Posted by admin to Jim's Notebook on 2008-01-10, 11:22:01

Hits & Misses: Healthy houseplants & laggard lilies
Question of the Week: Why have my houseplants stopped growing?
The Business: University of Alberta Textile Collection
The Path to Enjoy 2009: Innovative

When I was growing up, there was this drink called…coffee. It was just called coffee, too. There were no fancy epithets stuck on the end of it. Fast-forward to Christmas 2007 and I’m brewing Coffee Verona one day, Coffee Sumatra the next and God knows what I brewed on New Year’s morning, but whatever it was, I figure I have another dozen or so like it to try before I exhaust my Christmas supply. My point (and I swear I’m getting to it) is that the jive we do with java is really no different than the one we do with garden plant varieties—the amount of choices seem daunting at times. But having said that, I wouldn’t want to return to the dark days of limited plant varieties any more than I would want to drink that acrid, tasteless generic stuff we called coffee. In fact, I’ll drink to it.

Hits & Misses
Hit: Houseplants, Health and Wellness
It’s a jungle out there! The beginning of January is when we bring in our massive shipment of tropical plants for our annual houseplants sale. Now, one of the great things about tropicals is that they provide a lot of give and take—literally. On the give side, tropicals provide beauty that lifts our spirits, particularly during the dark days of winter. One the take side, indoor plants are remarkably effective at absorbing air pollutants (volatile organic compounds or VOCs, for short) that occur naturally in our homes. Nothing like a little boost to our mental and physical health after a long month of holiday overindulgence!

Miss: Laggard Lilies
Easter 2008 will be one of the earliest on record, so there’s a bit of panic to get the Easter lilies up and out of the potting soil quickly so that they bloom on time. Thankfully, about 99% of them are on (or ahead) of schedule, so we’re out of the starting blocks in good shape. However, as good a statistic as that is, there are always a few laggard lilies that bug me each and every year. Regardless of how well they are treated, they just seem to march to their own beat. In all fairness, though, as long as we unpredictable humans keep changing the date of Easter, I guess we really can’t expect 100% compliance.

Question of the Week
Why have my houseplants stopped growing?
I get a lot of people asking that exact question this time of the year. My answer is simple: it’s a lack of fuel. Plants need sunlight to fuel their growth, and thanks to the lower sun angle and shorter days of January, the maximum amount of light that plants receive is a mere 20% of what it is during the summer. The solution? Simple: move your plants closer to the window during the winter. Just watch out for cold drafts or windows that get a little frosty when temperatures fall.

The Business
University of Alberta Textile Collection
Last month, our family donated some of Mom’s favourite wardrobe pieces to the University of Alberta Textiles Collection. It just seemed like a natural thing to do: the University of Alberta was special to Mom, and we felt it would be a beautiful way to remember her. As tempting as it may have been to keep everything stored away, it’s comforting to know that these clothes will always be at the U of A, one of Mom’s favourite places and where she had some of her most meaningful experiences. The exhibit went on display Tuesday, January 8, 2008.

This robe is one of the many garments that make up a part of the Lois Hole wardrobe at the University of Alberta Textile Collection.

The Path to Enjoy 2009
Innovative
Can a microbrewery and a greenhouse work together?
We think they could. One of the plans for our new location is to investigate the opportunities of using the wastewater and beer mash from a microbrewery to water our plants and amend our soil mixes. Hmm…beer drinking as part of a good gardening regime. Now there’s a trend that has potential to catch on! Kind of puts a new spin on beer gardens.

The future site of the new Hole’s may sport such innovative concepts as a spa or even a microbrewery.

Did You Know?
Each gram of soil contains about two billion bacteria.

“There are two seasonal diversions that can ease the bite of any winter.
One is the January thaw. The other is the seed catalogues.”
-Hall Borland

Posted by admin to Jim's Notebook on 2007-12-20, 10:02:45

Hits & Misses: Indoor plant sale & growing pains
Question of the Week: How do I keep my evergreen arrangements looking fresh?
Science & Technology: Mandarin Oranges
The Path to Enjoy 2009: Unique

With Christmas yet to arrive, I know it may seem slightly heretical to talk about spring, but I can’t help myself. Just a few days ago, we received a huge shipment of gorgeous succulents destined for patio containers. There are speckled succulents, clam-shaped succulents, even flaming-red ones, but what they all have in common is that besides being good looking, they are also remarkably drought tolerant. And let’s face it, who of us would complain about having to spend less time watering?

Hits & Misses
Hit: Indoor Plant Sale

Speaking of shipments, we just received a truckload of tropical plants that will be for sale on January 2nd. At a time when the greenhouses are looking a bit sparse because of the gaps created by sold poinsettias, it’s wonderful to see so much large greenery. If you can’t travel to the tropics in January, might as well bring the tropics here!

Miss: Growing Pains
I have some plant problems in my home. Well, let me clarify that. My plants are actually having some people and dog problems. You see, my dog has decided that Ficus and Dracaena are part of a healthy diet, and my toddler has decided that potting soil shouldn’t be restricted to pots—apparently hardwood floors also make an excellent repository. To date, the dog, plants and floors look none the worse for wear, so with a little luck, I’ll be able to chalk it all up to the “it’s a phase they’re going through” principle. Come on, luck!

Question of the Week
How do I keep my evergreen arrangements looking fresh?

Outdoor wreaths and evergreen-filled urns will almost take care of themselves this time of the year. The humid air and cold temperatures act as an extreme version of a florist’s cooler and will keep your greenery looking good for months. To extend the life of your indoor arrangement, keep evergreens away from drying heat vents and fireplaces, and give them an occasional misting of water.

Science & Technology
Mandarin Oranges
I was reading a research report in the latest issue of The Journal of the American Society for Horiticultural Science called…wait for it…“Phylogenetic Analysis of Mandarin Landraces, Wild Mandarins, and Related Species in China Using Nuclear LEAFY Second Intron and Plastid trnL-trnF Sequence.” And now for a confession that really shouldn’t surprise you: I didn’t actually read this paper. I would have, but I’d have needed a lot more coffee to wade through the complicated Mandarin genetics to have even had a hope of comprehending the complexities of this research. At the same time, I know that as I stand in my kitchen and enjoy the sweet flavour of a Mandarin orange, I’m immensely thankful that researchers are spending time investigating what makes this fruit tick. The more we know about the nuances of crops like Mandarin oranges, the greater the likelihood of them being around for many generations to come.

Trend Spotting
Tired of traditional? You’re not alone. Make a unique holiday statement in your home with one of these feather wreaths. Quite possibly the perfect gift for tickling your holiday fancy.

The Path to Enjoy 2009
Unique
Can a Storm Pond become a Botanic Garden?
We think so. Our new greenhouse in South Riel will be located beside a storm pond, so we are working with the City of St. Albert and Beaverbrook Developments to come up with a plan to turn the functional into the enjoyable. That means exploring the idea of creating a water-cleansing system that doubles as an attractive botanic garden.

Did You Know?
The world’s largest puffball weighed 6.12 kilograms.

“A lovely thing about Christmas is that it’s compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all go through it together.”
–Garrison Keillor

Jim’s notebook will be taking a break over the holidays and will return on Thursday, January 10th, 2008. Until then, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all our readers.

Posted by admin to Jim's Notebook on 2007-12-13, 14:19:21

Hits & Misses: Popular plant arrangements & tight spaces
Question of the Week: Why are plants green?
Science & Technology: Potassium deficiency
The Path to Enjoy 2009: Sustainability

Sometimes nothing is a better than lip service. Case in point, being the ‘lip zone’ in a plant pot. Hilary Allan, one of our growers, and I were walking through the greenhouses the other day, and she pointed out that she always leaves a two-centimeter, soil-free zone at the top of the Easter lily pots. The reason she does this is so that customers will have just the right size water reservoir to ensure that their lilies get water and their kitchen counters and floors don’t. It may not sound like a big deal, but I think those little details make the difference between thoroughly enjoying a plant and wishing that you hadn’t bought it. I am the first to admit that I can be sloppy with the watering can at home (call it the curse of growing up in the greenhouse where water on the floor wasn’t a big deal), so I’m happy to take all the help I can get.

Hits & Misses
Hit: Popular Plant Arrangements
Indoor plant arrangements are hot items this Christmas, and I think their popularity can be attributed to their simplicity and ease of design. All you really need to create a great arrangement is an attractive pot, some quality potting soil and an assortment of small indoor plants. Add decorative rocks for top-dressing and a tiny ornament, and presto!—a terrific holiday centrepiece is born.

Miss: Tight Spaces
Heat and low light levels are a bad combination for plants. Each year, because of a lack of space, a few plants manage to find their way beneath the hot water pipes in the greenhouse. The problem with that scenario is that the heat encourages the plants to grow, but the light source doesn’t provide enough energy for them to assimilate nutrients. The inevitable result is soft, stretched and weak plants—the kind that usually topple and fold like cheap umbrellas in a wind storm.

Question of the Week
Why are plants green?
My daughter is studying light and lenses in her Grade 4 class and asked me why plants are green. The short answer that I gave her was that plants are green because they hate the colour green. Of course, that’s not exactly the truth, but I was going for drama. What I went on to explain was that while plants don’t hate green, they don’t get a big charge out of it either—literally. Plants prefer to utilize light in the red and blue spectrum and to reflect light in green spectrum. And that reflection of light accounts for why our eyes perceive most leaves as green. So the next time you are admiring the verdant leaves of your favorite shrub, remember that it is doing its best to give it away.

Science & Technology
Potassium Deficiency
Researchers in the department of Horticultural sciences at Texas A&M have determined that Phalaenopsis or moth orchids, as they are commonly called, do very poorly when grown in soils with low levels of potassium. The bottom line is that if you grow this type of orchid in your home, give it regular feedings with fertilizer that has a high last number on the label. A good indicator that your orchid might be a bit low in potassium is when it displays yellowy or bronze lesions on its leaves.

The Path to Enjoy 2009
Sustainability
Can art make a greenhouse more energy efficient? Well, maybe it will in our new location. We are working with a glass-blowing studio and various experts in the sustainable energy field to explore the possibility of recapturing the waste heat from the glass blowing furnaces. The heat would be used to warm the water in the greenhouse, and the vases manufactured in the studio would be sold in the Floral Design department. We think the answer is Yes!

Did You Know?
Compass plants (Silphium laciniatum) orient their leaf blades parallel to the sun.

“The only reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen at once.”
–Albert Einstein

Posted by admin to Jim's Notebook on 2007-12-06, 07:16:11

Christmas is the season best suited for contortionists. I mean, just think how perfect those skills would be for all the twisting, bending and stretching that’s necessary for hanging decorations or sticking that illuminated angel on the tip of a tree that’s one bough too tall for you and your ladder. Since I’m one or two double joints shy of that skill set, I’ve developed a tool that’s saved my body from irreparable damage. It’s an extension pole (the kind used by window washers) with an adjustable wrench duct-taped to the end of it. It’s amazing how good that tool is for hanging a variety of decorations in the house. Yeah, I know…Red Green would be proud.
Hits & Misses
Hit: Reader feedback
Back in April, I posted an article I wrote about an interesting bulb called the rat poison plant (Urginea maritime or red squill) . Well, I’m happy to report that a pair of readers e-mailed to tell us they grew this novel plant and had great success with it. Their secret? Neglect. They grew the bulb in almost pure sand in a pot outside and gave it no supplemental watering. The flower spike that developed this summer was stunning. They moved the pot indoors to their sunroom, and while they were away this fall the heating in their home failed. The resulting cool conditions forced the bulb to produce lush foliage. Have a look at the images they sent us.
Miss: Lost Time
I’ve talked to a few people who missed getting their tulips into the ground this fall and now wonder what to do with them. Well, these bulbs needn’t go to waste. Plant them in a container filled with regular potting soil, water them and keep them in a warm indoor spot for about three weeks or until they root. Once they are rooted (you can tip the pot and check), give them a cold treatment by sticking the pot in a cold garage or shed for a few months (freezing or a few degrees below is ideal). Then, come spring, place the pot in a cool, bright outdoor spot and, viola, you’ll have a nice container of flowering tulips to enjoy.
Question of the Week
How do I keep my poinsettia looking healthy?
The secret to keeping a poinsettia looking healthy isn’t really much of a secret. Simply putting it in the right environment and watering it properly is all that’s required. What it really comes down to is recognizing that you don’t need to grow the plant—you need only to maintain it. What I mean is that a holiday plant is on holiday. It has spent months working and growing to its peak of perfection, and now all it has to do is retain its beauty. It does take a bit of effort and patience on your part, but no more than it does being nice to well-meaning friends or relatives who overstay their holiday welcome.
Tips
1. Keep poinsettias away from cold drafts and heat registers.
2. Don’t fertilize.
3. Place the poinsettias near a sunny window during the day to prevent leaf drop. At night simply move them to their ‘decorator’ locations.
4. Prevent root rot by never letting poinsettias sit in saucers or catch trays filled with water.
Science & Technology
Smells like plant pests
Researchers at UBC are investigating the use of a ‘gas chromatograph’ to sniff for plant pests. Apparently, each pest causes the release of a spectrum of chemicals specific to the pest and the plant it’s attacking. With this piece of equipment, pests can be more easily detected and, hopefully, controlled.
Trend Spotting
Bruce: Image of bonsai from Nov.13 What’s New, please.
If you’re looking for something unique, you’re not alone. Bonsai are quickly becoming a favourite indoor plant. For best results, water plants faithfully and provide them with a bright, indirect light source.
Did You Know?
The ethylene gas given off by apples can cause the leaves to fall off your holly plant if the two are stored together. Bottom line? Apples and holly aren’t great roommates.

“No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.”
–Hal Borland

Posted by admin to Jim's Notebook on 2007-11-29, 08:05:46

Hits & Misses: Patience and circulating pumps
Question of the Week: What gives a Christmas tree its perfect shape?
The Business: Enjoy Gardening magazine

Like most people at this time of the year, I’m spending much of my downtime staring out the windows of warm places. Fortunately though, these cold and snowy months also provide the perfect opportunity to indulge in one of my favourite hobbies: Movie going.

This past weekend I saw the film Control. The movie explores the tragic life of Ian Curtis, a brilliant composer and lead singer of the 70s alternative band Joy Division who, at 23 years of age, commits suicide. As quickly as Joy Division was rising to the top of the alternative music scene, Ian was descending into his own personal hell—a world where he was rapidly losing control over his life. No, it wasn’t the feel-good movie of the year, but the take-home lesson was this: fame and control might just be mutually exclusive. Will the movie be a Hollywood blockbuster? Not a chance, but I really enjoyed it and thought there were several Academy Award winning performances. So if your taste in music and movies is best described as alternative, give Control a go. Hmm…I wonder if Ebert and Roeper offer gardening advice…

Hits & Misses
Hit: Patience
From the ugly duckling department, ‘Avante Garde’ is a hot new poinsettia variety that we tried this year because it looked great in the brochures. But after a couple of months of growing it, the consensus among the staff was that Avante Garde was destined for the compost bin. Well, it must have caught wind of our plan because the ‘swan’ finally emerged and has even become one of my favourite varieties. With its unusual-looking foliage, it’s still not the kind of poinsettia that’s likely to have mass appeal, but no one can deny that it lives up to its name.

Each year there are new poinsettias to try. ‘Avante Garde’ is an unusual-looking variety.

Miss: Circulating Pumps
Last week I was standing in a sea of fiery-red poinsettias talking to Hilary, our greenhouse manager. So, naturally, when she shouted “Fire!”, I assumed her exuberance was directly attributable to the sight of thousands of flaming-red poinsettias. Umm…no. Unfortunately, the fire was the genuine item, as in flames were shooting out of the hot water circulating pump in Greenhouse 8. Thankfully, the fire extinguished itself quickly and everything retuned to normal. Nevertheless, I would much rather grow the variety ‘Fire’ than see its namesake razing the greenhouses. Long live circuit breakers!

Question of the Week
What gives a Christmas tree its perfect shape?

Norway spruce, Picea abies ‘Clanbrassiliana’

The reason that evergreens grow in such a nice, conical, geometric pattern is due to a plant hormone called auxin. Auxin (from the Greek auxein, meaning to increase) is found in virtually every plant in the world. Without it, plants would have no direction—literally—they need auxin to ‘find’ sunlight and to grow in a direction that will maximize their exposure to that energy source. When it comes to evergreens, the highest concentrations of auxin exist at the tops of the trees and gradually diminish the farther you move toward the bottom of the trunk. Since high concentrations mean greater inhibition of growth, evergreens taper from the top down.

The Business
Enjoy Gardening Magazine
As we announced in last year’s Spring Gardening magazine, it’s time for a change…time to learn something new about ourselves and the world of gardening. Well, it’s been a long year of planning and writing and designing, but our first issue of Enjoy Gardening magazine is finally in the last stages of production! It won’t be on the stands until the new year, but here’s a sneak peek at the mandate that guided us.

Our Vision
Enjoy Gardening is a twice-yearly publication committed to delivering expert information and inspiring images that capture the minds and imaginations of Canadian gardeners. Although our strongest focus is on gardening, each issue of our magazine incorporates lifestyle elements that reflect our philosophy that a garden is more than a thing to tend—it’s a destination; a place to reflect, relax, and reconnect. So too is our magazine.

Stay tuned for more updates!

Did You Know?
The parasitic plant mistletoe can eject seeds from itself that can travel up to 15 metres at an initial velocity of 100km/hr.

“No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible.”
–Voltaire

Posted by admin to Jim's Notebook on 2007-11-22, 16:36:41

Hits & Misses: Diamond frost euphorbia & fizzled flower power
Question of the Week: How often should a Christmas cactus be repotted?
The Business: Generating energy

I hate my aggregate concrete planters. And, no, it’s not their aesthetics that bother me. This is the kind of hate that goes much, much deeper. In fact, it’s a visceral response—mostly in the sense that my viscera are nearly torn apart each time I try to lift one of those damn things. To say they weigh at least 200 kg (500 lbs), is no exaggeration. To date, I have moved them across my yard and onto my deck a total of three times—with a fourth time impending if my wife has her way. I guess we will see, but if it’s up to me, any future transportation of aggregate will involve a pretreatment with a jackhammer.

Hits & Misses
Hit: ‘Diamond Frost’ Euphorbia
The ‘Diamond Frost’ euphorbia is a definite hit this holiday season. We’ve grown rings of them in several 8-inch pots and nestled a 6-inch poinsettia into the centre of each. The effect is really striking—so much so that the poinsettias seem to float in what looks like newly fallen snow. I don’t expect the supply of diamond frost euphorbia to last long, but it was our first time experimenting with them, and we’ll know to grow a bunch more next year.

Miss: Fizzled Flower Power
The ‘Alba’ begonias we’re growing as indoor plants produced an outstanding amount of lush green foliage but fizzled on flower power. In all fairness, I think that Alba would be an excellent spring plant, but with the low light levels of November, they tend to be a little too lanky. With all of the other colourful indoor plants competing for our customers’ attention, these begonias just didn’t stand a chance. Compost anyone?

Question of the Week
How often should a Christmas cactus be repotted?
A Christmas cactus has an extremely small root system, and can be grown in a very small pot for years; however, the soil in that pot should be freshened every few seasons.
Fortunately, repotting is very easy. Here’s how.
1. After the cactus finishes flowering, tip it out of the pot and shake off all the old soil.
2. Shake 3–4 cm of fresh soil mix into the bottom of a pot that’s preferably the same size as the original but, at most, 1 size larger,
3. Gently transplant the cactus into the container, ensuring that it’s at the same height as it was in the original pot.
4. Firm in the new soil and water thoroughly.

The Business
Generating Energy
I attended the Green Industry Trade Show in Edmonton this past week and listened to some interesting talks about the future of the industry. One seminar I found particularly fascinating was about the ways in which the Dutch are investigating the possibility of transforming greenhouses into net generators of energy. In one trial, space-age plastics that are transparent to light energy are being used on greenhouses. These plastics allow plants to utilize the light energy and they also trap a good portion of the remaining solar radiation, which can then be converted to electricity generation. Hmm…greenhouses as power suppliers… fascinating!

It’s exciting to think of the possibility of using greenhouses as net generators of energy. The impact on the industry would be enormous!

Trend Spotting

If you like a holiday colour scheme that shimmers, you’re in luck. Golden hues are everywhere this year, adding opulence to Christmas trees, stockings and wreaths. Used as an accent or as the main show, gold is this holiday’s trend-setter.

Did You Know?
When properly cared for, an amaryllis bulb may produce flowers for up to 75 years.

“Color is the language of the poets. It is astonishingly lovely. To speak it is a privilege.”
–Keith Crown

Posted by admin to Jim's Notebook on 2007-11-15, 09:58:19

Hits & Misses: Pecked slugs & shmengy bulbs
Question of the Week: How do I prevent root rot?
The Business: Green roofs

I had the pleasure of speaking with Thean Pheh, formerly a fruit technologist with Alberta Agriculture until his retirement. It was wonderful to listen to him reminisce about the early days of the fruit development program here in Alberta. But each story he told was ringed with a bit of sadness over the loss of some original plant material from the research stations, as well as the loss of knowledge from some of the researchers. The reason for both losses is that as government officials come and go, so too go budgets and priorities, which, unfortunately, doesn’t knit well with long-term breeding projects. As Thean pointed out, some of the best fruit varieties in our region exist as single specimens in people’s yards because private land was the last refuge for any tree that was a victim of a moribund breeding program. Adding to the tragedy is that when fruit development projects aren’t completed, the information about certain varieties often dies with the researcher. The death of a plant breeder along with his or her rare, great fruit tree is a loss that is immeasurable.

With long-term, non-partisan governmental support, fruit development programs (like the very successful one at the University of Saskatchewan, which resulted in the release of “Carmine Jewel’ cherry pictured here) are less likely to fizzle out and important work won’t be lost forever.

Hits & Misses
Hit: Pecked Slugs
I can’t say for sure that this should be a hit or not, but I was talking to a customer the other day who was telling me that she found a way to stop slugs from attacking her tomatoes this summer. Was it beer? Table salt? Copper? Nope. Laying hens, of course. Apparently, she employs three of them to forage her yard and says they keep her property as good as slug free. It might not be for everyone, but just think of the number of peripheral benefits: fresh eggs every day, fertilizer, aerated lawn and soil…soup, Sunday dinner…
Anyway, this particular customer, who prefers to remain unnamed, says she’s not sure about the city’s chicken bylaws but hasn’t heard a single complaint from her neighbours and is hopeful for next year.

Miss: Shmengy Bulbs
There is nothing quite like sticking your hand into a crate of amaryllis bulbs and feeling your fingers sink into a fetid mass of a partly decomposed bulb. Dorothy, one of our greenhouse managers, was the latest victim of a good bulb gone bad, which was evident by that unmistakable “eeyew” sound heard escaping her lips the other day. Thankfully, the vast majority of the amaryllis we receive arrive in fine shape, but still, just one oozing bulb is enough throw one off his or her lunch. Apparently shmengy is the nonscientific name that our staff apply to any rotting plant material. If the shoe fits…

Question of the Week
A friend told me that my African violet has root rot. What is and how do I prevent it?
Root and crown rot is a catch-all term for a series of plant diseases that attack plant roots and the transition zone between roots and stem, known as the crown. Fungi are usually the culprits, but bacteria can also cause the damage. As the name suggests, root and crown rot causes stems, crowns and roots to turn brownish-black and become soft and mushy. Lesions will normally form on stems near the surface of the soil. When it comes to African violets, the symptoms are slightly different. Older outer leaves will show signs of drooping and younger inner leaves will stunt or turn brownish black. Fortunately, 90% of root rot problems can be eliminated by choosing high-quality pasteurized soilless mixes, by avoiding over-watering and, lastly, by not repotting plants too deeply.

crown rot

The Business
I attended a ‘green roof’ design course last week and was fascinated by the progress that has been made in this field of technology—a field that appears to be lead by Germans. Apparently, in some regions of Germany, businesses can actually be fined if they don’t convert a portion of their roofs into green space. On the lighter side of the issue, it should be said that our speaker also presented slides showing miniature rooftop golf courses. Hmm…the idea has potential.

Did You Know?
The earthworms that we see now are European invaders—stowaways on plants brought to North America by early settlers.

“Advice is like snow; the softer it falls, the longer it dwells upon, and the deeper it sinks into the mind.”
–Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Posted by admin to Jim's Notebook on 2007-11-08, 11:51:34

Hits & Misses: Santa’s helpers & damned if I don’t
Question of the Week: How do I force paperwhites?
The Business: Digital signage

In an attempt to cross a few things off my ever-growing to-do list, I spent a good chunk of the weekend getting the yard and house prepared for winter. I know—it surprised me, too. Anyway…one of those tasks involved my neighbour’s beautiful birch tree—a tree that I love but that also sheds a lot of leaves and catkins onto my flat-roofed house. As a result, I have to schedule at least four trips up to the roof each year to keep my drains clear of debris; otherwise the water could back up into my skylights. I get the feeling that my neighbour feels sorry for me because every time she sees me on the roof, she quickly and apologetically offers to have the tree removed.

Quite frankly, it’s just not an option. That birch adds so much to both her property and to mine that I’m more than willing to climb the ladder and sweep up the mess. Let’s face it—there’s no free lunch when it comes to maintaining beauty. I just wish that easy on the eyes was also easy on the knees.

Hits & Misses
Hit: Santa’s Helpers
Staff worked late into the night one evening last week and, in one fell swoop, transformed our garden centre from Halloween to hallow. I know I say it every November…but…this year’s Christmas store really is our best one ever. From Christmas ornaments, garlands and wreaths to specialty items like fresh magnolia branches and Belgian chocolate-dipped gingerbread trees, this year’s selection of holiday goodies and décor is sure to satisfy.

Miss: Damned If I Don’t
For a few years now, I’ve been growing lamium as a groundcover close to the huge spruce tree in my front yard. It looks nice but has created a problem: the more water I give the lamium, the more the spruce roots hone in on the moisture and proliferate. If I cut back on the water, the lamium suffers; if I increase the water, the spruce roots form increasingly dense mats of root hairs. Next year, I’ll have to intervene and make a decision about what to do, but for now, the spruce appears to be the winner by a landslide.

Question of the Week
I keep hearing about paperwhites. What are they, and how do I grow them?
Paperwhites are miniature narcissus that produce bunches of fragrant, white and yellow flowers, perfect for adding holiday cheer. Blooms on this traditional Christmas plant last only about 10 days, but their beauty and low maintenance make them well worth growing. Here’s how.

When to Force Bulbs
Allow eight weeks from planting to flowering. Timing will vary according to your particular growing environment, so we suggest you select two planting dates, 1 week apart.
How
1. Use a pot at least 10 cm deep. A ‘bulb pan’ is excellent. Cover the bottom with pebbles.
2. Nestle the bulbs in the gravel so that each is half-covered with pebbles. The bulbs should almost be touching each other.
3. Add only enough water so that the level of the water is below the bulb base. As the roots emerge, they will work their way down to the water. The water should be topped off to keep the level fairly constant.
4. Place the planted bulbs in a dark, cool place at a temperature of at least 8˚C.
5. The bulbs will begin to produce shoots in 6–7 weeks. Once the shoots grow to at least 8 cm, bring the plants gradually into the light over a period of about 1 week. They should be positioned in a location with as much direct sunlight as possible.

The Business
Digital Signage
For the next two months, we’ll be trying something new in the garden centre: digital signage. As people come to expect more from signage and displays, it gets harder and harder to keep the store signage current. To solve that problem, we’ve installed two, 42-inch, plasma flatscreens among the Christmas trees in the garden centre and will spend November and December experimenting with providing our customers with digital information. By using some of our video clips, as well as tips, ads for specials, and colourful slideshows of product, we will be able to assess how to use this new technology most effectively. If everything works out, next year we will roll out a new system that includes all of the areas and will be able to provide our customers with a richer experience here at Hole’s.

Trend Spotting

It seems that, this year, Christmas is definitely for the birds. Hot-ticket items like birdseed wreaths and balls are showing up everywhere this season. Also riding the wave of this trend are rustic birdhouses made from reclaimed materials such as tin, barn boards and horseshoe nails.

Did You Know?
In nature, poinsettias are perennial flowering shrubs that can grow to ten feet tall.

“Nature is not a place to visit, it is home.”
–Gary Snyder

Posted by admin to Jim's Notebook on 2007-11-01, 12:24:46

Hits & Misses: The pumpkin patch & a haunting in the orchard
Question of the Week: How do I care for my older trees?

It’s been an exciting week at the greenhouse. After years of behind the scenes planning, my brother Bill, his wife, Valerie and I revealed our plans to relocate our business to South Riel on a 10-acre parcel of land directly east of the future site of the Interpretive Centre in the Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park in St. Albert.

The view of the Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park from the new site of Hole’s

Those of you who visited us in our present location know what a beautiful site it is right on the banks of the Sturgeon River. Unfortunately, this piece of treasured land just couldn’t support our dream of building a unique, efficient, innovative and sustainable greenhouse environment. So, we’ve chosen to relocate to a site that will allow the creation of a state-of-the-art building that houses not only a greenhouse but a new model for business that focuses on enjoyment. We want to create an environment that encourages our staff, customers and patrons to reflect, relax, and reconnect and we’re so excited to be next to the park named in our mother’s honour.

Construction begins in early 2008 and we will move into the new facility in 2009—just in time to celebrate our 30-year anniversary of the establishment of our ‘new’ greenhouse business back in 1979. We’ve come a long way from selling vegetables next to the old red barn and I’m looking forward to sharing our new adventure with all of you as it unfolds.

Hits & Misses
Hit: The Pumpkin Patch
Well, Halloween has come and gone for another year and it’s time to take down our pumpkin patch in the tree and shrub greenhouse. The creativity of our staff was, quite frankly, a little scary again this year; flying witches, tables overflowing with pumpkins—and detached legs—as well as skeletons reading gardening books while nestled in flowering fall mums, and of course, a children’s playground area were all highlights that drew customers out in droves. This type of interactive display is a great way to introduce the concept of decorating your yard for fall and to get a sneak peek at the latest costumes as parents bring their kids in for the perfect photo opportunity.

Miss: A visitor to the orchard
(Or is that near miss?) Talk about scary Halloween stories…my brother Bill was out walking his dog Callie in his apple orchard early one morning last week. Suddenly, Callie began barking frantically at something in an apple tree. In the faint morning light, Bill looked into the tree boughs and saw a large, black “apparition” reaching for his head. Well, of course it wasn’t a Halloween goblin, but rather a large porcupine that was happily dining on some Halloween apples until Bill and the dog happened by. According to Bill, this is the fifth apple-eating porcupine this year and, just like all of its predecessors, it suffered the same fate; each was lured into cages with salted apples and taken for a ride to a forest about thirty kilometers away. No more of Bill’s Halloween apples for that apparition…hopefully.

Porcupines love to dine on fruit, but as the cold weather progresses they’ll feed on bark, often causing irreparable damage to trees and shrubs.

Question of the Week
How do I care for my older trees?
I suppose, in some respects, it is natural to think of old trees as scaled-up versions of young ones. But as nice and as tidy an assumption as that is, it’s not quite accurate. In fact, if I were to compare older trees to anything, I’d compare them to older people: both have needs that change significantly with advancing age…both suffer dearly when those needs are ignored. So if you want your 120-year-old maple tree to retain its beauty and have the same vigor and exuberance as it did when it was a wild 80 year old, here are five things to keep in mind:
• Protect the root zone; don’t compact the soil.
• Protect the trunk; take care when mowing.
• Prune judiciously; remove diseased, broken or dead branches immediately.
• Water well; older trees can’t handle water stress.
• Fertilize sparingly: older trees need to sip, not guzzle, nutrients.

Did You Know?
Biblical law (Shimta) in Israel dictates that farmers must let their land ‘rest and lie fallow’ every seven years. Israeli farmers have devised some creative ways of circumventing this law by constructing raised platforms above their fields or by selling their land to a non Jew for a year (a transaction called “heter mechira”). Of course, others have adopted the ultimate solution; build greenhouses on their land, which are exempt from Shimta law.

Quote
“For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together. For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad.”
—Edwin Way Teale

Posted by admin to Jim's Notebook on 2007-10-25, 12:38:45

Hits & Misses: Ornamental kale & the plant killer strikes again
Question of the Week: How does a plant become a weed?
The Business: Anticipating new products

On Saturday, October 20th our family was very pleased to be present at the opening of the Ted Hole Family Park in St. Albert. This park, which is situated in the vibrant Erin Ridge community in St. Albert, sits on what was once the north field of our vegetable farm. A committee of like-minded St. Albertans, many of them who knew my parents well, worked hard to take this park from paper to reality. The park features plenty of trees which would suit my Dad just fine. He was one of the first proponents of planting trees to reduce wind erosion and to provide wildlife habitat. In fact, over the course of his life, he planted hundreds of them. There couldn’t be a greater tribute to him than this wonderful park.

Hits & Misses
Hit: Ornamental kale
I can’t help but love ornamental kale. It is big and bold (some would even say ostentatious), and it always looks great in fall gardens. If you’re not familiar with this plant, it has the shape and weight of a regular cabbage but it is covered in ruffle-edged purple or green leaves and has an open habit that shows of its contrasting centre. Ornamental kale is so darn frost hardy that long after the bedding plants have faded it just keeps on looking great. Put it on your “hit” list for next year.

Ornamental kale prefers full sun and moist, moderately fertile soil.

Miss: The plant killer strikes again
Yes, I confess that I killed a half dozen poinsettias last week. I was messing around with our fertilizer injector (a machine that is programmed to meter out just the right concentration of nutrients to our plants) and I inadvertently, but thankfully only briefly, gave some plants too much of a good thing. The result was a few poinsettias that looked scorched enough that they had to be tossed out. If I recall correctly, I think that the last time I scorched plants in this manner, I swore that I would never make the same mistake again. Oops!

Question of the Week
How does a plant become a weed?
There really is no technical definition for the term weed. If you boil it down to traits, you might be surprised to discover that weeds possess many of the same qualities we prize in people: resilience, toughness, stoicism. But with plants as with people, there is a fine line between resilient and irrepressible, tough and aggressive, stoic and domineering. When an ornamental plant crosses the line and threatens to dominate the landscape, it becomes classified as a weed. Case in point, when purple loosestrife revealed a hidden desire to push native plants out of our wetlands.

The Business
Anticipation
I’m really excited about some of the products that we’re going to trial in the next few months. I’m especially interested in those that my brother Bill and his wife, Valerie, had a chance to see at the gardening industry trade show in Amsterdam. They put together a great presentation for our staff and I think everyone enjoyed the chance to see items that ranged from the latest in floral bouquet “spreaders” (devices that neatly pushed stems apart and held bouquets in shape) to tomatoes that apparently will produce fruit indoors. I’ve seen the pictures; now I want the products in my hands!

This miniature tomato was touted at a trade show in Amsterdam as being able to produce fruit indoors. We’ll see!

Did You Know?
A new world record for the largest pumpkin was set just a few weeks ago. Joe Jutras of Rhode Island grew a whopping 766 kilograms (1689 pounds) pumpkin. It wasn’t that long ago that growing a thousand pound pumpkin was seen as nearly impossible. Now there are many prizewinners that top that mark frequently. That’s a lotta pie!

“There is no season when such pleasant and sunny spots may be lighted on, and produce so pleasant an effect on the feelings, as now in October.”
— Nathaniel Hawthorne