How is your planting coming along? Hopefully you have some exciting new plants from the Yorkton and District Horticultural Society Spring Plant and Bulb Sale last week! Thank you to all our gardeners who brought plants for the sale, to everyone who helped set up or work at the sale, and of course, to all our gardening friends who came to the sale and bought new additions for their gardens!
How would you like “burning love” in your garden? Maybe you have it there already: you do if you have Maltese Cross in your perennial patch! Maltese Cross is an old favourite perennial that originally hails from Mongolia and Russia. The plant grows about three feet high with clusters of bright red florets, making it a nice choice for the back of a border or flowerbed. Coming from such a rugged part of the world, we would imagine that it is quite a sturdy and tough plant, and indeed it is. It likes full sun and well-drained soil, and is quite good-natured about the amount of moisture it receives. It can tolerate a location that is on the dry side. Don’t choose a spot that is consistently damp. You can start these plants from seed, or divide up a larger, more established plant.
When I was doing my homework about this plant, I learned that it has all kinds of interesting and romantic names such as burning love, gardener’s delight, great candlestick, Jerusalem or knight’s cross, and tears of Christ. Amazing names! Legend says that this plant arrived in Europe with knights of Malta during the crusades; can you just picture a long-ago knight tucking a few of these plants or a packet of precious seeds into his saddlebag to take home as he rode across Europe? It’s no wonder the plant has such a list of exotic names!
I really like this plant because it is a strong, carefree perennial that looks great in our gardens: the bright red flowers appear in June and July and are almost neon on a sunny day. The flowers make good cut flowers for an arrangement; and if you leave them to mature on the garden, the seed heads are beautiful in the fall and provide winter interest in your garden. There don’t seem to be any bugs or diseases that favor the plant, so all in all, it’s a good easy-care addition to any garden!
I know we had some of these at the plant sale last week; if you have one to add to your garden, you will find it to be a very nice addition to your perennials.
I wondered if you noticed how beautiful many of the city trees are this year? The other day we were driving down Fourth Avenue North, and the flowering crabs on the boulevards were just stunning! What a breath-taking vista! Perhaps they are still in bloom: give yourself a gardening treat and take a tree-tour down the streets in the area. If you are planning to add a new tree to your yard, it’s helpful to drive or walk through established areas and see how various mature tree specimens look; then talk to the experts at the greenhouses and see what they recommend. Some trees are simply too big for some spaces; but some trees, like those flowering crabs, are an absolute delight not only in terms of beauty but also size. Seeing them was like a spring tonic!
Be sure to check out our website at www.yorktonhort.ca to find out what’s new with the group and other gardening information. Are you joining us on our bus trip to Dauphin?
Good luck with your planting; isn’t it wonderful to be working in the garden? Take time to enjoy a cup of coffee in your garden, and be sure to wear a hat! Have a great week!
