As every gardener knows, fall is not the end of the gardening year, it is the start of next year's season. This is the time when we plant spring bulbs, add leaves and plant matter to the compost heap, cut back annuals, diseased plants and perennials that don't add height or beauty to the winter garden (this includes perennials that go mushy with frost, e.g., day lilies), water trees and shrubs to help them though winter chinooks, clean tools and put away watering hoses that can be damaged by frost.
As well, many of us gardeners ensure we leave standing some plants with seed heads, as well as fruit on bushes and trees for the brave birds that remain here during the winter.
When that's all done, it's time to sit back and dream about next year's garden.
Here's what I am going to be doing over the winter:
- Reading gardening magazines. The Library has a great collection of gardening mazagines. Every branch has a selection. Some of my favourites are Gardens West (Prairie edition), Canadian Gardening, The Alberta Gardener and Fine Gardening.
- Browsing seed catalogs
- Thinking about what worked this past year
- Planning new gardening projects/plants for next year
- Resting!
Although this is the last gardening blog for the year, we will be reading and investigating ideas for next spring when we hope to be back writing about one of our favourite obsessions.
Bye for now!
Barb and Rosemary
What a beautiful fall we have had! It is now nearly the middle of October and my roses are still blooming.
I have been taking cuttings from one of my personal favourites, Winnipeg Parks. This hardy rose blooms all season and the flower is very close in appearance to that of a tea rose.
The stems are not too thorny and can be cut long enough to put in a regular vase rather than a rose bowl.
Most perennials have finished blooming, but there are several hardy and drought tolerant plants that bloom well into fall. Autumn Joy sedum (sedum telephium) makes a splash of colour in front of a dark pine tree. Liatris (also known as Blazing Star or Gayfeather) stays colorful even after frost and is great for drying. My Annabelle hydrangea continues to look spectacular, even after hard frost destroyed the white in the flowers.
It is at this time of year that I appreciate foliage. In this picture there are four very different textures and colours grouped together, complimenting and contrasting each other in an attractive tableau.
As the season progresses and the foliage dies back, the skeletons of trees and bushes will emerge, blending with evergreens to form the bones of the winter landscape.
The Prairie winterscape : creative gardening for the forgotten season / by Kam, Barbara, 1962-
Wonders of the winter landscape : shrubs and trees to brighten the cold-weather garden / by Simeone, Vincent A.
When temperatures plummet, flowers go to seed and leaves disappear, one of the most hopeful gardening acts is to plant spring bulbs. It is a gift that gardeners give themselves, and brings untold pleasure in the early days of spring.
In my first bulb planting venture some years ago, I spent hours putting the bulbs in the ground. I carefully followed the directions on the package, dug 100 individual holes, was exacting about the depth and distance between the bulbs, and made sure to add bone meal. It was a major project.
Now I know that bulbs, like most plants, don't need a lot of fussing and coddling. They're designed to grow.
So, here are some tips and an easy planting method to make sure you have spring colour in your garden:
- Plant bulbs at the proper depth, which is three times the height of the bulb.
- Place the bulbs in the soil pointed side up, and push them down firmly to ensure close contact with soil.
- Make sure you water the area well after planting
- Don't bother adding bone meal. Organic mulch or slow-release bulb fertilizer is more effective in providing nurtrients.
- Rather than digging 100 holes for bulbs, I've become a fan of the "lasagna" method. Dig a generous hole deep enough for the biggest bulbs, such as daffoldils. Cover with a thin layer of soil, and then add medium sized bulbs such as hyacinths and tulips. Cover with another layer of soil, and add the small bulbs -- crocuses and snow drops. Fill the hole with soil and pat down lightly, water well, and cover with leaf mulch. Don't worry if you've planted bulbs on top of other bulbs. They will find their way to sunlight. By the time April arrives, they are as anxious for spring as you.
- If you have over-zealous squirrels that may dig up your bulbs, place chicken wire on top of the planted area and anchor it with pegs cut from wire coat hangers. The squirrels won't enjoy digging through the mesh and you can remove it once the ground begins to freeze. Alternatively, get a dog that likes to chase squirrels.
- Sit back and enjoy the winter, knowing there is a riot of colour waiting to emerge from beneath the snow.
Bulbs : practical advice and the science behind it / by Hole, Jim, 1956-
From an early age I would go into the fall garden with my grandfather and collect jars of seeds: peas, beans, cosmos,.. they were all gathered and winnowed by hand. It was a fool-proof, free and sustainable way of gardening.
Over the years, this practice has become less common, but with concerns around gardening costs, GMOs and maintaining plant strains, seed collecting is beginning to see a revival.
Here are a few tips and tricks:
- Only collect seeds from healthy, vigorous plants
- Always harvest seeds on a sunny day, and ensure the seeds are dry before storing
- Select plants where the seedheads appear to be "ripe"
- Place a paper bag over the seedhead and cut the stalk, upturning it into the bag
- Place the bag in a dry place until the seeds are released
- Before storing, remove any shrivelled or damaged looking seeds, stalks and chaff
- Store dry seeds in clean jars or an envelope and mark the plant name and date. Do not store in plastic bags as they trap moisture and will cause seeds to rot.
- Store in a cool, dark and dry place over the winter (not the freezer!)
Once you practice seed collecting, you will find yourself looking at fall gardens, neighbours' yards and public parks in a whole new way!
Seedheads in the garden / by Kingsbury, Noël.
At a recent plant exchange, someone donated scores of really beautifully potted perennials. She explained that for several years, in spite of extreme efforts to keep them out, the deer had eaten the tops off these particular plants. She finally decided that the only solution was to remove them from her yard altogether and give them to someone else to enjoy.
Almost all of us have had some experience with wildlife in the garden - mice, squirrels and "gophers" (Richardsons ground squirrels) to name just a few. I remember how upset I was when a rabbit ate the tops off my favourite tulips.
There are many Internet sites dealing with and discussing how to keep pests out of the garden. One suggested spraying the yard with coyote urine to keep deer away. (I was having fun trying to imagine how one would collect it, only to read that bottles of coyote urine can be purchased.)
The Calgary Public Library has a selection of titles about wildlife control. A colleague found the following title helpful for dealing with deer. The book discusses their habits in some detail. The same author also wrote about squirrels. This title contains a small amount of information about Richardson's ground squirrels.
Deerproofing your yard & garden / by Hart, Rhonda Massingham, 1959-
Squirrel proofing your home & garden / by Hart, Rhonda Massingham, 1959-
Every gardener needs a few hardy, self-reliant plants that always survive Calgary's erratic winters, stand tall in late summer without staking, provide endless nourishment for bees and other plant-friendly insects, and offer a great show in the late season.
False sunflowers are such a plant. Bright, and unflinchingly yellow, their botanical name, Heliopsis, after the Greek God Helios, reflects their round shape and sunny nature. Of all the late summer flowers in my garden, it is the false sunflower that receives the most attention from passers by.
False sunflowers are native to North America, and tolerate the dry days of August. They stand over a metre tall, and will bloom from late July through to and including September.
Some new plants will spring from seed in the spring, but be warned, given their girth you don't want to let them take over. It is easy to weed them out with a trowel or shovel.
Great companion plants for false sunflowers include red daylilies or the purple-blue of russian sage, sea holly or globe thistles.
Oh yes, and if you're wondering why it's called "false sunflower", it's because it's not a sunflower at all. It's from the daisy family. But somehow, fall does seem to be a season more suited to sunflowers than daisies...
Sunflowers, the secret history : the unauthorized of the world's most beloved weed. by Pappalardo, Joe.
September is not only a time of harvest, but for many gardeners it is a time to reassess yards, ponder mistakes and divide and move perennials.
One of the wonderful things about gardening -- and there are many -- is that it is such a tolerant and forgiving realm. A plant doesn’t look right or isn’t thriving in a particular location? No problem. Just dig it up and relocate it. With the right care and conditions the transplant will resettle and achieve its full glory in a new location. I have moved many perennials over the years as light and shade conditions changed in the front and back yard.
For all of the benevolence of the garden, however, I have learned that the one plant you don’t mess with is a tree. Shrubs and trees require both foresight and knowledge when planting, because once that cute little spruce becomes a 20 footer blocking the living room window, the only way you are going to be able to undo the original planting mistake is with a chainsaw.
Some years ago, I purchased a couple of what I mistakenly thought were native dogwood shrubs. If only I had borrowed a couple of good tree identification books from the Library.... Those small shrubs are now 25 foot Chinese elms. While the birds and squirrels love them, and they have provided protection from summer heat and winter winds, they are the biggest mistakes of my gardening career. And as I write this, my mistakes continue to grow like Jack's proverbial bean stalk.
Woody ornamentals for the prairies / by Knowles, Hugh.
Anyone who has grown up on the prairies knows the joy and complexity of grasses: the green tickle of fescue on bare feet, the spicy scent of summer sweet grass and the beauty of prairie dropseed in the fall.
Now, with an increasing number of ornamental grasses making the transition from meadow to gardens, this hardy plant is adding drama and sensory appeal to Calgary yards.
No other perrenial offers so much interest over the seasons, is so maintenance free (as long as you don't plant invasive varieties), or so versatile. In addition, there is something magical about the way grasses reflect the moods of nature, whispering and swaying in the wind, catching sun in their seed heads, or silvering with winter frost.
While varieties like Karl Foerster and Overdam feather reed look great on their own, ornamental grasses really shine as a foil for other plants. Their delicate arching forms add a contrast to the stiffness of other plants, and their subtle hues make a great backdrop for showier flowers. Also, some grasses develop different textures through the seasons adding a changing dimension to the garden.
If you haven't tried ornamental grasses in your garden or balcony planters, do consider it. Grasses come in all shapes and sizes from little tussocks to huge shrub-like masses. In addition, they are an important food source for butterflies and birds.
Come winter, when you see the ballet of movement and sound in your garden, you will be grateful for the sensual, year-round attraction provided by ornamental grasses.
Gardening with ornamental grasses / by Grounds, Roger.
Grasses : versatile partners for uncommon garden design / by Ondra, Nancy J.
Community gardens are an integral part of Calgary's urban heritage, and have provided food and fellowship for over a century. Now, with the growing interest in organics and "eating local" combined with the trend towards apartment/condo living, community gardens have taken off like a well-fertilized zucchini patch. In 2008 alone, six new community gardens have sprung up.
The Calgary Horticultural Society has started a new initiative, the Community Gardens Resource Network, to strengthen and promote community gardens in Calgary. If you are considering joining or starting a community garden their web-site is a wonderful place to start.
If you're still not certain that community gardening is for you, the Community Gardens Resouce Network co-ordinator, Gael Blackhall, offers her top 25 reasons to get involved. Gael, who is a fountain of energy and knowledge, says community gardens offer:
- Opportunities to grow food, flowers and friendship
- Fresh vegetables, fruit and herbs
- Organic food grown without pesticides
- Ways to save money on the food bill without sacrificing flavour or nutrition
- Increases in neighbourly goodwill
- A location for beauty, inspiration, and serenity
- A sense of place
- Greening of the city’s built environment
- A place where all people are welcomed regardless of age, ability or life experience
- Joy of collecting and using unusual seed varieties
- Biodiversity by collecting and planting seeds that are different than those used in large-scale agriculture
- Adventure of trying to cheat Calgary’s high altitude climate and of extending the growing season
- Real life demonstration of the phenomenal growing potential of compost-enhanced soil
- Endless ways to experiment
- A reduced food transportation footprint
- Improvement in urban air quality, and moderation of urban temperature on hot days
- A noise filter for the city soundscape
- Help for stormwater runoff absorption
- Sustainability
- A controllable food source for people with allergies
- Additive-free ingredients for cooks
- Ways of learning by doing, knowledge sharing and skill building
- Physical activity
- Improved neighbourhood safety and security
- Opportunities to barter and develop businesses
There couldn't be a better time to join a community garden. Each garden maintains their own list of gardeners, and it's not too soon to add your name to the 2009 waiting list. Also, this fall and winter the Community Gardens Resource Network will be hosting information programs, so check their web-site on a regular basis.
Happy community gardening!
Sharing the harvest : a citizen's guide to Community Supported Agriculture / by Henderson, Elizabeth, 1943-">
Dahlias are the great divas of the August garden.
Just when vegetation is moving into the dry, exhausted slump of summer, these blowsy blossoms make their dramatic entrance.
With bold colours and shocking forms, I first fell in love with dahlias at a Calgary farmer's market. A retired teacher had planted a field of dahlias and brought buckets of these stunning flowers to market. He convinced me to try growing my own.
In spite of their showy attributes, dahlias' requirements are minimal: start indoors in March, then move to a sunny location and water when needed. That's it.
To store over winter, let potted begonias mature by withholding water after the first hard frost. Dig them up leaving a small stem and remove as much soil as possible. Turn tubers upside down to drain the stems and allow the soil to dry. Write the name/colour right on the tuber with a permanent marker, place in dry peat moss or vermiculite and leave in a cool, dark place.
Come spring, these Carmen Mirandas will be ready to prepare for another dramatic appearance on the late summer stage. Bravo!
The gardener's guide to growing dahlias / by Rowlands, Gareth.
Over a decade ago I decided to adopt the barren boulevard beside our house and plant native species including wolf willow, silver sage, bergamot and wild sunflowers. Within a year I noticed a surprising increase in bird and insect life. Intially, I attributed this surge in wildlife to the fact that an area that had previously been mostly gravel and quack grass, was now a more diverse habitat. The truth, as it turns out, is both that simple and that complex.
According to ecologist, Douglas Tallamy, there is an unbreakable link between native plant species and native wildlife. Indeed, as he explains in his fascinating book Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife In Our Gardens most native insects can not or will not eat alien plants. Therefore, when native species are replaced by alien exotics, insects decline or disappear and a whole food chain is disrupted.
If you are one of those plant-a-holics who loves to push the gardening zone and have turned your back-yard into a tropical jungle, you don't neccesarily have to toss out the palm trees and mahonias. What is important is to include some native species in your jungle so that the insect herbivores can feed. There are many excellent books now available that can help identify Alberta native species. It is also worth checking the Evergreen Native Plant Database an excellent source of info on native species, arranged by region.
The importance of urban gardens in maintaining wildlife and a balanced ecosystem is often underestimated. Just as buildings can not be designed solely on aesthetics, so too our gardens can not be just about appearances, but rather, must have a foundation of plants that have evolved within our local communities.
Native plants for prairie gardens / by Flanagan, June.
It is now just over ten years since we designed and planted our current garden. After several weeks of rain and a few days of heat, everything is growing rapidly and we are hacking our way through rampant growth in overcrowded beds. Flowers that began in full sun are now in full shade. Tree branches are intertwined. Underneath these trees was a lilac we didn't know was blooming because the blooms were hidden by the leaves from, not one, but three trees.
I ever have to plan another garden, here are my resolutions:
- The next time my best gardening buddy says to me, "It looks great, but you are over planted.", I will listen to her, and take something out when it is small enough to handle.
- If I am at a Plant Exchange and someone comes in with ten or more pots of the same plant, I will resist the temptation to take any. (If I do, in two years I will be bringing ten or more back.)
- If I am at the Garden Centre and a plant's tag says "vigorous", I will avoid it altogether.
- The next time I contemplate planting a tree and the growth chart says it has a span of ten feet, I will plant it at least twelve feet away from anything else.
- The next time I look at a newly planted bed and think it looks empty, I will remind myself how smart they were to leave room for expansion.
There, I feel much better now. Back to the flowerbeds.
Now where did I put those shears?
For many years we talked with our neighbours about replacing our dilapitated, shared fence, but the task seemed too daunting. Finally, this spring we began calling companies to get estimates. Few returned our calls, and those that did were booked well into the summer. So, with the assistance of a very talented and obliging nephew/carpenter, Ian, we finally took matters into our hands and decided to build our own fence!
Initially we thought we would simply purchase fencing panels from a hardware store and install them. Easy. But it soon became apparent that there aren't many styles to choose from and the majority of fencing panels are "pressure treated" (euphemistic term for wood treated with dangerous chemicals that are toxic to humans and the environment).
So, over a cool one, and a big stack of library books, we began planning the new fence. Ian sketched out a design and sourced the cedar from a local shop. There were a few glitches along the way: the holes had to be hand dug, and what we thought would take a week-end, stretched into five, long days. But, in between, we shared stories and meals as the fence took shape. And what a reward to finally step back, see the finished fence and know that it would withstand the wear and tear of decades of weather.
Robert Frost said that "good fences make good neighbours." And I would add: good neighbours make good, eco-friendly fences.
Fences & gates : a do-it-yourself guide to design and construction / by Miller, Martin, 1944-
The fence bible : how to plan, install, and build fences and gates to meet every home style and property need, no matter what size your yard / by Beneke, Jeff.
This has been a bad year for storms. Every day when I drive home from work, I see those clouds building and I am convinced that the garden is gone for the year. Last week I covered my beautiful lettuce with laundry baskets and plastic pails.
Growing up in rural Alberta, you learn how to read the skies, and hail clouds have a particular significance for me. One of my most vivid childhood memories is that of a terrible hailstorm.
I was eleven that year, the eldest of four, and old enough to sense when times were tough. After several years of drought, we finally had a good crop and things were looking up.
Then the hail came - hail the size of golf balls. The sound was terrifying. The wind was so strong it blew the glass from one of the windows right across the kitchen. When it was all over, I went with my Dad to look at the fields.
All that was left of his beautiful crops were a few stalks. I remember in particular the defeated droop of his shoulders as he wandered through the devastation.
That year, we moved to town for the winter, so that he could go to work and make enough money for us to live till the next year.
These days, when I contemplate the loss of my lettuce patch, or moan about the look of my flowerbeds, I tell myself that at least I don't have to depend on them for my living.
www.coloradogardening.com is a website devoted to gardening in Colorado. On this site, there is an article called "Gardening in Hail Country", which is a good reference for people living in areas prone to hail damage
If you drive through many Calgary neighbourhoods you will find row upon row of manicured front lawns. Some will have a small flowerbed or a few foundation plantings. In the older neighbourhoods the "grade 3 spruce tree" has taken over the whole yard, hiding the house altogether. In the newer areas, garages and driveways line the streets, giving nieghbourhoods a sterile appearance.
Twenty-five years ago, we purchased our current home. Built in the fifties, the house is set well back on a large corner lot. Since it was visible from the street on three sides (the fourth was virtually on the property line), there was no privacy at all. We set about to create visual barriers that would at least create an illusion of privacy. It took several years and lots of sweat equity, but the results have been very satisfying.
The process came with some unexpected benefits. We got to know our neighbours. As we toiled away, people would stop to chat. Soon they were bringing their friends over to see the garden. A sense of community developed.
It wasn't without risk. One evening we looked out the window to see someone helping herself to large clumps of our prized pink baby's breath. As she walked away, her arms loaded, my husband went to the door and said "You're welcome!"
"Oh!", she replied. "I guess I shouldn't have done that. Would you like it back?"
"No thanks, it's a bit late." he replied and she went on her way. As I looked at my decimated plant the next day, I wondered if I had just created the neighbourhood cutting garden.
Fortunately it hasn't happened again. These days, we have a back yard where we spend a lot of time. But, on sunny evenings, we still sit on our front deck, enjoying the evening sun and chatting with people as they pass by.
I would highly recommend front yard gardens. Put the flowerbeds far enough from the house so they can be seen from your windows as well as from the street. You will be surprised how much enjoyment you give to others and get for yourself.
Front yard idea book : [entries, gardens, ground covers, driveways, paths and steps, foundation plantings] / by Webber, Jeni.
Front yard gardens : growing more than grass / by Primeau, Liz.
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