Flying Creek Trees

04/02/2026

Now’s the time 🌱

If you’ve been thinking about growing your own trees, this is your window to collect dormant hardwood cuttings.

Before buds break and while everything still looks “asleep,” trees are storing energy in their stems. That’s exactly what you want. Cuttings taken during winter root better, handle stress better, and give you a stronger start overall.

A few simple rules that haven’t changed in generations:
- Take cuttings from healthy, last year’s growth
- Aim for pencil-thick wood, about 6–10 inches long
- Make a clean cut just below a bud
- Keep them cool and moist until planting (north side of a building under snow or in your fridge)

Willows and poplars—these are about as forgiving as it gets. Good place to start if you’re learning.

You don’t need fancy equipment. Pruners, 5 gallon pail and snowshoes to get close enough to the trees.

If you’ve got questions or want to try it out, reach out. Always happy to help folks get trees in the ground.🌲

03/12/2026

🌳 Tree Planting Tip: Depth Matters!

One of the most common mistakes when planting a tree is planting it too deep.

A tree should be planted so the root flare — the point where the trunk widens and roots begin — sits at or slightly above the soil surface.

If the root flare is buried:
❌ Roots struggle to get oxygen
❌ The trunk can rot
❌ The tree may decline years later

Before planting, take a moment to locate the root flare and adjust your planting depth accordingly.

Good rule of thumb:
Dig the hole 2× wider than the root ball, but no deeper than the root ball itself.
A properly planted tree gets the best start possible — and that means healthier growth for decades to come.

02/26/2026

🌱 When to Order Your Trees for Spring 🌱

At Flying Creek Trees, tree orders are handled on a first-come basis and availability is limited each season. If you’re planning a spring planting, ordering early is essential.

🌲 Spring planting orders should be placed by February–March

🌲 Large orders, school projects, and community plantings should be booked as early as possible

If you’re planning:
• School planting projects
• Farm or acreage windbreaks
• Conservation or shelterbelt planting
• Community or municipal projects

👉 Order early and secure your spring trees.

If you’re unsure about species or quantities, reach out sooner rather than later, we are always happy to help!

02/19/2026

A lot of people ask what a “typical” shelterbelt design looks like.

Here’s a simple 5-row layout that works well for many farmyards and acreages:

Row 1 (Outer Row): Shrubs (wind + snow trap)
Examples: Caragana, Villosa Lilac, Saskatoons

Row 2: Fast-growing deciduous trees (quick early protection)
Examples: Poplar, Willow, Aspen

Row 3: Long-lived deciduous trees (structure + longevity)
Examples: Manitoba Maple, Bur Oak

Rows 4 & 5 (Inner Rows): Dense conifers (year-round wind protection)
Examples: White Spruce, Scots Pine

This setup gives you fast results early, plus strong long-term protection as the shelterbelt matures.

If you need help planning your rows, spacing, or picking the right trees and shrubs for your site — reach out anytime.

02/12/2026

If you’re thinking about designing a shelterbelt, winter is the perfect time to do it.
It’s a great season to stay warm inside, map out your yard, and make a plan before spring gets busy.

Here are two excellent resources to help you get started:

📘 Shelterbelt Design & Guidelines (Alberta Agriculture)
https://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$Department/deptdocs.nsf/all/epw10940/$FILE/Shelterbelts_Design_and_Guidelines.pdf

🎥 Legacy Shelterbelts (University of Saskatchewan)
https://gardening.usask.ca/articles-and-lists/articles-trees-and-shrubs/legacy-shelterbelts.php

If you want help figuring out what will work best for your yard — we’re here to help.

02/05/2026

🌿 You’re Invited! 🌿

We’re excited to be joining Saskatchewan Association of Watersheds (SAW) at this upcoming event! They’ll be sharing information about their tree and shrub programming, and information about shelter belts (one of our favourite topics😉).

✅ This event is free to attend, but they are asking everyone to register ahead of time so we can get a better idea of how many people to expect.

📌 Feel free to share the attached event poster with your friends and network — the more, the merrier!

01/29/2026

One thing we’ve shared with lots of folks — and we always get a response like:

“Huh… I never thought of that.”

Alternating lilac varieties in your shelterbelt.

Hear me out.

Lilacs are one of the most common shrubs planted on the outermost row of a shelterbelt.

It’s the row you see when you’re driving up, and you know it’s finally spring (or time for seeding) when the lilacs are blooming.

But here’s the trick…

By mixing varieties that bloom at slightly different times, you can:
✅ extend the blooming timeline
✅ stretch out the fragrance season
✅ avoid everything blooming and fading all at once
✅ create a shelterbelt that looks “alive” for longer

Common Lilac (Syringa vulgaris)
Purple in colour
🌸 Average bloom time: mid to late May
⏳ Typical bloom length: 10–14 days

Villosa Lilac (Syringa villosa)
White / pink in colour
🌸 Average bloom time: early to mid June
⏳ Typical bloom length: 10–14 days

If you alternate them in your shelterbelt, you can get lilac blooms for weeks instead of days — and it makes that front row look great for longer.

Buy Common Lilac seedlings for fragrant blooms & hardy hedges. Fast-growing, cold-tolerant, and perfect for landscapes & privacy screens. Order today!

01/24/2026

🥶 It’s -45°C outside today.
The kind of cold that makes your nose hairs freeze the second you step out the door.

But out here, this is normal. This is what we’re built for.

🌲 Trees that grow in the north have to be tough from day one — and that’s exactly why we focus on hardy stock that can handle real winters.

Stay warm out there, and dream about that warm summer weather ☀️

01/15/2026

🌱 120 sleeps until spring planting begins… and I’m ready for it.

Last summer was a full-tilt blur of potting, hauling, watering, planting, loading, unloading, and doing it all over again... everyday. My body only just stopped reminding me about it every morning.

But here we are… recovered, re-charged, and already itching to get back at it.
Funny how once the sore muscles fade, all you remember is the good part:
watering, checking, weeding, fertilizing, fixing, warm weather, need I say more...

Next spring can’t come soon enough 🌲

01/12/2026

🌲 Your future forest called. It wants you to order a tree.

Spring will be here before you know it and trees are ready to leave their pots and move into a proper home — your yard. They’ve been raised right, with strong roots and no funny business, so when you plant them, they actually grow. Imagine that.

Skip the big box store trees and get the real deal instead. Grown in our climate for maximum hardiness.

👉 Order online now
Because you deserve your own forest.

01/01/2026

As the year comes to a close, we’re proud of the work completed and grateful for the trust placed in us.

The new year brings new opportunities, fresh growth, and more good work ahead.

Wishing you a strong, healthy, and successful New Year.