Green Stakes

To assist our Parks Canada Tech Services staff, we have used green stakes to identify horticultural areas that we want to protect. This way, Tech Services will refrain from weed whacking some interesting plants. Of course, weeding these protected areas now is our responsibility which is fine with us.

Here's an example where we have planted virginia creeper (parthenocissus quinquefolia) around one of the fence posts that delineate the "1886 area" of Riel House. The creeper is starting to grow along the horizontal sections and will help to soften the look of the fencing surrounding the property.

no weed whacking svp

Yes, the grass and the dandelions in the immediate vicinity of the green stake belong to us.

Upon Weeding the Parking Lot Garden

"Weeding" is a misnomer. We removed dandelions. 

Also, if we encountered any maple seedlings / trees, we removed those as well. Last year, we were more generous with maples thinking that if we selected the ones best positioned in the Parking Lot Garden - let's say one in the east, one in the central section and one in the west - they would eventually grow sufficiently to provide some welcome shade. This year we realized that, yes, shade was good - but - they would also produce massive amounts of seedlings and eventually overwhelm all our native plants. So, out went the maples.

We forgot to take a before picture as we always just want to get going. But here is the after picture. A bit bleak but definitely dandelion and maple free:

We noted that the native plants are starting to grow together and fill the open spaces that weeds inhabit. Weeds are pioneer plant that naturally inhabit open spaces where nothing else has started to grow or areas with weak plants (think lawns). Once other plants, healthy plants, enter the area, weeds will start to disappear. Here's a good example from today.

some dandelions - but - 

Yes, there were indeed some dandelions here prior to weeding, but, as you can see, the native plants are starting to flood the area. By next year, we should see very little open mulch.

Observations 2018: 20 May - 27 May

This week it has become apparent that spring is here.

After our weeding work was finished for the day, we went to see how our new nannyberry was doing and realized that the lilacs were in bloom. What a pleasure on a beautiful spring day.

Lilacs and the new Nannyberry

Now we looked about with new eyes. Walking east, here is another view of the lilacs.

Lilacs at Riel House

Walking to the west, we realized how extensive are the groves of chokecherries at Riel House. Chokecherries are a traditional Indigenous and Métis food. From Lawrie Barkwell's Wild Fruits, Nuts and Plants Traditional Métis Foods document: 

Chokecherries are called Takwahiminana by the Cree and Michif people. They call crushed or pounded chokecherries Pa-kwa-mi-na-na. Alternately the Metis refer to them as lii grenn or lii siriz. 

Chokecherry Blossoms

In the Parking Lot Garden, here was a new blossom for the season:

NORTHERN BOG VIOLET Viola nephrophylla

Nannyberry

We planted a nannyberry bush (viburnum lentago) in memory of a St. Vital resident who periodically came to our gardens and enjoyed the results of our efforts. The nannyberry sits in the corner of the Theatre area and will help to make this area more private when interpretation staff are presenting to visitors.

Fruit from the nannyberry was eaten by indigenous people. The bush is a food source for  birds, butterflies, bees and other showy insects.

Ready for Potatoes

The sides of this year's potato beds (beds 9 - 18) had lots of dandelions to remove. Then we covered the beds with leaves and straw. The beds are "okay" moisture-wise. We will start to plant them either this Friday  if the rain holds off or next week.