Hank's Gardening Pics 'n Tips

A special rose

2011-08-11T10:09:00.000-07:00

If a poll were taken to determine the gardener’s favourite rose, the red-leaf rose would likely not come up as #1.

But Rosa glauca (also Rosa rubrifolia) is a definite favourite in the northern garden.

For one thing, it’s extremely hardy. It can handle Yukon winters where temperatures can plummet to –45 C.

One of the first roses to bloom in the spring, it continues to bloom during the whole summer. And the single blooms provide a beautiful contrast to the unique blue/green leaves.

The colour of the leaves gives this rose its name. Although it is commonly referred to as a ‘red-leaf’ rose (rubrifolia), the leaves are more accurately a bluish colour (glauca), hence the dual taxonomy.

The rose is native to the mountain regions of southern Europe, and shares the appearance of a wild rose. Although wild roses tend to get out of control by root migration, this rose seems to behave well. A 1923 hybrid of Rosa glauca X Rosa rugosa has produced the Rosa glauca ‘Carmenetta’ which displays a slightly more pinkish single blossom, and the leaves seem to take on a more rugosa-like characteristic.

We’re delighted to have the red-leaf rose in our garden.

Floral Hightlights - 2011

2011-08-06T21:18:00.001-07:00

This year’s garden hasn’t been as showy as some other years because we really haven’t had a lot of ‘summer’. Nevertheles, a few flowers have been worth ‘writing home about’. Here are some pics:

Ode to Mud – the first day of Spring

2010-03-21T16:42:00.001-07:00

I’ve been away from the blog for a time with a variety of distractions. But, I couldn’t let the first day of Spring go by without sharing with you a wonderful poem by my friend Bev Brazier.

Bev was part of a writing group whose assignment on one occasion was to write in the style of William Shakespeare, so she created this poem. Move over, Bill. Here comes Bev …

ODE TO MUD

And oh, what glorious substance this

That, overnight, it seems, hath come to be

Why, yesterday the world was cold and white

I now behold its changing wordlessly

To darker hues, yet fair to gaze upon, this transformation bold.

And I perceive within my breast

Wherein the heart of me doth beat with unrestrain-ed joy

At such a sight

What ancient, animal and primitive elements do compose me!

Aye, my body formed of good terrestrial stuff as such befits my very presence here

That I should sing

From soul to sun send forth a song which is returned to my delirious throat,

In warmth that gathers ever more each dawn

And clings, with grasping fingers of the light grown longer, daily longer, e’re their flight and slip behind the trees, ‘til darkness blankets all.

I do digress

But still, ‘tis truth I speak

For tho my ken be insignificant

(and ‘twould be fuller had I but attention paid in class

when unto high school did I wend my slow unwilling way)

Yet this I certain know:

Our rounded home upon its axis many times hath spun, and orbiting,

Hath come to such a place in its ellipse

That sister sun

That yellow star

That swirling, boiling, plenteous ball of radiant gas - this very sun is in distance closer now

Than ever it will be.

Such consequence!

When, from my dust stained windows I behold

My outer world, most fair and fresh

The driveway, yard, and very streets around do teem with damp and sticky pools

Of soil, drenched recently by rivulets

From out beneath the mounded snow,

Enlaced with gravel warmed and melting thus by strengthening of sun

It sodden lies

Brown witness to approaching burst of life

Sprung forth in bud and bird.

Yet this do I prefer, its herald.

The slime that clings to even careful feet

Befouling boots, encrusting cars and bellies of white cats

Of floors, a sandy wasteland constant makes

And rending all that walks a soiled and splotched display of nature’s mischievous renewal.

Oh joy!

Oh childlike fierce desire

To jump, and splash, and spatter my most genteel Sunday dress

With slippery, sensuous filth!

And you, my friend,

My muddy true companion on the Way

Awash in newly moistened life

Which from your soul-fed eyes my heart receives

A gift most rare and glorious as soaking spring

Think not that earthy laughter, rooted thus and so in blackened loam

Rends unworthy thy dear name

Nor mars thy countenance from blessing or from blessed.

Indeed, while walking, we, from dust and clay again to dust and clay

The soil is She who feeds us and the more;

Fills up with richness. And to moistureless, antiseptic minds and hands cries Foul!

What honourable estate to reek and drip with evidence of growing things.

Anon. The mud awaits.

Canada’s Garden Making Magazine

2010-03-10T06:37:00.001-08:00

I’m impressed!

Yesterday the premier issue of GARDEN MAKING magazine arrived in the mail.

It’s always a leap of faith when we sign up for a new magazine subscription. What can we really expect from another gardening magazine?

Well, I like everything about this premier issue. It’s got a fresh look with awesome photographs, not overloaded with advertising, and a great lineup of contributing writers who have produced some very practical down to earth (pun intended) articles in this issue.

The writing style of editor Beckie Fox draws you in right away. She says,

One of my goals for the magazine is to have each issue seem like a visit from a gardening friend who shares your passion for plants, is still mesmerized by a newly sprouted seed, wonders why spring is so brief and is giddily optimistic that this will be the best gardening season ever.

Hey, she’s one of us!

Back to the practical articles, there’s a Spring Pruning Calendar with very helpful tips about trimming up various shrubs. And the one that resonated with me was how to overwinter hybrid tea roses in pots. A ‘gardening seminar’ is included with great information about starting seeds indoors and outdoors. Another article by Stephen Westcott-Gratton, editor-at-large of Canadian Gardening magazine, is entitled, “Six Steps to a Beautiful New Border”.

Garden Making magazine promises at least 70 pages of articles and photos in each issue.

And most of the information is also displayed in an easy to navigate format on their website.

Pay them a visit. I think you’ll be impressed, too.

Red Amaryllis

2010-02-27T10:02:00.001-08:00

The amaryllis just has to be among the most awesome flower blossoms!

The form, the sweeping lines, not to mention the size of the blooms, are all quite spectacular. What I like about this one, that just bloomed within the past few days, is the color. The deep red is amazing. And when the sun shone through the back of it this morning … well, it was a serious photo op.

I published a post a while ago about photographing red flowers, and the difficulty the sensors in digital cameras have with rendering the color red so that it is what we see. Sometimes it’s necessary to adjust the color in photoshop or some other photo editing software. However, in this photo it wasn’t necessary. This is straight off the camera, and only resized for web display.

Signs of Spring

2010-02-14T15:52:00.001-08:00

OK, the snow hasn’t exactly started to melt. But the days are getting longer and the sun is shining more brightly.

And the redpolls arrived in the garden today!

“Hey, this feeder looks familiar.”

“Well, look at that! Filled with my favorite – nyger seed.”

“Just like the gardeners, we have to ‘weed out’ the seeds we don’t want – like this canary seed, or whatever it is. Yuck!”

Macro Flower Photography

2010-02-05T07:23:00.001-08:00

We’ve all admired those awesome closeup shots of flower blossoms. In fact, I spend a good deal of time in the garden crouched over the camera on a tripod trying to get that perfect image of a blossom with fresh raindrops. Or, taking a macrophoto of a bloom that presents it in a different perspective, such as this one of a cosmos:

But , I would like to introduce you to a photographer who has taken macrophotography to a whole new level.

Brian Valentine, of Worthing W. Sussex, UK, uses a technique called ‘stacked focusing’ to achieve incredible detail of a flower blossom perfectly refracted in a dew drop. Here’s an example of his work:

Photo by Brian Valentine

Thanks to digital photography, getting a shot like this is now possible with the help of stacked focusing software. Here’s how it works, according to Brian’s tutorial on Flickr: The camera takes a series of shots with precise focusing through the depth of the object being photographed – the dewdrop, in this case. The resulting images are then fed into the computer software program where they are ‘stacked’, and a single image is produced with the entire dewdrop in perfect focus. And so is the image of the blossom within the dewdrop. In the photo above you can see the out-of-focus bloom that is being refracted in the dewdrop.

For some more eye-popping images like this, visit Brian’s web site. It’s incredible!

Dreaming of Summer – Part II

2010-02-01T21:39:00.001-08:00

It snowed today. At least another month to go before signs of spring will replace this Yukon winter weather.

We just got the weather statistics in for the month of January. The mean temperature was about 4 degrees Celcius milder than the average for January. The lowest temperature during the month was –22 degrees C., but most days have seen temps between -5 and -15 C. And this has been the case for the winter months so far. If this continues for February (fingers are crossed), it will have been a very good winter indeed. Our shrubs and perennial will think they’re in zone 4. That should give us a great overwintering survival rate.

Now, that’s something to look forward to!

Dreaming of Summer

2010-01-30T07:22:00.000-08:00

On a dark and chilly Yukon morning, I'm inspired by thoughts of summer blooms.

Click on the image to see this lovely nasturtium in full detail. This bloom is a bit different from the traditional yellow, orange and red variety. It is from the whirlybird series that do not have the usual spur. They come in delicious colours ranging from creamy buttermilk to peach in semi-double flowers. Whirlybird blossoms hold themselves high above thick green foilage. An added bonus is that the young leaves and blossom petals provide a delightful summer salad garnish, offering a very peppery taste.

Here are a couple of sources for the seeds:

Westcoast Seeds

Stokes Seeds

You might also check out Vesey's for a really interesting color combination called Strawberry Cream.

Enjoy!

Mother Nature’s Garden

2010-01-27T07:02:00.000-08:00

This garden needs no human hands.

My contribution to ‘Wordless Wednesday’.

Photographing Red Flowers

2010-01-25T13:07:00.000-08:00

I was reading some posts in the Blotanical Forum on photographing flowers where SueInMilan was expressing frustration with trying to capture the color red with her digital camera. Despite all her efforts she was unable to produce an image that properly rendered the true color.

As Izyjo explained in a response to Sue’s post, it’s one of the problems with digital photography. The camera sensor doesn’t seem to capture reds particularly well, especially on the automatic setting.

Of course, a proper exposure (the perfect combination of shutter speed and lens opening for the ISO speed being used) is helpful. Also, photos of flowers (of any color – but especially red) should never be taken in direct sunlight. If you want to photograph the flowers in your garden wait for an overcast day. If you’re in another location and want to take the photo when the sun is shining on it, try to shade the flower with your body, or have someone hold something above it for shade.

Even then, the results aren’t always satisfactory, as you can see in the photo below. The color isn’t too bad, but if you click on the image to enlarge it, you’ll see some of the annoying magenta colors that creep into where shades of red should be.

I adjusted the colors and the tonal range of the photo on my computer using Picasa, a free photo management program. In the editing mode, using Basic Fixes, you can click on “I’m Feeling Lucky” – a quick fix for lighting and color. If you don’t like the results, you can ‘undo’ the adjustment and click on the ‘Tuning’ tab. There you can adjust the amount of ‘shadow’ to help darken the reds. Then in the ‘Effects’ tab, you can sharpen the image a bit, and get the following result.

Some may argue that the adjusted image is a bit too saturated with the red, but I think it is an improvement.

What’s in a name ?

2010-01-23T09:26:00.001-08:00

I was reading up on botanical taxonomy (an academic, if not snobby, way of saying the naming of plants) and, of course, spent a bit of time researching the life of Carolus Linnaeus, the 18th century Swedish botanist who was responsible for developing the system for naming plants.

Here’s a picture of Linnaeus, copied from the Wikipedia writeup:

OK, so apart from the obvious question of whether he actually went to bed with hair curlers to get this look when he posed for his portrait the next morning, how come the signature in the top right of the painting is Linne, instead of Linnaeus?

Well, it’s a bit of irony, I think, that for someone who became such a fusspot about the accurate naming of plants, he had trouble deciding what his own name should be.

From what I can gather, he was born Carl Linnaeus. His father had been the first in the family to adopt the surname ‘Linnaeus’, because of his fondness for the Linden tree (one I share with him, by the way). Prior to that the Swedes had been using the ‘patronymic’ system of surnames.

When Linnaeus attended the University of Lund he was enrolled as Carolus Linnaeus, presumably because of the preoccupation with giving everything and everyone a latinized name – something Linnaeus himself practiced diligently with his system of plant taxonomy.

For much of his published work, he used the name Carolus Linnaeus, or the genitive version Caroli Linnaei. In 1757 the Swedish king granted Linnaeus nobility, as a reward for his remarkable work. After this, Linnaeus adopted the surname ‘von Linne’ – frequently using a shortened version when signing his works, ‘Carl Linne’. I’m guessing he got tired of all the latin – an experience I can relate to when I took latin in high school.

So, despite the apparent dithering on his own identity, Linnaeus went down in history as a genius (which we know he was) for creating a system of naming all plants with scientific precision.

Capturing Birds in Flight

2010-01-21T07:35:00.000-08:00

Our gardens would not be complete without visits from our ‘feathered friends’. The sounds of birds singing and twittering is the music of the garden. Many of us look forward to the seasonal visits of certain bird species – among them, the arrivals of the redpolls in February, and the pine siskins in August.
Both the redpolls and the pine siskins are small birds that are really fast in their flights between trees and bird feeder. So, it’s tricky to photograph them in flight. Always up for a challenge, however, I’ve been known to spend a few hours getting the shots I want. Here’s what I find works:

I use a Canon 40D single lens reflex digital camera. One of its features is that it can shoot an amazing 6.5 images per second – just the thing you need to capture these fast birds in flight.
Fitting the camera up with a telephoto zoom lens helps to isolate the birds and bring them in closer, but it makes it even more difficult to follow them in the view finder. The key is to find a mid-range in the zoom so you can follow the flight as you hold the shutter down and let the camera do its thing. You can always crop the photo later to frame them a bit better.
The shutter speed, of course, needs to be fast enough to ‘freeze’ the action – over 1/500th of a second.
Focusing is the next challenge. Fortunately the 40D has a nine point focusing feature which pretty much means that if the bird is anywhere in the view finder, it’s going to be in focus. That usually works unless there are tree branches or other things that get in the way.
Just the same, with patience and perseverance, you can get some good shots. Here are a few examples:

“Flaps Down”

”The battle over the feeder”

“Coming in for a landing”

So get the camera out and give it a try. It’s great fun!

Roses in the Yukon

2010-01-18T14:56:00.000-08:00

In the late 1970’s when we were living in Winnipeg, Manitoba (zone 3), one of our neighbours expressed no end of frustration with his efforts to grow roses. Every year the severe winters would kill off the rose bushes, despite heavy layers of mulch. My impression was (and his, as well) that it was hopeless to grow roses in a climate where winter temperatures can dip down to –40 degrees (where Fahrenheit and Celsius meet).

What I’ve realized since is that our neighbour was trying to grow hybrid tea roses, such as Chicago Peace, Mr. Lincoln, and Chrysler Imperial – ones that he had grown up with in southern Ontario. Pity he hadn’t discovered the vast array of hardy Canadian roses that can handle the harshest of northern winters with little more than snow cover for protection.

We have the Canadian government to thank for two varieties of hardy roses – the Explorer and Parkland series. Between 1939 and 1945 Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada (AAFC), at its Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa, Ontario, was hybridizing roses under the leadership of Isabella Preston. Some 21 varieties were developed during this time. Beginning in 1968, Dr. Felicitas Svejda began work on hybridizing roses that would withstand –30 C. winters. She named the first 13 cultivars after Canadian Explorers, presumably because they reflected the hardiness of people like John Franklin, Henry Baffin, and Martin Frobisher whose travels were in Canada’s harshest regions. The Explorer series of roses now includes some 25 hybrids in a variety of colours and sizes.

The AAFC had also been operating, since 1915, an agricultural research station at Morden, Manitoba in the Canadian prairies. Although the Morden Research Station was primarily involved in food crop research and development, it also began a program of hybridizing roses. They were considered hardier than the Explorer series developed in Ottawa – many were hardy to zone 2 – and were the beginnings of the Parkland series of roses. Over time Morden also continued the work of the Ottawa farm hybridizing the Explorer roses, which explains why some of the Explorer roses are said to originate at the Morden Research Station rather than the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa.

OK, enough with the background and history of these roses. If you’re interested in reading more about them, here are some helpful web sites:

Hortico's Hardy Canadian Explorer Roses – Hortico is a major retail distributor of roses, especially the hardy Canadian roses.

Canadian Hybrid Roses – This ‘Help Me Find’ link provides a comprehensive history of the Canadian roses.

Explorer Rose Garden – This is a wonderful web site created by the ‘Friends of the Central Experimental Farm’ in Ottawa and features the garden specifically dedicated to the Explorer series of roses.

Canadian Hardy Roses – The Canadian Rose Society provides a great inventory and description of hardy Canadian roses.

Here are a few photos of these roses from our garden:

Morden Sunrise

Champlain

Prairie Joy

J.P. Connell

Despite the growing zone rating of these roses, there is still a trick to overwintering them in Yukon gardens. Here’s what we do:

Put them in raised beds – an absolute must – to raise ambient soil temperatures during the growing season; and where you can control the drainage and soil composition. And don’t plant them too close to the edges where severe frost can come in from the sides.
Feed them well in the spring and early summer, but stop feeding in mid-summer or after their bloom to allow them to go dormant when cold temperatures arrive.
Prune them back to 12” to 14” before covering them for the winter.
Cover them with a generous mound of light potting soil. This year we used a mixture of potting soil, peat moss, and coco peat.
Don’t remove the covering in the spring until the native trees leaf out. This is to prevent the roses being affected by the freeze-thaw cycles after the snow cover melts.

Remember, hardy Canadian roses are not just for severe northern climates. They are a wonderful addition to any garden in zones 3 to 9. Go ahead, plant some and enjoy them.

Addendum - Jan 19: I appreciate all the comments on this post. And it seems the J.P. Connell rose comes up as the most popular. Here's another photo of it:

Winter visitor

2010-01-09T16:38:00.001-08:00

I was admiring the photos posted on Carol’s blog (flowerhill farm), one of which included a pine grosbeak. It reminded me to post a photo or two of the pine grosbeaks that visit our garden in the winter – a very welcome call, adding color and life to the backyard landscape during these dreary winter days.

Here’s a photo of the male. He’s nipping away at the spruce buds.

And here’s the female. Unusual, that she isn’t just a paler version of the male – as we frequently see with birds. She’s adorned with this beautiful gold head. Too bad I didn’t get a shot of them side by side so we could see the red and gold together.

Ordering Seeds – Making Good Choices

2010-01-08T06:35:00.001-08:00

It’s usually in mid-January that we pour through the catalogues and pick the seeds we want to start this year.

Having such a variety to choose from is both a blessing and a curse. Well, maybe that’s a little strong – perhaps a ‘blight’, to use a gardening term. But, invariably, we order way more than we need. Not just because we have a limited capacity for starting seeds, but also because we simply don’t have enough room in our garden.

Of course, we rationalize ordering more seeds by reminding ourselves of the trays of plants we share with family members, friends, the church flower beds, and so on. A few years back, Susan told our nephew in British Columbia that she had transplanted 2,700 seedlings. He was curious about why so many. “Well,” she said, “they’re for our garden, and for our daughter’s garden, and her friend’s garden, and we have a few friends we share with, and then there’s the church grounds …” And his response was, “So, what will you do with the other 2,000 plants?”

It’s hard to limit our choices. We’re seduced by the beautiful colored photos in the seed catalogues, and the appeal of the new introductions. And, of course, it’s always fun to experiment with something we haven’t tried before.

The other factor is that we can’t always predict what the germination rate will be. Should we order an extra packet of the red petunias, just in case?

One year we had asters and gypsophila coming out of our ears. And the digitalis came up like the hair on a dog’s back. Unbelievable! That’s when we learned it makes no sense to transplant ALL the seedlings that emerged from the seeds. It does require some planning and making informed choices. As painful as it is, sometimes it’s necessary to throw out perfectly healthy and vigorous seedlings.

So this year, we’ll be guided by our resolve to order only what we absolutely need; limiting the variety of annuals to those we know will work well for us; and resisting the temptation to experiment with all those interesting new varieties.

AS IF!! Guaranteed that when the seed order goes in we’ll realize that most of the resolve will have melted away. Oh well, it’s all part of the fun.

Oh, and by the way. Going through the online seed sources, I came across a page on the McKenzie Seed web site with a wonderful list of gardening tips – some are quite ingenious. Here’s the link:

McKenzie Seeds - Fun and Rewarding Tips

Pansies - the perfect New Year, New Decade plant

2010-01-03T21:35:00.000-08:00

We've turned a corner, I think, with this year 2010. A new decade seems to bring some kind of renewed energy or even a fresh perspective.

Which is what makes me turn my mind to how the garden should develop over the next ten years. Sure, we'll continue our experiments with perennials - pushing the envelope for hardiness to see if we can overwinter such zone 4 plants as astilbe, iris, phlox, and hydrangea.

But the really exciting challenge is how we can 'paint' the beds with drifts of color combinations that are going provide the real 'wow' factor. The natural choice, it seems to me, is to do it with pansies.

In 2007, Susan and I visited the Keukenhof gardens near Amsterdam, Holland. Of course, I have a bias since I was born in Holland, but the Dutch know a thing or two about flower gardens and arranging color combinations. Case in point:

We were impressed! The summer before last we planted pansies in alternating blue and yellow ribbons. And it would have worked had it not been for a really wet and dreary summer. So last year we planted the bed full of disco series marigolds instead.

But with this new year, and new decade, it's time to give it another go.

And here's another thing - did you know that colors can be tied to the notes on the musical scale? I'm reading a book by Jeff and Marilyn Cox entitled 'The Perennial Garden - Color harmonies through the seasons'. In it they devote a chapter to the meaning of color. They introduce Klein's Color-Music Scale which is quite fascinating for those of us who have an involvement with music.

In the 1930's A.B. Klein assigned the following colors to the notes on the musical scale:

C - Dark Red, C# - Red, D - Red-Orange, D# - Orange, E - Yellow, F - Yellow-Green, F# - Green, G - Blue-Green, G# - Blue, A - Blue-Violet, A# - Violet, B - Dark Violet.

So, as a for instance described in the book, the first four notes of Beethoven's Fifth (da-da-da-DUM) rendered as E-E-E-C, would be Yellow-Yellow-Yellow-Dark Red; the dark red being the perfect color to punctuate the yellow.

I'm thinking a C major chord, done in pansies, might also work: C (Dark Red), E (Yellow), G (Blue).

Mr. Klein isn't the only one to develop such a system of color and music. The book also includes similar systems by Isaac Newton, A. Wallace Remington, Taylor and Scriabin.

Pansies are really versatile. You can use them as feature plants, like the ones at Keukenhof. Or as edging for a garden bed, or in a planter. Our favorite pansy variety for pots and planters is the 'Chalon' pansy. We were introduced to this variety by my sister who discovered it when she was gardening for the town of Faro in the central Yukon.

In a word, it's awesome! The first thing you notice is the unique frilled edges to the petals. Then, it's the striking color and size of the blossoms. And an added bonus is that it's highly fragrant.

This pot of chalon pansies was grown the summer before last. Unfortunately, we ordered the seeds from a different source last year and they were less than satisfactory - less frill, and we suspect some of the seeds were Swiss Giant mix. We'll try again with the original source.

But, pansies it is! Definitely the feature flower of 2010 for our garden. What will yours be?

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-23T13:17:00.001-08:00

‘Miss Garden Froggy’ joins us in wishing everyone a very

Merry Christmas !
..

Winter Solstice

2009-12-21T07:21:00.001-08:00

Gardeners, probably more than most folks, are concerned about the weather. And, because of the particular weather challenges, Yukon gardeners pay a lot of attention to forecasts, frost warnings, and hours of daylight. Speaking of the latter, today we celebrate the Winter Solstice!

This is our shortest day of the year. In Whitehorse today the sun will rise at 10:09 am and will set at 3:47 pm. That’s a pretty short day.

Which might make you wonder why it’s a reason to celebrate, when it will be dark from about 4:30 pm to 9:00 tomorrow morning. For those of us whose glass is always half full, it means we are now on the downhill slide. Starting tomorrow we start gaining more and more hours of daylight, at a rate of about 5 minutes per day. This might not seem like a lot, but it’s more than an hour increase every two weeks. Which means by the time February rolls around, the sun has a say in the matter. And by the time we get to June, you’ll be able to read a newspaper outside at midnight. Okay, not in actual sunlight, but it will still be light enough to do that.

In the meantime, we enjoy our winter weather. And here’s a unique bonus that Northerners can enjoy – the parhelion effect when the sun is low and ice crystals in the air produce what we call ‘sun dogs’. (See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_dog for more information on sun dogs)

This photo was taken on a wooded trail just behind our neighbourhood.

Happy Winter Solstice!!

What I like about 'Blotanical'

2009-12-19T07:02:00.000-08:00

It's been just over 3 weeks since I discovered Blotanical - an online blogging community for those with a common interest in all things botanical. I'm really grateful to the many people who welcomed me into this great community of gardeners.

According to the Blotanical directory map, I'm the lone representative of Canada's Yukon Territory. A dubious distinction, perhaps, but a wonderful opportunity to dispel some myths about this corner of our country. It actually isn't the frozen wasteland many believe it to be.

With Blotanical, I've found myself getting caught up in the excitement of not only sharing my gardening pics and experiences, but also the challenge of accumulating points and levels of recognition within the complex scheme of picking my favorite blog posts, communicating with other gardeners through messages, gathering my list of favorite blogs and bloggers ... It's almost as preoccupying as gardening itself.

Actually, I get the sense it can become quite addictive. One of my fellow bloggers recently described waking up almost hourly during the night with thoughts and inspirations for her next blog post. It puts me to mind of David Foster Wallace's humorous description of his editor (an obviously obsessive individual), picturing him as "... scarcely more than a vestigial support system for an eye-brain assembly ... living full-time in some kind of high-tech medical chair that automatically gimbals around at various angles to help prevent skin ulcers, nourishment and wastes ferried by tubes, surrounded by full-spectrum lamps and stacks of magazines and journals, a special emergency beeper Velcroed to his arm in case he falls out of the chair, etc." All, presumably, in support of his editing obsession. In our case, perhaps, our blogging preoccupation. Let's hope it doesn't come to all that!

All kidding aside, Blotanical is a wonderful virtual gardening environment. I'm learning lots about what other gardeners are doing - around the world, as this community grows - and a great way to share my own experiences.

Here's the link: http://www.blotanical.com/

Closed for the Season

2009-12-19T06:05:00.000-08:00

Winter is definitely here, and this little bird bungalow will remain vacant for the next three months or so.

As inhospitable as it looks, the season's snow and frost does bring its own beauty. Something to photograph and appreciate during our gardening downtime.

Christmas tree

2009-12-17T14:09:00.001-08:00

The spruce tree in our back yard was suddenly decorated with a flock of bohemian waxwings. It isn’t exactly like a ‘partridge in a pear tree’, but you get the idea … It’s still kinda like an early Christmas present!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-15T06:22:00.000-08:00

We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and share with you this poem by Frank Ockert:

CHRISTMAS PEACE

It's Christmas time, I'm sure you know,

The way we all are on the go

There really is no need for me to say;

But, none the less, I wish to you,

In spite of all there is to do,

A little peace, at least on Christmas Day.

When all the cards are in the mail,
Though, if like me, you'll no doubt fail
To remember some to whom you should have sent;
When all the gifts are wrapped and tied
And those you love are all inside
I will suggest how a moment might be spent.

Just find yourself a quiet spot
And read again, if you've forgot,
How angels sang of peace to all mankind;
Then breathe a simple prayer for peace,
Just for yourself, it will not cease
To bless your heart and calm your troubled mind.

Then, as you close your tired eyes,
Direct your last thoughts to the skies
And sense the love of God that comes your way;
His love will bring sweet quietness
And those you love His name will bless
To see His peace, in you, on Christmas Day.

The 2010 Seed Catalogues Have Arrived!

2009-12-14T06:21:00.000-08:00

Stokes Seeds and Dominion Seed House catalogues have arrived. And so starts the planning for next year's garden. What new annuals should we introduce? What worked well last year that we want to continue? Do we need a bit more punch here or there?

And, by the way, we'll ignore the less-than-helpful notation on the back of the Dominion catalogue that tells us "your hardiness zone is 1". Who knows where they pulled that from.

Oh well, there's still plenty of time to ponder all these things before the seed order goes in. In the meantime the holiday season is here and we turn our minds to time with family, to meals together, and perhaps a toast to another successful gardening season.

Welcome to a "Work in Progress"

2009-12-01T11:16:00.000-08:00

This blog has entries from when we designed and built out backyard garden a few short years ago. Check out the slide show for photos from the last two growing seasons. Clicking on the slide show will take you to the Picassa photo album with all the photos.

Late Season Pics

2009-10-10T05:43:00.000-07:00

As the summer wore on we started to see some interesting developments in the marigold bed. Over 300 dwarf marigolds (Disco series) had been planted and brought some awesome colors from bright yellow to orange to red. Last year the bed was full of blue and yellow pansies that had dropped plenty of seeds. Over the summer these seeds germinated and by late summer the pansies were in full bloom with the marigolds. Here’s the effect …

Here's the overall effect of the late season garden just before the frosts overtake us ...

The cold September nights have a dramatic effect on the Amur Maple ...

The Cockspur Hawthorn presents us with a similar scarlet color ...

But, alas, all good things must come to an end. After the killing frosts the annuals are pulled up and the rose garden is put to bed.

Mini Rose

2009-09-20T23:23:00.000-07:00

Usually the little potted miniature roses that you get at the supermarkets die quickly because they seem to become infested with mites and other unhealthy things. However, after repotting and continually spraying with household plant insecticide, we managed to keep one going over the winter. And by putting it in a sunny window we actually got some nice blooms in the spring.The rose was doing so well that we planted it outside to spend the summer in the rose garden. It thrived!

Now that fall is here and there is a pending risk of frost, we'll dig it up and bring it indoors for the winter. Here is a photo of a couple of the last blossoms, cut from the bush a few days ago.

A Bird in the Hand ...

2009-08-22T23:06:00.000-07:00

Our Pine Siskins are getting very tame, probably because the vertical bird feeder gets topped up with nyger seed at least once a day. Today there were so many at the feeder, I put some seed into my hand and held it near the feeder to see if they would take the seed out of my hand. Here's the result. Photos by Kevin.

Here I'm making the approach. The birds just continue what their doing at the feeder.

Now one is brave enough to land on my hand and check out the nyger seed.

"Yep, it's the same stuff as in the feeder. Awesome!!"

I'm able to lower my hand and the bird just stays.

Summer Garden

2009-08-20T22:53:00.000-07:00

Now that the garden is at its peak, here are a few full garden pics.

Fence and Gate

2009-08-17T23:14:00.000-07:00

Our fence and gate construction project is finally complete!

Our critics say it's 'overkill' because of the method of construction, but it is solid. Each section has a 3/8" plywood core, with 3/4" boards mounted vertically on the front (glued and screwed), and boards mounted horizontally on the back (glued and screwed). This gives us panels almost 2" thick that, when mounted with strong hinges, produces a gate that will definitely not sag. Top rails of 2X4 material, grooved on the underside to accept the panels, complete the construction. Last summer I accidentally backed the utility trailer into the left side gate and had to pull down the gate for extensive repairs. Our son Kevin says if I back the trailer into this gate, I'll have to do extensive repairs to the trailer.

Of course, the carport gate would not be complete without decoration. We found some tulip clipart on the internet and chose this one to enlarge and paint, adding a nice decorative touch and recognizing the Dutch connection.

As they say, "You're not much, if you're not Dutch!" (Just kidding, of course.)

Rock Garden

2009-08-12T19:36:00.000-07:00

The rock garden is beginning to develop nicely in its second year. Check out these pics ...

The rock garden was built up with gravel and topsoil, using recycled deck boards as a retaining wall. To prevent the retaining wall from falling away from the garden, wire cables were strung from eyebolts at two locations and anchored at the back of the garden under the gravel during construction.

The background lattice work design was copied from a feature we saw in a gardening magazine, and we think it works great here. It's covered with canary bird vine and has chalon pansies in pots hanging on plastic clips.

Miss Froggy in the rock garden proudly presents some Ultima Morpho pansies. The smooching Dutch couple was a gift some years ago from my folks. And the garden clock on the lattice was given to us by friends this spring.

We just love this dwarf iris in the rock garden. The blooms don't last long, but they're so perfectly formed and a delight to see.

This yellow lamium adds an interesting color to the rock garden, and its low-lying habit makes a great ground cover.

These are Pussytoes, so called because the blooms resemble the toes of a kitty.

This plant, Sempervivum - commonly referred to as 'hens and chicks', is the subject of some interesting folklore in Europe. The blooming plants are said to bring homeowners good luck - so we're very pleased we have one. And it seemed to work, too! We were very blessed this summer with wonderful weather and a nice garden.

Planting sempervivum on the tiled rooftops was believed to prevent lightening strikes - presumably based on the idea that the plants would tend to dissapate the effect by absorbing the surge of electricity.

The healing power of sempervivum's sap seems to be similar to that attributed to aloe vera - speedier healing of cuts and scrapes.

The medieval alchemist, Albertus Magnus, determined that sempervivum mixed with arsenic and alum combined in the gall bladder of a steer would produce a coating for the hands that would then allow glowing hot metal to be picked up without getting burned. As they say, "Don't try this at home!"

Summer Activities

2009-08-06T22:42:00.000-07:00

During warm summer days people want to be near the water, and birds want to be at the bird bath. Here are some Pine Siskins enjoying the garden and the water.

"OK, you test the water first. I think it might be too cold."

And just like with people in hot weather, whether on the beach or on the highway, tempers can flare. OK, children, just settle down and enjoy the water.

Return of the Pine Siskins

2009-08-01T19:30:00.000-07:00

You know August has arrived when the Pine Siskins return to the vertical feeder. And they're quite tame, too. Here I'm approaching the feeder when there were about 10 of them picking out the nyger seed, and this one just decided to stay. He's saying, 'Excuse me, but I'm trying to have lunch here.

2009 Flowers

2009-07-27T19:12:00.000-07:00

This year's flowers were awesome!

We had just the right combination of sunshine and rain, it seems. So we have to show off with these pics.

Marigold Disco 'Granada'

Ornamental cabbage 'Osaka Red' with Marigold 'Lulu'

Pink annual poppy with Flanders poppies in background.

Frilly pink poppy.

Pansy 'Ultima Morpho' named after the rare morpho butterfly with similar colors.

Globe flower Trollius chinensis with the marigold bed in the background.

Dominion Seed House introduced this variety of Sweet Pea this year for hanging baskets. It's called 'Sugar and Spice'. We love it, and the fragrance is wonderful!

Instant Grassification

2009-07-22T20:26:00.000-07:00

We wish we could take credit for coming up with the title of this blog post, but it's borrowed from the Yukon sod farm - the Sourdough Sodbusters. It's in their brochure and on their web site.

Susan came up with the idea that we should lay sod in the back yard between the garden and the house as a transition that would soften all the hardscaping elements, such as the rocks and the patio stones. So we went out to the sod farm yesterday and picked up 500 sq ft of sod.

Of course, we had prepared the ground in advance - but we finished laying the sod by 6:00 pm. It took about two and a half hours. And the results are amazing! Just what Susan had in mind.

Here are some pics ...

Relocating 'Buddy'

2009-07-08T18:55:00.000-07:00

Relocating 'Buddy' the squirrel has become a much more complicated affair than we expected. Last week we went to the Conservation office and picked up a live trap.

To outwit the squirrel, I used 'crazy glue' to fasten a few peanuts to a piece of cardboard which was then wired in to the bottom of the cage. This way, I reasoned, the squirrel would have to work at pulling the peanut, thereby putting more pressure on the pad that trips the door shut behind him. The trap was then wired to the fence, along Buddy's normal route to the bird feeder.

The next time we checked the trap the peanuts were gone, the door was closed, and no squirrel in sight. As you might expect, there was considerable ridicule with comments like 'Buddy' was smarter than me - evidently not far off the mark in this case.

Later in the day, after loading up the trap again with more peanuts, I actually watched 'Buddy' casually enter the cage and sit smack on the trip pad eating his peanut. It turned out the linkage was so loose that no amount of pressure on the trip pad would close the door - hence Buddy's ability to empty the trap and go. But how the door was sprung is still a mystery.

Perseverance would be the key, I thought. So I was outside at 6:00 am the next morning rigging up a string to the trip mechanism so I could snap the door shut manually. Susan came out at 7:30 to check on the action. Nothing.

Then, about 10 minutes later he appeared. He climbed all over the cage, trying to get at the peanuts. Eventually he found the front and in he went. Snap! The door closed behind him as I pulled the string. Off we went in the truck for a ride across the Yukon River to the Long Lake Road where he was released. He ran into the nearest tree and chattered loudly at me in righteous indignation.

On my return home another squirrel was in the tall spruce tree at the edge of the lot, making a fuss. I set up the trap again and, within a couple of minutes, had another squirrel. Off we went again to the Long Lake Road.

Still there was squirrel activity near the yard, so I set things up once more. This time the squirrel went directly into the cage for the peanuts - so we were convinced this was 'Buddy'. Another trip to the Long Lake Road - gasoline consumption was starting to become an issue.

The following morning we returned the trap to the Conservation office.

Later in the afternoon, Susan and I were putting together a planter in the yard when we heard some noise coming from the shed. Rooting around amongst the plant pots and gardening equipment was 'Buddy'! We suddenly realized that three perfectly innocent squirrels had been forced into exile up the Long Lake Road. Back to the Conservation Office the next day to pick up the trap again.

I set up the trap, this time tightening up the linkage with a bit of tape so the trip flap would actually snap the door closed with the slightest of pressure. I went to coffee with the RCMP Vets and to visit a friend in Porter Creek. Then Susan called on my cell phone telling me a squirrel was in the trap. I came home, and off we went again up the Long Lake Road - rapidly increasing the area's squirrel population. But we were quite convinced by now that we finally had 'Buddy' relocated.

Just to be sure, I set up the trap again. Within about 15 minutes, as I was getting something out of the shed, here was another squirrel on the fence not 10 feet from me. I asked him if he was the real 'Buddy', but he wouldn't say. So, I invited him to carry on down the fence and help himself to the free peanuts in the cage. Which he did. And now we had squirrel #5.

It's been quiet since, even though the trap is set again. Who knows, perhaps 'Buddy' has been asleep in the shed the whole time.

Hawk visit ...

2009-04-27T18:49:00.000-07:00

The redpoll feeder was raided today by this young Sharp-Shinned Hawk, Accipiter striatus. The redpolls scattered in a sudden rush and then there was a flash of movement, followed by this hawk calmly feeding on one of the hapless birds.

It was not the least bit intimidated, letting me come within 10 meters to get this shot.

'Buddy' the pest ...

2009-04-19T18:08:00.000-07:00

'Buddy', our red squirrel has been such a frequent visitor to the garden that it's hard to decide whether he is pet or pest. Here he's raiding the chickadee feeder. Nothing is out of his grasp anymore. We think it might be time for a cross-town drive for 'Buddy'. He bullies the redpolls at their feeder; uses our shed as his winter quarters, and we think he's found a mate. So, perhaps the sooner the better.

Redpolls

2009-03-03T17:35:00.000-08:00

Each year at the end of February or early March the redpolls return to the yard and feast on the nyger seed in the vertical feeder. Here's a photoshoot of this year's arrivals.

Taking up positions on the feeder - "Move over, I'm coming in!"

The staging area.

Coming in for a landing ...

"Hey, what's going on down there?"

Great time for a 'snow bath'.

Just sitting here looking pretty.

"Ha-ha, I have the feeder to myself!"

Pretty redpoll in flight.

Roses

2008-08-15T17:29:00.000-07:00

At our last place in Carcross, Yukon (about 1 hour drive south of where we are now) we grew some roses and learned which ones could overwinter successfully - even with severe winter temperatures that, at times, can dip down to -40 degrees (at -40, both fahrenheit and celcius scales are the same).

Here's what we learned through trial and error about the variety of roses that do well:

- Morden
- Parkland
- Explorer
- Pavement
- Rugosa

This is the Morden Sunrise rose, a beautiful single blossom that really does look like the rising sun.

We buy our roses in a dormant state (dry root) at our local nursery outlets and garden centres at Canadian Tire and Wal-mart. They come in a waxed container like a milk carton, some are already breaking dormancy by showing small new shoots. We pot them up and get them started in the greenhouse - like you see in the first photo - when the snow is still on the ground outside.

This red-leafed rose (Rosa rubrifolia), is a very hardy (to zone 2) rose with many small pink single blooms. Its prominent feature is not the blossoms as much as the unique colour of the leaves.

It does tend to sprawl, so it helps to prune back the new runaway branches, especially suckers.

This is my favorite rose. It's a yellow rugosa (the only yellow rugosa, as I understand it) with a blossom that forms up very much like a hybrid tea.

The colour is really quite stunning - emerging as deep yellow and fading to a cream as it matures.

As with other rugosas, it is nicely scented as well.

Another lovely rose is this one from the Explorer series, 'J.P. Connell'. There are two photos here of this rose - the first to show the nice rosebud as it first emerges, and then a pair of blossoms that show how it also fades from a deep creamy colour to a pale white.

We're also partial to red roses, and this is a beauty!

It's also from the Explorer series, named after Samuel de Champlain and is a profuse bloomer.

Day Lilies

2008-07-20T16:02:00.000-07:00

Early in the spring my sister in Stouffville, Ontario (who is an avid - and excellent - gardener) sent me some day lily tubers. We potted them up and put them in the greenhouse, so by the time they we ready to plant in mid-June lots of new scapes and blossoms were already forming.

This is one of the daylilies with the interesting name 'In Schubert's Day'. It has a beautiful buttery colour and nice frilly edges on the petals.

This one is called 'Strutter's Ball' with lovely burgundy petals and a yellow throat.

This daylily was bought from a local nursery as a dormant tuber. It did really well, producing lots of these white blossoms with a burgundy throat.

We're hoping they will all overwinter. They are rated as USDA zone 3 plants, so should be fine.

Day lilies are so named because they produce a bloom that only lasts for one day. When the darkness of night comes, the blossom fades and its life is over. However, they are such prolific bloomers that another one quickly takes the place of the faded one.

An interesting thing we discovered is that during the almost 24-hour daylight encountered from June 21st to almost the end of July, the daylilies continued to bloom and lasted for several days before fading. Another advantage to being a 'Northern' gardener - we can enjoy our daylilies longer!

How does your garden grow?

2008-07-05T06:49:00.000-07:00

We were contacted out of the blue by Lillian Strauss, a writer for the bi-weekly magazine "What's Up Yukon". Lillian had heard about our garden design and asked if she could do an interview for an article.

Here's the resulting article appearing in "What's Up Yukon", dated July 4th:

Where Beauty Blooms in a Private Cozy Backyard Retreat

by Lillian Strauss

When it comes to sound design principles, solid construction techniques and appropriate plant selection, Hank and Susan Moorlag come out in aces and spades (pun intended).

Both have done a remarkable amount of down to earth work (yeah, that was intended) to create a backyard garden that reflects their needs and interests.

Hank now retired from the RCMP and from two five-year terms as Ombudsman, has gardening in his genes. His father was in the landscaping and nursery business in Ontario, acting as manager for Weal and Cullen.

Both Hank and Susan started 53 varieties of annuals and perennials from seed as he pointed to one bed containing three hundred pansies that will soon bloom into a riot of blue and yellow ribbons.

Pointing to the trees, Hank remarks that the three crabapple trees and high bush cranberry shrubs and a rare variegated leaf lilac tree offer vertical elements to the lay out design.

The couple collected tons of rocks that frame all five rambling triangular shaped beds. “One day I will count them all so that our guests can play “Guess How Many Rocks Are In the Garden Game.“

Three truck loads of road mix gravel were dumped providing a dual purpose of drainage and raising the beds to keep heat in the soil. Six to eight inches of topsoil was added to that.

First, the Moorlags laid out the patio stone walkways leading to the main house and to the greenhouse. The walkways act as guides to create the five triangular shaped beds. Another bed has a profusion of miniature plants, Dwarf Sweet Williams and Irises, Lamium, and other creeper plants which will provide ground cover.

A hand-built arbour provides a pleasing centre piece that takes you through the walkways and invites you to sit under the swing or enjoy sitting on the patio chairs.

“In two years, the Virginia creepers will cover the arbour completely,” Hank comments with no hint of impatience.

Two of the spruce trees he kept. The rest he dug out with a Bobcat.

“Until last week Susan and I hauled fifty trays of plants back and forth from the outdoor garden and back into the greenhouse where the temperatures were assured of being plant friendly."

The shed provides a dual purpose of protection for the plants against adverse weather and temperature changes as well as storage for gardening tools. It is also home to trays of plants with names on them designated for friends and the church: “I like to plant for them.”

Outside Hank shows where he will build another lattice stand to act as a screen for the propane tank. The canary bird vine will take over the trellises.

Another rock-edged bed contains Hank’s pride and joy: the rose bed.

“Soon there will be an explosion of Persian Yellow blooms," he says. "Here’s a red leaf rose in the centre. And a white Morden rose, a Parkland from Ottawa, a McKenzie and a variety of blooms named after our explorer heroes.”

The Hope for Humanity rose will soon complete his collection. With great pride and a tinge of nostalgia in his voice, he remarks that this rose commemorates one hundred years service of the Red Cross.

Before long, the hardy roses will burst into a riot of colour.

“This potted Brugmansia will pop up to five feet in height." It looks like a parasol with hanging trumpet flowers. His sister sent Lady’s Mantle and Phlox from Ontario in zip-lock bags.

“These tomato plants came from Jack Cable’s tomato seeds. The rocks came from old quarry sites, open fields, but not from road sides where soil erodes.”

There is a saying that gardening does not begin in the spring and does not end in fall with the decline of the season, but begins in the winter with the dream.

The Moorlags made theirs come true.

(Reprinted with permission of What's Up Yukon)

Garden hardscape elements

2008-06-30T09:21:00.000-07:00

This arbor is one of the main features of the garden. In time, it will be covered with ... I don't know, perhaps Virginia Creeper or a hardy Clematis, or maybe even a climbing rose.

We used steel fencepost anchors, driven into the ground, and then slipped the feet of the arbor into them. It worked great - nice and solid. And it should prevent moisture from deteriorating the wood.

Four hangers were installed for hanging baskets.

Several lattice screens also help provide more interest to the garden design. One hides a large propane tank, and this one covers a large part of the back fence that would look pretty bleak without it. A narrow bed at the bottom holds enough soil to sustain the Canary Bird Vine.

Plastic clips were attached to the main uprights to hold these flower pots filled with Chalon pansies. These pansies are unique because the petals are very frilly, and they are strongly scented.

Garden Progress Inspection

2008-06-20T10:06:00.000-07:00

'Blue' is sitting on the newly installed stepping stone inspecting some of the recently planted annuals. The Prairie Joy rose is already in bloom behind her.

2008 Season

2008-06-10T17:53:00.000-07:00

This was the first season for the garden. The beds were ready for planting and we were anxious to see an actual flower garden materialize.

Roses had been bought early in the season, potted up, and put into the greenhouse. Several varieties belong to the Explorer series – Champlain, McKenzie, JP Connell – and others from the Parkland series – Winnipeg Parks, Prairie Joy, Persian Yellow. All are hardy to –40 winter temperatures, with nothing but a good snow cover.

We arranged them for planting in the rose garden about mid-June.

We started about 45 trays of annuals, many of them pansies. The pansies, from the Atlas series, filled in the pansy bed in alternating ribbons of yellow and blue. There are over 300 pansy plants in this bed.

Starting Annuals

2008-05-15T14:42:00.000-07:00

We start all our annuals from seed. The seed packets are ordered from Stokes (http://www.stokeseeds.com/) and Dominion Seeds (http://www.dominion-seed-house.com/) the first or second week in January each year.

Germination trays are set up in the workroom downstairs under full spectrum fluorescent lights. We invested in a steel rack and light assembly, but you can also build one yourself – check out this link:

http://www.finegardening.com/how-to/articles/nurture-seedlings-tiered-growing-stand.aspx?hl=en&q=seed+starting+rack&btnG=Search&meta=&aq=f&oq=

For years we used redi-earth germination mix – a fine blend of peat, vermiculite and other soilless material. But it doesn’t seem to be available anymore, so we’ve switched to Sunshine germination mix #3 which is available from our good friends at the Greenhouse at Cliffside (http://www.thegreenhouse.yk.net/). The mix comes in big black plastic bales, and is a bit pricey – but worth it!

Once the seedlings are ready for transplanting, Susan sets up the cellpacks and gets to work. For the past two years she has transplanted over 2500 seedlings each spring.

The trays then go into the greenhouse – usually by mid April. However, the nights are still cold enough to freeze off the new plants. So we start the daily ritual of moving the trays from the greenhouse into the adjoining shed each evening where they stay overnight. A small electrical heater is enough to keep them warm. Then in the morning when it’s warm enough in the greenhouse again, out they go. This continues until nighttime temperatures are above freezing.

We start planting out during the first week of June. But if there is a full moon before mid June, we wait until the new moon before planting out. It’s based on a bit of folklore, we know, but it seems to work.

Seed Order - 2008

2008-01-16T16:09:00.000-08:00

Here’s a list of seeds we ordered from Dominion Seeds and Stokes:

From Dominion Seeds

African Daisy dimorphotheca – Arlequinn Mix

Agrostemma – Ocean Pearls

Alyssum – New Carpet of Snow

Canary Bird Vine

Castor Bean – Impala

Cosmos – Sonata

Dianthus – Wee Willie Mix

Lavatera – Beauty Mix

Love-in-a-mist nigella, African Jewel

Marigold – Mr. Majestic

Marigold – Pinwheel

Nierembergia – Blue Mountain

Nolana – Little Bells

Pansy – Ultima Morpho

Petunia – Limoncello

Petunia – Pirouette rose

Petunia – White Storm

Salvia – Marble Arch Mix

Strawflowers – Strawberry Mix

Viola – Angel Amber Kiss

Viola – Angel Tiger Eyes

From Stokes Seeds

Baby Blue Eyes nemophila

Batchelor Buttons – Blue

Calendula – Touch of Red Mix

Cosmos – Picotee

Cosmos – Sunny Red

Daisy – Snowland paludosum

Feverfew matricaria

Flowering Kale – Osaka

Godetia – Satin Mix

Marigold – Lulu

Nemesia – Sundrops

Pansy – Atlas Blue

Pansy – Atlas Yellow

Pansy – Chalon Supreme Mix

Petunia – Burgundy Frost

Petunia – Easy Wave Red – pellets

Petunia – Explorer White

Petunia – Ramblin’ White

Schizanthus – Star Parade Mix

Snapdragon – Floral Showers Mix

Snow on Mountains euphorbia

Flower bed layout

2007-09-04T17:28:00.000-07:00

The landscape design for the back yard involved a central patio and walkways leading to the shed and the house. Once these were laid out with patio stones, we brought in truckloads of roadmix gravel to sculpt the beds.

Our experience with gardening in northern climates is that raised beds are an absolute necessity. The ambient temperature of the native soil at grade is simply not warm enough to sustain plants.

Raising the flower beds about 12” in height with gravel has the added benefit of providing excellent drainage.

Once we had the gravel base in place, the sides were held in with native stones collected from around the Whitehorse area. The final step is to cover the gravel with about 12” of topsoil.

Lots of shoveling, wheelbarrowing, raking and leveling. But it’s worth it in the end. Here’s an overhead view of the layout to the left of the patio.

Ground Clearing

2007-07-20T16:48:00.000-07:00

We wanted to start with a ‘clean slate’, so a bobcat came in to pull up the tree stumps and prepare the yard for landscaping. The bobcat had a special attachment on the front with strong tines that could dig in under the stumps and pry them up. The normal bucket was used to move the native soil around and level things off.

The greenhouse/shed ended up not having enough room for storage, so we put an 8’X8’ addition on the back. In this photo the shingles still have to be put up.

Where do we start?

2007-07-20T09:19:00.000-07:00

When we moved into the house on this rather large city lot, the back yard was pretty much the way Mother Nature had left it - a stand of lodgepole pines and willows. Not bad if you wanted a campground setting. But not what we had in mind for a yard that would meet our passion for gardening.

We had already cleared the left side of the lot and built a greenhouse/shed combination.

With the short summers, we wanted to be able to start bedding plants in the greenhouse early - during April - but be able to move them into a warmer place during the nights when there was still frost. So, the insulated shed is separated from the greenhouse by a set of sliding glass patio doors. Both sides have wire racks to hold the trays of bedding plants. We can accommodate about 45 trays on the racks.

You can see in this photo, taken from the roof of the house, that we start with a clean slate. Almost all of the trees have been cut down, leaving only a couple of spruces and some willows. The one willow, near the door to the shed, has been cut down and the new growth trimmed into a rounded form.