Cherry Time

It is Hort Week at the Ag college, so the building is swarming with avid gardeners come to listen to the experts give talks about the fine art and science of horticulture. The horticulture department also routinely offers plants for sale during this time. And not just any plants, but plants specially cultivated and bred to thrive in the crazy Saskatchewan weather where we can range from 32C in the summer to -35C (before windchill) in the winter.

A couple of years ago I bought a couple of grape vines and they turned out to be gorgeous! Unfortunately, I had to leave them at my mom's house when I moved as they had essentially taken over a good portion of the back of the house and I didn't want to risk damaging them in trying to move them to the new house.

So I have been eagerly awaiting this year's Hort Week to see if they would be selling grapes again.

No grapes this year ... but they did have little Nanking Cherry plants for $5 a piece!

I bought two and they are now settling into the back yard.

The boys were eager to help, so I put them to work as "size standards" to document how small these little plants are at present.
Romeo is about 14.5 inches at the whithers and Gio is roughly 19.5 inches. So the little plant is right around 19 inches or so. The other plant, not pictured, is slightly smaller. Here's hoping they like my yard and give me lots of pretty blooms in the spring!

From what I have read, Nanking Cherry bushes generally grow to about 2 meters high and can fill out to approximately 2 meters in diameter. They prefer the sun and sandy soil with good drainage.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

Please note that cherry trees can be poisonous to dogs and children! The bark, withered leaves, and cherry pits contain hydocyanic acid that can be poisonous when ingested. So if you are planting cherry trees in your yard, be cautious of your pets and children. If you have dogs that like to chew on leaves or branches from trees, supervise carefully or block access to the trees.