Bloomin' Garden Show 2012

This is a fantastic event, tomorrow May 12 from 9am- 4pm at the Alberta Avenue Community League. It combines gardening information and products with an artisan market and gallery all in a beautiful, serene atmosphere with classical music. The event brings out over 1000 gardeners and shoppers from around the city to our Avenue. It'll showcase our great local talent and our revitalized community along 118 Avenue. You'll find great gifts for Mothers Days as well as seeds, plants, tips & treats for your garden.


You may also buy compost from the City of Edmonton Waste Management Centre for $6 a 30L bag.  Or catch me at 2pm- I'll be talking about Creative Raised Beds. 

Presentation & Workshop Schedule

Fruit Growing 9:30am to 10:30am

Learn what fruits to grow in our climate, planting procedures and care.

Presenter: Thean Pheh, horticulturalist and local back yard fruit grower. 

Thean Pheh worked in the Department of Agriculture in Malaysia (1968 to 1982) and Alberta Agriculture (1983 to 2007) in production, extension and research in various horticultural crops before throwing in the towels. Growing up on a small farm, Thean developed keen interests in growing fruits and vegetables, sustainable agriculture and edible landscaping. In his retirement he wants to continue to be an active and productive member of the community. Besides maintaining a fair collection of heirloom fruits and vegetables, he breeds fruits and potatoes for hobby, and presents talks to various horticultural organizations. He and his wife are vendors in a Farmers’ Market in Edmonton.

Soil Enhancement 11am to 12pm Come hear what these panel members have to say about the number one building block of gardening - your soil. Short presentations followed by question & answer time. Gary Chan, City of Edmonton Vegetation Management Dr. Ieuan Evans, P. Ag., is an agrologist and plant pathologist who grew up on a small self-sustaining mixed farm in Welsh. He did Applied Research with Alberta Agriculture for many years; now he is an Agri-Coach. Dr. Evans is well known for his love of horticulture and is the developer of the popular "Evans Cherry". Peter Dowd, owner/operator of Alberta Organic Garden who sells Seed & Sea organic balance blended fertilizer Creative Gardening 2pm to 3pm Learn about some interesting and creative ways to make and use raised beds for gardening. Raised beds can go virtually anyway and be made out of a variety of materials. Presenter: Carissa Halton, local blogger, writer and gardener. Check out her creativity at http://avenuehomesteader.blogspot.ca

Fruitscaping Ideas: Trees and Possibilities for Hedgess

TREES

 -Dwarf Apple- There is a growing number of options in dwarf apple trees. These trees generally grow to a maximum height of 8 to 10 feet high- perfect for the small yard. The great thing about apple trees, besides the fruit, is that they respond well to pruning. A small tree can become even smaller! Apple trees can even be trained to grow in 2-3 foot tall hedges- a perfect border for an herb garden. As varieties go, I've been very happy with my September Ruby variety: exceptional for fresh eating and baking.

 -Pears- Reliable varieties of pears grow in the prairies, though the jury is still out on whether any are good for fresh eating (my sister-in-law has a very good unknown variety in her Edmonton backyard). Pear trees are often too large for an average-sized yard (especially as two are required for pollination) however they are amazingly versatile. They graft well onto apple trees and can be espalied to beautiful effect along walls and arbours.

-Beech Hazelnut- Hazelnuts are delicious fresh or dried. Grown in the form of a multi-stemmed tree or bush, it tops out at 15 to 18 feet. The Urban Farmer suggests trying the new crosses from the University of Saskatchewan. Crossing European with native cultivars, the new variety is called “Filazel”.

AS HEDGE OR FAST SCREEN

-Saskatoons- In the wild these fruit are often small and seedy but cultivated varieties can be as large as a blueberry, super sweet plus they pack a nutritional punch. Per 100 grams, they easily beat blueberries in their protein, fibre, iron, potassium and vitamin C levels.   Saskatoons also make a great hedge. Dyrland recommends trying Nelson, Honeywood, Thiessen.

- Sour Cherries- Don’t let the name scare you, new varieties like Juliet, Cupid and Crimson Passion are easily eaten fresh from the bush. Cherries can be trained into a hedge, a tall bush or a single trunk tree. Water well and harvest when the fruit easily falls. For the best preserves, Dyrland recommends Carmine Jewel. For proven fruit production and size, Sunstar Nurseries recommends planting an Evans.

If you can recommend any varieties, please do so in the comments section!


This reprint is part of an article I wrote for Gardening for the Prairies, Winter 2012. Over the next few days, in time for planting season, I'll publish the list of fruit options you might consider when making landscaping decisions. Planting prairie fruit doesn't have to be limited to the veggie patch or a brambling patch of raspberries in the alley. In this series, we'll look at fruit you can use for ground cover, vertical cover, screens, feature plantings... When it comes to fruit-scaping, thanks to the U of S's many new fruit varieties, us northern gardeners are limited by our imagination, not our Northern climate!

Fruitscaping- Vertical Space: Walls or Trellises

So you want to plant some climbing fruit on your wall or trellis? Perhaps you have a pergola that could use some coverage? As you begin experimenting, consider planting the following fruits in combination with hops or virginia creeper (for fast, dense coverage) or scarlet runner beans or clematis (to add some colour).

-Kiwi- Grown in Canada for many years, the fruits are smaller than commercial varieties and the skin is smooth. Fresh, it’s eaten more like a grape: skin and all. While technically a Zone 4, there are many warm ‘pockets’ where kiwis will thrive. Find a south- facing wall, make sure it’s protected (by fence or hedge) from prevailing winds and provide the vine with a strong trellis. Sunstar Nurseries carries, and recommends, the Issai variety as it is self-pollinating. 

Issai Kiwi

As a small aside: I have killed my Kiwi. But I would like to think this is because I didn't follow the instructions to plant it on the south side of my house. I ended up moving the poor thing three times in three seasons and eventually it just gave me the heave-ho-gonna-die-on-you-lo. Will be planting another one this season, in the proper Zone 4 space.

 -Grapes (table and wine)- Often associated with warm, desert-like environments, there are numerous cultivars of grapes for fresh eating and wine making that can be grown in northern gardens. According to Dyrland, “Where you place grapes is crucial. They need sun and shelter from the wind.” Fall pruning and heavy mulching is also necessary to maintain the health of the plant. Your efforts will be well rewarded when fruit appears after its third season. Recommended varieties include: Valiant, Beta and Cliché.

Harvest off one four-year old vine at Shallow Creek Nurseries.

Another small aside: I had four varieties of grapes... now I have three because I, again, did not follow instructions and experimented with leaving the vine unpruned over the winter. Now in their third season on the south side of the house, I am expecting a bountiful harvest this year from the remaining vines. Watch for my report. 

- Red or Black Currant- “People shy away from currants because they seem like an old-fashioned fruit, but there are great fresh eating and preserving varieties,” says staff at Sunstar Nurseries. Currants, if left alone, will grow into a 3 x 3 foot bush however they can be trained into a fruiting column or globe form. For a beautiful screen, espalier them against a wall or trellis. This is a showy and versatile fruit.  Dyrland recommends any variety that starts with “Ben” like the Ben Conan, Ben Nevis, and Ben Sarek. Check our The Fruit Nut's Blog for extensive information on currants and instructions to espalier one.

Next Fruitscaping post: Trees. 

This reprint is part of an article I wrote for Gardening for the Prairies, Winter 2012. Over the next few days, in time for planting season, I'll publish the list of fruit options you might consider when making landscaping decisions. Planting prairie fruit doesn't have to be limited to the veggie patch or a brambling patch of raspberries in the alley. In this series, we'll look at fruit you can use for ground cover, vertical cover, screens, feature plantings... When it comes to fruit-scaping, thanks to the U of S's many new fruit varieties, us northern gardeners are limited by our imagination, not our Northern climate!