AN INDIE IS:
Countdown to spring planting
Patio and Garden shrubs
Forsythia x ‘Northern Gold’
Lots of punch in a small space! In between trees and shrubs are a very special group of plants known as Patio Standards or Top Graft Topiaries.
These are familiar varieties of hardy shrubs with a difference!
Certain colourful shrubs are actually grafted to the top of a stem or the shrub is pruned up to a main stem, forming a unique-shaped plant that takes a shrub and transforms it into a miniature tree.
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Shear lightly in spring to maintain full form.
Here is a selection of shrubs to get you started. The folks at The Green Spot can fill you in with more details.
Cornus alba ‘Elegantissma’
Silverleaf Dogwood
Bright green foliage edged in white all-season.
Bright red bark With even brighter red branches make for attractive winter accent.
Mature head size: 3 to 4 ft (.9 to 1.2 m) height spread. Zone 3.
Euonymus bungeanus ‘Verona’
Prairie Radiance Winterberry Tree Form
Tall shrub with upright branching habit trained into a nice small tree.
Soft pink-red fall colour with pink fruit splitting open to expose scarlet-red seeds.
Height 20 ft (6 m). Spread 15 ft (5 m). Zone 3.
Forsythia X ‘Northern Gold’
Northern Gold Forsythia Tree Form
This upright shrub trained into a small tree an upright growth habit.
In the spring it has a spectacular show of golden-yellow bell-shaped flowers.
This cultivar has the hardiest of flower buds of the species. Height 8 ft (2.5 m). Spread 5 to 6 ft (1.75 to 2 m). Zone 3.
– The Ultimate Guide to Cold Climate Gardening by Bernie Whetter, owner of The Green Spot
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A slice of cityscape
A beautiful home
on a hoar-frosty winter morning
Artist: Weiming Zhao
HEDLEY’S HEALTH HUT
B-100 Supreme
• Re-energize with 100mg of all the major B vitamins. Includes the P5P form of B6, the methylcobalamin from B12, and the popular adaptogen Maca root.
• Free from artificial colours, artificial flavours, gluten, wheat, lactose, preservatives, soy, added sugar and yeast.
How to keep your knives as good as new
Bernie Whetter, owner, The Green Spot
• Always cut on a board of wood, bamboo or soft plastic to prevent premature dulling of your knives.
Acrylic, ceramic and similar hard surfaces are tough on a knife edge because they do not ‘give’ with the edge.
• Handwash with dish soap and water. Hand dry knife blades from the back to the cutting edge.
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• Hone regularly with a honing steel to maintain a keen edge.
• Keep knives sharp. A sharp knife is safer than a dull one because it requires less pressure when cutting. The knife will not slip as easily and your hand will not tire as quickly.
• Store in a knife block or an in-drawer knife tray. Carbon steel knives are best stored where air circulation is present.
• Carbon steel blades require regular care and maintenance.
Over time the blade may react with acidic foods (such as lemons or tomatoes), which will cause the steel to turn dark grey to black, this is called developing a patina.
To avoid discolouration of the blade, rinse and dry immediately after each use.
THE GREEN SPOT
