YORKTON - The Yorkton and District Horticultural Society is having in-person meetings again. Our first meeting of the season will be on Wednesday, September 21, 6:30 PM, and will be a field trip! We will be learning, on site, about the City of Yorkton composting project at the Yorkton Landfill, north of the city. Following the presentation there, we will have a recap and a short meeting at the Godfrey Dean. Everyone is welcome!
Interested gardeners are welcome to join the YDHS; we have meetings through the year, as well as other interesting events. It’s a great chance to learn more about this wonderful hobby and have a chance to visit and learn from other gardeners. We never stop learning! Visit our website at www.yorktonhort.ca and see what’s coming up.
At this time of year, we often get a flush or more seed catalogues, now full of tempting plants and bulbs for spring! Let’s sit down with a cup of tea for a few minutes and go through the latest catalogue we got, from Vesey’s. (Vesey’s has a very easy-to-navigate website at www.veseys.com , and there is a spot where you can request a free catalogue.) If I was making a wish list, here are three things that I would pick.
Daylilies are a beautiful addition to the garden, a plant that keeps on giving once it is established. Most grow about 24-40 inches high, can stand full to partial sun, and like well-drained soil. They bloom in the late spring/early summer and come in a large variety of colours. The one that I am looking at in the catalogue is a lovely purple and mauve flower, with slightly ruffled petals. Very unique and beautiful!
For an architectural plant that adds interest to any perennial bed, allium has to be in the top ten. Allium likes full sun and well-drained soil and will put on a great show in the late spring. Once they are done blooming, they are like tulips: the foliage will die back and in a while, you’ll look at your patch and say, “wasn’t there something planted in this spot?” But while they are around, they are glorious! The allium that caught my eye was called “Ambassador” and is described as “one of the largest and most impressive you can find”. But any allium you choose will add a unique look to your garden. The round, densely packed flower heads on strong upright stems make a real statement.
What says spring like flowering bulbs? Our tulips this year gave us an unprecedented show, and we try to add new bulbs to the collection each year. (For those of you who remember our Toby, his orange tulips are still doing well!) Tulips come in so many colors, shapes and sizes, from diminutive singles to flamboyant doubles, there is one for any garden space. Tulips will arrive now, to be planted this fall. They like to be planted quite deep, in a sunny location, and please, never plant them in a row. Plant them in a circle, in a drift, in a clump…but a straight row will really diminish their beauty and impact. To give an idea of the interesting colors that are available, there’s one called “Copper Image” and it is described as “coppery, apricot-pink” flowers that look like peonies. Wouldn’t that make a stunning focal point in a spring garden!
Whatever plant company you enjoy, please request a fall catalogue; you won’t be disappointed at the variety of spring plants to read about; and I always find that seed catalogues offer a wonderful chance to learn about new plants. It takes years of hard work from plant breeders to create new bulbs; if we keep that in mind, it makes us appreciate the new varieties even more!
Thank you to our friends at YTW for the great work. The garden is still full of beauty; enjoy!
