There are several cures for fairy ring.

Myth or truth—you tell us…

Adding lime to dog spots on the lawn will remove the harmful effects of the urine.

Myth or truth-you tell us…

Placing rusty nails around the shrubs beds is a good way of adding iron to the soil.

Myth or truth-you tell us…

Onion seed that is more than a year old should be discarded.

Myth or truth-you tell us…

“Icicle” Pansies are a new variety tha will survive the winters in all of Canada.

Myth or truth-you tell us…

Remember when the only varieties of Coral Bells available at nurseries across Canada were the Brandon Series developed by the Research Station in Morden, Manitoba? No one had dreamed that in the decade that followed, Coral Bells or Heucheras (as they are known botanically) would appear on the market in such an array of leaf shapes, sizes, colours and patterns. It all started with the Veil series—Pewter, Ruby and Silver. These gave way to the most recent influx of bronze, reds, purples, oranges and even peachy tones which have appeared of late.

Heuchera ‘Pewter Veil’

Some of the best and most recent cultivars that have performed well for us include Amethyst Myst, Chocolate Ruffles, Green Spice, Marmalade, Obsidian and Plum Pudding.

Heucheras make awesome garden companions to Hosta, Primula and Pulmonaria for that shady spot in the garden. A typical characteristic of the genus is their ability to force their crowns out of the soil. Therefore it is advisable to dig up and replant them every two years, until the time comes when they have to be divided – which should be done approximately every fourth or fifth year.

Heuchera ‘Amber Waves’

First published 1-26-06

American elm trees hold a special place in my heart. The top of a beautiful American elm in our yard once served as the imaginary crossbar for determining whether or not my brother and I, along with our raucous group of friends, were successful in kicking our prized CFL-grade football for three points. That elm endured years of abuse as the football spent more time hitting the branches rather than clearing the tree. Many years later this venerable tree still stands outside my brother’s home with no obvious signs of our teenage abuse.

But today’s elms face a much graver danger than that of a poorly aimed football. Dutch elm disease has killed a vast number of North America’s elm trees and if we hope to stop this fungus from killing more on the Prairies we all must join forces to protect them.

A Favourite in Jeopardy
American elms (Ulmus americana) are planted extensively in many parts of North America, and they’ve become the street tree of choice for the Prairies with good reason. These giants have tremendous aesthetic value, thanks to their high and broad vase-shaped canopies. The American elm is also remarkably tough, enduring extreme heat, cold and drought, yet retaining incredible beauty.

Preparing the Prairies
We are somewhat fortunate on the Prairies to have had some time to prepare for Dutch elm disease as it slowly spread westward from New England. But that doesn’t mean we are off the hook. Manitoba has suffered substantial losses to Dutch elm disease, as has Saskatchewan. So far, Alberta has been free of Dutch elm disease, thanks to the vigilance of the Society to Prevent Dutch Elm Disease (STOPDED), who have been carefully monitoring American elms and educating the public about the problem.

Even though it’s a fungus that kills the elms, the disease wouldn’t even be a threat were it not for the European and native elm bark beetles that act as the carriers for the fungus. The beetles bore into the bark of elms, providing the fungus with direct access to the tree’s vulnerable interior. Without these beetles, no disease transmission is possible, so stopping DED is really a matter of keeping the beetles away from the elms.

Sounds simple doesn’t it? It is—if we follow a few rules and are vigilant in monitoring for the beetles. Many municipalities have programs in place that set traps for the beetles, noting their locations and numbers, and then closely monitoring the surrounding elms for signs of infection. Symptoms begin with wilting of the foliage, proceeding to yellowing and browning of leaves on entire branches and eventually leading to the death of infected trees. Unfortunately, there is no cure for the disease although there are experimental treatments being studied.

As homeowners, we can do our part to keep the devastating duo of fungus and beetle at bay by never pruning elms during the period of March 31 to October 1. Because the elm bark beetle is active during this time and is attracted to the open wounds of freshly pruned trees, it’s not only ill-advised, but now illegal to prune during this time. In the middle of winter municipalities will send out their trained crews to maintain boulevard and park elms and it’s a good time for elm owners to consider having their trees pruned as well. We can also hire a professional certified arborist to prune our elms. Certified arborists have the training and equipment to prune correctly and safely. A badly pruned tree is nothing more than an open invitation to the beetles.

Also, elm wood should never be transported nor stored. Elm logs are very attractive to elm bark beetles and transporting the logs that contain the beetles can easily give these insects a free ride to regions formerly not affected by DED.

Finally, be vigilant. If you suspect that your tree may have Dutch elm disease, contact STOPDED immediately. And, if you’re willing, allow the society to set a beetle trap on your tree. The more information they have on the beetle and the spread of the disease, the better our ability to halt that spread and its devastating effects.

Save Our Trees!
Dutch elm disease is one of the most serious horticultural problems of this era. With over 200,000 elms growing in Alberta’s urban areas and thousands more across the Prairies, elms are an extremely valuable resource that we simply cannot afford to lose. The good news is that Dutch elm disease can be prevented—as long as we have the collective will to do the job.

Bulb size counts! We GROW large tuber-size amarylis because they produce bigger and better blooms. This customer appreciated the difference.

“I presume that you always hear from disgruntled customers, I would like to tell you about one of the wonderful plants that came from your Greenhouse to my house at Christmas. The collection of plants was ordered by Frank xxxx for me. Part of the collection included an amaryllis. It had 6 huge trumpets when it first bloomed. AND then another stem emerged, which is now blooming with 5 trumpets flowers – it is gorgeous. You supply healthy, as well as, beautiful plants.”

‘The largest true bulbs are often referred to as top size. With true bulbs, the larger the bulb, the larger the flower it will produce.’

—Lois Hole’s Favorite Bulbs

Gardeners should stir the soil in the garden a few days after having seeded.
Myth or truth—you tell us…

Producing for growers rather than consumers is causing some problems in the industry. The pressure from chain stores is forcing breeders to look more at shelf life and presentation in the store rather than how it performs in the garden.

“There are many examples of products that perform well for the consumer; most of these products are the ones with the longest shelf life. In the bedding plant market, pelargonium will always be successful, since it provides reliable performance over a long period of time, even under adverse conditions, with the added benefit that it works well for the grower. Breeding companies have been aiming for naturally compact and early-flowering varieties with high bench densities; while ideal for the grower, these same varieties are very disappointing for the consumer who wonders why their pelargonium is stunted at the end of the summer. Many seed-raised annuals are bred for pack performance (high uniformity, early flowering, compact habit, good basal branching and above all, short crop time). With fantastic presentation on the retail bench, these varieties can lack the stamina to perform well all summer long. For instance, single white marguerite daisies produced and sold as disposable pot plants look absolutely adorable at the point of sale, but last for a maximum of two or three weeks before succumbing to a growth regulator-overdose.
In retrospect, this was probably the reason for the unprecedented success of the vegetative annuals. These products did not typically feature early flowering, a compact habit or good presentation at the point of sale, but they had phenomenal performance for the consumer. Case in point: Scaevola looks absolutely hideous in a pot but the consumer has come to depend on its excellent performance.
The trick for the future will be to balance the need for solid consumer performance with acceptable attributes for the mainstream grower. The truth of the matter is that even if a product has phenomenal consumer performance, growers cannot take the risk of growing products that need a lot of space or are late to flower.”

FloraCulture International Magazine
January 2006