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Bloom of the Week: Manchurian Apricots

5/27/2015

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Stand the tree up and gently pull the roots outward. If roots are growing around in a circle and are tightly compacted, make four or five vertical cuts through them with a utility knife and spread the roots outward.

Prepare an area 36 in. in diameter, clearing all sod and weeds. Work the soil 24 in. deep. Dig the hole right before planting deep enough and wide enough to accommodate the roots without crowding

Place the tree in the hole and hold it in position. Fill the hole with the soil that you removed. Tamp the soil down with your foot between shovelfuls to compact the soil. Fill the hole until it reaches ground level.

Shovel the excess soil from the hole in a circle around the hole’s edges. Add topsoil to the excess soil to create a water ring that is at least 4 inches deep. Lightly wet the water ring with a garden hose and compact it with the flat side of a hoe.

Water your Manchurian apricot tree in the water ring until the soil is saturated (water no longer soaks into the ground).

Place a 3-foot wooden stake just outside the water ring on any side of the tree. Hammer it into the ground about 6 to 8 inches deep until it is steady when you wiggle it with one hand. Tie cloth tape around the stake and loosely around the tree trunk to stabilize it in high winds.

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Ah... The apricot. This little fruit is delightful in all kinds of recipes: sauces, jams, pies, etc. This variety, the
Manchurian apricot, is the hardiest and can be grown in our colder climate (zone 3).
The tree will grow about 10-12 ft. tall, and can live to be 30 years old.

It's best to plant at least two of these so that they can cross-pollinate.
These trees are very vigorous and they can thrive almost anywhere. In spring, they bear pink flowers that turn into edible 4-5 in. fruits. I would recommend fertilizing the tree after it has reached bearing age. The Manchurian apricot typically produces a good crop of fruit just every other year.

To plant, lay the Manchurian apricot pot on its side on the ground. Slightly lift the pot and pull it from the roots of the tree. You may need to grasp the trunk in one hand and the pot in the other hand and rock the trunk side to side to release the tree and roots.


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Creating a Bee-utiful Garden!

5/25/2015

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If your like me, you might spend a tinsey, tiny amount of time on this one website called "Pinterest". And by saying "tinsey, tiny", I'm probably actually saying "every available minute" :-) And while I have been perusing the pins, I have come across many that have titles such as "Save the Honey Bee" or "Plants for Bees". After seeing so many of them, I decided to do a little research of my own to see what all the buzz was! (Get it, buzz... Like a bee...)

Turns out, there is a problem, it's called "Colony Collapse Disorder". Honeybees throughout the world are abandoning their hives and disappearing. There are many ideas as to why this is happening, but there is no conclusive evidence to suggest any one theory is correct. Depending on what article you read or whom you talk to, the reason can be anything from pesticide use, to WIFI signals, to genetically modified corn.

So, that being said, there really isn't anyone practice we can eliminate to restore the bees, however, thankfully, there are a few proven ways to help increase the honeybee population.

Make a Bee Buffet
Bees need to have as much time as possible before winter comes to be able store away enough honey to survive. So it's best to give them flowers as early in spring as possible (such as a Crocus) all the way until the end of fall (with perhaps an Aster or a Mum). Plan to have approx. 1 square meter of any one type of bee friendly flower as bees like to hop from flower to flower.

As to the type of flower, almost any flower will be a good flower for bees, but there are definitely some that help more than others.
Fragrant flowers with easily accessible pollen is always the best choice. Some other tips about what to choose include:
  • Use plants with single blooms and many individual flowers
  • Pick plants that bloom heavily
  • Select plants with long lasting blooms
  • Select a variety of plants that bloom in all seasons
  • Don't forget about flowering trees and shrubs, they count too!

Here is a helpful guide for choosing bee friendly plants:

Other Bee-neficial Steps
Try limiting the spraying of insecticides, since, obviously, bees are insects. If you are going to spray, try doing it when the bees are not active which would mean spraying only late in the afternoon and not at all when the plants or flowers are actively flowering.

Also, who doesn't like a drink of water while having a meal? Bees enjoy this too! Water features or even a bird bath can help attract bees to your yard.

Something also to think about in helping the bees would be to support our local beekeepers by buying local honey. Yum!

Ohh! That Stings!
There is one other thing I would like to discuss with the bee situation. If your like me, you would like to help out the bee situation - in theory... I have to admit, I am a little afraid of bees. I for one don't relish the idea of having extra bees in my yard to run away from.

However, while doing this research, I did find out some information that might help me (and perhaps you!) with this fear: honeybees in particular are not especially aggressive. Truth be told, they would rather just be left alone. And if you leave them alone, they will return the favor and leave you alone. It's maybe a good idea to also not plant those bee-friendly plants and flowers right by your sitting areas and walkways. I know I won't!
bee-utiful_flowers.pdf
File Size: 286 kb
File Type: pdf
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Bloom of the Week: Never Alone Rose

5/13/2015

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The Never Alone Rose was created for Spring 2015 in partnership with the Never Alone Foundation and the CFL Alumni Association to raise funds for the organizations. A $1 royalty is raised from every Never Alone Rose purchased.

The Never Alone Foundation is a nationally registered charity committed to improving the lives of people affected by cancer. Founded by former CFL executive and Winnipeg Blue Bomber Alumnus Lyle Bauer. The Never Alone Foundation's vision is a world where no one enters the fight against cancer feeling alone.

This rose is a Morden rose and was bred to be very hardy. It has a continuous bloom with gorgeous red and white bicolour flowers with dark green leaves. It's compact form is great for the flower bed but at the same time can be used in containers around the yard and on the deck. This rose is also very disease resistant.

Whether you or a loved one has been affected by cancer, the Never Alone Rose can serve as a reminder that beauty in life still exists as well as we must never give up.
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Bloom of the Week: Aunt Molly Groundcherries

5/6/2015

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Ever heard of a groundcherry? These unique little fruits look similar to a yellow tomato. Groundcherries are a cousin to tomatillos, although they are different species, originating in Central and South America. Both made their way into North American gardens in the mid-1800's. The groundcherry fruit is encased in a thin, papery husk which falls off the plant when the groundcherry is ripe.

These marble-sized, orangey fruits have a unique flavour, which is sometimes described as tasting similar to anything from pineapple, cherry, tangerine, kiwi or tomato. They are excellent in soups, sauces and pies as well as just eaten fresh.

These interesting little plants are easy to grow. They can be grown in containers, but they do prefer to be right in the ground, spaced out 3' - 4'. Onions, chives, leeks, borage, marigolds and basil make good growing companions for groundcherries. If you do plant them in a container, make sure you keep your plant moist, fertilized and in a sunny location.

Groundcherry plants will grow to the size of a typical tomato bush, but they won't have to be staked because they have long, sturdy stalks.

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    Author

    Hello! My name is Lee Ann and I am the daughter-in-law to the Giesbrechts. I have learnt much about gardening from helping out in the greenhouse, but I hope that through writing this blog, I will learn more and be able to share the things I have learnt with you!

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