1 cup fresh blueberries

5 medium strawberries

1/4 red onion

1 tsp lime zest

juice of two limes

1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves

1/2 avocado, chopped

salt & pepper to taste

Combine blueberries, strawberries, onion, lime zest, juice and cilantro in a food processor or blender and pulse. The consistency is up to you but we like it a bit chunky, so pulse it about 5-6 times. Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired. Scrape salsa into a bowl and fold in chopped avocado. Makes about 1.5 cups. Serve with pita or corn chips, or on top of fish or chicken. ~inspired by American Spoon~

Watch Wendy’s YouTube video about blueberries here: http://www.youtube.com/user/BotanusTV/featured

During the cold winter months our thoughts often spring forward to the summertime when you can feel the warmth of the sun and the soft pull of a breeze and, in the background, there is the fluttering of butterfly wings accompanied by the underlying buzz of hummingbirds and bees close by. These are the special moments in the garden when everything seems to come together in perfect harmony and there is nothing nobler than creating a space for the birds, the butterflies and the bees to hang out in. 

Butterflies are attracted to scents, hummingbirds love colour and bees enjoy both as well as being attracted to pollen. They all need and love the warmth of the sun so have some open spaces for them too. They also all love diversity, a smorgasbord of plants if you will, so plant as many different varieties as you can and they will definitely pick you first!

 These three very different and much sought after creatures have different tastes and likes but thankfully there are some plants they all like and are attracted to. Some maybe more than others but the bottom line is if you plant some or all of the plants that we’re about to list, they will be attracted to your garden and will spend time there.

 So without much more ado here it is, the not-so-secret wish list to attract the birds, butterflies and bees to your garden:

 Alcea = colour, drama in summer

Allium = fall planting and late spring/early summer blooming

Aquilegia = colour, height and early season attraction

Asclepias = bright colour that butterflies love

Aster = late season colour

Coreopsis = colour in summer

Echinacea = colour in very late summer

Echinops = mid summer attractor

Gaillardia = late blooming colour

Liatris = loved by all in summer

Monarda = summer colour, fragrance and they all love it

Phlox = offering nectar in summer and fall

Rudbeckia = late season beauty

Sedum = fabulous summer foliage and late season colour

 In addition to the plants be sure to have little safe havens set aside for them such as small shallow pools of fresh water for drinking and lots of lush foliage for them to dart into should they feel threatened. We’ve got a very nice selection of Mason Bee houses and accessories to help you attract these useful pollinators to your garden. Check them out by clicking this link.

 And of course you can always use the Detailed Search function on the Botanus website to choose plants that we’ve designated as Butterfly & Bee friendly.

…so let the buzzing begin!

Companion planting is the act of creating mutually beneficial plant ‘friendships’ in your garden.  We create these harmonious groupings because certain qualities of some plants may be beneficial to others. Let’s face it, anything that can help our plants thrive or have the upper edge against pests or whatever else it might be, makes our gardening lives better.

Garlic plants are wonderful companions to roses and raspberries and the reason is that garlic accumulates sulphur which is a naturally occurring fungicide. Sulphur can aid in plant disease prevention, may reduce the occurrence of black spot and aphids will be discouraged as well. Garlic and chives are also excellent deterrents for deer and garlic oil will kill slugs and snails…so plant these friends in and around your garden. Of course, a big plus is that they taste fantastic so it’s a win-win situation!

Sunflowers are known to attract ants which in turn can herd aphids onto the sunflower stems and away from your roses. The ants like to farm colonies of aphids because they supply them with one of their favourite staple foods: the sugar-rich sticky honeydew which is excreted by aphids when they eat plants. Sunflowers also attract hummingbirds which in turn will also feast on any white flies that might be attracted to your gladiolus and iris plants.

Lavender has long been known to repel deer but it also repels flees and moths which are prone to eating beneficial insects. It is an amazingly fragrant plant and the colour is welcome all throughout the garden so plant away so they will stay away!

Dahlias repel nematodes and that is simply a very good thing.

Monarda is great to plant anywhere in the garden because its strong fragrance and myriad of bright colours that will attract bees and other beneficial insects into your garden. It is also purported to improve the health and flavour of tomatoes. Sounds good to us!

So these are just a few of the wonderful combinations that can help your garden space flourish. We encourage you all to encourage for yourselves some great ‘friendships’ that work in your garden and don’t be shy… we would love to know your secrets too!

Perennials are perennial favourites of ours! This statement pretty much sums up the wonderful word ‘perennial’ which means ‘something that continues for many years’.

When creating gardens nowadays it really makes sense to maximize your plant dollar value while minimizing your work load and perennials can do that for you in a big way! Whether you purchase them in bare root form, plugs or as potted plants these little workhorses of the plant world can be chosen for one or many of their splendid qualities.

The very best thing about perennials, though, is that within a few season’s time you can dig into their roots with a spade, separating them and then divide them into more plants. The brilliance of this action is that it encourages the original plant to flourish and you also have more plants to enjoy in your garden and to share with friends.

You can easily plant perennials in the springtime when water is abundant and the sun is not so intense. Spring planting allows time for the roots to establish themselves before the droughts of summer. The roots give way to a flourish of greenery which grows on to produce flowers. Some perennials can be planted in very early fall, as well, in time to develop roots before the winter cold sets in.

In the Botanus catalogues we offer the right plants and bulbs for sale in advance of each planting season and then we ship when it’s the right time for them to go into the garden in your zone. So, whenever your parcel arrives, know that everything should be planted right away. Easy!

Another wonderful thing that we love about perennials is that there are so many to choose from and you can plan your whole garden around them. Choose them to provide stunning colour and unusual textures from the early spring until the early fall. They will also provide you with interesting shapes throughout the winter as they dry out and go to seed.  From your sunniest spot to your shadiest corner there is a perennial out there so have fun choosing and let them grace your garden for many years to come.  

Perennial…something that continues for many years!

Whether you are planting in the spring or the fall, bulbs will give you an amazing array of choices and beautiful solutions to every garden situation. Basically a bulb is a self-contained storage unit with everything it needs to grow right there inside of it. All you need to do is plant it at the correct depth in the right sun exposure and give it plenty of water and this bulb will grow and produce a flower.

 Bulbs like tulips and daffodils are planted only in the fall and will bloom in the following spring. These types of bulbs need to over-winter in the ground as part of their growing process and produce flowers in the spring. Other corms and tubers, which we typically think of as bulbs, like gladiolus, callas and begonias are planted in the spring and will bloom in that summer.

These types of bulbs are not usually winter hardy because they come from tropical areas of the world and cannot survive our cold winters. They need to be lifted in the fall and replanted the following spring. Luckily, lilies are bulbs that can be planted in the fall or spring and can over winter in the ground – no need to lift!

 When you are choosing bulbs for any season be sure to look at their zone recommendations so that you know they will grow easily in your garden. There is no sense in pushing boundaries until you have some simple success to feel good about knowing that you can always challenge yourself and your garden a little further down the road.

 Many fall planted bulbs like Daffodils, Alliums and Muscari can be grown in partial shade locations and that means you can infuse your garden with pops of colour where normally it’s hard to find.   Full sun locations do extremely well with Lilies, of every type, and Callas will provide late season colour when you really need it. The unique Crocosmia will naturalize in the right situation to provide more and more bright spikes of colour throughout the summer for many years to come.

This is just a brief overview of bulbs but we highly recommend you give yourself the pleasure of some bulbs in your garden space. We’ve got over 400 varieties to choose from in our Fall catalogue. They are super easy to plant and maintain… so Grow For It! You’ll be so glad you did when the snow clears in spring and also when the dog days of summer reach their peak and you still have colour in your garden paradise.

So many choices and so little time…

We used to hear this statement quite often but in this new day and age it’s a whole different story and that’s mainly due to the internet and catalogue shopping. When we think of all the businesses with customers that can really benefit from buying through online and paper catalogues we believe that gardeners are the most fortunate shoppers of all.

From the comfort of our own home we can make our selections based on a lot of current information and hundreds of different choices. You can order at your leisure in the middle of the night with a cup of tea in one hand and a computer mouse in the other when there are no interruptions or distractions.

Not to forget…Botanus produces two colourful paper catalogues a year, catalogues that have been printed on FSC paper. The Forest Stewardship Council is a non-profit, independent, non government organization which promotes responsible management of the world’s forests and this means a lot to us here! In these catalogues is all the information you need to make an informed decision about what you want in your garden space including height, bloom time and the sun and shade requirements. You can even get more specialized information about each plant, like, is it Bee friendly, fragrant and is it deer resistant.

So scour the website, wear out the pages of our catalogues and then order in advance all the plants and accessories you want and need. Then, when the time is right to plant, they will be shipped directly to you. Just think of it: from the comfort of your own home, you can create a stunning garden that will attract bees and butterflies, be filled with fragrance and maybe even repel the deer and squirrels…the choice is all yours!

Who knew that internet technology and the old tried and true catalogue method could ever be this relaxing and easy…? We did and now you do too!

Fall is a fabulous season with cool mornings and evenings and the occasional throwback to a hot summer day. The leaves are ‘leaving’ the trees and the garden greenery is turning golden from tip to toe.

Fall provides the ‘mother load’ of opportunity to fill your garden with bulbs that will bloom throughout the next spring and even into the summer. There is an amazing array of tulips and daffodil bulbs and so much more to choose from but remember: they are ONLY available to plant in the fall!

We love the fact that the Botanus Fall Catalogue goes out in late May, because it means you can actually see the pockets in your garden that you want to fill and you can clearly remember your favourites because they recently finished blooming. With our carefully laid out catalogue you can go crazy with colour and texture and stagger the bloom times to fill every week in the spring season with items that appeal to your own taste and imagination.

The window for fall planting can be short in the colder areas of Canada so be sure to order early and plant these bulbs as soon as they arrive. Every one of these fall planted bulbs require the cold period in order to bloom, which is why you don’t see them in hot climates, unless they take extreme measures. We are very fortunate with our cold climate and can have wonderful spring gardens when we have the foresight to spend the time planting in the fall. 

Be sure to plant before the ground freezes up…it’s pretty near impossible to get them in the ground otherwise and they do not have a proper chance to get any moisture or to set any roots. So pass the word along…you can only plant spring blooming bulbs in the fall! 

That’s it. There’s no other time. So be prepared and have fun and you’ll be so glad you did when the snow clears!

There are two planting seasons to really get excited about when gardening in Canada. We have the perfect opportunities to plant both in spring and in fall and these two planting opportunities can be well used to fill the garden with colour and texture that will last the whole year through.

SPRING!

Let’s start with spring since this season is quickly coming to all of us! Now depending on where you live and how long the winter extends itself; planting can start as early as late March or as late as early June…how’s that for a tongue twister? Spring planning and planting is so much fun for a whole bunch of reasons and we think the biggest one is because we are just so darn tired of the cold and snow and wet and we’re itching to get growing.

The Botanus Spring Catalogue goes out in January and presents a fabulous early opportunity to linger over pictures and information on each of the plant’s requirements. You can decide which plants you want in your garden and where you are going to place them. Spring is the perfect time to plant perennials like Brunnera Jack Frost and Hosta Popcorn as well as colourful Gaillardia Fanfare and so much more!

These beauties will stay in your garden for years to come and will increase in size every year. In these pre-season moments you can layout schematics according to your garden’s accessibility to sun and shade and how much room you have. You can keep in mind the bloom time, height factors and your general love of colour to create a spectacular show for the whole season. Be sure to inject your personality in the garden by choosing colours and textures like the ones inside your home and your own wardrobe.

In the weeks preceding spring’s actual arrival we need to be busy preparing the soil, churning it up and adding compost and other boosts that will give the plants some extra power to grow. This is also the time to prune back the unruly beasts of the garden so the new additions will not be overshadowed and have to fight for moisture and for sun.  You can also use this early, and less busy time, to prepare your tools for the season by repairing, cleaning and oiling them up.

Once the hard frosts have passed you can begin filling the spaces in your garden with your choices. Enjoy the promise of new life that spring brings. Feel of the sun on your back as you plant each root and bulb into the soil and marvel as each one begins to reach for the sun.  Spring, spectacular spring!

Stay tuned for our next blog entry all about FALL planting in the garden!

The next and very important fact you will need to know to create a beautiful garden is which climate zone you are gardening in. By knowing what climate zone you are in you will be able to determine which plants will grow successfully in your garden. Canada is a large country and although we all live in a northern landscape there are many different climate zones within our borders. Whether you live in one of the Prairie Provinces or the Northwest Territories or on the West Coast you will first need to determine exactly what your climate zone is.

The zones in Canada are on a scale like a thermometer ranging from the coldest, O, all the way up to the warmest, 8, with every number in between. The colder the climate is, the lower the zone rating number and conversely the higher the number is, the warmer the average winter. Zone hardiness maps are often colour-coded with the cooler temperatures shown in cool colours such as blue and purple and the warmer zones represented in the warmer colour ranges of yellow, orange and red.

Zone hardiness classifications are always based on AVERAGE winter minimum temperatures over a period of time in your area. A few days of below normal temperatures should not adversely affect plants that are rated for your zone because it is an ‘averaged’ temperature rating. Each and every plant has a zone rating and these are guidelines based on a history of the plant growing and surviving in various different locations. Once you know your climate zone you can choose plants accordingly knowing that they will survive in your area.

Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule and that’s where ‘micro-climates’ come into play. Warmer ‘micro climates’ are areas in your garden that can sometimes allow you to grow plants that are rated a zone or two higher than your own. It’s easy enough to determine the warmer ‘micro-climate’ zones in your garden: these are generally areas that are a little more protected than others like a southern exposure close to the house. It’s always a bit of a gamble growing a plant that is not rated for your zone but we know of many gardeners willing to risk a little to grow something different and special.

Another great indicator of what will grow in your area is by looking around to see what is already growing and thriving in your neighbourhood! Ask your neighbours and friends about what’s growing in their gardens – most likely they’ll be able to provide you with all sorts of information about what works and what doesn’t. All this ‘insider’ information will help you in your quest to create a lovely garden and perhaps save you from choosing plant material that will not survive your winter.

When you receive your Botanus catalogue you can easily find your zone rating located next to your name on the mailing address label. Each time we receive a catalogue request or an order we go into our zone database and determine the zone for the customer and add it to their information. If you’d like to know your zone or if you want to send a plant gift to someone in a different city or province and don’t know their zone just give us a call us and we’d be happy to give you that information.

Know your zone and buy within it and then when you are more confident and knowledgeable you can have some fun pushing the boundaries a little!

Xenophon, a Greek scholar and nature lover, said it best way back in 400 BC:

“To be a successful farmer one must first know the nature of the soil.”

To create a wonderful garden that will thrive for many years to come you need to have great soil. Soil is basically a mass of minerals mixed with organic matter, either living or dead, surrounded by quantities of air and water. The first thing you need to do to be successful in your garden is to find out what kind of soil you have in your garden space. There are different steps involved in creating the ideal soil in your garden and we will cover some of the more common ones but the single most important thing to remember is that great drainage is crucial to plants surviving.

Firstly, is your soil acidic or alkaline? This soil type is usually found in areas of heavy rainfall and this soil tends to be high in organic matter. Slightly acidic soil is not usually a problem for most plants but if it’s too acidic some lime can be added to neutralize it. The opposite of acidic soil is alkaline; it is more common to areas with light rainfall. Many plants will grow well in slightly alkaline soil but if it is too much they cannot survive. Alkaline soils can be balanced with chemicals but large scale additions can be costly so raised beds full of fresh balanced soil are a great alternative. You can have the soil tested to find out what you need to do to make the soil viable.

The next step is to determine if your soil has too much clay, too much sand or, as Goldilocks would say, “Is just right!”. To do this, take a handful of soil from the garden that is moist, but not wet, and give it a good squeeze. Then, open your hand. One of three things will happen:

1. It will hold its shape, and when you poke it slightly, it crumbles. Lucky you—this means you have great soil!
2. It will hold its shape, and, when poked, sits unmovingly in your hand. This means you have clay soil.
3. It will fall apart as soon as you open your hand. This means you have sandy soil.

Now that you know what type of soil you have, you can work on improving it.

If you soil is clay based it will not allow for moisture to drain away and plants will suffer and rot. You can amend this ‘hard to work in’ and pretty much airless soil by adding compost, peat moss or composted leaves and mixing it thoroughly. By doing this you create pockets of air and as this addition decays it prevents the clay from packing down again. Sandy soil is the exact opposite: it is easy to work with but cannot hold moisture including any kind of fertilization. Sandy soil can be amended the same way as clay but as the amendments decay and the season progresses they will wash away, therefore, you may have repeat the amendments throughout the season.

So get out that shovel and start working in your soil. Check to see what’s going on and if any changes can be made to improve the drainage and organic content of the soil. The more you do now the more you will be rewarded with happy healthy growing plants down the road.