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Gardeners' Corner at the

Calgary Horticultural Society
Fall Care of Tender Plants—Dahlias
Now that we've had some frost (and snow), it's time to bring dahlias in for winter storage. They are not hardy in Calgary. They are just one of several plants that Calgary gardeners may want to lift (dig up and store inside). Other common plants that are lifted in the fall are gladiolus, crocosmia, begonias, and canna lilies. 

There are many reasons for a gardener to want to store these plants instead of buying new ones in the spring: if the plant is successfully overwintered, no additional expense is incurred; each year the plant should be a bit bigger; the plant may not be readily available; it may have a sentimental history; or it may be especially beautiful. 

On October 7, Elaine Rude presented a talk for the Society called Bringing it all Inside: Fall Care for your Tender Plants. Dahlias were one of the plants she discussed. Here are some of the tips she presented.

Wait until a frost before lifting the dahlia. The leaves may be affected, but lift the plant before the tuber is frozen. If the tuber freezes, it will turn to mush and rot. Lightly shake off the soil. Trim the stem down to about 2 cm. You need to keep a bit of the stem as the dahlia tubers do not have the tissues to grow a new stem. Next year, the new stem will sprout next to where the old stem had grown. Do not divide the tubers. Place the mass into a plastic storage bag (or cardboard box) with dry potting medium. Store the not quite closed bag in a cool dark place. If the medium is very dry, you may need to add a few drops of water. The challenge with storing dahlias is keeping the balance between too dry and too wet. If the storage space is too moist, the tubers will rot. Check the tubers monthly to ensure there is no mould and provide a bit of additional air circulation. If a tuber starts to mould, remove it. On the other hand, you may need to add a bit of moisture if it is too dry. Dahlias stored too dry will shrivel. The tubers should remain plump while stored. 

While the dahlias around Calgary looked fantastic until Thanksgiving, with the recent weather, it's time to bring them inside.
Seeking Casino Volunteers: November 24 and 25
The Alberta Government has reopened charity casinos. The Society has been assigned the November 24 and 25 dates at the Elbow River Casino. If you are interested in volunteering please email volunteer@calhort.org. This is an important fundraising event for the Society. Thank you to everyone who has agreed to volunteer. Your contribution is greatly appreciated.
Calgary Gardening—Sustainable Gardening
Sustainable gardening is currently a very popular topic. How can we have a positive impact on our environment? How can we support native pollinators? How can we use water wisely? How can we garden and have a beautiful space without a lot of added resources? If these are questions you think about, read Barb Rypien's article Sustainable Gardening for her insights on what we can do.
 
To access this article in the October/November issue of Calgary Gardening, log in to the Members Only section of the website and select Calgary Gardening. There are many things a Calgary gardener can do to make their garden more sustainable.
Frost!
Did you know that some vegetables taste better after a touch of frost and cold weather? Both carrots and parsnips convert starches into sugars to prevent freezing when the temperatures dip. If the fluid in their cells froze, the cell would be destroyed by the expanding ice. The benefit to the harvester is a sweeter tasting vegetable. Leaving these vegetables in the ground until there have been a few days of frost is actually beneficial. 
Video Projects: Day of Learning—Garlic Fair
We've received many requests asking for access to the videos from our Day of Learning—Garlic Fair. We're happy to report that thanks to permission from our program partners, we've been able to repost many of these videos to our YouTube channel. Please visit our channel to watch the videos. It's not too late to plant garlic! 

Note: We received a comment that the grower videos recommend a different planting depth than the 15 cm (6 inch) depth recommended in the Society's video with Kath Smyth and Tom Martin. The person wanted to know why the recommendation was different. Within the City of Calgary, especially when planting in a raised bed, 15 cm is the recommended planting depth. The growers are planting in a different environment than city-based home gardeners and can plant their garlic at a shallower depth. It's all about the micro-climate in which you're growing. In the city, we need to be certain that the cloves we plant won't be triggered into sprouting too early, so deeper is better. 
Membership
At the Annual General Meeting (AGM) on September 17, Don Terway, the Society's President, stated that the membership fee increase announced a year ago at the 2019 AGM, deferred since April, will be in effect as of October 1. If you have any questions about your membership, please call the office between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm (Tuesday–Friday) at 403.287.3469.
We're Here for You
Do you have questions or need help registering for a program? Then call the office at 403.287.3469. If the phone is not answered, please leave a message and Gail will call you back. If you wish to purchase a membership and register for a program to receive member pricing, please call the office as this transaction can easily be completed by phone.

Note: Although the office is closed for drop-in visits, contactless pick-up can be arranged.
Classes and Events
Visit the What's Happening Calendar for Program Details
To see the calendar, visit calhort.org | What's Happening.
Need help registering? Call the office at 403.287.3469 ext.0 and leave a message for Gail.
Planning Your Garden Renovation
Thursday, October 22, 6:30 to 9:00 pm
Online: Zoom Cloud Meeting
Cost: $30 for Society members, $40 for non-members
Register

There comes a time in every garden's life when a major facelift is required. The original design may have lost its focus: some plants die while others become too aggressive, some plants may have exceeded their expected dimensions while others have arrived uninvited, garden conditions may not be the same as they once were, and preferences and styles change with time. Determining where to start can be daunting, but it’s a necessary task to bring your garden back to being an attractive landscape feature. 

Whether it's a total redesign or rejuvenation, fall is an excellent time to start the process while the garden's performance throughout the year is still fresh in your memory. 

This class will take you through the steps of where to begin: deciding which plants to keep, adding more multi-season interest, changing the design or theme, pruning overgrown specimens, propagating and dividing plants, transitioning to a planting scheme more appropriate for exposed areas, and creating a weather-resilient landscape.

Instructor: Elaine Rude

Online registration closes on Monday, October 19.
Propagating Houseplants
Thursday, October 29, 6:30 to 8:30 pm
Online: Zoom Cloud Meeting
Cost: $25 for Society members, $35 for non-members
Register

Houseplants are relatively affordable and generally easy to come by, so why go through the effort of propagating them? 

The main reason is that although many houseplants may be cheap to purchase, there is almost no cost to propagate them! Plus, you can apply the knowledge gained from growing houseplants to plants you grow outside in the garden. Finally, propagating plants is fun! 

This workshop explores: 

  • plant morphology 
  • methods of propagation, including seeds, divisions, cuttings, and layering 
  • techniques and tips 
  • discussion of which plants are easiest to propagate, which require a lot of experience, and which ones to absolutely avoid 
  • the techniques that work best for several common types of houseplants 

Instructor: Janet Melrose

Online registration closes on Monday, October 26.
Tea with Kath
Tuesday, November 10, 2:00 to 3:00 pm
Facebook Live
Cost: Free, registration is not required

Gather your questions and have tea with Kath. It is very therapeutic to be able to meet and participate in conversations that are of interest to all of us. Where did we leave off last time ...

Topics for the November session include:

  • Have you been growing anything on your kitchen counter? What things have you tried? I have some celery growing!
  • Holiday cactus dos and don'ts
  • Have you checked on your geraniums in the basement this month? Let's take some cuttings
  • Let's talk about my latest houseplant favourite

We are happy to be continuing Tea with Kath on Facebook Live through the fall and winter. 
To have the Facebook Live video automatically display on your Facebook page, we recommend that you visit our page, select the three dots (...) on the right side of the banner, select Follow Settings, turn on Favorites, choose Video, and turn on All Notifications.

The Live session will be posted on the Calgary Horticultural Society Facebook page (facebook/calhort) at the start of the program.

Submit Your Questions
You can submit questions in advance using Messenger (Message Host button) on the Facebook Event post. Be sure to start your question with "Could Kath answer." That way we're sure to know it's a question for this event.
Spread the word! 
Invite your friends to subscribe to this e-news. It's for everyone! Forward this email and ask your friends to subscribe by clicking this JOIN link. 
Thanks—come grow with us!
Create the Farm-to-Table Experience
at Home, all Year Long
Tuesday, October 27, 6:30 to 8:30 pm
In-person talk at Eco-lighting Solutions
#4 2015 32 Avenue NE 
Cost: $25 for Society members, $35 for non-members
Register

Today’s modern grower isn’t just interested in growing bedding plants in the spring and vegetables in the summer; they want to grow lettuce, herbs, onions, radishes, and more all year round. 

By using a properly designed LED grow light you will be able to grow faster and produce more. 

This class will focus on: 

  • the basics of LED grow lighting and how to choose the right one for you 
  • when and how to use grow lighting 
  • tips and tricks for year-round growing 
  • common mistakes and how to avoid them

Instructor: Tracy Grills

Online registration closes on Thursday, October 22.
Member Talk: How Do You Garden in Winter?
Thursday, November 5, 6:45 to 8:00 pm
Talk begins at 7:00 pm
Online: Zoom Cloud Meeting
Speaker: Kath Smyth
Registration is not required.
Visit the Member Talk page to join the meeting.

It’s the paradox that plagues gardeners up and down the country…winter gardening. Wait, what?!? How can I think of gardening when the days are shorter and trees have lost their leaves? 

This is when the gardener shifts to dreaming mode. (Cue the harp music.) 

You dream of your garden every night, envisioning the bright colours and textures and green of your summer paradise. You dream of heading south for a vacation, not just for the warmth and sun but just to see some incredible tropical plants and green things. You dream of moving to some place where you can garden year-round …
Botany for Gardeners
Tuesday, November 10, 6:30 to 8:30 pm
Online: Zoom Cloud Meeting
Cost: $25 for Society members, $35 for non-members
Register

Improve your knowledge of botany and gain some introductory tools to boost your plant-growing and identification skills. Trained botanist Latifa will introduce you to the main evolutionary groups of plants and how they differ, while touching on the basic morphology and anatomy of plants. 

We'll look at the plant life cycle, stages of growth, and basic plant growth requirements.

Instructor: Latifa Pelletier-Ahmed

Online registration closes on Thursday, November 5.
Sprouts, Shoots, and Microgreens
Thursday, November 12, 7:00 to 8:30 pm
In-person: Winston Heights–Mountview Community Association (East Hall)
520 27 Avenue NE
Cost: $40 for Society members, $50 for non-members
Register

Do you miss food from your garden in the cold winter months? Did you know you can grow fresh greens indoors in as little as 2 days from sprouts and 7 days from microgreens?  Well you can!  With little to no equipment and just a small amount of kitchen counter space, you can have fresh, super nutritious veggies even when it is -30 °C outside.

At this hands-on workshop, you will learn:

  • the difference between sprouts, shoots, and microgreens
  • why they are considered nutrient powerhouses
  • what equipment you need (and don't need)
  • which seeds work best and what each tastes like
  • a step-by-step how-to-grow demonstration
  • how to prevent pests and diseases
  • fantastic ideas for eating what you grow

Participants will start a jar of their own sprouts and a small tray of microgreens or shoots to take home. Please bring your own clean jar. All other supplies will be provided. Be prepared to taste some samples so you can find your favorites! (All tasting will be done with respect to AB Health Services guidelines following the formal class.)

Instructor: Jennifer Hoglin

Online registration closes on Thursday, November 5.
In-person Workshops
 
Please note: The safety and well-being of our volunteers, staff members, and program participants is important to us. The Society is following all public health orders and City bylaws and regulations to make participation in our programs possible. While the Society will do its best to prevent the spread of COVID-19, registrants must recognize that participation is not risk free; their well-being is their responsibility, and they cannot hold the Society responsible if they become ill.

Wearing a mask may be required. Participants are responsible for bringing their own mask. Hand sanitizer will be provided by the Society. If a participant feels ill, he or she must stay home. A refund will be provided to participants who call to cancel for health reasons.  

The Society reserves the right to modify the presentation format of any program (including cancelling it), at any time, to ensure the safety of all participants. If the Society cancels a program, registrants will be reimbursed.  

Please help us ensure a safe learning environment by being aware of the Alberta Public Health recommendations and by following them. Visit the Alberta Health Services site and Calgary.ca to get and stay informed and take precautions; if you become symptomatic, stay home and call 8-1-1.
Plant Share—Last Call!
The Fall Plant Share wraps up this weekend. Plants need to settle in a bit before the ground freezes, and we're reaching this plant relocating deadline. Visit our Fall Plant Share event on the What's Happening calendar to learn how to contact other Society members and participate in this member-to-member exchange. Learn about the Fall Plant Share.

Not a Society member? Join us! You can sign up for a membership online or call the office at 403.287.3469. The gardening season may be winding down, but our talks, classes, and courses are picking up. Fall and winter are for learning and planning. Join us today!

Donor Relations Consultant
Are you a fundraising or donor relations specialist with a passion for helping our community build meaningful growing spaces? Then we need your help! The Calgary Horticultural Society is seeking the assistance of a professional in the field of fundraising, donor relations, grant writing, or sponsorship to help us build a meaningful plan for the future growth of our organization. Please contact Natasha at executivedirector@calhort.org if you would like to discuss and learn more about this opportunity—help us grow!

Charity Casino Volunteers
The Society has been assigned November 24 and 25 (at the Elbow River Casino) as our dates for hosting a charity casino. Please e-mail volunteer@calhort.org if you are interested in volunteering for this important fundraising event.
Program Assistants/Markers
Our Program Coordinator, Michelle Edworthy, is seeking program monitors for our in-person and online talks and workshops. If you are interested in being an assistant, e-mail volunteer@calhort.org. She is also seeking assignment and test markers (marking guides are provided) for this year's Master Gardener program. Please email Michelle at programs@calhort.org if you are interested in this role. Preference for the marker role is given to Master Gardeners, but others are welcome to apply. Marking is an at home activity.
For more information about volunteering with the Society, visit Get Involved/Volunteer on calhort.org.

Volunteers are a valued resource of the Society. The safety and well-being of our volunteers is important to us. We are mindful of all the Society's future events and how the changing situation may affect them. Decisions about these event plans will be made closer to these event dates.
Support the Society

Membership—a Gift that Blooms Year-round
It's a gift that gives throughout the year—free Member Talks, workshop discounts, merchant discounts including garden centres, online resources, e-news, e-magazines, and Open Gardens tours. Gift memberships may be purchased online—visit Membership/Join the Society—or over the phone by calling 403.287.3469. Contactless pick up of membership cards may be arranged by calling, otherwise the card will be mailed. Please note that an increase in membership fees went into effect on October 1, 2020. The individual membership fee is $55 and the senior (65+) membership fee is $35.

Start a Plan with a Garden Journal
The Society's journal is a terrific tool to help keep track of your plans and activities in the garden. The pages are not dated, so you can journal at your own pace without the stress of finishing an annual diary. It's a great gift for a gardener for any occasion. Purchase this gardening resource and support the Society. When the office reopens, stop by to purchase your copy ($20) of The Growing Journal.

Help Us Grow!
The Calgary Horticultural Society is a registered charity dedicated to cultivating Calgary’s gardening community. Your support helps us continue our mission to enrich the lives of Calgarians by supporting gardening and enhancing the environment through our programs of talks, workshops, and courses. Donations enable the Society to engage Calgarians in Gardening for Life—every donation is appreciated. Thank you for supporting the Calgary Horticultural Society. Donate online.

You are welcome to drop by the office (208 50 Avenue SW), when it reopens, to make a donation or, in the meantime, call us at 403.287.3469 and we will be happy to assist you.
Do you have a gardening question? Did you find a great source for unique seeds you'd like to share? Log in to the Members' Forum, choose a topic, and let other members know. We look forward to hearing from you!
Copyright Calgary Horticultural Society | 2020 | All rights reserved.

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208 50 Avenue SW, Calgary, Alberta T2S 2S1
Phone: 403.287.3469

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