Greenhouse Tour Continued

I am contributing to a few memes today, including memes for shadow shots, water, flowers, and reflections.

Welcome back to Greenland........ 

 Just outside the entrance to Greenland Garden Centre in Sherwood Park Alberta, I took these photos.    Last week I posted more photos of this entrance which you can see here.  The rock faces (below) are so unique.  The more I see of them, the more I like them.

So that was a glimpse of last week's post close-up so you can enjoy the plantings.  Now, come with me inside to the gift section.  They employ an interior decorator who puts all this together with great aplomb.  I love to shop in here for great decor ideas and style tips.  The air smells heavenly of perfumed sachets.  

From table settings, to sachets, candles, statuary, jewellery, skin care for the gardener, plaques, and so much more....it's a would-be designer's dream.  Just take a look at the variety and the attention to detail.  It makes me want to redecorate my entire house........

Now off to the indoor plant section.......

From bromeliads above to Japanese Maples below..... Japanese Maples are not indoor plants as they need a dormant period.  I've tried growing them myself but they are zone 5 at the minimum and I live in zone 3.  I read a tip recently for overwintering Japanese Maples for those of us in climates too cold to keep them outdoors year-round.  Another greenhouse suggests growing them in pots, then at the end of the season, water well and put in the garage overwinter, wrapping the entire pot in layers of bubble wrap to insulate the root ball.  I really must try this as I do love Japanese Maples.

Having never seen Hens and Chicks (above) flower quite like this, my son asked me to take a photo.

Love these plants!  So vibrant above and so pretty and feminine below!

This area that we just entered, above photo and below, is an outdoor extension of the greenhouse.  We are under a pergola.  Do you like the water feature?

Above, a neat idea to make over a bird bath.

An outdoor seating area in a gazebo. (above)

Now for the perennial section.......

And the trees and shrubs........

The garden centre has a couple outdoor water features, this stream and a pond.  The pond section is located nearby with all the supplies you could possibly need to set up a pond on your property.  The only thing missing is the fish.  

I took so many photos here that I depleted the memory on my card.  Not all are posted here and will be available in future posts as I spotlight some of my favourite plants.  Stay tuned...

To see the tour of the Botanical Garden which is located on the property of this greenhouse, click 

here

I am linking with:

 Watery Wednesday

Fertilizer Friday/Flaunt Your Flowers

Shadow Shot Sunday

Weekend Reflections

What do you think of this greenhouse?  Is a destination you'd like to visit, assuming you'd be in this neck of the woods?  

I love to hear from you, so please take a moment to comment below.  

Followers are welcome!  I love the company!!

Good Morning!

I had an early wake-up call this morning.  

At 5:30 am today my husband woke me to see this:

Such a glorious wake up call!  [thank you J for waking me :)]

If ever you doubt God exists, 

you just need to see gifts like these that he shares just for you.  

What a wonderful world!

Come back Friday to see more incredible shots of this morning's sunrise. 

(you haven't seen anything yet!)

Shortly following this, 

we had a terrific short-lived storm with thunder, lightning and rain. 

Some areas received hail, fortunately we didn't.

Have a terrific week everyone!

Spotlight on: Twist 'n Shout Hydrangea

photo by The Gardening Life (me) taken at Greenland Garden Centre

Spotlight:

Twist-n-Shout hydrangea [Hydrangea macrophylla 'PIIHM-I' (PPAF)]

Twist-n-Shout is another big leaf hydrangea in the Endless Summer collection which blooms on new and old wood.  It is a lace-cap hydrangea with pink or blue blossoms, depending on the soil acidity.  It has sturdy red stems with large green leaves which turn burgundy-red in the autumn.  Hardy zones 4-9.  Beautiful planted in masses, amongst other hydrangeas or as a specimen plant. Though the Endless Summer site suggests they can be grown in containers, they would not overwinter in the colder regions of the country.

Photo by The Gardening Life (me) taken at Greenland Garden Centre

Twist-n-Shout Hydrangea was developed by Dr. Michael Dirr of the University of Georgia. Twist-n-Shout is a cross between H. 'Lady in Red' and H. ‘Penny Mac’, combing the best characteristics of both.

Sun Exposure	Partial Shade
Bloom Time	Flowers all season long, repeat blooms
Plant Color	Pink blooms in alkaline soil; blue blooms in acidic soil
Watering	Keep soil moist
Fertilizer	Slow release fertilizer in spring, no feeding after August 15th.
Height / Spread	3-5' / 3-5'
Shape	Rounded
Foliage	Green
Fall Foliage	Red-Burgundy
Zone	4-9

* this chart is from the Endless Summer site

photo from the Seattle Times

Summer, Where Art Thou?

Raindrops on roses, on my head and nose, overflowing underpasses, flooded basements.  Where is Summer?

Summer is typically characterized by those long hot hazy crazy days when we languish by the lake or in the shade with a cool drink in hand.  Not this summer though.  I gaze out the window to see minute droplets of rain water resting like beads of condensation on the leaves of the peonies.  The flowers themselves, long spent in the insistent rain and winds.

Even the Morden Blush roses have succumbed with browned borders on each flower petal.  Basements flood, not mine but many others, overpasses flooded, the sump pump tirelessly fulfills its duty.  Sigh.  It is so reminiscent of last summer, the summer that forgot to come.

On the good side, the birch and willows are thriving in all the moisture!!

Visit to Greenland Continues.....

Last week, I posted a tour of a Botanic Garden located in Sherwood Park, Alberta.  This Botanic Garden is on the  property of Greenland Garden Centre.  Today's post continues with exterior shots of the greenhouse store entrance of the same.

Give you some ideas, doesn't it?  It does me.  It's weird, but I like those rock like facial sculptures and the fountains, well, I've always enjoyed fountains and water features for the garden.

I'm joining Weekend Reflections

Fertilizer Friday/Flaunt Your Flowers

Shadow Shot Sunday

Next week, join me for a tour of the greenhouse and the grounds, including trees, shrubs, hydrangeas and more!!  This is one of my absolute favourite greenhouses/nurseries in the area and, no, I am not in their employ. :0

My Love Hate Relationship with Swedish Columnar Aspen

You see them everywhere.  They hit the popularity charts about 10 or so years ago as homeowners set their sights on tall narrow trees for screening in the residential garden.  The Swedish Columnar Aspen is an excellent screening tree for privacy or as a sole specimen because they are so tall and narrow, taking little room in the garden visually while providing for the homeowners or commercial management's desires for treescaping.  (think of the Cypress in Italy to visualize the form)

Here are a few particulars about this columnar aspen:

Name:  Populus tremula (Swedish Columnar Aspen)
Zone rating:  2 (Canada)
Height:  30-45 feet at maturity (9.1--14 m tall)
Width:   5-8 feet wide (1.5--2.4 m)
Fast growing:  interpret as more than 1 foot per year
Lifespan:  average

Description:  A nice columnar tree with a dense canopy.  Excellent wind break or screen for privacy. Leaves are green on both sides and have somewhat wavy edges.  Tend to branch near to the ground.  All trees sold are male so they will not produce the fluff to which so many are allergic.  Note: Lois Hole's book, Favorite Trees and Shrubs, states it "can be planted next to a house as its smaller shallow roots are not invasive." (page 85)

Sound ideal? 

That was the love part... 

now for the hate.....

A few years ago my next door neighbour planted Swedish Columnar Aspen (populus tremula) near his fence, between our properties and that of his and his other neighbour's yards.  These saplings were maybe 5-6 feet tall and you could only see the tips over the fence.  At that time I was working at the garden centre and the staff were in discussions with horticulturists to determine just how suitable the Swedish Columnar Aspens were for foundation plantings.  One or more horticulturists had the idea that these are fine to plant, even next to a house, because their roots are supposedly non-invasive.  The Alberta Tree Nursery (a government funded agriculture and tree research site), however, disagreed citing 'they are members of the poplar family'.  They would not recommend planting them anywhere near buildings.  All of us in the nursery/greenhouse business have heard of the damage poplars can cause to sewers and foundations.  But these were different, or so we thought.  So, it was unclear then....................

Now, perhaps 8 years later, these same trees have nearly reached their mature height of 30 feet (maturity can range between 30-45 feet) and I must admit I like the appearance of them.  They are tall and narrow and the sound of their leaves rustling in the slightest breeze is soothing to hear.  

PROBLEM......Those roots are not non-invasive!  They have meandered over to our property, with shoots sprouting up in the lawn and next to the foundation of our house (some 15 feet away).  Needless to say, I am not terribly impressed.  Now, logically it makes sense that the roots would spread outward as they must anchor the tree in place.  The Swedish Columnar Aspen does not have tap roots, therefore, lateral roots are necessary to retrieve nutrients and to act as anchors.

If  you were to look over the neighbour's fence, you could see several more shoots coming up in their poorly maintained lawn.  So, one tends to rethink the non-invasive label -- does one classify the roots as non-invasive only if they don't enter the sewer lines?  All the lines are in the front of the houses in our subdivision so that is not a concern.  The foundation is a major concern, though.  Based on the evidence I have witnessed first hand, I would not consider these non-invasive!  

Has anyone else had experiences like this with Swedish Columnar Aspen?  Would you still plant Swedish Columnar Aspen in your garden, or as a foundation plant, after seeing this?  I suggest the ideal location to plant this tree would be on the back perimeter of the property where roots cannot interfere with foundations or lines.  Yes, I would.  It's the whole love/hate thing.

If a Swedish Columnar Aspen is planted in a parking lot, surrounded by concrete, is it then non-invasive?  I'm just asking.....  (tongue in cheek)

Is Oak Park Selective in Whom it Tickets and Prosecutes?

Oak Park resident Julie Bass is in the news again.  Fox News reports the charges against Julie Bass regarding her front garden of vegetables have been dropped (silent cheers across the board!).  However, now there's a matter of dog licensing.  Is Oak Park targeting the Bass family?  Is the city selective in whom it tickets and persecutes  prosecutes?  Aren't there more important issues to face in this city?  Watch this video and see for yourself the updates.

Oak Park Drops Charges Against Julie Bass and Her Vegetable Garden: MyFoxDETROIT.com

Julie Bass' Garden Rant Spreads Over the Internet

As readers of this blog, you may recall my recent post about homeowner, Julie Bass', upcoming pre-trial appearance regarding the use of her front yard to grow vegetables.  As stated in my article, Julie faces 93 days imprisonment for growing vegetables in her front yard rather than grass.  We, as members of a world wide gardening community, are outraged that Oak Bluff would deem it necessary to prosecute Julie Bass for doing what we do, gardening!  We may not all be connoisseurs of growing our own produce but we, as a community, believe it is the right of any person, to grow vegetables, in the front yard or back!  Julie Bass does so in a neatly organized fashion and stands for her right to do so!  No where in the bylaws of Oak Bluff does it say one cannot do so.

So, if you, like so many of the rest of us, side with Julie on this, please take the time to visit her blog, and sign the petition.  You may wish to pen a nicely worded note to city council, see the links in the Garden Rant article below,  indicating your support to "grow your own".  Please remember to do so in a polite and pleasing manner.  Losing our tempers will not further Julie's cause, which someday, may be our own personal cause.

If you agree, please spread the word via Twitter, Facebook, Stumble Upon, Digg or whatever manner you see fit.  (see the buttons below this post).  

Posting on Garden Rant:  Talk to the Planning Department.

[Note on pre-trials:  a pre-trial is an assessment in court to determine the viability of the prosecution's case.  Both the prosecution and the defence present their cases to the judge.  It will be determined upon this assessment whether the crown/prosecution will go forward in prosecuting this further but the judge must be convinced that there is a probable case.]

Woman in Oak Park Faces 93 Day Jail Time for Growing Vegetables in Her Front Yard!!

Oak Park Woman Faces 93-Days in Jail For Planting Vegetable Garden: MyFoxDETROIT.com

Oak Park seems to be out of touch as they prepare to prosecute resident Julie Bass for growing vegetables in her front yard.  After all, front yard vegetable gardens are in vogue right now as homeowners strive for economical organic means of supplying their own produce.  However, Oak Park city code states: "all unpaved portions of the site shall be planted with grass or ground cover or shrubbery or other suitable live plant material."  What makes vegetables unsuitable?

From the photo, it is obvious this gardener hasn't let the raised beds go to weed.  She has instituted raised beds to contain her crops, making it easy to cultivate and pleasing on the eye.  So why does the city have a problem with it?

As quoted in the Huffington post, Oak Park City Planner Kevin Rukolwski told MYFOXDETROIT:  "If you look at the definition of what suitable is in Webster's dictionary, it will say common. So, if you look around and you look in any other community, what's common to a front yard is a nice, grass yard with beautiful trees and bushes and flowers."

Gardener Julie Bass has received a warning, a ticket, and now a misdemeanour charge for refusing to remove the vegetable garden from the front yard.  Pretrial is scheduled for July 26 of this year.  According to Julie's blog, she faces up to 93 days imprisonment.

Fellow gardeners, do you think the city's actions are justified?  Or, do you side with the homeowner, Julie Bass?  How do you feel about the homeowner's right to landscape as she sees fit?

The full news article is here.

Julie Bass' blog

Botanic Garden Tour: Greenland Garden Centre in Sherwood Park

I decided this post was going to be more photos and few words.  I had the opportunity to walk through the botanic gardens at Greenland Garden Centre in Sherwood Park recently and was impressed to see how it has developed over the last few years.  One portion of the garden is dedicated to a small vegetable bed including peas on ornamental wrought iron trellis/stakes, corn, swiss chard and so much more.  Come along with me and enjoy......

Memes I am participating in:

Weekend Reflections 

Fertilizer Friday Flaunt Your Flowers

Shadow Shot Sunday