Oh my memory of having (once, at 5 a.m. for 10 mins) been in Sask. is of getting off a plane (to change to another) half asleep - and being shocked by the utter flatness stretching into infinity! For someone who grew up in Montreal, and the Laurentians, I felt like I'd landed on the moon. BUT have you researched what can really grow in your climate? Birches, for sure, but which spruces, firs, pines, larches and hemlock I would look into, as they may not all be that cold hardy, let alone other deciduous types! Local nurseries are probably a good place to start if you have any, otherwise consider posting Q's on the Canadian forums of GW here (I think one of them is a 'Far north' forum) and get more info from natives. I don't know if 'arboretum' implies more ambition re number of species you can grow, but at least you don't have to worry about beetles. Good luck and keep us posted on how things are going.

I know exactly how you feel. For many years I lived in the Miami area and grew up there actually. It's very flat too, the natural areas are mostly grass or scrub or mangrove or concrete. Mostly concrete. The gardening culture is not really that alive there it would seem. People plant tropicals and that's basically all you find at nurseries. You also don't have that many big garden centers or local chain garden centers and seasonal planting either. And although plenty of trees will grow there, nobody sells them or plants them. And even commercial landscaping isn't that impressive either usually unless it is some resort type thing.

When I moved (back) to the atlanta, GA area it felt like I was camping in a mountain lodge because it is so heavily wooded and hilly and a few mountains here and there. But soon became a little claustophobic. Not being able to see out for miles and miles was something I actually had to adjust to. And same with driving, it felt like a roller coaster, and tried to wait a little while after eating before driving some place!!

I'm afraid I don't know of that many trees for that area other than the typical boreal forest assortment, frankly, a lot of trees there I wish I could reliably grow here in georgia!

And one of these days I'd like to go out west and find some wide open stretches of land to relax and stretch out for a while.

Thanks for the replies lucy and quirkyquercus (love the name, by the way!). Is there really things here that won't grow in Georgia?! I had never thought of tree envy going both ways!!!
Because of my water situation, I'm only planning to grow 6 or 7 birch species, but only 2 of each and all together as they will need alot of supplemental watering. I'm not planning to do willows at all (well, maybe one small pussy willow next to the birches), and I'm going to even keep hybrid poplars to the bare minimum (massive water hogs) and probably no cottonwoods whatsoever (the largest tree we can actually grow here, sigh).
There is actually a fair amount of trees and shrubs that are hardy here (several species from most of the hardier genus), seed provenance is VERY important though as is placement of more tender material in microclimates. Another important technique is withholding water in the late summer and fall (for some species) to get them to go dormant sooner (but to water them deeply right before freeze up).
I'm just trying to get some ideas about how the plantings should be arranged. If one day I wanted to open up my land to the public as a private arboretum, it might be best to have a bit more order in my plantings, say grouping together one genus so that you would be able to see the difference of the individual species. I would actually like to do this, but on the other hand, some species are restricted to the south and east sides of existing trees (the aspen bluff) where they will actually stand a chance of making it through the first few winters, which would preclude straight rows, and more orderly arrangements.
Also, I like the idea of layering different trees and shrubs in my shelterbelts so that there is exciting contrast between forms, fall colors that play off each other and the trunks and twigs of different shrubs, and other types of winter interest (different colored berries, evergreens, etc) that can be accomplished with a little planning.
The long term goal of this project is create a beautiful oasis on the prairie as well as a demonstration ground for what's possible out here, a spot where migratory birds will come year after year on there way north and south, and eventually a place to retire and be able to live sustainably off the land.
Theres a gentleman about 6 hours away that has a similar idea (very close anyway)...I was wondering if there were other like-minded people thinking about doing something like this.
Thanks, and sorry for the long posts!
Koren in Saskatoon

I know zero about forestry in the far North, but for a starter, you could plant some of those elms, pines and ashes you mentioned, whatever types of pines and ashes they may be.
I've been looking through my tree book, Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs, and I think I'd just have to plant some betula papyrifera/paper birch for that gorgeous white bark, and some of the firs for their cute little cones that sit perched on the branches upright. Reading the book, it sounds like abies concolor/white fir, might be the best for your area, since abies balsamea/balsam fir is said to need some protection from desiccating winds - I'd think you'd have some strong winds on the vast open areas you described. The spruces are another northern tree that I'd plant in large numbers. Since I prefer native trees, I'd go with white spruce/picea glauca and Colorado spruce/picea pungens, the latter having beautiful blue needles, at least in the pictures in my book.
You'll really need to research the trees that thrive in your area and go from there. The only vast open areas I've ever seen were in Oklahoma a few years back - it was a strange feeling!
Sherry

Only 6 or 7 species of birch???!!!

There's only one or two that can be reliably grown here.

The trees that come to mind are white and black spruces, eastern arborvitae-maybe, possibly red maple, the birches of course, jack pine, red pine, some ashes, tamarack, balsam fir.
That's a respectable assortment.

One other thing - and I hate to bring it up, but is there some intrinsic reason (apart from farming, etc.) that there aren't more of the other trees around you - whether it be pests or land configuration, soil mix and/or drainage issues, etc? Maybe your local Univ. dept. could give some hints.

Good points.
Our main problem is we have fairly high pH, usually between 7.5 and 8.3 somewhere, and we have very high calcium in our prairie soils. This leads to problems with uptake of iron, so certain plants develop chlorosis very easily. Cold and drought are some other reasons, but mainly lots of land that had trees (aspen parkland) were cleared to make more farmland, and the rest was originally prairie to start with (I think the buffalo kept it that way on purpose!).
For the longest time there was not much planted because most of the stuff that the settlers brought with them (from southeastern Canada and central Europe) died. Our Government set up Experimental Stations across the prairies in the early 1900's and started testing and hybridizing new species and releasing cultivars that could be grown here.
They (and other plant breeders) found that plant material from other northern areas in the world would do well here, and imported many species from Northern China, Mandschuria, Siberia, Mongolia, Amur River, Altai Mountains, etc and also species that can stand wind and cold (plants from the top of the tree line in mountains for example).
I guess I may may have "genus envy", not just tree envy.
It seems with a genus of northern origin, like say Betula, you may be able to grow quite a few species from that genus.
I might be able to grow (and have seed for)B.alleghaniensis, ermanii, humilis, lenta, nana, pendula var carelica, and pubescens var czerepanovii, to name a few. We have lots of White Paper, River and European birch here, but we also have the bronze birch borer, sort of the reason I want to try others that may be more resistant to it. We have lots of Pine that I've seen in the city, including Red, Jack, Bristlecone, Limber, Ponderosa, Shore, Lodgepole, Swiss stone, Mugo, Eastern White, Scots, etc and I'm trying out a few more, just to see.
What I envy is the sheer amount of other genus you guys can grow that are just not hardy enough here, like Magnolias, Sycamores, Tulip trees, and so many other trees that are mentioned on this forum daily.
We northern plantaholics tend to search the world (thank you internet) to find seeds of things to try, that might be tough enough for us.
I'm not complaining though, it's very challenging and enjoyable process, and I know I'm hooked!
Misssherry,
Thanks for your suggestion for the Concolor Fir, I actually ordered 10 last fall, and hope they will do well. I'm also sourcing some Subalpine Fir (Abies lasiocarpa) from the northern part of the Rocky Mountains, as they do really well here in the city, and can handle winds better than most other firs.
We have a small arboretum here at the University of Saskatchewan (well labeled with straight rows) that was planted in the 60's that has many little known species of Larch, some Oaks (including Scarlett), Fraxinus, Tilia, Prunus (huge genus!), Spruce, Sorbus (5 or 6), Maples, and dozens and dozens of other hardy trees and shrubs that I've never even heard of. I've been collecting seed from there and have been planting it throughout the winter months while waiting for spring to come. This winter is ridiculously cold and is seeming to last forever....
I think I will do groupings of certain species, but not very formal ones, perhaps I could do several trees species (say Tilia) mixed with a few smaller shrubs (perhaps dogwoods and lilacs) so that it won't look so formal, but everything will still be fairly organized from a labeling standpoint.
I should really try to visit some real arboretums and see how they've organized their collections to get a better idea of how to make it work so that it's still pleasing to the eye.
Oh the possibilities!!!!
Koren in Saskatoon

prairie gal,
I'm in rolling prairie here in Tx. I have about 35 trees planted in last 3 years in yard. The biggest drawback has been watering for the first year or 2 to get trees established. The prairie is either too hot, too cold, too wet, too dry, too windy, too many insects, and the ground is too clayey, too rocky, too alkaline, etc. for most trees to grow here without some help getting established. Recommend you stick with native trees for first 2 or 3 yrs. Then when those are established, branch out to other varieties if the urge strikes you. Beware of planting more trees than you can water at one time. Establish some, and then plant others when those no longer need help.

I hate to nit pick as you are obviously so well informed and enthusiastic about your project, but Betula alleghaniensis seems highly doubtful in your situation. It is a denizen of northern hardwood stands which could hardly be more different than where you are. I suppose no real harm in trying it, but it just jumped out as I read your post, as not suitable for your application. I'm surprised too that river birch grows around your area, as it has a very definite requirement for soil acidity.

You could, I suppose, try acidifying ten acres. The ammendment of choice is soil sulfur, which is an inexpensive product. The problem with this is soil buffering capacity, which means that while you may bring the pH down to a degree, the huge reserves of calcium present will, in time, bring it right back up again. But it is cheap, and even on ten acres, it is not totally unreasonable to take a stab at this. If you do decide to go this route, plan on having to reapply the material periodically.

+oM

Tis alright, I know I'm out on a limb with a lot of the things I'm trying, but that part of the fun of it, you just never know until you try. To me sometimes the real challenge is even getting seed to germinate...sometimes you follow the instructions with good success, other times not!
Also, I mention that something may grow here, certainly doesn't mean it thrives...some things do surprisingly well while others may live, but barely hang on year after year and never reach any size. I don't think I would try to acidify more than the area directly around that particular specimen if indeed it proves hardy, like you say, it would be a constant battle to maintain any sort of pH under 6 or 7. I am planting loads of the usual stuff of course, available from our local shelterbelt programs. Our trusted standbys include Colorado and White Spruce, Siberian Larch, Scots and Jack Pine, Manitoba Maple or Boxelder (Acer negundo), Green Ash, Hybrid Poplar, Bur Oak, and Siberian Crab. Most of the trees will arrive in mid to late May.
I don't think any of our trees get as big as the ones people on this forum describe. I'm not even sure how to tell the height of a particular tree with no way to measure it. Is there a method to use or are most people estimating?
Our biggest trees we can grow I think are Cottonwoods, which can be somewhere from 70 to 90 feet tall (I've read).
One of the things that I want alot of is things that quickly develop fall colour, like Amur Maples, Euonomous(sp?), Flowering Crabs, Cotoneaster, Ohio Buckeyes, Sumacs, etc because we seem to only have 3 seasons, Spring, Summer, and then straight to Winter for 5 months (feels like forever).
I'm also trying Red and Sugar Maples, Hybrid Oaks, and lots of hardy fruit tree varieties of pear, apricot, plums, and apples.
scotjute,
I know what you mean about the elements, sometimes it feels like everything is working against you...I think this year is predicted to be hot and dry, which will be a real challenge to keep things watered. I am using 4 to 6 inches of post peelings as mulch for all my plantings to keep the moisture in, and all of my stock is under 2 feet still (actually more like under 1 foot), which is way more manageable for keeping watered compared to larger specimen trees. We are lucky to have fairly good, deep soil, with quite a bit of organic matter (the land I bought was a dairy farm for 70 years).

I really am at square one with my acreage, I just bought the land 9 months ago and I know I'm too excited, probably in way over my head, but most importantly just too damn happy to care!!!!
Thanks for the replies!
Koren in Saskatoon

Koren, I was looking through my Oikos catalog and found lots of different types of birches with white bark - one has bark that peels, and the underside is sort of a golden/rosy color - beautiful! They carry a serviceberry called 'Regent' saskatoon, but then maybe saskatoon is just a common name for all serviceberries.
Oikos is in Michigan, and they stress how cold hardy their plants are - they list in bold type the cold tolerance of each of their plants, all of them far below zero!
Sherry

Here is a link that might be useful: Oikos

Hello Koren, I grew up on the plains of South Dakota and Minnesota, so I can relate to you wanting to plant trees to make it feel more closed in. I now live in a much warmer climate, Louisiana to be exact and love how I can grow just about anything here, except for my two favorite trees in the world, white birches and spruces, tried to grow them here, but the heat killed them. Anyways the trees that grew well back on the farm in Minnesota were numerous ones, so you can grow a variety of trees. Here are some suggestions for you to consider.

American Red Pine, Austrian Pine, Ponderosa Pine, Scotch Pine, Eastern White Pine, Black Hills Spruce, Colorado Blue Spruce, Siberian Spruce, White Spruce, Balsam Fir, Concolor Fir, Eastern Red Cedar, Canadian Hemlock, Green Ash, American and European MountainAsh, European White Birch (My favorite is Cutleaf White Birch), Paper Birch, Sweet Birch, Yellow Birch, Black Cherry, Chokecherry, Gray Dogwood, Black Gum, Japanese Tree Lilac (fav. is Ivory Silk), Cucumbertree Magnolia, Red Maple, Silver Maple, Black Oak, Bur Oak, Northern Red Oak, White Oak, Amerian Plum, Smooth Sumac, Shadblow Serviceberry, and of course cottonwood. According to the books I read and from experience these all are hardy to zone 3. Hope this helps and good luck.

Sherry,
I've found Oikos before when I was searching for different oaks, they have some amazing hybrids that might do well here. There's a nursery here in Canada that has some of the same material (Saul, Bebbs, etc), called Rhora's nut farm....I've ordered some of the hybrid oaks and some edible pine nut species for this spring!
Isu27,
That's a great list, thanks for posting it!
I have considered almost everything on it except a few that I'll research more on, like Black gum, and Cucumbertree magnolia, White Oak....some others I want but still have to find a source for...
Good suggestions!!!
Koren in Saskatoon

Maybe there a reason that it is a flat prairie with just some Aspen?

Take some pictures of trees around your area and post them, some smart people (not me) here will figure out what they are and see what can grow on your far north flat prairie.

www.ttseeds.com may be useful if you haven't seen it. Located not far from you.