August is most definitely the summer month for enjoying the garden! Raspberries, strawberries, tomatoes and, believe it or not, asparagus are being enjoyed each and every day. Better yet, the colour in the garden is exquisite. Our tropicals go outside with all the other annuals and they are blooming up a storm! Passion flower, clivia, cannas and calla and even non-hardy hydrangeas are currently being enjoyed.
In celebration of August we have planned a very cool event for Aug. 16 to 19 at Saskatoon School of Horticulture. Join us for the upcoming Grow with Us Summer Event - Plant Your Life! We are offering some of the Prairie Master Gardener elective and required courses as well as some specialty classes that have never been offered in Saskatoon before.
Foundations of Herbal Medicine is an amazing three-day workshop that is being taught by a master herbalist. This is a field that there is always a lot of interest, however the challenge is to find an instructor that is accredited. We are lucky to have a passionate instructor that has all the credentials needed to share her knowledge. Participants will learn to make infusions, decoctions and your own balm/salve that you will take home with you.
We have a two-day bonsai workshop that is also going to be a ton of fun. Participants will learn the basics of bonsai and will create their own bonsai to take home. The biggest challenge we have as event planners is to choose only a couple of bonsai starter trees as there are so many choices. Do we want blooms, fall colour, fruit or just keep it simple with a tropical selection? The possibilities are endless. Just a cautioning thought — once you begin to bonsai, it can be addictive.
A basic floral design class is also planned, but once again with a twist. We are planning to use fresh cuts from a local grower to create our stunning floral pieces. Mystic Acres has been growing ornamentals for many years, now has a superb selection of materials for us. Using local products is not only fun but the floral pieces really do last longer.
Prairie Master Gardener classes are also going to be offered. Fruit is a timely class for this time of year and we will be concentrating on fruit that can be grown here! Woody ornamentals is the other required course that will be offered at this time. Participants will meet the trees and shrubs that thrive right here in Saskatchewan. Last but definitely not least we will be offering Solving Plant Problems, which is all about discovering what is destroying our plants in the garden.
A potluck barbecue will be held on Friday, Aug. 19. Don't miss out on the camaraderie that is truly unique to gardeners! See you Aug. 16 to 19 at SSH. Please note there is a deadline to register as materials must be purchased for the specialty workshops!
— Hanbidge is a horticulturist with the Saskatoon School of Horticulture and can be reached at 306-931-GROW(4769); by email at growyourfuture@gmail.com or check out our website at HYPERLINK "http://www.saskhort.com" www.saskhort.com.
