We posed these three questions to NAIT landscape experts:

1. Most versatile and hardy tree, shrub and perennial for Edmonton?
2. Favourite garden tool?
3. Go-to source for garden info?

Here are the responses we received.

Jennifer Burns-Robinson
Landscape Designer, Aztek Homes
Instructor, Landscape Architectural Technology
Landscape Architectural Technology '07

Tree - The chokecherry family, including Mayday and Schubert (sun, flowers and fruit; Mayday: 8m high, 9-15m spread, green leaves; Schubert: 8m high, 6m spread, purple leaves)

Shrub - Mockorange (sun to partial shade, 3-4m high, 1.2-3m spread, fragrant white flowers)

Perennial - Daylily (popular Stella de Oro: sun to partial shade, 45cm high, 45cm spread, yellow flowers)

Tool - Loop hoe. Perfect for weeding around perennials and vegetables, it can be sharpened and slices easily through roots.

Source - Heritage Perennials' website, perennials.com. Since a lot of local nurseries use this supplier, I will likely find whatever I fall in love with.

Leonie Nadeau
Instructor, Biological Sciences Technology & Senior Faculty Researcher, supported by novaNAIT

Tree - Evans Cherry (sun, 4.5m high, 3m spread, white flowers, large red cherries)

Shrub - Variegated dogwood (sun to partial shade, 2.5m high, 2m spread, white-edged green leaves)

Perennial - Canada violet (pictured above, partial shade or filtered sun 10-40cm high, white flowers)

Tool - A trowel and a watering can

Source - Gardeners nearby

Donna Brown
Instructor, Landscape Architectural Technology

Tree - Scot's pine (sun, 25m high, 6m spread, blue-green needles)

Shrub - Goldflame or Goldmound Spirea (sun, 1.8m high, 1.2m spread, pink flowers, yellow foliage)

Perennial - Daylily

Tool - Adirondack chair. Seriously, if you start your garden properly, maintenance is minimal.

Source - Local nurseries. It is always interesting to see what's new - and to touch it and smell it.

Kerri Buksa
Owner, Buksa Designs
Landscape Architectural Technology '10

Tree - Pagoda Dogwood (sun to partial shade, 2m high, 3m spread, white flowers, blue berries, burgundy fall foliage)

Shrub - Goldilocks Elder (sun to partial shade, 90cm high, 90cm spread, white spring flowers, fall berries)

Perennial - Karl Foerster (sun to partial shade, 1.5-2m high, 90-100cm spread, feathery plumes become stiff wheat-coloured spikes)

Tool - Hori Hori knife. A handy cross between a knife and a trowel.

Source - Magazines (Garden Design, Canadian Gardening, House and Home), Internet and colleagues