DRILLS IN THE GARDEN
Susan Jensen, Jensen’s Nursery, recently told me that she once planted spring flowering bulbs on Dec. 1. That was all the reassurance I needed earlier this month to finally plant the bulbs I didn’t get around to planting before the snow fell.
Thanks to my trusty electric drill (OK, technically it belongs to my husband), I was able to remove the hard-packed potting mix and stubborn root balls from five tall containers I had not yet gotten around to emptying. The drill was also very useful in penetrating through a layer of snow and still-warm soil earlier this week so that bulbs could be planted at the very last minute.
But about that drill: I used a corded electric drill with a ½-inch (1.27 cm) shank and a 2-inch (5.08 cm) drill bit. To remove potted plant soil that has dried out in planters, drill a few holes in the centre of the soil in your planter. This helps to break up the soil and makes it easier to scoop out. Drilling a few holes in the centre of the soil in larger planters makes it nearly effortless to lift out stubborn, deeply rooted plants with large fibrous root systems such as annual grasses (Vertigo, Purple Fountain Grass, King Tut Papyrus, etc.) or woody-stemmed salvias.
Cut back the plants first so that you have a clear view of where you are drilling. Ensure that your planter is deep enough to accommodate the length of your drill bit. To avoid any damage to your planter, apply drill holes only to the soil in the centre of your planter, adjacent to the top of the root ball.
If you are planning to create a holiday container display in an outdoor planter still filled with potting soil that has now frozen, bring your container into the garage to allow the soil to thaw before you drill. Remember, safety first!
Electric drill with 2-inch auger bit (Colleen Zacharias)
CERAMIC POTS OUTDOORS
Large, thick-walled ceramic planters may be safely left outdoors for the winter, but take care to protect your investment.
Ensure that moisture is not allowed to accumulate in the bottom of your empty planter as wildly fluctuating freeze-thaw cycles can cause even thick-walled ceramic pots to crack during the winter. If you are unsure, use a dolly or hand-truck to transport large planters into your garage or shed.
It is not recommended to sit ceramic planters directly on cement during winter. Elevate your planter securely on top of bricks or put a piece of plywood beneath the base.
2024 PLANT CATEGORIES
Since 1980 the National Garden Bureau has announced a “Year of” plant program to inspire gardeners to learn about and grow new plants. This popular plant program is followed closely by garden retailers and consumers across North America. Today the plant categories list includes six crops/plant classes: one annual, one perennial, one bulb crop, one edible, one houseplant, and one flowering shrub.
The year 2024 is dedicated to Angelonia, Hosta, Lily, Squash, African Violet, and Buddleia. The categories are chosen because they are genetically diverse, versatile, popular, easy to grow, and widely adaptable.
But what about Buddleia, commonly known as the butterfly bush? Most varieties of Buddleia are listed as hardy to Zone 5, although hardiness may be somewhere between Zone 4 and Zone 5. Butterflies and hummingbirds love Buddleia’s honey-scented flower spikes and many Zone 3 gardeners would, too, if we could be confident this shrub would survive our cold winters.
NGB 2024 flowering shrub of the year, Buddleia butterfly bush (shown: Prince Charming) (Walters Gardens photo)
If you want to try growing Buddleia, choose a protected, full-sun location and plant it in moist, well-drained soil. In late fall, apply a generous amount of leaf mulch around the base of the plant to protect the roots.
Don’t be surprised if you discover in spring that Buddleia has completely died to the ground. Be very patient — so long as the roots survived, your well-protected plant should start sprouting fresh new growth by early to mid-June.
It’s fun to experiment and container gardens are always an option for tender plants.
VERTICAL VEGGIES
Ken Dunsmore and Cathy Shearer purchased a smaller home in south Winnipeg about four years ago. They have a very small backyard with just enough space for a courtyard and a small veggie patch. They grow all their vegetables in containers.
To maximize their small garden space, Dunsmore created a vertical garden for climbing vegetables. He purchased a square wooden planter and lockable wheels, which he added to the base of the planter. The wheels elevate the planter and make it easy to move it to the best location, and the locks ensure that the planter stays in place.
Dunsmore added a trellis for climbing vegetables.
DIY winter project for next year’s veggie garden: wooden planter with trellis, locking wheels (Ken Dunsmore)
NEW PEPPER
Prism Pepper from PanAmerican Seed produces multi-colour sweet peppers on one plant. The size of the fruit is between mini- and standard-sized bell peppers, which makes it perfect for stuffed peppers or to enjoy it fresh in salads and your favourite recipes.
Prism pepper matures from light green to orange, and then to red. It can be harvested at all stages of maturity. The multi-coloured mix will be attractive in patio containers.
Pepper Prism, new for 2024 from PanAmerican Seed Ball Horticultural photo
Prism Pepper grows to a height of 20-30 inches (51-76 cm). Days to maturity from transplant: 75-80. Staking will be needed for support. Look for potted Pepper Prism plants at garden centres next spring!
NEW BEGONIA
If you’ve seen one Dragon Wing begonia, you’ve seen them all, right? As it turns out, that is not the case.
Dragon Wing begonias have a well-earned reputation as the (albeit unglamorous) workhorses of the annual flower garden. Dragon Wing begonias are always useful fillers in containers and window boxes.
New for 2024, Dragon Wing Red Bronze Leaf Begonia kicks it up a notch and more. I trialed this new begonia in my garden this year and its performance all season long was stellar. It was planted in one of the very last containers I emptied out — not because I procrastinated, as I typically do, but because it continued to bloom and look lovely right into October.
Dragon Wing Red Bronze Leaf begonia, new for 2024 (Colleen Zacharias)
In early June, I planted three small plants in a 20-inch (50.8-cm) container. The plants grew rapidly and filled out the container. The scarlet flowers are abundant but the handsome, glossy foliage with rich shades of deep green, bronze, and hints of burgundy is a scene-stealer. They have surprisingly low water needs, too. I will be growing this one again.
GREEN TOMATOES
Darren Fife is a professional home economist and a teacher in Winnipeg. He is a tomato aficionado who grows between 16 and 20 tomato plants in his backyard each summer. “I had tons of tomatoes to process this fall,” said Fife. One of his favourite types to grow is the Roma tomato.
Many gardeners, including myself, picked green tomatoes this fall and brought them indoors to ripen on the windowsill. Fife has another way.
“I intentionally stress my tomato plants by the end of August,” he says. “I trim back a lot of the leaves and I stop watering them. This stimulates the plant to start wrapping things up.”
When tomato plants have a lot of leaves, that’s where the plant directs its energy rather than focusing on ripening its fruits, said Fife. “It’s not a great look when the leaves are trimmed back dramatically but the tomatoes ripen very quickly on the vine.”
Fife does a lot of canning, and rather than dealing with small batches of ripe fruit at a time he can do all his processing at once.
“There will still be some tomatoes that are green, but you can cut off the stems, wash them, and freeze the green tomatoes whole in a freezer bag,” said Fife. “There are lots of recipes you can make – fried green tomatoes or you can pickle them.”
You can also store green tomatoes in a dark, cool, dry area of your house, said Fife. A temperature of 10 C. is ideal.
“Wrap the tomatoes individually in newspaper and place them apart from one another,” said Fife. “They will store in this manner for several weeks. If you want to ripen them quickly, bring the tomatoes into a warm, bright room.”
The green colour of tomatoes is due to chlorophyll. As the tomatoes ripen, the levels of lycopene increase and the levels of chlorophyll fall.
Are green tomatoes less nutritious than tomatoes ripened on the vine? “Any difference from a vine-ripened tomato would be negligible,” said Fife. “They will be just as good for you as they are on the vine.”
A BRILLIANT HOUSEPLANT
Philodendrons belong to the Araceae family and are informally referred to as tropical aroids. Philodendrons are a popular choice because they are easy plants to grow indoors.
Winter’s low light levels and dry indoor environments of our heated homes at this time of year can make it challenging to provide the right combination of light, air, and moisture for even the most undemanding houseplants.
One of the main rules of thumb for growing any plant — indoors or outdoors — is to match its needs by choosing a location that resembles a plant’s natural habitat.
Planning to get away to Florida this winter? If so, you will see philodendrons thriving in landscapes or planted in outdoor containers.
Locations that provide bright, indirect, or filtered light along with high humidity are ideal for philodendrons.
David Bache is the sales director for Garden Industries in Florida. Who better to ask than someone who grows philodendrons in their natural habitat? Bache is wild about philodendrons and posts regularly about their attributes on his Instagram page: @mr_plant_man.
Moonlight philodendron is one of Bache’s top choices for a philodendron that can handle low light very well. But even better, Moonlight brings intense colour that will brighten up low light areas. Newly emerged leaves are a brilliant chartreuse colour that age to deep green.
David Bache describes the Moonlight philodendron on his Instagram account. (Instagram)
When I contacted Bache to inquire about Moonlight, he said a bright sunny window should also be fine for Moonlight but recommended placing it away from direct sunlight to prevent the leaves from scalding.
Too much light can result in leggy stems and older leaves turning yellow. Don’t expect to see a lot of growth on your philodendron during winter. In summer, you can move your philodendron outdoors into a shady location.
PAYING MORE FOR PROVEN WINNERS
Increases in plant prices this year did not go unnoticed by consumers. The reality is it costs more to produce plants – consumers are paying more and so is the garden retail industry. Soil and fertilizer costs more. There are increases in freight and labour costs, as well. Sustainable innovation costs more, too.
Consider Proven Winners’ Eco+ containers which are made of 100 per cent natural plant material instead of traditional petroleum-based plastic.
This innovative new product is made from natural sugars derived from corn kernels and is designed to be compostable. Proven Winners’ Eco+ containers have been named the Sustainability Product of the Year by Business Intelligence Group. At the outset, this new product will cost more for retailers and consumers. A sustainable direction is what many gardeners want, but how willing are we to pay for it?
In spring, consumers were vocal about the price increase for Proven Winners branded containers. Gardening columnists always receive plant questions but a frequent comment I heard this year from gardeners was in reference to the higher prices for plants in Proven Winners containers.
In June, I reached out to Proven Winners to ask about higher prices for Proven Winners annuals, some of which were retailing locally for as much as $6.25 or more.
Proven Winners Eco Container
Marshall Dirks, vice-president of marketing at Proven Winners, provided an in-depth response. “The Proven Winners container and tray adds about 40 cents Canadian to the overall cost per plant… Compared to eight to 15 cents for a generic container & tray for most smaller growers,” he said. “However, with that container they’re buying assurance for their customers — that the plant in that container is actually a Proven Winners plant. As our marketing efforts have shifted to more digital and content creators, people are looking for our plants in our branded white container.”
Naturally, brands want their products to be packaged consistently. “And we all know that branded packaging costs more than regular packaging,” wrote Dirks.
Proven Winners’ white plastic pots are instantly recognizable. Consumers associate the name Proven Winners with a premium product. Dirks said that white plastic is more expensive since it’s generally a virgin material. “However, we’re now producing pots that contain 70 per cent of recycled plastic, and we’re considering an option that’s made from 100 per cent recycled material.” Which brings us to Proven Winners new Eco+ containers.
Reducing our reliance on single-use plastic is going to cost more. “Eventually prices will come down as it becomes more mainstream,” said Dirks.
As a consumer, I view the cost of plants through the lens of a particular desire — I love plants and believe they are essential to my well-being and the environment. I’m not willing to stop buying or planting plants. I embrace the need for sustainable innovation as we all must, but I also want the best price.
Let us know where you stand on higher prices for branded containers and more eco-friendly containers! Reply to this email with your thoughts.
GARDEN OF THE YEAR AWARD
The Leaf at Assiniboine Park was recognized as Garden of the Year at the Canadian Garden Tourism Awards at the 2023 International Garden Tourism Conference (Nov. 1-4) in Victoria. The Leaf was also named one of “North America’s Top 10 Gardens Worth Traveling For.”
The conference featured speakers from garden attractions across Canada and around the world, including Gardens by the Bay (Singapore), Kew Gardens (United Kingdom), Parco Giardino Sigurtà (Italy), and Adelaide Botanic Garden (Australia).
Gerald Dieleman, senior director of horticulture at Assiniboine Park Conservancy, was at the conference to accept the award on behalf of APC. Dieleman and Angela Cassie, chief operating officer for Travel Manitoba, gave a presentation at the conference about The Leaf and the future of garden tourism in Manitoba.
The Leaf opened in Assiniboine Park last December. (Daniel Crump / Winnipeg Free Press files)
“As we approach the one-year anniversary of the opening of The Leaf on Dec. 3, this recognition is a wonderful and timely acknowledgement of all the people who helped bring The Leaf to life including staff from virtually every corner of the organization, volunteers, donors, and sponsors along with visitors and members who have embraced The Leaf in its first year of operation,” said Laura Cabak, director, communications and public relations for APC.
These exciting awards give a whole new meaning to the holiday display at The Leaf which opens Nov. 25. The display is called “Celebration”!
AMARYLLIS BULBS
One of the most popular flowers for the holiday season, Amaryllis is always in high demand. Case in point: each fall, the Manitoba Chapter of the Huntington Society of Canada participates in a campaign to sell Amaryllis kits. Proceeds from the annual sale help to support families impacted by Huntington disease. This year, the kits ($17 each) sold out in record time. “Sixty cases with 12 Amaryllis kits each sold out in 11 days,” said Vern Barrett, president, Manitoba Chapter.
Amaryllis kits typically include one bulb with a planting pot that has a drainage hole, a small bag of potting mix, and a saucer.
Flowering time is approximately seven weeks from the time of planting. If you purchased an Amaryllis kit this fall or are planning to, it is recommended to plant your bulb immediately.
If you cannot plant your amaryllis bulb right away, store it in a cool area.
Amaryllis Orange Sovereign
Place your bulb halfway into the planting pot included with your kit. Gently firm the potting soil around the neck of the bulb and water just enough to keep the soil moist.
Place your potted bulb in a warm, sunny room to stimulate growth. Gradually increase the amount of water once leaves start appearing but do not soak the soil. Once the stem appears, turn the pot every few days to prevent the stem from leaning in one direction.
When flower buds appear, feed your Amaryllis with a liquid fertilizer once a month. Once the flower buds open, move your plant away from direct sunlight.
Amaryllis blooms last longer when daytime temperatures are not too warm combined with cooler nighttime temperatures.
BUTTERFLY I.D.
In September on a visit to a garden in St. James, I took a photo of an unusual white butterfly that was soaking up the autumn sun on the inflorescence of a panicle hydrangea. I contacted Simone Hebert Allard, author of Manitoba Butterflies: A Field Guide (Turnstone Press, 2013) who identified the butterfly as a Western White.
The Western White butterfly belongs to the Pieridae family which is made up of Whites, Marbles, and Sulphurs. The Cabbage White is a relative (likely the black sheep of the family).
Western White butterflies overwinter as pupae. In her book, Allard says that adult Western White butterflies typically visit a variety of wildflowers, in particular composites such as aster but if these are in short supply, Western White butterflies source nectar from alfalfa fields.
Urban hydrangea gardens are not their usual haunts! While native plants are the preferred nectar plants of butterflies, the cone-shaped flowers of panicle hydrangeas do offer easy-to-access nectar in a pinch.
Western White butterfly (Colleen Zacharias)
FRANK SKINNER ARBORETUM
Frank Skinner’s legacy to Manitoba horticulture will never be forgotten. This famed plantsman who is recognized internationally introduced over 300 hardy varieties of flowers, shrubs, vines, and trees.
Many of the plants he introduced such as Dropmore Scarlet Honeysuckle, Donald Wyman Lilac, Blue Boy Clematis, Nepeta Dropmore Blue Catmint, and more, are sold in garden centres today and grown in gardens across Canada.
Dropmore Bue Catmint (Bernadette Vangool)
Skinner came to Canada from Scotland in 1895 when he was 13 years old. He lived with his family in Dropmore, a small community near Roblin. Today, visitors to the Frank Skinner Arboretum can explore the trails and garden to see firsthand the wealth of hardy plant material developed by Frank Skinner.
But now there is also the new Frank Skinner Arboretum YouTube channel. Hosted by Frank Skinner’s son, Hugh Skinner, author and horticulturist, there are 12 videos that you can view. “We have 25 more in production,” said Hugh.
Absorbing and educational, the videos are beautifully filmed onsite at Frank Skinner Arboretum and provide viewers with an in-depth understanding of Frank Skinner’s extraordinary efforts and contributions.
A MUST-SEE DOCUMENTARY
A powerful new documentary, Planet Soil, has enthralled international audiences at sold-out screenings since its release earlier this year. Since its debut, Planet Soil has been nominated or won awards at 20 festivals.
On Nov. 18, the Canadian film premiere of Planet Soil will be co-presented by the Manitoba Horticultural Association and the Manitoba Master Gardener Association at the Dave Barber Cinematheque, 100 Arthur St., starting at noon. Tickets are $10 and are selling quickly!
Planet Soil is a new film by Ignas van Schaick and Mark Verkerk. In August, I featured Planet Soil in my column.
When Sophia Munro, a member of the Charleswood Garden Club, read the story, she forwarded the article link to groups and organizations across Manitoba and championed the idea of a collaborative effort to bring the documentary here.
The Manitoba Master Gardener Association and Manitoba Horticultural Association were the first to answer the call. Together, Sandra Venton, chair of the MMGA and Linda Wall, president of the MHA, reached out to the film’s directors to see how they could access and screen this extraordinary film.
Recently, I contacted Ignas van Schaick recently to ask him about the film’s first screening in Canada:
“I am very happy our film will have its Canadian première at Cinematheque in Winnipeg on Nov. 18. Hopefully it will inspire the viewers as much as it did us in the making of the film.
“Planet Soil is a powerful call to recognize and appreciate the world beneath our feet. It emphasizes the incredible biodiversity and complex interactions of life on Earth. By showcasing the abundance of life in a teaspoon of soil and the immense potential of soil organisms, the film urges us to prioritize soil health and conservation. It offers hope and practical solutions, encouraging individuals and communities to adopt sustainable practices that nurture and restore our soils.
“The film delivers a clear message: by understanding, respecting, and working in harmony with nature and specifically the underground world, we can address pressing global challenges such as climate change, food security, our health, and biodiversity loss, ultimately creating a sustainable and thriving future for all.”
View the trailer for Planet Soil here.
COLD-HARDY PRAIRIE TREES
In the October issue of Winnipeg Gardener, we told you about a list of cold-hardy trees created by Rick Durand, well-known prairie tree breeder and researcher. Here is a PDF file of the full list of trees. More than 200 are listed, including dimensions, tree form, drought tolerance, fall colour, recommended planting location, as well as type of pollination (wind or insects).
The trees listed are currently grown by the major wholesale tree nurseries supplying trees to the prairie market. Thank you to Rick Durand for sharing this indispensable list with Winnipeg Gardener’s readers!
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
The 2024 edition of The Prairie Garden is now available. This respected publication has been an essential reference for gardeners across the Northern Plains since 1937 and is Western Canada’s only gardening annual. It is proudly published in Winnipeg by a volunteer committee.
The theme for the 2024 edition is Year-Round Gardening. Available at most garden centres and bookstores, the cost is $19.95. For more details and orders, visit theprairiegarden.ca.
Plan to attend the book launch at McNally Robinson on Sunday, Nov. 12, at 2 p.m.
The 2024 Edition of The Prairie Garden
YOUNG AGRARIANS
Calling new and young farmers, food growers, local food enthusiasts, and mixed-grass prairie advocates! The first-ever Young Agrarians Prairies Mixer will take place Dec. 2-3 at Beaver Creek Camp in Saskatoon. The theme, “Rooted: Grow Deep,” will highlight the importance of the world’s biggest terrestrial carbon sink: the prairie grasslands. Topics will include soil health, land stewardship, and much more.
Young Agrarians (established in 2012) is Canada’s largest educational farmer-to-farmer resource network focused on growing the next generation of regenerative farmers. Young Agrarians expanded into Manitoba and Saskatchewan in 2021. Lourdes Still, owner of Masagana Flower Farm & Studio, a small-scale flower farm and dye studio near La Broquerie, is the prairies network and communications coordinator for Young Agrarians.
Cost: Tickets are pay-what-you-can in the range of $50 to $250 and include accommodation, food, and education.
For more information and to register, please visit their website.
YOUR CHANCE TO SPEAK UP
Do you yearn for a curbside compost program? The City of Winnipeg is asking residents for input on garbage and recycling services to understand what is working well, and what requires improvement. Residents can provide their input until Nov. 30. Visit winnipeg.ca/wastestrategy.
Your questions, answered
Have a question for a gardening expert? Reply to this email with your question and we’ll seek answers from some of Manitoba’s most knowledgeable gardeners. If you’re asking about a problem with a plant or pest, please attach a photo to help our experts diagnose the issue.
Question: Why do some squash plants only have male flowers?
My squash this year are generally doing great (as raiders have shown by raiding several). However, I notice that two plants only seem to have male flowers that just look pretty but produce nothing. Any suggestions? – Valerie
Answer: It would help to know what variety of squash this gardener is growing. Depending on the variety, male and female flowers can develop at different times.
Male flowers are usually the first to develop, so perhaps the two plants with just male flowers are a later variety than the others, and the female flowers had simply not yet appeared.
Zucchini, a summer squash, is usually the first to flower, while winter squash like butternuts flower much later. If male and female flowers are out of sync, you can use a cotton swab or paintbrush to hand-pollinate female flowers from the male flowers on another plant, even if it’s a different squash variety.
For example, when one of our members found that her ‘Winter Blush’ squash had no male flowers, she pollinated it with a male flower from a zucchini plant.
In the case of winter squash, hand pollination is recommended for an earlier and more abundant crop. With zucchinis, on the other hand, abundance is usually not a problem, regardless of how they are pollinated!
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