Trees The knowledgeable staff as Aspen Crossing Tree Farm & Garden Center will help you choose the right tree for your needs and location. We have over 110 varieties of trees and shrubs available to choose from, with sizes starting at 1 gallon pots and ranging up to large caliper trees; there is something for everyone! (Caliper is the diameter of the trunk six inches off of the ground).

New Product Crimson Frost Birch (Ht. 8m, Sp. 6m) has striking red-purple foliage on a broad upright form. It has peeling bark (characteristic if birch) which is white with cinnamon accents. And the Royal Frost Birch (Ht. 10m, Sp. 4m) has a pyramidal form with burgundy-red foliage turning yellow-red in fall and cinnamon-white bark. We are excited to add new varieties of old favorites, such as birch.

Seasonal Performers Spring –Russian Olive is known as that beautiful tree with the silver leaves. It is a striking medium-sized tree with long, narrow leaves that range from silver to grayish green. As well as adding unusual foliage color to your yard, Russian olive also provides a strong fragrance. In late spring, its small yellow flowers (barely visible thru leaves) have a strong sweet perfume, which is why we have chosen them as our spring performer. • It may be necessary to stake your larger trees by using 3 guide wires

Summer Mountain Ash is a very popular ornamental tree, it blooms in spring with showy clusters of tiny, white flowers, and throughout summer is covered with decorative clusters of berries, which make the Mountain Ash truly unique. The Showy Mountain Ash (Ht. 20-25ft., Sp. 15-16ft.) is our favorite because it blooms about 10 days longer and is the hardiest mountain ash.

Fall Larch, in fall, as leaves on other trees turns color, the soft needles of larch turn from green to a stunning bright golden-yellow. Larch is unusual in that it is a deciduous-conifer; unlike most cone-bearing trees, it sheds its foliage in late fall. Larch needles are soft to touch. If you look closely at a branch you will notice that the needles grow one by one, whereas the needles of most evergreen conifers – pine, spruce, fir – grow in bundles. Few trees are as hardy as the larch.

Winter Cutleaf Weeping Birch, this birch is a slightly smaller tree than paper birch, but it does have the characteristic beautiful, papery white bark. Cutleaf weeping birch (Ht. 45-50ft., Sp. 20-30ft.) is a very attractive, fine-textured tree with weeping branches and dark green lacy leaves. We have chosen the Cutleaf weeping birch as our winter performer because of its bark color, its shape, and can you imagine a large one in your yard covered in hoar frost!

Tried & True for Alberta Trembling Aspen, it most distinctive feature is its leaves, which tremble and shiver in the slightest breeze. Trembling Aspen (Ht. 10-15m, Sp. 9m) is a tough, adaptable shade tree with bright green leaves and smooth nearly white bark that darkens and roughens with age.

Staff Favorite Horse Chestnut, this tree is stunning. In late spring its branches are covered the very showy clusters of creamy white flowers. The 8-inch flower clusters stand upright; each little flower within the cluster is marked with a yellow blotch that eventually turns red. Its leaves are formed by five to seven dark green leaflets, with each leaf up to 9 inches long. Another unique feature of the Horse Chestnut it that during the growing season it is covered in well-armed, prickly seedpods. Horse Chestnut is not a true chestnut tree, and its nuts are not good for eating. Centuries ago, the Turks used the nuts to treat respiratory ailments in horses. The Horse Chestnuts unique characteristics and history make it a staff favorite here at Aspen Crossing Tree Farm & Garden Center.

Tips How to Plant a Potted Tree or Shrub - First dig your hole 1 ½ times the width of the pot but only 1-2 inches deeper - Add 2 inches of good soil mix to the bottom of the hole and work it in - Place bone meal or phosphate fertilizer (high middle number) in the hole - Remove the tree from the pot and gently rough-up the bottom to loosen the roots - For peat or fiber pots, with a sharp knife cut 6 inches of the pot off & make slits. - Place the tree in the hole so that the tree is level with the ground - You may need to add or remove some soil. (Planting too deep will kill the tree) - Backfill the hole with good soil mix - Pack the soil in and around the tree to insure there are no air pockets. - You can now create a well around the tree to gather moisture. - Your new tree should be well watered during the growing season. - To check if your tree is acquiring adequate water supply, dig down 6-12” beside the tree. - The soil should be moist not dry or muddy - It may be necessary to stake your larger trees by using 3 guide wires

 

SHRUBS We have over 110 varieties of trees and shrubs available to choose from, and the knowledgeable staff as Aspen Crossing Tree Farm & Garden Center will help you choose the right shrub for your needs and location. New Product Blue Honeysuckle, also called Honeyberries, Sweetberry Honeysuckes, or Edible Honeysuckles. A new fruit discovery that can grow on the Prairies! Blue Honeysuckles are native to Siberia, North Eastern Asia, and Japan. Blue Honeysuckles are not self-pollinating so at least two varieties are required, preferably three. This is the first fruit crop to ripen. Berries begin to change colors in early to mid June and are ripe 7 to 10 days later during a normal year. Once they become completely purple, wait a few days for them to fully ripen (a ripe interior should be red). Bushes often begin bearing the year after planting! And anything that can be done with a berry can be done with a blue honeysuckle, including: fresh/canned or frozen fruit, jam, jelly or can be used in baking such as pies, cakes and tarts. This exciting new variety will be available in spring at Aspen Crossing Tree Farm & Garden Center.

Seasonal Performers Spring – Every spring, we just can’t wait for the lilacs to bloom. Among the most fragrant of shrubs, Lilacs display clusters of colorful flowers in spring. Lilacs vary from impressively large, to small compact shrubs. Some species perform well as a hedge, while one has a single stem and becomes tree like with age. Lilacs need full sun and well-drained soil for maximum blooming. Prune off seedheads after flowering, remember that early Spring is not the time to prune spring flowering shrubs such as lilac, or you will lose this year’s flowers. Our favorite lilacs include the Common Lilac (Ht. 3m, Sp. 2m) it is the most fragrant lilac, this shrub has heart-shaped leaves and a vigorous suckering habit. Used for informal hedges, Common Lilac is an old-fashioned favorite. The Sensation Lilac (Ht. 3m, Sp. 3m) features unique, beautiful, bicolor flowers in 10-inch long clusters. The deep purple flower-buds open to deep purple dramatically edged in white (need we say more?). And the Ivory Silk Japanese Tree Lilac (Ht. 9m, Sp. 9m) is a more compact and uniformly oval variety. Fragrant, creamy flowers in clusters 4-8 inches long; extremely beautiful in full bloom!

Summer Spireas are easy-to-grow flowering shrubs that come in two basic types: the white-flowered ones, which bloom for three or four weeks in spring, and the pink-flowered ones, which bloom from early summer to fall. Our favorites for summer color are Goldmound, an excellent accent plant (Ht. 3ft., Sp. 3½ft.) has pink flowers and iridescent foliage in shades of yellow and gold, and forms a low, smooth mound of bright foliage. And Magic Carpet (Ht. 10inch, Sp. 2½ft.) is a miniature variety that forms a colorful, compact carpet or foliage in shades of red and yellow and clusters of pink flowers appear from late spring to early summer. We have found that the Magic Carpet Spirea is good for borders or as ground cover.

Fall Hydrangeas are among the showiest of flowering shrubs. Some varieties produce abundant, spectacular flowerheads that can be huge – 1 foot or more in size There are not many shrubs that bloom in later summer and last into fall, which makes hydrangeas all the more desirable. Their long lasting flowerheads persist through periods when few other shrubs are blooming. If this is not enough, hydrangeas are also easy to grow, untroubled by pests and one of the best suppliers of large flowers for fresh bouquets and dried arrangements.

Winter Dogwood is a worthwhile choice for year-round appeal. They display clusters of creamy-white flowers in spring, bunches of pearly-white ornamental berries in autumn. But most importantly and why we chose it as our winter performer is because of its outstanding red twig color in winter. Our favorite varieties are Cardinal Red Osier and Kelsey’s Dwarf Dogwood.

Tried & True for Alberta Throughout history, roses have been one of the world’s most beloved flowers, celebrated by artists, florists and poets as well as gardeners. In recent years, the demand for hardy roses has increased tremendously, likely because hardy roses are as easy to grow as any other shrub. The Prickly Rose (Ht. 1m, Sp. 1m) is the floral emblem of Alberta, which is why Alberta is known as Wild Rose Country. This hardy rose is our Tried and True choice, here are a few simple things to remember to keep your roses looking there best. - Water roses regularly. Because they bloom over such a long period, they need more moisture than most shrubs. - Prune in early spring, immediately after leafbuds begin to swell. - Deadhead regularly; removing finished flowers encourages further blooming. Stop deadheading a few weeks before the end of summer to allow rosehips to form. As well as providing a decorative display, rosehips signal plants to prepare for winter. - Hardy roses need little pruning. Just remove dead branches or branch tips in early spring. - When snipping flowers for bouquets, cut stems just above the first set of five leaves; it is from here that new shoots will grow. Make your cut at a 45-degree angle rather than straight across. Prune buds facing away from the centre of the plant.

Staff Favorite Double-Flowering Plums are irresistible when in full bloom, and every spring customers come in asking for ‘that beautiful shrub covered in pink flowers’. It is also a favorite among our staff here at Aspen Crossing Tree Farm & Garden Center. Double-flowering plume is one of the first shrubs to bloom in spring, with its leafless branches lined with showy, rose-pink double blossoms. This shrub will flower for about two weeks, and when the flowers have finished the leaves have come out.

Tips Container-grown plants are in a pot filled with soil and have an established root system, which makes them easier to transplant. This type of nursery stock becomes established more quickly after planting in your garden because the plant has been actively and has matured for months. Container-grown trees and shrubs can be planted at any time during the growing season. You can begin planting in early spring as soon as the ground has thawed enough for you to put your shovel into it, and stop planting in late fall. One thing to remember, is to avoid planting during the heat of the day – mornings, evenings or cool cloudy days are easier on plants