GARDENING BOOKS

Today's northern gardener has a wealth of material to choose from thanks to individuals and universities. Gone are the days when all garden books were written for the mass market of the south or the U.S.A. I will list some of these excellent books, many of which are available in your local library.

PLANT MAGIC by Chriss D. Briggs This book covers the problems and solutions to gardening in Yellowknife, N.W.T. but is an excellent reference for all northern areas. It is published by Northern News Services Ltd. in Yellowknife.

CANADIAN GARDEN PERENNIALS by A. R. Buckley This book discusses all aspects of growing perennials. It has many excellent photos. This book was produced in association with the Research Branch, Agriculture Canada and was published by Hancock Publishers.

GARDENING ON THE PRAIRIES by Roger Vick This is an excellent guide to all aspects of gardening and landscaping. It is published by western Producer Prairie Books.

INSECT PESTS OF THE PRAIRIES BY Hugh Philip and Ernest Mengersen This book is a joint venture of the University of Alberta, Alberta Agriculture and Alberta Environmental Centre. It covers the pests, their host plants and their control with many excellent photos.

ROSE GARDENING ON THE PRAIRIES by George W. Shewchuk This book was originally put out by Mr. Shewchuk as a small soft cover book. It is now being published by the University of Alberta in a larger format with many excellent color photos. It contains charts showing the characteristics of a great many roses and covers all aspects of rose growing. Mr. Shewchuk has shown over the years that we can successfully grow those tender tea roses as well as those hardier roses such as Hansa.

WOODY ORNAMENTALS FOR THE PRAIRIES by High Knowles This is another of those excellent books put out by the University of Alberta. It is a 'must read'.

LOIS HOLE'S GARDENING GUIDES by Lois Hole This series of books cover individual topics (i.e. Tomatoes) and contain lots of photos.

DESIGNING ALBERTA GARDENS by Jan Mather

PRAIRIE GARDENER

CANADIAN GARDENING SERIES

NORTHERN GARDEN

There are many more books and magazines about Northern Gardening. Look for them at the library, most local bookstores and through many seed and nursery catalogues.

CHOOSING YOUR SITE

Many of the problems of gardening in the north can be overcome by the proper selection of the site for your home. Before you build, consider all the factors that might influence both the cost of heating and cooling your home as well as your enjoyment of the landscape, such as exposure to winds, relation of windows to sun, dangers of flooding.

When planning the site of the home, take advantage of existing trees to provide shelter from prevailing winds or plan for a windbreak. If possible, select the view that you would prefer to see from your deck or patio in summer and your living area in winter. Take into consideration drainage of rain and snow melt from the site. Never build in a basin where frost accumulates and runoff is poor. An upland ridge or plateau adjacent to a low area is preferable to a flat, low area or the top of a hill where there is no shelter from the winds. A little thought before you start can make the job of landscaping much easier.

Your garden should slope to the south or southwest, if possible, to take advantage of the sun. The slope will allow cold air to drain to the lowest point of the property reducing early frosts and allowing it to warm earlier in the spring. Do not place your garden at the lowest point in the property. Windbreaks should be provided for the garden to protect it from the winds, and to increase soil and air temperatures by trapping the heat of the sun. These should be situated at least 20 feet (6 metres) from the garden for maximum efficiency and to ensure the roots do not compete excessively with the garden for nutrients and water. Where space is insufficient for trees, such as in the urban landscape, fences will provide a windbreak. The fence should not be of the solid type. The idea is to slow down and reduce the impact of the wind. A solid fence only forces the wind up and over the fence. The site should be open to the south and at the lowest area to allow the cold air free passage out of the garden area.

The site for the home orchard, on the other hand, should be on a north or east facing slope. This reduces the danger of rapid fluctuations in temperature which damages the trees and reduces sunscald from the low winter sun. It delays the opening of the blossoms, reducing the risk of damage from late spring frost and subsequent loss of fruit. Once again, a windbreak is necessary and will improve pollination and build up heat that aids in the maturation of the fruit in the fall.

PLANNING YOUR LANDSCAPE

Once you have done this, you can start to design the finished landscape. Do not rush into the project. Take the time to research the products available such as retaining wall blocks that interlock, patio bricks etc. Read as much as you can and do not be afraid to drive around and look at what others have done. When you see something you might like, do not hesitate to ask the homeowner about who he had do the work, or where he bought the material. Most people will be more than willing to assist you in this matter. The best advertising for a firm or product is a satisfied customer.

I cannot emphasize enough the need to research your ideas. Remember that lovely looking landscape in the picture in that magazine may have been created by and maintained by professionals. Do you have the time, finances, and skills to achieve that look? Was it designed for a warmer climate? Are you planning your landscape for your use or just for show? Nothing looks worse than a yard overgrown with weeds because the owner did not take into consideration the time available to maintain it. A lovely landscape can consist of nothing more than a neatly mowed lawn.

Before you do anything sit down and draw up a list of all the things that are going to be done, such as building fences, planting trees, etc. Think through each item. It is no use wasting a lot of time preparing your lawn and then have heavy equipment drive all over it to lay concrete or plant trees. Arrange the items to minimize this type of problem. Do not try to accomplish everything at the same time. A little time spent thinking through things now will save a lot of time later. You will be able to enjoy your landscape instead of correcting mistakes and redoing work.

CHOOSING THE PLANT MATERIAL

Some factors that influence the growth of plant material can affect the hardiness of the material rated for you zone. For example, if your property is flat and treeless, it is harder for material to get established. Living in the town or city can create a micro-climate that is more favourable than in the rural areas. Shelter provided by fences, neighbouring trees and houses will allow you to grow plants from a more favourable zone.

Sit down with those gardening books and nursery catalogues and make note of the trees and shrubs that will grow in you area. Then take into consideration the other aspects of the landscape. For instance, you would not want trees that drop fruit or a lot of seeds planted near your patio. Plan for differing seasons. Some trees leaf out very early while others are slower. Some flower earlier. Try to include a variety of plant material so that there will be a changing scene as the seasons change.

First plan for the trees as the placement of these will affect everything else as they will cast a lot of shade. Most important of all, plant material that is in scale with your home. Most homes nowadays are one story bungalows. There is no need to plant tall trees. There are many smaller trees that will provide shade, color etc. Those big trees will eventually cause major problems such as limbs falling on you roof. Use big trees in the rural landscape away from the residence. Never plant trees such as willow and poplar in the urban setting. These trees are greedy for water and put their roots into the sewers and your basement causing major repairs. Plant the slower growing trees such as Green Ash for the future and include some faster growing trees such as MayDay for quicker results. Remember, fast growing trees usually have a short life span and will need replacing in the future.

Some excellent trees are underused in the north. For example, Little-Leaf Linden, Ohio Buckeye, and the Bur Oak. Little-Leaf Linden (Tilia cordata) has a pyramidal shape, excellent fall color, lovely spring flowers, and grows to a height of about 30-40 feet. The Ohio Buckeye (Aesculus glabra) is a low headed tree growing to a height of only 20-25 feet. In spring it is covered with upright panicles of white or pale yellow flowers. It's fruit may be considered to be a nuisance. It is quite tolerant of the conditions usually present in urban areas. The Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa) has a rounded shape. The foliage is typical oak and has good fall color. It grows to a height of about 35-45 feet.

Schubert Chokecherry is another excellent tree with its red foliage and berries that attract the birds and it goes well with brick. The Mayday tree gives an excellent show of blossoms for May and is small enough for every landscape. Flowering crabs are also excellent urban trees and come in a wide variety of colors both foliage and flowers. Myself, I enjoy the view of my neighbours flowering crab contrasted with my Brandon Pyramidal Cedar hedge. It is a view I look forward to every spring.

SELECTING THE SHRUBS

When selecting shrubs for your yard, take into consideration when they flower, whether their fruit is attractive both to your eye and to the birds, color of blooms, fall color, height in relation to the other plants and even aroma. Nothing is more relaxing than the pleasant aroma of flowers. Some shrubs require very little in the way of maintenance while those such as roses will keep you busy spraying and pruning. Avoid plants subject to attack from insects or you will spend your summer spraying for them. Remember you want to enjoy your yard not be a slave to it.

Many fruits are attractive enough to use in the landscape. They will provide you with a crop at the same time as beauty. Highbush Cranberry and Saskatoons are two examples. Do not be afraid to use Strawberries as a ground cover or in hanging baskets. Your landscape should reflect your tastes not that of the author of gardening books. You are the one who will live with it every day.

There is one point I should make. DO NOT plant shrubs (or trees) too close to buildings. They need room to grown. Shrubs planted too near buildings are subject to damage from snow and ice coming off the roof. They do not get adequate water and must be irrigated. They will outgrow the space available in a very short time. They will interfere with future maintenance on the building. Plant them where you can enjoy them from your home and outdoor areas. The idea of foundation plantings was to cover up that ugly base of the home. Nowadays most homes have more attractive lower levels many with large windows to improve the livability of this area. Another reason you should not plant heavily immediately around your home is security. It gives prowlers an excellent source of cover while they break into your home.

Some trouble-free shrubs include Cinquefoil (Potentilla), lilac, Ninebark, Saskatoons, Spirea, Viburnum (Highbush Cranberry), Amur Maple, and the many excellent cultivars of Dogwood. Some widely planted shrubs have fallen victim to insects. Cotoneaster which makes excellent hedges is now being attacked by pear slugs. The honeysuckles have fallen victim to aphids. Out of a whole hedge of mixed honeysuckle, I have two remaining that do not seem to attract aphids. I removed the rest of the hedge as it was adjacent to my garden and I did not want to spray. Unless you want to spend your summer spraying, it is best to avoid planting these shrubs.

planning.html
This page by Pat
updated August 18, 2000

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