Heritage Perennials® are grown by Valleybrook Gardens, an innovative and leading producer of over 1500 varieties of perennials, hardy ferns and ornamental grasses. Our distinctive blue pots of HERITAGE PERENNIALS® are available from independent retailers and dealers in many parts of Canada and the USA. We're passionate about perennials! We hope this newsletter helps you to enjoy your perennial gardening even more.

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Our best-selling book, the Perennial Gardening Guide is a handy reference used by gardeners across North America — written by our own Horticulturist, John Valleau. Released March/2003 in a brand new 4th edition!

Gardening activities are winding down, for most of us. Lucky gardeners in very mild places can brag about cutting their lawns on Christmas day, but personally I'm glad to have a break for at least a few brief months. To a Northerner, winter gardening activities should involve nothing more than browsing through the latest catalogues, catching up on gardening books and magazines, and basically planning and dreaming about the spring. I admire those who get so organized as to create garden scrapbooks and keep gardening journals. For me, a similar experience happens when I catalogue and sort through the hundreds of slides that I've taken this past year. They bring back for a moment the feelings I experienced while wandering through a garden in Connecticut, another in Edmonton and, best of all, seeing Edelweiss [pictured above] actually growing wild on the top of an Austrian mountain top as a herd of cows strolled by, their bells clanging in the chilly breeze. For once I actually understood the romance behind what is basically a not-very-exciting rock garden plant. I'm still not so sure the thing ever deserved a song of its own. But now you're singing it in your head, aren't you? Better that than "It's a marshmallow world in the winter..."

"My choice for an ideal gift would be pond gloves. I think they are ideal for backyard ponds, bog gardens and any messy job involving water. Garden centers, Home Depot, and other places sell double-coated rubber gloves with full length sleeves, allowing gardeners to wear woollen gloves and jackets while working in cold weather." Margaret -- Oshawa, Ontario

"I am one of the growing number of single young women buying starter homes in Toronto. I was fortunate to move into a lovely neighborhood just over a year ago where most of my neighbors are in their seventies or older and all of the ladies are wonderful gardeners! I had quite a large task tearing out a dead and overgrown garden and starting from scratch. After many days in the garden, the ladies began to drop by -- each of them bringing me perennials and teaching me what they know. I am still a new gardener but learning quickly!
Now that I have had my second summer in the garden, I have something to give back. I have harvested/gathered many seeds from flowers that I planted myself and I am putting them into lovely antique spice bottles with fancy labels and ribbon for each of the 'girls' that have adopted me in the community. I think it's a nice way to say 'thank you' for the help they have given me." Danielle -- Toronto, Ontario

"How about an engraved stainless steel trowel for a garden gift? You could include the person's name and the special reason for giving the trowel." Doris -- Sprucedale, Ontario

"A great garden gift idea is a Self Watering Seed Propagator. I bought one this spring from Veseys in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, and I hope I will receive another one of two for Christmas. I save seeds from my favorite annuals and sometimes from perennials too and these seed-starting trays are excellent. I had great success with Lavatera, marigolds and asters. I plan to try other seeds next spring." Louise -- Cornwall, Prince Edward Island

"Each fall I empty out my window boxes and containers and selectively position the winter-hardy containers to be wrapped with festive ribbons and stuffed full of evergreen cuttings, holly branches and colored twigs (either naturally colored such as the shrubby dogwoods with the red, orange, yellow or green stems or spray-painted twigs). Add some Hydrangea blooms -- some natural and some spray painted -- and lots of berries, natural if possible. For special occasions I add fresh roses into the arrangements."

"One of my favorite centerpiece ideas is to visit the local grocery store and select gourds or fruits that I hollow out and fill with floral Oasis then pick greens and cut flowers into. Sometimes I include cinnamon sticks and evergreen material. I also incorporate ferns, Hellebores, Arum italicum [pictured above] and Heuchera leaves."

"For table settings I cut fresh herbs to wrap into the napkins. I cut thymes and lavender greens to combine with mistletoe to hang around the house. I tuck bouquets of herbs and dried flowers tied up with ribbon into the tree and the wreaths. For special gifts, I tie bundles of herbs and dried flowers onto the packages."

"All season I collect flowers and foliage to dry for later. I once wrapped a package in Hosta 'Sum and Substance' leaves."

QUESTION: "This fall I purchased tulip bulbs, some of which I was able to plant, but many of which I was not. My question is, how do I store unplanted tulip bulbs so that I can get them in the ground next fall? I am unable to do it here now, especially since we have already had snow and temperatures in the 20's." Sandie -- Portage, Indiana

ANSWER: Unfortunately, you can't store tulip bulbs for planting next fall. They will dry up and die before the end of the spring, and without a natural winter cycle their timing will get all messed up. I am going to suggest you consider forcing them in pots for indoor enjoyment, rather than wasting them. After forcing, tulips aren't always worthwhile keeping, but sometimes they do okay. Go ahead and plant them directly outside later in May or June. No need to wait until fall. Besides tulips, most other spring-flowering bulbs can be forced easily, especially hyacinth, crocus, daffodils and grape hyacinths.