Happy Thanksgiving Canadians!

Cotoneaster - Peking (cotoneaster acutifolia)*

Many of the blogs I enjoy reading at Garden Voices are from some wonderful Canadian gardeners. Until I got interested in garden blogging I didn't know much about our Canadian neighbors and especially their love and knowledge of gardening. I have learned much from all of them. It's amazing how many plants we have in common. Now I feel much closer to our gardeners from the "North." Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!Many of the blogs I enjoy reading at Garden Voices are from some wonderful Canadian gardeners. Until I got interested in garden blogging I didn't know much about our Canadian neighbors and especially their love and knowledge of gardening. I have learned much from all of them. It's amazing how many plants we have in common. Now I feel much closer to our gardeners from the "North." Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

Tammy Weisberger of Allrecipies writes about the history of Canada's Thanksgiving.

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* About the Cotoneaster - Peking : (From Nature Hills Nursery)
The Cotoneaster Peking, 'Cotoneaster acutifolia', is an erect shrub with slender spreading branches. The Peking Cotoneaster is best used as a hedge, or in groupings. This shrub displays yellow to red fall foliage and performs best in moist, well-drained soils. This shrub does well in partial shade to full sun light. Cotoneaster may be appreciated more for its dark green foliage than its blossoms. The small flowers are white to pinkish. Three-eighths inch black berries ripen in September and persist through mid-winter and are appreciated by some song birds such as the Robin and Catbird. Use this plant in the landscape for hedges, screens, and groupings.

I have three of these shrubs. I think the birds fly off with the berries because we find them in unusual places throughout the yard and never know when and where another will emerge. They are very easy to grow and have lovely autumn foliage. Their only downside is that they can get pretty floppy and an early winter snow will take them to their knees.