Ornamental Grass

In my opinion, ornamental grasses are a must-have in every garden. In a gentle breeze, their foliage makes a soft, rustling sound - it is so calming and relaxing. They are hardy, drought-tolerant and have strong architectural shapes. Many are also very colourful.

The diversity of ornamental grasses on the market now provides so many possibilities for our gardens. When I started gardening many years ago, I recall only one readily available grass: Phalaris, commonly known as Gardeners Garters. In the spring it emerges with fresh green and white striped foliage, but by mid- to late-summer it appears tired. And, it has a well-deserved reputation for being invasive.

Most of the ornamental grasses available today are clump forming, so there is no fear that they will take over your garden.

Blue Oat Grass has spectacular silvery-blue foliage that grows into a spiky two-foot ball. The other attribute that I love about this grass is that it is one of the first grasses to emerge in the spring. Unlike other grasses, it does not have to be pruned in the spring; I simply comb by fingers through the foliage from base to tip to remove the old foliage.

The other group of grasses that I am particularly fond of is the Maiden Grasses. In general, they are all upright-arching in shape and by late summer they are adorned with silky, fluffy seed heads. Their stems are strong enough to withstand the wind and snow load of our winters, so they add a lot of interest to winter landscapes.

Birds in the Garden

When I moved into my new home two and a half years ago, the backyard was surrounded by evergreens and a huge expansive lawn. I thought it was a wasteland - no flowers, no shrubs, and very few birds. But, it had potential!

Today, I am sitting on a large deck at the back of the house,  surrounded by a bed full of perennials, flowering shrubs, and evergreens. And it overlooks a huge island bed filled with more of the same.

Over the years, the diversity of the plants has grown and evolved, and so have the birds. I can't believe the robins, gold finches, cardinals, hummingbirds, wood peckers, and cedar wax wings. However, there has been one bird I have been missing. They are feisty (at times, aggressive), have a perky tail and a sweet song: the house wren.

They have nested at every house I have lived in, but this house has no bird houses. So I put up a little house on a six foot post - faced the opening hole to the south east. I knew I was late in the season but  I did everything to the wrens' specifications. I sat back, waited and hoped that a couple would take up residence in my new birdhouse...

Sure enough, I was soon rewarded! My garden is now complete with these house wrens filling the air with their beautiful chorus of song. These little birds are a power house at cleaning up insects too.

Having a variety of birds nest and/or dine in my garden is one the many joys of gardening for me!

Insects

We all know that insects may harm our plants, or even kill them. While trying to keep our plants alive, we are prone to killing all the insects we see. Did you know that there are also many insects that not only benefit plants, but also deal with the insects that try to harm them? One such relationship is that of ants and peonies: just before peonies begin to bloom they exude a sticky substance. Ants are drawn to the sweet substance and will not harm the plants while encouraging the peony to blom.

Insects that are dangerous to plants include aphids, whiteflies, mealybugs, thrips, tent caterpillars, loopers, and many more. However, there are just as many natural enemies of these harmful critters including ladybugs (the love to eat aphids), lacewings (will eat any soft-bodied insects it can find- including mealy bugs and tent caterpillars), praying mantis (will eat anything it can grab), as well as beneficial nematodes (will eat grubs that attack a plant's root system). Beneficial insects will generally not damage plants or bother humans and animals.

In conclusion, beneficial insects are a cost-effective, natural way to eliminate pests from the garden. So next time you see one, don't squash it, encourage it!

Editor's note: This entry was authored by Emily, Reds employee.

Thanks Mulch

Now that I have finished adding all the new plants (annuals, perennials and a couple shrubs) to my gardens, it is time to turn my attention to mulching. I add a layer of mulch to my beds annually- I could never keep my flower beds weed-free if I didn't.

A layer of mulch that is at least two (2) inches thick will suppress weed growth, though a thicker layer is even better. I try to maintain mine about three (3) inches thick. When mulching, I always keep one inch around the stems or trunks of my plants free of mulch as not to choke out new growth.

I use natural shredded pine mulch in my garden, but any mulch will give you the same results. Dyed mulches, such as Premium Red, Premium Black, and Enhance red pine are coloured with all-natural pigments and make excellent choices as well.

Since mulch is organic material, it slowly breaks down over time, improving your soil in the process. However, this also means that you have to annually top up your mulch to maintain a 2-3 inch coverage.

Mulch not only suppresses weeds, it also keeps your plants' root system cool and moist. So pile on the mulch like I am ~ your plants will love it!

Fragrant plants

During my workday, I chat with a lot of people about plants.

I am amazed how often the conversation is about fragrant plants! And most often, people are reminiscing about a plant from their childhood. This plant and its fragrance is associated with wonderful, fun, happy and/or loving times or people. Having this plant in their garden would allow the customer to relive or enjoy these memories again and again.

Perfume, fragrance, and smells are that way! A certain smell is filled with memories - usually good ones. Of our five senses, sight would have to be the most frequently used in the garden. We see the flowers, colours, shapes and textures. Or we can touch them and experience their textures or hear their leaves rustling. But some plants allow us to experience them by their scent.

A few weeks ago, the air was filled with the sweet scent of lilacs and this week is it peonies. They are at the peak of their beauty and fragrance. For me, peonies are filled with memories of my childhood. We always had peonies and their scent brings back great memories.

Lilacs and peonies are well-known fragrant plants. Some lesser known plants include Mockorange (sometime referred to as Orange blossom), Daphne, Creeping Dianthus, Summer Sweet, Royal Standard Hosta, Lavender, Poetez Narcissus, or Rugosa or Shrub Roses...to name just a few.

Adding fragrant plants adds another dimension to your garden since it engages one more of our senses. It heightens your whole garden enjoyment. Here is a tip about fragrant plants: plants them on the west side of your property. Most of our prevailing winds are from the western direction; consequently, the fragrance is carried across your whole yard.

June Pruning

The weather is perfect today! The temperature is in the mid-twenties, with a light breeze and a few clouds. It's perfect gardening weather, and it's the perfect time to prune your evergreens!

They should be pruned when the new foliage has developed but hasn't yet matured or hardened. Pruning now will result in a denser, more compact plant or tree.

Right now the new growth on pines and spruces is so "soft" that you could prune them with your fingers. I do this sometimes, but today I pruned them with my garden shears. This tool allows me to create a more defined shape quickly.

Annually, I lightly prune my Mugo Pines into a mushroom cap shape.  When the plants are young, I prune my Colorado Blue, Norway and White Spruce in a loose pyramidal shape. Once they grow beyond my reach, I don't prune them. Dwarf spruces (such as Dwarf Alberta and Nest Spruce) grow so slowly that they rarely need pruning. I give them a little clipping here and there to keep them in shape, but no major pruning is required. My broadleaf evergreens are also pruned at this time of year. Boxwood can be pruned into any shape you desire, using garden shears or secateurs. Same goes for euonymus - but, personally, I prefer to keep them as natural as possible (not too manicured). Cedar hedges can be pruned multiple times per season starting now. The final pruning should be done mid-August.

Lilacs

Have you taken a really deep breath in the last few days? If not, you should. You're missing something really special - the sweet smell of lilacs.

For a few weeks every year, the air in this part of the world is filled with the unmistakable scent of lilacs. Of all the fragrant plants that exist, none surpass this shrub. If you have never planted a lilac, you will be pleased to learn that they are one of the easiest shrubs to grow. They love our native soil! They do not thrive if you amend the soil with peat moss or other acidic materials. My advice is to dig a generous hole and plant a lilac in your existing soil (which in this part of the country is naturally alkaline - the kind of soil lilacs prefer).

I have never fertilized my lilacs, but if you decide to be sure to use one high in phosphorous - such as 15-30-15. Lilacs planted in your lawn are adversely affected by the high nitrogen fertilizer that is used on grass. This type of fertilizer will result in lush leaf growth at the expense of flowers. So, if your lilac is planted in the lawn, be sure to avoid fertilizing your lawn in the vicinity of your lilac bush.

Since lilacs produce their flower buds late in the season (for the next year's bloom) they can only be pruned immediately after they have finished blooming this season.

If you already have a lilac and it is in bloom, you should treat yourself to a fresh bouquet. Within minutes, your home is infused with the scent of lilacs. A hint that I learned years ago about lilacs is that you should bruise the stem ends before putting them in a vase. This will extend their bloom time in your vase.