Mrs. Camilla Dalglish, Mr. Peter Hand, Mrs. Sue Macaulay, Mr. Peter Thomas.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
For 1987: Mrs. Camilla Dalglish, Mrs. Susan Macaulay, Mr. Andrew Osyany, Mr. Robert Saunders, Mr. Peter Thomas, Mrs. Betty Crosby, Mrs. Marian Lawson.
For 1987 & 1988: Dr. Brian Bixley, Mr. Charles Coffey, Mr. Mark Cullen, Mr. Peter Hand, Mrs. Margaret Killey, Mrs. Susan McCoy, Mr. Phillip Tingley.
For 1987, 1988 & 1989: Mrs. Anne Bawden, Mr. Klaus Bindhardt, Mrs. Eliane Hooft, Mrs. Heather MacKinnon, Mrs. Gail Rhynard and Mr. Victor Portelli (Metropolitan Toronto Parks).
WONDERLAND OF BULBS
Send for our new catalogue.
The multitude of rare and interesting bulbs listed, over 700 varieties, many difficult to obtain elsewhere, will prove to be a revelation. By far the most complete bulb catalogue in Canada.
Please PRINT your name and address.
C.A. CRUICKSHANK INC.
Since 1925
Canada s Leading Bulb Specialists Dept. T 1015 Mount Pleasant Road Toronto, Canada M4P 2M1
Telephone: (416)488-8292
GENERAL INFORMATION
Vol. 15, No. 1 ISSN 0380-1470
EDITOR: Pamela Stagg
ART: Carolyn Van Dijk
ADVERTISING INFO: 445-1552
TRELLIS is published ten times per year as a members newsletter by the CIVIC GARDEN CENTRE, 777 Lawrence Avenue East, Don Mills, Ont. M3C 1P2. Tel. No.: (416) 445-1552. Manuscripts submitted on a voluntary basis are gratefully received. No remuneration is possible. ALL EDITORIAL AND ADVERTISING MATERIAL MUST BE RECEIVED BY THE 1ST DAY OF THE PREVIOUS MONTH OF ISSUE. Opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the Centre.
The Centre is located in Edwards Gardens, at Leslie Street and Lawrence Avenue East. It is a non-profit, volunteer-based gardening, floral arts and horticultural information organization with open membership.
Printed by York Printing House Ltd.
WINTER OPERATING HOURS
The Civic Garden Centre is open: Weekdays: 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Weekends: Noon to 4 p.m.
| have always regarded conservation as the preserve of the brown-rice-andlentils set -- generally a Good Thing, but not particularly relevant to gardening.
Bit by bit, I'm discovering that gardening and conservation go hand in hand.
First, there's garden conservation. With today s high labour costs, owners of many important gardens can no longer afford to maintain their gardens. In England, many great gardens have passed to the National Trust. In Canada, we have no National Trust. Admittedly, we also lack great numbers of important gardens. But it would be nice to think that the gardens we do have could be preserved for posterity.
Then, there are the plants in our gardens. In the quest for bigger and better flowers and vegetables, we have lost many of our old treasures -- many of the roses Redoute painted are no longer known. And old varieties continue to leave cultivation at an alarming rate. We don't just lose the plant, we lose its potential contribution to the hybrids of the future. Happily, several groups are working to preserve endangered garden species -- Seed Savers Exchange in the States and the Heritage Seed Programme in Canada.
Finally, there are wild plants and their habitats. Under pressure from development, many natural areas are disappearing, along with their native trees, shrubs and wildflowers. When a natural area disappears, we lose the plants best adapted to our own area, we lose their potential for improving our cultivated
plants and we lose the chance to study plants in their own habitat.
In A Reader s Letter, we are reminded that wildflower conservation is the responsibility of every gardener who grows wildflowers.
So much for the brown rice and lentils!
Pamela Stagg Editor
THIS MONTH'S COVER
Wanda Martin Hicks, a frequent Trellis contributor, delights wus with this month s winter bouquet.
THE WINTER GARDEN
by Anne Marie Van Nest
Most gardeners participate in their leisure pastime only during the temperate months. Once the first frost descends, we abandon the outdoors for the more hospitable indoor garden.
Yet the natural environment is far from dormant. Nature is never stationary -and often quite unpredictable. Even after a frost, some plants may still be courageously flowering. Many garden plants are fruiting and will remain very picturesque into the winter. The bright red berries of the high bush cranberry Viburum trilobum, are a visual pleasure with a dusting of snow on them and the berries are a source of food for hungry birds, late in the winter.
Colour in the winter garden comes in many guises. The white exfoliating bark of the canoe birch Betula papyrifera, accentuates the feathery green foliage of the hemlock Tsuga canadensis. 1t can be the stark contrast of beech bark, smooth and dark gray after a wet snowfall. The golden colour of the swaying eulalia grass (Miscanthus sinensis) or the contorted form of the corkscrew hazel (Corylus avellana cv. contorta) should also not be overlooked for the winter garden.
An unusual group of shrubs performs the impossible task of flowering in winter. The witch hazels (Hamamelis spp.) provide a delightful surprise of colour during mild March days. Thin curls of yellow or orange petals mirror the weather as they open and close. In his book, Colour in the Winter Garden, Graham Stuart Thomas describes witch hazel as, The very life of the winter garden .
Christmas roses (Helleborus spp.) are another winter flower for your garden. These plants are amazing in their ability to flower in min-winter. The beauty of the Christmas rose's long-lasting white or pink flowers is accentuated by the plant s evergreen leaves. A protected,
well-drained location is best for this plant.
And then, for winter interest, there are the birds. The garden is a spectacular sight when the male cardinal and his mate frolic in the sunshine. You can turn your garden into a favourite feeding area for birds. In fact, many of the garden s key trees and shrubs provide winter food for birds in the garden. There is often a reluctant sigh heard in the garden as cedar waxwings remove every last berry from the mountain ash (Sorbus aucuparia).
The mountain ash will also attract the occasional robin that has forgotten to travel south. And seeds will draw birds to the garden. The alder (Alnus rugosa) has miniature cones filled with seeds;
pencil-thin birch catkins have a pendulous movement in the wind. Both these seeds are favourite treats for finches and chickadees. Evergreens and deciduous trees like the beech family (Fagaceae), which hold their leaves, provide a sheltered rest area for birds, as well as winter interest for the garden.
The winter garden holds all the challenges and rewards of the summer garden -- the viewpoint is just farther away. The winter garden looks its very best from a cozy living room chair, with a light snow falling.
Anne Marie Van Nest, the Centre s resident Horticulturist, always enjoys ber annual restfrom gardening.
SHERIDAN NURSERIES LIMITED Where Great
Gardens
At your closest Sheridan Garden Centre you will sery stock in Canada, including more than 750 varieties of plants and trees grown on Sheridan's own farms. MISSISSAUGA NORTH-CENTRAL 606 Southdown Rd, 2827 Yonge St., Mississauga L5J) 2Y4 Toronto MA4N 2J4 Tel. 822-0251 Tel. 481-6429 UNIONVILLE OSHAWA 4077tls_:lvv 7, Unionville 847 King St. W.,Oshawa Tel. 728-9429 Tel477-2253 Beqin. find the finest selection of nur-
And Sheridan's nursery stock is guaranteed for one fullyear. At Sheridan Garden Centres you will also find qballfled nurserymen who will be pleased to help you in any way they can.
NORTH YORK ETOBICOKE 2375 Steeles Ave. W, North York M3J 3A8 700 Evans Ave,, Etobicoke M9C 1A1 Tel. 736-8814 Tel. 621-9100
Joseph Mostoller and his two sons operated a sawmill in eastern Pennsylvania around the time of the Civil War. One fall when the sons were out walking they spotted a wild goose which had landed on the millrace. They shot it and took it home to their mother. When cleaning the goose she found that its crop contained a large number of beans which were different from any she had seen before. She carefully put them aside to plant the following spring.
They turned out to be a pole bean that was mealy and quite tastey when served baked or in a soup. The beans were later multiplied and given to friends and relatives. Mostoller Wild Goose Beans are still being grown and enjoyed five generations later.
This is the story of one of the thousands of varieties of vegetables and fruits which were developed by our ancestors and passed down from generation to generation. Moon and Stars Watermelon, Mortage Lifter Tomato, Daniel s Distinction Peas, Mrs. Moehrle s Purple Baker Potatoes ... the names are richly evocative.
Now, however, these old varieties are in danger of extinction and others have been lost already. People have stopped growing the old varieties in favour of the new hybrids. With the disappearance of these varieties comes not only the loss of our rich agricultural heritage but also a devistating loss of genetic material necessary to ensure the safety of our future food supply.
Genetic diversity isn't the only reason for saving heritage seeds. Alan Lacey makes a strong case for the taste of heirloom fruits when he describes (in Home
Ground) his re-discovery of the nearly extinct melon, Jenny Lind. Buried beneath an exterior so ugly he called it Quasimodo, was what he thinks is the best-tasting melon he has ever known.
In 1984, the Canadian Organic Growers held a conference on seeds in Toronto. Out of this grew the Heritage Seed Programme, a network of growers dedicated to growing and exchanging heirloom seeds and endangered non-hybrid commerical varieties.
Last year, the Heritage Seed Programme was re-organized as an independent organization. The first publication of the newly-independent = programme will come out in December 1988, with listings of seeds, tubers and scions of vegetables, fruits, herbs, grain, forage plants and ornamentals. But don t confuse this with a standard seed catalogue. Members of the programme take responsibility for growing and multiplying their varieties and making them available to other members, free.
THE FRAGILE GENE POOL
If you have varieties that have been in your family for years, or were brought over from the old country , you can ensure the survival of these varieties by growing and multiplying them this summer, for listing in the December 1988 publication.
And if you'd like to try your hand at growing some of these heritage varieties, they'll be available through the publication. But remember, seed from the Heritage Seed Programme isn t ordinary seed. When you receive it, you have a responsibility to propagate and distribute the seed so this valuable living heritage won't die out.
You can become a member of the Heritage Seed Programme. The cost is $10 --or $7, if you're on a fixed income. (U.S. and foreign memberships are $15.) For more information, write:
The Heritage Seed Programme c/o Heather Apple, R.R:3
Uxbridge, Ontario LOC 1KO
You are asked to include a self-addressed stamped envelope.
Heather Apple s long interest in beirloom plants led ber to volunteer for the job of re-organizing and revitalizing the Heritage Seed Programme.
By 1991, three quarters of all vegetable varieties grown in Europe will be extinct, victims of plant patent laws, according to Dr. Erna Bennet, formerly with the Crop Ecology and Genetic Resources branch of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome. In fact, when plant patent legislation took full effect in England, 2,126 vegetable varieties were outlawed.
The problems with this situation became apparent when we want to breed new characteristics into our varieties -- characteristics which may have existed only in material which is now extinct. Dr. Peter Crisp and Dr. George Forster (of the National Vegetable Research Station at Wellesbourne, England) provide a grim example.
What if we want to breed ringspot resistance into brassicas grown in the southwest (of England), where the disease is prevalent. The answer is that we can't, for the best source of ringspot resistance, the Old Cornish cauliflower, disappeared 30 years ago when it was replaced by French material. What about mildewresistance in carrots? Did these exist in varieties which are now extinct? We do not know."
This article was compiled from material collected by Kent Whealy of the Seed Savers Exchange, and used by bis kind permission.
Steeles Ave. W. (2 miles west of Highway 10) R.R. 10 Brampton L6V 3N2 7 days a week (9-5pm) mid-April - mid-Oct. Over 3000 dlfferem hardy plants, alpines, dwarf conifers and shrubs, Hardy ferns, vines, groundcovers and native wildflowers Gift Certificates$10. up (10-15-20 etc{ by mail any time All Year
Send $2.00 for NEW (No.10) PLANT L
ST by mail to above address
A READER S LETTER
by Pamela Stagg
The Trellis got a sharp rap on the knuckles from Edith Cosens of Toronto, for our article, A Naturalist in the City. In it, Bill Granger described how he created a wildflower garden by * carrying quantities of my favourite wildflowers and ground covers in from the country...
Wrong, says Ms. Cosens, unless you're just ahead of the developer s bulldozer (Even then, it's illegal without the owner s permission.)
In Ontario, six plants are on the endangered species list;
Small White Lady s Slipper (Cypripedium candidum)
Small Whorled Pogonia (Isotria medeoloides)
Large Whorled Pogonia (Isotria verticillata)
Cucumber Tree (Magnolia acuminata)
Prickley Pear Cactus (Opuntia humifus)
Heart-leaved or Water Plantain (Plantago cordata)
TOUR FAMOUS AMERICAN WILDFLOWER GARDENS
May 2 to May 8, 1988 with FRANK KERSHAW, Director The Canadian Wildflower Society from Toronto via luxury air-conditioned Motor coach 3845.00 perperson (double occupancy) Includes 6 nights accommodation, breakfast and dinner daily .! ~ general admissions }
For information GOLIGER S 25 Adelaide St. E. Toronto, Ontario M5C 1Y2 (416) 860-1719
You may not dig up or pick up these plants -- even on your own property.
It is also illegal to dig up plants or pick flowers in national or provincial parks, on government property, on crown land and on private property -- unless you have the owner s permission.
But even with permission, think hard before you dig up wildflowers -- over 1,200 species of native plants are rare and endangered and the list is growing. Many wildflowers just don t survive transplanting, unless they're handled by an expert.
A better way to get your wildflowers is to buy plants, seeds and bulbs which have been commercially propagated. A reputable supplier should be willing to vouch for the source of native plants.
If you insist on digging wildflowers, keep these guidelines in mind.
1. Know the plant you plan to move. Some native species require special handling; others won t survive in cultivation. Don't find out the hard way.
2. Make sure your garden offers the conditions your wildflowers need.
3. Never take all the plants of one species in a colony -- unless the area is scheduled for development.
4. Take seeds instead of plants. Many wildflowers are easy to grow from seed.
AT THE CENTRE e AT THE CENTRE e AT THE CENTRE
COMING EVENTS AT THE CENTRE
FEB. 15 Mycological Society Meeting 7:30pm
16 Civic Garden Centre's Members Night 7:30pm
Speaker: David Szow on The Chinese Garden 16 Milne House General Meeting 8pm 25 Canadian Chrysanthemum & Dahlia Society Meeting 8pm
MARCH 1 Mens Garden Club Meeting 8pm
6 Southern Ontario Orchid Society General Meeting lpm
7 Pressed Flowers (Regis. deadline: March 3) 1:30pm
Members $20., Non-members $25.
8 North Toronto Horticultural Society Meeting 8pm
9 Garden Therapy Meeting lpm
9 Ikebana International General Meeting 6:30pm
10 Basic Flower Arranging (Regis. deadline: March 8)
Members $35., Non-members $40.
Instructors: Ella Irving 9:45am Mary Linney 1:30pm Lorna Rodger 8pm
13 Toronto Gesneriad Society Meeting 2pm
13 Ontario Rock Garden Society General Meeting 2pm
13 York Rose & Garden Society General Meeting 2pm
Speaker: Betty Budd on Climbing Roses
14 Toronto Bonsai Society General Meeting 7pm
15 Milne House General Meeting 9am
16 Pressed Flowers (Regis. deadline: March 11) 1:30pm
Members $20., Non-members $25.
16 Renovating Old Gardens (Regis. deadline: March 14)
Members $30., Non-members $35. 7:30pm
20 Canadian Rose and Garden Society Annual Meeting 2pm
20 Rhododendron Society General Meeting 2pm
Speaker: Jenniffer Hale on Nutrient Support for Plant Fertility
24 Canadian Chrysanthemum & Dahlia Society Meeting 8pm
26 Basic Outdoor Gardening (Regis. deadline: March 23)10am
Members $30., Non-members $35.
27 Indoor Gardening Society Meeting 2pm
27 Southern Ontario Orchid Society General Meeting 2pm
An historic review of 30 sites of Southern England from Prehistoric Gardens to
the Bloomsbury Group
This F tour will be lead by / Peter Thomas, B.L.A,,
M.L.A.U.D., and .6.C. Director.
See the country gardens, G the elegant terraced houses of Bath, the Quads of Oxford and the craggy shores of L Cornwall. Join us for two wonderful weeks May 6th to 20th Basic price $3,339 Includes : Lectures, Airfare
AT THE CENTRE e AT THE CENTRE e AT THE CENTRE
VOLUNTEER CORNER
Did you know that it takes a minimum of 35 volunteers, each giving half a day a week to staff the Centre?
Did you know that when the Centre has a plant sale or major event, it takes 35 volunteers plus an additional number for all the extra jobs required?
Did you know that, in addition to 35 regular volunteers, we also need spares in all areas who we can call in case someone is ill?
Did you know that we provide training for volunteers in Reception, the Shop, the Library and the Horticultural area?
Did you know that many of our regular volunteers go away in the winter?
Did you know that the Centre has Members Nights, The National Home Show and The Spring Plant Sale fast approaching and needs volunteers whose only qualifications are free time and an eagerness to become part of a team who will help bring the Centre clearly into the public s eye?
Did you know that, whatever your talents, we really need you in 1988?
Please call - Carolyn Dalgarno, Volunteer Co-ordinator at 445-1552,
MASTER GARDENERS AT THE CENTRE
MASTE GARDE
The Civic Garden Centre 's Master Gardeners are now available to answer gardening questions every day of the week. The Plant Hot Line 445-1552 will be operating from 12:00 to 3:00pm with volunteer Master Gardeners ready to offer assistance for all your gardening woes. Gardening pest problems are not their only specialty: landscape design, houseplants, vegetables and rhododendrons are just a few of the expertise areas among the Master Gardeners.
The volunteers are also available for speaking engagements, plant clinics, newsletter articles, or other related gardening activities. If you would like to arrange for a Master Gardener to come to your group please contact Anne Marie at 445-1552.
The Civic Garden Centre's Master Gardeners are sponsored by The Ministry of Agriculture and Food and The Ontario Horticultural Association and are currently working on their University of Guelph correspondence course entitled The Home Garden".
Look for the Master Gardeners at Garden Festival, April 1-10, at the CNE and Catch the Gardening Spirit, April 24 at The Civic Garden Centre.
AT THE CENTRE e AT THE CENTRE e AT THE CENTRE
CATCH THE GARDEN SPIRIT IS COMING BACK!
When: Sunday, April 24, 1988
Time: 10am-5pm
Where: The Civic Garden Centre
Response to last year's educational howto day for the town and country gardener was so good that we are planning a similar event for spring '88. Last year over 150 people came to learn about many aspects of gardening, including perennials, garden design and construction, trees and groundcovers and much more.
This year we have new ideas, demonstrations and speakers for you, all excellent. We listened to comments received on questionnaires at the last
day and have incorporated some of your suggestions.
We will offer a full day with a lunch break and an opportunity to chat to various experts over a meal.
Please watch the next Trellis for full information and a registration form. Join your friends for a great day of information and fun on Sunday, April 24.
CORNUCOPIA RAFFLE
We are pleased to announce the winners of our fund raising raffle.
Leslie Birte of Whitby
Helen Findlay of Willowdale
Vera Grant of Agincourt
Mary Linn Goad of Toronto
John McRae of Scarborough
H.M. Elliott of Willowdale
ONTARIO S MOST UNUSUAL GARDEN
Poison ivy is one of the most obnoxious and unpleasant residents ofthe- weed garden. Here Dr. Jack Alex dons full protective gear to tackle the sprawling weed.
The standard definition of a weed is a plant growing in the wrong place . But here s a twist on the old saying. University of Guelph has a garden composed entirely of weeds!
The unusual garden is now 30 years old and straining at its bounds.
It's great that we've been able to expand the population of our garden, says environmental biology professor Dr. Jack Alex, but these weeds have a mind of their own. Trying to confine them to one location has become a perennial problem."
The University of Guelph plot features about half of the field and garden weeds in Ontario. Dr. Alex adds new species in the course of his field work outside
Guelph, or as living specimens of interesting species are submitted to the university for identification. Under his tutelage, the resident. population has grown annually and includes everything from pigwweed to poison ivy. With 150 species in the collection, it's the largest weed garden in Canada.
The garden is maintained primarily as a service to provincial weed inspectors and entomologists who study the insects that infest the weeds. It's one of the few public gardens that you probably won t want to visit!
Information for this article wasprovided by the University of Guelph, and the photograph by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food.
THE SEEDS OF 1988
by Pamela Stagg
Late last year the call went out to seed specialists, Tell us what s new and exciting for 1988". We were swamped, so here' s a selection.
The 1988 All American Selections
Some day, perhaps we'll have our own All Canadian Selections. Until then, the All American Selections are the only benchmark for new seeds. Here are some 1988 choices.
Salad Bush Cucumber (57 days). ldeal for small gardens, as this disease resistant plant needs only two square feet of growing space. Heavily productive.
Mexibell Pepper (70 days). The first hot, thin-skinned bell pepper has something for everyone, since you can choose the degree of hotness. According to its breeder, Toels Udsen, the heat is concentrated in the ribs. In between, this red pepper has just a hint of bite.
New Look Celosia is the first dwarf red celosia with bronze foliage. Only 10" tall, this dramatic red-plumed plant offers excellent tolerance to wind, rain and heat.
Ultra Crimson Star Petunia features an unvarying white star on dusky crimson. Early flowering, large blooms, weather and disease resistance further impressed the judges.
Snow Lady Shasta Daisy. Disappointing was the word from Dominion Seeds, where last year's introduction, Starburst, outshone Japanese-bred Snow Lady in trials.
Thompson & Morgan Highlights
England s Thompson & Morgan (T & M) seeds are available in the Trellis Shop of the Civic Garden Centre. We asked Centre Horticulturist, Anne Marie Van Nest, to pick the best.
Danebrog Laced Poppy is a fabulous bicolour, with a frilly orange edge around a white centre. A superb garden plant.
More frills are featured in Ballerina California Poppy. These easy-to-grow, frost-hardy annuals come in yellows, oranges and mauves.
Anne Marie admired the stunning colours of Wiltshire Ripple Sweet Peas. This bicolour has claret red stripes and flushes on a white ground, as well as an attractive fragrance.
Candystripe Cosmos is another bicolour, with a narrow edging of red around the white petals of this 3" flower. Great for cutting.
All of these T & M seeds are available (while they last!), at the Civic Garden Centre s Trellis Shop.
New at Dominion Seeds
Dominion Seeds has a new Broccoli that's outstanding in hot or dry conditions. Cruiser Broccoli (85 days) is now considered to be the best late fall hybrid.
Bushkin Pumpkin (95 days) is another of the new space-savers. This semi-bush plant produces 1 to 3 pumpkins on a plant 3' - 6 wide.
Dominion Seeds offers some unusual
new flowers this year. Venidium or Monarch of the Veldt is excellent for hot, dry, sandy areas and rock gardens. The flowers have orange petals around a dramatic dark centre. Brachycome or Swan River Daisy is a low plant that produces daisy-like blooms all summer, for edgings, pots and rock gardens.
Stokes Seeds Innovations
Breeder Dr. Ernie Kerr has been working to put more flavour into tomatoes. Judge his success with two new Stokes listings. Ultra Sweet Tomato (62 days) is a disease-resistant plant that produces rich red 10 oz. fruit with no green shoulders. Dwarf bush Lunch Box Tomato (62 days) produces 30 to 40 egg-sized fruit. Good for containers and small spaces.
Can a brussels sprout be fashionable? Yes, if it's new red Rubine Brussels Sprout. A must for the terminally trendy.
On the flower front, Stokes is finally able to offer the new Domino nicotiana. Earlier than Nicki, these compact plants have white, crimson, red and pink blooms.
Gardenimport Introductions
England s Sutton Seeds are available from Gardenimport. Here's a selection of this year s offerings.
Luteus Pepper (68 days) is an open-pollinated pepper with excellent disease resistance. The plant vyields a large quantity of attractive golden yellow peppers.
Free SEED & GARDEN Catalogue
COUNTRY
GARDEN CENTRE
Visit us to pick up your catalogue. All catalogue items plus many other gardening tools, plants, books, etc., and gardening information are available.
Guelph Street, Georgetown (corner Hwy. 7 & Maple Ave.) 877-2460
Write for your FREE Catalogue:
Plan your 1988 garden now with our colourful 88 page catalogue.
More than 2,000 detailed listings: seeds, plants, bulbs and gardening accessories.
Our 60th Anniversary
Dept. 859, Georgetown, Ont. L7G 4A2
Let Them Eat Cake In Toronto
Toronto Gesneriad Society
10th Birthday Party
April 8,9 & 10, 1988
Civic Garden Centre
Plant Show & Sale
Judging School & Auction
Guest Speakers & Slides
Show Chairman: Don MacDonald (416) 964-9305
Come Share the Birthday Cake
380 KINGSTON ROAD EAST AJAX, ONTARIO L18S 487
Highway 2, 1 mile east of Harwood Rd. direct Toronto line: 686-2151
e Perennials e Annuals o Nursery Stock e Supplies
Specializing in ...EXOTIC TROPICALS!
* Aroids * Bonsai
* Bougainvillea * Bromeliads
*iCactus * Ficus
* Gesneriads * Hederae
* Hibiscus * Orchids
Open 7 days a week
One of Garden Import s seed bargains is Roulette Nicotiana. These very floriferous plants have upward-facing blooms in white, red, mauve, green, crimson and bicolours.
For the first fime, the popular anchusa is available in mixed colours. Dawn Anchusa boasts flowers in shades of blue, pink and white.
Sutton has produced an early-blooming perennial chrysanthemum. Sun Charm Chrysanthemum grows to 18" and produces single flowers in bronze, apricot, white and yellow, during late August or early September (in the Toronto area).
SOURCES
The Trellis Shop Civic Garden Centre 777 Lawrence Avenue East Don Mills, Ontario M3C 1P2
39 St. James Street, Box 10 St. Catherines, Ontario L2R 6R6
NEXT MONTH...
The Trellis surveys new plants for 1988. Any nurseries who haven t already supplied lists of 1988 introductions, please send them to the editor by February 25th.
CUTTINGS
News
from all over
It was the editor s ideal Christmas present -- packages of articles from interested readers. You'll read some this month and next, others will be saved for the best time of year (lilies at Easter, pumpkins for Halloween). The diversity of subjects is fascinating and makes for very interesting reading. So keep those articles coming.
The Garden Centre of Greater Cleveland has sent us news of two of their spring garden tours. From March 7-11, there will be an escorted tour to the Philadelphia Flower Show. The price, from Cleveland, is $789. U.S. and includes Longwood Gardens, the Brandywine Valley and the Winterthur Museum. And there s an exciting tour of Monaco and France, including Cannes, Avignon,
Bordeaux, Paris and the chateau country. Price from Cleveland is $3,945. U.S. and from New York $3,973. U.S. Reservations and information from World Travel Centre, 12 Public Square, Cleveland, Ohio 44113.
Next month, The Trellis will introduce a classified ad section. You can sell surplus plants, rent your summer cottage, advertise for a gardener or offer your garden design courses. You'll reach 4,000 of Toronto's most avid gardeners, for a regular rate of $0.75 a word. And for our first month, we're offering classified ads for a special price of $0.50 a word. So get those classified ads in -- the closing date for this March issue is February 1st.
White Rose
CRAFT AND NURSERIES
ALLEN PATTERSON S NEW BOOK
by Ken Duncan
Plants For Shade and Woodland Allen Paterson. Markham, Ont., Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 1987.
Here is a book on shade gardening written for the Ontario gardener, indeed for the eastern North American gardener, by the Director of the Royal Botanical Garden, Hamilton. Allen Paterson is a gentleman of vast horticultural experience and his writing style is witty and interesting.
In the beginning, he suggests studying the Carolinian Forest flora, which still exist in parts of Ontario, for a diversity of trees, beneath which is the layered effect of shrubs, herbaceous perennials and ferns, which are shade lovers.
He goes on to discuss the potential of shade, as opposed to the problem of shade in the garden. The effects of such a garden are examined with references to shade in art, literature, and garden design.
Orchid Species and Bonsai
Chinatown -6 Baldwin St. Toronto (416) 591-7953
Bamboo & Tropical Species
An explanation of the whys and wherefores of shade plants growing in the wild is followed by a chapter of soils (acid or alkaline), moisture availability, climate, and site. Succeeding chapters discuss trees for small gardens, shrubs for shade (lime haters and lime lovers), plants for shady walls and fences, herbaceous perennials and annuals for shade, as well as bulbs and ferns.
Each of these chapters contains a comprehensive plant list with comments on ultimate size, characteristics, suggested companion plants for interesting groupings, and some entertaining personal anecdotes about some of the plants.
Readers who wonder how to obtain the plants will find many of them readily available through Ontario nurseries and bulb dealers. The publication Woody Plant Source List 1987 is available for reference in the Civic Garden Centre Library. Many horticultural societies arrange joint orders for members to import unusual plants. Some can be grown from seed obtained locally, or, imported. Members of the Royal Horticultural Society or the American Horticultural Society are offered seed of many rare plants yearly.
For those wishing to take advantage of a shady garden, especially rhododendron addicts, this is a very helpful book full of great ideas. A highly recommended addition to your horticultural library -- or borrow it from the Civic Garden Centre Library.
Avid reader Ken Dumcan is an active member ofthe Rhododendron Society.
From small oaks ... This school child s excited thank-you letter says it all. It was written following the tour of Edwards Gardens with bis class.
Bulk Ennombre third troisieme class classe
S12139 TORONTO
MAY WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN US?
We at the Civic Garden Centre warmly welcome new members. Join us, and you will make friends who share the same interest in gardening, the floral arts and horticulture that you do. In addition to the many exciting classes, garden shows, speakers, clubs-within-the-Centre, etc., that will be available to you, our modest membership fee entitles you to the following:
* Free borrowing privileges from Canada s largest horticultural library with more than 5,000 titles currently available, plus journals.
* A 10% discount on regularly priced merchandise over $2 at the Trellis Shop.
* A discounted registration fee when enrolling in our classes.
* Special members discount for many special events.
e e == APPL|CATION FOR MEMBERSH (P
mm s s s l
Mail to: THE CIVIC GARDEN CENTRE I (in Edwards Gardens) 777 Lawrence Avenue East I Don Mills, Ontario M3C 1P2
Single membership SESU0 N e e I Family Membership goatD 0 I GiIfEMembership - 0 e e
Ponation toCivic GardenCentre - T o aiiaans I FOTFAL T e el e i e e e
NAME s s R R e l
A RE DS e s s as na SEEN Postal Code I
Category-of:-Membership: ol Biianei bnianiiinasaiiaa mt s nn . (please enclose cheque, with form, payable to The Civic Garden Centre)
