Is Never Done

Jessica Surber is a writer who loves being in the mountains and working with plants. She divides her time between Peru and the Yukon.

A GARDENER’S WORK IS NEVER DONE

PHOTOS: Jessica Surber

To a non-gardener it might seem as if the gardening season has come to an end now

The last of the vegetables have been harvested and stored, the colourful leaves raked together and one might think that there’s nothing left to do this year. But just like a hunter is busy thinking of the next hunting trip or still processing the meat from the last one, in the time between hunting seasons, a gardener doesn’t stop thinking about the garden just because nothing is growing at the moment.

Planning, preparing and dreaming about your garden is a year-round job. The compost pile needs to be turned over, there are garden beds you can prepare for spring, seeds to collect, and if you’re really eager for next year, you can even sow a few things already (like spinach) and they’ll come up when the ground warms up again (just remember to mark when and where you sowed them). As the temperatures drop and more and more of the flowers in your garden hang their heads in resignation to the cold and bitter late-autumn winds, it’s normal to think about and assess what went well this year and what you’d like to try to do differently next year.

Many plants, especially here in the North, complete their whole life cycle within one growing season and won’t return next year. These plants are called annuals. There are also many perennials (plants that usually come back each spring) that can survive a winter down south but aren’t hardy enough for a long Yukon winter. Annuals can be beautiful additions to a garden and it’s always fun to go into the local garden centres in spring and pick out new plants for the year. Colourful petunias, zinnias, nasturtiums, marigolds, geraniums and snapdragons get shipped up in trucks each spring and are quickly bought up and taken to their new homes.

However, it’s hard to see all the time, love and money that you invested in your plants be taken away with the first hard frost. Annuals will always be a part of most gardens, especially in hanging baskets and planters, but having truly hardy and resilient plants in your garden beds is a great alternative to spending money, each year, buying lots of annuals and, best of all, you won’t have to say goodbye to them after one season. Perennials might be more expensive in the moment, but it’s an investment that can give you much more joy in the long run, and save you time in years to come.

If you’re thinking of adding some more perennials and other low-maintenance choices to your garden, next year, here are a few to consider in your planning. (In my experience these are very Yukon-hardy garden options, but keep in mind that success with perennials always depends on a variety of elements including location, soil quality, fall hydration, amount of snowfall [snow can act as insulation to protect the roots of perennials] and the length of extreme cold periods in winter.)

Linaria maroccana under a blanket of fresh snow

Loyal Garden Companions

• Columbine: they come in many different colours and shapes and are great self-seeders • Iceland Poppy: some of the first flowers to bloom in a northern garden and, if you are diligent about deadheading the spent flowers, they’ll bloom all summer long (listed as a short-lived perennial or a biennial, but they self sow, readily, and will appear year after year if given enough freedom and space) • Delphinium: beautiful tall spires of blue and purple flowers that attract pollinators (there are some kinds that aren’t very hardy, but Alpine delphinium/candle larkspur seems to be a good choice for the Yukon) • Iris: showy flowers that will usually start to bloom in late

June

cont’d on page 20 ...

A gift that can carry them as far as Santa.

Our Gift Certificates may be used towards scheduled and charter flights, getaway packages, and air passes. Available in any value, starting from $25.

Ship your gifts without reindeer.

Air North Cargo is the convenient and reliable way to ship your gifts across Canada, and you don’t need to harness reindeer. It’s enough to make Santa jealous.