Hits & Misses: Propane power & squeakless wheels
Question of the Week: Is there any harm in not cleaning up the apples in my yard?
The Business: Amaryllis time
The Path to Enjoy: Think again

Last week, thanks to the University of Alberta’s Canadian Prime Minister Lecture Series, I had the opportunity to listen to former Prime Minister John Turner speak about his time in office. Each former leader that I have heard to date (Jean Chrétien, Joe Clark and Kim Campbell) has provided fascinating insights and stories about his or her time in office. John Turner, for example, talked about how he saved his adversary and former Prime Minister John Diefenbaker from drowning down in the Caribbean and spoke passionately about his friendship with the Kennedy family. The passion that all our Prime Ministers have shown for our country and for making our world a better place has been very inspiring, and I am anxiously anticipating the arrival of the last three leaders: Paul Martin, Brian Mulroney and, of course, Stephen Harper.

Many years before Lois became Lieutenant Governor, she and Ted had the opportunity to meet Jean Chretien.

Hits & Misses
Hit: Propane Power
Backyard firepits are great for roasting marshmallows and hot dogs on cool nights. What isn’t so great though is the clouds of smoke they produce when the wrong fuel is used to feed them. Well, the latest in firepit technology should keep the kids happy, the body warm and the air clean. I’m talking about propane-powered firepits. Not only will they help keep our air cleaner but they can also be adjusted from a flickering flame to a raging, but safely contained, blaze. Sure beats the whole kindling and fire-starter song and dance.

Miss: Squeakless Wheels
The temperature sensor in our Zone 2 greenhouses gave up the ghost Thursday. As a rule, sensors don’t normally show signs of being past their best-before date. But when the greenhouse temperature falls from a comfortable, 22°C to a chilly 12°C and our growers start putting on their coats to water the plants, it’s a pretty good indication that the sensor has seen better days. Fortunately for all chilled participants, I had a spare sensor in the shop, so the poinsettias and cacti in that area didn’t endure more than a few chilly hours.

Question of the Week
Is there any harm in not cleaning up the apples in my yard?
There’s a lot to be said for taking a measured approach to tidying up the yard and putting it to bed before the snow flies. By measured, I mean reasonable. Anything diseased should be cleaned up—no questions asked. That means cutting back any powdery mildew from perennials (such as phlox), removing rose leaves affected by black spot and, yes, picking up fallen fruit so as not to invite apple maggots. Raking up fallen leaves from apple trees also reduces the chance of certain diseases surfacing in your yard. Leaves left on the ground act as great reservoirs for diseases that have nothing to do all winter other than prepare to assault your plants next spring and summer. Knowledge is key to making good choices. So if your yard is covered with apple-tree leaves, know that scab fungus will reside on those leaves over the winter a bit like a hibernating bear—no bother to you in the winter, but look out come spring.

The Business
Amaryllis Time
The first shipment of amaryllis (Hippeastrum) arrived this week from a new supplier we found through Ball Hort. Our production manager, Dorothy, says the quality of the bulbs is nothing short of superb. They are large, firm, have great root development and no marks or damage. In fact, the bulbs are so large that they required 6 1/2” pots instead of the 6” standard. And there was no need to clean the bulbs either, so transplanting took far less time than previous years—a total of only an hour and a half, which means they were labour savers, too.

Turn amaryllis regularly to promote straight growth (flowers may also require support).

Did You Know?
Pussy willows are part of the Salix family and, therefore, contain a chemical called salicylic acid, a precursor to one of the most popular over-the-counter pain medications: acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), more commonly known as Aspirin.

“There are nights when the wolves are silent and only the moon howls.”
–George Carlin

The Path to Enjoy

It’s 5:00 a.m. on Sunday morning and I am listening to Radio Australia. I know, most of you are wondering why anyone would be awake at 5:00 a.m., but CBC has a great program called “Innovations” that’s often very good and worth getting up for (and I happened to be wide awake).
Anyway, the guest on Sunday’s show was Roger La Salle, author of a Think Again, a book about business processes and the hidden value of fixing and refining them—the very subject that had me awake. I found the entire interview interesting but the moment that really piqued my attention came when the author said “There is hidden value in processes, and when refined and improved, they add to the bottom line and increase employee satisfaction.”

Now I was really interested.

La Salle went on to say that many companies, Amazon.com included, have made a habit of using process engineering to create value. This past month, with a lot of thought and the help of a consultant, we also began defining our processes. Several meetings and an all-day session with staff and consultant began to clear the muddy water created by our company’s process mix. Immediately after this lengthy meeting, many of the staff began identifying problems and overlaps in our systems.
Long story short, between what I learned from the consultant and heard on the radio program, it became very clear that our business is on the right track. Not only do we need to re-engineer the present, we also need brand new processes for the Enjoy Centre.

Later, as I sat and talked with my wife, Valerie, over a cup of coffee, I began to understand the hidden value in our relocation plans. It’s made us look in the mirror much more intensely and examine processes that may have been overlooked or deemed unimportant. Without making this commitment to relocate, I know we would not have begun this intense exercise. I know I would not have seen the need or the urgency. It made us think again.

Hmm…I wonder what Radio Australia will have on next week.

Bill Hole and Dave Grice took a tour of the land to have a look at the progress. Underground services are in and the roads should be paved by next week.

There is a meeting scheduled for November 4 and 5 with the greenhouse supplier. A vast majority of the above ground structure of the new centre will be new, high-tech glass houses.

Hits & Misses: Spirit & oversights
Question of the Week: How do I prevent my lavender from dying over the winter?
Science & Technology: A breath of fresh flavonoids

Our fall weather has been a mixed blessing. On the negative side, the lack of rainfall continues to cause stress to trees, but on the positive side, slow and steady cooling is best for hardening off plants because it allows plant tissue to “acclimatize” and prepare for winter. In fact, when plants from temperate parts of the world are subjected to unseasonably cold fall weather, they often suffer a lot of dieback—all of which occurs long before winter arrives. Come to think of it, adapting to winter temperatures during the fall isn’t easy on humans, either.

Hits & Misses
Hit: Spirit
I received a letter and pictures from a customer who was growing a Chinese catalpa tree (Catalpa ovata). Now, catalpas are not known to be particularly hardy around here, but you’d never guess it by looking at this catalpa. Its owner has nurtured it for the last five years and is quite thrilled to show it off to friends and neighbours. I for one love talking to people who’ve enjoyed success with plants that aren’t deemed hardy. It shows that the plant pioneering spirit is alive and well, and that we all stand to gain a great deal from those who share their successes.

Miss: Oversights
Restaurant patios decorated with potted plants are a great place to spend warm summer evenings. But take a look at most of them during the winter, and you’ll likely think you’re gazing at a barren wasteland. Some restaurant owners, however, see this space as an opportunity rather than a liability and maintain their patios throughout the seasons. Banana-filled containers of summer give way to evergreen-adorned pots during the winter. True, no one sits on the patio during the winter, but plants always make a good first impression, regardless of the season.

Question of the Week
How do I prevent my lavender from dying over the winter?
Lavender is a Zone 5 plant, meaning it requires extra winter protection in regions with harsh winters. To increase the chance of yours coming back next year, treat it as you would a tender rose—mulch it with a thick layer of peat moss now and (if you can) shovel some extra show on it during the winter. Also, pay attention to where you plant it. Lavender likes a drier soil and is much more susceptible to winter injury if it’s grown in wet, heavy soil conditions.

Lavender is high aromatic, which is the primary reason for its popularity.

Science & Technology
A Breath of Fresh Flavonoids
If you don’t want to sing to your plants, you could at the very least breathe on them. Researchers at the Kennedy Space Center have shown that CO2, the gas we breathe out several thousand times per day, not only increases the growth of skullcap plants (Scutellaria barbata) but also increases the quantity of “physiologically active flavonoids” in the plant tissues. These flavonoids are being investigated for use in everything from digestive disorders to cancer…and that’s no hot air.

Did You Know?
Pumpkins aren’t averse to a little gender trickery. Their male flowers display many of the characteristics of female flowers and convincingly fool pollinating insects into visiting them, thereby increasing the odds of successful cross-pollination with their female counterparts.

“Don’t let people drive you crazy when you know it’s in walking distance.”
–Author unknown

A quick thanks to everyone who helped make last week’s evening in the Pumpkin Patch a great success. Over 400 kids came out to partake in our frights and delights, and it was great seeing so many families enjoying themselves.
Hope to see you all again next year!

The Path to Enjoy
You’ve Got Progress

Lots of water has passed under the bridge since we began our plans to relocate. Since then, many discussions have circled around the physical challenges of this move. Space requirements, additional equipment and new opportunities are all topics that we’ve thought about and planned for. The one thing, however, that none of us were able to fully anticipate was just how significantly this relocation will change the culture of Hole’s.

Simply put, Hole’s is evolving from a big small business to a small big business. That means we can no longer change our plans as whimsically as in the past. Getting new ideas to work effectively requires more thought when 300 staff are involved. Simple tasks quickly become complicated—something my current staff pointed out when asking me questions about the new office plans.
It began with a simple “Have you thought about how the mail will be handled, Bill?

“Well, no,” I replied.

But believe me—it got the wheels turning, and I’m certainly thinking about it now.

Presently, the mail at Hole’s arrives right at our front desk. In our new facility, it will likely arrive in Shipping and Receiving, which will be at the other end of the building, nearly 200 metres away. “How will we get mail to the offices?” “Is it delivered by the shipper receiver?” “How do we get mail to the pick-up area?” and “How do we handle the new tenants’ mail?” They were all valid questions that all made me think.

Perhaps the answers involve having a mail person who services all the offices and businesses. Or how about an electric robot cart that passes by at the same time everyday. Maybe we take turns going down to receiving to get the mail or set up more than one delivery address. Whatever the solution, we will all need to change our expectations—me included.

No longer will I be able to rummage through the mail as it arrives. Instead I’ll have to make sure my letters are ready for pick up by a specified time, and I’ll have to walk it all the way down to shipping and receiving if I forget. I won’t always be the first one to get at the interesting magazines or deliveries, and I may never actually meet the mail person. I will have to change, and my relationship to my mail will evolve. Most of all, I will have to stop thinking about how we do it now and focus on how we need to handle it in the future.

Oh, the good old days.

First published September 25, 2008

To fall fertilize the lawn or not to fall fertilize the lawn, that is the question.

You wouldn’t guess it if you talked to some of the lawn enthusiasts I know, but the world won’t actually end if you don’t fall fertilize. Spring will still arrive as it always does, birds will still chirp as they always do and your grass will still grow as it always has.
That, however, is not to say that your lawn won’t be better off if given a little extra food for its winter hibernation.

The food that keeps lawns in great shape throughout the winter and that gets the grass off to a running start in the spring resides in the crowns. Crowns are the fleshy plant material found primarily at the junction between roots and leaf blades and that acts somewhat like a repository for energy-containing carbohydrates. And it’s those carbohydrate or sugar reserves that can be pumped up in the fall simply by adding fertilizer to your lawn.

The key nutrient for bolstering sugar supply in the crowns is nitrogen, which is the first number in the list of nutrients on fertilizer bags. Nitrogen is an essential element in the biochemical structure of sugars, and when nitrogen is limited, the production of sugar-rich crowns is reduced. Less sugar means less grass vigour, and less vigour means our lawns are more prone to pest damage and less able to compete with weeds for space.

Phosphorus, which is technically phosphate, is the second nutrient listed on the label. And while it is essential for plant growth, it is often over applied to lawns. Quality fall fertilizers should generally contain less than five per cent phosphate; applying more will not increase the health or over-wintering ability of grass and is really just a waste. Potassium (technically potash) is the third number on the list of nutrients and has demonstrated that it can increase cold hardiness to lawn grasses, which is why it is often touted as a “winterizer.” But research still gives the nod to nitrogen as being the key nutrient for getting our lawns through the winter in the best shape.

Now I know that many experienced gardeners are saying, “Wait a minute. I thought nitrogen was responsible for producing lush, soft growth on plants and that late-season applications of nitrogen make plants more prone to winter damage.” Well, that is true. Applying nitrogen in the fall does seem counterintuitive, seeing as it’s what “softens” the blades. But the trick with nitrogen and lawns is this: if fall nitrogen is applied late enough into the season when grass blade growth has essentially stopped, the nitrogen will move into the grass crowns and be assimilated into sugars without stimulating any leafy growth. Therefore, the best time for fall application of fertilizers is right about now when blade growth has stopped but grasses are still manufacturing and storing sugar reserves.

Timing is the key to getting the most benefit from fall lawn fertilizer.

Keep in mind, however, that if you apply fall fertilizers too late into the season, much of the nitrogen won’t assimilate into plant tissue. Even though fall weather on the prairies can be rather unpredictable (as we all know), late October rarely leaves enough time for fall fertilizers to do much good. So…if you plan on fertilizing, do it now—as in right now. Of course, if you miss the window of opportunity this year or simply choose not to fall fertilize, you can still have a nice lawn come next year. Fall-fertilized lawns just tend to have a little extra vigour because they have a bit more fuel in their tanks, relative to their spring-fertilized cousins. I, for one, happen to think it’s a good idea. Then again, that could have more to do with me thinking that chirping birds somehow sound more mellifluous when the grass isn’t quite so brown.

Hits & Misses: Fresh looks & insatiable cravings
Question of the Week: How do I choose the right plants for my children’s rooms?
Science & Technology: Mush makers

Sometimes I can’t believe how many horrendous-looking houseplants I come across in other people’s offices. Perhaps I’m spoiled from working where plants are always taken care of, but I kind of like it that way. Don’t get me wrong, I applaud the idea of having plants in the workplace, but there’s a point in the lives of many office plants when they possess fewer green leaves than they do dead and dying ones. And yes, when this time arrives, the only reasonable action is to take said plant and put it in the compost bin. Just as replacing a rusty old car, tattered clothes or worn-out pots and pans is inevitable, so too is disposing of plants. But that doesn’t mean you should wear out a path to the compost bin. Instead, take your time choosing the right plant for the right location. Most offices have low-light conditions, so be sure to select low-light plants, such as peace lilies (Spathiphyllum) or snake plants (Sansevieria trifasciata). Both will withstand a lot of neglect and even look good doing it.

Hits & Misses
Hit: Fresh Looks
Pumpkins are orange, right? Well, most pumpkins are, but this year we have a number that look as though they’ve been scared half to death. White pumpkins add a real ghostly flair to Halloween, particularly on nights when the light of the full moon reflects off their skin. Also rounding out the pumpkin patch this year is a nice selection of warty-looking pumpkins that have brown, bulbous scars covering their skin. The old-fashioned, “friendly,” smooth-skinned orange pumpkins are still the most popular, but the white and warty are putting a bit more of the scary back into Halloween.

Our pumpkin patch is always a hit with kids.

Miss: Insatiable Cravings
“Late, slow, crappy yield!” Those are the words my sister-in-law Valerie used to describe this year’s cucumber patch. Valerie is a master at the preserves game and fills her pantry each year with everything from cherry jam and apple jelly to beet and bean pickles—a total of some 20 different delectables that all get their start in her garden. This year, however, thanks to the late, cold spring and poor pollination, silence will replace the sound of crunchy cucumber pickles this winter. Next year…next year.

Question of the Week
How do I choose the right plants for my children’s rooms?
Kids and gardening are a natural fit—but not a perfect one. However, with a little careful tailoring, the experience can be rewarding for the entire family. Start by choosing non-toxic plants that suit the ages of your children. Unfortunately, no plant is kid proof, so if your kids play in their rooms, avoid plants with leaves that easily break or bruise. Finding spots that are off the floor and away from high-traffic play space will also prevent plants from getting knocked over or run into. To figure out your light requirements, why not involve your kids in the process? Have them track the sunlight in their rooms over the course of a day. Then, together, determine what kind of plants to grow. It will give your children a sense of ownership and give you the opportunity to steer the selection process. Remember, kids have a tendency either to love their plants a bit too much or a lot too little. I’ve heard many a story about thoughtful kids who treated plants to a nibble of macaroni and cheese and a glass or two of juice. So when you’ve made your selections, be sure to set up a watering schedule and to keep an eye out for disappearing leftovers.

Kids love this fascinating insectivore called Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula). The two-lobed foliage is hinged and has spines along the otter edge, giving it the appearance of teeth (called traps). Insects are trapped and ingested between the hinged teeth. Prefers bright indirect light.

Science and Technology
Mush Makers
Be careful when you put your bag of tomatoes on the counter. Researchers in Japan studied the effects of dropping tomatoes from a height of only 5 cm and found that after 10 drops, the ethylene content of the fruit was 50 times that of the non-dropped controls. Ethylene is a naturally produced plant hormone and responsible for, among other things, the deterioration of many types of fruit. Bottom line? Handle your tomatoes as gently as possible if you want to avoid mushy tomato salads.

Did You Know?
Monsanto Corp. has developed Roundup Ready lawn grass. This special recombinant DNA grass can be sprayed with Roundup, which will kill all the weeds (dandelions included) while leaving the lawn grass intact. The biggest challenge to date is getting the marketplace to accept Roundup Ready grass.

“Perhaps the truth depends on a walk around the lake.”
–Wallace Stevens

Hits & Misses: Obsessions & guilty thoughts
Question of the Week: What do I do with my fall leaves?
Science & Technology: Water works

My brother Bill and his wife, Valerie, were recently in England at a garden centre conference and tour. One thing they said was apparent from talking to a variety of industry people is that vegetable gardening is back. And in the UK, at least, it’s back in a big way. Apparently, some stores have seen as much as 100% increases in products relating to vegetable gardening. And saving money doesn’t appear to be the main reason for the trend, either. Brits cited reasons such as the desire to grow ingredients for gourmet cooking, parental guilt about their children’s diets, a sense of personal accomplishment and the fact that vegetable gardening is seen as “fashionable” for why they were allocating more space to veggies in their gardens. I suppose it also doesn’t hurt that Prince Charles is an avid vegetable gardener…perhaps it makes it easier for the upper echelons of society to become a little more down to earth, so to speak.

Hits & Misses
Hit: Obsessions
OK, I absolutely promise that this is The Last Time I’ll talk about our garden mums this year. It’s just that they really do look spectacular and not talking about them would be next to impossible. Alan, one of our intrepid growers who has a passion for mums, took it upon himself to count every flowerbud on a variety called ‘Headline Pink.’ And the final count was…wait for it…1185! If you do the math, that works out to about a penny and a half per flower. What is truly remarkable is that we transplant the eight-centimetre tall, stick-like, flowerless cuttings in June, and by late September these prolific plants manage to generate over a thousand buds! Who says plants aren’t cool!

Miss: Guilty Thoughts
Where is hard frost when you need it? I know it’s almost sacrilegious to wish for a hard frost, but the way I see it, when a deep chill closes one door, it opens another. Without a frost, plants such as celosia and marigolds just continue along their merry and perfectly healthy way. Although that may not seem problematic, it’s actually quite hard to rip up happy annuals so you can plant your fall bulbs. Hard frosts equal guilt-free experience. Now I’m not wishing for a prolonged cold spell or anything, but one quick exhalation from Jack Frost would be just fine with me.

Question of the Week
What do I do with my fall leaves?
Well, what you don’t want to do is kick them to the curb. Leaves are a valuable source of organic matter—and rather cheap, too—so store them up and add them to next year’s compost. Besides providing a good source of “brown” matter for the compost pile, fall leaves contain, nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium, which make a great food source for your plants. If that still leaves you with too many leaves, consider using them as mulch around plants, or dig some into clay soils this fall to improve drainage.

Science & Technology
Water Works
Ideally, compost piles should contain 50 to 70% water. Properly moistened compost should feel damp, but not dripping wet, when squeezed.

Did You Know?
Glassy-winged sharpshooter insects are pests of a variety of plants, but the reason they earn the moniker “sharpshooter” is due to their nasty habit of flinging their fecal matter at organisms they deem threatening.

“I love Thanksgiving turkey…it’s the only time in Los Angeles that you see natural breasts.”
–Arnold Schwarzenegger

Hole’s Is Haunting Halloween!

Come One Come All to the Wackiest Pumpkin Patch of All!

Dress in your Halloween best and join us in the Pumpkin Patch
for a spooktacular night of treats, cocoa and pumpkins!

Thursday, October 16, 2008
6–9 p.m.

Be There and Be Scared!

First published September 25, 2008

When I hear someone touting the benefits of adding lime to gardens, I can’t help but think of those pitchmen who hawk products at the midway. You know—the stuff that will remove every stain known to humankind, and all without harming the most delicate of fabrics.

If you listen to some of the garden pitchmen, lime will pretty much cure any garden problem. Have a voracious herd of slugs? Apply some lime! Fallen spruce tree needles? A bit of lime! Root maggots, dog spots, squirrels, sour soil, weeds? Just. Add. Lime!

So what exactly is this magical stuff? Well, lime really isn’t just one thing. It’s a generic term for a variety of similar chemicals that get lumped together under one banner. And it’s because of lime’s diversity that gardeners sometimes get themselves into trouble when applying it to their yards. To really understand lime and to know how to use it safely (or at all, for that matter), you must first know a bit about its chemistry. Here’s the 411.

There are about four types of lime that gardeners can get their hands on—two of which you really don’t want to—literally. One of these limes is referred to as “quicklime,” (calcium oxide). Quicklime is very dangerous because it burns skin and eyes on contact. Although it should only be used in industrial processes, I’ve talked to a number of people who managed to get hold of it and to apply it to their soil. To make a long story short, quicklime is too dangerous to handle. Don’t buy it. Don’t use it. End of story.

The second type of dangerous lime is slaked lime. Its chemical name is calcium hydroxide, and although it isn’t quite as dangerous as quicklime, it’s still caustic enough to burn human flesh. Just like it’s big brother, slaked lime manages to find its way to gardens because someone’s buddy gets bag or two from his buddy, who works in the concrete business where it’s used to make cement. And while I always talk about soil being the foundation of your garden, slaked lime should only be used for the foundation of your house.

So once you strike quick- and slaked limes from your garden list, what’s left? Well, that would be the two types of lime that are easy to find and that you could actually consider adding to your garden: horticultural lime and gypsum.

Horticultural lime, not surprisingly, can be used as a soil amendment and is a blend of calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate. The white “crusty stuff” on showerheads and faucets is largely comprised of calcium and magnesium carbonates. But because picking lime off faucets is a rather tedious and time-consuming job, it’s a far better idea to buy it in bags from garden centres.

The last of the garden limes is gypsum (calcium sulphate). If you have ever cut a hole in your drywall, you’ve likely seen powdery white gypsum fall to the floor. It, like horticultural lime, is very safe to use in garden soils.

Now that you know your limes, the next question that’s likely running through your mind is why would I add it to my garden in the first place? Well, I’ve asked that same question of many gardeners. And as near as I can tell, they do it because…well…someone told them it was a good idea.

The reality, however, is that most garden soils in our neck of the woods don’t need lime. Horticultural lime is used to reduce the acidity of soils, and unless you’re living in regions of the northern prairies where pH levels are high, you’ll not only waste your money by adding lime but also make your soil worse. Further more, without an accurate soil pH test, there is no way to know if lime is friend or foe.

Use a test kit to check the pH level of your soil before amending.

Gypsum, on the other hand, while still classified as a lime, has little affect on soil pH. Instead, it’s used as a specialized “soil conditioner” that, in my opinion, does very little to condition the soil. Historically, it has been used to reduce salt concentrations in saline soils—and it does have some beneficial effects on soil structure—but given the choice between applying gypsum or organic matter to your soil, my recommendation is to stick with organic matter.

As for lime being the be-all and end-all to dealing with bugs, slugs and four-legged garden thugs, it doesn’t do much to keep pests at bay. Disappointing, I know, but if you really want a miracle product that performs miraculous feats of gardening …well step right up! I’m sure it’s just one midway away.

Hits & Misses: Hefty solutions & waning virtues
Question of the Week: Can I store canna lilies in my garage over the winter?
Science & Technology: Split personalities
The Path to Enjoy: Unearth the possibilities

I had a wonderful opportunity to tour the University of Alberta’s E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum with my family this past week. The museum is dedicated to Dr. E.H. Strickland, a highly esteemed professor who founded the department of entomology at the U of A. Today, there are over one million insect specimens in the collection, which includes gigantic cercropia moths (some of the largest in the world!) and some equally huge goliath beetles. The museum isn’t open to the general public, but the collection can be viewed and enjoyed online.

Hits & Misses
Hit: Hefty Solutions
Few plants are more spectacular in the fall than huge garden mums chock full of beautiful flowers. But the challenge with some particularly monstrous mums is figuring out how to keep them from splitting under the weight of their branches and flowers. This year we solved the problem by using support rings that attach to the pots and act like buttresses that keep the branches vertical. The rings are nothing more than plastic circles with “legs” that snap to the rims of the pots…a rather simple solution to a somewhat weighty problem.

Miss: Waning Virtues
The Plumeria (a.k.a. the plants that produce flowers commonly used to make Hawaiian leis) are taking their sweet time to bloom—a tiny detail that’s driving our growers crazy. The plants have been babied for several months, but flowerbuds are nowhere in sight. As the case is with a number of plants, patience is a virtue when it comes to flower production. Time should solve the Plumeria’s recalcitrance, but just how much time is the question on the minds of our growers. My guess is they’ll give the Plumeria a few more months of flowerless grace before drastic measures are taken.

Question of the Week:
Can I store canna lilies in my garage over the winter?
Well that depends. If your garage temperatures remain above freezing throughout the winter, then by all means, store the canna lilies beside the sedan. A good target zone temperature for cannas is somewhere between 5 and 10°C (think Goldilocks…not too hot; not too cold; just right). But before you banish the cannas to the garage, let the pots dry down to the just-moist stage and then cut the plants down to ground level. In late spring, move the pots back to the deck, apply water and—voila!—the cannas will resume growth. It’s as simple as that.

Move your canna from outside the garage door to inside the garage for winter.

Science & Technology
Split Personalities
Boron is an interesting element and an essential nutrient for plants because the absorption of it facilitates sugar synthesis. However, when boron is too readily available to plants, it becomes a very powerful and deadly herbicide.

The Path to Enjoy
Unearth the Possibilities
We had our first potential partners meeting last night, and it was great to see the sampling of businesses that want to join us at our future home. From the day we first started dreaming about this project and the magnitude of its possibilities, we envisioned the Enjoy Centre as a partnership—a community of like-minded businesses sharing resources, technologies and unique synergies. It looks as though that’s exactly what we’re going to build. For more information, visit unearththepossibilities.com

Did You Know?
Trees can speak…sort of. When trees move water through the vessels in their wood, they emit clicking and popping sounds that can be heard with special audio equipment.

“All bad poetry springs from genuine feeling.”
–Oscar Wilde