Transforming a working greenhouse into an elegant, dynamic event space is the challenge that Laura Gadowsky has taken as our new Enjoy Centre events consultant.

Laura has been coordinating events for 30 years and is one of about a dozen people in the Edmonton area who are certified meeting professionals. She worked many years at the Westin hotel, was responsible for the accommodations and food services for the 2001 World Championships in Athletics (track and field), spent 16 months on the Alberta Centennial Project and coordinated an event at Commonwealth Stadium for the 2005 royal visit.

For the Enjoy Centre, Laura is establishing guidelines and procedures for the space based on when and how it will be used. Her to-do-list includes assessing areas such as the prep kitchen. How much counter space, how many ovens and refrigerators will we need? Function is the focus of the assessment, so one of her prep kitchen recommendations is to create a door where there currently isn’t one in the plans. Adding a door will expand the space and make a circular pathway for efficient food service.

That expert attention to detail is just what we need and why we hired Laura. For her, coordinating events is exciting because although the pieces of the puzzle are the same, she says “When you put them together you get a different picture every time.” She’s also enthused about the wow factor of the event space, which is going to create some stunning pictures. Inquiries about the space can be directed to .

Hits & Misses: Bigger and better pots & soil testing shortfall
Question of the Week: My tulip flowers aren’t very big this year, why?
Science & Technology: Scannable trees

Yes, pansy flowers are edible and dress up plates, but the consensus from 30 or so culinary professionals and students is that the petals are rather bland. I must say, I agree. We jointly came to that conclusion last Sunday as I toured the greenhouse with a group from the Canadian Culinary Federation for Cooks and Chefs. The tour focused on how to grow herbs properly and the parameters for maximizing both yield and flavour. We also stopped to sample unconventional herbs, including pansies and begonias. Despite our best-growing practices, the aforementioned pansies weren’t a hit. But the sharp vinegar-like flavour of the white ‘Non-Stop’ begonias got much better reviews. Flowers are often overlooked as culinary ingredients even though many have interesting and wonderful flavours. One word of caution, make sure you know the pest-control product history of edible flowers before chowing down.

Hits & Misses
Hit: Bigger and Better Pots
One pot, two pots, red pot, blue pot. With apologies to Dr. Seuss, my point is pots are the hot item this year. Everyone’s trading up and dumping small, uninspiring containers for bigger and better ones. It makes perfect sense. Not only are the big pots made of long-lasting, fade-free materials, but their capacity for more soil also means you can grow bigger, more striking plants.

Miss: Soil Testing Shortfall
A customer of ours had a soil test done by a laboratory, which is fine, but the report certainly isn’t user friendly. The terminology reads more like Egyptian hieroglyphics than something a home gardener could interpret. Am I chastising the soil testing company? Well, yes. The report cost the customer $265 and didn’t come with much interpretation or provide recommendations for the garden soil. In my opinion, most gardeners don’t need an expensive soil test. Yes, if something is seriously wrong, such as suspected herbicide contamination, a soil test is warranted. But for most soils—even those that look bad—spend your money on good old compost or well-rotted manure because that’s most likely what your garden’s lacking.

Adding organic material helps soils, including
those with too much clay.

Question of the Week
My tulip flowers aren’t very big this year, why?
There are several possible reasons. Hybrid tulips require a long growing season that’s not too hot or dry. Without these conditions, tulip bulbs won’t fill out properly and may produce smaller flowers or even fail to bloom in subsequent years. In fact, some hybrid varieties only produce good blooms the first growing season. Non-hybrid or species tulips will bloom year after year and are a good choice if you want early blooms. Keep in mind that species tulips will multiply and spread, which can be a good or bad attribute depending on your perspective.

Tulipa tarda multiplies readily and
produces generous blooms.

Science & Technology
Scannable Trees
Computer chips imbedded into trees sounds futuristic, but research results in the most recent issue of HortScience prove otherwise. The radio frequency identification devices (RFIDs) were actually implanted beneath the bark of citrus trees six years ago. Now US Horticultural Research Laboratory researchers report the little computer chips are still functioning well and haven’t caused any deleterious affect on the health of the trees. RFIDs would allow growers to easily identify trees with a hand-held scanner and pertinent information could be downloaded from the chip. In the future, RFIDs could be useful for urban forest management as tools to help ensure that trees have a long and healthy life.

Did You Know?
Meadow voles (also known as field or meadow mice) love tulip bulbs but dislike snowdrops and daffodils.

“A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings.”
—Maya Angelou

first published April 15, 2010

There’s always a little history repeating in the greenhouse business. When I was a kid, Mom and Dad grew most of our plants in brown, fibre pots. The containers provided an excellent environment for roots but had one major problem—the bottoms rapidly rotted. Eventually, we switched to lightweight, easy-to-handle plastic containers when they became both available and affordable. In the greenhouse industry, plastic became firmly embedded as the standard. But now, we’re returning to our roots.

The demand for more eco-friendly products has led to the development of biodegradable containers, meant specifically for the greenhouse industry. And let me tell you, they’re a far cry from the rotten-bottomed pots of my childhood. Not only are these new containers great for growing in, they also biodegrade after they’ve served their purpose. And because they decompose, they not only bypass the landfill but also enrich your garden soil. On the sustainability scale, they score high.

So just what are these biodegradable pots I’m talking about? Well, most aren’t season-long pots; they’re growing-in-until-it’s-time-to-transplant pots. They’re still a bit more expensive than plastic pots are, but I think the additional cost is well worth it. Eliminating plastics and giving back to the earth are good reasons to switch. Besides, there really isn’t a price tag we can put on our environment.

So with no further ado, here’s some info on the biodegradable pots I’m using this year. Note that the fibres in each type of pot are held together by naturally occurring plant resins, which are also biodegradable.

Coir fibre pots
Coir fibres are found between the outer shell of a coconut and the internal shell that protects the seed. They are stringy, flexible and tough enough to be woven. Most coir comes from stockpiles found in Sri Lanka and India. The fibre is also compressed and sold as a substitute for peat moss. Coir pots are probably the least attractive of the biodegradables I’ve tried, but their permeability is great for increasing vital airflow around roots.

Rice pots
Rice pots are the most durable and aesthetically pleasing of the biodegradables we’re using. Smooth, shiny, and earthy toned, they’re some of the most attractive pots I’ve ever seen—biodegradable or otherwise. The downside, however, is that rice pots are rather brittle, which means they’re prone to cracking. At the end of the season, though, that brittleness becomes an advantage—with one stomp, the pot is reduced to tiny bits, which decompose quickly. Last, but certainly not least, these pots are made from rice hulls rather than the grain itself, so there’s no diversion of food to create these containers.

Wheat pots
Considering how widely available wheat chaff is, it’s not surprising that someone’s transformed it into a usable product. Wheat pots are much more pliable than rice ones, which makes them less susceptible to cracking. However, their green hue also makes them less aesthetically pleasing than their competition. Wheat pots also biodegrade more rapidly than pots made from rice or coir do. But that’s not a bad thing—decomposition is what these containers are all about. Just be aware that wheat versions are destined for the compost as soon as you remove the transplants.

While each type of biodegradable pot has its own attributes, all are excellent choices for fostering sustainability. At our greenhouse, we aren’t shifting to 100 percent biodegradable pots just yet. Part of the reason is that a complete product line isn’t available. The other reasoning is that plastic still has a place in the greenhouse. In all likelihood, biodegradable substitutes may eventually eliminate the need for any plastic pots. We are, after all, back to an era where rot is hot.

To keep abreast of what’s new in the gardening world, follow twitter.com/holesonline.

Hits & Misses: Fiery and dark roses & morbid fungi
Question of the Week: What soil should I use to grow vegetables?
Science & Technology: Fuel efficiency

The Sarritor has finally arrived. No, it’s not a new sci-fi movie or a much-awaited video game release—it’s a new biocontrol product for controlling dandelions. It contains a particular strain of a fungus called Sclerotinia minor that will kill your dandelions without doing the same to your lawn. It’s amusingly displayed in what looks like a mini-bar fridge because the fungi need to be cool to stay alive. One shake-on container will treat about 750 dandelions, but don’t be tempted to apply it on a hot, dry day. The fungi need humidity and reasonable warmth to multiply and infect dandelions. Therefore, the recommendation is to water your lawn on a warm evening and then to apply the product. It’s also important to remember that this product can’t be stored on a shelf. If you aren’t applying it immediately after purchase, it’s prudent to refrigerate Sarritor at home before unleashing it on your unsuspecting dandelions.

Hits & Misses
Hit: Fiery and Dark Roses
The nursery is ablaze with roses because our warm weather has made the flowers open early. There’s a wide array of colours and scents to enjoy. One of my favourites is ‘Morden Sunrise,’ from the hardy Parkland series. It has fiery orange and yellow flowers with a nice fringe of pink on the petals. I also really like the tender hybrid tea rose ‘Black Baccara’ simply because its flowers are so dark—not pure black, mind you, but strikingly dark nonetheless.

Miss: Morbid Fungi
Whereas, Sclerotinia minor is a good fungus that destroys evil dandelions, Apiosporina morbosa is a dastardly fungus that’s causing unprecedented damage to cherries, plums, chokecherries and pin cherries in our region. It’s more commonly known as black knot because it develops into swollen knots loaded with black spores after it invades branches through wounds or soft new tissue. Spores spread to create new knots and, eventually, the affected branches die. The solution is to prune 15–25 cm below the knots and to dispose of the infected branches to avoid spreading the disease. The problem is so common this spring that when I see a customer crossing our parking lot with a branch in hand, odds are the problem is black knot.

Question of the Week
What soil should I use to grow vegetables?
If you’re growing vegetables in a container, I always recommend Hole’s soilless potting mix. However, if you’re establishing a vegetable garden, good quality loam is a must. The recommended soil depth to grow vegetables is 20–25 cm. Once your garden is established, it’s important to amend it each year with 2.5–5 cm of organically rich material such as triple mix.

Science & Technology
Fuel Efficiency
Based on the how much water is used to produce fuels, diesel is more efficient than biofuels, according to the March issue of Science. In fact, diesel production yields more than twice the energy using the same amount of water. In other words, in a world of diminishing fresh water supplies, plant-based fuel sources aren’t so advantageous. To be a viable fuel source, we definitely need to squeeze more energy out of biofuels for every litre of water the biofuel crops use.

Did You Know?
The world’s largest sequoia tree, named General Sherman, is more than 80 metres tall and is estimated to weigh 2,500 metric tonnes.

“Anything else you’re interested in is not going to happen if you can’t breathe the air and drink the water. Don’t sit this one out. Do something.”
–Carl Sagan

first published April 1, 2010

You know gardening’s status has changed to cool when “garden with” is a premium SuperPoke on Facebook. So, why the stellar rise in gardening’s popularity? Well, I’m not a virtual garden expert, but I know what’s motivating people to grow their own gardens. First, there’s a strong desire to strengthen our connection with all things sustainable. Secondly, there’s more choice in the market than ever before—novel seeds that weren’t available, or were hard to find, are now readily available. So, to get you started on this year’s growing season, here’s my list of some of the trendiest seeds to plant and enjoy.

Microgreens
Microgreens are an easy-to-grow crop gaining in popularity. By definition, a microgreen is simply a vegetable or a mix of vegetables grown to the seedling stage and harvested for salads or garnishes. ‘Spicy Mix,’ for example, contains two types of mustard, peppergrass cress, red cabbage and radish seed. The blend lives up to its name too, adding a gorgeous, spicy flavour to any meal. The great thing about microgreens is they’re ready in just a few weeks and usually aren’t affected by plant pests because of how quickly they’re harvested. In fact, if you sow every week you’ll have a continuous microgreen supply all summer. There are literally hundreds of vegetables that can be grown as microgreens. So, if I recall correctly from my university statistics class, that means there are several million unique combinations possible…you might want to tackle just a couple this year.

Wheatgrass
Wheatgrass (Triticum aestivum) seems to be cropping up everywhere. Besides being a mainstay in health drinks, growing your own couldn’t be easier. Varieties such as ‘Liquid Sunshine’ not only grow like a weed but also look great as a table centerpiece. So score twice with it. Show off the wheatgrass to your dinner guests, then snatch it off the table and blend it up in a smoothie.

Broom Corn
Broom corn isn’t actually corn—it’s a grassy plant called sorghum, which is used to make traditional brooms. Try the ‘Amish Rainbow Blend,’ which has richly coloured seed heads that are highly decorative. At the end of the season, strip off the seeds (they make excellent bird feed), and use the straw-like fibres to make a homemade broom. Sorghum loves warm, sunny locations and will grow 1–2 m tall. So give it a try. Sow some and be the first on your block to boast of growing your own broom.

Carrot
Carrots are orange. Right? Well, not always. Carrots also come in white, purple, red and yellow. The current pervasiveness of orange carrots can be traced back to Dutch breeders who transformed carrots into the official colour of the Dutch royal family. This year, why not grow ‘Rainbow Mix,’ a blend that includes red, yellow, purple and orange carrots—to keep Dutch friends and family happy. As with other carrots, sow outdoors as soon as the garden can be worked.

Cauliflower
If you’re interested in multicolored carrots, you’ll also want to consider multicolored cauliflower. I like the florets steamed, but by itself, white cauliflower looks dull, dull, dull. To liven things up, try ‘Chef’s Choice Blend.’ It includes white ‘Snowball,’ and the Italian heirlooms ‘Green Macerata, and ‘Purple Sicily.’ Not only will the colours boost cauliflower’s nutritional value, they’ll also brighten your vegetable bowl.

I’m not surprised that gardening’s “cool factor” has been influenced by celebrity chefs, social consciousness and, even, social media. In fact, I expect even more people will try gardening. Give a try, if you haven’t—it’s an experience unlike any you’d have in the virtual world. Because frankly, I’m sure there’s no app that can compare to growing your own broom.

To keep abreast of what’s new in the gardening world, follow twitter.com/holesonline.

Hits & Misses: Impressive performance & watering myth
Question of the Week: I think I planted my fall bulbs upside down. Will they still grow?
Science & Technology: Growth triggers

When it comes to the best gardening shows in Canada, I’d rate those in Calgary and Saskatoon at the top of my list. This past weekend, I spoke at the Calgary Horticultural Society Garden Show, which is held at Spruce Meadows. It is very well organized and attracts over 10,000 gardeners—both avid and novice. But, more significantly, there’s an air of enthusiasm and optimism shared by those touring the exhibition halls and lecture theatres. Yes, there are other great shows, such as Canada Blooms in Toronto, but when it comes to attendee exuberance, the Prairies really blossom.

Hits & Misses
Hit: Impressive Performance
As our geranium crop grows, so does my enthusiasm for our biodegradable rice pots. They are a bit taller than the plastic pots we’ve previously used for geraniums, which translates into extra soil volume. The geraniums are growing so well, in fact, their roots are beginning to escape out the drainage holes of the containers. Safe to say, the biodegradable pots have passed the growth test with stellar results—and look good doing it!

Miss: Watering Myth
After reading an article in Discover, one of my favourite science magazines, I nearly cancelled my subscription. I still like the magazine, but I’m wincing about one of their sections entitled, “20 things you didn’t know about water”. According to the article, water droplets magnify sunlight which, in turn, burns leaves. Well that’s just not true. To prove it, try this little experiment yourself: on a hot, sunny day, water your tomatoes, petunias, apples or any other plants. Then kick back, have a lemonade and wait for the droplets to dry. If you can find a single leaf that develops measles, you’re well on your way to rewriting the laws of physics. Certainly, cold water can damage sensitive leaves of plants, such as African violets, and viruses can leave strange-looking ring spots on leaves. But water droplets causing spots? No. Where this water-droplet theory actually belongs is on an episode of Myth Busters.

Question of the Week
I think I planted my fall bulbs upside down. Will they still grow?
Don’t worry. Thanks to gravity, the bulbs will grow regardless of whether or not they were planted right side up, on their sides or upside down. That’s because plant roots always grow downward in response to gravity—a phenomenon known as gravitropism. However, if the bulbs were planted upside down, you may experience a setback in bloom time or even in the plant’s development.

Science & Technology
Growth Triggers
Have you ever wondered what triggers trees and shrubs to grow and bloom. Well, the latest issue of Science answers that question in an article on phenology—the study of seasonal and cyclic phenomena. Plants such as lilacs and cherries begin to grow in spring after a sufficient number of winter chilling hours. In other words, the sooner the temperatures warm in the spring, the sooner they begin to grow. Others, such as oaks and hackberries, also require winter chilling, but their growth is triggered by a succession of long days. What this means is that cherries and plums often bloom too early for prairie gardeners because a series of warm days in, say, early March could trigger growth. If cherries and plums responded to day length rather than to temperature, they would simply remain dormant until the days were sufficiently long and most of the risk of frost had passed. On the Prairies, this early bloom tendency of some fruits often results in frost damage to flowers, which typically reduces or eliminates fruit set. That’s why hardy plants that respond to day length rather than temperature often perform much better in our climate.

Did You Know?
Welwitschia mirabilis, which is only found in the Namib Desert of South Africa, produces only two leaves that continuously grow throughout the plant’s life.

“If I had to live my life again, I’d make the same mistakes, only sooner.”
–Tallulah Bankhead

If you live in St. Albert or get the Notebook, you’ve certainly heard about the Enjoy Centre. But because there are a lot of other people who don’t know of it yet, we’re hitting the road this spring and summer and taking our message to trade shows in Alberta.

Along with our Enjoy Centre spa partners, we will be talking about the centre, as well as our city. Having partnered with the City of St. Albert for these trade shows, we’re pleased to be part of the city’s effort to become known as Alberta’s Botanic Arts City.

Our first stop will be the Northlands Farm and Ranch show in Edmonton this week. We can’t wait to share our excitement for the Enjoy Centre with the people who stop at our booth.

Hope to see you along the way!

Hits & Misses: Pecks of peppers & educated guesses
Question of the Week: My lawn is all trails and very little grass. What’s happened?
Science & Technology: Fast-track technology

Today is a very exciting day for our family. That’s because it’s the grand opening of the Lois Hole Hospital for Women—the highly anticipated world-class facility named after our mom. The genesis of the Lois Hole Hospital was to create a centre of excellence that specialized in women’s health issues—a place where women would receive first-rate care in an environment that catered to both their physical and spiritual needs. Our entire family is extremely proud and honoured that such a wonderful hospital would be named after our mother. It took the passionate commitment of many generous organizations and individuals to bring this project to fruition and, for that, we should all be proud. As Mom said at the official announcement of the Lois Hole Hospital for Women, “My hope is that when people come to this hospital and see my name, they’re going to have a little extra hope—that real, uplifting hope—that things will turn out OK.” I think they will.

Hits & Misses
Hit: Pecks of Peppers
Hanging baskets of trailing peppers are the cool, hot thing this year…or perhaps “hot, cool thing” is the better description. However you describe them, these peppers are the perfect container garden for small spaces. As you’d expect, the plants grow upright for a time and then trail over the basket, providing a cascade of peppers at your fingertips. The varieties range from mild to hot, satisfying all culinary preference. Peppers, being peppers, thrive in hot, sunny locations, so find them a spot they’ll love and be rewarded all summer.

Miss: Educated Guesses
I found a 1942 copy of Pike’s Seeds catalogue buried on a shelf in our plant library. Pike & Co. was located just down the street from where my dad grew up in Edmonton, and it sold a wide variety of rose bushes, bulbs, roots, trees, shrubs and plants. While many of the plant varieties in the catalogue are long gone, a surprising number are still hanging around. The thing, however, that struck me most was the product list in the “Insecticides & Fungicides” section. In 1942, you could buy two types of arsenic products: the rather beautiful sounding Paris Green (copper arsenate) and the rather blatant Arsenate of Lead. If you wanted to “fumigate” your soil, you could buy either naphthalene flakes or—if you really wanted to nail the aphids on your roses and lilies—a can of nicotine sulphate. Today, because of human health and environmental issues, none of these pest-control products are allowed or even manufactured for home garden use. It’s interesting to note that five years after this catalogue was published, a new pest-control product became available for home gardens. That product was DDT.

Question of the Week
My lawn is all trails and very little grass. What’s happened?
Mice have chewed off the grass and caused the damage you see. To repair the areas, rake to remove the dead grass, then add 1–2.5 cm of rich loam and scatter grass seed overtop. Water at least once a day for the first two weeks to ensure germination. Then, water twice per week until the grass is well established.

Science & Technology
Fast-Track Technology
An article in a recent issue of Science described how automation is helping plant breeders trim years off the development of plant varieties. Apparently, these highly automated greenhouses allow seedlings to travel on conveyor belts as the plants grow. As they travel, the plants pass through stations where they’re exposed to drought, heat and other stressful environmental conditions, all the while being photographed and monitored without human intervention. The toughest plants are then selected and, subsequently, used for field testing.

Did You Know?
Because mangrove trees grow in swampy areas where the soil lacks oxygen, they develop air roots, which pop up and out of the mud to avoid suffocation.

“I have often repented speaking, but never of holding my tongue.”
–Xenocrates

Long before the Enjoy Centre took physical form, we’d formulated the concept. In fact, it was three years ago that we began to share our philosophy with the launch of our Enjoy Gardening magazine. Of course, when the magazine began, I didn’t actually tell anyone (including our editor) about the building project. Yet from the first 96-page issue, the magazine has captured what we want to achieve at the Enjoy Centre.

Although Enjoy Gardening’s strongest focus has been on gardening, each issue has incorporated lifestyle elements that reflect our philosophy that a garden is more than a thing to tend—it’s a destination; a place to reflect, relax, and reconnect. And, by extension, so too will our centre be a destination to experience.

As the sixth issue of our twice-yearly publication goes to press, the magazine continues to evolve and reflect the lifestyle elements that will be part of the Enjoy Centre. For example, you’ll find an article about wine and another about aromatherapy in the Summer 2010 issue. And, of course, all the gardening information you’ve always trusted us for.

Hits & Misses: Screaming for summer & too good to be true
Question of the Week: When do I start my begonia tubers?
Science & Technology: Manufacturing capsaicinoids

Sharing stories with Regina gardeners this past weekend certainly reaffirmed the fact that gardeners are the same everywhere: we all love to grow things, we face similar challenges and we all revel in our successes. But I have to say, for me, one of the highlights of speaking at the Regina Spring Home Show was the opportunity to meet Gainer the Gopher. For those of you who don’t know, he’s the seven-foot-tall Saskatchewan Roughriders’ mascot. However, I admit it was hard to look Gainer in the eye that day. And not because of his height, but because the Saskatchewan government had just classified gophers as pests. I sure hope he’ll get special status and not have to go into hiding. Long live Gainer!

Hits & Misses
Hit: Screaming for Summer
Two plants in the greenhouse really screaming “I can’t wait for summer!” are the Surprise series ‘Blue’ petunias and the ‘Little Tut’ Cyperus papyrus. The velvety-blue petunias are still quite tiny, but their fragrance is absolutely wonderful. Meanwhile, the cyperus grass, which was a real hit with customers last year, looks great too. At about two-thirds the height of the ‘King Tut’ variety, it makes an outstanding addition to slightly smaller spots. I love both cyperus varieties because they grow rapidly and are problem free. And, yes, it’s the same grass crafted into paper by ancient Egyptians.

Airy heads of cyperus grass add superb visual interest to containers.

Miss: Too Good to Be True
I don’t know if it is coincidental, but around April Fool’s Day there always seem to be an inordinate number of ads for gigantic tree tomatoes, jumbo strawberries, lawn grasses that don’t need cutting—the list of super plants goes on. The reality is if these plants lived up to their billing, every garden centre would be growing and selling them. Unfortunately, the hype and the reality of these plants are often polar opposites…so don’t be fooled.

Question of the Week
When do I start my begonia tubers?
Tuberous begonia bulbs you’ve purchased, or ones you have overwintered, should be started four to six weeks before the average date of the last spring frost in your area. In our area, that date is May 6. Once started, begonias typically flower 12 to 15 weeks later.

Science & Technology
Manufacturing Capsaicinoids
Where does the heat in a hot pepper come from? Researchers in Mexico have determined that capsaicinoids—the chemicals that generate the heat—are found entirely in the fruit and not at all in the leaves and stems. According to a HortScience article, the heat-producing compounds are manufactured in the “placenta interlocular septum” of the fruit, which is a fancy way of saying the white stuff the seeds are attached to…white hot, in other words.

Fiery hot ‘Super Cayenne II’ peppers score high
at 50,000 to 60,000 Scoville units.

Did You Know?
The Ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) is the fern most widely used around house foundations in Canada.

“April 1. This is the day upon which we are reminded of what we are on the other 364.”
–Mark Twain