Olla watering
An olla is a unique water catchment system that can be used in container gardens and garden beds to assist in reducing the amount of watering required. Olla is pronounced oh-ya which means “pot” in Spanish. It is an ancient watering system.
Olla water catchment system described in The Regenerative Garden by author Stephanie Rose. (Eduardo Cristo)
Olla watering systems with terra cotta irrigation pots and lids can be purchased online (an olla watering pot with lid and a capacity of about one litre is listed on Amazon for $77.08) but you can also make your own for a much lower price. Here are two easy DIY examples:
Water saving unglazed terra cotta wine coolers in container gardens. (Vic Lesser)
Stephanie Rose, author of The Regenerative Garden: 80 Practical Projects for Creating a Self-Sustaining Garden Ecosystem (Cool Springs Press, 2022), lives in Vancouver where she employs permaculture techniques to create a more productive and resilient garden. In her book, Rose describes olla water catchment systems for slowly irrigating container gardens and flower beds. In one method, an unglazed terra cotta pot is buried in the centre of a planter, filled with water, and covered with a plant saucer. The water slowly seeps out through the walls of the terra cotta pot, which is made from a porous earthenware clay material.
Rose writes, “an olla planted in a 20-inch (50-cm) container can reduce watering from every day to every four to five days in the heat of summer.”
Vic Lesser, Red River Soils, uses terra cotta wine coolers to slowly water his container gardens. He and his wife, Helen, like to travel and are sometimes away from their garden during the summer for a week at a time.
Unglazed terra cotta wine cooler — a thrift store find. (Vic Lesser)
A few years ago, on a visit to Biosphere 2 in Arizona, they saw an olla water catchment system with terra cotta wine coolers. On their return home, Helen visited several thrift shops and managed to source more than a dozen terra cotta wine coolers. The wine cooler is buried in soil up to the neck, then it is filled with water, and the lid put on top. Water is slowly delivered to plant roots as needed.
Peach Fuzz: Colour of the Year
Each year since 2000, Pantone has announced its Colour of the Year. The announcement influences interior designers, fashion designers, graphic and multimedia design, plant companies, and more.
In December, Peach Fuzz was announced as the colour for 2024.
On the colour wheel, peach is a warm colour that falls between pink and orange. Peach is a pastel colour produced when red, white and yellow are mixed. Pantone describes Peach Fuzz on the company website as “a velvety gentle peach whose all-embracing spirit enriches heart, mind, and body.”
Pantone 2024 Color of the Year — Peach Fuzz. (Pantone)
But Pantone’s announcement is not the only colour announcement of the year. Cyber Lime has also been named 2024 Colour of the Year according to Garden Media Group, which describes it as “a punchy near-neon that exerts and energizes the body and mind” that “signifies the powerful connection between nature and technology” and is “based on compassion, community and connection.”
My favourite might be the Thursd Floral Trend Colours of 2024, Sky Blue and Bright White, said to symbolize abundant vitality and the potential for a flourishing world.
What’s interesting is that all these colours would work well together. A soft peach and sky-blue palette combined with yellow is a popular colour combination. You can never go wrong with white — it is a neutral tone that always looks good in the garden and is a wonderful harmonizer. Lime green is fabulous in the shade garden and looks marvelous with light blue.
But orange in any shade will be very popular in 2024. Orange is a hot colour that advances toward you. It is a useful colour for making a large landscape feel smaller or cozier, or use it in a space that you want to draw attention to. Orange shimmers in sunlight and exudes coolness like a creamsicle when it is used in shadier areas of the garden.
Here is a list of some new plants in unique shades of orange that will be at local garden centres this spring:
Begonia I’Conia Portofino Dark Orange from Dummen Orange has large, multi-layered blooms in a stunning shade of orange. (New for 2024)
Osteospermum Zion Orange Burst from Selecta is an African daisy with brilliant orange and yellow flowers. (New for 2024)
Sangria Chrysanthemum, a new perennial for 2024 that was bred by Rick Durand for Bylands Nursery, has rusty orange flower colour. Sangria is an early blooming chrysanthemum with an abundance of attractive flowers and bright green foliage. This new variety is attractive to butterflies and is hardy to Zone 3. It has a mature height of 24 inches (60 cm).
Vinca Quasar Orange Target (Green Fuse Botanicals)
Vinca Quasar Orange Target from Green Fuse Botanicals is a novelty annual which flowers profusely. Last summer, Our Farm Greenhouse in Portage la Prairie sent me some three Vinca Quasar Orange Target plants to trial in my garden. This new variety brings eye-catching colour to the front of the border. At times, the dainty flowers look tangerine and at other times, they take on a softer peach hue.
Zinnia Zydeco Fire from Syngenta is a fiery orange interspecific zinnia with fully double 3-inch (7.62 cm) flowers on bushy, 14-20 inch (36-51 cm) tall plants. Excellent disease resistance as well as heat and drought tolerance. (New for 2023)
Zinnia Zesty Orange from Pan American Seed has huge bright orange flowers on 18-24 inch stems (46-61 cm). (New for 2023)
Discover native plants
Aimee McDonald is co-owner of Prairie Flora, which specializes in native prairie wildflowers and grasses. Prairie Flora’s online plant catalogue was recently updated. Starting now, you can pre-order your plants online. Doorstep delivery of plants for residents of Winnipeg, Teulon, Gunton, Balmoral, Stony Mountain, Stonewall and St. Andrews begins in late May.
Recently, I asked McDonald if there is a native plant variety that she is most excited about for 2024.
Square Stemmed Monkey Flower (Wikimedia Commons)
“One of our exciting new plants is the Square Stemmed Monkey Flower (Mimulus ringens), said McDonald. “Its name comes from the flower’s resemblance to a monkey’s face. It’s a very attractive plant in the garden, has a long bloom season, and is resistant to deer.” Square Stemmed Monkey Flower grows to a height of two feet (60.96 cm) and features delicate blooms that are generally pale-blue-violet but sometimes pink or white. Plant Square Stemmed Monkey Flower in a full sun to part shade location. Grows best in wetter patches in the garden.
“It is a pollinator plant for bumblebees and a larval host to Common Buckeye and Baltimore Checkerspot butterflies,” said McDonald. “The Manitoba Conservation Data Centre marks both butterflies as globally secure, but some regional populations may be declining. The Baltimore Checkerspot butterfly is imperiled in Manitoba. We are on the edge of its range. To me, strengthening a food source seems like an important thing to do to keep populations strong for future generations.”
Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly (Wikimedia Commons / Andy Reago, Chrissy McClaren)
I also asked McDonald if there was a native plant variety that was in high demand by Prairie Flora customers in 2023.
“Our most popular plants for 2023 were all native plants, which is very exciting,” said McDonald. “Wild Red Columbine, Dwarf Milkweed, Big Bluestem, Giant Hyssop, and Showy Goldenrod were our top five. Not one stood on top. These are all perfect plants for native plant gardens. The milkweeds are still on a lot of people’s radar for helping to support the monarch butterfly. It’s nice to know it’s not just a fad. The Hyssop is fantastic for its reliability, beauty, and edible qualities.” McDonald said that Showy Goldenrod hasn’t always been a top seller, she says there is more awareness of its importance as a source of late season food source for pollinators.
Zinnia Oklahoma Salmon heirloom variety (Lyndon Penner)
Prairie Flora’s offerings continue to expand. You will find a range of seeds for heirloom vegetables and heirloom flowers. One of the varieties that is new for this year is Zinnia Oklahoma Salmon, a prolific mildew-resistant variety that produces double and semi-double flowers beloved by pollinators. An excellent cut flower, Zinnia Oklahoma Salmon has a long vase life.
Sky-blue milkweed
Blue-flowered milkweed_Tweedia (Debbie Innes)
Debbie Innes, a Winnipeg gardener, is overwintering Tweedia milkweed in her garage this winter. Tweedia (Oxypetalum coeruluem) is the only milkweed species with blue flowers.
It grows to a height of 24 inches (60 cm) and has velvety soft leaves. Innes says that Tweedia performs well as an annual plant, and she plans to try growing it from seed.
William Dam Seeds in Ontario, for example, lists Heavenly Blue Tweedia in its online seed catalogue.
Blue-flowered Nigella love-in-a-mist (Kelley Liebzeit)
Innes is overwintering a two-year old Tweedia plant in her garage because she is hoping that maturity will enable it to bloom like crazy next summer.
She loves to create flower arrangements and wants to use Tweedia in flower arrangements she is making for a nephew’s wedding in August. Innes says that she is always exploring cut flowers in various colours for the St. Vital Agricultural Fair, flower arranging and weddings.
Innes is busy researching other blue-flowered plants such as Nolana Chilean bell flower, Larkspur and Nigella love-in-a-mist to grow this year for her cut flower arrangements.
Crocheted plants
Barbara Bergen lives in Altona. She maintained a large garden at her previous property but now lives on a property with deep shade which makes it more challenging to grow the types of plants she would like to grow. Also, she no longer has the same amount of time to maintain a large garden.
“We’re away most of the summer now, so I started crocheting my own plants,” said Bergen in a recent phone conversation.
Crocheted Monstera deliciosa (Barbara Bergen)
Bergen started crocheting about 10 years ago. After mastering more traditional projects, she wanted a new challenge and purchased a crochet pattern on Etsy for Monstera deliciosa, also known as the Swiss Cheese plant or split-leaf philodendron.
Native to tropical forests in the southern hemisphere, Monstera deliciosa has distinctive foliage that features lengthwise cut-outs and circular perforations.
After finishing her project, Bergen posted a photo of the crocheted Monstera on her Facebook page and immediately started receiving orders. Next, she purchased patterns for Calathea, Coleus and a creamy, white-flowered Calla Lily.
“The Calla Lily proved the most challenging,” said Bergen. The Calla Lily has trumpet-shaped floral bracts called spathes and a finger-like spadix at the centre.
Initially, Bergen struggled with creating a realistic looking flower. Frustrated, she set the project aside for awhile but picked it up again and finished it in time for Christmas.
Crocheted Calla Lily (Barbara Bergen)
Bergen uses florist wire to create a realistic finish to the leaves. “It’s a little bit tricky to add the wire, but the wire allows you to shape the leaf,” said Bergen. To create the distinctive brush marks that are characteristic of the Calathea plant’s oblong leaves with their scalloped edges, Bergen used a different coloured yarn on the leaves.
Bergen displays her crocheted plants in pots which she buys in assorted styles and sizes at her local thrift store. She cuts Styrofoam to fit inside the pots, inserts the plant stems, and then covers the surface of the Styrofoam with decorative Spanish moss.
What are some of the benefits of a crocheted garden? “I don’t have to water them. I can’t kill them, cats won’t eat them, and I can put them anywhere indoors or give them to friends and family,” said Bergen.
Most live houseplants are particular about their indoor location. Monstera deliciosa, for example, prefers a location with partial sun or dappled light. In our gardens, Calla Lily is grown from rhizomes that are lifted in fall, stored indoors for the winter in a cool, dark place, and then are repotted in spring.
Like real houseplants, crocheted houseplants need to be dusted from time to time. Bergen lightly sprays her crocheted plants with a compressed air duster.
The mindfulness, relaxation and curiosity that comes from caring for living plants is also one of the benefits of crocheting plants. It might even lead to gardening!
There are several books available on how to crochet plants, and many of the tools are available at dollar stores, Bergen says.
Bergen’s current project? Long-stemmed roses for a flower arrangement.
Floral mannequins at The Leaf
Fleurs de Villes VOYAGE (Fleurs de Villes)
A world-class floral extravaganza is coming to The Leaf, Jan. 11-21. A floral journey of discovery to global destinations awaits you! Floral mannequins like you have never seen before will be designed by 17 local florists and artists that will tell enchanting stories of cultures and places from around the world.
Recently I caught up with Fleurs de Villes co-founders Tina Barkley and Karen Marshall for an update. Here are some behind-the-scenes tidbits:
The Indigenous floral mannequin is being designed by Mamie Griffith and Carmen Grey, local Indigenous artists. Griffith was involved in creating the Indigenous Peoples Garden at The Leaf. Grey is an Indigenous member of the Park’s horticulture team. Their creation will be a very exciting piece as they are collaborating on both the conceptual design and physical design, and they will use as much local materials as possible.
The Brazil floral mannequin will feature Carnival but also as much of the Amazon as possible using tropical flowers and plants.
The China mannequin celebrates the 2024 Year of the Dragon. This design will incorporate a mannequin and part of a dragon using gladiolus, ginger, craspedia, bamboo and much more.
The Iceland mannequin brings to life the mythical character Thor, with rugged cliffs and erupting volcano! Red roses, heather, bear and lily grass, delphinium, or Larkspur are some of the plant materials you will see in this design.
The Ethiopia-themed mannequin will feature a larger-than-life coffee pot made from botanicals.
The Portugal mannequin will be resplendent in a floral dress that showcases Portugal’s famous blue, white and yellow tiles as inspiration along with tons of roses as well as Portugal’s beautiful landscape of soft green hills.
The design for Scotland brings to life a faerie and the well known historical mythical side of Scotland that so many enjoy when traveling there.
Ukraine’s mannequin is a traditional dancer in full dance costume, complete with a lovely headpiece and ribbons made from flowers.
The Traveller will on display at the Fairmont. She will be dressed in a coat fashioned from emerald-green Aspidistra leaves and a lavish skirt of roses in many colours. She will be sitting on suitcases made of magnolia leaves, Dusty Miller, bark, and other botanicals that will bring latches and other details to life.
“So many things to look forward to!” says Tina Barkley. Fleurs de Villes VOYAGE is included with regular admission to The Leaf.
‘Ask a Landscaper’
Landscape design planning (Gellers Design Build Landscape)
The Manitoba Nursery Landscape Association will be at the Winnipeg Renovation Show, Friday through Sunday. Bring your questions!
Casey Norman, Alladin Landscape Design, is the president of the MBNLA. I asked him to share examples of questions by visitors to the MBNLA “Ask a Landscaper” booth. Here are four of the most frequently asked questions:
“What is the expected return on investment on my landscaping?”
“What features should I be installing to maximize resale?”
“What elements should I include within my design to ensure my space can grow with my family?”
“I have water standing against my foundation (or in a specific area of my yard). How do I go about eliminating this issue?”
In next month’s Winnipeg Gardener, a landscape professional will provide the answers to all the above questions. Plan to visit the MBNLA booth while you are at the Home and Renovation Show and share your questions here, too!
Garden council retirement
Michel Gauthier, long-time executive director of the Canadian Garden Council, has retired as of Nov. 30.
He leaves a legacy that includes Canada’s Garden Route and Garden Days as well as national marketing campaigns — “Live the Garden Life” and “Year of the Garden” — which shone the spotlight on the thriving gardening industry and extraordinarily beautiful gardens, both public and private, across Canada. Gauthier was also responsible for the Garden Tourism Conference and Awards.
Michel Gauthier retires. (Canadian Garden Council)
Many garden clubs, horticultural societies, and municipalities across Manitoba participated in Garden Days. Gauthier was always ready to answer questions and support local garden-related activities. Winnipeg Gardener extends its warmest wishes for a happy retirement.
Worldwide Ecotours
Join Winnipegger Linda Dietrick, a master gardener and retired professor of German Studies, as she hosts tours of some of the world’s great gardens. The tours are offered by Worldwide Ecotours, an Alberta-based travel company that has specialized in ecological travel experiences since 1997.
The High Line in New York, designed by Piet Oudolf. (Beyond My Ken_Wikimedia Commons)
Gardens of New York City, May 5-10: New York City is often seen as a concrete jungle, but on this tour we will explore pockets of greenery that provide an oasis to New York’s hectic life. These include the well-known Conservatory Garden of Central Park, The High Line, Brooklyn Bridge Park and the New York Botanical Garden, as well as gardens on Staten Island, a community garden, a rooftop farm and more.
Oregon Gardens: Portland, Salem and the Willamette Valley, Sept. 4-8: While remaining based at a comfortable hotel in Portland, we will explore diverse and beautiful gardens of Oregon, including a Japanese and a Chinese garden, the oldest rose garden in the United States, specialist gardens with dahlias and clematis, and the Victorian-era Deepwood Garden. Our itinerary includes a balance of gardens and other interesting sites such as the Willamette Heritage Center and the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.
For more information and to book either tour, please call or email Ruth MacRae at Worldwide Ecotours, 1-888-778-2378.
Mark your calendars
The Winnipeg Renovation Show will this Friday through Sunday at the RBC Convention Centre, 375 York Ave. For details and to purchase tickets online, visit winnipegrenovationshow.com.
Seedy Saturdays: The first event, hosted by EastMan Seed Savers, will be Jan. 20 at the Tyndall Village Community Centre, 69 Pierson Dr., Tyndall. Bring your seeds to trade at the seed trading tables!
Presentations include topics such as soil health, composting, and the differences between organic, heirloom, and heritage seed. This event will also feature demonstrations on seed saving and a garden Q&A. The event starts at 9 a.m. For more details, email treelady@mymts.net.
On March 9, Spence Neighbourhood Association and Millennium Library join forces to host Winnipeg Seedy Saturday at the Millennium Library, 251 Donald St., from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
“This year’s event should be better than ever,” says Laura Rawluk, one of the event organizers. “The Library is providing lots of space for seed swapping, gardening presentations, vendors, kids’ activities, and more.”
On Feb. 3, the Manitoba Master Gardener Association and Manitoba Horticultural Association co-present the 2nd screening of Planet Soil, an internationally acclaimed film documentary about soil, at Dave Barber Cinematheque, 100 Arthur St. Tickets are $10. Only 80 tickets are available! To purchase, click here.
FREE gardening classes: Thanks to generous sponsors, a series of gardening-related webinars offered by the University of Saskatchewan this winter are free! Classes start at 7 p.m. and are usually two hours long and are available through Zoom.
This Thursday, join Lyndon Penner, author and head gardener at Riding Mountain National Park, for his presentation, “Mysterious Mints: Ajuga and friends.” On Jan. 18, Kim Ross will present “Planning your vegetable garden for experienced gardeners”. On Jan. 25, the topic is “Houseplants 101.”
Check out the fascinating lineup of free presentations that run right through to April 25. Register here.
Gardening Saturday, co-hosted by the Grand Forks Horticultural Society and North Dakota State University Extension Grand Forks County, will take place on April 6, 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. at the Alerus Centre, 1200 42nd Street South, Grand Forks, N.D.
This popular annual event will feature keynote speaker Dr. John Ball, a renowned South Dakota State university professor and Extension Forestry Specialist. Workshop presentation will feature a wide range of gardening topics. Pre-registration is required. Registration is $50.
For online registration, detailed class descriptions, and additional information, visit www.gardeningsaturday.com.
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