{ Author Archive - Tara Nolan }

Previewing President’s Choice plants

When the outdoor garden centre suddenly appears in my local Fortinos parking lot, I know that it’s time to plant (or almost time). Last week I got to preview what these garden centres (Fortinos, Loblaws, etc.) will be selling at an event to launch the garden edition of the President’s Choice Insider’s Report. By the way, the report officially comes out today!

I’ve had some great luck with President’s Choice plants over the years. Favourites include the Gigantico columnar basil, which keeps me well-stocked with pesto through the winter, a strawberry hanging basket that produced strawberries for me all last summer and the dahlinovas, which are stunning in containers.

Here are some of the plants I’m looking forward to trying in my garden this year:

PC Gigantico Begonia, Go-Go Rose Bicolor: These two-toned beauties are destined for my containers!

PC Campanula Purple Get Mee: The purple blooms on this perennial are supposed to come back until the fall. I'm hoping to create a lush carpet of purple in one area of my garden.

PC Heuchera Amber Lady: This is my first heuchera. I love how all the rich colour is in the foliage - no blooms required!

PC Miniature Fountain Grass - Burgundy Bunny: I can't wait to see how this grass turns to a rich burgundy shade later in the season.

PC Pixie Grape Pinot Meunier Hardy Vine: I'm curious to see how many grapes this dwarf grapevine will produce. Not enough to make wine, I'm sure, but hopefully enough to eat!

PC Might 'Mato: What I'm probably most curious about planting is the Mighty 'Mato, a grafted tomato plant that will likely grow to be taller than me. The one at the preview was enormous. I brought home three to try.

PC Shrimp Braid: I probably won't get one this year, but I'd be remiss if I didn't show this intriguing tropical plant. You can display it outdoors over the summer and then bring it inside come winter.

Win tickets to Canada Blooms

I can’t believe Canada Blooms is only a week away. Where has the winter gone? I’m not lamenting that it’s almost over, that’s for sure, but it went by pretty quickly. I posted a wee preview this morning just to highlight a few of the gardens I’m looking forward to seeing.

This was one of my favourite gardens last year: "The Rebirth of Roncy" by Sara Jameson of Sweetpea's.

I have two pairs of tickets to give away. They get you into both Canada Blooms and the National Home Show, which are co-located at the Direct Energy Centre in Toronto from March 15 to March 24. To win, please leave a comment below telling me what you’re looking forward to seeing at Canada Blooms. Two responses will be selected at random Monday, March 11, 2013.

Contest closes March 11, 2013 at 12 p.m. EST. Open to all residents of Canada, except those in Quebec. Not open to any TC Media employees, their families, or any other persons with whom they reside. 

Good luck!

A quick and easy bird-feeder post

When I was a kid, the bird feeder, seen from our large kitchen window provided endless entertainment. Chickadees, cardinals, blue jays, nuthatches, doves, juncoes and woodpeckers (to name a few) were all frequent visitors. A number of birdfeeders have come and gone over the years and all of them used to sit on a metal pole with the requisite squirrel guard that did absolutely nothing to deter the acrobatic squirrel population. I love this bird-feeder post (and its squirrel-proof feeder) that my father made last year. I thought I would share it to commemorate National Bird-Feeding Month, established by the National Bird-Feeding Society.

A closeup shot shows off the fancy bracket.

The instructions are quite simple. Add a post bracket to the bottom of an eight-foot-long 4×4 post (paint it first, if you wish) and pound it into the ground. My dad says you could also use sono tube and concrete post holes depending on how soft or firm your ground is. Screw on a bracket (from which you’ll hang your feeder), top with a fence post cap and voilà. An attractive bird-feeder stand.

Oh, deer!

If anyone happens to let a herd of deer loose on the fourth floor of TC Media, they won’t be coming near my area. It’s not because I’m hiding a stash of deer-resistant bulbs amongst my gardening books and back issues of Canadian Gardening magazine. Rather, our web editorial director, Cath, had a container of Bobbex deer repellent under her desk that was accidentally kicked over by a colleague. The area is awash in eau de putrescent eggs, fish meal, fish oil, meat meal, garlic and clove oils, among others—all very effective, I’m sure, at repelling deer from a large backyard. A backyard full of fresh air that would help the odour to dissipate. That is not the case here.

Cath is stoically working at her desk, but it is pretty stinky over there. We thought we’d ask if anyone has advice on eliminating the bog-of-eternal-stench smell from carpet. Febreze and baking soda have failed miserably. Any advice is great welcome!

My problem with purslane and my new favourite weeder

While some of my vegetable plants have been looking a little sad in the hot, humid weather we’ve had of late, one plant that seems to be thriving in my garden is purslane. I know, it has more antioxidants than kale, but I’d much rather it grow in orderly rows like the rest of my garden. So instead of eating it, I decided to wage war on it. The problem was, that instead of pulling out big wads of purslane (which is quite easy when the plants get to a certain size), there were little, individual shoots everywhere! I remembered that I had a WeedComb in the shed and dug it out to try.

My WeedComb was the right tool to tackle an overabundance of purslane!

By scraping it across the soil, the WeedComb lifted each individual piece of purslane up and out of the soil by the roots. On a hot, sunny day, it made my job much easier. You need a different type of weeder to conquer dandelions and other deeply rooted weeds, but for annoying weeds that have shallow roots and spread, like creeping Charlie and purslane, I’ll be using my WeedComb.

Pretty in pink with a dash of yellow: My 2012 containers

The weather was so perfect in early May, I got to plant my containers much earlier than in previous years. I had the urn I bought before Christmas to fill, a gorgeous, turquoise, printed pot I got as a birthday present and a couple of rustic, terra cotta pots that I bought from a yard sale. These are the decorative ones. I also filled an old whisky barrel with some herbs.

I thought I’d share the results as I’m quite happy with how things turned out. I went with a pink theme this year out front and reserved a big yellow dahlia for my turquoise pot, which sits atop my new patio table out back.

All of the plants, with the exception of the gerbera daisy, which was an Easter present from my parents, are from President’s Choice. Some I bought on a grocery store outing, some I received at a President’s Choice preview event to try out.

Pot number 1, clockwise from left: Gerbera daisy (you can just see the leaves, but its blooms are pink), 'Cotton Candy' dahlia, lemongrass, 'Wasabi' coleus, Lanai Twister Pink verbena, 'Goldi' creeping Jenny

Pot number 1: This one was really fun to make because I needed lots of plants to make it lush and full. I chose all pink flowers, but I like how the verbena has the white to break it up. I also repeated the contrast foliage of the lime green coleus in the creeping Jenny. The lemongrass I will be able to harvest and eat throughout the summer. I learned that trick (of adding edibles to pots) from Paul Zammit, director of horticulture at the Toronto Botanical Garden.

Pot number 2, clockwise from left: Dahlinova Alabama dahlia, spearmint, 'Star Dust' White Sparkle euphorbia

Pot number 2: If anyone asked what I wanted for my birthday this year, I replied: “Pots or anything for the garden.” I got this amazing turquoise pot from my sister, brother-in-law and niece and I knew exactly what colour would look fantastic in it: yellow. I added some spearmint to enjoy as a tea and in summer desserts. And I fell in love with the delicate, barely-there white flowers on a wee euphorbia.

Pot number 3, from left to right: Dahlinova Lisa Dark Pink dahlia, Baby Tut cyperus

Pot number 3: For this pot, I ignored the rule that things look better grouped in odd numbers and simply planted this stunning pink dahlia and the swirly, curly cyperus.

Pot number 4: Hot pink petunias and blue mystery flowers.

Pot number 4: I can’t take credit for this one, it all came planted together in on pot. But it carried on my pink theme, and I wanted to show how effortless container planting can be if you’re not sure what to put together. Sometimes the nursery does all the work for you!

Previewing plants from President’s Choice

The annual President’s Choice Lawn & Garden Insider’s Report luncheon is a hot-ticket event for garden writers, because we get to turn our plots into trial gardens. This year, a room at the Toronto Botanical Garden was turned into a greenhouse so we could preview all the hot new plants that we’ll find at garden centres this spring. And let’s face it, most of us will make it to one of Loblaw’s parking lot nurseries at least once. Who doesn’t love buying a chicken, a Joe Fresh T-shirt and a dahlia or two in one shopping trip? Plus, I have to say their plants are always top-notch and affordable. I was able to chat with some of the growers, as well as listen to them tell the whole group of us about their breeding programs and their latest innovations.

Here are just a few of the plants I’m excited about. I’ll be including others in a “Hot plants for 2012″ piece premiering next week! Also premiering next week is the Lawn & Garden Insider’s Report. Keep an eye out for it in stores!

1. Haskap berries
To be honest, I had never heard of these little gems until Signe Langford wrote about them in her 2012 “new edibles to try” piece. Apparently they taste like a cross between a raspberry and a blueberry. Apparently you need two different varieties to get adequate pollination. I got ‘Indigo Gem’ and ‘Indigo Treat’. Excited to see how they grow–and to taste the berries!

Haskap berries

2. Brunnera Jack Frost
This will be one of my first purchases from the nursery this year. Named “perennial of the year” for 2012, brunneras are deer-resistant and shade-loving. This will be a perfect plant for the back of my lot where the tree canopy casts a giant shadow for most of the day, and where the deer enter the yard if they’re in the neighbourhood!

Brunnera 'Jack Frost'

3. Suncatcher Pink Lemonade Petunias
Last year it was the black petunia. This year, it’s all about pink lemonade. The colour on these blooms is just so unique and pretty, and they’ll contrast nicely with most other hues.

Suncatcher Pink Lemonade Petunia

4. Lanai Verbena Twister Pink
This pretty little number is so unique with its ring of miniature, two-toned blooms around a hollow centre. These will be fantastic for pots. I have a cone-shaped bamboo wall planter that I bought at the Ideal Home & Garden Show in Hamilton. I think one or two are destined to be included in it!

Lanai Verbena Twister Pink

5. PC Vegetables in a Cage
President’s Choice always has great edible plant offerings for both small and large spaces. A couple of years ago it was the upside-down, hanging tomato basket, last year it was the salad bowl garden. This year they’ve introduced vegetables all potted up with a cage around them. All you need to do is add water!

PC Vegetables in a Cage

The elusive white asparagus

On a high school trip to France, I spent a few days in Lyon, billeted by a local family. My first night at the dinner table, I was passed a plate of what looked like thick, albino asparagus. I had never seen such a thing! I don’t recall being much of a vegetable eater back then, but I didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, so I put a couple on my plate. I tentatively tasted a small bite, worried that I’d hate it. But I didn’t. It was delicious, even though it was served cold—and it would be years before I’d get another taste.

Just as we anticipate the green asparagus season here in Ontario, Europeans await the spring window when white asparagus becomes available. My mom and I recently travelled to the south of Holland (to visit Floriade), Brussels and Dusseldorf where white asparagus season was in full swing.

At Floriade, there was a whole exhibit devoted to growing white asparagus (and preparing it)—with samples! My mom and I chatted up the sample lady, who was representing Teboza, a Dutch company that specializes in asparagus cultivation and research. Our little cup of peeled, boiled and buttered white asparagus was so delicious we vowed we’d find a restaurant that served it before our trip was over.

Opportunity knocked at Brasserie du Jaloa in Brussels, where a prix fixe menu offered white asparagus as an appetizer. Sold! I think the waiter thought my mom and I were crazy because we were so excited about it. And we weren’t disappointed. We each got four juicy stalks, covered in fresh herbs and egg salad. I know that sounds a little weird, but it all worked together! It was so incredibly delicious.

I love green asparagus season and I always get my fill of local stalks each spring. White asparagus, however, is like the Polkaroo. Some supermarkets have started to carry it, but it’s still rather elusive. Even the Canadian Food Inspection Agency doesn’t have grade standards for white asparagus. A little Google search turned up a couple of Ontario growers: Mazak Farms in St. Thomas and Janssen Produce & Specialties Inc. in Simcoe. Perhaps a little road trip is in order once the asparagus is ready sometime in May!

Are you able to find white asparagus where you live? And does anyone know why white asparagus is not more popular here in Canada?

White asparagus at Floriade. Apparently the small ones are more tender and considered restaurant-grade.

Success! We finally found white asparagus at Brasserie du Jaloa in Brussels, Belgium.

White asparagus is so popular, they make it in chocolate form, as seen here at a department store in Dusseldorf, Germany.

Walking through and flying over Floriade

Unfortunately, I’ve been without wireless for the last few days, so I was unable to post. But I’m back! Last Friday was all about Floriade. One full, magnificent day that took my mom and I through hectares of gardening innovations and design. A quick shuttle bus ride from the Venlo train station took us right to the gates. There are five distinct areas to see: Environment, World Show Stage, Education & Innovation, Relax & Heal and Green Engine. We plotted an efficient route, using the cable car with its amazing 360-degree views of the whole expo to take us from one side to the other. (Warning: Whatever you pack, be sure to include comfortable shoes! You will be doing a lot of walking.) Each zone provided fresh inspiration, some of which we hope to bring to our own gardens. We also saw some amazing plants that we’ve never encountered in our Canadian nurseries.

What’s crazy about this gardening village with its multiple restaurants, buildings and gardens is that much of it will be dismantled at the end of the year when Floriade is over. The cable car has been sold to a ski resort in Austria and the land, apparently, will be used as a business park.

The exposition runs until October, so there is still plenty of time to book a plane ticket to Holland. We were lucky to be there to see a rainbow of bulbs and spring-flowering trees. But each month will bring new blooms and a lot of the plants that were teeny tiny in some of the gardens will have filled in nicely by the summer.

Our last stop of the day was the nursery and garden store. It was hard to resist some of the amazing bulbs that were for sale! My mom and I aren’t the smuggling types, so we resisted. I’m hoping we’ll be able to track down some of the bulbs for the interesting blooms we saw from bulb companies at home.

I have included a few images here, but there is so much to share, I will be creating some slide shows over the coming weeks showcasing all the interesting sights and ideas that we saw.

Towards the end of our day, still with smiles on our faces! Some of the people we encountered in Venlo couldn't believe we came all the way from Canada just to experience Floriade! It was worth the trip.

Seriously, how amazing is this tulip?

Floriade is a feast for all five senses!

Touchdown in Venlo, ready for Floriade

This afternoon, my mom and I arrived in the town of Venlo. We’re here because we decided on a whim a few months back that we really wanted to see Floriade together. So we planned a trip around it. Despite being a bit weary and jet-legged, we spent the afternoon exploring the town. There are lots of signs and planters (like the one below) welcoming people to Venlo and the once-a-decade horticulture event! There is lots of shopping in the downtown area (including some cute home and garden stores), as well as quaint little bars and cafes. Despite the chill to the air, we enjoyed a cup of tea in the sunny town square, watching the world go by. Resting up now since tomorrow is going to be a big day. Stay tuned!

There are signs all over Venlo--even on the planters--welcoming people to Floriade.

Venlo has some cute home and garden stores. This is some inspiration for a future project. They were displayed outside of Fiore a Voi

Inspiration for a future project!

We sipped tea in the square in front of the town hall (on the left).

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