Category: Trees
Researching Edmonton Heritage Trees
Supported by the Edmonton Heritage Council On the edge of downtown Edmonton, on the river valley slopes, grows a wild patch of goji berries, descended from seeds imported and tended by Edmonton’s early Chinese community. A few blocks West, surrounded by asphalt, the chestnut seed Walter Holowach collected in Vienna stands forty feet tall, casting…
What Makes A Heritage Tree? Part 1 -Time
Time, Novelty, and Narrative and the Value of Heritage Trees The 2008 book Heritage Tree of Alberta lists 28 trees in Edmonton that are said to have “heritage value,” but what does that mean? How can we define “heritage tree”? This article attempts to synthesize a definition of a heritage tree by comparing the twenty-eight…
Development and the Lifespan of Urban Trees
Tree Life Expectancy and the Cycle of Urban Development Since trees can live longer than buildings, development has an enormous impact on the lifespan of urban trees. While mature trees increase property value, they’re susceptible to damage from nearby development. Soil compaction from heavy equipment or storing materials, damage to roots from excavation, and regarding…
Cold Hardy Food Forest Plant List
A Growing Inventory of Cold Hardy Perennial Plants Since 2015, I’ve been propagating and growing tonnes of USDA hardiness zone 1 to 5 perennial plants in my Edmonton backyard and urban farm plot. The list has grown to over 285 species across 152 plant genera. Tagging each species by edible component (fruit, nut, leaf, bark,…
Slow Landscaping – Slow Trees in Fast Cities
The Long Now Cities are fast-paced, ever-changing places filled with fast fashion, quick commerce, short election cycles, and perpetual development. What does living in the fast lane do to our ability to see the big picture and tackle life’s biggest challenges? How might fast-paced cities influence what musician and producer Brian Eno coined a sense…
Decorative Tree Lighting Can Kill Trees
The Dark Side of Decorative Tree Lighting Edmonton has embraced year-round decorative tree lighting, and it’s hard not to love it! A 2015 Edmonton Journal article states that the City’s forestry department “installed lights on 1000 city-owned trees in six business revitalization zones.” Walking Whyte, Churchill, or Giovanni Caboto amongst twinkling giant elms is magical.…
Cloned Fruit And The Magic of Grafting
Why Do We Eat So Many Cloned Plants? In 1868, Maria Ann Smith spotted an interesting apple seedling growing by a creek on her property. As the plant aged, it produced apples with green skin and tart flesh. Maria Ann Smith’s apple has been propagated thousands of times over the last 150 years. You know…
Espalier Fruit Trees
A Leafy Wall of Fruit. Save Space, Increase Yields, and Extend the Growing Season with Espalier Fruit Trees Espalier fruit trees are a great way to conserve space, grow food, and create a beautiful garden. Espalier is the ancient practice of training plants against a two-dimensional surface such as a wall or trellis, typically trees,…
Edmonton’s River Valley Food Forest
An Edible Ecosystem in the River Valley In 2014, one hundred community volunteers descended into Edmonton’s river valley to plant thousands of edible native plants. Located on the south-facing slope of MacKinnon Ravine, the river valley food forest aims to create a self-sufficient edible ecosystem that captures water, increases biodiversity, reduces costs, cleans the air,…