Trellis - Summer 2018 by Toronto Botanical Garden

SUMMER 2018 â&#x20AC;¢ VOL 45 PROGRAM GUIDE INSIDE

HELLO HELLEBORES | CONEFLOWER POWER | CUTEST CUCUMBERS

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inside summer 2018

upfront

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SUMMER at the TBG Come and see how weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve grown.

[5] The Expansion Access is everything.

[6] Get it! Do It!

The Event

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Eye on design

COLLECTIONS

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Why we love coneflowers

FEATURES

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Healing Hands Helping with horticultural therapy

[14] Hello Hellebores! Springtime in a Brandywine garden

[16] Cute Cukes How sweet they are.

DIY

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Make it! Pretty as a picture

Photo: Ken Retford

Moments

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People & Places

[21] Next Up Lessons from Great Dixter

Summer at t h e TB G

Come and see how we’ve grown

Yes, there are big changes in the offing. The garden will get a lot larger this year—nothing more eventful than growing 10 times bigger. But we also have events planned that we hope will tempt you to explore more of the landscape we share with the city. Look at pretty much any botanic garden, especially the impactful large-city gardens, and you will see their calendars filled with events. From small boutique events to blockbusters, botanic gardens offer many temptations to entice their visitors to come back again and again—and that’s what we hope to do for you this summer. When it comes to events, we have been held back by our four-acre size. Those of you who attend the TBG’s Summer Music Series know how our world changed three years ago when we moved to the city side of the invisible line separating us from Edwards Gardens. The barn courtyard area, with buildings on three sides, is a natural concert site, and so it accommodates many more toe-tapping concert-goers than our own cramped spaces ever could. With a new operating arrangement that we’ve now reached with the city, you will soon see much more of our enjoyable programming taking place on these grounds.

In June, the gardens of the TBG will serve as headquarters for our annual garden tour. Through the Garden Gate, generously sponsored by Mark’s Choice, features the neighbourhood just north of the TBG, showcasing 20 private gardens. (For details, see page 8.) This August, get ready to enjoy ZimSculpt, a touring exhibit of African sculpture that’s sure to excite you. This is an event that I have experienced to great acclaim. We hosted them at VanDusen for three straight summers and they were also at Royal Botanical Gardens for three seasons. “Back by popular demand” was the reason. The plants and the sculpture look fantastic together, each making the other look better. This exhibit has won best-in-show at the Chelsea Flower Show, and it has been hosted by some significant gardens in the United States as well. Check us out this summer, and keep checking us out. Plants 'R' Us (and that will never change), but the cultural opportunities created by beautiful landscapes are an added source of delight for garden lovers.

torontobotanicalgarden.ca

Harry Jongerden, Executive Director

summer 2018

Photo: paul Chmielowiec

It’s going to be an “event full” year for the Toronto Botanical Garden, in every sense of the phrase.

Sneak Peek

The Circuit Path

The expansion

A circular path will open up new vistas

Access Is Everything

1. Bridge 2. East switchback path 3. West switchback path

If you can’t get around the garden, what’s the use of expanding it? asks Harry Jongerden.

Illustration: Master plan development Document

e have had to pay a lot of attention to accessibility in our planning for the new garden. Three years ago, I recall landscape architect Gary Smith and I watching a woman standing tremulously with her walker near the top of the grassy bank, not far from the barn. She told us she didn’t dare go any further towards Wilket Creek in case she couldn’t get back up a slope that seemed, to me, fairly gentle. That day I learned not to judge “gentle slope” by my standards. We had been talking about creating new gardens on the west side of the ravine as well as bringing people into the restored ravine below. But after this encounter we realized that too many visitors would have been unable to access these areas. Edwards Gardens is here because of that gentle slope down to Wilket Creek as well as the more dramatic, steep, wooded slopes. Visually, from a topographic point of view, it has everything you’d want in a garden landscape— unless a person has mobility issues. Over the almost four years of concept development, our landscape architects— Jim Melvin, Gary Smith and Scott Torrance’s group at Forrec—have told us we need a bridge. Scott went further and devised a circuit around the garden, with a bridge and switchback paths up and down both sides of the ravine. The experience of new gardens and vistas along the way will make this journey one of Toronto’s premier garden experiences.

In and of itself, the bridge will entice many a visitor. But not to worry, friends, no bungee jumping or zip-lines! One of the five tenets of the Toronto Ravine Strategy which came out last October is access. Entry points to a ravine experience need to be established up and down the ravine system. And, very importantly, parking facilities, washrooms and food options need to be available. We are not only at the northern tip of a ravine journey that extends down to Lake Ontario, but we have all the amenities necessary for a pleasant and stimulating experience.

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I hope that many of you have made the journey from east to west across Edwards Gardens. It’s a down-then-up followed by a return down-then-up walking experience. Our Children’s Teaching Garden is over there on the western tableland as well as a beautiful turf-and-trees, arboretumlike setting. Getting down to the nittygritty of garden development, let me tell you the good news about what’s happening over there. Phase 1 of garden redevelopment includes the installation of a washroom on the western tableland. No more porta-potty. How’s that for garden improvement?

Pretty Pollinator

Perennial Plant of the Year Allium ‘Millenium’ is pretty good at attracting bees, butterflies and other pollinators—and a pretty reliable garden performer too.

get it! do it!

Planter’s Pouch

Root Pouch is an eco-friendly breathable container made from recycled, felted plastic bottles. Lightweight and foldable, these carryalls are ideal for many gardening needs—planting, tools and cut flowers. TBG Garden Shop, from $7.99.

Hot Ticket

Mark’s Choice Through the Garden Gate features the gardens of Windfields Estate. Saturday and Sunday, June 9 and 10, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. One-Day Pass: Member $40; Public $45. Two-Day Pass: Member $60; Public $65. Students $25 (With ID, One-Day Pass Only)

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Photos (Clockwise From top Left): Paul Zammit, SVP Media, P.z.

The season’s best products and pursuits

upfront E-I-E-I-O

Photos (Clockwise From top Left): Maggie janik, Tom Sandler, SVP Media, Storey Publishing, mark’s Choice, P.Z.

For a taste of the country in the city, take a tour of Fresh City Farms’ two-acre urban farm with manager and nutritionist Hannah Hunter. Thursday, July 12, 6:30 to 9 p.m. Rain date: Tuesday, July 17, 6:30 to 9 p.m. Member $32; Public $40.

Show off!

Plant Sale Best Pick

Agave ‘Ivory Curls’ is a sultry succulent with creamy white edges on undulating grey-blue foliage. $19.99 while supplies last. Plant Sale, May 10 to 13.

Music, burgers & beer

The season’s must-get wearable item: a fabulous hat to show off at the TBG Blossom Party (formerly Woman to Woman). Tuesday, May 29. Tickets $175; Patron table (8) $4,500.

Grab a bison burger and a cold one from Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company on the Garden Café patio before settling into a concert at the Edwards Summer Music Series. Thursdays at 7 p.m., June 28 through August 30.

World Class Veggies

Easy Weeder

Open to any lushly photographed page of Niki Jabbour’s Veggie Garden Remix and discover the fresh new flavours of 224 edible plants from around the world. $19.95.

The Mark’s Choice Backhoe cultivates, plants and furrows with ease. Available in a compact handheld version ($19.97) and a long-handled narrowbladed style ($29.97) only at Home Hardware.

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SUMMER at t h e TB G

Eye On Design

This year’s gardens are packed with plants and full of whimsy.

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PHOTO: SVP MEDIA

You’ll find design lessons and great ideas on this year’s tour of the Gardens of Windfields Estate.

THE EVENT

PHOTOS: (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT): SVP MEDIA, DAVID MORRISON, BARBARA PHILIPS-CONROY, SVP MEDIA, SVP MEDIA

Plan your day with the map inside the Garden Guide.

Find out how to tackle shade with texture and foliage.

he gardens on this year’s Mark’s Choice Through the Garden Gate tour originally came with their own set of problems, as most gardens do. But the owners absolutely refused to be daunted. They read, took courses, went on garden tours and hung around in nurseries to educate themselves. Plants, naturally, will have a high profile— particularly a wonderful and unusual selection of trees and shrubs that are perfect for small gardens. On this year’s tour of the Gardens of Windfields Estate, you’ll see a garden certified by the

Learn how to plan a pretty focal point with potted plants.

Canadian Wildlife Federation that is full of pollinator plants, a garden featuring a group of junipers clipped to look as if they are being blown by the wind, an awesome garden inspired by Giverny and a living wall created on a back fence. There is a tiny, perfect cactus garden, kitchen gardens, a sunken garden and so much more. We’ll also have continuous tours of the TBG gardens as well as food and drink and wonderful products from the Garden Shop. Join us for a lovely day or two of pure inspiration. —Carol Gardner, Co-Chair, Through the Garden Gate Committee

The 2018 Through the Garden Gate tour welcomes our title sponsor.

Saturday, June 9 & Sunday, June 10, 2018 • 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. One-Day Pass: TBG Members $40 / Public $45 Two-Day Pass: TBG Members $60 / Public $65 Students $25 (With ID, One-Day Pass Only)

DESIGN SOLUTIONS WORKSHOPS

Create privacy with a natural screen of trees and shrubs.

Bringing Back the Nearly Dead: Renovating an Existing Garden Monday, April 23, 7 to 9 p.m. Member $25; Public $30.

Ornamental Ways to Handle Rainwater Monday, May 7, 7 to 9 p.m. Member $25; Public $30.

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Rocks, Blocks and Wood: Understanding Hard Landscaping Wednesday, June 6, 7 to 9 p.m. Member $25; Public $30.

Explore more at torontobotanicalgarden.ca/ category/adult

“I like to instill a good understanding and appreciation of plants in young people and I tell my older clients to never give up gardening. Just rethink how you are going to do it.”

Horticultural therapy is a passion of Nancy LeeColibaba, horticulturist at the Royal Botanical Garden. “I like to instill a good understanding and appreciation of plants in young people and I tell my older clients to never give up gardening. Just rethink how you are going to do it,” Nancy says. She will be leading a two-day workshop at the TBG on May 31 and June 1 for people who would like to learn how to design and deliver plant- and garden-based programs. This workshop is designed for people already employed in the health care industry as well as caregivers of all types. A certificate of attendance is provided upon completion. Member $200: Public $240. Register at torontobotanicalgarden.ca/ learn/adult

HEALING HANDS Horticultural therapy can provide physical, social and mental health benefits to people with special needs, says Lorraine Hunter, but what does it do for those dispensing the therapy? MARGARET NEVETT is a registered horticulturist who is encouraging others to follow in her footsteps. Working in long-term care and rehabilitation facilities, Margaret recognized the need for more horticultural therapists and set out to design, produce and teach the Horticultural Therapy Program introduced at the TBG four years ago. Her biggest surprise was the quick response from people anxious to take the year-long certificate program. Her students, ranging in age from 20-something to over 60, work in a

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variety of fields from health care to horticulture, delivering programs that incorporate gardening to enhance the physical and mental well-being of people with special needs. “We are opening up what horticultural therapy can be,” she says. “It’s not a hard sell. People get it.” Graduates of the TBG course are applying what they learned in very different work situations. Every one of them loves what they do and looks forward to going to work. Here are their stories.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF KERRY FURNEAUX

HORTICULTURAL THERAPY INTENSIVE WORKSHOP

PHOTOS: (FROM LEFT): COURTESY OF KERRY FURNEAUX, JOHN RICHMOND, SHERRY DODSON

Kerry Furneaux

“When a chickadee lands on a child’s fist the look on his or her face can be magical,” says horticultural therapist Kerry Furneaux. Whether she’s taking a class into the ravine beyond Edwards Gardens or walking through the greenhouses at Allan Gardens, helping kids connect with nature is a big part of her job. “When you see a child connecting to something they never thought they could do, it’s pretty exciting,” says Kerry who is a TBG education assistant working with children during the winter and the enabling garden assistant at Riverwood Conservancy in Mississauga in the summer. Kerry knew that gardening made her happy and enrolled in a garden design course at George Brown College where she met Margaret Nevett who encouraged her to apply to the TBG program. “Horticultural therapy can be interpreted in many ways. I enjoy the tactile stimulation of gardening, getting my hands dirty, touching plants and imparting this enjoyment to my clients.” Kerry also became a beekeeper three years ago and started to relate to bees and other insects in the garden and to animals and birds. Conveying these connections to her clients seemed only natural. She also enjoys working with both mentally and physically challenged people at Riverwood. “If you can introduce one person to what could become their happy place, what could be more fulfilling?”

John Richmond

A social worker at St. Joseph’s Health Centre in Toronto, John likes to eat local and was looking for a way to create volunteer opportunities for people with mental health issues. Some patients had time on their hands between appointments. Keeping them active by planting a vegetable garden seemed like a good idea. From the hospital archives John discovered that nuns had grown food there in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. Neighbours had once grown corn on hospital property and before that First Nations people grew grains and vegetables. The hospital agreed to the gardening project, but John felt he needed some formal training. “Margaret’s course was great. I loved it and the TBG—a big win for all.” Volunteers put in five raised beds the first year. There are now 21 raised beds with 27 different crops. “We let the clients decide what to grow. It empowers them. Families of more than 30 patients picked food the past year.” “I’m a therapist and have to be able to see the benefits of what I do with my clients,” reasons John. “We get a steady stream of comments. Even doctors tell me how gardening helps the patients. I was nervous at first that while we might love the garden, would it work for the clients? But I am happy to say it is a very successful program.”

TBG PEOPLE WHO MAKE A DIFFERENCE: KERRY FURNEAUX After many years as a practising graphic designer, Kerry decided to explore her interest in horticulture and nature. In 2016 she completed the Garden Design Certificate at George Brown College as well as the Horticultural Therapy Certificate at the TBG. Kerry has also completed the Urban Beekeeper Certificate and is an active member of the Toronto Beekeepers Collective. Initially a volunteer with the TBG children’s programs, Kerry currently works as the Education Assistant at the TBG and in the summer months is the Enabling Garden Assistant at the Riverwood Conservancy in Mississauga where she is dedicated to improving the well-being of children and adults of all ages and abilities through horticultural activities.

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Sherry Dodson

Sherry Dodson’s husband can tell by her mood whether she has spent the day at her regular job as a sales rep for a printing firm or at WindReach Farm. Located about 15 minutes north of Whitby near Ashburn, Ontario, the farm is where Sherry practises horticultural therapy with physically disabled adults, many in wheelchairs. “I get more out of this than they do. As a passionate gardener myself, it is very gratifying to see people who have never been exposed to gardening get so excited about it. A lot of the people I am dealing with are care receivers but when they are nurturing a plant they can be the caregiver.” Sherry joined Durham Master Gardeners about five years ago and began teaching a hort therapy class for adults once a month. “I began looking for courses and stumbled on the TBG.” Through a friend, she found out about WindReach, which runs programs for people with mostly physical disabilities but also for some veterans with PTSD. The farm has 24 horses and a successful year-round equine program along with cows, sheep, horses, alpacas and donkeys. WindReach also has a wool therapy program called Homespun that uses wool sheared from sheep and flowers grown on the farm to dye the wool. Last year WindReach hired a recreation therapist who set out to develop adaptive sports and hort therapy programs. “We have raised beds and do sensory activities using scented geraniums for stem cuttings and Rex Begonias for leaf cuttings.” Sherry has found that simple nature-related classes work best. Mint tea was a good example. “We grew mint in raised beds, harvested it, talked about the square stems and made teabags from cheesecloth. This was a good social activity. People loved it!” “My hope, if we get a three-year grant, is that I can do this full time.” Lorraine Hunter is a Toronto freelance writer/editor who enjoys gardening and finds interviewing others about their gardens to be therapeutic.

‘PINK DOUBLE DELIGHT’ The pom-pom centre puts this coneflower over the top! It’s a compact, branching and sturdy plant with fragrant blooms that grows to about 60 cm.

Why we love...

CONEFLOWERS These favourites of the TBG gardens are long blooming and pollinator friendly. TEXT BY PAUL ZAMMIT PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEN RETFORD

‘RUBINSTERN’ (RUBY STAR)

Named for its large carmine-red to pink blooms, this showy coneflower features large wide petals that splay from a bronzy brown central cone. 90 cm.

‘TANGERINE DREAM’ For a pop of summer colour, it’s hard to beat this large-flowered fragrant coneflower that holds its vibrant colour all season. Good cut flower. 60 cm.

‘MAMA MIA’

Like a chameleon, the petals of ‘Mama Mia’ change from reddish to bright orange and finally to coral as the flowers mature. 75 to 90 cm.

COLLECTIONS

‘FIREBIRD’

‘WHITE SWAN’

Like a badminton shuttlecock, scarlet-orange blooms flex downward from a large, orangebrown cone. The flower colour holds well. 70 to 95 cm.

This oldie but goodie remains one of the best. For fabulous floral arrangements, remove the white petals to display the showy cones. 90 cm.

‘FLAME THROWER’ A colour breakthrough! The two-toned orange and yellow petals cartwheel around the burnt orange centre. 90 to 100 cm.

ECHINACEA PURPUREA

Petals gracefully fall away from the cone of this beautiful native species. Plants often self-seed to produce a surprising variation of offspring. 60 to 150 cm.

MAGNUS

1998 Perennial Plant of the Year, this reliable, long-lived and longflowering coneflower sports clear pink petals that radiate outward from the large cone. About 100 cm.

Top left: Floating in a bowl of water, these blossoms display the color range and flower forms of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Brandywine Hybridâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; hellebores. Bottom left: Helleborus niger, the Christmas rose, is one of the first hellebores to bloom, but rarely, in this country, at Christmas. Its flowers are as white as a fresh fall of snow.

Top right: Helleborus torquatus is a diminutive favorite of many collectors. This particular form comes from northern Italy. Bottom right: Helleborus x nigercors are crosses between H. niger and H. argutifolius. The H. niger parentage gives the plants better cold hardiness and larger, rounded outward-facing flowers. H. argutifolius brings more flowers per stem and more interesting leaves.

Hello

Hellebores! The non-stop parade of colour in author David Culp’s Brandywine cottage garden starts with a springtime tapestry of heirloom daffodils and hellebores.

PHOTOS: ROB CARDILLO

n late winter and early spring, my hellebores take center stage. From this genus come some of the best perennials for shade—long lived, long blooming, evergreen, virtually disease free, and deer proof. They provide a wide range of colors at a time of the year in which gray and brown (and the white of an occasional snowfall) are the predominant tones in the landscape. Even when buried by snow, or laid low by a hard frost, these sturdy plants revive with the first warming rays of sun, like a flattened boxer rising from the mat. You simply have to love a plant that can take whatever punch the weather throws and still show off at that time of year. Hellebores are members of the Ranunculaceae, or the buttercup family— not the rose family, as common names of the plant (Lenten rose, Christmas rose) misleadingly imply. This diverse family is one that loves my garden, and includes a number of other genera that I grow, among them Adonis, Aquilegia, Clematis, Hepatica, Thalictrum, and the family’s namesake, Ranunculus. The fifteen or so Helleborus species are divided into two main groups. The caulescent group (with leaves on their flowering stems) includes H. argutifolius, H. foetidus, H. lividus, and H. vesicarius. The larger acaulescent group (without leaves on their flower stems) contains all other species along with the Oriental hybrids (Helleborus × hybridus). These hybrids are the most popular and easiest hellebores to grow, tolerating almost full sun to almost full shade (though the denser the shade, the fewer flowers they will produce). They generally prefer

slightly neutral to acidic soils, and will tolerate dry shade far better than wet soil, in which they might rot. I began growing hellebores when I lived down South, but did not start a serious collection until I moved back to Pennsylvania. In 1992, after visiting two of Germany’s premier hellebore growers, Gisela Schmiemann and Günter Jürgl, I brought home several boxes loaded with their plants, and my relationship with hellebores moved from one of simple affection to true obsession. I soon began breeding my own hellebore strain (now sold under the trade name ‘Brandywine Hybrids’). Since the mid-1990s, I have traveled to Europe almost every winter to select new plants to add to my breeding stock. In that time, Elizabeth Strangman, along with the staff at Ashwood Nursery, Blackthorn Nurseries, and Phedar Nurseries, and Thierry Delabroye (in addition to the aforementioned breeders), have generously shared their plants, knowledge, and encouragement. And along the way, as often happens in horticulture, our shared passion for this genus has also led to some lasting friendships. I once thought I had to have a plant of every hellebore species, but finally came to the more sensible conclusion that I only needed to grow what I think are the best of them and their cultivars. I especially appreciate those with interesting foliage, like Helleborus multifidus, H. argutifolius, and H. torquatus, and plant them along the edges of pathways so their form and texture can be closely admired. Helleborus niger ‘Potter’s Wheel’ is the earliest blooming variety in my garden, usually in flower around Thanksgiving

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and sometimes in the company of early snowdrops, such as Galanthus elwesii var. monostictus ‘Potter’s Prelude’ (no relation between either the plants or the people who introduced them). Crosses between H. argutifolius and H. niger have resulted in some interesting hybrids, grouped under the name H. × nigercors. We use these plants in our color pots, where it is easier to appreciate the bright colors and the more formal shape of the flowers. While hellebores often self-sow, I generally discourage this tendency by cutting off the seedpods. This not only keeps the garden tidy, but prevents seedlings from sprouting up in the crowns of other plants. And since I am a breeder, it also helps me limit the procreation happening in my beds; controlled crosses are the best way for me to maintain flower type and color. Hellebores do not need to be regularly divided, but as with many herbaceous plants, division is the easiest way to create an exact duplicate of a parent. I do this in spring or late summer; late summer is best, since flower buds form in early summer. Simply lift and divide the crown, making sure each piece has at least two sets of leaves and both old and new roots. Larger divisions can be put right back into the garden, but smaller pieces should be potted up and watered for about eight weeks, so they can form new roots before they are replanted. Excerpted from The Layered Garden by David L. Culp with Adam Levine. Copyright © 2017. Photographs by Rob Cardillo. Used with permission from Timber Press.

‘boothby’s blonde’ ‘dragon’s egg’

‘crystal apple’

‘lemon’

Cute Cukes Try white cucumbers for less bitterness, says author Niki Jabbour in her new book, Veggie Garden Remix.

shaped fruits. For the highest-quality cucumbers, harvest them when they’re still light in color and less than 3 inches long. One warning: the stem end of the fruit can become bitter if the plants are not evenly and regularly irrigated. ‘Lemon’ (68 days) These crunchy little cukes were my introduction to heirloom vegetables, and they remain one of my favorite cucumbers to grow and eat. The flavor is mild and the lovely light-green-and-yellow-streaked skin is very thin; no peeling required! The long vines are incredibly productive. I’ve found them to be more resistant to common cucumber diseases, like

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powdery mildew and rust, than other popular varieties. Pick the fruits before they turn bright yellow, and rub off the thin spines before eating. ‘Boothby’s Blonde’ (63 days)

Here’s a cucumber worth saving! At least, that’s what the Slow Food organization thinks; it has identified ‘Boothby’s Blonde’ as a variety in need of preserving and has included it in its Ark of Taste. I’d have to agree! The pale green fruits are about 4 inches long and have a delicious sweet snap to them. ‘Dragon’s Egg’ (65 days) We’ve only been growing this fun little heirloom for a few years, but it quickly earned

PHOTO: PHILIP FICKS

s a rule, I find white cucumbers to be crisper and less bitter than typical green slicing varieties. Of course, not all of these are true white, with most leaning more toward ivory, milky green, or soft yellow. However, they all have excellent flavor and a dense, crisp texture. The fruits of white varieties are also easier to spot among the dense foliage, especially when grown on the ground. ‘Crystal Apple’ (75 days) ‘Crystal Apple’ was introduced to North America almost a century ago by an Australian seed company, and it has its origins in China. It’s a great pick for children, who love to hunt for the pale green, kiwi-

“family favorite” status and is now an annual crop in our garden. The vines are cucumber factories, pumping out dozens of the 3- to 5-inch-long, egg-shaped fruits. The cream-colored skin is smooth and thin, and they have a smaller seed cavity than ‘Lemon’ cucumbers. The fun name, egg shape, and crisp, mild flavor have made it a big hit with the kids! Excerpted from Veggie Garden Remix by Niki Jabbour, 2017. Photography by Philip Ficks. Used with permission from Storey Publishing.

TBG LECTURE Thursday, May 3, 7:30 p.m. Niki Jabbour talks about expanding your garden crops to include little known plants from around the globe. Book signing follows the lecture.

Watch for ‘Dragon’s Egg’ white cucumber growing in the TBG Kitchen Garden this summer.

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COME VISIT US

An invitation to relax!

PHOTOS: JAMES INGRAM/JIVE PHOTOGRAPHIC, NIKI JABBOUR

“FOR THE LOVE OF LILACS” THE WARKWORTH LILAC FESTIVAL WARKWORTH, ONTARIO MAY 26TH & 27TH, 2018 Walk the Millennium Trail Showcasing over 300 rare and unusual LILACS

PLANTATION HOUSE BED & BREAKFAST in Historic Port Hope

WWW.PLANTATIONHOUSE.CA

The atmosphere is warm, calm & comforting. The unique décor provides a sweet escape.

EMAIL: ROSEMEGHIE@SYMPATICO.CA

I LOVE GARDENS & TREES Since 1973

Certified Arborist, Horticulturist & Designer Arborist Reports. Landscape Assessments

Call or text Wesley:

(416)287-TREE(8733)

www.ilovegardens.ca Email: wesley@ilovegardens.ca ilovetrees@live.ca Consulting, Design, Restoration, Planting Landscape Creations, Pruning Specialist

A thoughtfully curated selection of plants available for sale in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. Toronto Master Gardeners will be available to provide gardening advice.

Plant Sale MAY 10-13 2018

• • • • •

Annuals Container Plants Edibles & Herbs Houseplants Natives

• • • • •

Perennials Pollinator-friendly Plants Shrubs & Small Trees Succulents Vines

Expanded native plant selection with St. Williams Nursery and Ecology Centre. TBG MEMBERS PREVIEW & SALE Thursday, May 10, noon to 8 p.m. Memberships start at $45 per year OPEN TO THE PUBLIC Friday, May 11, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday & Sunday, May 12 & 13, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ALL PROCEEDS SUPPORT THE TORONTO BOTANICAL GARDEN

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2018-02-22 4:57 PM

Toronto Botanical Garden’s 31st annual tour of private gardens

Showcasing 20 beautiful gardens in Windfields Estate. This neighbourhood is located just north of the Toronto Botanical Garden.

Mark’s Choice garden tools, supplies and birdseed are among the best quality in the business. Exclusive to Home Hardware

Saturday and Sunday, June 9 and 10, 2018, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. TICKETS

One-day Pass: $40-45 Two-day Pass: $60-65 Students: $25 (with ID)

www.torontobotanicalgarden.ca/mcttgg 416-397-1341

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2018-02-06 2:31 PM

Details at www.markcullen.com

DIY

Make It!

In the frame: succulents WE’RE HUNG up on succulents. Tough, sun-loving and drought-tolerant, they’re picture perfect for this vertical planter—and, you don’t have to be a Picasso to make one. Just pick a planter that’s specially designed for hanging, or

improvise using a picture frame, some hardware cloth and a flat-bottomed container (a shadow box works well). In no time, your horticultural work of art is ready to display on the sunny side of a fence or wall.

STEP-BY-STEP This galvanized metal frame with wire grid is easy to plant. Here’s how.

PHOTOS: PAUL ZAMMIT

Assemble a variety of small succulents, some sheet moss and potting soil. Fill about two-thirds of the box of the frame with quick-draining soil formulated for cacti or succulents.

Water each pot before gently removing the succulents and planting the root balls into the soil.

Arrange plants in a harmony of colours and textures, firmly packing and planting each one to fill the frame. Tuck sheet moss into corners and into any bare spots.

TORONTOBOTANICALGARDEN.CA

SUMMER 2018

Water well and allow the soil to absorb the moisture before hanging. Throughout the season, when the soil becomes dry, place the frame flat on the ground, water and let sit before re-hanging.

moments

people & places Goings On at the TBG Photos: 1. Lorraine Flanigan, 2. TBG, 3. SVP media, 4. Tasha Winger, 5. TBG, 6. Paul zammit

1. Garden Days Join Canada in celebrating its gardens from June 16 to 24. Exciting activities listed on gardendays.ca.

2. Kids’ Art The Robert Bateman Junior Nature Sketch Program kicks off at the TBG on April 21. Show follows in late June.

3. Frank’s Tarts Portuguese tarts by Frank the Organic Chef, Thursdays from 2 to 7 pm. at the TBG’s Organic Farmers’ Market.

4. Celebrate! Make your next occasion special— hold it in the gardens and halls of the TBG.

torontobotanicalgarden.ca

summer 2018

5. Tours x 2 Take a free guided TBG garden tour Tuesdays, 11 a.m., or Thursdays, 6 p.m., or download our Growit!App.

6. Pack your Plants Clear out your car and be ready for the TBG Plant Sale. Members Day, Thursday, May 10 from noon to 8 p.m.

Next Up

Designing with Plants the Great Dixter Way

Photos: Malcolm Manners/FlickR, courtesy Great Dixter House and Gardens

Get up close and personal with Great Dixter’s head gardener and world-renowned horticulturalist, Fergus Garrett. With his signature generosity and enthusiasm, Fergus will walk through all stages of a mixed border planting, from design, to plant combinations and placement and the integration of bulbs, self-sowers and annuals. This workshop is aimed at garden designers, but all interested parties are welcome. Dress for the weather as part of the class will be held outside. Saturday, April 21, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Members $120; Public $150.

The Spirit of Great Dixter Friday, April 20, 7:30 p.m. Fergus offers an intimate look at Dixter’s woodlands, meadows, vegetable gardens and ornamental displays. Members $20; Public $25.

Indigenous Environmental History of Toronto Thursday, June 14, 7:30 p.m. York University professor Jon Johnson demonstrates the intimate relationships Indigenous cultures has with plants in this lecture that reveals Toronto’s rich and enduring Indigenous history. Members FREE; Public $15; Students (with ID) $12

classifieds EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR PERFECT PLANTERS, POTS AND GARDENS INDOORS OR OUT!

GARDEN TOURS with Margaret Dailey-Plouffe. Tours that exceed your expectations. Announcing 2018 – MAY: Ottawa Tulip Festival JUNE: HUDSON RIVER VALLEY/NYC Garden Tour JULY: Quebec Garden Tour highlighting REFORD Gardens AUGUST: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Chicago/ Wisconsin; PLUS Newport Gilded Age Tour; Quebec Whale Watching. Contact: Margaret@hnatravels. com 416-746-7199 www.hnatravels.com Make use of vertical space in your garden with a 6-foot obelisk. Made in Toronto exclusively for the Toronto Botanical Garden, these obelisks are superb structures for showcasing and supporting vines and vegetables. Black, powder-coated steel ensures that these towers remain rustresistant and durable for many years to come. Available throughout the year at the Garden Shop, $89

8636 Reesor Rd. Rd. 3012 Kennedy Markham, ON Scarborough, ON

416-291-1270 www.valleyviewgardens.com sales@valleyviewgardens.com

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING NOTICE The TBG is transforming! Hear about the Expansion Plans for the TBG and the 2017 Year in Review. The Annual General Meeting of the Toronto Botanical Garden will be held in the TBG Floral Hall at 6 p.m. on May 3, 2018. Members are invited to attend.

Derek W Welsh

- TREE & SHRUB PRUNING -INSECT & DISEASE CONTROL - PLANTING & TRANSPLANTING - TREE & STUMP REMOVAL - DEEP ROOT FERTILIZING

President

I.S.A. Certified Arborist #ON-0129A

AUTHENTIC

TREE CARE INC.

Sales Representative, ABR, SRES HALL OF FAME AWARD LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD TORONTO MASTER GARDENER RE/MAX HALLMARK REALTY LTD., BROKERAGE

Contact 416.564.9450 /JoseeCoutureTorontoRealEstate

TORONTO BOTANICAL GARDEN MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM

The Toronto Botanical Garden is deeply grateful to its loyal donors who provide continued and generous support through the membership program at all contribution levels. Their gifts enable the TBG to educate and inform the community on horticulture, gardening and environmental issues through lectures, courses and events. We thank the following individuals who contributed to the TBG through the membership program between September 26, 2017 and February 13, 2018. PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE Irene Gish SUSTAINING MEMBERS Marsha Copp

CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS Carol Bairstow Margaret Bennet-Alder Linda Boyko Linda Brown Joanne Campbell

Deborah Cloakey Susan Eckenwalder Jane Jeffrey Susan Kretschmar Alice Lee Michele Mann

Randy Manning Bonita Parshuram Maureen Simpson Joan Wright

PATRONS