by Erl Svedson

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

by Erl Svedsen

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

by Erl Svendsen

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

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

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

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

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

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

Truly tough plants

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

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

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

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

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

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

by Margaret Driver

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pink: ‘Moneymaker’

Peach: ‘Royal Sunset’

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

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

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

Peach: ‘Brocade’,

Orange: ‘Orange Marmalade’

Whilte: ‘Tarlton’

Brown: ‘Dalhansonii’

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

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

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

by Sara Williams

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

by Bernadette Vangool

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

by Erl Svendsen, PAg

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

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

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

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

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

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

by Erl Svendsen

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

by Erl Svendsen

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

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

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

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

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

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

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