Christmas Trees Gloria. ear Fellow Gardeners. Winter 2006 Volume 17, Issue 4

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1 Winter 2006 Volume 17, Issue 4 Inside This Issue Christmas Trees 2006 Poinsettias ~ Our Festive Favourites To Do List ~ December/January Ice Sculptures Did You Know? Christmas Theme Trees Lavender Shortbread Recipe Calendar of Events 2006 Readers Choice Christmas Trees 2006 arkland Garden Centre carries only the P finest Christmas trees that the industry offers. They are premium grade trees which means they are extra dense and very uniform in shape. We also carry trees up to 16ft for those big rooms that demand a large tree. For your convenience, we also carry the large stands that support up to 14ft trees. Some of the special trees that Parkland offers are featured below. Balsam Fir is a fragrant, sheared, dark green, short needled fir. It boasts the perfect shape for that traditional Christmas tree; while the short needles showcase your tree ornaments. It is available this season in a variety of sizes from 6 ft up to 16 ft. Frasier Fir is slightly sheared and very similar to the Balsam fir; the difference being it s blue colour. The sky blue needles make it a good choice for an uniquely beautiful Christmas tree. They will be available in sizes from 7ft to 9ft this season. The Lodgepole Pine brings back memories of Christmas past. It s natural form makes it a traditional favorite. They will be available this season in sizes from 7ft to 9ft. D ear Fellow Gardeners This is the beginning of our favourite holiday season. The crisp cold air and fluffy pure white snow all herald the joys of Christmas. Please join us this year as we celebrate with our Craft and Market Sales, Holiday in the House courses and World Famous Ice Sculptures. We wish you all a happy and joyous Holiday. Scots Pine Gloria White Pine is a sheared, dark pine, long needled and very fragrant. A nice tree to light and decorate for the season. It is available in sizes 8 ft to 10 ft. Black Hills Spruce Scots Pine is a stiff needled pine of dark green colour. Sheared to give them a traditional Christmas look they are available this season in sizes from 6ft to 7ft. White Pine New for 2006 is Black Hills Spruce. This short needled spruce is very fragrant and has a rich dark green colour. It is sheared for a traditional Christmas tree look. We will have 5ft to 8ft sizes for Page 1

2 Poinsettias Our Festive Favourites Over the years we have established a reputation for a fabulous selection of high quality Christmas plants. This year is no exception! We have produced a gorgeous crop in all the usual colours red, white, pink burgundy and purple ~ from tiny ones in 3 (7 cm) pots to stunning giants in 10 (25 cm) pots, and hanging pots. W e have also expanded o u r selection of floral enhancements for dressing up your favourite plants. We can colorenhance them in blue, purple or more. We c a n s p a r k l e t h e m u p i n a selection of glitter colours, and even add more dazzle with sparkling ting-ting, evergreens, bows and festive pot covers. Selecta Amazing Pink This year we will introduce the new red and white Shimmer Surprise, the new Amazing Pink, a strong pink with white blotches, and even more new burgundy varieties. We also have combination pots and Christmas dish gardens in festive wicker. These make great Christmas gifts! All our poinsettias and Christmas gift plants are wrapped warmly to protect them from cold winter weather so you can safely bring home your plants on those cold winter days. Nothing beats real, live Christmas decorations, and we carry nothing but the best! Ecke Shimmer Surprise Fischer Da Vinci Fischer Silverstar White Selecta Christmas Star Burgandy Page 2

3 To Do List ~ December / January Be sure to check regularly any tubers and corms that you have stored to ensure they don t dry out completely. This is the ideal time to study the bare bones of your garden. Is it balanced? Does it have winter appeal? Are there shrubs with berries to attract birds? Catch up on reading garden magazines and books for fantastic new ideas that you can incorporate into your yard. Parkland Garden Centre has a wide selection of books to choose from. Plan next year s garden projects. This is the perfect time to work with our Landscape Designer. Check regularly that your bird feeders are clean and filled. Mark your calendar ~ December 2nd is the day for Holiday in the House Courses! As winter doldrums set in, visit the tropical paradise of Parkland Garden Centre. It s the ideal location for your garden luncheon! Did You Know hat Parkland Garden Centre is more T than just a garden centre! Parkland Garden Centre carries a full line of gift items, Heritage Lace, candleholders and candles. If you re looking for something unique check out our indoor waterfall features and the fantastic furniture imported from Indonesia. New this year are gourmet chocolates made right here in Alberta. They come in a variety of flavours sure to delight the chocolate lover in you. For your reading enjoyment, we carry a full line of books on landscape design, water ponds, garden art and décor, to plant specialty books and, of course, the ever popular books by Lois Hole. Ice Sculptures ou are invited to visit Parkland Garden Y Centre to see our world famous ice sculptures being created. Last year, our ice sculptures were featured on television and print media in not only Red Deer, but Calgary, Edmonton and even the National! Each year brings a new theme, which is kept a mystery until its unveiling in mid- December (depending on weather). You won t want to miss it. After viewing the ice sculptures, stop in to the garden centre for a cup of hot apple cider, hot chocolate or coffee. You ll be amazed at our Christmas theme trees and other decorations for the season. Gates are kept open during the Christmas season so that you and your family can come and enjoy the finished art in ice. Page 3

4 Christmas Theme Trees f you are looking for ideas to create the I perfect tree this year...look no further! Parkland s Garden Shop has the largest selection of decorated theme trees in Central Alberta. We are boasting of over 35 this year, such as The Renaissance Tree, Turkish Delight, Feathered Friends, Story Time, Candy Cane, Mardi Gras, Girlfriends, Enchantment, Gardeners, Sports, Ice Palace and of course the Old Fashioned Tree. Seeing is believing when you see our fascinating upside down Christmas trees!!! A visit through Parkland s Christmas shop is definitely a WOW!!!!! Bring the entire family and become inspired. To complete your Holiday look, this year we also offer new Christmas wreathes, swags and fireplace toppers decorated in themes or custom created for you. Please ask our designers to assist you in crating a wreath or swag to enhance your home. A large selection of fresh and artificial greens (wreaths, garlands, swags and assorted bundled green stems) are available. Visit us at Parkland and let us help you create a Christmas décor with that WOW appeal! Lavender Shortbread Recipe If you are looking some something special for the holidays try Lavender Shortbread. This recipe as well as many other mouth watering recipes, is from Renee s Garden Ingredients: Makes about 4 dozen. 1 1/2 cups (3/4 pound) butter, at room temperature (no substitutes) 2/3 cup sugar 2 tablespoons very finely chopped lavender florets (fresh or dried) 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint 2 1/3 cups flour 1/2 cup cornstarch 1/4 teaspoon salt These rich but not too sweet shortbread cookies have just a hint of sweet lavender fragrance and flavor. They are perfect to serve with tea, milk or lemonade. I make several batches to divide up and tuck into pretty decorative boxes or tins I've lined with pastel tissue paper. Be prepared to share the recipe -- or, better yet, write it up on lavender-colored paper to include in the box. Preheat oven to 325 F. Cover bottoms of two baking sheets with parchment or brown paper. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, lavender, and mint with an electric mixer. Mix until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add flour, cornstarch, and salt and beat until incorporated. Divide dough in half. Flatten into squares and wrap in plastic. Chill until firm. On a floured board, roll or pat out each square to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Cut the dough into 1 1/2 - inch squares or rounds. Transfer to baking sheets, spacing cookies about 1 inch apart. Prick each cookie several times with a fork. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until pale golden (do not brown). Cool slightly, then transfer to a rack. Sprinkle with lavender powdered sugar. Garnish with lavender powdered sugar: Put a 4 or 5 sprigs of lavender flowers in a sealed jar with powdered sugar for a day before using the sugar. Page 4

5 Winter Calendar of Events Craft and Market Sales These sales provide craftspeople the opportunity to showcase their handmade crafts and offer them to customers in time for Christmas. Saturday, November 11, :00 noon to 5:00 pm Sunday, November 12, :00 noon to 5:00 pm Saturday, November 18, 2006 Saturday, November 25, 2006 Saturday, December 9, 2006 Saturday, December 16, 2006 SPCA Pictures with Santa In support of the Red Deer SPCA, Parkland Gardens provides a venue for families to bring their loved pets in to have their pictures taken with Santa. All proceeds go to the Red Deer SPCA. Sunday, November 19, :00 am to 4:00 pm Sunday, November 26, :00 am to 4:00 pm Pet toy or food donations would be greatly appreciated. Donations to the Red Deer Food Bank Appreciated. Red Deer Chamber of Commerce - Business After Hours Tuesday, November 28, :00 pm to 7:00 pm Central Alberta s Best Kept Secret! RR #2, LCD1, Red Deer, AB T4N 5E2 On Highway 11 only 3 minutes east of 30 Avenue Phone: Fax: info@parklandgc.ca We re on the Web Page 5