The Garden Report #145
Sunday, June 8^th, 2014

Rayanna is writing her life's history

·      Writers write: Nothing incites opinions faster than a discussion of cell phone etiquette.  We went to Siam on Tuesday night for Maureen’s birthday.  Siam is a great bistro.  We were in the midst of our supper and a gentleman arrives.  He was in his late sixties, well dressed and appeared to be a polite sort of a gent.  He was also talking on his cell phone, as he is seated and while he peruses the menu. There is that part of me that wanted to rip the phone from his ear.  Instead, I grumble.  Then, as if this were the icing on the proverbial cake, he somehow turns his phone into a radio and begins to listen to the news.  He not only listens, all of us listen.  We have no choice.  I am not a techie but I have heard the word ‘streaming’ used so I assume that is what he was doing. He remained oblivious to all around him and the reaction he was generating.

     Last fall, we were at The Broadway Diner in Saskatoon.  Outside of the front window, there are two tables.  Two young men arrive, sit down, order and then begin texting and emailing on their separate devices.  Having supper are we?  Their supper arrives and they disconnect from their appliances and it appears as if it is to be a regular supper, then one of the phones ring. The fellow answers and the conversation begins.  His partner is busy eating.  My question is: If two people agree to meet for a meal, a drink or a coffee, is it really a meal, a drink or a coffee, if one or both of the parties is absent from the conversation for extended periods of time?

·      Readers write:  This one came from Donna Banks who used to live next door to us.  Donna now resides in Saskatoon.  “Thanks for keeping me in the loop.  Miss the old neighbourhood and still count you and Maureen as the best neighbours ever!”

     Jean McNeil gardens near Ottawa.  Jean writes “So happy to see the appearance of your Garden Report again. Your forewarning us that it will be an irregular production is good. That will take some of the heat off you on a weekly basis.  Always interested to hear that spring has arrived in other areas. It’s been slow here too.”

      Terena Murphy Bannerman has just returned from a vacation, abroad.  She writes “Just catching up on my emails after being 'unplugged' for a month.  I went to visit my French family and my Irish family, and to walk for a few weeks along the Camino de Santiego de Compestela in northern Spain.  A lovely, life-affirming month.  And what a wonderful surprise to find your newsletter; welcome back, whenever you can manage it.  You're well worth the wait!”

     My cousin, Patsy Simon, gardens near Halifax.  She has been experiencing our cool spring.  “Lots of great gardening tips. Thanks for the pics, also. Your garden looks amazing! Is that this year? We are way behind here with the awful weather we've had, our buds are just coming out now on the trees. We even had a frost warning last night. This morning it was 4 deg.”

Rajka tulips in our garden-2014

     This one came from north of Saskatoon from, a first time responder, Brenda Janzen.  “Hi Rod. I have enjoyed reading your blog for some time.  I’m not one to usually respond to blogs, but I just wanted to say I missed your advice, humor and writing this past winter.  I would check from time to time to see if your were back on.  You had mentioned earlier you had medical issues that you were dealing with, and I’ve been praying for you and your family.  Glad you’re back! Your granddaughter looks like she’d steal anyone’s heart!  Our daughter is expecting our first grandchild – and she told us they’re having a girl.  We are very excited! We live 1/2 hour north of Saskatoon in the country.  I love to grow flowers and a large vegetable garden.  So the advice you give has often been helpful.  Most of my roses made it through the winter, but there are 5 or 6 bushes that show no sign of life yet.  I will be patient and wait.  Good to know I can just cut them off and they will regroup from the bottom.”

     June Blau lives across the street from me, so if she disagrees with something I have written, it doesn’t take her too long to air her grievance, personally.  Fortunately, today is not one of those days.  June writes “Oh my dear Rod, it is soooo good to have you back!”

     Wendy Richardson was a  Regina girl, now she is a London woman...and she gardens there, as well.  “I, too, was very glad to see the Garden Report up and running again, because it means that you must be feeling up to doing it and that makes me happy. Of course I love all the content, especially your excellent humour. So glad that you are feeling up to doing this and will keep praying that you are growing stronger every day. You can't keep a good man down.”

     Noelle Chorney is the most excellent editor of The Gardener out of Saskatoon.  She and her staff at The Gardener, follow the sage Garden Report.  The Garden Report reminds them that gardening is supposed to be fun.  Noelle writes  “I was traveling last week, so had limited time at my computer, but I was delighted to see a new Garden Report in my inbox even though I didn't write to say so, and equally delighted to see one again this week! Welcome back. So glad you're feeling better. Thanks also for fighting the good fight against box store plant sales.”

·      Siam, yes I am: It rhymes but it does not make sense.  It is frivolity.  We enjoyed our supper at Siam last Tuesday, immensely.  We started with one of their soups and it was just this side of heaven, that good.  We order medium hot these days, having proudly outgrown our reliance upon mild dishes, and it was hot, for our first bowl, then we settled into a great feast and the heat became bearable.  Next was a pork satay which arrived on skewers, a Thai salad that is both hot and cold and a main curry dish.  Everything except the curry dish was excellent with the curry dish not one of those dishes we will order again.  Siam remains one of our favourite places in Regina, though the service can be a bit bizarre.  The language barrier quickly asserts itself with what is being said and what is being heard, but so what?  It is part of the charm. You might get a surprise or two.  We never seem to mind.  Dinner for two, tax and tip included, was fifty-eight dollars with two lemon teas a part of that $58.

Negrita and Maureen tulips - 2014

 

·      Garden Tip:  Do not, I repeat, do not give up too soon this season.  There is an adage that says that success belongs not to the talented but to those who persevere.  True words.  I cut back the roses, all the way to the ground, at my place and two other gardens, at the beginning of May.  In total, there were thirty roses.  Each of them appeared dead, as in lifeless, without bud.  All but two have now emerged with growth and several are setting their blooms as I write.  By the end of June, colour will abound and patience will be rewarded. I love success stories. I spent many years in the nursery business and I grew weary of people rushing in at the end of April or early May with one plant or another,  complaining that it was dead, demanding a replacement.  Had they given the plant time, it would have not only leafed out, it would have been a winner, with an established root system that no new plant could compete with. 

·      Garden Tip:  I was picking up some Divine Impatiens at Sherwood Greenhouse this week.  While I was there, the phone rang.  Larry, the owner, answered.  The fellow on the other end demanded to know why regular impatiens are not for sale at most places in the city.  Larry is one of the nicest men that you could meet and he excels at his knowledge in all things horticultural.  He is a real keener for the plant world.  Larry explained to the fellow about Downy Mildew and how it is destroying impatiens crops across North America.  The man on the other end argued.  He had no problems last year, with impatiens, so Larry must be imagining things.  Larry told him “there is a fellow right here who has grown impatiens for forty-one years and lost his entire crop last August.”  That fellow was me, of course.  Still no convincing the caller and Larry hung up in frustration.  How many times have I been on the end of one of those calls, where you provide the caller with the best information you have available, and they still want to argue with you?  I had one lady who, when told that forced bulbs usually do not flower the second year, insulted me.  Yep.  She called me names.  Words I can’t print here.  The late Bud Boughen would say to a caller who argued with his advice, “then why did you phone me if you didn’t want to listen to my answer?”  That comment would make the good ones sit up and take notice but for the ignorant ones, they just kept on arguing what they knew, in their hearts, to be the right answer.

Tulips tucked between a peony and a spirea

·      Nicky’s Café:  Nicky’s is as much of an old reliable as one can expect.  Each visit, I usually order the liver and onions, with soup, fries and rice pudding.  I am never disappointed.  It is always good.  We went there for supper and I had the basic, the predictable, ‘The ususual’.  Maureen often orders the salmon, which she loves, but this time she went upscale to the Chicken Cordon Bleu.  It arrived, two separate pieces of chicken with a slice of ham and a bit of cheese in the middle.  There was a sauce/gravy covering the meal.  The sauce/gravy was brown and salty.  Other than those two words, it is hard to express another description.   We arrived home, opened the internet to see what Chicken Cordon Bleu looked like at other places.  Yep.  Just what we had imagined.  Maureen thought she was ordering a piece of chicken breast that had been pounded thin, layered with a thin slice of ham and cheese, rolled tightly, breaded and either pan fried or baked with a coating over the chicken.  No comparison with what she had expected and what she had received.  And the sauce/gravy was nowhere close to what it was supposed to have been.  This meal was not their shining moment.  Even the great ones fall short when they exceed their comfort zone.  Next time, we order ‘The usual’ and leave the fancy stuff to Mieka Weins.

·      Garden Tip:  This is a continuation of never giving up or at least hanging on for a  bit longer.  In 1979 or ’80, my memory fades, I planted two apple trees for Margaret Pettick on Garnet Street.  One leafed and bloomed right away.  The second one sat there with nothing to show.  I was prepared to replace it.  Mrs. Pettick, wiser than my youthful years, told me to give it another week.  The week passed and I was about to take it out.  Mrs. Pettick came out of the house and told me that she had had her magnifying glass out and had seen young buds, ready to emerge.  “You should leave that tree where it is.  It will grow.”  I laughed, but she was the boss so I left it.  Thirty years later, the tree blooms every spring and when I drive by, I hear the tree laugh at me saying “there’s that guy who thought I was finished.  Look at who’s limping now?”

·      Pinch me if you really love me:

If you want good looking geraniums, and only if you want the nice ones, learn to pinch.  Pinching is a fancy way of saying that I take off my spent blooms, stem and all, and this allows the new blooms to emerge.  Geraniums benefit from proper pinching and if you still don’t know how it is done, send me an email and I will set up a time for you to come over.  I can show you in under sixty seconds how to do it and soon, your geraniums will be winning blue ribbons.

Geraniums need pinching to look good

·      Garden Tip:  I have been working on a garden for three years, that belongs to someone else.  We receive many visitors as the garden is that good.  This year, it will be on The Secret Garden Tour.  It is ready for that level of inspection.  One of the joys  of working on this garden is the quality of the soil.  When I was building it, I incorporated over sixty bales of peat moss into the garden area, to improve the soil.  This has paid multiple dividends.  The plants have grown exceptionally well and it is easy to look after, as in the cultivation of the weeds.  The texture is so lovely and what you need to read is that it is very important for you to do the same thing.  Add in lots and lots of peat moss.  The late Sandra Whittick, who was truly an outstanding gardener, told me when I was a young man, “you can never add too much peat moss into Regina soil.”  Sandra was so right.  End of conversation.

This garden will be part of the tour this July

·      Mosaic on Friday:  Friday night, we tried three pavilions, all new to us.  First up was The Filipino Pavilion.  Truth in writing: I quite enjoy the company of Filipino people.  I think they are a kind people, very friendly, and hard working.  I believe they are an asset to our country.  They should send a few of our Canadians to train with the Filipinos and learn how to be hard working.  So, there we were.  I enjoyed myself, had some food, watched the dancing, even saw Justin Trudeau make a grand entrance.  He had Ralph with him which is as good as a Mosaic Passport  because everyone loves Ralph.  I was sitting in the front row and looked around.  We were the only Caucasians in the group, the rest being Filipinos.  I didn’t feel out of place.  Note to the Filipinos:  I am available for adoption.  The Scots will let me go for very little money.

      A stop at The Ukrainian Pavilion was right next door.  I kept asking “who here is the real Ukrainian and who here is a poser?” 

The posers laughed.  The real ones, well, each had a story to tell.  Maureen had the borscht.  She said it needed vinegar.  I said it needed sour cream.  We were both right.  Justin Trudeau showed up, again.  I think he is stocking me.

      Next on our list was The Greek Pavilion and it was good as well.  The souvlaki pita I had was short of the requisite amounts of tomatoes, onions, lettuce, feta and taziki sauce.  Did you know that Spell Check does not recognize taziki as a word, in any form?  I asked the server for extra taziki as I am part Greek.  She asked which part and I told her “the garlic part”.  I told her not to laugh at my jokes but she wouldn’t stop.  Maureen had the mousaka and pronounced it good.  The dancing at all three pavilions was excellent.  Sadly, that is not true for every pavilion and all three were well organized. Being well organized is important to me and probably to most Mosaic goers.

·      The Fringe is coming: The web site is up and running.  There are eighteen shows coming, from next door to across the ocean.  This is the tenth year for The Regina Fringe as a registered festival, after a seven year incubation period of producing shows on weekends.  Go to www.reginafringe.ca for the details.  July 9^th to the 13^th are this year’s dates.  This festival is the highlight of my summer. 

·  

My Mrs. thinks my flower passion might qualify
as an addiction

    Garden Tip:  If you have plants in a lower spot and they are getting too much water, how do you tell?  If the leaves turn yellow and the veins of the leaf emerge clearly, the plant is suffering overwatering which has lead to a condition known as iron chlorosis.  There are two things that a gardener can do: First, reduce the water, easier said than done most days.  Second, add in Iron Chelate.  You can buy tubs of this product under the label of TruGreen.  It is usually in the thirteen dollar range.  If you can’t find it, and apparently there are a few who cannot, send me an email and I will direct you to a store that I saw this product sold at just last week. 

·      A dad’s day is never done:  I was sitting at a Mosaic Pavilion.  A father and daughter were seated across from me.  The daughter was an adult who has a good job.  She probably makes in the range of fifty thousand a year.  She wanted coffee so she asked her dad for twenty bucks.  Coffee is expensive at Mosaic, but not twenty bucks worth.  Her dad opened his wallet, as I muttered the classic “The Royal Bank of Dad-open twenty-four hours a day”, and she tootled off.  She returned with one coffee, for herself, and no change.  Funny how that works.  It was a bonding moment, at least for the two dads it was.

·      Mosaic Saturday:  Off to the Scots Pavilion we went, to hang with my people.  Great time.  One small problem.  My relatives and friends did not show up.  Not a Kerr, a Trusedale, a Struthers, a Gardiner, a Black or a Fisher to be seen, other than yours truly.  Had a wonderful time with many new friends, ones you would have called strangers, had you not met them.  Sadly, the Scots have seen falling numbers and perhaps a bit better of entertainment would bring the crowds back.  I remember the grand old days, all say “yes dad” in unison now, when the Scots Pavilion was packing them in.  Maureen had the Shepherd’s Pie and pronounced it very good with a lovely taste of spice.  I had nothing.  I was raised in a Scots’ home and I know better than to eat the food or drink the water.  The haggis is for tourists.  Thank you. 

     After we visited a wee bit with the fatherland, we headed over to The Irish Pavilion to party and what a party it was.  The place was packed and really jumping.  Great music and dancing on the stage.  I must be getting a bit on the old side because when the band played, all of the young people knew all of the words to the different songs.  I, on the other hand, didn’t even know there were words to the songs.  I think I quit drinking too soon.  I had a corned beef with cheese on a bun.  Add in a bit of some Irish mustard, which was surprisingly mild yet flavourful, and I had a good time.  I kept my love of the Scots to myself and just clapped in time as the band played on.  Or at least, I think, I clapped in time.  Everyone else appeared to be a bit slow with their clapping.  Must have been the Guinness they were drinking.

·      The telecommunications business hits the big time:  Did you know that as of the last year or two, you are more likely to die from being hit by a driver who is texting or on their cell phone than you are at the hands of a drunk driver?  So, the telecommunication companies have replaced the liquor companies as the largest harbingers of death in this province, on our highways. I am dumbfounded by this news.  Still in a bit of shock.  I am not certain if there is even an award for this situation. Wow!  There will come a day when your mobile devices will somehow not be activated, inside a moving  vehicle, but that day is not today nor is it tomorrow.  Fines are increasing for violators yet there are some diehards who are on their fourth and fifth offence.  If you see me walking down back lanes this summer, you will understand. 

·      Regina is not a big city:  My crew and I were working on a garden.  There was painter at the site, repainting the house.  He and I chatted away, amicably.  A staff member said “you are very friendly with the painter.  Have you worked together before?”  I informed her that the painter is Rayanna’s other grandfather (Lisa’s dad).  “Regina is really a small town at heart, isn’t it?”  And your point is?

·      Today’s thought:  Gee, I wish I were incredibly witty, right now.

'Angelique' tulips this year

Thanks for reading...Rod McDonald in the heart of gardening season in Regina, Canada.

    

  

The Garden Report #144

Sunday, May 25th, 2014

Our spring garden last year with everything in bloom

• Writers write: Get my soap box ready, here I go. Tuesday night, around ten p.m., I needed milk for breakfast. I drove to Sobey’s on south Albert. A fellow drove into the parking lot at the same time. He parked his car in a handicap zone and walks into the store. He didn’t miss the handicap parking sign, I am certain of that. He decided that he would use it, as no one else was at the time, as if that was his right.

Being a good Canadian, I was indignant. Canadians believe that handicap parking spots are for those who truly need them and that it is not a hardship to walk a few extra feet. In fact, being able to walk those extra feet is truly a privilege. That sense of moral indignation, which appears to be a part of our national fibre, was fuming inside of me. Do I say something? Do I ask him why he thinks he needs to park in a zone that is reserved for others? Do I risk a confrontation because Canadians might have moral indignation, but unlike our American cousins, we detest confrontation. So, as most of us do, I said nothing and just fumed for an hour or two. Now I complain to you about what happened. That is also a Canadian trait.

I often wonder, if all of us, collectively as a nation, started bawling out people who usurped handicap parking zones, would it not bring an end to the behaviour quite quickly? Social shaming does work and most of us are not prepared to be confronted because we snuck into a parking zone that did not apply to us. I do wonder.

It turns out that in Toronto, there are many, many people who have somehow received a handicapped parking permit, and yet they are fully mobile. They use that permit to snag reserved handicap parking spots and they don’t have to pay the parking charges. It has become so prevalent that they now have an enforcement officer who patrols those zones. A television news crew followed the enforcement officer around and did people ever have stories to tell. “Well, my mother is handicapped and that is why I have the permit.” And where was her mother? “She’s at home right now.”

• Readers write: I want to thank the many of you who wrote in just to say “welcome back”. Those readers include Margo Soriano, Jay Hale, Doug Gummeson, Sandra Rayson, Tim Mooney, Denise Mirva, Shannon Claypool, Ken Alexe, Roberta Nichol, Ingrid Thiessen, Lyn Goldman, Jean McKay, Janice Cerato, Ricky and Judy Kerr, Patrick Hawley, Wilma Bell Wessel, Denise Cook, Casey Van Vloten, Audrey Henderson, Linda Lyster, Adella Hayko, Sally Orr, Rex Deverell, Georgia Hearn, Michelle Jackson, Arlene Sauer, Frank Flegel, Kathleen Livingston, Donna Burton and Gail Bowen. I don’t want to do a ‘Sally Field speech’ but you really do love me!

• Cheryl Ann Smith writes “How wonderful to hear your voice again - to see your lovely photos. It really is good to have a word from you and see that your humor is still intact!”

• Edie Friesen is one of our many, resident Mennonite readers. If you have Mennonite readers, you must be on your best behaviour at all times. “What a really nice surprise to receive your Garden Report! It was truly a pleasure to read and made me pleased to know that you were feeling well enough to put it together. Your pictures were a delight!”

• This in from Joan Anderson. “ Your Garden Report is always worth waiting for. We’re all big fans so we’ll just wait for the next install until you and it are ready.”

• Sarah Willis writes from Toronto. “Hope you will give The Mercury another chance to earn your business, and what a wonderful story about your friend giving a young person a helping hand. Sounds like they both must be extraordinary people.”

• Rhonda Rein had this to report: “We took your advice with regards to trying the fertilizer from CPS on McDonald Street last year. We really liked the results and are using it again this year.”

• Jennifer Cohen is always a cheerleader. “You'll be deluged with many messages but who can have too much love? Know for sure when I see your Garden Report, spring is really here. Your story of a small act growing exponentially has been played many times in my little life, too. Can never predict where a thoughtful action will go.”

• Susan Rollins enjoys good food. “I agree with both of your restaurant reviews. I had a tasty, delightful meal at Caraway Seed with friends and can't wait to go back. Also The Mercury is inconsistent as you say and I have been disappointed with their food. It is very close to Mum and I had hoped for good, home cooked food.”

• Joanne Terry writes “OMG – Rod, I have missed you so much. I was off for almost a year due to a heart attack and almost every Monday, I would see if there was a Garden Report in my inbox.”

• Murray is glad The GR is back. “Good evening Rod, hoping this note finds you in good spirits, I sure missed your Garden Reports as they really make my day. More so the humor, thanks again, keep them coming.”

The tulips I planted last October are now in bloom!

• William Hyrcan is a unrepentant gardener in Saskatoon. He is one reader who understands my addiction, because he shares it. “Thanks for another plug. I love The Gardener and I'm really happy to have your support, too. We appreciate every bit of promotion you send our way. I'm glad you're feeling well enough to put together another Garden Report, and I look forward to the next one, whenever it lands in my inbox. As always, my prayers are with you.”

• Gwen Barschel is a reader and a nurse, which means she is a double winner (I adore both readers and nurses). “You hit some high notes with me, ‘Man of La Mancha’ for one, maybe the best I have ever seen at The Globe. Caraway Grill....fantastic. Here’s one for you, Marokena Crepe Cafe, in northwest Regina, if you ever make it up here. All fresh fillings, delicious. The owner is a young lady, fairly new to Canada, who worked her butt off to open the place, and I love supporting her.”

• Neil Slater opines: “Rod, it's great to read your prose again. We've missed you, even though we understand why you haven't been in our email inbox. We've thought of you often, always with positive energy sent your way. No matter how sporadic, your Garden Report is always welcome reading. Maybe we'll see you at the Scottish Pavilion!”

• Heather Lowe, the Landscape Designer, loves our local read. “So nice to see the Garden Report again. Two comments: 1. The Mercury Café …… I have been there once. No desire to go back. Food was ok, but it’s the washroom facilities that got me. As you may know, they have only one washroom, serving both male and females. I don’t like that. 2. Grampa’s Report on Rayanna is a good read and humorous.”

• Jean Freeman, our grand dame of the theater world (written with the utmost of reverence) is always a big fan of this read. Jean writes with great enthusiasm “I can’t tell you how delighted/happy/thrilled/over the moon I am to receive Garden Report #143. And I know I’m not alone! I pray that you will be able to shepherd your stamina and share your wit and wisdom with us whenever you can — and I also pray that this will happen often! Much love-Jean.”

Martagon lily growing in my garden-this one
does well in the shade

• Photos credits: The hanging baskets are being grown at Cedar Creek Gardens, across the street from the old Cinema Six. Also, Brad Crassweller and his family grew their own perennials, for resale purposes, and in this photo, you can see the plants turned out quite lovely. The key to growing good perennials is to grow them slowly, with the temperature around ten degrees, in April. If you grow plants at a higher temperature, they tend to become leggy. My adage for growing plants is quite simple: Develop the roots and the tops will follow. The photo of the Martagon Lily is from my garden. This lily grows well in the shade. I have had it for close to ten years and last fall, I divided it up into four parts and replanted those parts throughout my garden. All four parts are up and will bloom later this season. The ‘Morden Sunrise’ rose is also from my garden. It suffered considerable winter damage this year but it will bounce back. I expect full blooms, like this one, by the end of June or early July. The last photo shows a handful of the many tulips I planted last fall. I do love my tulips.

'Morden Sunrise' rose in our garden

• Garden  Tip: For your trees, shrubs, perennials, roses and bedding plants, I recommend one fertilizer. One fertilizer only, as I like to keep life simple. The one I use and therefore recommend is a water soluble 10 30 20. Now, since I sold Lakeview Gardens, I realize that it can be difficult to find one with those numbers. I actually bring in large bags of it from HJS out of Winnipeg for my own use. If you cannot find my recommend, a good sub would be 15 30 15 which I have seen available in several stores and garden centers. Remember that the regular application of the fertilizer is more important than the actual NPK numbers.

• On the search for good food: Here are a few Oriental places that we have checked out this past winter. Pearl River is a hole in the wall, grab joint in The Hill Avenue Strip Mall. It has been there for many years and is close to our residence. It produces a top notch wonton soup and an excellent hot and sour soup. The chicken or beef satays were not worth ordering again nor was the chicken with baby corn. Surprisingly, the old standby, chop suey, is done very well, so don’t turn up your nose at this fifties dish.

Ngoc Anh, which is in the space where Mieka’s used to be, Smith Street near 11th Avenue, is in a word, unpredictable. This place is run by a lovely family and I would have thought as it is the same people cooking each night, that the dishes would not vary. Not true. We have eaten there a total of six times. Three times, the food was first rate and three times our reaction was “what the hell is this?” One night, we ordered a bowl of hot and sour soup, a favourite of ours. It had been an excellent soup the last time we ordered but this time it tasted very similar to a sweet and sour sauce. Yep, the soup was very sweet indeed. Strange. One night we enjoyed a fabulous dish called mango chicken and the same dish, on another night, was very short of chicken. Had they run out and were reluctant to tell us? If we only knew the nights when they were going to be bang on in the kitchen, we would attend on those nights.

The Nhu y Tea Tree was our choice for New Year’s Eve and thank God the year has been much better than the meal. Most places that advertise they are Viet/Chinese/Thai places are usually owned by Vietnamese. We started out our meal with one of their pho bowls and it had an odd taste. I can’t explain it other than to say it did not taste great. That was our Viet choice. Then we ordered a Chinese vegetable dish and one labelled as being Thai. Both looked identical. Could not tell one from the other except the Thai one had a tablespoon of green curry paste mixed into the veggies. Thai cooking is one of the most sensuous cuisines anyone can eat and rest assured, a bit of green curry paste does not make any dish Thai. All three dishes fell short and the only saving grace was I did enjoy a Vietnamese iced coffee. That was the highlight and nothing more. Obviously, not getting a recommend here.

Ngic Van serves up a decent, large bowl of wor wonton soup for $14. Two small complaints. The wontons are the smallest I have seen and the chicken broth was not skimmed of its fat which meant there was a presence of oil (chicken fat) floating. When I make my chicken broth, I let it cool over night and then I remove the fat that accumulates at the top. I love a clear, well flavoured broth and I know when one is not made properly. After the soup, we each ordered a barbecue pork steam bun, one of my favourites, anywhere I go. Maureen loved hers and mine was not eaten. Why the difference? Their steam buns are wonderful except they bake an egg inside, on top of the filling. Maureen loves a baked egg, even as a surprise. I don’t like eggs, surprise or no surprise. I asked the owner if he ever makes them without eggs and he told me to call him two days in advance and he would make a batch, just for me, without eggs. Nice fellow but it’s not going to happen.

The Sezchaun Kitchen is in Saskatoon on Broadway, near Ninth Street. If you can find The Seven Eleven, you can find this place. We spent quite a bit of our time in Saskatoon, last summer and fall. Before that, when we travelled with The Fringe, performers would always order the braised tofu and vegetable dish from this place. I know, I know, it doesn’t sound all that delicious but trust me on this one, ignore the name and you will enjoy the dish. Back to the soup in question. We love our soups, any kind, anywhere. We had the best wor wonton we have had in this province, at this joint. The price was ten bucks and I asked our waitress what was the difference between the deluxe wonton and the wor wonton? “The deluxe is a smaller bowl.” With that question resolved, we dug into a large bowl of soup, the broth was excellent, lots of wontons, shrimp, chicken, veggies and the requisite barbecue pork floating across the top. I don’t have an overall recommendation for this place, having only ever sampled three of their dishes, but I will stake my reputation (good or bad and no snarky comments, please) that this wonton soup was a highlight of one of our many trips.

Cedar Creek Greenhouse grew forty-one varieties of
perennials in their first year in business- a good start

• Garden Tip: After reading all of those reviews of low calorie places to eat, best if all of us return to the garden to burn off those calories. Gardening is one of the best forms of exercise that any of us can engage in. Gardening sustains life and more importantly, it makes life worth living. So, this was not really a classic garden tip, more of an admonition to get out there and grow something.

• Tulip time: Last fall, Billy Patterson came over to help me plant my tulips. We planted either 1200 or 1500 bulbs, I can’t remember, October was a long time ago. The fruit of our labours has come to fruition and the hidden treasures are now poking their noses through the soil. Again and again I preach but does anyone listen? Tulip bulbs, planted in the fall, give you a full four to six weeks of colour before you can set your annuals out (this year being the exception). I love my tulips so much that I think there must be a Dutchman in my family tree. I apologise to The Dutch Embassy, in case they read this epistle, what with The Dutch Embassy having a limited sense of humour. That comment should get a few nasty letters from the Van Noorts, the Vanderveens, the Van Zantens and the De Jongs, all of whom are readers.

• What I do for my readers: In February, I had a GIC mature. I took some of that money and bought shares in The Dairy Queen. Now, every time we go to the DQ, it is not for a treat. Rather, it is nothing more than a shareholder inspecting a Blizzard, for quality control. If you need a further explanation, look up the word rationalization in the dictionary.

• Vole damage:  If your garden suffered vole damage, here are some things you can do. Shrubs that have been stripped of their bark can be pruned back. If the entire tree has suffered damage and pruning would remove everything, then your only option is to not prune, wait for Mother Nature to take its course and see what survives. Often, a plant will leaf out and bloom after rodent damage only to die later in the season. If your lawn was damaged by voles and this is normally indicated by tunneling marks, then you need to top dress the tunnels with some soil, reseed those bare areas and water. There was quite a bit of vole damage this year, especially in gardens adjacent to the countryside. My garden, adjacent to the downtown core, had no vole damage. There was also rabbit damage in some gardens, again, most of those gardens were located close to parks or the countryside.

• The things I do for my readers #2: I have to put on a disguise, a hat and shades, and walk around chain stores, inspecting their garden centers just for the benefit of my readers. In short, my report says “you owe me big time for this one.” I have inspected, if I can use that word, Lowe’s, Rona, Home Depot (East), Super Store (East), and Wal-Mart (East). What I found, for the most part, makes me shake my head. At Super Store, I would estimate that one half of their plants were either dying or already dead, including their tall cedars. I found that there is a bit of a price war on ten inch hanging baskets, with some going as low as nine bucks, at Wal-Mart. I examined those hangers and if you really want a nine dollar hanging basket, give me a call and I will make up an order, just for you. Those nine dollar hangers are so poorly made that I calculated they had a cost of less than three dollars in them. That’s why I will take your orders. They are in a word, a ‘joke’, overpriced at nine bucks. If you want the good stuff, the hangers that are well grown and well looked after, then visit one of the independents I recommended in #143. At all of the chain garden centers, I found and observed first hand, that there are two types of employees. Those who put things on shelves and those who take your money. I could not fine an employee, nary a one, who was actually offering any type or form of service. At the independents, they will tell you to leave some of their plants alone because you either have too much shade or too much sun. It is worth a growing season to have someone who knows something about plants, assisting the customers who shop there.


Well cared for hanging baskets at Cedar Creek Greenhouse

• Is it too early to plant: Tough one. If you could dig out your crystal ball and tell me within one degree, how cold it will be at night for the next two weeks, then I could provide you with a better answer. Myself, I am not planting until this coming weekend. Similar to you, I am tempted to get out there on the first nice day that we have and to plant up a storm. I did that three years ago and within the week, my friend Greg Morley was over, running into my garage, all the pots and containers that I had planted, for safe keeping. Greg never complained, at least to me he didn’t, but I suspect that his wife heard me being described with Unchristian like words later that evening.

• Cathedral Village Arts Festival: The street fair had another incredible turnout. It was smoking hot in the afternoon and the lines for cold lemonade were long. I know that the following statement shows my age, but has anyone else noticed that the line between fashion and lingerie has been blurred? If by chance, you are privileged to see me in my underwear, chances are I have made a terrible mistake and not a fashion choice.

• An inner thought shared: I say that little things don’t bother me, but I lie, they do.

• Thanks for reading, I appreciate your effort...Rod McDonald in the sunshine capital of Canada-at the south end of The Albert Street Bridge in Regina

The Garden Report #143

Monday, May 19th, 2014

My spring garden last year-definitely not this spring!

• Writers write: The festival season is upon us with The Cathedral Village Arts Festival kick off today. A truly great, community based event. Then in early June, we have Mosaic, the festival to honour the countries that provided the people who populated our province. I try to take in four or five of the pavilions but I always end the night at The Scottish gig, over on Broadway Avenue. I get to hang out with ‘my people’. It’s also a chance to harass the other clans and applaud the pipe and drum bands. You have to check out the bouncer in the kilt with biceps thicker than my thighs. Remind me not to take him on lest I embarrass the poor lad. The Fringe Festival is in its tenth year and runs from July 9th to the 13th this year. Jodi is doing a bang up job running the festival and regular readers know it is my favourite week of the year. It’s kind of my Christmas. August is always a highlight month with The Folk Festival in Victoria Park. Old hippies, new hippies, non hippies, hip hippies, far out if you dig it, man. My first Folk Festival was 1969 and I still sing along with the tunes in the park. “Susanne takes you down, to her place by the river…” To me, the festivals are what the summers in Regina are all about. I hope to see you there.

• Readers write: Emails and letters from the readers are now out of date, what with my last missive being released September 22nd. Sorry about that. The good news is complaints are way down with my absence.

Downy mildew is destroying impatiens beds

• Impatiens planters be wary: I have been planting impatiens in my beds, in a big way, since 1973 and never lost a crop. That statement was true until last August when my impatiens, which were normally so thick you could not find the soil beneath them, were finished. Downy mildew attacked them though it did not attack every garden. It is probably not worth the risk to plant the traditional impatiens from the Walleriana family as they are the susceptible ones. This year, I am planting the ‘Divine’ series and New Guineas, which are not subject to devastation from this disease. 

• Garden Tip:  It is time to fertilize your lawns. There are many choices for fertilizers and the one I recommend is a little difficult to find. It has an NPK of 17 19 0 with 14% sulphur added into the mix. I purchase mine from CPS on McDonald Street and I apply five pounds per thousand square feet, three times a season. It is best to water this fertilize after application as it needs the water to dissolve the granules and begin the fertilization process. If you don’t water, it can burn the blades.

This is a well fertilized and cared for lawn

• Big flavour: I love big flavour and I had heard from several sources that The Caraway Grill, tucked away on Broad Street by the subway, offers intense flavour. My nephew, Daniel Jackson, took me there for a very, belated birthday lunch (my birthday is in September). The Caraway Grill not only serves food with big flavour, but it also served one of the best meals I have had in years. To make things even better, Daniel paid for my lunch. He is my one relative who picks up the check when we are out and for that, I celebrate my sister for having the good fortune to birth him.

• Great performances: Both The Regina Symphony Orchestra’s last performance of the season and The Globe’s last show, were outstanding. The RSO had a Mahler Symphony on its docket and that piece alone, knocked my ‘Sunday go to meeting’ socks off. On the theater front, ‘Man of La Mancha’ was fantastic. I love that show. The blurred lines between what is real and what is not, within the mind of the writer, always intrigues me. The performance was first rate.

Always plant the tall plants at the back, never in the center

• Garden Tip: When you plant your containers and you have chosen a center piece plant, such as a dracaena, never plant it dead center within the container. Off set it, balancing it with lower plants and edging material. It will look more natural.

• I really want to be nice: I really do, but sometimes restaurants just won’t let me be the man I aspire to be. It was a Friday at the end of March. I had had a small breakfast, no lunch and no treats. A long about way of saying I craved a large calorie meal. We headed over to The Mercury Café on 13th, a local bistro. I had a craving for a good burger, real fries and a chocolate shake. We sat down. The first thing that grabbed me was I had a feeling that I was in a pub, not a café or bistro. Several patrons were lined up at the bar, downing their drinks. I thought “its Friday night and a few of the regulars are letting off steam.” I found out from a friend, who lives in the neighbourhood, that the pub atmosphere is now a regular thing, not limited to a Friday night. I ordered my chocolate shake but was denied. Why? “Were out of chocolate ice cream.” I was sitting at a window booth, looking at the Safeway across the street. “Shall I pop over there and get you some?” The waitress laughed. I wasn’t joking. I ordered my burger and fries. The burger was first rate, met my expectations. It was what I wanted. There is ketchup on the table but if you want mustard or relish for your burger, you have to ask. It is not offered. The fries are advertised as being hand cut and double fried. Yep, they were hand cut, no doubt there, and if they were double fried, I was fooled. They were undercooked as in raw in the middle. I let them sit, didn’t say anything to the waitress, wondering if she might ask why I didn’t eat them. Not a word. She just took the plate, fries and all, and dumped them in the garbage. I had been to The Mercury one other time and my fries were first rate, very crisp, the way I love them. I so very much want to say wonderful things about local independent businesses but I can’t, not when they fall this short. Perhaps on another night, all three of my components will be perfect, but not that night and that’s the one I am writing about.

• It's not you, it's Mother Nature: The season is late, no questions about that statement. It is as if we are in the last week of April, not the third week of May. Weather happens. Rest assured we will have summer. I did a quick inspection in my garden and out of my 1200 tulips, I have a dozen purple ones in bloom. The rest are coming along.

• A butterfly flaps its wings: There is a regular reader and a friend of mine, who would be embarrassed if I mentioned his name. He has changed a young man’s life. About twenty years ago, our reader became aware of a young boy who had a less than opportune home life. He stepped into the boy’s life and invited the lad to a hockey game. I was there, along for the ride, for that first night. The boy’s home life deteriorated to the point where our reader took the boy into his home, raising him as his son. The boy grew into a man, worked hard, built a career, and took on a new challenges. He studied hard and applied to medical school. Last week, he was accepted. I wonder, had our reader not stepped up to the proverbial plate when it was required, what would have become of that young boy, twenty years ago? One man makes a big difference and it all started with taking a kid to a hockey game.



Cherry Lane has lots of plants

#Where to buy plants: There are five greenhouses, all independents, that I can recommend to our readers. They include Sherwood tucked behind CTV on Highway One East; Cherry Lane just off of Highway One West, on the east side of Grand Coulee; U and K which is north of Indian Head, along the highway to the lake; Dorn’s which is south of town along Highway Number Six and a new one called Cedar Creek which is also south of town on Number Six, across the road from the old Cinema Six Drive In. I have been working part time at Cedar Creek (I am not there a lot) and they are growing their own perennials, forty-one varieties, including lilies, peonies, daylilies and bleeding hearts. They have the basics of petunias, geraniums, pansies and veggies along with some very decent hanging baskets. I am giving them a bit of a plug here because it is their first year open and they don’t have an established clientele yet. They need one. God knows I remember my first year or two, trying to build that regular clientele, wondering if I was ever going to break even let alone show a profit. It is scary, opening your own greenhouse, that I know from experience. I didn’t read it in a book.



'Emily Carr' rose is a prolific bloomer



• Garden Tip: Many of the hardy roses suffered winter injury this year. Do not panic. Just cut your roses to the point below the winter injury. If the winter injury is complete, cut the bush to the ground and they should pop back up. This happened three years ago and I had to cut many roses to the ground. By the end of June, there were roses blooming all over the place, ones that had initially appeared finished. Plants are resilient and they live in spite of us, not because of us. 

• Garden tip: No pruning of any type of elm tree until September 1st. This is not my rule, it is a Provincial Ban.



"Who me?  The lamp was already broken."



• Grampa's Report:  Rayanna gets down from Edmonton about four times a year to visit her four grandparents, here in Regina. Sometimes she brings her mom and dad along for the ride. I got to look after her for three hours, by myself! Now, for some readers, they are going “whoopty doo” but for me, I have never had her by myself before. We danced to Holly Cole, we ate cheerios, no one pooped themselves, and we watched Mickey Mouse on a DVD. She wouldn’t have a nap, even though she wore me out and I needed a one. We had a wonderful afternoon together. I was her knight in shining armour with her asking me to pick her up, that is until her mom came home. Then I resumed my regular role as ‘chopped liver’. The one thing that does peak her interest in me is my harmonica. Yeah, yeah, I know, ‘Alvin and The Chipmunks’. She loves it when I play and she tries with all of her might, but no sound comes out, yet.

• A truly great magazine: There is one garden magazine that I can recommend for readers and that one is ‘The Gardener’. It is, hands down, the best gardening magazine published and it is produced in Saskatoon. Excellent articles and the photos are so wonderful.

Grampa and Rayanna drumming-we are getting ready for
The Catheddral Village Arts Festival

• Signing off:  The Garden Report is back, this week, but there is no guarantee of regularity. The issue is one of stamina. It takes around ten hours a week to produce this, send it out, respond to thirty emails and so on. Some days I have it and other days, you are going to have to wait for me to catch up to you. Thanks for your patience and your support. It has been a long eight months since you last heard from me. Rest assured, that is not my choice.

Thanks for reading...Rod McDonald on a cloudy, Victoria Day in Regina

The Garden Report #142

The Garden Report #142

Sunday, September 22nd, 2013





• Writers write: Driving home from Saskatoon this Thursday, I was once again struck by the beauty of our province in September. Fields had been swathed, awaiting the combine’s arrival. The trees were turning their autumn colours and all seemed as it should be. This is indeed a beautiful month. Perhaps that is why I chose to be born in September, as if my parents had no say in the plan. There will be no Garden Report next week as I am heading up to Saskatoon for one more surgery, this Friday. I don’t know how long I will be in the hospital, perhaps a day or two or three. 

Rayanna is learning to stand upright



 • Readers write: No shortage of responses to The City’s handling of the P3 Sewage Treatment debate. There were thirty some responses, all but one, opposing The City’s handling of the debate. I chose a handful as space did not permit all being published. Mike Liske is upset with our Mayor. He writes “Rod, it’s nice to see someone else has the same opinion on the P3 referendum as I do. We have gotten those outrageous calls every night for a week at 9:30pm. What really annoys me is the recording says to call Mayor Michael any time at this number. I tried to call this number, during regular office hours of City Hall and you don’t get the mayor. You get a chance to leave a message for him, again with an automated recording. Every night we receive the call, I then call and leave a message explaining that I do not wish to receive any more calls or any automated calls. If the mayor would like my opinion on the P3, he can call me directly, I leave my cell number so he may reach me at any time. In three weeks now I have not received a call back.”

• Alan Bratt had this to say. “Talk about mismanagement. The Council has turned a relatively reasonable issue into a revolt against their high handed attitude toward issues of public concern. They may have been elected by some of the people but they are to serve all of us. The mayor and council have confused being a public representative with being a CEO.”

• Gail Bowen’s opinion is this: “I agree with you absolutely on our city's disgraceful use of tax dollars to promote a single point of view about a contentious issue.”

• Jackie Arnason had this to write: “Rod - it's so good to have you back - Sunday morning is again my favourite time of the week! I certainly agree with you that the city has no right to use our tax money to fund their view on a public referendum. If the money spent on robo-calls, billboards, TV spots etc, had been put in a special fund to be used in building the waste water plant, we would have been better served.”

• Joanne Crofford says “Only one observation for today, don't get me started on the P3 debate. Since when did Ottawa start making Municipal funding dependent on dictating the development model. I thought municipalities still had some power or at least some guts. Apparently they are moving away from defending their autonomy and getting into advertising their subservience to Ottawa.”

• Dave Calam lives across the street from me and he was The City Engineer prior to his retirement. He supports City Council, both in their P3 choice and their ad campaign. I include all viewpoints as democracy thrives on debate. “I held off replying, for the sake of both of our blood pressures, to your piece on City Council's responsibility to present the information and the reasons on which they, as our elected representatives, made their decision. Overnight, all of the ‘Vote No’ signs disappeared from this end of Regina Avenue. The ‘Vote Yes’ signs remain. If this is another of the gamut of questionable tactics and half truth messages that the ‘yes’ campaign is using to influence the referendum result, it shows why Council is right to speak directly to the voters. Believe me, if the referendum result is yes, the amount Council spends supporting its decision will be nothing compared to the cost of lost opportunities for competitive design, operation and management, delays in meeting environmental regulations, added project management, not to mention forfeiting the federal funding.”

• Rod's note:There were several responses to the Quebec proposed Charter of Values. I chose the one from Frank Flegel as being representative of most responders. “And amen to your rant about Quebec's really stupid Charter of Values. Considering that two former PQ premiers Parizeau and Landry criticized the Charter and the folks in Montreal said “up yours” to the Premier, it probably won't pass in the National Assembly.”

• Rod's note #2:There were many responses wishing me well and expressing delight in the return of The Garden Report. Thank you for your kind wishes. I could fill up at least a page or two if I published them all. I have enjoyed them quietly.

• Garden Tip: Doug Gummeson wants to know if he can seed his lawn this fall. The answer is a simple no. It is too late for most seed to germinate and that which does runs the risk of being damaged by the cold. Best to wait until the spring. My own personal cut off for seeding is August 15th.

• Garden Tip:I managed to get my column in to 'The Gardener' for the winter edition. It is on the care of poinsettias and what to look for when purchasing this Christmas plant. It will be available at newsstands in December. The fall edition of the same is now on newsstands and that copy has an article on fall bulbs. The title of my column is ‘The Anecdotal Gardener’.

A sea of poinsettias

• A rose by another name: According to my mother, when I was three years old, she took me to the old Sears customer counter on 4th and Broad. We were waiting our turn and a lady made a face over something she smelled. Mom said that I looked up at her and said “relax lady, it’s only gas.”

• Garden Tip: You can grow pears in Regina, but most people don’t know that. I planted a pear tree at what is now the ambulance depot over on Hill Avenue in 1987. It is a thriving specimen. Larry Levensen from Sherwood Greenhouse sent us the photo of the fruit of another hardy pear called ‘Early Gold’. A special thank you to Larry.

'Early Gold' hardy pears

• Book launch: Reader and writer Jean Freeman has been working on a Florence James book for some time now. The launch is October 16th and the invitation is in the attachment. Now you know why I refer to Jean as ‘The matriarch of the arts scene in Regina’.

• The Broadway Cafe: In Saskatoon, there is a retro diner that I have frequented for many years called The Broadway Cafe. You can get a decent plate of liver and onions or fresh, roasted turkey for supper. Their fries are hand cut which is always a bonus for me. It is definitely a diner, nothing gourmet, but oh, so very good. Somewhat similar to Nicky’s in Regina except no rice pudding.

• Garden Tip: If you have had a tree infected with Forest Tent Caterpillar, best to prune out the damaged branches this fall. You will recognize Forest Tent by the webbing wrapped around the branches.

• Garden Tip: No doubt you have seen The City blowing out their sprinkler systems along the boulevards and the parks. It is much too early for you to have your sprinklers prepped for the winter. I always get Glen over at Green Lawn Irrigation to blow mine out and ask that I be the last on his list. We can get some really warm days in October and my lawn and plants need water.

• Tulip time: I have some tulips for sale in bags of fifty for $25. Colours are pink, white and blue. I also have a few boxes of specialty tulips that you can purchase in groups of ten. If you have an interest, let me know before this Wednesday as I will be off line starting Thursday for a surgery in Saskatoon.

'Rajka' tulips

• Lily divisions: Every five to seven years, you can divide your lilies. After a frost or two, dig up your lily and you will find the one bulb has now grown to include five to ten bulbs. Separate those bulbs, it is quite easy to do so, and replant the single bulbs into the garden, about eight inches deep.

• Good things to eat: On Saturday night, we picked up a #24 from The Copper Kettle. It is our favourite and the toppings include spinach, black olives, red onions and feta cheese. Lip smacking good.

• Regina Sympony: The RSO opened their 105th season on Saturday presenting the greatest hits from the world of opera. I have rarely seen the audience as enthusiastic as they were that evening. If you haven’t been to a performance, try a ticket or two for their Pops Series. It is a great introduction to The RSO and a wonderful Saturday night out.

'Angelique' tulips

• Free:It is the most powerful word in the English language. I still have around twenty-five strawberry plants to give away and five or six Boston Ferns. Send me an email and we can arrange a time for you to pick them up.

• Very important garden info:This arrived from reader Michel Touchette who is an outstanding grower. He has an answer for the poor showing of impatiens this year. “Great to have your Garden Report. Presently in Montreal heading to Quebec City for a few days of holidays. Stopped at my friend Tom Witcher, a 35 year employee at Sheridan Nurseries. Tom was sharing that the impatiens have a serious problem this summer . A new blight has attacked all impatiens in Ontario and Quebec . He suggested it may last up to three years in the garden soil. First indication was it came from the propagation stage. Greenhouse growers in Ontario and Quebec may start germinating and do their own cuttings to prevent the spread of this new disease .

Spent three days in Ottawa and 80% of all ash have been attacked by the Emerald Ash Borer. Very, very sad to see all of these beautiful large ash trees dead. Warn your audience, when camping, do not move fire wood from one site to a new site. You might be giving a ride to some uninvited pests.”

'Flaming Flag' tulips

Thanks for reading...Rod McDonald in a lovely and sunny Regina

Fall color of a Manchurian Ash