Amelanchier alnifolia & cvs. Saskatoon is one of my favourite plants. I have fond childhood memories of berry-picking with my mom, in the northern BC woods. Besides bearing tasty fruit, saskatoon is a great ornamental plant, with beautiful white flowers in spring, and excellent fall colour. The many available cultivars allow you to choose the […]
Read MoreEleagnus angustifolia Russian olive is not a common shade tree in my area. It prefers poor soils and does well in waste places and less-than-ideal growing sites. It has nice silvery-gray-green foliage, which makes an interesting accent in a mixed ornamental planting, or as a specimen in areas where other things won’t grow. There is […]
Read MorePrunus tenella Russian almond is uncommon in the Prairie landscape and is often mistaken for double-flowering plum. Actually, it’s sometimes mis-labeled as a plum in the garden centres. So I’ve had an occasional argument with people who want me to look at their plum, and when I tell them its an almond, they so, no it’s […]
Read MoreRose – Rosa cvs. and hybrids Wild Rose – Rosa acicularis Rose cultivation and maintenance is branch of horticulture unto itself, and I do not claim to be a rose expert, especially of the plethora of cultivars that are grown on the Prairies. That said, basic rose maintenance is pretty straightforward. For those of you […]
Read MoreOystershell scale continues to devastate Calgary hedges, and we treated a record number of them in 2016. This trend is likely to continue. It is getting to the point that keeping a cotoneaster healthy in Calgary might not be worth the money or effort for many people. I’ve been telling my customers that I would […]
Read MoreEleagnus commutata Native to Alberta, wolf willow is a common site in natural areas such as streambanks, dry slopes, and open fields. It is aggressive and often invasive, and I would not recommend planting this shrub in an ornamental setting. It looks best in its native environment, on acreages, and in large, park-like settings. It […]
Read MoreSalix commutata ‘Powderface’ Powderface willow is an attractive shrub, native to Alberta. It features dense, upright stems with silvery-grey foliage. I was impressed with this plant becuase it thrived in the harshest, dustiest spot in my yard. My only complaint was that it lacks appeal in the fall, as they leaves just turn brown. Like other […]
Read MorePopulus x ‘Northwest’ Northwest Poplar Populus deltoides x Populus x petrowskyana Griffin Poplar Populus balsamifera ssp. balsamifera Balsam Poplar, Black Poplar, bam tree Populus balsamifera Paskapoo Paskapoo Poplar Poplar are very common species in Alberta, due to their high success rate and relatively quick growth. They make excellent shade trees in large yards, acreages, and parks, […]
Read MorePinus ponderosa This is one of my favourite pines. I was first introduced to this species when I used to walk in the hills on the west side of Okanagan lake between Vernon and Kelowna, BC. It is a supremely drought-tolerant tree, with the ability to thrive and grow to massive heights and diameter in […]
Read MorePrunus spp. We can grow several varieties of fruiting plums on the Prairies. That said, they aren’t commonly planted, and our pruning experience with these trees is wildly variable, from newly planted stock to overgrown and old neglected varieties. I haven’t pruned enough of any one variety in 14 years to make many generalizations for […]
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