YORKTON - The Yorkton and District Horticultural Society held a meeting on Wednesday, March 20 at 7:00 PM at the Yorkton Public Library.
Allona Zeiben, John Tropin, Frank Woloschuk spoke about “ From Seed to Plant to Garden”. This will be an exciting start to this year’s garden season, hope to see you there. Everyone is welcome, you don’t have to be a member of the group to attend.
And a reminder, visit out website at www.yorktonhort.ca and see what’s new. Not only will you find information about upcoming events, but there are interesting garden tidbits and lovely photos to enjoy.
When we hear the name ‘achillea’, we probably think of the tough-as-nails yarrow with the lacy flowers and delicate foliage. And this is a lovely plant and perfect in any perennial grouping. But today let’s talk about achillea, the Pearl.
It seems right that this plant should have such an elegant and distinctive name compared to its tougher cousins. Mom had this beautiful perennial in her garden. It grows about eighteen inches high, and a mature clump can be about two feet wide. The plants are laden with tiny, fluffy white flowers on sturdy stems. It is easy to grow, very drought tolerant, and enjoys sunny locations. If you have a difficult area with lots of sun and poor soil, this might be the plant you want for that location! And if you are interested in xeriscaping, this plant would be a wonderful addition. This is a good point to remember: xeriscaping means carefully choosing plants that do well with a minimum amount of water, and grouping plants with the same water needs together, not replacing all vegetation with rock. Many plants need low maintenance and low water, and they are stars for xeriscaping. Achillea fits the bill!
In my mind’s eye I can picture Mom’s garden as if I was standing there right now. I can guarantee that if you and I were there, Mom would have had tea ready for us before a tour of her garden, as we would stand in the entrance to the garden, we’d look to the right, an area of bright sun, and there, among other sun-loving perennials, we’d find the Pearl. The Pearl will bloom from early summer until fall, and it is the most excellent plant for cut flowers. This was one of my favorite plants when Mom would ask me to make flower arrangements for the house. A handful of the lovely white blooms in a vase was almost all that was needed, but I can remember that one of my top-pick flower combos was the Pearl blooms interspersed with dark blue bachelor buttons. Simple but beautiful.
Achillea can sometimes be an aggressive guest in the garden and needs to be maintained so it doesn’t take over. I do not remember the Pearl being as aggressive as regular yarrow, but it never hurts to keep an eye on any perennial that has a robust spreading habit. In the fall, we can cut the Pearl back almost to the ground, and it will come from the base the following spring.
Another plus: the Pearl is loved by bees , hummingbirds and butterflies. Our gardening choices should always be mindful of trying to help pollinators. One third of what we eat is made possible because of pollinators, so we can each do our part to give them a happy environment to visit. Guess what else: this plant can also do well in containers. But if you do plant it in containers, remember that it should be planted in the earth before winter, it may not survive a prairie winter above ground.
So there we have it! Another plant to add to our list for this spring.
Thank you to our friends at YTW for their fine work. Have a great week, gardeners!
