Trellis - V28, No3 - May 2001

Garden ofSusan and Geoffrey Dyer/photo Gardemng Llfemagazme Virginia Macdonald

THE CI1vIC GARDEN CENTRE at Edwards Gardens

Wh W é % ~ 8,000 books, 70 periodicals, and a large colTheCmc Garden Centre (CGC), founded in Iecti ofclippings, pamphlets, nursery and 1958, is a volunteer-based, not-for-profit orga- seedcamogues, as well as a great selection of mzatzon whose mission is to act as a central ch dre,ns gardening books. Hortxculturalce forgardening, horticulture and allied Infnmentalissues byencouraging mterest, .

Gardens,The CivicG fersmany programs and servic ; I -Yeax -round activities for familiesand chi dren. Our horticultural library has overl

3¢Directory & Hours of Operation

Administrative Offices

Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

3% Board of Directors

President: LindsayDale-Harris

Members: Kim Dalglish Abell, Alice Adelkind, Timothy P.D. Bates, Arthur Beauregard, Sandra Beech, Marisa CGC Library &Trellis Shop Bergagnini, Dugald Cameron,Victoria ListerCarley, April 1 to December 23

Susan Dyer,JudyFloyd,JanetGreyson, Lorraine Hunter, Monday to Friday 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Carolyn Kearns, Cecil Lamrock, Tracey C.H. Lawko, Saturday, Sunday & Holidays 12 noon to 5 p.m.

Sonia Leslie, Kenneth D. Maiden, Barbara Mayer, Grace January 1 to March 31 Patterson,Janet Rowley, Helen Shaw

Monday to Friday 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday, Sunday& Holidays 12 noon to 4 p.m.

y¢ Staff Members

Executive Director Douglas Markoff

MaimNumber i i it oo ... 416-397-1340 | Manager, Community Services KathyVarley R R 416-397-1354 | Manager, Horticultural Services Cathie Cox Enall .5 e cgc@civicgardencentre.org :::':;:':: JS(;xe' ?ab?. mr)ls CourseRegistration ..............M6 | ooo SL ng

Course Email . . ... courses@civicgardencentre.org | Horticultural Assistant Nicole North

CeCLbmary: . .. i e o, 416-397-1343 | Librarian Mara Arndt Library Email ..... library@civicgardencentre.org | Library Info. Technician Lisa Uyeno HorticulturalServices ............ 416-397-1358 | MaintenanceSupervisor WalterMorassutti TeachingGardem ...........0... 416:397-1355 | LTCeSIu . SuOdIERN Teaching Garden Co-ordinator Shannon Collins Master Gardeners Free Info Line . ... 416-397-1345 | yolunteer Co-ordinator Mary Strachan

Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Volunteers Over 425 volunteers Saturday, Sunday & Holidays 12 noon to 3 p.m. Reptals.. i b ovovaemn el 416-397-1349 |

3¢ Patrons

Rentals Email . ... rentals@civicgardencentre.org | Honorary Patron: Telaghee 416-397-1357 | HilaryWeston,Lieutenant-GovernorofOntario Patrons: Brian Bixley, Awdrey Clarke, Mark Cullen, Volunteer Co-ordinator ........... 416-397-4145 Camilla Dalglish, Sondra Gotlieb, Marjorie Harris, Photography Permit, Toronto Parks LorraineJohnson, Michele Landsberg, & Recreation Division ............ 416-392-8188 Susan Macauley, Helen Skinner

Charitable business number: 119227486RR0001

I]El] mmems I 4 N,otes from the Board It s been good to knowyou

5 Friends Indeed

Firstyear offundraising shows benefits

6 Notes from the Corner Office

We draw from an extensive talent pool

8 Volunteer News

Join the tour guides, hug a tree

O Teaching Garden

Mother and daughter learn as they work 26 QaA

Expert advice from the Master Gardeners

28 Reviews

Web site and book review Features

d 10 Gardens with aView

3¢ The gardens ofMoore Park & Bennington Heights y ; 12 Dynamic Duo

~ Christopher Lloyd and Fergus Garrett visit

% 14 The Sweet Smell ofSpring

: RBG s lilacs beckon f 16 Perennial Pleasures

Catch new cultivars and old favourites

819 Roaming for Rhodos

Places to see these spectacular beauties % 20 Learning the Lingo

How fauna got into the botanical name game

WS from the Board

= by Lindsay Dale-Harris ® PRESIDENT

It s been good to knowyou

oodness me, how time flies! I can hardly Gbelieve I ve been writing these Notes from the Board for two years now and the time has come to retire gracefully.

Fortunately, during this period the CGC has been able to maintain and build upon the strong base re-established by former president Helen Shaw during her term. Our financial position has remained healthy. There have been few changes to board membership I 've had the privilege of working with the same vice-presidents (Grace Patterson, Tracey Lawko and Susan Dyer), the same treasurer (Ken Maiden) and the same secretary (Lorraine Hunter) throughout my term. Douglas Markoff, our executive director, is now in his third year with the CGC, and several new staff members have been added over the past two years. Our team is hardworking, fun and knowledgeable, and they ve been a real treat to work with.

The successes of the CGC can be seen in a number of recent activities. The highlight so far this year for me was Getting the Jump on Spring, brilliantly (yes, brilliantly) organized by board member Cec Lamrock, supported by a strong and dedicated committee comprised of both staff and volunteers. It was a wonderful event, attended by over 1,800 people, most of whom were not members of the CGC. Terrific exhibits from many, many horticultural societies, an exceptional roster of speakers, a phenomenal children s activity centre, and good food in the café (provided by A la Carte Kitchen) combined to create the best Jump ever. While from time to time it s suggested we should charge admission, so far the answer has been a definite no: Jump is our opportunity to give something back to the community and to those who love gardening and horticulture. Let s hope we can keep it that way.

The work of the fundraising committee is one

reason we can continue to make Jump available to everyone. Last year, among other initiatives, this committee inaugurated Friends of the Civic Garden Centre, our annual giving campaign. Our generous friends have allowed us to maintain and enhance the first-class programs offered in the Teaching Garden by Shannon Collins, to improve the level of service in our library and to provide support and training for 450 volunteers. By becoming a friend this year, or by renewing your pledge, you can help ensure the Centre s continued success.

There is one area in which we have been somewhat less successful increasing membership. We remain as one board member noted one of the best kept secrets in town. Our goal over the next year is to double our current membership. This sounds ambitious, but it should be do-able. If every current member renewed his or her own membership and signed up just one new person, we would reach our goal. Actually, it s not a very demanding task when you think what a bargain our membership is.

In concluding these Notes from the Board, I'd like to thank everyone board members, staff and volunteers for being so encouraging and for having made my time as president so enjoyable. While my volunteer hours may have been slightly higher than I anticipated when I accepted the assignment, the time spent has been extremely rewarding. I wish my successor, Tracey Lawko, all the best. As my predecessor said to me the future looks bright. @

On behalf of the C nteers and staff, thank you fortw ffeadership as board presid enthusiasm, cogent insig Y,itention to

FRIENDS INDEED

FIRST YEAR OF FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN SHOWS BENEFITS

YOUR SUPPORT FOR The Friends of The Civic Garden Centre, our first annual fundraising campaign, has been very gratifying. Your generosity provides welcome assistance that helps maintain all the activities that go on at the CGC. This year, for example, we introduced a Web site to our services and are in the process of getting the library s catalogue on line, both on the premises and through the Web site. The Teaching Garden s programs for children continue to grow.

®60000000080000200000000008 0000 escessssacsce sseee

DIRECTOR S CIRCLE

Lindsay Dale-Harris

Janet Davis

Barbara Ann Hynes

Barbara and Bernard Mayer

BENEFACTORS

Mary and Mark Cullen

Susan Dyer

Janet Greyson

Carolyn Kearns and Bob Hutchison

SPONSORS

Judi Conacher

Mary Lou Eaton

Douglas Markoff

Michael Wiggan

All these programs benefit from your support as does the community, because of our enhanced services. We sincerely appreciate your donations and hope you ll continue to support and benefit from The Civic Garden Centre.

To learn more about the Friends program, pick up one of our brochures next time you' re at the Centre and learn about all the benefits you'll receive for joining.

Janet Greyson, chairman,fundraisingcommittee #8002 000EsS80R00060800000088 0000 ssesssssnee ess

Ken Maiden

Helen Shaw

FRIENDS

SUSTAINING MEMBERS

Arthur and Sharon Beauregard

Tish Coombes

Sue Eckersley

Shari Ezyk

Claude Henry-Le Menach

Phillip and Diana Jackson

Vivien Jenkinson

Sonia Leslie

Lorna Luke

Tim and Mary Jane Bates

Peter and Josephine Breyfogle

Clarence Fisher

Mary and Jim Fisher

Maxine Granovsky

Grace Patterson

Helen Skinner

Joan Williams

David Windeyer

Geraldine Young

e Advisory Service, including: Plant Identification, Pest & Disease diagnosis

e Unique Plant &Product Sourcing * Free Repotting service for indoor houseplants

Gift Certificates e 2 year No-Hassle Nursery Stock Guarantee » Seniors Club for those 60+, offering 10% off every day ofthe week

e Telephone, e-mail or fax orders

e Delivery Service * Free In-store Sketch Design service

e And More....

from the Corner Office

by Douglas Markoff ® Executive DIRECTOR

We draw from an extensive talent pool

The talent pool drawn to the Civic Garden

Centre is as diverse as my garden. The garden is an assemblage of perennials, weeping conifers, Japanese maples, ginkgo and beech, herbs and veggies, and pockets of annuals, all accented by containers of mixed tropical plants and tied together with weaving grassed paths and stone and wood borders. And all work together to form a synergism that defines the garden. Likewise, the harmonious aggregate ofvolunteers and staff work in concert with the gardening and horticultural community, and together pool their talents to form this entity we call The Civic Garden Centre.

Witness, for example, the Centre during any special event. The recent seasonal shows hosted by Milne House Garden Club and The Garden Club of Toronto were exceptional. One need only attend a themed flower or holiday show to appreciate the level of horticultural and decorating talent among our stakeholders, as well as their penchant for stimulating ideas. The recent annual show organized by the Southern Ontario Orchid Society was outstanding. People walked around in awe at the beauty and diversity of shape, size and colour of the orchids. Coming soon to the CGC, and exemplifying their talent for horticultural excellence, will be shows by the Toronto Bonsai Society, Toronto Cactus and Succulent Club, Toronto African Violet Society, Geranium, Pelargonium & Fuchsia Society, North American Native Plant Society, North Toronto Horticultural Society, Ontario Rock Garden Society, York Rose & Garden Society, Canadian Rose Society, Chrysanthemum and Dahlia Society, Mycological Society, Canadian Iris Society, Ontario Daylily Society and Rhododendron Society of Canada. These groups display their horticultural talents for the benefit of their members and the community, and to encourage others with similar interests to join.

The floral displays of the schools of Ikebana by Ikebana International demonstrate a philosophy of friendship through flowers. One need only attend a show to appreciate the meaning. For a complete listing ofwhere and when these groups meet, including the new Ontario Water Garden Society, visit the Calendar of Events on our Web site: www.civicgardencentre.org.

Talent is evident daily among the Centre s vol-. unteers, including board members, and staff. Their respective talents vary broadly from extensive horticultural skills to retail merchandising, from decorating to providing garden tours, from organizing the Centre for a course or Edwards lecture to the myriad individuals who impart their talents to create educational and enjoyable Teaching Garden programs, making it a rich resource for children of different abilities and special needs. Other volunteers and staff provide topnotch customer service to rental clients, market special events to the public, and ensure the library s smooth transition into the information age. All these tasks are performed with the personal touch we consider paramount. Organizing special events may take upwards of a year and requires a particular talent and ability.

The Toronto Master Gardeners also bring their talents to the Centre. Every day they handle the Info Line, the free horticultural phone-in service that all members of the community may use to get answers to gardening questions. The Master Gardeners are, indeed, a rich resource. The CGC Web site now features a Master Gardener Q&A forum where questions and answers are posted.

Other talent pools from which the Centre is indeed fortunate to draw include course instructors and those who provide demonstrations and seminars at Getting the Jump on Spring, plus the many artists who participate in Art in the Link.

Two horticultural shows in which the CGC participates merit special mention. Canada

Blooms, hosted by Landscape Ontario and The Garden Club of Toronto, and Success with §

|

SPRING & SUMMER

ARTINTHELINK

Two special art competitions, open to all members ofThe Civic Garden Centre, are Gardening, supported by the Ontario Horticultural Association, are each visual horticultural showcases. CGC staff and volunteers expressed the best of their creativity producing wonderfully inviting booths. While there, we, alongwiththe public, absorbedmanyideas from planned forJuly and Augustof a staggering array of feature gardens and out- 2001. Submit your slides by standingfloral displays. June 1%,

The Civic Garden Centre galvanizes many Indicate your preference: groups, and the dividends from this collective tal- Spring Fever to be ent pool are expressed in the form of gardening i exhibited in July programs and services to our members and the Suiminier Madnéss to be community as a whole. Together we continue to e make The Civic Garden Centre what it is i : gu . Ontario s gardening education and information 17 prize ',SIOO'OO gift centre. Together we also are poised to continue certificate our role as a premier centre of horticultural To find out how excellence. 10become a

Be a part of this meritorious organization. member call: Tell some friends about us and invite them to 416-397-1340 become a member because, after all, this isyour Civic Garden Centre. @

The 14th Annual Civic Garden Centre garden tour,featuring

The Gardens ofMoore Park and Bennington Heights

Saturday June 16, 2001 and Sunday June 17, 2001 Noon to 5 p.m.

Admission: $20.00

Gompgmcnlum shuttle Bus selice betreen grdens

gm mz( lunch avaifable

5}'1%&0? FFO'I A re-. sale

CGC

The Gatden.

Fortickets or information: Information Centre Rocriiin 777 Lawrence Avenue East 4 39'" 34 Toronto, Ontario M3c 1p2 The Civic Garden Centre

by Carol Gardner

e =9\

Join the tour guides, hug a tree

AS SHE SAT IN the small meeting called by horticulturist Anne Marie Van Nest, Jean Petropoulos had no idea that she was beginning an odyssey. The year was 1986, and the occasion was a meeting to determine the viability of offering tours of Edwards Gardens. Anne Marie had placed a small invitation in Trellis, and a group of about 10 volunteers had heeded the call.

Fifteen years later, Jean is working on a brand new project with fellow guides John Bromley and Susan Ackerman. This spring they launch their Historical Tour of Edwards Gardens, a celebration of the history of the land, beginning with the early settlers (with John dressed as Alexander Milne, the original settler) and moving through the Edwards years (Jean dressed in 1940s attire) up to more recent times. Susan has been threatened with a mini-skirt, but is keeping her own counsel.

The CGC s tour guides are a dedicated, inventive group who meet monthly through the year and who have extended their territory to cover not only Edwards Gardens (including a newly developed nature tour) but also the Toronto Music Garden at Harbourfront and, in the near future, Allan Gardens. During the winter, they do planning and training. During the spring and summer they give tours, visit gardens both public and private and do everything they can to ensure they re up to date on any and all horticultural happenings. They are helped in this immense task by Horticultural Services manager Cathie Cox.

One might assume the guides start out as horticultural gurus. Not so, laughs John Bromley, a volunteer guide since 1991. When he began, he says, he didn t know a geranium from a poinsettia. He d lived in apartments all his adult life but after taking an early retirement he found himself drawn to Edwards Gardens. One day, while sitting on a bench near the

entrance, he noticed a man leading a group up the hill at full gallop . Being a nosy kind of fellow, he says, he followed along and became fast friends with the guide, CGC volunteer Grant Filson. Grant became his mentor and the following season John had his own group. It literally changed his life. Now, he not only does a variety of volunteer work for the CGC but also volunteers at the Metro Toronto Zoo and the Sunnybrook Hospital greenhouse. And, he says laughingly, I never pass a tree that [ don t want to hug!

Tour guide chair Gloria Broks echoes this sentiment. Last year she chaired the English-asa-second-language tour guides (a tour for adults who are learning English). This year the group united with the other tour guides, and Gloria took overall responsibilities from the talented Lisa Wood.

Gloria had her start in much the same way as Jean Petropoulos. She attended a tour-guide recruitment meeting in November 1997 and met a former colleague, Sonia Leslie. Sonia, a tour guide and board member, invited her to the next meeting and by July of '98 Gloria began leading tours. Since then, she has become a member of the Rose Society, an executive with the North York Horticultural Society, and a member of the CGC s Getting the Jump on Spring planning committee. In her spare time (?!) she volunteers with the Toronto Public Libraries.

With all their new endeavours, the guides are in heavy recruitment mode. If you think you d like to join, call the volunteer office at 416-3974145. You ll be invited to a meeting, matched up with a buddy and, before you know it, you ll be hugging trees too! And you ll be doing so in very, very good company. ¥

Historical Tour: May 5 & 6, 11 a.m., rain or shine. $5. Information: 416-397-1340

by Jean Godawa

Mother and daughter learn as theywork

MY DAUGHTER LILY, who s now 6, and I have been regular visitors to Edwards Gardens since she was born. It started as a necessity for my small apartment-dwelling family we desperately needed to take in some natural beauty. As Lily grew, our visits became part of our social repertoire you know, visit Gramma, visit the neighbours, see the ducks and the flowers. It wasn t until she was 5 that we realized there was a whole other world of learning opportunities right under our flowerinhaling noses.

One day in Edwards Gardens Lily asked, What s up that hill, Mommy? I'd seen the signs for the Teaching Garden but never given them a second thought. At Lily s prompting we decided to explore. WOW! Mommy, look! Dinosaur footprints! Mommy, look! A giant butterfly! Mommy, look!... I looked. WOW! And decided we had to be part of it. We immediately went down to the CGC to find out what that entailed.

Now, ifyou knew how botanically challenged I am, you d understand the courage it took for me to even enter the building. I had always assumed itwas reserved for those who knew on which side of the tree the moss grew. We entered, and both immediately felt welcome.

We were just up at the Teaching Garden and would like some more information please, I said. We were given brochures and told about the garden and the summer programs. I studied entomology at university, I said to the friendly woman at the reception desk. Do you think I could be of any help to them? Her eyes lit up. She wrote down names, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of people I should contact. She gave me more brochures about volunteering and about The Civic Garden Centre.

Now, it s a year later. In that short time the Teaching Garden has grown, blossomed and spread seeds for the future, under the excellent

guidance of co-ordinator Shannon Collins. My Lily has also bloomed. Last summer, she was a junior volunteer, helping out with the Pumpkin Patchers, Sunflower Hideaways and Green Adventure programs. We worked (it s more like play) together, taught together and learned together. We have become regulars in a place I once thought we didn t belong. We are part of the family.

Now that winter is over and spring is under way, Lily and I are anxious to get back to work in the Teaching Garden. Getting the Jump on Spring s open house in February afforded us an opportunity for a taste of our coming summer s activities Lily worked diligently to create book holders for the storytellers display, while I prepared the menagerie of live bugs and bug crafts I used in teaching for the day. It was a great success. We even managed to make it to the front page of the local newspaper!

Volunteering has been a great experience for me even the few days that try one s patience and are physically demanding. I know I've helped children learn. In this Year of the Volunteer, I 'm also proud that my daughter has learned the importance of helping out in the community. Both she and I know what we can gain.

Nowwe knowwhere the moss grows. ®

The spring school programs are well underway, and teachersfrom kindergarten to Grade 6 are scramblingfora chance to bring theirclasses to the Teaching Garden for our exciting curriculum-based programs. Right now students are lookingforsigns ofspring, planting veggies and flowers in the garden, going on bug expeditions, irrigating little villages, adopting seeds, acting out the water cycle and much more. Teachers should call the Teaching Garden now to register their classes: 416-397-1355. Shannon Collins

THROUGH THE GARDEN GATE

by Carol Gardner

Put onyourmost comfortable shoes, load the camera and tour thegardens ofone ofToronto sfirst suburbs ~Moore Park andBennington Heights

up on your sleep the 14th annual Through the Garden Gate tour is coming up Father s Day weekend, June 16 and 17. This year, the gardens of Moore Park It s time to take those vitamins and get caught Society of Ontario in 1913. He imported roses from England as well as a gardener from Scotland, James Bryson, to tend to his pampered beauties. At the Rose Society s first show in July 1913, roses and Bennington Heights are featured. And what gardens theyare!

John Thomas Moore, the area s developer, would be proud. Moore was the managing director of the Belt Line Railway Company when he built a station in Spring Valley (now Moore Park Ravine) to take local residents from "the grime and scent of smoke" of the city into the fresh country air north of the city. The railway was to be the lifeblood of suburban development during the real estate boom of the 1880s. His vision for the area included a large public garden surrounding the train station.

If Moore were around today, his garden would, no doubt, be on the tour. His stone house, Avoca Villa, stood at the southeast corner of Inglewood Drive and Rose Park Drive. An avid rosarian, Moore helped found The Rose

from Moore s extensive garden were used to decorate St. George s Hall, and it was said that "the fragrance of thousands of flowers scented the air."

Alas, nothing lasts forever. A real estate decline, as well as other factors, brought an end to the Belt Line Railway Company; the clacketyclack of steam trains was silenced forever at the Moore Park station in November 1894. During the First World War, the tracks were torn up to be used in the war effort and, in 1945, the station, with its quaint peaked turrets, was destroyed by fire.

Moore died in 1917 without seeing his dream of a large public garden come to fruition. But a garden of a different sort did emerge in 1876, when Henry Engelhardt designed Mount Pleasant Cemetery in the new landscape style. His design was so innovative that the cemetery

A car-stopping garden - and organic too!

immediately became a tourist attraction. It continues today as a popular spot for walkers and joggers, as does the Belt Line Trail, which occupies the old steam train route.

Just as it was 100 years ago, Moore Park is an exclusive area of elegant homes and gardens. Twenty-two gardens will be featured on our tour, many of them containing the old roses so beloved by Moore. Those old roses have been joined by newer varieties such as David Austin s as well as a plethora of old and new garden plants, sculptures, water features and garden ornaments. Many gardens are on ravine lots, challenging the homeowners to work with a scene-stealing view. In one garden, the view over the ravine is reminiscent of Currier & Ives, with cosy-looking houses nested in the valley below. Straight ahead, though, is a breathtaking city skyscape, complete with the CN tower framed by a neighbour s trees. The owners installed two patios and a water feature and, in a flight of whimsy, an arbour at the edge ofthe ravine that invites visitors towalkinto the view, albeit at their peril!

Another garden slopes steeply to the bottom of the ravine. The completely private view is enclosed by shrubs and mature trees, and centred on a deep blue oval pool and the silvery cedar roof of a hexagonal gazebo. In the distance is a sliver of blue Lake Ontario.

Just because you re in the city doesn t mean your garden has to have an urban feel. Many of the homeowners wanted their gardens to take the place of long-remembered family cottages. In one garden this was achieved by extensive use of traditional cottage garden plants, including climbingvines, as weli as strong structural elements.

One of the big advantages of a garden tour is that you see the solutions other gardeners have found for a number of challenges: small or irregular lots, minimal sunlight, or little time to manage the garden of their dreams. Their solutions can often be applied to your problems as well. A bonus: the Master Gardeners in each garden who can answer any question you have about plants you d like to try in your garden.

Many of the homeowners on the tour have been extremely creative in the use of unusual materials in the garden: mirrors, trompe-I oeil

paintings, sculpture and whimsical birdhouses all lift our hearts and set our imaginations spinning. One gardener with a small yard decided to garden upward, using all manner of vines and climbers as well as a magnificent espaliered apricot trees.

You might think such wonderful gardens must rely heavily on chemicals to keep things in tip-top shape, but many are organic. Fearing for the safety of her own pets as well as visiting wildlife, one homeowner decided to educate herself in companion planting and the use of non-toxic methods of controlling bugs and disease, and she hardened herself to removing plants that won't live in her garden without heavy-duty intervention. Her garden is a testament to the success of her efforts.

Some of the gardens are the product of years of work, including one that has been in the same family for 48 years; others are only a year or two old. Some gardens have gone through many renovations, to suit the taste of a succession of owners or to change along with the families who care for them. Each one gives us a bird s-eye view into the character and interests of the people who love them.

Tour headquarters is at Evergreen Gardens Park, entered from Moore Avenue just west of Bayview Avenue. A variety of vendors, including the Trellis Shop, will be set up there. Gourmet lunches are available, and this year we ve introduced a new feature at the headquarters for those who want to take a break from touring: each day from 1 to 3 p.m. we ll hold seminars on water features and new and unusual perennials.

As usual, buses will continually cover the route, stopping at Evergreen Gardens Park and many other places. Parking is limited, but for those using public transportation the bus will make regular stops at the bus turnabout of the St.Clair subway station, which issues onto Pleasant Boulevard.

Tickets are $20 for either Saturday or Sunday (rain or shine), and this year the ticket is also a comprehensive brochure, with garden descriptions. Call 416-397-1340, to reserve; tickets will be available for pick up or mail-out in early May.

Dynamic Duo

ChristopherLloydand his sidekick, Fergus Garrett, come to town in May. Don t miss them

Christopher Lloyd (right), and Fergus Garrett

May. The very word, short and direct, seems fulloflightandreadyto becomeairborne.

So writes Christopher Lloyd in The Year at Great Dixter, his book about the passage of the seasons and much more! at his family home in East Sussex, England. This book, like all his books and his many magazine articles, reads in the same delightful way: stylish and full of imagery, every page filled with his wholly unpretentious voice, his cool wit and his basic goodness. Of course, he writes a lot about plants, too, and garden design in a general way, and his innate appreciation of growing and living things.

Christopher Lloyd is a joy to read, but he s also a delight to talk to, even on a transatlantic phone call. The conversation may be difficult because he s a little deaf, now that he s 80, confided Fergus Garrett, Dixter s head gardener. This may be true, but who could tell? Lioyd s voice was strong, edged with the dry humour that s an undercurrent in his writing, straightforward and

warmly friendly. How long was I in the garden today? Not long enough! he exclaimed. Maybe an hour and a half. [ have no time to garden nowadays writing is what makes the money, and we have to keep this place going somehow.

Great Dixter is open to the public and contains a small nursery selling plants propagated on the property. A small staff handles the garden, the nursery and the office. Since Christopher s parents, Nathaniel and Daisy Lloyd, bought Dixter in 1910 as a home for their eventual family of six children, it has become one of the most famous gardens in Britain.

The home, a large timber-framed building, was built around 1460 of oak, infilled with lath and plaster. It was essentially one room, a great, high hall for communal living, which was rebuilt in Tudortimes to hold two storeys and smaller rooms. Nathaniel Lloyd commissioned architect Edwin Lutyens to restore the home to its original plan,add some bedroomwings anddesigna garden.

Lutyens may have decided where the paths should fall and the design of the garden walls, but Nathaniel and Daisywere the true gardeners. Nathaniel had a particular interest in topiary, while Daisy was a plantswoman par excellence and a great influence on her son Christopher, whose interest in gardens goes back as far as he can recall. Daisy had a special taste for wild gardens planted in rough grass and filled their main meadow with naturalized strewings of daffodils and narcissi. I can t help but think she d be right at home in the naturalized gardens of today.

Christo, as his friends call him, feels he s fortunate to have lived nearly all his life in the house where he was born. After a time in the services during the Second World War, he studied horticulture at Wye College, University of London, and then taught at Wye for four years. The college is a mere 25 miles from Dixter, so Christopher was able to spend a couple of days a week in the garden there, working with his mother. Both were strong-willed, with garden tastes of their own, and their differences began to show. She doted on irises and accepted gifts of bearded varieties which...swept her off her feet, writes Christopher. This made me cross and she had to grow them in spare corners where they didn t interfere with the garden proper. They had no place there at all.

In 1950 Christopher returned permanently to the family home and began a small nursery where he propagated the unusual plants he liked to grow in the garden. He began to write in 1957, books like The Mixed Border, The Well-Tempered Garden (at the time of our phone call he was immersed in reading proofs of an updated printing) and The Well-Chosen Garden. He also wrote Gardener Cook, an especially personal book that reveals his love of cooking and entertaining and makes one long for an invitation to a delicious, languorous dinner at Great Dixter. Columns for the Saturday Guardian and CountryLife are part of his weekly agenda, and someone s always after me to do another book, he says.

Christopher Lloyd will speak to CGC members and friends the afternoon of Mother s Day, May 13. His topic is Good Plants and Good

Planting: he ll explore the secrets of successful plants. And as a bonus Fergus Garrett, who also studied at Wye College, although years after Christopher, and has worked for Beth Chatto, at gardens in the south of France and at other private gardens, will speak on Succession Planting: how to extend the season by observing your garden and looking for opportunities. Admission is $25 for members, $30 non-members; teawill be served. Reservations are required: phone 416-397-1351.

For heaven s sake, don t miss it. @

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Over3,500 varietiesthat are not Festival, Garden Photo Contest, commonly availableatother Kid's Colouring Contests and nurseries. much more

the sweet smell of

by David Butler

The RoyalBotanical Gardens lilacs are breathtakingly beautifuland dizzyinglyfragrant. It s the world s largest collection and it s right in our own backyard

lose your eyes and imagine the sweet CScents of spring. May is just around the corner and that means the renowned Lilac Dell at the Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG), Hamilton and Burlington, will be bursting with the brilliant colours and perfumes of one of Canada s most popular shrubs.

The RBG boasts the world s largest collection of lilacs, with more than 800 of a possible 1,600 varieties, many of which are not available commercially. There are only 26 known species of lilacs, all of them native to eastern Asia, the Himalayas, Afghanistan and southern Europe. More than 1,500 are man-made selections or cultivars. Most lilacs are shrubs, with the exception ofSyringa reticulata ssp. reticulata, the Japanese tree lilac, and Syringa reticulata ssp. pekinensis, or Peking lilac. There are 22 known varieties of these trees, which can grow up to 18 metres (60 feet) tall.

The RBG s famous collection contains many of the above varieties, including some of the tree lilacs. The garden was established in 1952 and within four years had 280 plants. Construction of Highway 403 into Hamilton forced the RBG to move the garden in 1960. It was re-established at its present location and, in 1965, Colin Osborne of Hamilton created the Katie Osborne Lilac Garden fund as a tribute to

his wife. The collection has grown steadily since then, and in the next few years new specimens will be added, with a major concentration on the acquisition of tree lilacs.

The Lilac Dell, officially known as the Katie Osborne Lilac Garden, is a bowl-shaped garden located in the RBG s Arboretum in the city of Hamilton. Lilacs are arranged above the bowl and down its slopes. The Lilac Story, an interpretive exhibit describing the cultural history of lilacs, leads visitors from the parking lot into the garden. The walk opened in 1998 and was funded by the family of former RBG board member Kitsey Evans in honour of her 90th birthday. Once visitors reach the bottom of the Dell, trails take them into other horticultural collections or into Cootes Paradise, an adjacent nature sanctuary.

The Lilac Dell is the perfect setting for the RBG s largest bloom festival, May 20, 21, and 27 this year. Visitors to the Lilac Festival are enveloped in the dizzying fragrances emanating from the Dell. The breathtaking display is complemented by guided tours of the lilac collection, a children s corner, a plant sale by the RBG volunteer association, and an outdoor refreshment pavilion. Musical performances at the bottom of the Lilac Dell include Celtic music, jazz, swing, Dixieland and folk.

Visitors who don t come to the festival are

Photo: CourtesyThe Royal Botanical Gardns £

guaranteed a stunning display for weeks as various cultivars reach their bloom periods from mid-May until early June. A visit to the late bloomers is enhanced by the spectacular colours of the rhododendrons in the Arboretum and the bearded iris collection at the nearby Laking Garden.

The Royal Botanical Gardens lilac collection is recognized throughout the world. In 1974, the RBG was appointed by the International Society of Science as the International Registration Authority (IRA) with responsibility for the genus Syringa. The IRA registers lilacs that are distinct from the 1,600 lilac varieties already registered in the world and ensures that the chosen name of the new lilac has not been used before. This is done by using criteria listing flower size, colour, shape, single or double petals, fragrance, foliage and hardiness, to mention only a few.

In fact, the Royal Botanical Gardens registered its own cultivar in 1987. McMaster Centennial , a cultivar of Syringa vulgaris. It was named in recognition of the 100th anniversary of McMaster University, at the

time Hamilton s only university and an important research partner with the RBG.

McMaster Centennial is a vigorous shrub with yellow-hued buds and fragrant, double flowers. However, like its female parent, Primrose , and despite the RBG s best efforts to hybridize a yellow lilac, its flowers quickly turn white as they mature. McMaster Centennial is not easily propagated, so it is not yet commercially available.

You can see McMaster Centennial and the rest of the Royal Botanical Gardens vast collection beginning in May. The Lilac Dell is located in the Arboretum on Old Guelph Road, in the former town of Dundas, now part of greater Hamilton. Spring weather determines the true bloom periods, so call the RBG at 905-527-1158 or visit the What s in Bloom page on the Gardens Web site, www.rbg.ca, to find out when the lilac collection is at its peak. ®

David Butler is communications co-ordinator at the RoyalBotanical Gardens

perenPLEAS

FR

Catch the excitement ofnew cultivars and oldfavourites at thisyear sperennials sale

by Cathie Cox

The number of new and exciting perennials

seems to increase every year, but gardeners are still true to their old favourites. And nowadays every old favourite has a new cultivar to try. But there are some new trends in plants more correctly, continuing trends that began a year or two ago and are gathering strength. For example, hot colours such as strong reds, oranges, golden yellows, deep moody plums, luscious bronzes and bright, deep blues are big this year. Mix lavish and varied plantings ofperennials and annuals with shrubs and trees with interesting gold, variegated or purple foliage. Aim for a tropical look plant perennials with deep, bright colours and bold foliage. Mix annuals and tender tropicals that have similar foliage and

blooms, and hope we get a long hot summer. Here are some of the new plants we expect to offer during our sale May 3 to 6.

After we so quickly sold out of clematis at last year s perennials sale, we decided to increase our stock this year and will still offer plants in one-gallon pots at a special price. Guernsey Cream s large 12-centimetre (five-inch) flowers are a creamyyellow and appear from late spring to late fall. It s an ideal container plant, does well in the garden, and also cuts well. MultiBlue is a double-flowering deep navy blue and mauve blue and has three blooming periods: early summer, late summer and fall. H.E. Young is another large-flowering hybrid with Wedgwood-blue blooms. It s the most free-flow-

ering compact clematis, making it ideal for containers. Dawn is a little-known clematis with bronze foliage in the spring and large white blooms suffused with pale pink and boasting deep red anthers. It blooms from spring into summer and again in late summer. Sunset , another little-known cultivar, has masses of 15centimetre (six-inch) plum red blooms from late spring to early fall. We ve also ordered Clematis terniflora, the sweet autumn clematis with fragrant white star-shaped blooms produced profusely from late summer to mid-fall. It s a vigorous, disease-free and hardy species. C. Petit Faucon grows to one metre (3.5 feet) in height and has twisting deep blue flowers with orange stamens; it s a new non-clinging form, making it especially desirable for containers or beds and borders.

Two new Corydalisfumitory cultivars have also been introduced: Blackberry Wine has bluegreen foliage and fragrant black-purple blooms; C. flexuosa Golden Panda has gold-green leaves and fragrant cobalt blue blooms. The fumitory species are greatplants for partiallyshaded areas.

Bleeding heart is another shade lover with a couple of new cultivars. Dicentra Goldheart has gold foliage and pink blooms; King of Hearts has grey foliage and rose-pink blooms that flower from spring to fall. Purple coneflower is always popular. Echinacea purpurea Kim s Mophead is a new one that has white blooms with green centres; it grows to 45 centimetres (14 inches). Kim s Knee High is a dwarf selection with purple blooms.

Also look for some new hyssops: Agastache Aurea and A. Red Fortune . The former has blue blooms and gold foliage, the latter deepgreen leaves and purple-red blooms. Hyssops are sun-loving, mid-border perennials.

Astilbes are great in clay or moist soils. Astilbe thunbergii Red Straussefeder has graceful arching plumes of red blooms, while A. arendsii Maggie Daley teams pale purple flowers with dark foliage.

Astilboides tabularis is not new, but if you re looking for a mid-size plant with huge leaves, it s for you. Ideal at pondside. Angelica gigas is a striking, tall (120 centimetres/4 feet) archi-

tectural herb with purple foliage and blooms. It s a showstopper as a focal point in the garden or at the back of the border.

Campanula persicifolia Kelly s Gold , a peach-leaved bellflower, has gold leaves and white blooms edged with blue. C. takesimana Beautiful Trust is an exciting bellflower introduced by Dan Hinkley. It s 60 centimetres (two feet) tall and has stunning lacy-white blooms. C. trachelium Snowball , has double white blooms, while yet another new bellflower, C. Samantha is low growing with fragrant violetblue cup-shaped blooms.

A new foxtail lily, Eremurus isabellinus Oase , grows to 150 centimetres (five feet) and flowers salmon pink.

Foliage addicts will love Euphorbia amygdaloides Burrowmill Silver s unique creamy white variegated leaves. Euphorbias tolerate sun and part shade, while the meadowsweets, Filipendula ulmaria Variegata , with gold variegation, and the gold £ ulmaria Aurea are ideal for more shady areas and will tolerate wet soils.

New perennial geraniums include Stanhoe , with grey foliage (10 centimetres/four inches), and Chocolate Candy , with chocolate brown leaves (15 centimetres/six inches), both with pale pink blooms, and G. pratense Victor Reiter Jr. with dark lavender blooms and purple leaves (75 centimetres/30 inches). Geraniums are wonderfully easy perennials to grow and generally very tolerant of poorer soils and less than perfect conditions.

Daylilies worth waiting for are Hemerocallis Chicago Apache intense red ruffled blooms; Chicago Picotee Memories apricot blooms with a purple eye; Gordon Biggs raspberry red blooms with a red eye and green throat;

Pandora s Box' ruffled cream blooms with a purple eye; and Strawberry Candy , a medal winner strawberry pink with red eyes.

The new coral bells, Heuchera Amber Waves , has wonderful butterscotch-coloured leaves and grows to 20 centimetres (four inches). It won the best rare and unusual plant award at the Perennial Plant Symposium last year. Strawberry Swirl is another of the great coral bells, known for its amazing mass of pink blossoms.

Hostas have been coming fast and furiously in recent years but a new one that stands out is Little Sunspot , which has a bright gold centre and dramatic wide, green margins.

Lewisias are native alpines that need good drainage and are worth growing for their exceptional flowering habits. L. longipetala Little Plum has intense rose-purple flowers. Another alpine is Othonna capensis Little Pickles , an introduction from South Africa with bright yellow daisies and unusual blue-green cylindrical leaves.

Lysimachias (commonly called loosestrife, but not the problem type) are versatile plants which tolerate sun, some shade, dry or often wet soils. L. atropurpurea Beaujolais has purple-tinged foliage and beautiful wine red blooms. It forms clumps and grows 50 centimetres (20 inches) tall. There are many new oriental poppies this year. Papaver Curlilocks has heavily frilled orange blooms with black spots at the base; Karine has large soft pink blooms; Patty s Plum is an unusual deep plum purple from England; and Pink Ruffles has large, heavily ruffled and deeply fringed dark pink blooms.

A new summer phlox with vivid pink blooms

and mildew-resistant properties is Shortwood (100 centimetres/40 inches).

A new and excitingJacob s ladder, Polemonium yezoense Purple Rain , has dark brown-black foliage and very large blue flowers. Jacob s ladder is a great crowd pleaser, with its easy-to-grow, long-flowering habits.

Lungworts are great plants for the shade and add interest to the spring garden. Pulmonaria

Golden Haze has long narrow foliage with gold margins and blue flowers in April/May while Ice Ballet has green leaves with white spots and blooms.

For lovers ofblack-eyed Susans there is a new form that s completely different. Rudbeckia officinalis Black Beauty has flowers with tall black cones ringed with gold and no rays. It grows to 120 centimetres (four feet).

A must-have plant is Salvia Caradonna , a sage with striking black stems and deep purple blooms that appear from May to July; it grows to 45 centimetres (18 inches).

Heronswood Mist is a fabulous new Tiarella from Dan Hinkley with cream foliage overlaid with pink and green. The flowers are bright pink with shrimp pink stems.

Finally, another popular introduction is the Stokes aster Stokesia laevis Honeysong Purple . It has the darkest purple blooms of all the varieties, white stamens and purple-tinged stems.

A wide range of ferns and some grasses will also be included in the sale. ¥

Cathie Cox is the CGC s managerofHorticultural Services.

ANNUALS SALE

Thursday, May 17 (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.)

through Sunday, May 20 (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

There are manynewintroductions in annuals for 2001.

. Alistofvarieties orderedfor sale willbe available on request atthe Trellis Shop and in the lobbyofthe CGC. Itwill be possible to order in advance shouldyouwish to do so.

ROAMING FOR RHODOS

PLACES TO SEETHE SPECTACULAR BEAUTIES OF SPRING

by Georgina Perrier and Madge Bruce

WITH THE MONTH of May upon us, local gardeners are eagerly anticipating the appearance of the dazzling rhododendron. With this in mind we offer a suggested tour of destinations in the GTA where you can view these spectacular beauties whose colours rival the rainbow.

3% 3% 3% 5% 5% 3K 3% 3% 3% 5% 3% 3K B O3 XK Edwards Gardens

Constantly updated by Toronto members of the Rhododendron Society of Canada, Edwards Gardens boasts about 500 plants, including azaleas. Older cultivars as well as new hybrids are grown. Some highlights include Ghent hybrid azaleas, the President Lincoln rhodo, and KnapHill azaleas. Plan to visit from mid-May on for the best showing. The gardens are located in Toronto at the southwest corner of Leslie Street and Lawrence Avenue East, adjacent toThe Civic Garden Centre, and are open from dawn to dusk. For information: 416-392-8186. Admission: free.

Rhododendron Woods

Privately owned by Dave Hinton, this five-acre garden is located 30 kilometres southwest of Peterborough and about two kilometres from Orono at 3384 Taunton Road. It s about an hour s drive from Toronto.The garden is open to the public the first full weekend of June. Visitors are also welcome at other times provided they phone ahead (905-983-5528). Expect to see more than 1,000 varieties of rhododendrons and 20 varieties of magnolias, all in a lovely woodland setting. Admission: free, but an optional donations box is offered.

Royal Botanical Gardens

The RBG s rhododendrons are located in the Arboretum on Old Guelph Road, three kilometres from the main building. The garden is open from 9:30 a.m. fo dusk.

Peak time starts in early June.There are close to 1,000 species and countless cultivars to be seen. Be sure not

to miss the azaleas in the Rock Garden, two kilometres west of the main entrance onYork Boulevard.To reach the RBG, take the QEW to the Plains Road West exit, and travel about seven kilometres west to the main building. Directions are well marked. For further particulars, call 905-825-5040 or visit the RBG Web site at www.rbg.ca. Admission: free.

Hancock Woodlands

Begun by Leslie and Dorothy Hancock and now run by their daughter Marjorie, this site incorporates a propagating nursery (known as Woodland Nurseries), landscaped grounds and a wooded sanctuary. It s located at 2151 Camilla Read in Mississauga, off the North Service Road adjoining the QEW.Take the QEW to the Cawthra Road exit and continue west on the Service Road for a mile or so until you reach Camilla Road. Peak interest time is usually the month of May. Included are a 10-acre heritage garden and a nursery housing plants 40 to 50 years old. For information, call 905-277-2961.

The Horticultural Research Institute ofOntario Located on the shores of Lake Ontario, about 12 miles from Niagara Falls, at 4890 Victoria Avenue in Vineland. The institute is affiliated with the University of Guelph and boasts an extensive collection of rhododendrons and azaleas. If you're interested in the history of the development of rhododendrons and azaleas in Niagara, be sure to see the Woodlot. For information, call 905-562-4141.

Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens

Situated on the Niagara Parkway between the Whirlpool Bridge and the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge, this garden consists of 40 hectares of blooms in the arboretum. Peak time for viewing is from May 15 to June 30.The gardens are open from sunrise to sunset. Admission: free. For information, call 877-642-7275, or try npinfo@niagaraparks.com. ®

LEARNING THE LiNgSO

Howfauna got into the botanical namegame

by Charmiene Montgomery

hen botanists were creating names Wfor various plants, they often looked for resemblances to animals for inspiration. The similarity might be in the flower, the leaves or even the seedheads. In some cases, the animal reference is repeated in the common English name as well.

Birds provided the basis for a number of plant names. Aquilegia comes from the Latin aquila, eagle, because the spur-like petals of the flower resembled the talons of that fierce predator. The common English name, columbine, also has an avian connection, but what a contrast, for here the link is to the softly cooing dove, from its Latin name, columba. In the eyes of some, the blossoms look like doves drinking.

Three plants are named for long-legged birds. It s hard to see the similarity between Erodium, the little rock garden favourite, and the tall graceful heron, but botanists saw a heron's head and beak in the seedhead and named it after the Greek for heron, erodios. It takes a while for novice gardeners to differentiate between the perennial geranium and the showy annual, which is really a Pelargonium. However, both words refer to similar types of birds. The word Geranium comes from the Greek geranos, or crane, referring to its beaklike seedhead. Cranesbill, the plant s common name, also reflects this characteristics. Pelargo, the Greek word for stork, was the inspiration for Pelargonium, again a reference to the look of the seedhead.

Every gardener seems to have a favourite flower. Mine is Corydalis lutea, a ferny little perennial that self-seeds profusely and produces small yellow flowers on and off all season long

(ves, really!). This plant is named after the Greek for crested lark, korydalis, since the flowers have small spurs like the songbirds.

Various larger animals are represented in the garden. Those lovely blue spikes ofDelphinium are named after delphis, the Greek for dolphin. A look at the names in the Pacific Giant series shows that the hybridizers haven t picked up on this idea yet no Flipper cultivar is listed.

At one time I had a chance to hold a little English hedgehog in my hand; in spite of his spiny appearance, he was really quite soft. However, early botanists saw the same prickly resemblance in two plants and named them accordingly. Thus, the globe thistle became Echinops and the coneflower Echinacea, both derived from echinos, the Greek for hedgehog or sea urchin.

Mention the groundcover goutweed and many gardeners cringe. While it has its place (preferably surrounded by six feet of cement), it all too quickly becomes an invasive pest. The common name comes from the belief that it could cure gout. Aegopodium, the botanical name, however, is from the Greekaix, or goat, andpodion, meaning little foot, reflecting the plant's appearance rather than anybeliefin its healingpowers.

If Lon Chaney or Wolfman Jack had had gardens, they surely would have planted lots of lupins. Lupinus derives from the Latin lupus, or wolf, based on the mistaken belief that the plant ate up all a soil s fertility.

The meaning of the botanical name of the lovely little Myosotis is as delightful as its common English name, forget-me-not. It comes from the Greek mus, for mouse, and ous or otos, an ear. Just look at the small,

round leaves and you can see the connection.

Not all plants were named for resemblances, physical or functional, to real animals. Two, an annual and a common houseplant, have names that originate with a mythological creature the dragon. The annual you can guess from its common name, the snapdragon. Its botanical name, Antirrhinum, comes from the Greek anti, or like, and rhis, for nose. In the shape of the flower botanists saw a dragon s snout. The Dracaena, that old standby of the neglectful indoor gardener, is named from the Greek drakaina, a female dragon. There is even a variety called Dracaena draco, the dragon tree, which seems a little repetitive. The resin from this tree provides a red dye called dragon s blood.

As you can see, if you pick the right plants for your garden, you can create a zoo as well as anaviary C

1N THE NEXT ISSUE. plants named for inanimate objects. CharmieneMontgomery is a Master Gardener and designer who specializes in smallgardens.

Natural Insect Control

for your Garden (or The Civic Garden Centre goes buggy)

This gardening season the Trellis Shop will be ordering in Ladybugs, Lacewings, Praying Mantises and Nematodes. To order please phone Cathie Cox at 416.397.1358. The following are the dates when our natural predators will be available:

June

Ladybugs

May

Praying Mantises

Nematodes

Lacewings

Ladybugs feed on aphids, mites, scale, thrips, and whiteflies.

Lacewings feed on aphids, lacebugs, leafthoppers, mealybugs, scale, spidermite, thrips, caterpillars. Praying Mantises feed on aphids and anything they can catch!

Nematodes or "Lawn Guardians" feed on all forms of white lawn grubs, black vine weevils, cabbage root maggots, flea beetles, wireworms, cornroot worms and fly maggots.

The Trellis Shop will also have lawn signs available indicating that you are treating your pest problems with natural predators.

Edwards Lectures

Speaker: DENIS FLANAGAN

WHERE: Floral Hall

WHEN: Wednesday, May 9, 7:30 p.m.

Topic: Container Planting: Potty Training

YOU LL RECOGNIZE DENIS Flanagan from his program, The Indoor Gardener, on HGTV, and from his work for Landscape Ontario and his involvement in Canada Blooms or the Spring Flower event at Scotia Plaza. He s a regular contributor to the Condo Guide. Denis is also a frequent participant at the CGC s Getting the Jump on Spring, and now we invite you to

SPEAKER:JEFF MASON

meet with him once again at May s Edwards Lecture. Denis has been in the landscaping industry for more than 20 years and recently estimated he s designed more than 1,000 gardens. We ve invited him to give us tips on creating beautiful pots and planters for decks, front yards and porches.

Free to members; non-members $4.

WHERE: Floral Hall WHEN: Wednesday, June 13, 7:30 p.m.

Toric: Hardy Succulents

JEFF MASON HAILS from Mason-Hogue Gardens and brings a new generation of horticultural expertise to The Civic Garden Centre. Mason-Hogue Gardens had its beginnings after Jeff s mother, Marjorie, spent 19 years working for a large garden centre. Marjorie and Jeff, with encouragement from Marjorie s husband, Real, started their own small specialty plant nursery. Originally, mother and son focussed on hardy perennials and bulbs, but neither Marjorie nor Jeff can resist trying a new plant when they see it listed in a catalogue. It s not

always easy Mason-Hogue Gardens is perched on the edge of a gravel pit and the only water source is a 13-foot dug well. Consequently, water conservation is essential. Thus, Jeff will speak about hardy succulents, plants that can withstand sub-zero temperatures for a significant amount of time. In North America, they include Opuntia, Echinocereus, Pediocactus and Sclerocactus, Agave, Yucca and Sedum and Sempervivum species. Don t forget to bring along your questions.

Free to members; non-members $4.

The Civic Garden Centre is looking for volunteer pianists to play our Baldwin grand for about 30 minutes before Edwards Lectures. If you'd like to practise your Chopin etudes on a great piano, contact Douglas Markoff at 416-397-1346, or by e-mail at director@civicgardencentre.org.

Special Lectures

CO-HOSTED BY WEALL AND CULLEN

SpEakER: STEPHEN WESTCOTT-GRATTON

WHERE: Floral Hall

Toric: The Naturalized Garden.

WHEN: Wednesday, June 6, 7:30 p.m . more petals w1th less labour

STEPHEN, FORMER CHIEF horticulturist at

The Civic Garden Centre, is back and with a new book. Stephen has become a prolific author since leaving his post here, and last summer many members enjoyed his colourful presentation, Creating a Cottage Garden in Canada. This summer he launches The Naturalized Garden. This new book is described as the essential tool for selecting the most suitable plants to thrive in the garden. Mark Cullen of Weall and Cullen says:

The Naturalized Garden offers an excellent assortment of native plants in an environment that inspires great design ideas. Trellis editor Liz Primeau says: The Naturalized Garden takes the mystery out of making a flower-filled garden that s in tune with nature.

Stephen will autograph copies of his book following the lecture. Admission: $5.

The CGC s Special Lectures are co-hosted by Weall and Cullen.

Speaker: ASPECIALAFTERNOONWITH CHRISTOPHERLLOYD

WHERE: Floral Hall

WHEN: Sunday, May 13, 3:30 p.m.

Toric: Good Plants and Good Planting

SET ASIDE THIS Mother s Day afternoon for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet the fabulous Christopher Lloyd. The Civic Garden Centre is privileged to offer a special presentation by the renowned English gardener and writer, and his head gardener, Fergus Garrett. Lloyd was a special guest at the CGC s first Great Gardening Conference in 1985. In recent

years he has greatly reduced his speaking engagements, and we are indeed lucky to have him join us on this North American visit. Lloyd s talk title is Good Plants and Good Planting, and Garrett will talk on Succession Planting. Admission (includes afternoon tea): members $25, non-members $30; reservations required. Call 416-397-1351.

e SEED EXCHANGE REPORT 4

THIS YEAR WE enjoyed another successful seed exchange, and a sincere thank you is extended to the donors, the packagers and those whophoned recipients to tell them theirpackets ofseeds were ready. Thanks also go to the CGC staff, especiallyCathie Cox and ShirleyLyons. We had 48 applications for seeds, with Delphinium chinense the most popular. Other popular seeds included Scabiosa alpina, Veronicaschmz' tiana, Anemone sylvestris,

Papaver rhoeas Shirley , Penstemon ovatus, Eschscholzia californica Buttermilk , Campanula sp., deep purple Campanula sp. and Soya bean Envy . Some were so popular we didn t have enough seeds to fill all the orders. Extra seeds are donated to the Teaching Garden.The $4handlingcharge covers the cost of envelopes, with any extra dollars going into the CGC general fund.

OUuT-OF-TOWN TOURS

Three exemplary bus tours to please all tastes

THE CGC S BUSTOURS have to be the easiest way to see gardens or to shop for hard-to-get plants, or (new this year) take in a little Shakespeare. Sign up soon. Call 416-397-1340 for details.

® FORTHE PLANT FANATIC

If you love exploring out-of-town nurseries with new and unusual plants but don t like to drive, this May 3 tour is for you. The first stop is Burlington s Royal Botanical Gardens annual sale, eagerly awaited by plant lovers every year. The next stop is Vineland Nurseries in Beamsville, where owner Jim Lounsbery will help you select choice plants.Then we return toThe Civic Garden Centre, where the Centre s own perennials sale will be in progress. A van accompanies the tour bus to hold your purchases, and a box lunch is provided. Only one busload of eager gardeners can be accommodated, leaving the CGC at 7:30 a.m. to return by 6 pm. The early departure allows us to reach the RBG while the best plants are still available. But be prepared to line up forthis popular sale. Cost: members $50; non-members $60.

® THE GARDENS OFTHORNHILL AND KING

Both beautifully planted large suburban gardens and elegant country estates in the heart of horse country are featured in this year s June 26 tour toThornhill and King. The tour visits at least five properties in the area and features gardens of great interest to the plantsman as well as landscaped farms; it will intrigue those who want a glimpse into both intimate and grand private estates. As in many recent years, the tour has been planned with the assistance of Bayla Gross, who will accompany it. Transportation is by air-conditioned motor coach, with refreshments en route and lunch at Hogan s Inn in King City. Buses leave at 8:30 a.m. from the CGC and return by 6 p.m. Cost: members $80; non-members $90.

Highlightsofsomeofthe gardenswewillvisit:

MARION JARVIE GARDEN

One of the more famous gardens in the Toronto area, Marion Jarvie s property inThornhill (about two-thirds of an acre) includes incredible variety: a remarkable plant collection, perennial borders, an alpine and scree garden, a bog garden, woodland beds, a fragrant garden and a Mediterranean garden. The garden has been evolving since 1965 and has benefited from the introduction of many exciting new plants the owner has collected on her world travels. Some plants may be available for purchase.

THE REDELMEIER GARDEN

Originally designed to complement the brick century farmhouse on the property, this was one of the most elegant early gardens north ofToronto. Many of the plants were chosen and supplied by Miss Minerva Castle, a wellknown horticulturist of her generation. The family s Southbrook Farms, on the south side of Major Mackenzie Drive, is a well-known marketplace for wines (especially a deliciousframboise) and its own farm-grown produce.

THE EPSTEIN GARDEN

This elegant country estate, which has one of the most beautiful horse barns in all of King, includes more than 12 acres of manicured lawns set among rolling hills and woodlands.The many vistas and views invite you to stroll and explore areas that include a pond and large trees underplanted with a variety ofannuals and perennials.

THE HARRIS GARDEN

The garden, originally designed by Dorothea Lovat Dickson of Hortus, provides a perfect setting for the 1830s farmhouse the gardens and background providing constantly changing pictures throughout the year. Water is an important element in the garden, which contains artesian-fed rockery pools, a pond and a river. There s also a walled fruit garden, an ornamental vegetable garden, a formal brick garden and a conservatory.

THE GARDENS OF BRUNOAND ROSA CELLA

An artistically landscaped front garden, designed by the owners, welcomes visitors with a collection ofshaped evergreens.The garden around the house and patio includes a wide collection of perennials, hostas and shrubs, with accents of garden ornaments. Beyond the house lies a Japanese-style garden with a teahouse and a waterfall, providing a quiet oasis for the family. Although only five years old, the garden has afeeling oftimelessserenity.

©® STRATFORD: GARDENSAND SHAKESPEARE

For members who'd like to combine horticulture and culture, we've planned a terrific all-day tour to Stratford ON Wednesday, July 18. We leave the Centre at 8 a.m. and travel to Stratford by air-conditioned motor coach, enjoying refreshments en route. Once we arrive in Stratford, we ll tour a beautiful private garden. Lunch is at the Old Prune. Following a matinée performance ofTwelfth Night at the Festival Theatre, there will be an opportunity to visit theArthur Meighen Gardens in front ofthe theatre. The bus returns to the CGC by 6:30 p.m. Cost: members $140; non-members$150. Registration deadlineisJune 15.

by Carol Gardner

s«Meet Shannon,

e re delighted to introduce our three Wnewest staff members: Teaching Garden co-ordinator Shannon Collins, horticultural assistant Nicole North, and volunteer co-ordinator Mary Strachan.

Shannon Collins joined usJuly 10, 2000, smack in the middle of the Teaching Garden's busy season. Nevertheless, she jumped in with both feet and with the help ofthe Teaching Garden's terrific volunteers weathered the first week with aplomb, even though it included a search for a place to live, a car accident and a power outage during her first Green Adventure program.

Working in difficult conditions is nothing new to Shannon, who has taught in a remote village in the Philippines and has worked in Costa Rica teaching English, doing organic gardening, tree planting and making trails through the rain forest. She has always been involved with children and environmental issues, from her early work with CISV (Children s International Summer Villages) to a year-long job in Ottawa teaching English as a second language. She came to us from Kingston, Ontario, where she completed her teacher s education degree and began looking for a job which would include children, nature, program development and implementation and the opportunity to be creative. She found it all in the Teaching Garden, where her intelligence, creativity and sense of fun are a perfect fit with the demanding job.

Nicole & Mary s«

ture but soon switched to environmental science with a focus on horticulture. After graduation, she worked as a sales rep for Hofland floral wholesalers, and then for two years for Dominion Coal's garden centres while developing her own landscape design business.

Nicole s present responsibilities include the Trellis Shop as well as working with horticulturist Cathie Cox on plant sales, horticultural outreach and myriad other duties that fall into their bailiwick. They're both high-energy people, and just watching them work together can be an exhausting experience. But ah, the results!

L to R: Nicole, Mary, Shannon

Volunteer co-ordinator Mary Strachan also joined us in February of this year, just weeks away from Getting the Jump on Spring and Canada Blooms. Miraculously, calm reigned, and Mary somehow quickly met and signed up the volunteers needed for both events. A general sigh of relief could be heard throughout the building!

Horticultural assistant Nicole North is another real find for the CGC. Nicole was introduced to gardening as a child by both sets of grandparents. By the age of 16 she was working during the summers in plant nurseries, and three years of co-op in high school were dedicated to landscape architecture. At the University of Guelph Nicole began the course in landscape architec-

Mary s interest in horticulture came via a more circuitous route than did Shannon s or Nicole s. While taking her master s degree in health promotion, she began working for FoodShare as a part of required practical experience. In her work there, she spoke with farmers and learned a lot about growing fruit and vegetables, and the effect of the environment on growing patterns. She was fascinated by the relationship between food, the environment and health; so, after graduation, Mary returned to FoodShare. The job involved co-ordinating a group of volunteers, and Mary quickly realized how much they contributed to her enjoyment of her work. When the CGC position became available, it seemed like the logical next step a marriage between her education, interests and abilities.

The next time you visit the CGC, say hello to Shannon, Nicole and Mary.

~M Expert advice from the Master Gardeners |

Q@ What deciduous shrubs are suitable for a small lot?

A Here are some multistem shrubs to try: Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia), which grows about four metres (12 feet) tall and 3.5 metres (10 feet) wide. Also A. canadensis, taller at about six metres (20 feet). Both are spring flowering and have edible berries that attract birds. As well as the star magnolia (Magnolia stellata), which grows three metres (10 feet) tall, there are the new cultivars Jane (four metres/12 feet tall) and Elizabeth (10 metres/30 feet tall). Variegated Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas Variegata ) grows five metres (15 feet) tall and five

Rhodotypos has winter-interest berries

Awn Jardin

By Janet Davis

metres (15 feet) wide and bears small yellow flowers in early spring, before leaf-out. Jetbead shrub (Rhodotypos scandens) is smaller, at 1.5 metres (five feet) wide and tall, and produces white flowers at the tips of the branches in spring followed by shiny black berries, striking in winter.

QHow do1 grow potatoes?

A Dig a trench or separate holes 15 centimetres (six inches) deep. Choose egg-size pieces of potato with at least one eye on each. Place in the holes or trench 30 centimetres (12 inches) apart; cover the potato but do not fill the hole with soil. As the shoots grow, fill in the space bit by bit, as tubers form on the stems; they must not be exposed to sunlight. Once the stem and leaves reach the surface, continue to add soil until you have a small mound. Wait for plants to flower before harvesting tubers.

Fill in the trench as the potato plant grows

Q What groundcover can I use under pines in a woodland area?

A Suitable plants include ivy (Hedera spp.), periwinkle (Vinca spp.), ferns, lamium, lily of the valley (Convalleria spp.) and hostas.

Suitable groundcovers for shade

lllustrations:

Vivien Jenkinson

UPPER & LOWER LINKS

Imaginative Interpretations

Barbara Lea and Lynn Kelly

May 1 to May 14

Imaginative interpretations of flowers, plants and everyday objects in watercolour and acrylic. A kaleidoscope of images with creative line, colour and form. Opening night: May 2

UPPER LINK

Nostalgia/Images in a QuietMood

May 15 to May 28

Toronto photographer Marion Campbell exhibits nostalgic photo-images captured in Ontario and abroad, scenes ofa sereneworld farfrom the hustle-bustle ofeveryday life.

LOWER LINK

Visionsand Variations

May 15 to May 27

Recent paintings by Carole Reeve-Newson, Bruce Barrett and Flora Doehler. Opening night: May 16, 6 p.m.

|

UPPER LINK

Willowdale Group ofArtists

May 29 to June 11

Sixty new paintings in a variety of mediums by the Willowdale Group ofArtists.

UPPER LINK

Multi-Media

June 12 to June 25

Paintings byArthur Stein andArt Horizons, a group of artists who have been painting togetherfor manyyears.

LOWER LINK

Reflections

June 12 to June 25

Raymond Davidson: New watercolours. Compositionsthat capture a briefmoment in time. Opening night: June 14

For information on how toparticipate in Art in the Link, call 416-397-1340, orsendan e-mail message to cgc@civicgardencentre.org

Civic Garden Centre ROOM RENTALS

The Civic Garden Centre offers a wide variety ofbanquet halls, meeting rooms and show space, along with elegant patios, friendly staffand the opportunity to choose the caterer ofyour choice.

With its many special attributes and located in one ofToronto s number one parks, The Civic Garden Centre at Edwards Gardens is the ideal location to hold all your events.

Civic Garden Centre facilities will accommodate intimate groups of 15 or 20. Larger halls can accommodate business meeting ofup to 350 people, oryour social sit-down function for 240.

For details and to schedule your upcoming meeting or social event call Randie at 416-397-1349.

Prime office space has recently become available in the administration area ofThe Civic Garden Centre. Space perfectly suited toa horticultural organization or small community service or business offers the tenantplenty offree parking, yearround access, and abeautiful setting. For information on rental rates and availability call Douglas at 416-397-1346.

The Civic Garden Centre isconveniently located at 777 Lawrence Avenue East, at the corners of Leslie Streetand LawrenceAvenue East. The location is easily accessible by TTC bus numbers 51, 54 and 54AfromEglintonStation. The site offers lots offree parking.

Web site REVIEW

DO YOU PLAN TOVISIT some public or private gardens on your travels this summer? Checking Web sites beforehand will provide much information to facilitate yourvisit. For example, ifyou re heading toVancouver, check out www.virtualvancouver.com and click on TouristAttractions.Thesite will provideyou with information on all the public garden parks to see in the city, such as the VanDusen Botanical Garden and Queen Elizabeth Park. Don t overlook the Dr. SunYatSen Classical Chinese Garden, a delightfully quiet spot within walking distanceofChinatown.

In Ireland, Helen Dillon s private garden in Dublin is a much acclaimed spot. Information, including directions on how to get there and days and timesofopening, is available at www.dillongarden.com. Garden Artistry, Dillon s book about her garden (availablein the CGC s library), is a very enjoyable read and also a

Trellis Shop

The Trellis Shop at The Civic Garden Centre is open 7 days per week. Spring & Summer hours are:

Monday to Friday 9:30 am-5 pm Saturday, Sunday and Holidays Noon 5 pm Members receive a 10% discount on all purchases over $10.00.

GARDEN GETAWAY 5- 20 AUG. 2001

personallyescorted by Marjorie Mason-Hogue

Aug. 5 to Aug. 20 in England and Scotland will enable us to more fully enjoy the heather on the hills and to attend the Royal Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle. Air Canada will be our airline of choice, flying non-stop into London, Heathrow. We ll spend several days in the southeast visiting the Gardens of Wisley, Sissinghurst and Capel manor. Then it s west to Somerset and the Garden of Nori and Sandra Pope at Hadspen House and authors of the superb book Colour by Design. We ll visit the Garden House where Keith Wiley s unique meadow plantings have become very popular. Thmnt

great introduction tothe garden.

If you re in London and find you have a day to spare, spend it relaxing atThe Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew. All the information you need is at www.rbgkew.org.uk. | took the boat operated by Westminster Passenger Services (www.wpsa.co.uk) from Westminster Pier one hot summer s day and had a most pleasant trip up the Thames. However, do check the times at which the boats return as occasionally trips are cancelled when there is a high tide and boats are not able to pass under the bridges.The Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, has the largest and most comprehensive living plant collection in the world, containing representatives of more than one in eight of all flowering plant species. Note that Kew will remain open during the foot and mouth disease crisis.

Book REVIEW byLorraineFlanigan

The Naturalized Garden:More Petals With Less Labour By Stephen Westcott-Gratton Toronto, Prentice Hall Canada, 2001; 151 pages; $28.95

WORKING WITH NATURE, not against it that s what Stephen Westcott-Gratton s The Naturalized Garden is all about. Lying at neither extreme of the garden design spectrum, Westcott-Gratton s definition of the natural garden gives us the scope to design a natural garden that s not limited to native plants or confined by the landscape ideals of a bygone era.

Matching the plant to the site is at the heart of the natural garden, and Westcott-Gratton provides his readers with a host of helpful charts outlining the likes and dislikes of trees, shrubs and vines. His overview of the importance of soil, mulching, hardiness and moisture gives us a good grounding in the basics of plant health.

Heading north to Scotland wellenjoygardena.h:stm'y castles and breathtaking scenery of the Highlands and the Isle of Skye. There will be a visit to Allen Paterson s Garden in Dumfriesshire. Among the Scottish gardens mllbecmhesCuleFdklandPalmmdFAmhngh Botanic Garden.

Contact Lorna: Carison Wagonlit Travel Tel: 905-683-8411

Accompanied by Andrew Leyerle s beautiful photographs, the book s extensive plant profiles provide a clear picture of the plants suitable for each of the three natural gardening styles outlined in the book: woodland, meadow and damp gardens. Along with the basics of plant height, hardiness and exposure requirements, each plant profile lists companion plants as well as offering the author s personal experience and comments on how each plant performs. Especially helpful is the plant and catalogue source list, featuring several pages of Canadian nurseries and seed companies. All of these elements combine to make The Naturalized Garden a natural choice for Canadian gardeners.

Mark s Garden Perennials, a Weall & Cullen exclusive, is a unique collection ofover50plant varieties, in six differentgarden categories that N aregrownfor theiroutstandingfeatures andprovengarden performance. @o}\ thedistinctivepurplepots.

Etobicoke - 4135 Dundas Street West, Etobicoke, ON, M8X 1X2 (416) 232-2159

North York - 784 Sheppard Avenue East, Willowdale, ON, M2K 1C3 (416) 225-7705

Scarborough - 1774 Ellesmere Road, Scarborough, ON, M1H 2V5 (416) 438-6931

Markham - 6579 Hwy. #7, Markham, ON, L3P 3B4 (905) 294-8000

Whitby - 410 Taunton Road, Whitby, ON, L1N 5R5 (905) 686-0844

Events Calendar

What s on atthe Civic Garden Centre |

M AY 3

CGC Bus Tour for Plant Fanatics

Buses departThe Civic Garden Centre 7:30 a.m.

Tour: Royal Botanical Gardens annual plant sale, Vineland Nursery, return to CGC perennials sale. Lunch included.

Members $50; non-members $60 3-6

CGC Perennials Sale

May 3, 4, 5: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

May 6: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

5

Rhododendron Society ofCanada

Annual plant sale: 12 to 5 p.m.

Admission: free; Information: 416-226-3130

York Rose & Garden Society

Meeting: 2 to 5 p.m.; Information: 416-282-4434

6

Ontario Rock Garden Society

Major plant sale: 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

Followed by meeting, 1:30 to 5 p.m.

Speakers: Ernie and Marietta O Byrne

Topic: Our Oregon Garden

Information: 416-755-2325

Mycological Society

Meeting: 7 p.m.; Information: 416-444-9053

North Toronto Horticultural Society

Speaker: Patricia Thomson

Topic: How to Keep Trees Healthy 8 p.m. Information: 416-484-0677

Ikebana International Meeting: 7:30 p.m.

9

Edwards Lecture

Speaker: Denis Flanagan

Topic: Container Gardening; 7:30 p.m.

Free to CGC members; non-members $4

12

North American Native Plant Society

Plant sale: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Free to public

Information: 416-680-6280 or e-mail: nativeplansoc@yahoo.ca

Chrysanthemum & Dahlia Society

Plant sale: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Information: 416-286-5798

13

AVery Special Afternoon

Speakers: Christopher Lloyd and Fergus Garrett

Topics: Good Plants and Good Planting; Succession Planting

3:30 p.m.

CGC members $25; non-members $30

Reservations: 416-397-1351

Southern Ontario Orchid Society Meeting: 1 p.m.

Information: www.theusualspot.com/max/s00s2 14

Toronto Bonsai Society Meeting: 7 p.m.

Information: 416-755-0880

Toronto Cactus and Succulent Club Meeting: 7:30 to 10:30 p.m.

Information: 905-877-6013 or www.webhome@idirect.com~naylor/tcsc.htm 17-20

CGC Annuals Sale

Civic Garden Centre auditorium

May 17, 18, 19: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

May 20: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 24

Chrysanthemum & Dahlia Society Meeting: 7:30 p.m.

Information: 416-286-5798 26

Rhododendron Society ofCanada

Show Information: 416-226-3130

J UNE 2&3

Toronto Bonsai Society Show & sale

June 2: 12 to 6 p.m.

June 3: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Adults $4; seniors and students $3; children under 12 free; Information: 416-755-0880

3

Toronto Cactus and Succulent Club

Show and sale: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Adults $1; children with adult free Information: 905-877-6013

www.webhome@idirect.com~naylor/tcsc.htm

York Rose & Garden Society Meeting: 2 to 5 p.m.; Information: 416-282-4434

4

Mycological Society

Meeting: 7 p.m. Information: 416-444-9053

Special Evening

Speaker: Stephen Westcott-Gratton

Topic: The Naturalized Garden

7:30 p.m. Admission: $5

10

Southern Ontario Orchid Society Meeting: 1 to 4 p.m.

Information: www.theusualspot.com/max/soo0s2

11

Toronto Bonsai Society Meeting: 7 p.m.

Information: 416-755-0880

12

North Toronto Horticultural Society

Speaker: Inga Poot

Topic: Orchids

8 p.m.

Information: 416-484-0677

13

Edwards Lecture

Speaker: JeffMason

Topic: Hardy Succulents

7:30 p.m.

Free to CGC members; non-members $4

16,17

Through the Garden Gate

Tour ofprivate gardens, Bennington Heights and Moore Park; Information: 416-397-1340

19

Toronto Cactus and Succulent Club Meeting: 7:30 to 10:30 p.m.

Information: 905-877-6013

www.webhome@idirect.com~naylor/tcsc.htm

Gardens ofThornhill and King

CGC all-day tour of five properties. Information: 416-397-1340

28

Chrysanthemum & Dahlia Society Meeting: 7 p.m.; Information: 416-286-5798

IN & AROUND THE GTA

MAY

1-3

AUJARDIN

Janet Davis presents a collection of floral giclée photographs

Horticultural Design, 1601 Bayview Avenue

Information: 416-487-1626/416-488-7716

6

GROWING CULTURES

Sixtyphotographs byVince Pietropaolo highlighting gardening traditions from around the world as found in gardens from Toronto s diverse cultures Royal Ontario Museum untilJanuary 6, 2002 Information: 416-586-8000

7

CASA LOMA GARDENS

The first of six days during the summer when entrance to the gardens only is free. Information: 416-923-1171

JUNE

2,3

JARVIE GARDEN

Open house. 37 Thornheights Rd., Thornhill 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rain or shine.

Admission: free

9

NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE CONSERVANCY

Annual garden tour

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (rain or shine)

$10 per person

Information/reservations: 1-905-468-3443/3328

10

ANNEX GARDEN TOUR

11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Information: 416-926-9261

19, 20, 21

ONTARIO HORTICULTURAL ASSOCIATION

Convention, Regal Constellation Hotel, Toronto Information: www.interlog.com/~onthort

CLASSIFIED ADS

July 15, 2001 -The Hidden Gardens of EastYork a tour of 10 gardens, featuring a wide variety of styles, organized by the East York Garden Club 12:00 noon - 5:00 p.m.

Tickets $7.00. Info: 416-429-8669 or visit www.eygc.ca

Wildflower Garden Tour Sunday May 20, 10 a.m. -

4 p.m. A self-guided tour of nine private gardens around Toronto. Tickets $10. For Toronto Wildflower Society members, $15 for non-members. For more information phone Carolyn King 416-222-5736 or e-mail cking@yorku.ca

DONATIONS WANTED

Is your home cluttered with old gardeningbooks and magazines? Wouldyou like to clear outthose old but usable gardening tools from the shed? The Civic Garden Centre will gladlyaccept these items for a fundraiser planned for this spring. Please bring them to the library the next time youvisitthe CGC.