A gardener since a toddler, he was in retail nursery sales when I first met him. More recently he's been a horticulture consultant, workshop facilitator, regular CBC contributor, invited guest speaker, blogger and now author. Lyndon Penner has been learning about and sharing his passion for gardening his entire life. His first book, The Prairie Short Season Yard - Quick and Beautiful on the Canadian, is a terrific treatise on gardening for Prairie gardeners.
If you've had the opportunity to take in one of his workshops at the University of Saskatchewan on his regular visits to Saskatoon or heard him speak this year at Gardenscape, you won't be too surprised his book is a reflection of his style, wildly entertaining and enormously informative.
As I read through the nearly 240 pages, I felt like he and I were having a conversation rather than slogging through a pedantic textbook. He is informative without being a know-it-all. He attributes his broad knowledge to lifelong experiences and successes and admits that he has learned from challenges, mistakes and failures along the way. Lyndon is not short on opinions. And whether you agree with him or not, most are founded on personal observations and careful thought.
I found myself nodding in many places: his views on the usefulness and accuracy of hardiness zone ratings; why grass doesn't grow under spruce trees; whether there really are deer-proof plants; and that winter is a time of repose and reflection rather than a season to rail against. I laughed out loud when I read his gardening rule No. 7: Do not put flimsy plastic crap in your garden. But I also discovered there was much that was new to me such as how to attract butterflies to my garden, that it may be possible to grow bamboo on the Prairies and there's a hardy oak (Mongolian oak) that I had never heard of before. I was reminded of several under-used hardy, gorgeous plants that I had forgotten about like Russian cypress and purple broom.
If you're new to gardening, you'll learn the basics of soils; the ABCs of maintenance; must-have garden supplies and tools; and how to interpret phrases like "water little once established" and "excellent filler plant." All will benefit from his advice on dealing with insect pests, animals and diseases that will on occasion visit your garden. And he rightly points out that not all visitors are pests and gives advice on how to attract the beautiful and helpful.
Like most gardening books, the back section is devoted to plant descriptions (bulbs, perennials, trees and shrubs). However, he doesn't spend time describing every cultivar under the sun. Instead he describes the basic species (and he describes many) and then highlights a few of his favourite cultivars. He notes which plants are tough as nails but he also describes a few plants that are on the edge of hardiness (with appropriate cautions) plus tips on how to maximize success with those.
Lyndon's book has definitely earned a place in my library beside the likes of other Prairie garden authors like Sara Williams, Hugh Skinner and Donna Balzer. And I know Lyndon has so much more to say. I am already looking forward to his next book, whenever that may be.
The Prairie Short Season Yard is available at your favourite bookstore. And is also available in e-book format for the digitally adept. Lyndon will be in Saskatoon July 5 - 11 during HortWeek at the University of Saskatchewan giving workshops on assorted topics including the free kickoff lecture Sunday evening: Adventures in Prairie Gardening. For more information on HortWeek call 306-966-5546 or email [email protected]
Have a gardening question? Contact GardenLine, 306-966-5865 or [email protected].
- This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society (www.saskperennial.ca; [email protected]). Check out our Bulletin Board or Calendar for upcoming horticulture events in May and June.
