Daffodils, tulips and lily of the valley add magic to your yard but can cause serious harm for our little friends. Castor bean, monkshood, and foxglove are highly toxic and, in some cases, may be fatal. Several common weeds in Saskatchewan can pose as a health risk, especially to dogs, for example foxtail barley seed can lodge and impact itself in mouths, ears, and their paws. These are some species that should be avoided when planning an outdoor space with pets. It is crucial to prioritize safety while maintaining a visual balance.

Non-toxic Plants

Numerous ornamentals provide aesthetic appeal without endangering the health of your pet. Bee Balm, Coneflower and Daylilies are beneficial to pollinations while remaining harmless to pets. A few more vibrant safe favourites consist of Snapdragons, Hollyhocks, Astilbe, and Columbine making a variety of visually appealing non-toxic plants suitable for all members of the family. With a diversity of non-toxic plants available, plant lovers can cultivate a space that is both aesthetically pleasing and suitable for companions. Choosing these plants supports a safe outdoor environment where every member of the household can enjoy.

Garden Safety

Supporting a healthy garden means choosing pet-friendly practices that benefit the yard and all who share it. Organic fertilizers comprised of compost, manure, fish emulsion, and worm castings offer nutrient rich support for plant growth without posing health risks to pets. For pest control, biologicals such as ladybugs, lacewings, and parasitoid wasps provide effective management, combined with nontoxic treatments like neem oil, diatomaceous earth, and insecticidal soaps. Ground coverings such soft textured mulch, along with natural surfaces like grass and wood chips bring comfort and reduce any potential harm. Providing shaded areas and access to clean water completes the space while supporting plant health and your pet’s wellbeing.

Design

Designing a pet friendly garden begins with thorough planning and a smart layout. Raised beds and low hedges can effectively keep animals away from sensitive zones like small plants or delicate features such as solar lights, bird baths, and garden decor. Secure fencing and physical barriers are essential in protecting areas that are easily damaged or permanently off limits, such as ponds, vegetable gardens, or flower beds. Incorporating a dog run may help minimize pee spots by offering a contained space for consistent use, keeping the rest of the yard healthier and more lush. Establishing clear play zones for digging, resting, and roughhousing, allows pets to engage naturally with without disrupting the landscape.

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.

Flora Alba: White flowering plants for your garden – Part2

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Flora Alba: White flowering plants for your garden – Part2

Bernadette Vangool

Saskatchewan Perennial Society

Here are some additional white accent plants for your garden in summer. 

For the shorter groundcover plants for your white and silvery garden, also think foliage.‘Silvermound’ artemisia (Artemesia schmidtiana) forms a silver cushion. It usually is good for one or two years, then dies out in the middle. I have not been successful in dividing and getting a nice rosette in spring. For me this is a short-lived perennial.

 ‘Silver Brocade’ artemisia (Artemesia stelleriana) has been a good ground cover for me. It propagates easily, can be somewhat invasive, but is easy to control and always looks pretty. It gives the border a regal finish at the edges.

Another silver accent for a white border can be the native sage, but it is a pretty aggressive spreader. I have taken it out of my sunny beds because it is just too prolific. I find it grows well in the shade and is not as aggressive there.

Pearl yarrow (Achillea ptarmica) ‘The Pearl’ is easy to grow, drought tolerant and a beautiful addition to the white garden. It is a great replacement for the banned baby’s breath. About 45cm high, the green ferny stems and double white flowers look great in flower arrangements, both fresh and dried. It blooms in July and August. Some say it is invasive but I have not found it so. In fact, when it got shaded by some taller perennials nearby, it disappeared.

Mock orange (Philadelphus coronarius), a flowering shrub,  comes in different varieties and sizes, so pay attention to the plant tags as to mature size. Philadelphus x virginalis ‘Miniature Snowflake’ grows to a height of about 90cm whereas many others can be well over 150cm tall and wide. Mock orange is a delight when in bloom, because of its distinctive lovely scent. It is great to bring indoors as there are always abundant flower.

A couple of years ago I picked up Valerian (Valeriana) at a fall plant exchange. Being short on sunny spaces, I put it in a semi-shady spot. This year it shot up to a height of 2m and produced large beautiful pure white, roundish flower heads. At its base, new plants are already developing, which to me indicates it might be somewhat invasive. After one of our rain storms the hollow stalks bent and I prematurely deadheaded all the flowers. I will keep a careful eye on it and might take it out if it proves too invasive. A better option for the gardener may be White Fleece Flower (Persicaria polymorpha) which is also tall and stately, takes a bit longer to establish, but seems to stay put in one place, slowly producing additional flower stalks each year. The flowers on Persicaria are more elongated and tend to be creamier in colour.

Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) has white fluffy flowers. It has been naturalized in North America but hails from Europe and Western Asia. It grows about 100cm tall in my yard and flowers in mid-summer. The name dates from the 16th century when the flowers were used to sweeten mead.

Hydrangeas in my yard bloom near the end of July. In other gardens many varieties are already in full bloom earlier in the season. Hydrangeas are being bred to be more cold tolerant and there are many white varieties to choose from. The blues and pinks still are only marginally hardy in our zone. When purchasing hydrangeas read the plant labels for hardiness zones,

These white flowers should give you a start on a white Sissinghurst like garden. All plants mentioned do best in full sun. The Filipendula will tolerate partial shade. The one drawback,  especially if you stick with only white blooms, are that on the petalled flowers, such as mock orange, peonies and roses,thrips can be a problem.

As flowers bloom at different times, when designing with white plants it is important to also pay attention to foliage and the different shades of green that will accent your garden throughout the year.

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.

Flora Alba: White flowering plants for your garden – Part1

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Flora Alba: White flowering plants for your garden – Part1

Bernadette Vangool

Saskatchewan Perennial Society

Some time ago, a trip to England, included the white garden in Sissinghurst. I have always been attracted to white flowering plants so upon my return home, I decided to make a central flower bed featuring white flowers. You have to be careful what you wish for, because you might get it. Pretty soon I had a flower bed of white, surrounded by a lawn that also included white Dutch clover. I had effectively created a winter landscape in the middle of summer. Needless to say, it was a bit overpowering, and I have been adding in some colour ever since. So, for those who want to start a white garden, I would suggest that you plan to incorporate some blues, pinks or greys right from the get go.

Nevertheless, white can provide great accents and contrast in an otherwise coloured  landscape. Here are some white plants that I really love.

Early Spring

 ‘Spring Snow’ is a fruitless crabapple with fragrant flowers and dense foliage developed by Bert Porter of Honeywood Nurseries. . It is drought-tolerant and extremely cold-hardy. It grows to 6m tall and wide. I was sold a crabapple as ‘Spring Snow’ but my specimen has small fruit. Since it is not near a walkway, this is not a problem, and it does provide me with great spring interest, whatever variety it is.

Viburnum opulus ‘Snowball Bush’, is a beautiful shrub with 10cm round snowball like flowers. Relatively short lived, it was a great addition while in my landscape. About 150cm high,  unfortunately, after about five years, it became confused with the seasons and began blooming a second time in late fall. This resulted in not being prepared for winter. It never leafed out the next spring.

Lebanon onion (Allium zebdanense) is a flowering onion that hails from the Middle East.  Planted in the fall about five years ago, it is naturalizing in my front garden. It grows to about the same height as common chives with beautiful, delicate flowers in late May.

Allium stippitatum ‘White Giant’ is about 90cm tall and has 10+cm round globes of densely packed flowers. A great pollinator plant, it naturalizes easily and blooms in early June.

Late Spring

‘White Swan’ large-petaled clematis (Clematis macropetela), a vine hybridized by Frank Skinner from Dropmore Manitoba, is featured at the Heritage Rose Garden at the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park. Supported by an arbor about 150 cm in height, it starts blooming on old wood at the end of May.

Peonies come in colours from white to pink, red and even yellow. One of the very beautiful single bloom peonies is ‘Krinkled White’,  blooming in the gardens in mid-June. The large blossoms of crinkled white with golden stamens in the centre are borne on flexible stems and do not require support. It is slightly fragrant, makes a great cut flower and the foliage remains attractive through the summer. Another white variety is ‘Frances Willard’, which has sturdy stems, but some years requires staking because of its very large double flower heads. ‘Festiva Maxima’ is a popular choice and has been in cultivation for over 150 years. The large white flowers (15+cm) with crimson accents are on 90cm sturdy stems, and need to be supported in my garden.

Next to flower are the roses. I have ‘Morden Snow Beauty’ which always puts on a great show. Although it often suffers die-back in early spring it never fails to recover and delight, with slightly fragrant flushes of white semi-double flowers. So far it has remained disease  free. It is well established and I have had it for over twenty years. Roses benefit with careful pruning in spring, once they begin leafing out as well as careful deadheading to encourage a second flush of blooms. ‘Oscar Peterson’ is a white rose, released in the Artist Series of Canadian roses, after the rose breeding was discontinued in Ottawa, along with ‘Henry Hudson’, a fragrant rugosa rose in the Explorer series of roses, would be great addition to a white garden.

A unique  plant in my garden is the white gas plant (Dictamnus albus). It forms a bushy, upright mound with spiky, fragrant, pure white flowers. The seedpods, formed after flowering, continue to give the plant interest. It grows about 60 to 90cm tall. Wear gloves when handling the plant as some people are sensitive to its touch. It has a lemony smell and produces volatile oils, which can be ignited on hot summer days. The burning bush referred to in the bible may well have been a gas plant.

Stay tuned next week, when we continue the white blooms into Summer.

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.

Let the prairie fruit harvest begin!

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Let the prairie fruit harvest begin!

Jackie Bantle

Saskatchewan Perennial Society

Last week I picked my first pail of raspberries. The week before that, I was eating fresh haskap berries on my ice cream. I’ve had several handfuls of strawberries from my garden but there are a lot more of those to come. It is definitely Saskatoon berry picking season and soon the dwarf sour cherries will be ready followed by more raspberries, plums and finally Prairie apples in the fall. 

How do you know when it is the best time to harvest your Prairie fruit? Haskap berries are some of the earliest fruit to mature. Haskaps are ready to harvest when the outside of the berry has turned purplish/blue and the INSIDE of the berry has turned from green to reddish/purple. Many people pick their haskap as soon as the outer skin turns purple however, the flavor and sweetness is optimal when the interior of the berry has also turned colour.

Strawberries are ready to harvest when they have turned completely red on the outside. Strawberries that are slightly underripe (have a green or white tinge on the fruit) will not have their best sweetness or texture. Strawberries that are left on the vine too long will start to rot or mold. Unripe strawberries do not ripen off the vine. June bearing strawberries are ready for harvest from late June through July. Day neutral strawberries produce most of their fruit in mid-late August and September up to fall frost.

Hardy raspberries for the Prairies can be red or gold in color. Floricane raspberries produce berries on last year’s canes and are ready to harvest from mid-July through to August. Primocane raspberries produce fruit on this year’s cane growth and are not ready to harvest until late in the fall and through to fall frost. Raspberries are ready for harvest when the fruit has fully turned color.

Saskatoon berries are ready to harvest in mid-late July. Each of the Saskatoon berry selections are ready at slightly different times. ‘Honeywood’, ‘Nelson’ and ‘Smoky’ are slightly later maturing cultivars.  Harvest Saskatoon berries when they are dark purple in color.  Some selections have very uneven ripening of berries on the same bush so several pickings are required for a complete harvest.  ‘Martin’ has the most evenly ripening berries. 

Dwarf sour cherries are ready for harvest in early-mid August. Many people pick their dwarf sour cherries too early, before the interior flesh has turned a dark red. Mature dwarf cherry fruit should be a deep red to black/red when ripe and the interior of the fruit must be dark red in color. ‘Valentine’ is an exception to this rule in that the outer skin remains a bright red however, ‘Valentine’ is one of the later cultivars to mature and usually is not ready for harvest until mid-August. If your cherry fruit is days away from harvest and there is an extended rainy period in the forecast, consider picking your cherries prior to the rain event since excessive moisture will split mature cherry fruit on the bush.

Plums are ready to harvest near the end of August. Each plum cultivar has a different outer skin and inner flesh color when they are mature.  Know which cultivar you are growing and what a ripe plum of that cultivar looks like at maturity to enjoy the optimal texture and flavour. A general rule of thumb for plums is that they are ready to harvest when the outer skin has a waxy bloom and the fruit is slightly soft to the touch.  

Apples are ready to harvest in September. Some apples can even withstand a slight frost. Old cultivars of Prairie apples often do not store well or last long on the tree. Newer apple releases like ‘Prairie Sensation’ hold their flavour and texture much longer on the tree and in storage. 

When you are eating some of those fresh Prairie fruits this season, remember to thank all of the innovative and hard-working horticulturalists who spent their lives making these wonderful fruits available to us today. Many of these people worked without much gratitude or financing over the last 130 years but they had a vision and a dream and they pushed forward despite the odds. The University of Saskatchewan has had a very successful fruit breeding program for over 90 years and it continues to this day. This program has not been without assistance from outside people and sources. 

The recent fruit cultivar, ‘Boreal Bliss’ haskap, was developed over the last fourteen years at the U of S but some of the genetics used in developing ‘Boreal Bliss’ (and all of the U of S haskap cultivars) came from haskap fruit selections that were made by a US fruit breeder (Dr. Maxine Thompson) decades prior to the release of this cultivar.  Similarly, it was Les Kerr, the second field superintendent of the Sutherland Forestry nursery (currently known as the Saskatoon Forestry Farm and Zoo) who passed on the original crosses used in the U of S dwarf sour cherries back in the late 1950’s and 1960’s. It has taken a team of dedicated, meticulous and selfless people many decades and in many countries to produce some of the Prairie fruit that we take for granted today. 

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.

Attracting pollinators to your garden

Sask Perennial Society
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Attracting pollinators to your garden

Bernadette Vangool

Saskatchewan Perennial Society

There is lots of doom and gloom in the world today and one way to escape for us gardeners is to go into our yards and enjoy nature at its best. By gardening, we can make a difference in this world. Pollinators have been declining at alarming rates in recent years, and by providing habitat for these important creatures, we can turn things around.

Roughly ninety percent of flowering plants and up to one third of the world’s food crops depend on pollinators for reproduction and yield, respectively. With much of our native prairie converted into agriculture, the natural habitats of these important pollinators are declining. The inappropriate or overuse of pesticides by both gardeners and farmers alike have also contributed to a decline in the diversity of pollinators.

When we think about pollinators, many of us automatically think about bees, as perhaps they are the most studied. In general, bees are the workhorses for pollinating many agricultural crops in Canada. Honeybees, in particular, were imported to Canada about 400 years ago and continue to be managed for honey production and pollination purposes. Eurasian Leafcutter bees are also managed for pollination of specific crops like alfalfa. But also important are the 800 or so species of native bees from across the country that are vital for pollination, with studies showing that native bees are often superior pollinators of many crops and are often better in transferring pollen than honeybees. Many of these native bees are solitary and have relatively short foraging ranges and need good, nearby sources of water. They often nest in the ground or in hollow twigs of woody or herbaceous plants and visit a wide range of flowers in the search of quality nectar.

The next pollinator everyone appreciates are the butterflies and moths. Each species of butterfly has their preferred sources of flowers for nectar, and often a different host flower to deposit their eggs on, so their caterpillar offspring can feed. The most talked about butterfly is the Monarch, which prefers milkweed (Asclepias) as a host plant and often visits Joe Pye weed (Eutrochium purpureum) as a nectar source. Providing both plants in one’s garden is more likely to attract Monarchs to your yard. In my yard I have also seen them roosting in the spruce tree, but am not sure if this is typical. They like an open range and prefer flowers with a large landing pad. They will eat rotten fruit and leach minerals out of damp garden soil. Other flowering plants that attract a wide range of butterfly species include bee balm (Monarda), blazing star (Liatris), yarrow (Achillea millefolium), zinnias, and sunflowers. Butterflies feed during the day, while moths feed at night and are attracted to strongly scented pale or white flowers, and especially the Evening primroses (Oenothera) which open their flowers overnight.

Beetles are important pollinators, but gardeners usually are not as enthused with them as they would rather watch out for butterflies or hummingbirds (also pollinators). Nevertheless, there are about 9000 species of beetles in Canada and they are important pollinators. Another insect that is not as appreciated is the lowly ant who will often spread the seeds of Canadian ginger (Asarum canadense) to different parts of my yard. Then there are the wasps and finally the flies which are active pollinators for a range of annual and perennial flowers. One genus pollinated mainly by flies is (Solidago) or goldenrods.

As gardeners you are already providing additional habitat for pollinators by planting flowering plants that offer nectar and pollen to hungry pollinators. Some additional practices can increase their habitat in your garden. If you mulch to conserve water and suppress weeds, leave some uncovered soil in your garden where ground nesting insects can reside. Provide water sources where insects and birds can drink without drowning; add small pebbles into bird baths which will allow insects and bees access. You can keep some debris, like logs and tree clippings around in a pile to create some organic shelter. Of course, avoiding the use of pesticides and herbicides will help too.

Pay attention to what is blooming at each time of the year from spring to summer and fall. Offer a minimum of three different blooming plants at all times in your garden. Try to plant several plants of each variety, so that pollinators don’t need to relearn how to enter each bloom, as all blossoms differ somewhat. Make sure you have a mix of relatively flat flowers that provide a landing pad for butterflies, to tubular flowers that require longer tongues and provide nectar to different bees and hummingbirds. Try to include some native plants in your landscape to provide food for pollinators that originated and adapted side by side with these plants in your region.

For more information and to download your copy of ‘Selecting Plants for Pollinators’ in your ecoregion of Canada go to https://www.pollinator.org/guides the Canadian Eco Region guides are listed below the American ones featured.

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.

Corn in the prairie garden

Sask Perennial Society
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Corn in the prairie garden

Jackie Bantle

Saskatchewan Perennial Society

Sweet corn (Zea mays) has been a staple in the Prairie garden for decades. Although corn was domesticated by native people in Mexico approximately 10,000 years ago, it is only in the last 30 years that Prairie gardeners have been able to consistently harvest sweet corn from their own garden every year. 

The garden corn that was available when I was a kid (some 50+ years ago) was a special treat since our growing season tended to be somewhat shy of producing fully ripe corn. Even though the fresh corn back then was amazing for the time, there is no comparison to the types of sweet corn we can grow in our Prairie gardens today. In the past, the corn that we grew was called a ‘Standard’ type or ‘Normal Sugary (su)’. Any sweetness in these cobs would disappear one day after harvest and the texture of the kernels could be quite mushy. If you didn’t harvest the cobs at ‘just the right time’, the quality was not great but… we were happy because we had a rare treat of fresh corn on the cob.

Over the last several decades, corn breeding has come a long way. There are now several types available, and they each have their own unique qualities. 

When Supersweet (sh2) corn cultivars were first introduced several decades ago, it was exciting because not only did the sweetness improve, but that flavour lasted in storage as well as on the plant:  one didn’t need to pick corn on exactly the correct day for prime quality. Many of the supersweets had a tougher texture at that time and they also required a bit longer growing season:  many were not reliable cultivars for Prairie gardeners.

Sugar enhanced (se) corn cultivars were also released several decades ago and were touted as being more tender than supersweet cultivars and slightly earlier maturing. Sugar enhanced cultivars did not have the extreme sweetness of the supersweets but they had better flavor than the old standard cultivars. 

About 20 years ago synergistic and augmented corn cultivars came on the market. Both types demonstrated improvements in flavour and texture over the sugar enhanced and supersweet cultivars. 

Ornamental corn is not a sweet corn but rather a flint corn. Ornamental corn is often used for decorative purposes, but it can be used for cooking: hominy, grits, corn meal or masa.

Corn breeding over the last 20 years has also resulted in a huge number of excellent corn cultivars available to Prairie gardeners. Combining the new genetics with a longer and hotter growing season than in the past has secured a sweet corn harvest in nearly every Prairie garden every summer. When selecting corn cultivars to grow, choose cultivars that mature in 75 days or less.

Corn is a warm season crop and should be seeded when the soil has warmed up in spring to at least 15°C (3rd or 4th week in May). Early planting into cold soil may result in seed rot.

Corn does not like to have it’s roots disturbed, avoid transplanting. Sweet corn plants love heat, moisture and fertile soil. If corn leaves look chlorotic (yellow) during the growing season, add some extra compost to the soil or apply some 20-20-20 soluble fertilizer. Mix fertilizer according to label directions. Apply at least 2.5cm of water weekly when the corn is actively growing.

Corn is cross pollinating. Corn plants produce the male pollen in tassles at the top of the plant.  The silks in the cob are each connected to one kernel in the cob. The pollen must travel down the silk to each kernel for the kernels to develop.  Missing kernels in a cob indicate that there was poor pollination. Plant garden corn in a square block, rather than one long row to ensure successful pollination. If you are growing more than one type of sweet corn or a sweet corn cultivar and an ornamental corn cultivar, separate the two different types by at least 6-8m. Cross pollination between two different types of corn will negatively affect cob quality. 

Corn has few insect issues however, with the increase in the amount of field corn being grown for livestock, corn ear worm has become an issue. Corn ear worm is not a worm but rather a caterpillar. Moths flying in from the United States lay their eggs on the new leaves and silks in August. The eggs hatch out in a few days and the ‘worms’ burrow into the tip of the cob.  Usually not more than 1/3 of the cob is affected. There is no effective spray for this pest.  Simply cut off the chewed part of the cob and the remainder of the cob is completely edible. 

How do you know when your corn cob is ready for harvest? The silks on the cob should have dried up and the tip of the cob should feel blunt to the touch, rather than tapered. If you are still not sure, peel back a bit of the husk on the tip to see if the kernels look plump and ready. Remember that sweet corn now comes in yellow, bicolor and even white kernels so check for mature kernel color as well.

Good luck with your corn this season. Get out the butter and salt!

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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