Callum Morrison takes moisture readings in a soybean cash crop that is part of a long-term cover cropping field trial in Carman.

Cover crop survey reveals risks and benefits

Producers like the potential but say short season, lack of moisture key concerns

Planting a cover crop is a new idea this far north. It has its agronomic advantages, it keeps roots in the soil after the harvest, although it comes with its problems as well, especially in Western Canada. Prairie farmers were historically skeptical about cover cropping. Some say it’s purposely growing “weeds” that will deplete your

Big Betony, an AAS winner, is a hardy, dependable perennial for a Prairie garden.

Dreaming of gardens to come

Now is a good time to plan and dream about the 2019 garden

At this time of year we begin to dream about the summer gardens, and as seed catalogues arrive in the mail, we study them, looking with interest at the new varieties. Many horticultural organizations publish annual plant pick lists, the Perennial Plant Association being one of them. For 2019 it has chosen a perennial commonly


Conical blue junipers and vertical Karl Forrester feather reed grass serve as anchors, adding variety in this mixed border.

Using ‘anchors’ in the garden

These features will hold the look of a landscape together and provide substance

In landscaping, the term anchor means a feature in the landscape that holds it down, holds it together, and provides form and substance. Anchors provide a framework for the other elements of the garden. If all the plants are about the same size, the landscape becomes boring; there is a lack of structure; and there

Mallow is an old-fashioned plant that breeders have developed new varieties and hybrids of.

Growing mallow in Manitoba

Breeders have developed new varieties and hybrids of some of the old species — including mallow

Years ago, plant choices were limited, so a gardener didn’t have much difficulty making decisions about what to grow. Over time, plant breeders have been so busy developing new varieties and hybrids that some of the old species varieties are often hard to come by today. Whether an annual or perennial, there will be many

A drift of cleome is effective in a mixed border. 

Cleome — a.k.a. spider flower

These annuals work well in mixed borders and will self-seed to produce seedlings for future years

If you have a large annual or mixed annual border, then you know how expensive all the seedlings can be. I like to mix annuals and perennials because annuals usually continue to bloom right into the fall whereas many perennials have finished blooming by then. Some annuals seem to fit into a perennial border better


Blue Clips will provide blooms all summer.

Clips bellflowers can be used in many ways

With many varieties to choose from they will be a welcome addition to your landscape

Many perennial borders have at least one bellflower variety in them, as the family is huge and the range of plants enormous. C. glomerata, commonly called clustered bellflower, has lovely dark-purple blooms (there is also a white and blue variegated variety), but it is quite invasive. There are bellflowers that form tufts of foliage at

Karl Forrester feather reed grass is useful when establishing a xeriscape garden.

Planning a theme garden

Too early to get outside in the garden but the perfect time to design and plan

Gardeners are waiting impatiently for winter to finally give up its grip so they can begin creating their 2018 outdoor gardens. In the meantime, March is perfect for planning and designing. How about a theme garden this year? Choose a colour and make that your theme — purples and burgundy-toned flowers and foliage for a

A mulch of dry leaves helps protect a perennial border.

Protecting plants from winter damage

You’ll be glad you did when you see healthy plants come back in the spring

Late October/early November is the ideal time to plan on how you are going to protect vulnerable plants from our severe winter. The first step has hopefully already been taken where you have chosen most of your plants that are hardy to your climate zone. Many gardeners, however, like to try a few “challenging” plants


Crop breeder Doug Cattani is working with a variety of potential perennial crops but says intermediate wheatgrass right now looks the most promising.

Perennial grain crops are one step closer

The goal is to find ways to grow food that will reduce the need 
for fertilizers, herbicides, and annual seed purchase

Seed it once, then sell everything except the combine and just keep harvesting year after year. It might not work out quite that way, but a perennial grain crop that can withstand cold Prairie winters is a little closer to reality for Canadian farmers. University of Manitoba perennial crop breeder Doug Cattani has been at

Fossil fuel decline could change the outlook for perennial grains

Conservation and agriculture need not be at loggerheads in the fight to preserve and restore the tattered remains of North America’s Prairie grasslands. “We can have conservation as a result of (agricultural) production,” Wes Jackson, founder of The Land Institute, told participants at the North American Prairie Conference via Skype. A proponent and developer of