Gardeners in Saskatchewan have a short window of opportunity in which to enjoy the fruits of their labour.
It never ceases to amaze me that in two months we can go from this to this. (May 12 vs July 12)
We had a mixture of weather but enjoyed many hot days. Heat is excellent for perennials, but annuals struggle. Pots are challenging because you must be home to water them consistently, once they dry out, they never look the same again. Every year I repurchase plants and shrubs that I love and know will perform well, and I add in new ones I have never tried.
I hadn’t planted marigolds in years but I started some in the house in early spring and ended up with lots of plants. The tub of marigolds lasted well into fall, and I enjoyed its beautiful autumn colours.
We try to make improvements to the yard every year. We got rid of the ugly red rain bucket and replaced it with a grey rain barrel that has a spot on the top to plant flowers. I like the look of the barrel, the plants on top were happy, and the grandkids found the tap entertaining.
The ugly red rain bucket. My grandmother’s lilac bush which she planted sometime before 1975; received an extensive trim (2020).
The lilac is coming back slowly, it looks healthy and the leaves are huge. Hopefully, it will bloom again.
Top of the rain barrel. There is a corner area between our backyard fence and the street that I never liked but couldn’t decide what to do with. That location didn’t received much sunlight because of the nearby trees. This year our neighbour took out some trees and installed a white lattice fence instead.
One thing led to another on my side of the new fence and I put in a curved flower bed the length of the fence and made round beds under two nearby spruce trees. This project involved digging and removing sod and installing edging.
Luckily, The Hubs took pity on me when he saw I was running out of steam and helped me finish the job. It is dry under the trees, but the area looks better, and once the perennials I transplanted mature, there will be lovely shade gardens.
The advantage of buying so many plants and shrubs over the years is that when I need plants to fill in an empty spots, I go shopping in the yard for things to divide or relocate. I added a collection to the lattice fence garden and under the trees and I am anxious to see how they develop. Ferns, lilies, hostas, irises, clematis vines, shrubs and ground cover are some of what I chose for these flower beds. I added stepping stones, flat rocks and lights for decor.
I am envisioning several of these yellow annual vines on the lattice fence!
The Strawberry Saga
In 2020 I had grand plans for a bumper strawberry crop. I planted strawberries in large planters, and we got a meagre taste. Unfortunately, the plants didn't survive the winter even though I added mulch for cover.
I refused to admit defeat though, and purchased new plants in 2021 and again situated them in the planters. Mid-August saw me having second thoughts about leaving my precious strawberries in the containers over the winter so I replanted them into the ground. I am happy to report that six out of eight of the plants came back this year and I got to eat a few strawberries later in the season. I have great hopes for a bigger crop next year.
The Hubs Frog Garden
The Hubs was disappointed that I planted flowers in some of the veggie tubs so he got a black bin and made his own mini garden. He planted tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce and radishes. I must concede that his little garden produced quite well. I was amused when he came home with a set of three frog lights for his garden. My amusement faded when I went outside that night and was blinded by the light from the frog’s eyes; those suckers are bright.
In September, The Hubs commented that we should prepare the yard for winter and put everything away for the season. I was resistant to this idea and told him I wanted to cling on to every last bloom till the bitter end and not to touch one petal. Eventually, in early October, I had to acquiesce to his better judgment, and we cleaned the yard and put all the furniture, lights, stepping stones and smaller pots away.
I don’t like doing this too soon in case a fall warm spell hits, but I also do not like getting caught with everything under snowbanks. I prefer to have the yard clean so that when spring comes, the new growth can come through, and all we have to do is a bit of raking and trimming. I can relax and enjoy the early risers, the crocuses and the tulips.
September and October were extremely dry months in central Saskatchewan. I watered the trees, shrubs and perennials thoroughly to lessen the stress that comes with going into a harsh winter dehydrated, but that is a poor substitute for rain.
Early November brought a substantial snow covering, so that is good. I loose a plant or two every winter, the ones I knew were unsuitable for this growing zone, but I bought them anyway. It is a risk I am willing to take on the chance that they might grow here.
My favourite tree, the tamarack.
In the spring, I plan on doing more work on the new flower beds. I will look and see what other kinds of perennials I can add, but a person has to be patient as it takes years for a bed to mature. If you plant too many perennials and shrubs close together, once they grow to their full size, it looks overcrowded. The addition of annuals and garden decor will fill the spaces nicely in the meantime.
Between the sidewalk and the house there is a space one foot wide by 15 feet long. It is extremely hot and dry and I have tried a variety of things there over the years. I had lily-of-the-valley growing prolifically there, but it was out of control, extending into the neighbouring flower beds and the lawn, so last fall, I removed it. This year there were still a few scraggly lily-of-the-valley in there, which looked terrible, but I couldn’t figure out what to put there so that is how it stayed. What could I do with an area like that?
Plans are brewing for a fairy garden in the backyard which will be fun to do and the little kids will love it. Since the tree removal, the existing plants in this bed are receiving additional sunlight and are growing better.
Future fairy garden site.
Over the winter, I need to ponder what to do with the vegetable tubs, as I mentioned several of them ended up full of flowers this year, so I’m not sure which direction I will go with those. What types of produce have you had success with in pots?
I want to turn a couple of the deck planters into Christmas decor next fall. I have shepherd-style lights that will work great for this, along with greenery, pine cones and other colourful festive additions.
New projects are exciting!
I am honing my photography skills.Links to previous years' Yard & Garden pages; check in to see how things have changed and progressed.
Links to my other gardening-related stories:
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