THE CIvIC " GARDEN CENTRE
at Edwards Gardens
WhoWedee
- The Civic Garden Centre (CG( 1958, is a volunteer-based, not-fm'-p; nization whose mission istoactas a
3¢ Directory & Hours of Operation
Administrative Offices
Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
CGC Library &Trellis Shop
April 1 to December 23
Monday to Friday 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday, Sunday& Holidays 12 noon to 5 p.m.
January 1 to March 31
Monday to Friday 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Saturday, Sunday& Holidays 12 noon to 4 p.m.
Malim:Number D2 oLl UEE e Lo 416-397-1340
FaX - R SR B e 416-397-1354
Femail L sls cgc@civicgardencentre.org
Course Registration .............. 416-397-1362
Course E-mail . ... courses@civicgardencentre.org
COE Ribrany o, i e s i 416-397-1343
Library E-mail . .. .. library@civicgardencentre.org
Horticultural Services ............ 416-397-1358
TeachingGarden ................ 416-397-1355
Master Gardeners Free Info Line . ... 416-397-1345
Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Saturday, Sunday & Holidays 12 noon to 3 p.m.
Rentale s cicie o v oo o it 416-397-1349
Rentals E-mail . ... rentals@civicgardencentre.org
TrelllsiSHop. ¢ a0 v st 416-397-1357
Volunteer Co-ordinator ........... 416-397-4145
Photography Permit, Toronto Parks & Recreation Division ............ 416-392-8188
3¢ Board of Directors
President: Tracey Lawko
Members: Kim Dalglish Abell, Alice Adelkind, Arthur Beauregard, Sandra Beech, Marisa Bergagnini, Dugald Cameron, Victoria Lister Carley, Lindsay Dale Harris, KathyDembroski, Suzanne Drinkwater, MaryFisher, Judy Floyd,Janet Greyson, Lorraine Hunter, Cecil Lamrock, Sonia Leslie, Kenneth D. Maiden, Grace Patterson,Janet Rowley, Dawn Scott, Tim Tanz
3¢ Staff Members
Executive Director
Douglas Markoff
Manager, Community Services Kathy Varley Manager, Horticultural Services Cathie Cox
Accounting Joe Sabatino
Administration Shirley Lyons
Course Co-ordinator Rosetta Leung
Horticultural Assistant Nicole North Librarian Mara Arndt
Maintenance Supervisor Walter Morassutti
Rental Co-ordinator Randie Smith
Teaching Garden Co-ordinator Shannon Collins
Volunteer Co-ordinator Mary Strachan
Volunteers
3 Patrons
Over 425 volunteers
Honorary Patron: Hilary Weston, Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario
Patrons: Brian Bixley, Awdrey Clarke, Mark Cullen, Camilla Dalglish, Sondra Gotlieb, Marjorie Harris, LorraineJohnson, Michele Landsberg, Susan Macauley, Helen Skinner
Volunteers step into the breach
Kids love summer at the CGC
Plant Portrait
Basil an herb for all seasons
Library News
Many new reads for members
Expert advice from the Master Gardeners
10 In a Welsh Garden
The renewal of Aberglasney Garden Follies
Ifthatstructure looks strange, it s probablyafolly Grandma s Favourites
The world of geraniums and pelargoniums
Splashed by a Blue Wave
The patter oflittle feet brings joy to the CGC .. 18 The CGC s Secret Garden
The tiny library garden is experiencing new life
Learning the Lingo
Enter the world of plant names
Travelswith Dan Dan Heims, the plantaholic
from the Board
= byTracey Lawko © PRESIDENT
Meeting new challenges at the CGC
'm delighted to be writing to you as the new Ipresident of The Civic Garden Centre. As I think about the exciting times ahead, I also think about how I joined the CGC and why I continue to be involved. I became a member in October 1993, as a relatively new homeowner and novice gardener. Our house is on a small city lot with almost no backyard, and it s surrounded by cityplanted Norway maples, leaving not much opportunity for a successful garden. An ad in a gardening magazine for the CGC s Great Gardening Conference caught my eye: the member s discount on the conference fee was sufficient to cover the $30 membership dues, so I joined, not knowing a thing about the CGC. At the conference s opening-night din- % ner, David Tarrant gave a ' wonderful presentation on gardening across Canada, and [ was amazed to see incredible gardens created under seemingly impossible conditions from Newfoundland to the Yukon. I realized then and there that I had no reason to complain about the hardpacked clay of my garden, or the dry shade and roots created by the maples around my house. Over the two days of the conference, | saw one fabulous presentation after another that introduced me to landscape design, biodiversity, native plants, exotic plants, colour and texture and the possibilities
of creating my own garden. I was hooked. When [ joined the CGC board three years ago, I was given a fat green binder full of official-looking documents (no living vicariously through pretty garden pictures in this tome!).
CGC MANDATE
To encourage and promote interest in and a study of gardening, conservation, research and horticulture generally; to achieve community improvement and
beautification.
3% To further knowledge of gardening and horticulture.
3¢ To promote investigation and research into the therapeutic value of gardgnin
stablish and t euti itutions
3% To pr and exhibitions.
of conservation and beautification. To sponsor horticulture competitions
3% To accept, receive, and solicit donations, gifts, grants, devises and bequests of real and personal property of all kinds.
Thefull text, as recordedin theLetters PatentofOctober23, 1963, maybeseen atthe CGCoffice. II
Wanting to be a good board member, | waded in. Much to my surprise, I found myself fascinated by a 1963 document called the Letters Patent, a section of which outlines the mandate ofThe Civic Garden Centre. Even now, nearly 40 years after it was written, the mandate remains forward-looking and relevant (see mandate this page).
The mandate has been the backbone of the activity in the CGC s future planning committee over the past three years. By looking at how well we were (or were not) doing against the mandate, we ve been able to identify our goals. These include: creating a Web site; improving our connections with the horticultural community; reconfiguring the building to better deliver CGC programs; developing educational, experimental and environmental gardens around the building; and initiating a horticultural therapy program. Our executive director, with the help of staff and volunteers, has implemented the first two and the board is diligently working on the last three.
I became involved as a member of the CGC
because gardening is fun everyone can garden, regardless of age, education or background. The CGC has been a place of inspiration, learning and community for me, as well as a place full of creativity. It gave me the knowledge and courage to create my own garden under those huge maple trees. [ went on to become involved at the board level because I believe the CGC has the potential to be much more than it is now: a true centre of excellence. I sense this from the tremendous knowledge, enthusiasm, pride and commitment displayed by volunteers and members.
Over the coming two years I'm looking forward to working with all our resources our members, volunteers, staff and the board to revitalize the CGC and to help it become the pre-
mier centre for horticulture in Ontario. I hope you ll contact me with your thoughts on the future of the CGC. Through it we are better able to face the challenges in our own gardens, and together we can build a better CGC.
And how is your garden doing? I'm often asked. Well, every year it improves as [ understand its conditions better and move plants around to capitalize on spots of sun or more expansive shade. Experimenting with perennials, herbs, fruit and native plants has made me braver, and smarter. But I suspect that between my work, my family and my new position on the CGC board, I won t have as much time to spend in my garden over the next while as I'd like. It ll be some time before it appears in one of those glossy gardening magazines, if ever! ®
New members join CGC board
AvoteofthanksfromTheCivicGardenCentretothevolunteerswhoareleavingourboardofdirectors aftertermsofthree,sixyearsoreven more:Tim Bates, Susan Dyer, Clare Fisher,Carolyn Kearns, Barbara Mayerand Helen Shaw.Wesincerelyappreciatetheirdedicated serviceand commitment. AND NOW,TO INTRODUCETHEVOLUNTEERSWHOJOINED THE BOARDAT THIS YEAR'SANNUALGENERAL MEETING
KATHY DEMBROSKI worked as director of services for seniors at the Family Service Association. When she retired from that position she had more time to concentrate on her love ofgardening and floral arts. As chair ofthe committee planning the celebration ofThe Garden Club ofToronto s 50th year, Kathywas instrumental in the creation of Canada Blooms. She acted as co-producer and chair of the first two shows. As a board member of the CGC Kathy will be involved in fundraising and in the revitalization project.
SUZANNE DRINKWATER has been active in the publishing field including various positions with McClelland & Stewart in promotion, sales and editorial. She has co-authored a series of children s books on street and water safety and was project co-ordinator of The Canadian Flower Arranger, published by Macmillan Canada and The Garden Clubs of Canada. A graduate of the University of Western Ontario, Suzanne completed garden design courses at the English Gardening School (London, England) and the John Brookes School of Garden Design (West Sussex, England); she also has landscape architect certification from Ryerson Polytechnic University. Suzanne will be involved in fundraising and planning.
MARY FISHER is a professional librarianwith a master of library science degree from the University of Toronto. She has worked in the Legislative Library at
Queen s Park for manyyears. Mary is the immediate past co-ordinator of the Toronto Master Gardeners, where she has served as both secretary and record keeper. As an active volunteer in the community, she has recorded books for the visually impaired at the CNIB, has been president ofPlanned Parenthood of Toronto and is currently president of World Literacy of Canada. As a board member, Mary will be involved in the CGC s program development.
DAWN SCOTT practises corporate and securities law at Torys. Her focus is on providing advice on investment funds and investment management, as well as securities regulation. She has extensive experience speaking and writing. Dawn has been visiting Edwards Gardens for more than 40 years and has attended all of the Great Gardening Conferences. She gardens both in Toronto and in the Kawartha region. Dawn s professional experience and her love of gardening will be assets in her contribution as a board member ofthe CGC.
TIM TANZ has been active in the gardening community for over 15 years. Once described as a "gardening personality", he presentsideas on gardening, entertaining and decor on various media. Since 1985 he s been president of the Avenue Road Garden Club in Toronto. On the board he will be involved in program development and promotion.
from the Corner Office
by Douglas Markoff e Execumive DIRECTOR
Friends will make the CGC strong
any prospective members of The Civic M Garden Centre indeed, even members of some years standing ask what benefits the CGC offers. What value is there to becoming and remaining a member? Where does the annual $30 membership fee ($40 for families) go?
Each member of The Civic Garden Centre, including members of The Garden Club of Toronto and Milne House Garden Club, resident organizations whose members automatically become members of the CGC, enjoy myriad benefits. And here, for your enlightenment, is a list.
e borrowing privileges from the library
e a discount of 10 per cent on Trellis Shop purchasesover $10, including plant purchases at all annual plant sales
e free admission to Edwards Lectures
® a discount on the registration fee for many special events and programs, including all courses, the Great Gardening Conference, horticultural workshops, out-of-town bus tours, and Teaching Garden summer and March Break programs
* a subscription to the bi-monthly 7rellis newsletter with its educational and engaging feature articles
e advance notice of upcoming events via special mailings and Trellis
e a discount on soil-sample analyses
e pre-ordering at plant sales
® voting privileges at the annual general meeting
e access to our annual seed exchange program
These benefits are more tangible than many other important reasons members have cited for joining the CGC. They include supporting an organization in whose mandate you believe. In fact, some CGC members live in Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI, Alberta, British
Columbia and the United States. They may rarely come to The Civic Garden Centre, but they want to continue their support and, through Trellis, they like keeping up with what s happening.
The CGC is a premier resource and information centre, and membership also offers personal growth. You may join as a novice but, over time and with exposure to our courses and services, your gardening abilities will improve. An association with the CGC provides many members with a sense of camaraderie and belonging to an organization with whose members they share a common bond a love of plants and gardening in its many forms, regardless of their abilities. These reasons make membership in the CGC relevant to maintaining one s quality of life.
As for how membership dues are used, they re directed towards a plethora of operating expenses associated with running our diverse organization. The money partially funds program development, such as activities in the children s Teaching Garden and our horticultural workshops. It covers some costs of library book acquisitions, general administration, salaries and garden tours. The money also helps produce 7rellis and to maintain the building.
The CGC currently has about 2,450 members. Membership dues totalled $71,000 in 2000, or eight per cent of total revenues. Dues, of course, are just one of several revenue sources. Others include facility rentals, donations and grants, special events, Trellis Shop sales, courses and garden tours, plus investments. (For a complete breakdown, members may view the audited financial statement during regular business hours in the library or administration.)
For the CGC to thrive and evolve, and con-
tinue as Ontario s gardening education and information centre, it s essential to attract new members and to retain existing ones. Clearly, a healthy membership ensures greater participation in activities, which in turn fuels our ability to expand and enhance horticultural and gardening programs and services.
The CGC is taking steps to increase membership. To this end we recently retained the services of a marketing and communications firm to develop a public awareness strategy. When implemented, this strategy will unveil one of the best-kept secrets in this cosmopolitan city The Civic Garden Centre s programs and services. The overall intent of the campaign is twofold: to increase membership substantially and to support the goals of the capital campaign.
Further, we plan to co-ordinate Friends of the Civic Garden Centre, our annual grassroots fundraising campaign, with membership. The intent is to increase awareness of the vital Friends campaign among members and describe how revenue from Friends supports CGC activi-
* Qualified Staff including Canadian Certified Horticultural Technicians
e Advisory Service, including: Plant Identification, Pest & Disease diagnosis
e Unique Plant & Product Sourcing
* Free Repotting service for indoor houseplants
905-822-0251
ties. When CGC members are renewing, we hope to encourage them to bump up a level and become a Friend.
As a member, is there someone you could introduce to The Civic Garden Centre? A membership makes a wonderful gift. If everyone encouraged one friend to join, the jump in member numbers would undoubtedly enhance our programs.
Remember, we need your assistance, because this isyour Civic Garden Centre. ®
SUMMER PLANTING
PERENNIALS IN POTS can be planted in the garden in July, but they require initial ~ care. Make surethe soil is enhanced with lots of humus so it retains moisture and _promotes root growth. Add a water soluble ~root fertilizer (5-15-5) when planting, and mulch to a depth of about two inches ~ aroundthe plants. Check them daily and ~ keep them well watered. -
e Gift Certificates
e 2 year No-Hassle Nursery Stock Guarantee
* Seniors Club for those 60+, offering 10% off every day ofthe week
¢ Telephone, e-mail or fax orders
¢ Delivery Service
* Free In-store Sketch Design service
¢ And More....
Tel: 519-743-4146 North Toronto
Tel: 416-481-6429 . Georgetown Farm Outlet
Tel: 905-873-7547
by Carol Gardner
Volunteers step into the breach
IT LOOKED LIKE certain disaster. In the spring of last year, right in high season, we found ourselves without a Teaching Garden coordinator. Busloads of eager children were arriving daily and Cathie Cox, manager of horticultural services, was in the middle of a large plant sale. She spent any spare time trying to figure out how to grow another head and two more hands. We re pretty good at growing things here, but not that good. Cathie put in an emergency call to some of our experienced Teaching Garden volunteers and by the next morning they were on site, waiting for the school buses and carrying on blithely.
Over the next few months volunteers held the fort. Georgina Perrier, Georgia Bamber and Loretta Garbutt worked on program design. Georgia and Loretta rallied some of their col-
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leagues to assist with program delivery, and Georgia s husband, John, took charge of the computer, creating lists, re-jigging software and just generally being a godsend.
Before we knew it, the place was humming with volunteers. Maneck Sattha lined up the tools and equipment needed each day; Bob Buckingham and Clare Fisher took two or three days a week away from their beloved gardens to work with the children. Teaching Garden committee member Trudy Stacey and tour guide and board member Sonia Leslie joined the ranks. Jean Godawa, Susan Ackerman, Carol Anne Wright, Midge Cooper, Steve Witney and a plethora of other volunteers turned certain disaster into a runaway success.
When CGC member Carolyn Moore joined the staff for six weeks to keep the office running, the volunteers briefed her. When Shannon Collins arrived in July as the new coordinator, they briefed her too. And though they had all given up much of their gardening season for the CGC, there was never one complaint not even a small one.
This story is unusual because it involved so many volunteers for such a long period, but volunteers stepping into the breach is a daily CGC occurrence. In an organization with a small staff and a large mandate, there s always plenty of work. Our volunteers seem to sense the need almost before it s expressed.
And when they show up, they don t just wait for instructions, they take the whole thing in hand assessing, planning, organizing, recruiting help, delivering programs and evaluating results. It s all done with the same grace under pressure that Georgia and John and their colleagues showed last summer.
Sure, the CGC is always looking for ways to raise money (who isn t?), but, in every other sense, we are the richest of the rich. ¥
by Shannon Collins
Kids love summer at the CGC
THE FLOWERS HAVE bloomed, the veggies are sprouting and my second summer in the Teaching Garden has begun. With the whirlwind of last summer, the jam-packed fall and spring school bookings, and a successful March Break, I've made it through a full and exciting year. I'm sure the coming year will prove to be even busier as more and more people find out about our high-quality children s programming. An easy marker of our success is the fact that the majority of our summer programs were at least halfbooked even before the brochures were sent out. With the summer sun we re seeing many new beginnings in the garden. March Break s Art in the Park received an amazing response to its program, which included wicker creature weaving, visual art, puppets, music makers and dabbling in drama. So for the summer we decided to build on this enthusiasm with a varied and colourful series of four programs for children ages 6 to 9. The kids may take the program either in the morning (10 a.m. to noon) or the afternoon (1 to 3 p.m.). FromJuly 9 to 13 children will learn drawing and painting in a natural setting. They ll experiment with a range of themes from plants and trees to animals and people, gearing up for the art show on the final day. Then Edwards Gardens will see its first-ever puppet show at the close of Puppets in the Park, which takes placeJuly23 to 27. With recycled and natural materials found in the park, the children will create a puppet world of gardeninspired stories. From August 13 to 17 the kids will explore outdoor soundscapes inspired by nature , as Louise Cullen, Music in the Park s enthusiastic and well-known educator, describes her program. The children will experiment with vibrations and noise, all of which will culminate in a festive parade in the park to celebrate sound. Summer ends with Drama in the Park, August 27 to 31. Acting out stories inspired by the park, children will explore movement, creativity and expression.
In addition to the Park series, and back by popular demand, 3- and 4-year-old munchkins can take part in the Pumpkin Patcher morning programs in July and August, and 5- to 7-year-olds can tuck themselves away in the Sunflower Hideaway on alternate July and August weekdays. Both groups plant and harvest, go on bug hunts and explore their inner gardener with arts and crafts.
This year the Green Thumb Camp resurfaces with a revitalized program for 8- to 10-year-olds (July 16 to 19). The program explores the magic of the Cosmic Garden, a circular plot with sliced rows of plants corresponding to each month of the year. The garden is a tool for teaching about herbal recipes and remedies as well as composting. Green Thumbers will also go on bug scavenger hunts and tree treks and will take part in puppet-making and other eco arts and crafts.
To end each week with a lively bang, the renowned Green Adventure outreach program for inner city day camps is back on Fridays. Flemingdon Park Community Centre is our partner in July, and Cabbagetown Youth Centre in August. The Garden Club of Toronto has generously agreed to fund the program s bus service and lunches for a second year.
As you can see, the Teaching Garden is bustling with life this summer. For the first time I have an assistant, Angela Croft, who will be working with me this summer, and our line-up of new and enthusiastic volunteers is impressive. As well, the garden will be maintained by a group of dedicated volunteers, regularly supported by Cathie Cox and Nicole North. Nevertheless, we always welcome new volunteers to try their hand at the wide array of opportunities the Teaching Garden has to offer. ¥
Fora brochure on thesummerprogramsortoregister; call 416-397-1355/1340;fax: 416-397-1354; e-mail: teachinggarden@civicgardencentre.org.
Welsh ard
by Anne Kotyk
decade ago our family had the good forA tune to spend a year in North Wales. For me, it was an opportunity to visit family and friends as well as many Welsh and English gardens, and since then I've returned to the United Kingdom often to continue my garden tours. However this year s visit, in February, was by far the most rewarding.
Through the sheer determination of some good friends in Wales, I was privileged to be given a private, off-season tour of Aberglasney, a
garden brought to the public s attention by the BBC series Aberglasney a garden lost in time . My guide, the garden s director, Graham Rankin, is more than an administrator; he s also a hands-on gardener, as proved by the mudcaked hand apologetically proffered to me in greeting. The 30,000 bulbs he planted himself near one of the stream gardens are just one tribute to his dedication and vision in restoring this beautiful garden.
Aberglasney was first mentioned in the 15th
The dramatic 18th-century yew tunnel at Aberglasney, an ancient garden in Wales TowyValley
Photos courtesy of Aberglasney Garden
century, when bard Lewis Glyn Cothi wrote of the nine separate gardens surrounding the manor house. While most other examples of 16th- and 17th-century gardens survive only as earthworks or in historical documents, this garden, in spite of having been neglected over the last century, has managed to keep its form and features, albeit hidden and much decayed.
Over the centuries the original estate was partitioned, abandoned and vandalized, and for many years the property was presumed to be in a terminal state of decline. Then a group of people who were attending a meeting called Welsh Gardens under Threat visited Aberglasney. As documented in Penny David s book, A Garden Lost in Time, they realized something majestic was disappearing before their eyes engulfed in vegetation, its fabric succumbing to gravity, greed and neglect . In 1995 the newly formed Aberglasney Restoration Trust purchased the property from Margaret Ann Perry (the owner since 1977) and a rescue mission of unprecedented scale began. Although the restoration is still very much in progress, a visit is heartily recommended. It would provide a rare opportunity to be present at the rebirth of a great garden and offer a wonderful excuse for return trips to check on its revival.
There is also the Canadian connection to be considered: the Quatre Vents Foundation, sponsored by Anne and Francis Cabot who themselves have a wonderful garden in La Malbaie, Quebec has generously donated £2.5 million to the garden, and the Garfield Weston Foundation also provides support. In Francis s opinion, I was lucky to be escorted on my private tour of Aberglasney by one of Britain s greatest gardeners. He also said it was very kind of me to put my efforts to publicizing this garden through this article, and I rejoined that I thought it even kinder of him to donate £2.5 million.
A tour of the garden, set in the beautiful Towy (Tywi) Valley, begins with a walk through the dramatic early 18th-century yew tunnel. Slightly hunched to avoid the living rafters overhead, I couldn t help but marvel at the ancient twisted trunks arching over the dark enclosure.
From its depths I made out the parapet walk. As the name indicates, the walk stands above the surrounding gardens. I strolled along the elevated earthen pathway lined with potted yews and glanced over the waist-high stone walls at the gardens below. Amazingly, at one corner of the parapet, a large yew tree was growing in the hard surface of the pathway, a tenacious seedling from a potted yew of an earlier period that had embedded itself in the hostile medium and matured into a magnificent specimen tree.
From the first two sections of the parapet walk [ was offered views of both the cloister garden and the pool garden. While the former is in the early stages of restoration, its potential is clearly visible: it lay below me surrounded by walls punctuated with low Roman arches and higher squared ones. The pool garden is much more developed. At its lower level, below two grassy terraces, lies a still reflecting pond that provides a glorious mirror image of the surrounding walls and countryside. Farther along the parapet I was rewarded with a magnificent view of the kitchen garden s formally designed
ABERGLASNEY ~ .
How to get there: Take the M4 from Swansea or Cardiff, Wales, to the A48, then A40 to Aberglasney.Aberglasney isopen April 1to October 31 and at selected times the rest ofthe year.Admission: £3.95. Formore information 'www.aberglasney.org.
THE NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDEN OF WALES
How to get there:The National Botanic Gardenis ~ontheA48, beforeyou reachAberglasney. It s open everyday butChristmas.Admission: £6.50; free to R.H.S. members. For more information: wwwgardenofwales.org.uk.
Where to stay: TheTresi Aur Guesthousein 'Llanddarog nearCarmarthen isan immaculate five-starB& B with a friendly proprietor whowill direct you to one of the two cosy inns nearbyfor a delicious evening meal inconvivialsurroundings.Tel: 01267 275741; e-mail: mdana710@aol.com.
For its first season, director Graham Rankin planted the formally designed beds of Aberglasney s kitchen garden with so many colourful perennials and annuals that he had to temporarily rename it the cutting garden
beds and shrub borders. For its first season, Graham Rankin planted it with stately perennials and vivid annuals and had to temporarily rename it the cutting garden.
Next was a visit to the upper walled garden.
" CARD OF THANKS
Thank you to all those who attended the May 13 double bill with Christopher Lloyd and Fergus Garrett. Both speakers asked that we extend a sincere thank you to everyone here in Toronto for making their stay so il enjoyable.
il Thanks also to our sponsors: George Weston Limited, McBlooms, and il Horticulture Design.
To find out about upcoming lectures call: 416-397-1340
It was designed by Penelope Hobhouse and is visually stunning with boxwood-edged beds, each anchored by cherry laurels at either end. The layout is based on a 17th-century design by Robert Smythson, and even in mid-February it was breathtaking in form, vegetation and setting. The surrounding countryside was shrouded in a light mist, providing a beautiful softness and serene unity between the magnificentwalled garden and its valley setting. However, I'm told that in summer the picture is completed by the colours of the breathtaking perennial plantings for which Penelope Hobhouse is famous.
To complete your visit to this beautiful part of Wales, don t overlook the nearby National Botanic Garden, a gem that s also in its infancy. It too is being redeemed from an old estate and proudly flourishes under its mandate to document and conserve the Earth s biological diversity. It contains a variety of water features with different aquatic habitats, and a range of microclimates from woodlands to wild meadows. It s also home to the world s largest single-span glasshouse, 95 metres (285 feet) long and 55 metres (165 feet) wide, which houses plant species from around the world. ¥
Anne Kotyk is a Master Gardener and garden designer, as wellas a CGCmemberandvolunteer.
GARDEN efOllICS
Ifa structure makesyou scratchyourheadand ask Whaton earth...? it sprobablyafolly
It was an innocent enough proposal: let s do twice once when he commissioned the park s structures and later when he was guillotined after the revolution.
an article on garden follies. This modest suggestion quickly led to an impassioned discussion about the definition of a folly, with the traditionalists on one side and the laissez-faire on the other. No definitive conclusion was reached and I was dispatched to find out. Well! The question opened up a veritable hotbed of international intrigue. Who knew?
I first turned to England, a country that, after all, must hold the record for the largest number of follies. They even have something called The Folly Fellowship, which tries very hard to define the indefinable. The Fellowship considers the Oxford English Dictionary definition * a popular name for a costly structure considered to have shown folly in the builder insufficient and enhances it thus: If a building makes you stop and scratch your head, and ask yourself why, then, unless it is a seat of government, there is a good chance that it is a folly. There is only one real rule, as far as the Fellowship is concerned: True follies are unconscious creations, and the real folly builder will deny that what he or she created could possibly be a folly. Got that?
The French, not surprisingly, claim to have the most romantic follies, citing as an example the structures of Paris s Parc Monceau. Commissioned in 1718 by Louis Philippe Joseph, then Duc de Chartres (perhaps better remembered as Philippe Egalité), the folly was multi-faceted, containing a Dutch windmill, a Roman temple, mediaeval ruins, a pagoda and a farm. Though some of its original structures have been lost, the park still boasts an ornamental version of a Roman pool, which was used for simulating naval battles. The duke apparently had the distinction of losing his head
If France has the most romantic follies, then Scotland surely has one of the most famous a magnificently constructed pineapple which stands in a walled garden in Dunmore Park near Airth, Stirlingshire. Built by an unknown architect in 1761, it is a paean to whatwas considered, at the time, a most exotic fruit. If you re looking for unusual vacation lodgings, The Pineapple can be rented through Scotland s LandmarkTrust.
Ireland boasts of Fleming s Folly a ruined tower that sits on a hilltop in the town of Ballinagh, County Cavan. The hotly debated question is: did the Fleming family build it as a sham ruin or did they build it as a tower, which ultimately became a ruin? In the first case, it would qualify as a folly, while in the second it would just be a ruin. This is not an issue to be spoken of lightly in the pubs of County Cavan.
And what of us? Is Toronto so devoid of eccentricity that we can t muster up at least one decent folly? Of course not. We ve only to point to our own Casa Loma to be able to hold our heads high. In fact, Toronto may be considered a trailblazer in the folly sweepstakes if you throw in the colourful moose that dotted the Toronto landscape in the summer of 2000. Before you laugh, review the above definition. Of course, if the moose really did bring in a lot of tourist dollars, then they probably wouldn t qualify sort of like a tower that became a ruin that looked like a folly, but (let s not forget) isn t.
I'm glad we've cleared this up, aren tyou? ®
Narth Elevatton
Courtesy of Jack Gillon
FAVOURITES
In the world ofgeraniums andpelargoniums, everything old is newagain plus a seeminglyendless numberofrecent cultivars
by Marlene Heindle
ur grandmothers might be hard-pressed today to find the sometimes spindly, red plant they used to grow on the kitchen windowsill over the sink. The geranium which they started from a cutting given to them by a friend and which they, in turn, shared with neighbours and friends has always been a friendly, easygoing plant a lot like the people who enjoyed them so much.
Times have changed, geraniums are now correctly called pelargoniums, and they are available in seemingly endless varieties. We can have ijvies, regals (Martha Washingtons), zonals, and fancy-leaved varieties in golds, variegated and multicoloured as well as stellar types. Flowers can be single, double or semi-double, and they come in rose-flowered, tulip-flowered, cactus and carnation types. Plants are miniature, dwarf, semi-dwarf and standard. There are species types (the true geraniums) that can be grown as hardy perennials outdoors, and species that must be nurtured as carefully as any exotic. Of late, the scented-leaf varieties have become better known rose, lemon, nutmeg, apple and chocolate mint, to name a few. A few years ago the lemon-scented variety gained popularity under the name of citronella a plant sold as a
mosquito deterrent. The truth is you d need a hedge of these plants to do much good and a constant breeze to keep the scent flowing around you.
The plant material may have changed over the years, but the people who grow them have not. Some of them meet four times a year at The Civic Garden Centre " under the banner of the Geranium, Pelargonium & Fuchsia Society of Ontario. It sounds quite impressive, but in reality it s just a keen group of experienced and novice growers who've been getting together since 1985 to compare geranium notes, sources, problems and successes.
It s a delightful, albeit fixated, group that waxes poetic over the attributes of the plants. Leaves for example. Have you ever studied the leaves of the pelargonium or geranium you bring home? Green-leaved varieties have so many shades and textures! Black Vesuvius has very dark, blackish green leaves. Wantirna , Crocodile and Sussex Lace have heavy cream or white veining in their leaves. The grey-green leaves of species types such as P. echinatum, the square-stemmed P. tetragonum and willowleaf P. X tricuspidatum add interest to a grouping. Then there are the unique stellars: their
leaves look as though they've been carefully cut out, and they come in golden green, zoned with rich rust, or shiny, velvety, delicate or succulent. As well, some have two-tone leaves: Crystal Palace Gem has coral flowers and joyous Happy Thought has bright red flowers that make you smile. The feminine Butterfly Loreli has light green leaves with splashes of even lighter green around a yellow centre splotch and a bronze zone. It's worth having for the leaves alone, even without the double apricot flower. Dolly Varden s tri-colour leaves are a showstopper when well grown the pinkish red zonal band is so unexpected.
Henry Cox , Golden Wedding , Susie Q and Bette Shellard are incredible plants with gold, red and green in their leaves. It is no wonder that Victorian gardeners deadheaded many beds of these to promote leaves over the production of flower heads. Skies of Italy goes one step farther with a tri-colour leaf in the shape of a maple leaf.
And the flowers! Although a bed of plain pelargoniums can be eye catching, one has to get up close to find out what the excitement is all about. The rosebud types look exactly like miniature roses in a small bouquet. Garnet Rosebud , Appleblossom Rosebud and Wedding Royale so lovely! The unique stellar-type flowers have two petals on top and three below, and petals can be quilled, serrated, elongated or two-toned; cultivars include crisp white Arctic Star , Chinese Cactus and Vancouver Centennial , which has an orangey glow.
A popular flower type that blooms mainly in early spring is the regal, or Martha Washington, geranium. Smaller versions of these are called pansy types, with faces not unlike their namesakes. They were originally called angel varieties and date back to 1820. The beautiful faces on both types can be almost pure white to the darkest of burgundies. Most often, they are a blend of pinks with dark throats and often frilled petals.
Space is never a problem with this versatile plant some growers have nothing but minis and dwarfs. Not more than five inches tall, Kleiner Liebling has light pink flowers and is one of my favourites. Baby Bird s Egg has
creamy white flowers touched with pink; Harry Hiever has orange-red flowers and gold/green/bronze zoned leaves. Sugar Baby is a mini-ivy type that flowers prolifically and propagates from cuttings quite readily. Several years ago, an entire series was introduced as Snow White along with her seven dwarfs. Dwarfs and minis come in almost as many flower types and foliage variations as their fullsized cousins, so no one growing these need feel they are missing something.
The Geranium, Pelargonium & Fuchsia Society meets four times a year. Guest speakers are invited to talk about new varieties, growing techniques, problems of propagation, grafting, growing standards and hybridizing. At each meeting there s a small show of geraniums, and in August a large annual show, with a table where members cuttings are sold. Varieties you cannot find anywhere else are available here.
Meetings are friendly and informative at one I learned that my cuttings have to callus over before I put them in vermiculite to root. Members have many different methods of carrying plants over the winter, and it s interesting to hear the debates on bare-rooted hanging, brown-bag storage, or green-growth cuttings.
Not wanting to stagnate, last year the group expanded its horticultural horizons to include fuchsias. They share many of the same growing demands as pelargoniums and are often used as companion plants. These too have an amazing number of flower types and colours as well as several growing forms. But that s another story. ®
3O3R 3R DC SR BK BE SR SR X SR B BX B M R
Marlene Heindle is president ofthe Geranium, Pelargonium &Fuchsia SocietyofOntario.
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP INTHE GERANIUM,
PELARGONIUM&FUCHSIASOCIETYis$12and mcludes four feature packed newsletters. Issues chitchat and information from members. New members are welcome. For information, call Marlene Heindle at 416-291-8197 or visit the society s Website: http://geramumsocietytnpodcom.
lue by a dVe
There s nothinglike thepatteroflittlefeet to bringjoyto the CGC
by Rosetta Leung
In early April, as the world awoke with dlers present that day, and within seconds I was singing Old MacDonald Had a Farm, quacking and mooing with the best of them. Then came story time, playtime and lunchtime. I was tiring fast, so nap time came not a moment too soon.
robins singing joyfully on budding branches, grass donning a coat of green and crocuses bursting through the earth, The Civic Garden Centre came alive with the sounds of children. For two weeks, because of the strike of the public school support workers, the CGC played host to the Blue Wave Child Care Centre. Blue Wave, which is normally housed in the nearby Norman Ingram Elementary School, needed an alternative location. So the Centre opened its doors to the pitter-patter of little feet, mountains of colourful toys, a change table in the staff washroom, and stroller-only parking in the upper mezzanine. The preschoolers sang and clapped in the auditorium, the toddlers played in one studio, and the infants napped in another.
From that first morning, as I walked past the studio rooms towards my office, the little people enchanted me. I watched as several toddlers busily played with the kitchen set, washing a doll in the sink. I knew I wouldn t get much work done that day. I returned to the windows several times that morning to observe the goings-on, and plenty was always happening.
Eventually Ruby, one of the daycare people, opened the door and asked: Do you want to play with us? Terrific, I d finally snagged an invitation. She introduced me to the eight tod-
The mats were laid out, the blankets and snuggle toys handed out, the music turned on, the lights put out. I turned to Helen, another caregiver, and asked how long they napped. About two hours, she said. Great, | thought. That gives me time to return some phone calls and get a couple of letters out. I returned to my desk and settled into my chair and realized how tired the morning had made me. I was content to sit still the rest of the day.
Mabel Davis, executive director of Blue Wave, was pleased to be able to use The Civic Garden Centre durlng the time of the strike. It s such a wonderful building, she said. Natural light filters into the studio rooms, plants are everywhere and Edwards Gardens is just outside the front door. Twice a day the kids would be taken outside to stroll among the rollinghills.
One morning I asked to join them. Big smiles spread over the toddlers faces as soon as they knew they were going outside. They picked out their own coats from the pile massed in the centre of the floor by Ruby. I helped with buttons, zippers and hats; the wearers could hardly
Two by two, held together by a caterpillar rope, toddlers from the Blue Wave Child Care Centre explore Edwards Gardens
keep still. Eager faces pressed up against the studio room windows. Ruby pulled out the caterpillar rope, and Cade squealed in delight. Ruby called out each child s name, and two-bytwo they joined hands. I helped to fasten bright yellow belts between each pair, and the front of the caterpillar, held together by the rope, inched toward the door. Wait, wait! called Helen, as she packed a box of tissues and a cellphone in her purple knapsack. In minutes the caterpillar was moving down the ramp toward the front doors.
Inside Edwards Gardens we met the infants riding in two quadruple strollers. Hi babies! several kids shouted, waving. It was a glorious morning, and many onlookers smiled at the scene. Amanda pointed to the crocuses, Yellow, white. There s purple too, I reminded her. A lone goose honked on the lawn. It s standing on one foot, Ruby said. Maybe it s keeping the other foot warm under its feathers, offered Helen. The three of us chuckled.
There s still a chill in the air despite the bright sunshine. As we passed the goose, Jaime gestured toward it. Joos, come joos, he said. There s more laughter. As we descended into the valley, we saw that the water level of the creek was low. The children asked where the ducks were. Helen replied that they must be
away eating breakfast. That Helen is a quick one! Must be a skill she s acquired from years of being around inquisitive little minds. The answer seemed to satisfy the troops.
Let s cross the bridge! Daniel called out. So off we went, trip-trap, trip-trap, just like in The Three Billy Goats Gruff. We admired the bulbs in bloom. We watched the seagulls soar overhead. We sleuthed for squirrels among the rustling leaves. A couple of the children started to develop two left feet. They were getting tired. We followed the meandering trail and returned to the Centre.
For days after the departure of Blue Wave before the end of the strike, volunteers and visitors would ask about the children. Their stay with us was short because our rental space had been previously booked. Still, Mabel would call to see if any space had become available. She remarked that if the CGC ever decided to put in a childcare area, Blue Wave would be more than happy to return.
And the staff and volunteers of the CGC would be happy to have them. The children were a burst of vivacity in the early days of spring. Thank you for coming, Blue Wave. We miss you! @
Rosetta Leung is the CGC's course co-ordinator.
~ The CGC
Hiddenfrom most visitors eyes, the tiny, quietspace outside the library is experiencing new life
byJeanne Balman and Julie Warshaw
e don t really want the library garden to be a secret, but its location tends to make it so. Also known as the xeriscape garden, it s tucked away in a corner of the building and not normally visible to visitors unless, of course, they glance out the sliding doors at the end of the library. Beyond the glass is a flagstone patio surrounded on three sides by a terraced garden. It s small, but then, many gems are.
The garden was started about 10 years ago as an herb garden, and many of the plants trace their origins back to that period. The garden is a testament to the survivors toughness, because initially the herbs were planted in whatever soil was in place and left to fend for themselves. Not surprisingly, that method of gardening didn t work very well. Eventually, a group of volunteers decided that the neglected area deserved more attention and, with the help of Silke Gathmann, CGC horticulturist at
the time, and any other volunteers who could be pressed into service, the renovation began. First, all the plants were removed, with the healthy ones held for replanting. The soil was dug to a depth of 45 centimetres (18 inches), turned, and enriched with compost (courtesy of the Parks Department). This took days of hard work. Finally, the surviving plants were replanted, others were added and annual seeds were broadcast for extra colour. A xeriscape garden never is watered manually; the plants are entirely dependent on rainfall. (Of course, when a new plant is added it receives daily spot watering for four or five days to help it get established.) Plants that can adapt to drought conditions send roots down and down into the earth to find water and maintain their health. Although we make an exception for the roses, the garden is not chemically fertilized because excessive growth can cause plants to crump in a dry spell. Instead, the garden is treated to a
The low-maintenance terraced garden tucked into a corner outside the CGC Library is a hidden gem. Except for the roses, it s not fertilized but is treated to a thick layer of compost each spring.
layer of compost every spring which is gently worked in around the plants. In late June or earlyJuly a thick layer of mulch is added to help the soil retain moisture.
Digging in the compost and laying the mulch, as well as the spring and fall clean-ups, are the major work involved in maintaining the library garden. During the growing season occasional pruning and staking are required as well as controlling some of our more rampant growers feverfew and lemon balm come quickly to mind. Other than those duties, the garden is surprisingly low maintenance.
Our future may well include water shortages and in many places the price of metered water is rising enormously, so we should all be thinking seriously about xeriscape gardening. Why don t you give it a try? Designate even a small part of your garden as your xeriscape area, but remember the adage about no pain, no gain . Give the plot a good start by turning over the
soil and enriching before you plant, and every year add compost and mulch.
Possible plant selections include some of the hardy herbs, which are very attractive as well as being great to have on hand for the kitchen. Try lemon balm, licorice anise, lovage, mint, chocolate-mint hyssop, one of the sages, oregano, thyme and chives. Drought-tolerant decorative plants include Artemisia, black-eyed Susan, Heuchera, Coreopsis, daylilies, Echinacea, lavender, lambs ears, rue, other members of the sage family, yarrow, Callirhoe or poppy mallow, and Cerastium tomentosum or snow-in-summer. The list goes on. If you have access to the internet, track down additional information using the search word xeriscape, or check out the books in the CGC library when you come to see the garden.
Ifyou'd like to volunteer some time to work on the library garden, leave a message at CGC reception forJeanne Balman orJulie Warshaw. ¥
LEARNING THE T INgO
From waterjugs to bodyparts, the worldaroundand within us has entered theplant-naminggame
by Charmiene Montgomery
s [ wrote in the last issue, botanists have Atraditionally named plants by looking for their resemblance to something they knew. Last time we looked to animals, this time we focus on other aspects of the world around us. Household items on view every day were often a source of inspiration. The basics of everyday life and our own body parts found their way into plant nomenclature.
Galium, the plant commonly known as bedstraw, comes from gala, the Greek for milk or milky. The link here is specifically to yellow bedstraw, G. verum, which was used to curdle the milk when making cheese. We are more familiar with G. odoratum, or sweet woodruff, which has been used since the Middle Ages to flavour wines and jellies, and in its dried form as an ingredient in pot-pourri and sachets used to deter moths.
Two elements of daily living, fire and water, also appear in plant names. Pyracantha, the botanical name of prickly firethorn, combines the Greek pyr, or fire, and akanthos, for thorn. One might think that our common garden phlox should be named for mildew, but it, too, has fiery connotations phlox means flame in Greek. To keep a flame contained so it would provide dependable light, it was used in a lamp, or lychnos, giving us Lychnis coronaria, the botanical name for dusty miller or rose campion, whose leaves were used for lamp wicks.
Before modern plumbing, water was kept in jars and the Hydrangea offers a pleasant reminder. Its Latin name derives from the Greek hydor, or water, and aggos, for jar. The allusion was to the cup-shaped fruit of the original shrub, which we seldom see today; most of
today s hydrangeas produce sterile flowers which do not result in fruit.
To maintain an acceptable level of cleanliness, people of past centuries used the lathering juice obtained from the leaves of Saponaria officinalis, or soapwort, from the Latin sapo, for soap. Another plant with watery connections is the fragrant lilac, or Syringa. Its hollow stems reminded Greek botanists of a reed, or syrinx, and of the nymph Syrinx, who was transformed into a reed.
Several plants were named for articles of clothing. Calceolaria is named for the Latin calceolus, for slipper, referring to the shape of the lower lip of the corolla, and the plant s common name, slipperwort, picks up on this as well. The tulip, Tulipa in its Latin form, is rooted in the Turkish tulband, or turban. Although the Turks used the word in a descriptive sense, Europeans thought it was a name.
To sew clothing you need thread, orfilum, which shows up in the garden as meadowsweet or Filipendula, which means hanging thread and refers to the plant s root system.
Another spring bulb, the chequered Fritillaria meleagris, gets its name from the Latin fritillus, for die and for the dice box, in which dice were kept; the plant s blooms look like the dice and the boxes, which were often decorated with dots.
Bells are the inspiration for several plants. The best-known is the large Campanula family, which gets its name from the Latin campana, for bell. Two other flowers that get ringing endorsements are Nolana, the rock garden annual, named for the Latin nola, a small bell, and Platycodon, commonly called balloon flower, whose name means broad bell from the
Greekplatys, or broad, and kodon, a bell.
On a more personal level, a large number of plants are named for various body parts. Two early-flowering perennials refer to organs. The spotted leaves of many Pulmonaria, also called lungwort, reminded early botanists of diseased lungs, so they named the plant for the lung in Latin pulmo. As well, the leaves of P. officinalis, or Jerusalem sage, were used to treat bronchial infections. The liver is represented by Hepatica, also called liverwort, from the Greek hepar. Yet another organ, the bladder, is found in the names of several plants that begin with phys , from physa, the Greek for bladder. Chinese lantern (Physalis) with its large, orange inflated calyx, is one. Physostegia, or obedient plant, which has a bladder-like covering over the fruit, is another. (Its obedience, by the way refers to the fact that the flowers, which grow in hinged stalks, can be repositioned and will remain in place, not to the plant s growing habit, which verges on rampant.) The inflated fruit (karpos in Greek) of the shrub Physocarpus, or ninebark, also picks up the reference to the bladder.
While the great debate about the dangers of Lythrum salicaria, or purple loosestrife, to the wetlands environment has not yet become violent, it s relevant to know that the plant has a bloody connection. Its colourful flowers inspired the name, which has its root in the Greek lythron, or blood. Salpiglossis, or painted tongue, a colourful annual I don t think is grown enough, has oral and musical origins. Its name comes from the Greek salpinx, or trumpet, and glossa, for tongue, a double reference to its flower shape.
Lastly, we have a manly note. The Orchis genus received its name from the Greek orchis, for testicle, which refers to the large, swollen pseudobulbs of some varieties, which store water for the plant. Perhaps this information will give you a whole new slant on the Nero Wolfe mystery stories. @
In thenextissue:plantsnamedforfamouspeople. CharmieneMontgomery isaMasterGardenerand designerwho specializes in smallgardens.
Found: A Home for Orphaned Perennials
DURING PLANTING SEASON, gardeners often lift and split their overgrown perennials. Some are moved to other parts of the garden, but others find themselves homeless because the gardenerhas run outofspace.
If some ofyour orphan plants are crying
~out for a good home, look no further. The Toronto chapter of the Rhododendron Society ofCanada is seeking donations of perennials to plant in the gardens the - group maintains in Edwards Gardens. Both traditional and unusual perennials suitable
come. The society is happy to adopt
forsun or shade, as well as bulbs, are welhostas, daylilies, astilbes, Scilla siberica and, indeed, any other plants.
To make your donation, call Ken Duncan, 416-447-8046 he ll even pick up the plants.
is first words at the CGC S annual generH al meeting were profound: My name is
Dan and I m a plantaholic.
Dan Heims is the most energetic plantaholic I've ever met. Laden with treasures from his recent three-week whirlwind tour of Germany, Holland, New Zealand and Australia, he d had only a few days to catch his breath at his home in Oregon before leaving for Toronto to speak at the meeting on April 24. Jet lag ignored, he managed to visit at least four nurseries and several gardens during his brief stay here. I was fortunate to be his chauffeur during much of his visit, and we discussed many plants.
His plant obsession started at an early age with extensive collections of begonias, gesneriads and rhododendrons. After a brief career as a landscape designer/contractor, Dan opened Terra Nova Nurseries in 1989. His early work focused on breeding new forms of Tiarella and Heuchera, commonly known as foamflower and coral bells. Tissue culture has enabled growers to quickly propagate thousands of his new plants.
During his travels, Dan has also sought out new and different plants to tissue culture and introduce to the gardening world, and Terra Nova has become one of the world s principal suppliers of new plants. Next year, it expects to offer no fewer than 88 plants that are either entirely new or previously unavailable. Currently, Terra grows more than one million plants a year.
Not one to rest, Dan has introduced over 50 varieties of Tiarella. Recently, he crossed the two plants to produce a whole new strain, called the Heucherella. These new selections offer more flowers over a longer season and a wonderful range of foliage. The pulmonarias he s bred also produce larger, more abundant
by Dugald Cameron
flowers than older varieties. All these plants are ideal for the shade garden, and several were featured in the CGC s May perennials sale. Amber Waves and Strawberry Swirl are two of Dan s recentHeuchera introductions.
On our tour of Toronto, Dan and I discussed his 88 new plants planned for release in 2002. While many are his own new creations, there will be many plants from hybridizers around the world. Here are a few:
Stokesia Ultraviolet , a stunning purple/black flower form.
Pulmonaria Silver Shimmers , elegantly tapered, silver-centred leaves with dark green edges. Above the leaves rise lots and lots of huge, sky blue flowers.
Pulmonaria Moonshine , with snow white flowers above entirely silver leaves.
Lamium Pink Whisper , lovely shell pink flowers set against deep green foliage.
Helleborus Janet Starnes , with a variegated leaf form and pure white flowers.
Eucomis Oakhurst , a variety of the wonderful pineapple lily with a black leaf form.
Echinacea Ruby Giant , huge magenta flowers with bronze foliage.
Naming plants is a fine art, and Dan has mastered it. While showing slides of some of his latest creations after an informal dinner in Toronto, he proudly presented a slide of the first bronze-leaf hosta ever created. It was unnamed. When he solicited suggestions, someone in the group suggested Bronze Age . Dan loved it, and we all witnessed its adoption.
The CGC was fortunate to have Dan Heims speak to its members. But I was even luckier to have the time for travels with Dan. ¥
DugaldCameron ispresidentofGardenimportInc. anda memberofthe CGC's boardofdirectors.
Special Lecture:
Speaker: DAN HINKLEY
WHERE: Floral Hall
WHEN: Sunday, September 9, 7:30 Toric: Plant Collectingin Turkey, Tibet and China
THE PLANTS DAN HINKLEY has discovered on his recent journeys to Turkey, Tibet and China may well be growing in your garden next season. Heronswood Nursery, which Dan cofounded in Washington state across Puget Sound from Edmonds, is home to more than 9,000 plants.
Roy Lancaster has written of Dan that he s not lost what I can only describe as the child s sense of surprise and excitement at finding [plants] in the wild, and if it makes him dance and sing, so much the better, for gardening and the plant world are as much about entertainment and joyous outbursts as they are about serious study and the pursuit of knowledge.
i GLASS SALE [ In the Trellis Shop
All glass products in the Trellis shop will be on sale 25% off, July 1 through 15.
| Stop by and choose from a wide selection ofunique glass vases j il to display your garden s beauty.
Trellis Shop Hours: Monday through Friday 9:30 a.m. 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, Sunday and Holidays 12 noon 5:00 p.m.
To find out how to become a member call: 416-397-1340
Pamela Harper, too, believes in Dan s infectious enthusiasm which she says has made him an inspiring teacher and a key figure in America s gardening renaissance.
Sign up early for what promises to be an extraordinary lecture. A sampling of the type of finger foods originating in Dan s exotic travel destinations will be served as part of the evening. Tickets must be reserved in advance but seating is not assigned. Admission: CGC members $10; non-members $15. Call 416397-1340.
3% 3% 3% 3% 3% 3K 3% 3% 3% 3R O 3 B S R The CGC s Special Lectures are co-hosted by Weall and Cullen.
by Anna Leggatt
DID YOU KNOW that the National Garden Bureau Inc. in the United States has selected basil as plant of the year? This pleases me because basil is one of my favourite herbs. I love its smell and fresh green colour. I use it in cooking, especially for pesto. If I have a winter pesto craving, I search the shops along the Danforth lookingfor really fresh leaves. However, it s a better idea to grow a great deal in summer, make the pesto and freeze it.
Basil originated in Africa and Asia and has been used for thousands of years. Sometime in the 16th-century, perhaps because of the similarity of Basilicum and basilisk, a mythical lizard whose breath and glance were said to be fatal, the plant developed a bad reputation that somehow became a belief that it bred scorpions. By the 17th-century its bad press had been reversed and basil had become good medicine. Pliny believed it cured epilepsy and that it was an aphrodisiac, and Dioscorides, a Greek physician of the 1st-century, thought it dulled the sight and created intestinal gas. In his book, The Herball (1597), John Gerard a surgeon, botanist and superintendent of various gardens quotes one Simeon Zethy, who said the aroma of basil was good for the heart and the head.
There are more than 30 species of basil and even more cultivars Richters mail order catalogue lists more than 30. Four types are grown most commonly in this area sweet basil, dwarf green basil, purple-leaved basil and scented-leaf basil. Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) has the strongest and most recognizable flavour, large leaves and grows 72 centimetres (26 inches) tall. Dwarf basil O.b. var. minimum has small leaves and grows to about 25 centimetres (10 inches); the cultivar Spicy Globe grows in a neat globe shape and makes an attractive edging on a formal bed. (All the basils, in fact, make good bedding or container plants, with interest-
ing leaves and good leaf colour.)
There are several purple-leaved cultivars (O.b. var. purpurascens), and all have a more pungent taste than dwarf or sweet basil, and pink rather than white flowers. The frilly cultivars such as Purple Ruffles are great ornamentals in a border, especially with grey-leaved plants like artemisia.
Scented-leaf basils have secondary scents such as lemon, cinnamon or anise in addition to the naturally spicy aroma of basil. Lemon basil (O.b. var. citriodorum) has a distinct lemon taste, white flowers and greyish-green leaves. One of its cultivars, Sweet Dani , grows to 30 centimetres (12 inches) and is excellent with fish. Cinnamon basil comes from Mexico; similar to sweet basil, it s often placed in a vase on the dinner table to drive away insects. Anise basil has a sweet anise fragrance and a mildly licorice taste, plus purplish foliage.
Another type now available in these parts is Thai basil, an essential ingredient in Vietnamese or Thai cooking. Siam Queen has dark green leaves, purple flowers and a taste reminiscent of anise. The plant grows to about 30 centimetres (12 inches), with leaves about five centimetres (2.5 inches) long.
Start seeds indoors four to six weeks before the date of the last frost, or even a week later, and keep the growing container in a room with temperatures of 21-23°C (68-73°F). Keep the growing medium evenly moist; seeds should germinate in about five days. Transplant seedlings into individual pots when they re five centimetres (two inches) tall. To encourage branching, pinch out the tops and use them in cooking or salads. Harden plants outdoors before planting in a bed with at least six hours of sun a day. Prepare the bed beforehand by working in a five-centimetre (two-inch) layer of
compost and peat moss. This will be all the extra food these plants will need.
Basil does not like cool weather. If you prefer to sow seed outdoors, do so after night temperatures are above 14°C (57°F). Plant about one centimetre (4/10 inch) deep in light garden soil. Thin seedlings to at least 25 centimetres (10 inches) apart when they reach five centimetres (two inches). If rain is scanty, water at the rate of 2.5 centimetres (one inch) a week. To encourage branching, and therefore more leaves, continue to pinch back new centre growth and remove flower heads so plants won' t go to seed and stop producing.
Basil is usually trouble free. Knock off Japanese beetles into a tin of soapy water, and spray with a jet of water to remove aphids. Rotate plants to avoid Fusarium wilt.
In winter, grow a pot of basil on a windowsill. It will bring a little summer into your kitchen. @
T2 T2 LT T T T T T TEE
Thanks to the National Garden Bureau Inc. for information.
GARDEN GETAWAY 5-20AUG. 2001
personallyescorted byMarjorieMason-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 ofthe superb book Colour by Design. We ll visit the Garden House where Keith Wiley s unique meadow plantings have become very . Then it s throughth4 picturesque Cotswolds and north to the Lake District we ll enjoy Beatrix Potter s Hilltop Farm and Holehird Garden operated by the Lakeland Horticultural Society. Their national collection of hydrangeas will be at their peak.
Heading north to Scotland we ll enjoy gardens, history, 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 will be Crathes Castle Falkland Palace and Edinburgh Botanic Garden.
Contact Loa: Carlson Wagonlit Travel Tel: 905-683-8411
by Mara Arndt
Many new good reads at CGC Library
NOW THAT YOU RE putting the finishing touches to this year s garden, it s time to start reading up for next year s plantings. No? You just want to sit back and enjoy? Well, what better way than with a good book and we re certain the following array of great new gardening books, from the practical to the historical and philosophical, will inspire you. Just get on down to the CGC library and make a choice. We're happy to be able to offeryou such awide selection for the season.
TheAdvanced Guide toFloristry, by Rosemary Batho, Stephen Roberts & Bernice Waugh
Allergy-Free Gardening, by Thomas Leo Ogren
Annualsfor Ontario, byAlison Beck & Kathy Renwald
TheBeginner s Guide toFloristry, by RosemaryBatho, Judi Kay& Bernice Waugh
The Book ofTreePeonies, by Gian Lupo Osti
ContinuousBloom, byPam Duthie
Five Centuries ofWomen & Gardens, bySue Bennett Flora Domestica:AHistoryofBritish FlowerArranging, 1500-1930, by Mary Rose Blacker
The French Country Garden, by LouisaJones
HerbalBougquets, by Emelie Tolley & Chris Mead
A HistoryofCanadian Gardening, by Carol Martin
Inside Out:Relating Garden toHouse, by Page Dickey
TheKids Canadian PlantBook, by Pamela Hickman
The Kids Canadian TreeBook, by Pamela Hickman
Make a Splash!, by Richard Rix
TheNaturalizedGarden, by Stephen Westcott-Gratton
TheNewOntarioNaturalizedGarden, byLorraineJohnson
PerennialsforOntario, byAlison Beck& Kathy Renwald
TheSecret Gardens ofParis, byAlexandra d Arnoux & Bruno de Laubadere
Spiritual Gardening, by Peg Streep
N Expert advice from the Master Gardeners |
Q My pansies have gone leggy. Should I throw them on the compost?
A Pansies don t like hot weather, but you could move them to a cooler, shadier place in your garden. Cut them back, give them a good drink of water and 15-30-15 fertilizer mixed according to directions. Once they ve started to flower again, the blooms will continue if you deadhead them daily.
Leggy pansies?
Cut them back and shade them
Q1 have red currants with little white worms in them. About half are affected. They ripen early and then drop off.
A Your plants have an infestation of the currant fruit fly, which causes fruit to ripen and drop early as larvae develop. Remove and destroy affected berries to
reduce the risk of trouble next year. For control, flies must be killed before they lay eggs: spray just after the flowers have bloomed (and hence fertilized) and a week later. Use rotenone; malathion or methoxychlor could be used, but they are more toxic. You can spray with rotenone up to one day before harvesting fruit. Needless to say, fruit must be thoroughly washed before eating.
Q What do I do with Oriental poppies once they ve bloomed?
A Cut off the flowering stalks and let the foliage die down. Remove it after it s yellowed and gone dry. Overplant with annuals for a summer look.
After poppies have bloomed cut off the flower stalks.
Currants drop off? Suspect fruit fly
lllustrations:
Vivien Jenkinson
Burwick House and Garden to Open
BLACK CREEK PIONEER VILLAGE
S
Burwick House, which has been closed for three years while restoration of the house and gardens was in progress, reopensJuly 1. The interior of the house has been restored by Black Creek Pioneer Village (with financial assistance from the City of Toronto) to show the lifestyle of an upper-class family in a small rural community of the 1860s. The gardens are a project of The Garden Club of Toronto and open in September; they showcase the range of plant varieties used at the time.
The house was built in the village of Burwick, now Woodbridge, in 1844 by Rowland Burr, a successful carpenter, miller and entrepreneur. The gardens feature the island flower beds typical of the era, set in a sweep of lawn. Island beds
gave the properties a splash of colour with a minimum of maintenance. When the house was built, grass was scythed, but by the 1860s lawns were mown with the lawnmowers introduced in the 1850s. The garden also features flowering shrubs, fruit trees and the all-important kitchen garden. By the 1860s garden furniture had made its appearance, and a wider variety of plant materials was available. The latest varieties would certainly have been included in the gardens at Burwick House, befitting the home of the wealthiest gentleman of the village, and this is reflected in the renovated gardens.
It s hoped the house and gardens will enhance visitors enjoyment and understanding of Ontario s social and natural heritage.
Buents Galendar=50l
Canadian Rose Society Meeting: 7:30 to10 p.m.
Information: 416-757-8809
AUGUST
11
Southern Ontario Orchid Society Meeting: 1 to 4 p.m.
Information: www.theusualspot.com/max/so00s2
Canadian Iris Society
Toronto Region Auction and Sale
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Information: 416-225-1088
13
Mycological Society ofToronto Meeting: 7 to 10 p.m.
Information: 416-444-9053
23
Canadian Chrysanthemum & Dahlia Society Meeting: 7 to 10:30 p.m.
Information: 416-286-5798
JULY & AUGUST
Guided Tours ofEdwards Gardens Tuesdays and Thursdays 11 a.m. Free
S EP T EMDBER 9
Special Lecture
Speaker: Daniel Hinkley
Topic: Plant Collecting in Turkey, Tibet and China
7:30 p.m. Members $10 non-members $15
on at the Civic Garden Centre
IN & AROUND THE GTA
JurLy 6,7
JARVIE GARDEN
Open house. 37 Thornheights Rd., Thornhill 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rain or shine.; Admission: free
18
CGC DAYAT STRATFORD
Matinee performance of Twelfth Night and tour of local gardens. Bus departs CGC 8 a.m., returns 6:30 p.m. Information: 416-3971340
7,15
MERLIN S HOLLOW
Open house: 181 Centre Crescent, Aurora 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Rain or shine. Admission: free; information: 905-727-8979
JULY AND AUGUST
CASA LOMA GARDENS
Free access days (does not include entrance to buildings) July 9, August 13 (9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
July 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 and August 7, 14, 21, 28 (4 p.m. to dusk)
TORONTO BAY INITIATIVES
July29, Toronto Island Nature Walk, 1 to 3:30 p.m. August 18, Waterfront Wildflower Walk, 2 to 4 p.m. Information: 416-943-8088; www.torontobay.net
TORONTO FIELD NATURALISTS WALKS
Information: www.sources.com/tfn
SEPTEMBER 4
FIRST ANNUAL CGC GOLF TOUR AND DINNER
Whirlpool GolfCourse, Niagara on the Lake. An alternative garden tour is included for nongolfers. Information: 416-397-1340
&%CIVIC GARDEN CENTRE
ANNUAL GOLF DAY
GOLF & DINNER
$150/person includes:
* Golf Cart & Green Fees (Scramble Format)
* Tee Times 11:40 AM - 1:40 PM
* Contests & Prizes
* BBQ Buffet - 6:00 PM
GARDEN TOUR & DINNER
$80/person includes:
* Butterfly Conservatory
* NPC School Garden Tour - 2:00 PM
* BBQ Buffet - 6:00 PM
SPONSORSHIP
$200/Hole: Contact Paul Gardner 416-494-2598
SEPTEMBER 7, 2001
WHIRLPOOL GOLF COURSE, NIAGARA FALLS
Proceeds fromthis eventwillsupportthe Civic GardenCentre
Formoteinformation,pleasecallArthurBeauregard416-392-0724 TheCivicGardeaCentre atEdwardsGardens
CLASSIFIED ADS BOOKS AND
July 15, 2001 -The Hidden Gardens of East York
MAGAZINES
a tour of 10 gardens, featuring a wide variety of styles, organized WANTED by the East York Garden Club 12:00 noon - 5:00 p.m. Is your home cluttered with old Tickets $7.00. Info: 416-429-8669 or visit www.eygc.ca gardening books and magazines?
The Civic Garden Centre will Garden Tour, Flower Show andTea : gladly accept these items for a Saturday, September 15, 11 a.m. 4 p.m. The Leaside Garden ; . TUAL : ; g future fundraiser. Please bring Society l.nwtes you on a's.elf gmde(? tour of special gardens |n the your donations to the library the community. Later, please join us to view the Flower Show and enjoy a next time you visit the CGC. cup of tea. $10.00. Information: Call 416-425-7582 or visit www.interlog.com/~onthort/dist5/leaside/leaside.htm