Other Publications
Prairie Gardening Books We Recommend
These books authored by prairie gardeners can help you master
your gardening challenges. Most are available at local book stores
or online.
Perfect Perennials for the Prairie
Gardener
By Dawn Vaessen
In this book you'll find a treasure trove of drought-tolerant,
shade-loving, sun-seeking, frost-hardy, and hail-resistant
perennials that are easy to grow and look great in the prairie
garden. With everything the newbie and weekend gardener needs to
start planting a backyard Eden in between work and kids' soccer
games, the book includes information on what to do before plants
are purchased, how to establish and maintain perennials, ways in
which to avert possible gardening disasters, and much more.
Edible Plants for Prairie Gardens: The Best Fruits,
Vegetables and Herbs
By June Flanagan
Written especially for gardeners in the Canadian prairies and
the American plains, June gives detailed instructions on when,
where and how to plant and care for each crop, with tips for
harvesting, serving and preserving your homegrown produce. The book
contains the best plant varieties and environmentally sound
gardening practices to be successful in a challenging climate and
short growing season.
The Prairie Gardeners'
Sourcebook
By June Flanagan and Donna Fremont
The key to a beautiful prairie garden is knowing where to find
the best plants, products, and information to meet the challenges
of short-season, cold climate gardening. Experienced gardeners June
Flanagan and Donna Fremont make it easy for expert and novice
gardeners alike with this comprehensive and annotated sourcebook.
The book covers garden centre and mail order listings, magazines,
books, societies, gardening courses, frost dates and more.
Perfect Partners Prairie Gardens
By Liesbeth Leatherbarrow and Lesley Reynolds
Choosing the right plants for prairie gardens is challenging and
getting to know what looks good and grows well together takes
time.Perfect Partnerstakes the guesswork out of garden design,
providing 170 stunning plant combinations. The authors include
colour photos and information on why the combinations work well,
with size, soil, light requirements and growing tips.
101 Best Plants for the Prairies
By Liesbeth Leatherbarrow and Lesley
Reynolds
Take the guesswork out of gardening on the prairies with this
collection of the very best perennials, annuals, bulbs, shrubs, and
trees for the region. Filled with detailed growing information,
colour and bloom charts, companion planting suggestions and
beautiful colour photographs,101 Best Plants for the Prairiesis a
must-have for all prairie gardeners.
Best Bulbs For the Prairies
By Liesbeth Leatherbarrow and Lesley
Reynolds
From the delicate snowdrops and statuesque tulips of spring to
the tropical elegance of summer's lilies and the welcome surprise
of autumn crocus and colchicum,Best Bulbs for the Prairieshelps you
add colour, texture and interest to your prairie garden throughout
the growing season. Filled with colour photographs, illustrations,
and detailed growing information.
The Prairie Rock Garden
By Donna Balzer
InThe Prairie Rock Gardenlocal horticulturist and broadcaster
Donna Balzer takes the mystery out of building and maintaining rock
gardens, alpine beds and troughs. From design and construction to
soil, plant choices and maintenance, and with 100 full-colour
photos and diagrams, this book has all you need to create a garden
style that's a natural for Calgary's climate
Perennials for the Prairies
By Sara Williams
With a little planning, perennials can signal the arrival of
spring and provide your prairie garden with vibrant flowers
throughout the warmer months. You'll find everything you need to
know about planning your garden, soil and site preparation,
fertilizers, transplanting, as well as descriptions of more than
190 species suited to the prairie climate.
Creating the Prairie Xeriscape
By Sara Williams
Xeriscaping is a water-wise approach to gardening that also
conserves time, money and the environment.Creating the Prairie
Xeriscapeexplains how to create a beautiful landscape with less
watering, weeding and fertilizer.
The Prairie Water Garden
By Paul Harris and Terry
Warke
The Prairie Water Gardenincludes everything you need to know
about the design, construction and maintenance of preformed,
concrete and flexible liner ponds and container water gardens,
incorporating waterfalls, streams, fountains and fish. It
includes a comprehensive list of water garden plants suitable for
this area with over 100 colour photos and illustrations.
Gardening Magazines we Recommend
Gardens
West Magazine
Fun and informative, Gardens West nurtures the novice gardener
while challenging the horticulturist. This magazine shares
time-honoured gardening techniques, keeping up with what's hot in
the plant world in an easy-to-read, practical and colourful
guide.
The Gardener for the
Prairies
The Gardener for the Prairies is a quarterly gardening magazine
that provides current, in-depth information tailored specifically
to prairie growing conditions: a shorter growing season with less
precipitation and cold winters, conditions that are largely ignored
by the national gardening magazines
Canadian Zone Map
Click to view the Zone Map from Agriculture & Agri-Food
Canada. It ranks Calgary as zone 3A, but different areas of the
city and different microclimates created in your garden may mean
you are gardening in everything from zone 2b to zone 4 or even zone
5. With mulches and other protective devices, "pushing the
limit" is quite possible but take into account the damaging effect
of chinooks, especially on trees and other large plant materials
that are more difficult to protect.