G'day, gardeners! If someone said "kiwi" to us, we would likely think that this is a fruit that comes to us from New Zealand or Australia. But guess what, we can grow kiwis here! They do not look like their fuzzy cousins from the Southern Hemisphere, but they are still a unique and wonderful addition to our gardens!
We were visiting a dear friend recently, and while touring his vast, exotic and intriguing garden, he showed us a lush stand of vines draped along one side of a small shed. "These are my kiwi plants!" he announced. And sure enough, amid the vines and elongated heart-shaped leaves, there were clumps of lovely green kiwi.
These are very interesting plants, gardeners. If you and I were to grow them in our gardens, we would need the following: a sunny location, well-drained soil, and lots of room. The hardy kiwi must be planted at least six feet apart, and we will need two of them, a male and a female, to obtain any fruit.
Truly, they are beautiful plants all on their own; the fruit is like icing on the cake. Looking at the vines, I could imagine the curling vines interwoven into a flower arrangement. Later, doing a little homework, I read that the kiwi vines have white blossoms in the spring, with a delicate fragrance that can be compared to lily of the valley. As the season progresses, when the fruit comes, they are smooth, chartreuse- green gems, and fully edible. The fruit is about two inches long, oblong shaped, and grows in clumps. Our friend said that he mixes the kiwi fruit with sliced apples, and it makes a delicious sauce for ice cream! I believe it!
If you are a gardener who likes to plant something that is different, consider the kiwi! It will make a beautiful backdrop in your garden, and reward you with tasty fruit as well!
Fall is almost here, time to think our first meeting of the new season! The first meeting of the Yorkton and District Horticultural Society will be on Thursday, September 19 at 7:00 p.m. in the Sunshine Room at SIGN on North Street. Special guest speakers will be Joan Wilson and Paula Maier, talking to us about native plants. We hope you can be there!
And remember that our Fall Plant and Bulb Sale is on Friday, September 20 at the Parkland Mall. This is a one day sale, with lots of great plants at great prices. And it's early enough that you can plant new additions into your garden and they will be nicely settled in before winter comes. That's Friday, September 20.
I'd also like to remind you to stop in at City Hall during the week of September 9 - 13. The Yorkton and District Horticultural Society will have a photo display in the lobby of City Hall, with pictures of the amazing City planters and flowerbeds. Weren't they simply outstanding this year? Great inspiration for all of us! So if you're downtown, pop in to City Hall during that week and take a look at the pictures. It's interesting to think that on September 7, 1906, the horticultural society in Yorkton held their first flower display at City Hall! So it's very nice to be able to mark that occasion, 107 years later!
This is a great opportunity to invite interested gardeners to join us at our monthly meetings. You don't have to be a member of the club to come to hear our presentations; but if you would like to join us, we'd love to have you! We welcome all gardeners, whether you are just beginning or have been a green thumb for a long time. Even if you don't have a garden but are simply interested in horticulture, you are welcome! We can always learn from each other, and with gardening, there is always something wonderful to learn!
Have a great week!
