Master Gardeners Association of Alberta

Broccoli and its siblings rapini, broccolini or Gai lan (Chinese broccoli) require fertile soil and regular water. Directly seeding into the garden or a contain...er is fine, but it's better to plant them out as transplants to avoid early flea beetle damage. Cover them up with row cover to avoid problems. It doesn't hurt to mulch with well composted manure or compost. If you grow the traditional head type broccoli like 'Captain', 'Emerald City' or 'Eureka', nip off the initial head and then let side shoots grow for continued harvest. Recommended cultivars of Gail lan: 'Green Pearl' or 'Midwater'. For broccolini try: 'Zamboni' or 'Sorrento'. Do you hate broccoli? It's in your genes. Brassicas contain a compound called phenylthiocarbamide (PTC). Depending on your genetic makeup it either tastes repulsive - or completely tasteless. This genetic adaptation may have been an evolutionary advantage helping people to avoid eating toxins. On the other hand, non-tasters of PTC would have had the advantage of a more varied and healthful diet. Either way, broccoli is good for you. #gardeningatusask #brocolli #gailan #brocollini See more

https://www.albertaurbangarden.ca//how-to-grow-prune-and-/

More reports of the beetle emerging, so here is more information to assist with your battle against them. The sooner you start dealing with them the better, id...eally before the lilies emerge and they start laying eggs. Some gardeners report having great success with Diatomaceous Earth at this time of year but it does need to be refreshed after rain or snow! Early management and vigilance ensures beautiful lilies all summer long! Let the Battle Begin! See more

By Larry Hodgson Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris cicla) is a selection of the wild beet or sea beet (Beta vulgaris maritima), the same plant that gave us the garden ...beet or beetroot (Beta vulgaris crassa). But instead of producing a swollen edible root, Swiss chard provides markedly thickened petioles and much larger leaves. Both are edible and can be used much like its cousin, spinach (... http://laidbackgardener.blog//swiss-chard-the-easy-leafy-/

Tomorrow is the last day for ticket sales for this event! Don't miss out! General admission is $10. https://fb.me/e/fTcfl3RjR

We know you all love lady slipper orchids! Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn more about them on Monday, May 10! You only have a few more days to purchase your ticket. General admission is $10. https://fb.me/e/Fpiow32H

Time to store your containers for winter!

Some tree care learning modules from the City of Calgary: "Right Tree, Right Location," "Your Tree, Year Round," and "Storm Damage, Tree Pests."

Some tips to start vermicomposting (includes PDF booklet) - from the City of Edmonton.

Gymnosporangium Rust in hawthorns, saskatoons, and other rose family hosts: https://www.agr.gc.ca//diseases-and/gymnosporangium-rust/

How to overwinter tuberous begonias

Do any of you save seeds from your garden plants for next year? What do you save? Saving seeds is something I have been getting more and more interested in, e...specially after all the seed shortages this spring! Click on the link below to learn what seeds I am saving and how I save them. I have included videos for you to watch! See more

Hardy and long-lived bulbs: Tulips and fritillaries By Sara Williams Many of us immediately think of tulips when we think of bulbs, but there are other hardy an...d long-lived options for our northern gardens such as fritillaries. Depending on their height, they are well placed in perennial borders or rock gardens. Purchase and plant these bulbs as early in the fall as they become available locally or from mail order sources and enjoy their beauty next spring. Tulipa (tulip) Native to the mountainous areas of Asia from Turkey through Siberia, tulips have been the centre of the bulb industry since the 1500s, when Turkey initiated a flourishing trade. Although they are widely advertised and readily available, growing most tulip varieties in the colder areas of the Canadian prairies may be disheartening. At worst, they fail to appear the following spring; at best they last only a year or two. Less widely available are the hardy and long-lived botanical or species tulips described below. Less than 10 cm (a few inches) high with attractive green leaves, they soon form colonies, blooming in early spring. Plant them in full sun to partial shade in well-drained soil. Because of their low stature, they are ideal for a rock garden or naturalized on the edge of a wooded area or shade garden. They are easily increased by bulb offsets. Iran tulip (Tulipa urumiensis) is believed to be native to western Iran but is not known in the wild. It is very similar to the tarda tulip but pure yellow. Tarda tulip (T. tarda, syn. T. dasystemon) is native to the alpine meadows of central Asia. Only 10 to 15 cm (4-6 in.) high, it has star-shaped yellow flowers with white tips in spring. It is dependable and soon forms colonies that will be with you for decades to come. Fritillaria (fritillary) With over one hundred species of Fritillaria worldwide, the genus name is from the Latin word for a dice holder, which the chequered pattern of some flowers is said to resemble. Among the fritillaries, the widely marketed Fritillaria imperialis is not hardy on the prairies. But below are four species that do well for us. Varying in height from 15-45 cm (6-18 in.), these fritillaries bloom in spring with flower colour varying from white and pale yellow to deep purple. All are spring blooming and go dormant by mid-summer. Plant them in full sun to partial shade in well-drained soil amended with organic matter. Depending on their size, they can be planted in a shaded part of a rock garden or allowed to naturalize on the edge of a wooded area. They increase naturally by seed or offsets. Guinea fowl lily, chequered lily, or snakeshead fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris) all describe its very distinctive box-shaped, down-facing, bell-shaped flowers with a chequered pattern. Generally reddish-brown to purple, ‘Alba’ is a white form. About 40 to 45 cm (15-18 in.) high, they are best planted in partial shade in evenly moist soil. Kamchatka fritillary or chocolate lily (F. camschatcensis) is native to eastern Siberia, Japan, Alaska, and northwestern Canada, where it is found in moist open woods and subalpine meadows. The flowers, 45 cm (18 in.) high, are generally a dark purple, but yellow and green variants also occur. Place them in partial shade and kept evenly moist Michael’s flower (F. michailovskyi) is found in scree and alpine meadows of northeast Turkey near Lake Van. Very small (about 15 cm/6 in.), it becomes dormant in early summer. Mark its spot and don't inadvertently plant something else on top of it. The boxy-shaped, bell-like flowers are a rich brownish-purple with very distinct, golden yellow rims. Ideal for a rock garden in full sun. Siberian fritillary (F. pallidiflora), native from eastern Siberia to northwest China, is as hardy as a rock, long-lived (thirty years and still going), and very adaptable. With a height of 45 cm (18 in.), it has attractive, pale greenish-yellow flowers and is easily naturalized. It should have much greater availability. Sara Williams is the author and coauthor of many books including Gardening Naturally with Hugh Skinner, the revised and expanded Creating the Prairie Xeriscape, and with Bob Bors, the recently published Growing Fruit in Northern Gardens. She continues to give workshops on a wide range of gardening topics throughout the prairies. This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society (SPS; [email protected] ). Check our website saskperennial.ca) or Facebook page (facebook.com/saskperennial). Photo: Fritillaria meleagris - Credit: Sara Williams Photo: Fritillaria meleagris alba - Credit: Bernadette Vangool Photo: Tulipa tarda - Credit: Bernadette Vangool

Propagating trees and shrubs via seeds, softwood cuttings, and hardwood cuttings.

Which of these steps do you take to prep your garden for winter?