What is that 'Yellow' mound?

Euphorbia polychroma (cushion spurge)

                  

For those of us who must share our gardens with the many rabbits that have been around in recent years, the cushion spurge is a plant that will survive the garden raids as the little critters much prefer the flavour of other herbaceous perennials.

 

This hardy spring blooming plant does not require any winter protection, can survive up to -40, is rarely bothered by insects or diseases and can easily be considered a three season plant. Once established this plant can tolerate dry conditions, which makes it a good choice for those interested in xeriscaping.

For 4-6 weeks in the spring you can enjoy the bright yellow bracts which are leaves that look like flowers.  After the yellow bracts fade away to green, shear your cushion spurge by half to maintain a neat rounded mound for the summer months.  Be careful to wear gloves when shearing as the milky sap can cause skin irritations.

In the fall the foliage turns reddish orange, providing a lovely contrast to your dwarf evergreens.   For best results keep your cushion spurge in loose soil amended with organic material and place in full sun.  They should grow approx 40 cm -high and 60 cm wide.

The Easter Flower

Anemone patens (formerly known as Pulsatilla patens) (pasqueflower, prairie crocus, windflower, Easter flower)            

The pasqueflower is one of the first flowers to bloom in spring. A welcome sight, these cup shaped flowers with their quirky, hairy grey green stems, provide a spot of cheerful colour amidst the drabness left behind following winter’s melt.   The plant (15cm x 10 cm) forms a nice neat clump producing flowers in blue-violet, lilac, yellow and cream.  After two to three weeks, the flowers mature to delightful airy, puffed seed heads which provide more interest in the landscape.

Pasqueflowers prefer a sunny dry area, and appreciate a little peat moss added to the soil. Like many plants they enjoy well drained soil.  These perennials are a nice addition to any rock garden or mixed flowerbed.  Try them at the front of your flowerbed or use them as a border in a perennial garden.  Young growth may be attacked by slugs and snails.        

As the floral emblem of Manitoba and a traditional healing herb for the Blackfoot, Cheyenne and Chippewa peoples, the pasqueflower or prairie crocus holds a firm place in prairie literature and landscape.   According to some taxonomists the prairie crocus is not really a crocus and therefore is not a member of the Lily family. It has been suggested that it is in fact an anemone which is a member of the Buttercup family (Prairie Garden Annual, 2006, p.61).  In Canada, the pasqueflower is found primarily in southern Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Sound the Trumpet

Gentiana acaulis (trumpet gentian, stemless gentian)

On a warm spring day, as you stroll through your neighbourhood, keep an eye out for deep blue flowers in rock gardens, edgings or perennial borders.  Found growing naturally in North Europe, the Alps, Italy and Spain, when grown en masse, the carpet of blue in the spring is breathtaking.    Like a Van Gough palette, this true blue beauty is stunning when partnered with a bright yellow.

Gentiana acaulis is a small alpine plant.  At 8-10cm high and 30 cm wide this mat forming evergreen wears lovely trumpet shaped, almost stemless flowers approximately 5-7 cm in length.    Interestingly, the flowers only open when the sun is out.  As soon as it clouds over, the flowers close. Although these blue flowers are typically fashionable in May and June, on occasion, depending on the weather conditions, they have been known to make a second appearance in the fall. 

This alpine plant prefers moist, loamy, well drained soil.  Although it does tolerate some sun it grows best in partial shade, preferring morning sun and afternoon shade.  If you want to share this plant with friends or increase your collection you can grow it from seed, divide the plants or grow from offsets.

Early Spring Beauties

Vitaliana primuliflora  (Golden primrose)

You may have to search a bit for this little spring beauty, which some have described as the perfect plant, but it will be well worth the effort.  It is not commonly found in neighbourhood gardens but once you plant it, others will be emulating your style.  Vitaliana is a one species genus in the Primula family, named after the Italian botanist Vonati Vitaliano and is native to the Alps and the Pyrenees.

An evergreen, tufted, mat forming alpine, it flowers early to late spring with a mass of bright yellow, tubular shaped, stemless, solitary flowers.  The flowers are surrounded by rosettes of pointed, usually hairy, pale green leaves.  This small plant (2-5cm high10-20cm wide) will be a cherished accessory in your rock garden. 

Why is it the perfect plant?  It’s easy to establish, it survives in temperatures as low as -45 C and easily tolerates hot, humid temperatures in the summer.  This plant is not prone to disease or insects. The burst of colour and lovely fragrance appeal to the senses and signal to all that spring is finally here. 

The Vitaliana primulaflora prefers moderately fertile, well drained soil in full sun.

IT'S TIME TO ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES AND GET DIRTY

If you can walk in your beds without compacting the soil, you can get to work.  Here is a list of things to do:

1.  A good clean up of debris is required especially if you had an insect or fungal problem.  If you didn't have a problem in the past, then leave the small stuff to decompose in your soil.
2.  Prune any shrubby material that requires clean up or resizing.  Ensure you do not prune spring flowering shrubs especially if you want flowers.
3.  Spray shrubby material with dormant oil and lime sulphur only if you had an insect or fungal problem last year and only if the plants are still dormant.  Check the instructions as to how to apply.
4.  Cut back any grasses or perennials that have been left for winter interest to about 4 inches.  It is important to do this before they start sending new growth.
5.  Start to slowly remove any covering over tender perennials and roses.  You want to do this slowly over a period of days not to shock the well protected plants with too much sun or cold temperatures especially at night.  Remember that we still can get a good frost.
6.  If you can work the soil in your veggie bed, you can start by adding more organic compost to replenish the soil and then start planting the cold season crops (i.e. spinach, lettuce, onions, etc.) - check your seed packets.
7.  As perennials start to emerge, it is a good time to move or divide some of them especially if they are too large.  For example hostas, daylilies and grasses.  A good rule to keep in mind is if the perennial blooms early in spring, lift and divide after it has finished blooming.  As such it is not a good time to divide peonies and irises.  Also perennials with bulbs like lilies and martagon lilies probably wouldn't like their roots being disturbed at this time.
8.  Now is a good time to add organic matter to your beds as the plants have not leafed out yet.  You should add organic matter each year (sometimes twice) to replenish the nutrients in the soil.

If you can accomplish these tasks in the next few days, then you are off to a good start.  Enjoy getting dirty and smelling the warm, rich earth.

AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION GOES A LONG WAY

Soon our gardens will burst into new life.  Along with emerging plant shoots, insects good and bad will hatch and resume activity and pathogens will be spread by mother nature.  Now is the time to think about how we can prevent or minimize potential problems in our gardens.

If you had a problem with scale or mites last year, you may consider spraying your dormant trees and shrubs with horticultural oil.  The oil will basically smother any insects that might be hatching and crawling out from their winter hideouts.  It is organic and very safe to use, but it may also smother beneficial insects so be sure only to spray if you had a problem.   Again only spray if the plant is still in bud and when the air temperature is consistently about 10 degrees celcius.  Insects will start to become active at this temperature so timing is important.  You want to make contact when they start to hatch and crawl.  You probably won't completely eliminate the pest population, but you will definitely set it back.

If you had a fungal problem last year (i.e. black knot, silver leaf, cedar-hawthorn rust, etc.), a good spring clean up is important.  Remove and destroy any plant debris that might be harboring any spores or pathogens.  Also prune out and destroy any noticeably diseased branches (it is easy to identify black knot this time of year).  Make sure you disinfect (1 part bleach to 9 parts water) your tools after every cut not to spread the disease.  After pruning, spray your woody plants with lime sulphur mixed in with the horticultural oil to help prevent spores from reattaching.  Just make sure that the plants are still in tight bud and not leafed out.  Remember this is only preventative.  If it rains, the lime sulphur may be washed away.  Also fungal problems only explode if the spore is present, the weather conditions are perfect and the specific host is present.

Cleaning up and removing any plant debris will also help to remove or expose pests that might be pupating or hatching in the ground and therefore reduce their populations.

Prevention is probably the first step to keeping your garden healthy.

My Veggie Plan

I am excited.  This year I am renting a garden plot in a community garden to grow vegetables as I no longer have space in my yard.  So as I am sitting here watching the snow melt, I have been thinking about how to go about it.

The first decision I had to make was what size would meet my needs.  I opted for a 10 x 20 foot plot, which would adequately provide enough vegetables for my family as well as room for vegetables that take up a lot of growing space.  My family has already put in their order as to what we should grow.   This is based on what they like, what we can grow in a short growing season and what we had to eliminate due to allergies.  The list consists of lettuce, spinach, onions, carrots, beets, beans, potatoes, cucumbers, zucchini and of course tomatoes.  There are many more vegetables we can grow here, just ensure there is enough growing time to enjoy them at the end of the season.

I will be anxious to plant these crops but must be patient for a couple of reasons.  First I have to wait until I can get into the garden without compacting the soil and then I need to prepare the soil so that I have at least 12 to 18 inches of rich, deep, soft, loamy soil.  I may have to add some top soil and lots of organic matter (i.e. compost or peat moss) to get a nice balance between clay, sand, silt and humus.  This will also help to create a soil composition that retains water and nutrients for the plants and drains properly when needed.  Don't underestimate how important it is to continually work at a good garden soil.

Once the soil is ready, I can plant.  Typically I can plant once the danger of frost has passed (the May long weekend is often our guide in Alberta).  But it also depends on whether I start the vegetables from seed or transplant.  Cool season vegetables can be started  by seed up to 5 weeks before the last frost.  These crops are sometimes sown in the fall for the following spring and include asparagus, beets, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, garlic, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, onions, parsnips, peas, potatoes, radishes, rutabaga, spinach, swiss chard and turnips.  Some vegetables are more frost sensitive and should be planted on or just prior to the last frost.  These are considered the tender vegetables and include beans, corn and zucchini.  Finally the heat-loving vegetables should be planted 1 to 2 weeks after the last frost.  These include your tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, peppers, squash and pumpkins and you may consider transplanting rather than seeding to get a good head start.  Even with these guidelines, we must always be prepared to protect young plants from a late season frost.

Next is arranging your vegetable garden.  There is no right or wrong way.  Just consider what you are planting, how much you are planting, the space each crop needs and the sun requirements for each plant.  Typically gardens are planted in rows running east to west, with the taller plants on the north end to maximize the amount of sunlight each plant receives.  However, gardens can be planted in rows, squares or whatever arrangement maximizes the harvest and is easy to maintain.

Once my garden has been planted, I will have to provide a good, steady supply of water every week.  It is especially important from the time seeds are sown until a couple of weeks after they sprout.  As a general rule, vegetables need at least one inch of water per week, but ideally vegetables should never be allowed to dry out.  This year I will be applying a straw mulch in between the rows and around the vegetables to help keep the soil moist and the weeds down.

This is my plan and I am ready to go!  How about you?

Early Spring Pruning

One of the first tasks to be undertaken in the garden is springtime pruning. Not all woody plants need to be pruned in the spring, but here are a few good reasons to get out the pruners:

1. To clean by removing any dead, diseased or damaged branches
2. To reduce the overall size of overgrown trees or shrubs
3. To thin out any branches back to the parent stem to allow more light and air to pass through or to remove any crossing branches that could cause future wounds
4. To maintain a formal shape

Most species of trees and shrubs can be pruned except for:

1. Evergreens - do not prune until they are actively growing.
2. Early flowering shrubs that bloom on last year's wood - (i.e. lilac, forsythia, mockorange, cranberry, white flowering spirea, etc.)  If you do, you will remove some of the spring flowers.

Traditionally we would not prune Maple and Birch trees until fully leafed out, but new research shows that the 'bleeding' of these species from pruning in spring does not adversely affect the trees.  So if you need to do some pruning, go ahead.

Once you have decided what needs to be pruned, ensure that the plants are still dormant; in other words still in bud.  There is less stress on the plants and the risk of being infected by insects or pathogens is reduced.

Finally, a couple of other basic rules to follow include:

1. Do not prune more than 25% of the total volume as you will be removing some of the stored energy reserves that will be needed to recover from winter
2. Make a clean cut to an outward facing bud to facilitate healing
3. If removing a diseased branch, disinfect tools after each cut not to spread the disease further
4. Do not cover any wounds with a paste - let it heal naturally

Pruning is not as difficult as it appears, but if you have any doubt about what and how to prune, call an arborist.  Pruning appropriately does help to keep your plants structurally sound and healthy.

Arrival of Spring

Finally, it feels as though spring has arrived.  The sun is stronger and warmer.  The days are definitely longer and I heard my first robin singing away.  We are all anxious to get out into the garden, but we are still surrounded with lots of snow.  Slowly it will melt and put much needed moisture back into the ground.  Some of the tasks that need to be done once you can get into your garden include:  pruning of trees and shrubs before buds break (check with each species to confirm that it is the right time to prune), cutting back ornamental grasses and other perennials that were neglected in the fall to about 4 inches, cleaning up dead plant debris that might be harboring diseases or insects, adding compost to your perennial beds, spraying horticultural oil on shrubs that have had scale or mite problems before buds break (check instructions as to temperature application) and dethatching and aerating lawns.   Please note that if your bed or lawn is too wet, do not attempt any work until it dries up somewhat otherwise you will be compacting the soil.

Of course, there are tasks you can begin indoors, such as starting your seeds. A word of caution, however, not to start your seeds too early inside.  You want to time it so that as the seed germinates, you will be able to put the plants outside slowly soon after to benefit from better light and the hardening off process.  Most of my garden vegetables, will be sown directly into the ground once I can work the bed.  With respect to my Canna Liliy tubers that I have overwintered, I will plant them directly outside in their containers once the risk of frost has passed.  They will take a little longer to mature, but will catch up quickly if we have a warm summer.   Now the fun begins.

Year of the Tomato

The American National Garden Bureau has declared 2011 the Year of the Tomato.   I hope 2011 proves to be a better year for growing tomatoes than 2010.  If you recall, last year many gardeners experienced the Late Tomato Blight that destroyed many tomato gardens almost overnight.  We had cool, moist, windy weather mid to late summer and this provided perfect conditions for the fungal pathogen, Phytophthera, to spread rapidly infesting the foliage and ultimately the fruit.  If you had a problem last year and you are planning to grow tomatoes again this year, it is very important to properly clean and remove any overwintering residue that might be harboring the fungus. This disease is not usually a problem in our northern climate as the conditions must be perfect and the fungus present for it to take hold, so don't be afraid to try your luck at another crop of tomatoes.  Tomatoes are generally easy to grow and there is nothing like a fresh, ripe tomato off the vine.  For more information about growing tomatoes, go to http://www.ngb.org/ and click on the 'Year of the ...' tab.

Planning for Spring

Even though there is still alot of snow on the ground and the temperatures are still below average, now is a good time to start planning for spring.  If you have a vegetable garden, start thinking about what vegetables you might want to grow and how much.  Take a visit to a garden centre and check out their seeds on display.  Every year there are new and exciting varieties to try.  Some might include the Dwarf French Bean 'Amethyst', Picasso Spinach, Watermelon Radish, Nandor Carrot, Salad Mixed Radish, Spacemaster Cucumber and Healthkick Roma tomato.  It is not too early to pick out your seeds.

If you have containers to fill, don't restrict yourself to just 'flowering annuals'.  Colourful annuals are beautiful but also explore other plant material, such as tropical plants, grasses, succulents, perennials, shrubs, evergreens and small trees.  Of course, the size of the container, as well as exposure, will determine what size of plant or number of plants you can put in the container.  Also note that most perennials will not overwinter in containers in our northerrn climate, but perform well during our growing season.  If you do some research now, then you will be ready when it is time to garden.  After all we have to make the most of our short season.

Last Call

If you need to prune your Elm trees, you have until April 1st to do so or wait until October.  It is important to comply with the Provincial pruning ban during this time because the elm bark beetle, responsible for spreading the deadly fungus, becomes active.  If a cut is made at this time, the beetles become attracted to the scent of a fresh wound and ultimately infect a healthy tree.  Once a tree has been infected, it will die within one year.  This disease has wiped out many of the Elms in most Canadian cities but Alberta and British Columbia are the only two Provinces which still have beautiful healthy Elms.  We need to keep Alberta and B.C. free from Dutch Elm Disease!