Vert-à-Go

The Saskatchewan Perennial Society will hold its spring plant exchange on 19 May. Admission to this event is for SPS members only (see below to find out how to join, or pick up your membership at the door). Attendees are asked to bring along a dessert to share.

When we think of prairie-hardy perennials, most of us usually think of flowers and foliage. But there are a number of food-bearing perennials as well: how about strawberries, rhubarb, or chives? To take part in the plant exchange, bring extra plants, properly labeled with preferred growing conditions, colour and height. Everyone will get several plants each to take home.  But don’t worry if you don’t have plants to share–just a dessert will be fine!

The SPS promotes the use of perennial plants by hosting spring and autumn plant exchanges, as well as holding garden tours during the summer so members can show their yards. It has helped create the Robin Smith Meditation Garden at the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park, and also has a new test border of plants on display at the park. The SPS also has an excellent members-only library, whose books can be borrowed at the meetings and plant trades.

Saskatchewan Perennial Society spring plant exchange

When: Tuesday 19 May, doors open 6:30pm, exchange starts 7pm

Where: Forestry Farm Park Hall, Saskatoon Zoo, Saskatoon, SK (Google map)

Admission: Saskatchewan Perennial Society members ONLY–to join, get the mail-in membership form here ($10 basic annual membership/$25 membership includes 1-year subscription to Gardener for the Prairies magazine–a great deal!). You can also buy a membership at the door. The $2 park entry fee is also in effect.

For more information: Saskatchewan Perennial Society web site, or email

This weekend is Gardenscape, Saskatoon’s annual horticulture trade show. As always, there will be a large number of booths (420 this year) dealing with all things green and growing, as well as nine feature gardens (including ones demonstrating water-conscious gardening and vertical gardening). The auction of all plants used in the show will be held at 6:30 on Sunday evening in the main theatre.

The feature speaker for 2009 is author, journalist and environmental activist Des Kennedy. He will be giving two talks daily, one on ‘Garden Artristry’ and another on ‘The Exquisite Artistry of Chinese Gardens’ (check the schedule for exact times). For those with a particular interest in food gardening, you may also want to check out the following talks and demonstrations:

Friday, 27 March (Speakers’ Theatre)

• 4pm Best Vegetables for Saskatchewan (Doug Waterer, U of S Plant Sciences)
• 6pm Fruits of Saskatchewan (Forrest Scharf, Provincial Fruit Specialist)
• 7pm Growing and Processing Herbs (Connie Kehler & Helga Halfinger/Helga’s Herbs, Herb Spice Association)

Saturday, March 28

Speakers’s Theatre

• 12 noon Drinking Your Garden: a primer on home wine making (Cedric Gillott, 2007 Gold Medalist, International Cider Competition)
  3pm Living Roof Tops (Goya Ngan, Saskatoon)
• 4pm The Buzz Around Bees Will Chalmers (Saskatoon Area Bee Club)
• 6pm Organic Gardening & Pesticide Alternatives (Patricia Hanbidge, Saskatoon School of Horticulture)

Demonstration Theatre (Hall D)

• 11am Growing and Using Edible Herbs (Fran Eldridge, Fran’s House of Herbs)
• 2pm Ask A Horticulture Expert (Spencer Early/Early’s Farm & Garden Centre, Rick Van Duyvendyk/Dutch Growers Garden Centre, Patricia Hanbidge/Saskatoon School of Horticulture. Vic Krahn, Lakeshore Garden Centre)

Sunday, March 29 (Speakers’ Theatre)

• 2pm Garden Insects: The Good, The Bad, and The (not necessarily) Ugly (Cedric Gillott, Professor Emeritus U of S Biology)

Get the full schedule here!

Gardenscape 2009

When: Friday 27 March (noon-10pm) , Saturday 28 March (10am-9pm), Sunday 29 March (11am-5pm)

Where: Prairieland Park Trade Centre, 503 Ruth Street West, Saskatoon  (Google map)

Cost: $8 ($12 for 2 days), Students 15 & under FREE, Butterflies & Blooms Exhibit $3

For more information: Gardenscape web site

Do you have a pesky gardening question? The University of Saskatchewan’s Gardenline is now open for the season and is taking calls from domestic gardeners and small-scale commercial growers.

Gardenline offers information and advice on everything green. You can ask about starting seeds, growing vegetables, fruit, houseplants, trees and shrubs, yard and garden plants, and find out how to deal with diseases and pests.

The free phone line (966-5865) will be open until 31 August on Mondays to Thursdays, from 9am-noon and 1-4pm. You can also email questions to gardenline@usask.ca.

Gardenline’s web site also has a ton of very informative articles grouped by category (they are rather awkward to search, but fun to browse). You can find advice on planting early vegetables here.