Trellis - V29, No1 - Jan 2002 by Toronto Botanical Garden

THE CIvIC GARDEN CENTRE at Edwards Gardens

Who We Are

The Civic Garden Centre (CGC), founded in

1958, is a volunteer-based, not-for*pro nization whose mission is to act as resource for gardening,hortlculturean| environmentalissuesbyencouraglng promoting involvement, andgat seminating and interpre order toenhancetheq bersofthecommunity.

WhatWeOffer

Located atEdwardsGard Centre offers many prog including year-roundacti children. Our horticultural ]

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 2 to March 31

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

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

Main Number . .................. 416-397-1340

T R e R B S T 416-397-1354

Bl amasies cgc@civicgardencentre.org

Course Registration .............. 416-397-1362

Course E-mail . ... courses@civicgardencentre.org

CGCLIbrary ... ovvitavicisy s 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.

Remtals:. i iiis v onhes s 416-397-1349

Rentals E-mail . . .. rentals@civicgardencentre.org

HellisShop i i vainan 416-397-1357

Volunteer Co-ordinator ........... 416-397-4145

Photography Permit, Toronto Parks & Recreation Division ............ 416-392-8188

ks, 70 periodicals, and a large colclippings, pamphlets, nursery and gues,as well asa great selection of gardenmg books. Horticultural Servicesoffersfreegardening inforund, and the Trellis Shop has que gifts,booksandgardenjng sup-

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, Kathy Dembroski, Suzanne Drinkwater, Mary Fisher, 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 Carolyn Moore

Manager, Horticultural Services Cathie Cox

Accounting Joe Sabatino

Administration Shirley Lyons

Campaign Director Janice Turner King

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 MaryStrachan

Volunteers

3% Patrons

Over 425 volunteers

Honorary Patron: HilaryWeston, Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario

Patrons: Brian Bixley, Awdrey Clarke, Mark Cullen, Camilla Dalglish, Sondra Gotlieb, Marjorie Harris, LorraineJohnson, Michele Landsberg, Susan Macauley, Helen Skinner

Volume 29 3¢ Number 1

EDITOR

LizPrimeau

M. Bruce,J.McCluskey

S. Skinner, A.Smith

Trellis is published

The Civic Garden Centre at Edwards Gardens. 777 Lz Avenue East, Toronto,Ontario M3C 1P2, 416-39

Opinions expressed in Trellis do not necessarily reflect those of

4 Notes from the Board

French boxwood teaches me a lesson

06 Notes from the Corner Office

Learning about life at the CGC

8 Volunteer News

Let us count the ways

Teaching Garden

Discover our secretgarden 24 Plant Portrait The hollyhock

Expert advice from the Master Gardeners 28 From the Library

A book review and recommended Web Sites

10 0detoWinter

Remembering crisp, sparkling snow, rushing toboggans and the sweet strains of The Skater s Waltz

For the Love of Gardening

The Beach Garden Society is a down-toearth bunch

Gardening Planning in Space

Cyberspace, that is. News on the best garden software

16 The Seed Exchange

Bigger and better than ever

Spring in January

Salad greens on a windowsill

Taking the Cure

Getting the Jump on Spring is good medicine for the whole family

from the Board

byTracey Lawko ® PRESIDENT

Boxwood, a lesson

which is, of course, to be expected. It s the places where we find inspiration that surprise me.

Last fall, my husband and I travelled to France. This wasn t to be a garden tour, and we were focussed on doing other things. On previous trips, I'd seen the famous gardens atVersailles, as well as other gardens, and I found their formal, clipped hedges as beautiful as they are quite boring. That s not to say I like billowing English cottage gardens much better. Aesthetics are such a personal thing, aren t they?

Inspiration usually arrives unexpectedly, du Gard. Grown in a two-layered hedge with bay laurel as a partner in the maze at a private chateau. Tens of thousands of boxwood planted in the 1860s at the Chateau de Margueyssac, and sculpted into undulating, curvaceous forms. The brochure describes them thus: The clumps surrounding the chateau show great imagination in their organization: no symmetry, no regularity, but an arrangement with a great deal of movement. I've decided it s time for me to give the boxwood put in my garden a few years ago as filler another look. I hope that in the coming year you, too, will find a great many sources of inspiration for your garden, here at home or on a holidayabroad.

Despite my non-gardening focus on this trip, I couldn t completely get away from my interest in gardens. While wandering off the beaten track I caught glimpses of wonderful hidden courtyards through gates left ajar. And I spotted common plants in unexpected places. For example, at the Pont du Gard, a Roman aqueduct dating back to 19 B.C. northeast of Nimes, boxwood was growing wild, seemingly everywhere, over the steep banks on either side of the Gard River. At the remnants of the medieval castle at Les Baux-de-Provence, which sits on a bare rock spur 900 metres long and 200 metres wide, with sheer drops on either side, sweet alyssum and dusty miller were growing out of the rock. At the Chateau de Marqueyssac, perched high on limestone cliffs above the Dordogne River and offering the best views of the Perigord, scabiosa was growing out of cracks in the rock on the south side and ferns out of the crevices on the north side. I found these tenacious plants as fascinating as the historical and dramatic geological settings they were growing in.

But what this trip really did was to force me to rethink my perception of boxwood. It was everywhere. Clipped and groomed and growing in topiaries. Growing wild alongside the Pont

For its part, the CGC will offer many opportunities for you and your friends to see new things and to take a fresh look at the old. The programming committee has booked an impressive slate of speakers on topics ranging from non-toxic approaches to gardening, flower arranging and new plants to trends in garden design. To name a few: Adrian Bloom, Brian Holley, Aad van Uffelen, Thomas Hobbs, Claudio Rossi, Liz Primeau, Helen Dillon and Jennifer Llewellyn.

Next month s Getting the Jump on Spring has an exciting new component a wheelbarrow design contest. Even if your horticultural society or garden club is not competing, come to see the entries in the six classes ofcompetition. You ll be sure to learn something and enjoy the competitors creative output.

The CGC will appear at Canada Blooms in two locations this year: a large retail outlet on Blooms Avenue on Level 600, and a booth at Hort Happenings on the 700 Level, where we will be the official book seller for the show.

Through the Garden Gate will tour fabulous gardens in Lawrence Park. June s Out of Town bus tour travels to Port Hope and, for those who

Boxwood, a lesson

which is, of course, to be expected. It s the places where we find inspiration that surprise me.

Last fall, my husband and I travelled to France. This wasn t to be a garden tour, and we were focussed on doing other things. On previous trips, I'd seen the famous gardens at Versailles, as well as other gardens, and I found their formal, clipped hedges as beautiful as they are quite boring. That s not to say I like billowing English cottage gardens much better. Aesthetics are such a personal thing, aren t they?

Next month s Getting the Jump on Spring has an exciting new component a wheelbarrow design contest. Even if your horticultural society or garden club is not competing, come to see the entries in the six classes of competition. You' ll be sure to learn something and enjoy the competitors creative output.

Through the Garden Gate will tour fabulous gardens in Lawrence Park. June s Out of Town bus tour travels to Port Hope and, for those who

But what this trip really did was to force me to rethink my perception of boxwood. It was everywhere. Clipped and groomed and growing in topiaries. Growing wild alongside the Pont lnspiration usually arrives unexpectedly, du Gard. Grown in a two-layered hedge with bay laurel as a partner in the maze at a private chateau. Tens of thousands of boxwood planted in the 1860s at the Chateau de Marqueyssac, and sculpted into undulating, curvaceous forms. The brochure describes them thus: The clumps surrounding the chateau show great imagination in their organization: no symmetry, no regularity, but an arrangement with a great deal of movement. I've decided it s time for me to give the boxwood put in my garden a few years ago as filler another look. I hope that in the coming year you, too, will find a great many sources of inspiration for your garden, here at home or on a holiday abroad.

have been asking about a trip farther afield, we re looking into an overnight trip to Kingston in July. In September, you won t want to miss our terrific second annual golf tournament and garden tour.

This promises to be an exciting year, one full of inspiration. I look forward to seeing you at the CGC. @

g TheCivicGardenCentre at Edwards Gardens

Ultimate Garden Workshop:

Creating the Perfect City Garden

Saturday, Feb.9, 2002 10-4pm

Floral Hall, Civic Garden Centre

The best garden on the block starts with the ultimate design. Learn how the experts do it and get solutions for your design dilemmas.

oFeaturing landscape designers: Bill Hewick, Janet Rosenberg, Victoria Lister Carley & Terry McGlade

Members: $10 Non-Members: $15

Window-box A /a Carte lunch: $15

To register, call (416) 397-1340

Join the CGC now!

Members, submit your design dilemma, photo & scale drawing by Jan.15 & a selected number ofentries will be drawn for discussion at the workshop.

777 Lawrence Ave. East, To, ON; M3C 1P2 www.civicgardencentre.org

N [ s from the Corner Office

by Douglas Markoff ® Executive DIRECTOR I

Learning about life at the CGC

A FABULOUS LINE-UP of courses awaits you at The Civic Garden Centre.

Courses are an important part of our mandate, which states they should be provided to encourage, organize and promote instruction in and furthering the knowledge of gardening, horticulture and conservation.

The CGC' s courses include a rich diversity of instruction in general gardening, botanical art, health and wellness, arts and crafts, and nature and the environment. They re designed for people with a wide range of skill levels and backgrounds. Whether you re a beginner, an advanced gardener or an artist, the CGC has a course to suit you.

In order to accommodate the availability of CGC members and non-members, who are also free to sign up, courses are scheduled for both daytime and evenings during the week, as well as Saturday mornings. Courses range from one day or evening class on a particular subject such as pruning or seed starting, to six weekly classes on more complicated topics like Ikenobo or Ikebana, botanical illustration, and plantscaping your garden. We ve also packaged related courses to make an exciting series, such as gardening indoors, which includes bonsai basics, forcing bulbs for winterbloom, and terrariums.

Although most classes are conducted in our building, don t be surprised ifyou spot a class in Edwards Gardens gazing up at the stars one evening, birding at the Leslie Street Spit, or taking an interpretive walking tour of the plants in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery.

Courses are held during fall, winter and spring and, for the first time this coming summer, we ll offer a limited number of classes that reflect this season. Though still in the planning stage, the courses may include pest and disease control, care of roses, and balcony gardening. Our courses are popular and many fill quickly,

so be sure to register early. We ve been told by many a gardener that the subject matter contributes to making them better gardeners, but the courses are also fun and the instructors professional. In fact, they include award-winning artists, business owners, teachers at professional organizations or schools, accredited judges, nature interpreters, members of a society in which they have been perfecting their skills for decades, or people who are just downright excellent in the daily practical application of their skills. What a wealth of information they have to share! Our courses are always in high demand also because they re constantly evolving: new ones are offered regularly and existing courses are modified for new audiences.

Fees for most classes include required materials, although occasionally we ask that you bring a container of choice for arrangements, a few craft supplies or paints for an art class. Courses are open to both members and non-members. We encourage non-members to join the CGC when they enroll because members get a cheaper rate, plus many other benefits. A new member need take only one series, or three one-day courses, to make back the membership fee. At the same time, the fee helps support an incredible organization.

Registration is easyand canbe done severalways:

1. By phone: Call our main number (416-3971340) and one of our volunteer receptionists will register you. Or call course co-ordinator Rosetta Leung at 416-397-1362.

2. Through our Web site (www.civicgardencentre.org): Use the registration form which may be printed out and faxed directly to Rosetta Leung.

3. By e-mail (courses@civicgardencentre.org): Send your course choices directly to Rosetta. She ll call you to take your credit card information (the CGC is not set up yet for secure electronic payment over the Web).

4. In person: Come to the CGC to register.

5. By mail: Send the completed registration form with payment to the address on our masthead.

Complete descriptions of all our winter courses were included in the November/December centre pull-out section of 7rellis and may also be perused on the Web site. For easy reference, the Web site lists the courses both by the month they re taking place and by course type and name. Course listings are also available in the front lobby, course office or library.

Rosetta Leung is the person who plans the courses, along with some assistance from the programming committee. Rosetta is responsible

for the myriad details associated with organizing, scheduling and promoting the courses, plus ensuring they proceed smoothly. As she so aptly said in her introduction to the listings included in the November/December issue of Trellis, Banish those January blues with visions of great ideas and plants to try in your garden this spring. Whatever your interest, come see what we have sprouting under the CGC roof.

If you have an idea for a course or are interested in teaching one, we re interested in talking with you. After all, this is one way to make a difference in your Civic Garden Centre. @

Floriade 2002 with Marjorie Mason Hogue 12 August 25 August 2002

This tour begins with a full day at the FLORIADE, an international horticultural extravaganza held once every 10 vears. The remaining4 days in Holland will be spent exploring Amsterdam and enjoying several well-known gardens including Bingerden Huis (the garden lovingly restored by Eugenie Van Weede); Priona Gardens, owned by Henk Gerritson and Anton Schlepers, Piet Oudolfs amazing display gardens and nursery and many more. Our Hotels are located at the delightfully quaint fishing village ofVolendam and the historical town ofArnhem. Then we proceed through Germany and into Denmark, the home ofthe Vikings, Legoland, Hans Christian Andersen and some ofthe worlds most beautiful gardens. The highlight ofa side trip to Sweden will be a visit to Sofiero, the summer residence ofthe Royal Family. From our down-town Copenhagen Hotel we ll explore this beautiful city with stops at Royal Copenhagen Porcelain , Carlsberg Breweries, the Danish Agricultural College as well as the private gardens arranged for your pleasure, by Marjorie. KLM direct scheduled air service; breakfast and dinner daily, entrance to all selected gardens and attractions; included at $4879.00 per person, double occupancy. Please contact Lorna at Carlson Wagonlit Travel 905-683-8411 for detailed itinerary. E-mail Ibates @on.aibn.com

SPRINGTIME IN SCOTLAND -08April 18April 2002

Your hosts, MARJORIE MASON HOGUE and STEWART BENNETT, chairman ofthe Highland Durham Games, will share their enthusiasm for all things Scottish - Gardens; Golf; Dancing; History; Folklore; Food; Whisky, all set in the magnificent scenery ofthe Highlands and the Islands ofArran and Islay. This tour has something for everyone- while golfers are on the links, gardeners will be exploring such treasures as the national collection ofnarcissus at Brodie Castle. $3079.00 CAD per person double occupancy includes breakfast and dinner daily and Air Canada flights from Toronto. Detailed itinerary available from Lorna 905-683-8411- Fax 905 683-6842 e-mail lbates@on.aibn.com May we create your fantasy Garden Tour? Lorna and Marjorie

Volumteer News

o =P\

by Mary Strachan

Let us count the ways

AS WE BEGIN 2002, it seems appropriate to reflect on the year 2001 and highlight some of the achievements we could not have managed without our dedicated volunteers.

In the Teaching Garden, volunteers proved to be real troupers, coming out to spread 15 cubic yards of compost in not-so-nice weather twice!

Shannon Collins, the Garden s co-ordinator, describes the days as quick and painless some might say fun, because of all who showed up . Last summer the garden looked its best ever, thanks to the dedication of several maintenance volunteers who gave it daily attention. The Teaching Garden s programs, too, received volunteer support: Shannon and Angela, her summer assistant, welcomed volunteers all summer, especially on Fridays, when six were needed to ensure the success of the Green Adventure camp.

In May, the Floral Hall was transformed twice by volunteers into a venue for the CGC' s yearly sales of annuals and perennials. Volunteers turned out to set up the plants, keep them watered, assist customers, and keep the trays full of gorgeous plants. These sales are only two of the special events volunteers enthusiastically support.

The CGC receptionists, also volunteers, who staff the front desk and the phone daily, answering inquiries from the public and taking registrations for classes and courses, were doubly busy before and during these events.

The library volunteers were busy last year with the automation of its catalogues. Journal articles data was entered and all the books (more than 8,000) were bar-coded by volunteers. Between their regular duties assisting library patrons and automating the catalogue, volunteers also did research for the new season of HGTV s show Flower Power, hosted by Stephen Westcott-Gratton, a former CGC horticulturist.

Several new tours were developed and tested last year by our team of volunteer tour guides. In May, seniors from nursing homes enjoyed a guided tour of Edwards Gardens flatlands. Volunteers donned period costumes for a historical tour of Edwards Gardens, also in May, and high-school students were invited to June s Eco-tour, which focused on the environmental aspects of the gardens. For the first time last year we also conducted tours at Allan Gardens designed for those with English as their second language.

Anyone with access to the Internet can now ask our volunteer Master Gardeners a question on the interactive bulletin board on the CGC Web site (go to Ask A Master Gardener). The Master Gardeners developed the bulletin board in co-operation with the CGC and its Web design firm as an extra service to the gardening community.

There are countless other examples of how volunteers contribute to the success of the Centre, from those who prepare all our mailings to the pianists who entertain before lectures, the dedicated few who make pressed flower cards and other crafts for Mistletoe Magic, and the computer enthusiasts who are indispensable to the soil testing program, data entry and database building, plus keying in of all kinds. The Civic Garden Centre is very fortunate to have so many wonderful people who choose to volunteer their time, skills and ideas, and to share with us the value of their presence. @

Straighten em up

Tostraighten droopy tulips, trim stems and roll the tulips in newspaper, extending the paper above the flowers but not covering the lower third ofthe stems. Place upright in a container of cool water, submerging the stems. Leave an hourortwoso stemssoak up water.

by Shannon Collins

Discover our secret garden

THE WORD IS out: If you have children in your life, or a child in your spirit, you won t want to miss the surprises the Teaching Garden has in store for the children s area of this year s Getting the Jump on Spring. I ve had a top secret meeting with my peers the bugs, the worms, the puppets, the scarecrows and the plants and they ve given me permission to indulge you with a few hints about our new Secret Garden. Think of it as the CGC s administration area crossed with a giant classroom plusa circus.

Once you enter the Secret Garden, you ll be given the chance to change your face you could, for instance, become the very likeness of spring. Careful though, because this could attract the exotic bugs, insects from all over the world. Of course, they re very loyal to their human, Jean Godawa, but they re definitely looking forward to meeting some new, bugeyed humans.

The clean-air plants have generously donated their seeds to this year s Seed Circle, and if you plant them in a pot of soil and can assure them a happy home, you might be lucky enough to adopt one.

After playing with soil, you might be inspired to visit the cozy darkness of the Worm Den. The red wrigglers will have had a quiet winter without kids poking and prodding them, and if you handle them gently, without disrupting them while they are eating, maybe they will show you some of their eggs.

With a whole new wardrobe of wacky outfits and a Polaroid camera to boot, the scarecrows cannot wait for this fun-filled day of dressing, undressing and protecting the Secret Garden. Along with the scarecrows, hundreds of puppets are waiting to be realized from the twinkles in your children s and your eyes. With all these characters, we could not complete the day without a storyteller, who will perform

twice a day, telling a story once in the morning and again in the afternoon. Veggie printing, a bead bazaar, bug-eyed crafts and pot-pourri sachets are some of the other surprises in store.

I've already divulged too much, but there are still secrets to be discovered. See for yourself Sunday, February 24, at Getting the Jump on Spring. Just follow the dinosaur footprints. @

The Teaching Garden thanks Barbara Mortensen for donating a Polaroid camera to the Garden in memoryofherfriend, Karin Wilson.

'THETEACHING GARDEN needs children s

booksfor summer afternoon reading time in the garden. If you or a friend has books for children about nature, gardening and the environment that you no longer need, please consider donating them. Drop books off in the Teaching Garden office, CGC lower level, and please enclose a note with the donor s name.

March 13 -17,2002

CanadaBlooms is lookingforenergeticgardeners ofall skill levelsto volunteeratCanadaBlooms 2002.

Volunteerfor three houre and spend the rest of the dayatthe showasourguest, CallAmyColea3theCanadaBloomsoffice (416) 447-8655 orvisitourwebsite, www.canadablooma.com formore information.

YU TERANTE LOMNS & GIRFM NREN

by Madge Bruce

Ode to Winter

Remembrances ofcrisp,

sparklingsnow, rushing

toboggans and the sweetstrains ofThe Skater s Waltz

WINTER WAS ALWAYS such a wonderful part of the landscape of my early years that even today I continue to be astonished at the myriad sensations summoned up by the mention of the word. Having grown up in the really northern part of Ontario the Sudbury area, not Muskoka I feel I've always had a singular relationship with the winter season.

Cold weather, especially the crisp, clear, sunny kind that follows a lasting snowfall, has always invigorated me. I feel more vitally alive and energetic in winter weather than [ do during a long, hot summer. I guess I made an early adjustment to the cold: my mother tells me that as an infant I napped outdoors in 40-below weather, warmly swaddled in my carriage on the porch, carefully guarded by my dog, Pat.

It s no exaggeration to say that winters up north last about five months. The snow comes early and stays packed on the ground until spring. In my small northern hometown, winter driving wasn t the nightmare it is here in the city since there was never any traffic. In fact, we could walk almost anywhere we wanted to go, usually over fresh, clean, sparkling snow.

City dwellers, such as I now am, seldom savour winter s unique beauty because here the snow usually comes suddenly, snarls traffic and tempers, and often leaves in a whimper of frozen rain. My recollections of winters past include my first pair of bobskates (does anyone remember those little metal runners we strapped onto our overshoes?), which were followed almost immediately by my first pair of real skates. This was the year before I started school, and our neighbour had flooded his big backyard. With my new skates securely laced, I spent Boxing Day taking a few gliding steps on the ice, falling down, getting up, and repeating the same sequence endlessly. By the time the afternoon sun was fading I could make it around the whole rink without falling. In otherwords, I could skate!

And skate I did, every possible day of every winter of my growing-up years in northern Ontario. Of course I soon graduated to the community arena, and I can still feel the cool breeze on my face and the glorious sensation of freedom as I whirled and spun to the strains of The Skater s Waltz.

Cross-country skiing was another joy that came with winter. Back then it was a simple pastime. You simply dressed warmly, not necessarily stylishly, fastened on a pair of wooden skis with a leather toe strap that buckled over your overshoes, and took off down the snowcovered road in front of the house. The nearest hill was less than a mile away. There were no laid-out, groomed trails rated green, red or blue, no ski patrol backup, no crowds, just plain unfettered joyous skiing through the woods and up and down gentle hills until you had just enough energy left to ski home for supper.

Of course, there were other delights to be enjoyed between skating and skiing, such as sledding and tobogganing. At one time we lived in a house that fronted on a narrow river which remained completely frozen the entire winter. On moonlit nights, when it froze clear and snowless, we skated up and down the river. At other times, my father banked the snow against the back fence, removed a panel of the front fence, and iced a strip beside the house running right

through our slopingyard. This enabled us to have a thrilling sleigh ride down to the river and all the way across it. Needless to say, our yard was the scene of many an evening toboggan party followed by hot cocoa and other goodies.

Then, too, there was always the fun of the first snowman, set up in the front yard and adorned with an old fedora, a pipe stuck jauntily in its mouth, and the inevitable buttons of black coal embedded down its front. With a little luck, it survived for weeks, barring untimely mischief by some passing youngster en route to school.

Naturally, with such vibrant memories of the winters of my early days, I have never been ecstatic about Toronto winters. I don t like driving on busy streets in winter, which I now must do on a daily basis. And Toronto winters are mostly damp and raw, not at all like the crisp, clear, sparklingly sunnywinter days ofmyyouth.

Still, I cannot imagine living in a clime unpunctuated by winter. I have always firmly believed that all things, people included, keep better and last longer in the cold. Longlive winter! @

Getting the Jump on Spring

For the Love of GARDENING

The Beach Garden Societymayhave afewsociety matrons and ad execs in its ranks, but it s reallyjusta down-to-earth bunch

by Michael Erdman

y introduction to the Beach Garden M Society several years back was one of those fortuitous encounters that happen by chance in life. Wandering through my new neighbourhood on a lazy Sunday afternoon in early September, I spotted a sandwich board sign outside our local community centre boldly announcing Flower Show Today! Sensing some creative anachronism at work here, my companion and I took the bait. We suspected a garden club was hosting the event and visualized the members as stuffy high-society matrons, like those in old Marx Brothers movies...chins awobble, lorgnettes perched on long noses, fiercely competitive when it comes to dahlias.

Well, we were partly right. In this day and age, why would you ever expect to find a school gymnasium full of cut flowers, fruit, vegetables and floral designs neatly displayed on long tables covered with starched white linen? But it was the friendly, down-to-earth people who took us by surprise. I'm sure some of those who welcomed us that day were society matrons , but you d never have known it. The social leveller for all of us was and remains the enjoyment of getting our hands in the dirt.

Like other garden societies affiliated with the Ontario Horticultural Association, we are mandated to do certain things, such as promoting interest in horticulture and beautifying public places. So our activities are quite typical of the larger clubs around the city: meetings, special events and community projects. The constant is our monthly meetings. I'd estimate the average attendance at 75 (out of a total of 190). The core of each meeting is a speaker, but he or she is not the sole attraction. We ve developed a sizeable lending library of several hundred gar-

dening books and publications during our brief 16-year history and a raffle gives members a chance at winning a good book or other item of gardenware. A show-and-tell table gives members the opportunity to display something new and wonderful in their repertoire of indoor or garden plants. And from spring to late summer each meeting usually involves a flower show.

Our speakers are generally experts in their fields an arbourist, for instance, who explains the ins-and-outs of pruning flowering shrubs, or a rock garden specialist lecturing on xeriscaping. At two meetings a year, however, we invite one or several of our own members to speak or to demonstrate something of interest to them. I've often found those evenings more involving than some of the drier formal talks we ve heard from the experts. At our last meeting, five of our members were asked to respond to a series of questions, including: what is your favourite plant? Where is your favourite hiding-place in the garden? What is your favourite garden tool? When the first member, whom I d always thought shy and retiring, drily announced, My favourite garden tool is my husband, I knew the eveningwas off to a fine start. People s fears about public speaking quickly dissolved and we learneda little bit more about our friends.

Our members receive a few perks besides a monthly speaker and a glass of juice for their $10 a year. A monthly newsletter provides information on upcoming events, book reviews, and articles on gardening. We place a bulk order for spring-blooming bulbs, so members can acquire new and interesting ones at wholesale prices. And every June we hire a bus for an excursion to see gardens in a community outside the city. This tour usually includes a

For the Love of GARDENING

The Beach Garden Societymayhave afewsocietymatrons and ad execs in its ranks, but it s reallyjusta down-to-earth bunch

by Michael Erdman

stop at a good local nursery or two, which, of course, makes the whole trip just another excuse to shop! I've been told that on some trips the overhead racks plus the entire luggage compartment of the bus have been crammed full of members purchases.

Annual membership fees and a modest government grant barely cover the costs of running an organization such as ours, especially now that community centres are charging substantial rent even to non-profit groups. So, to make ends meet, we hold two major fund-raising events each year a plant sale on the May long weekend and a garden tour in earlyJuly. In this year s plant sale, we sold almost 250 flats of nursery-grown and members donated perennials in just under two hours. And every year we sell out the 300 tickets to our garden tour, which features 10 local gardens. We have a scouting-and-persuasion team to find the good gardens, and they can be seen snooping over neighbourhood fences and knocking on doors starting in April. With the exception of a few streets, the Beach is not noted for large properties; so most of the gardens on the tour are on the small side. Nonetheless, I'm always amazed at the clever designs and the amount of plant material people use to create beautiful but small oases in our concrete jungle.

A Royal Event

These fund-raisers essentially allow us to do more than just look inward. Over the past few years we've designed and installed gardens for an east-end women s shelter, the Beach Library on Queen Street and a local nursing home. We re very excited about our latest venture, a three-year project to create front, side and back gardens for residents of the L Arche Daybreak home on Greenwood Avenue. L'Arche is the international federation of communities for people with developmental disabilities, founded byJean Vanier. The goal will be to create an easy-maintenance garden that residents can enjoy, and which our members will continue to oversee on an ongoing basis.

All this and a flower show in September? Yes, but I can t tell you everything about the Beach Garden Club in a few short paragraphs. Besides, then we might seem less mysterious and you d have no reason to come and learn more, which we invite you to do. @

Michael Erdman is chairman of the Beach Garden Society, which meets at the Adam Beck Community Centre on Lawlor Avenue the third Tuesday of every month, except in July and December. Michael welcomes new members or visitors to meetings and invites readers to call him at 416-693-7001 ifthey d like more information.

Janet Greyson, chair ofThe Civic Garden Centre annual fund-raising program, and Charlie Coffey, executive vice-president, government and community affairs, RBC Financial Group, at a cocktail reception September 25 at the Royal Bank Plaza. The evening was generously sponsored by the RBC Financial Group to help raise public awareness of the CGC. More than 250 guests, including guest of honour Heather Reisman, president and CEO of Indigo Inc., attended.

Garden Planning in Space

Cyberspace, that is. Is it time to trade in the graph paperforgarden design software?

by Lorraine Flanigan

s I stood gazing at an unattractive secAtion of my garden, [ jumped at the voice at my shoulder: Are you willing those plants to move? It was my husband, pointing out that I'd been staring at the garden so long the plants were getting nervous. It was garden inspection time: the phlox were flopping, the lambs ears were running about with abandon, and the hostas were bullying the astilbes. Added to this bedlam in the borders was a corner that looked bare and abandoned, a spot where no plant dared grow. How was I to make sense of this chaos? As far as I know, Harry Potter has no magic spells for garden planning, so I chose the next best thing the magic oftechnology.

Computer software for garden design is not normally a tool with a place in my garden shed. If I can t imagine how a new design for my garden is going to look, I turn to graph paper, a ruler and a sharp pencil to draw it. It s a lowtech solution, one that goes against the grain considering how much I use computers every day. But when I looked at design software about five years ago, I was less than satisfied. Products were difficult to use and the manuals incomprehensible (why do they explain the obvious, rather than instructing?), making the design of even the most basic garden an exercise in frustration. In five years, I thought, surely technology has advanced enough to transform these products into useful tools. It was time to find out.

A quick search on the Internet showed three products I considered, all by leaders in garden design software for homeowners: DiComp s Garden Composer; Abracadata s Landscape and Sprout! software; and Sierra s LandDesigner 3D. The blurbs on the packages were full of promise: Create your dream garden ; Design your ultimate landscape ; and Plant your yard without getting dirt under your fingernails.

S1erRAr10me

Okay, so the marketing departments know I'll sell my soul for the perfect garden. But the question remained: do these products help me design the ultimate landscape with less smudge on my hands than I'd getwith a pencil and eraser?

As 1 spent hours experimenting with the icons, reading the manuals and searching the help menus, a deeper question came to my frazzled mind: does computer software offer enough advantage over graph paper to make up for the time spent learning the program? As an amateur gardener, I may use the program once a year, so it s not worth hours of learning time. Professional landscapers would have a different view their learning time is offset against time saved through frequent use.

Of the three software programs I'd selected, the quickest to learn proved to be Sierra s LandDesigner 3D. Nothing strikes techno-terror in my heart more than opening a new program to a blank page. What do all the icons mean? What functions do they perform? How do I get started? Unlike both Garden Composer and Landscape/Sprout, LandDesigner 3D calmed my fears by greeting me with a wizard that guided me through the first steps, offering a head start on the design process. Supplementing the wizard, Sierra also has a 76-page reference manual, an excellent help menu, and a tutorial that quickly oriented me to the basics of the program. Along with these aids is a well-marked and relatively self-explanatory navigation system of tabs and toolbars. The program got me up and running quickly.

Having selected LandDesigner 3D as the fastest program to learn, I dismissed the others. No matter what extras they had to offer, they couldn t compete with LandDesigner if they took up too much precious time. So I wistfully said farewell to Garden Composer s wonderfully flexible, large plant database and its terrific

encyclopedia of diseases, as well as to Abracadata s simple garden-plotting software. After choosing LandDesigner 3D, I developed a list ofwhat the software should do for me. Here is my list, and how LandDesigner 3D measured up against graph paper and pencil:

1. Does itplotexistinglandscape elements easily? The first task is always to define the size and shape ofthe lot, then plot the locations ofexisting elements such as the house, garage, patio and trees. Drawing to scale on graph paper requires a bit of mental math not my strong point. So, when LandDesigner 3D asks me to type in the measurements of my lot (in metric or imperial), and then adjusts all the elements to scale, I'm happy, happy, happy. However, because the program also operates in three dimensions, it asks for more detail than I m willing to provide. I refuse to fiddle with the placement of windows on the house. The program does supply a menu of house styles, making this step quicker and easier than building your house brick by brick, as long as you re lucky enough to find a match.

2. Does itprovide design advice?

I want a consultant by my side to advise me on the shape of my new dream garden, colours that harmonize and plants that complement one another. Reference books for ideas always help, but LandDesigner 3D makes research less cumbersome with its Design Guide, which pops onto the screen whenever I want advice. From estimating the height of the eyesores outside of my garden to 9esigning an irrigation system, the Design Guide lends a hand.

3. Will ithelpchoose theright plant for theright place? Because making changes on paper is difficult, I do my homework in advance, making lists of suitable plants before starting the plan. On the computer, much of the plant selection can be done on the fly, drawing from the program s database. LandDesigner 3D offers more than 4,500 trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals and vines a wide range of choices. Although it may not include some of my favourite cultivars, they can be added to the database easily (complete with photo) and will appear both in the plant list as well as on a handy tool tray. Depending on how you define them, plant lists can be developed for a host of

criteria from shade-or moisture-loving and fallblooming plants, to lists of roses, groundcovers and ornamental grasses. For the database alone, LandDesigner 3D is worth purchasing.

4. CanIexperimentwith theposition ofplants?

Moving plants and objects around on paper plans involves lots of tracing paper. Going digital means replacing a chain link with a picket fence at the click of a mouse it s that easy. While many software programs offer some flexibility, the styles of objects and shapes of flowerbeds are often limited. LandDesigner 3D not only offers a huge gallery of elements such as decks, arbours and trellises, walls, fountains and even family pets, it also accepts custom designs, making it easy to add an existing statue or garden shed from a snapshot.

5. Doesitshowmehowthefinishedgarden willlook? Some people are good at visualizing a plan. For those of us who are not, a three-dimensional depiction is extremely helpful. With a spin of the camera icon, LandDesigner 3D provides views of the garden from all angles as the design evolves.

In the end, garden design software is no magic wand, even though it offers some advantages over traditional paper-and-pencil plans. Even an intuitive program like LandDesigner 3D, with plenty of guides, tutorials and help menus, takes time to learn at least a full nine-hour day just to orient yourself. Then you ll want to add your favourite plant cultivars and the customized elements in your garden. Without them, the program s 3-D illustrations become so inaccurate thatyour design might as well be on paper.

A software program like this also requires plenty of computing power and lots of bells and whistles, including a CD-ROM player, a sound card and a high-resolution colour monitor. The less computing power you have, the more frustrating the experience will be. But with the right equipment and plenty of time (and patience!), designing with computer software can be both gratifying and rewarding. @

Lorraine Flanigan, the Cultivating the Internet columnistfor Plant & Garden magazine, has taught a CGC course on the subject and is the Master Gardener in charge ofthe Q &A Bulletin Boardon the CGC' s Web site.

THE SEED EXCHANGE garden in a packet

Your

Thank you to the following fellow gardeners for a splendid selection of seeds for this year s CGC seed exchange, the largest we ve had. (The capitalized letters in their names appear beside the

Katy ANDErson,Bob BUCKingham, Merle BURSton, Tish COOMbes, Michael and Susan DOLBey, Ruth GARNett, Eleanor HEINz,Vivien JENKinson, Anna LEGGatt,Rosetta LEUNg, Siri LUCKow,Gailand DouglasMARKoff,Jacqueline PILOte,MargaretRUNCie,RonandCharlotteSMITh. ~

seeds they donated.) Peruse our list of seeds, make your choices and fill out the form on page 19. Don t leave it too long the deadline is

January18.

The plant colours are abbreviated. Magenta, for example, is listed as mage; purp is purple;salm is salmon. The same applies to plant types: AN-annual; Bl-biennial; PER-perennial; BU-bulb; SH-shrub; TR-tree; VE-vegetable; Vl-vine. Heightsarein metric.

NAME DESCRIPTION DONOR

1. Aconitum Ivorine whit, PER, 75cm,June-July DOLB

2.Adlumia fungosa whit, BI/VI, 3-5m COOM

3.Agastache (ex Pink Panther ) shocking pink, PER, 75cm LEGG

4,Agastachesp. purp, PER, 75cm,June-Oct. ANDE

5.Alcea rosea Peaches& Dreams dbl peach/pink, PER, 2.5m BURS

6.Alcea rosea dbl burg, PER, 2m, (hollyhock),June-Sept. SMIT

7.Alcea rosea dbl pink, PER, 2m, (hollyhock),June-Sept. SMIT

8.Alcea rosea Nigra blk, PER, 2.5m, sngl flwrs,June-Sept. RUNC

9.Alcea rosea Nigra blk, PER, 2.5m, dbl, semi and sngl fiwrs, June-Sept. BURS

10.Alcea rosea pink, PER, 2.5m, sngl flwrs LEGG

11.Alcea rosea red, PER, 2.5m, dbl flwrs,June-Sept. RUNC

12.Alcea rosea yell, pink centres, PER, 2.5m, sngl flwrs,June-Sept. LEGG

13.Alcea sp. yell, PER, 1-3m, multi stems, sun-ptshade,June-Sept. BUCK

14.Allium cemuum pink, PER, 25¢m, sun, nodding flwrs,June-July PILO

15.Allium cristophii amethyst, BU, 60cm, starry 35cm globes BURS

16.Allium flavum yell, PER, 30cm, lacy flwr, sun,June-July GARN, LEGG

17.Allium flavum ssp.tauricum yell/whit/pink, PER, 20cm, June-July PILO

18.Allium hollandicum Purple Sensation violet, BU, 80cm,July BURS

19.Allium moly yell, BU, 25cm, star-shaped flwrs, May-June ANDE

20.Allium schubertii lav, BU, 70cm, metallic firecrackers,June-July BURS

21.Allium sp. purp, BU, 60cm, globe heads about 10cm diam,June-July ANDE

22.Allium sp. whit/cream, PER, 40-50cm, star-like flwrs BUCK

23.Alyssoides utriculata yell, PER, 30cm, good dried seed heads, May ANDE

24.Anemonexlesseri rose-carmine, PER, 30cm, fernyIvs DOLB

25.Angelica gigas purp/whit, BI, 120cm, bold, purp foliage DOLB

26.Anthriscus sylvestris Ravenswing whit, PER, 1.3m, bicklacy Ivs ANDE, BURS

27.Antirrhinum sp. mix, mostlyyell, AN, May-Oct. DOLB

28.Antirrhinum sp. blush pink, AN, May-Oct. DOLB

29.Aquilegia La Prochaine Gold blue, PER, 50-60cm, May-July GARN

30.Aquilegia sp. blue/whit bi-colour, PER, 60cm, May-June ANDE

31.Aquilegia sp. blue, PER, 30cm, short-lived, May-July JENK

32.Aquilegia sp. deep blue, PER, 30cm, easy, May-July ANDE

33.Aquilegia sp.

deep pink, PER, 1m, prolific, clumper, May-July

34.Aquilegiavulgaris Woodside Variegated purp, PER, 50cm, true from seed, May-July

35.Aquilegiavulgaris Anemoneflora

36.Armeria maritima

37.Aruncusdioicus

38.Asclepias incamata

39.Asphodeline damascena

40,Aster sp.

41. Baptisiaaustralis

42,Callicarpabodinieri

43, Campsis radicans

44, Centaurea cyanus

45,Cephalariagigantea

46.Cimicifuga simplex Brunette

47.Cladrastis lutea

48. Clematis recta Purpurea

49.Clematisviorna

50.Clematisviticella

51. Cleomesp.

52. Coreopsistinctoria

53. Coriandrum sativum

54, Cortusa matthioli

55.Cortusaturkestanica

56.Cosmos bipinnatus

57.Crambecordifolia

58. Cynara cardunculus

59. Daphne mezereum

60. Daphne mezereum

61. Datura metel

62. Datura metel

63. Datura metel

64. Delphinium chinensis

65. Dianthus carthusianorum

66. Dianthus sp.

67. Dictamnus albus

68. Digitalisferruginea Gigantea

69. Digitalisgrandifiora

burg-red, PER, 60cm, spurless, May-July pink, PER, 25cm, rock garden, sun-ptshade, May-July whit, PER, 180cm, shade, moist,June-July pink (orwhit), PER, 90cm, (swamp milkweed),July-Sept. whit, BI, 50cm, starryflwrs,June, sporadic to Sept. colour unknown, PER, 60cm x 30cm, sun-pt shade blue, PER, 75-90cm, lupin-like flwrs, May whit, SH, 45cm, whitberries, compact, summer oran, VI, (trumpetvine), vigorous mix, AN, 30cm, sun-ptshade, self-seeds, May-July yell, PER, 1-3m, (giant scabious), mid-summer whit, PER, 90-150cm, late summer-earlyfall whit, TR, 15m, (yellowwood), easiest to germ outdoors whit, PER, 1.5m, purp foliage pinkwith cream, VI, 2m, urn-shaped flwrs,July-Aug. purp, VI, 2m, manydelicate down-facingbells, July-Aug. mixrose,viol, AN, 1.2m, goodcolouraccent,June-Oct. yell& red, AN, 60-90cm, droughttolerant, May-Oct. whit, AN, 50cm, (coriander), sow in situ in spring purp-viol, PER, 20-30cm, woodland, May-June mauv, PER, 30cm, woodland, primula family, May-June yell, AN, 1.2-1.8m, sngl and dbl, foliage, sun,June-Sept. whit, PER, 2m x 1.5m, baby s-breath-like flwrs, bold,June-July pink, AN, 1.5m, (cardoon), silver foliage, bold, late summer pink, SH, 1m, pt shade, moist soil, spring whit, SH, 1m, ptshade, moist soil, spring purp &whit, AN, 100-150cm, frillytrumpet, poisonous purp, AN, 100-150cm, full sun, poisonous,June-Sept. whit, AN, 100-150cm, full sun, poisonous,June-Sept. blue, PER, 30-45cm, short-lived, sun, June-July red, PER, 40cm, sun, May-July deep rose/purp, PER, 30cm x 60cm, sun, May-July pink-purp, PER, 60-90cm, (gas plant), sun, frag, May-July brwn/yell, BI, 1m in bloom,June-July yell, PER, 1m in bloom, robust, self-seeds,June-Sept.

70. Digitalisgrandiflora DropmoreYellow yell, PER, 60cm, veryhardy,July-Sept.

71. Digitalis lanata

72. Digitalis lutea

73. Digitalis purpurea

74. Digitalis purpurea

75. Digitalisx mertonensis

76. Echinacea paradoxa

71. Echinacea purpurea

78. Echinacea purpurea

79. Erigeronsp.

80. Fritillaria imperialis

whit/brwn, PER, 1m in bloom, pt shade,June-July yell, PER, 90cm, (foxglove),June-July whitto purp, spotted, BI, 1minbloom,June-July purp-pink, B, Im in bloom, ptshade,June-July red-pink, PER, 75-90cminbloom, longbloomer yell, PER, 70cm, (prairie coneflower),July-Aug. purp, PER, 1m, self-seeds,July-Sept. whit, PER, 120cm,July-Aug. pink, PER, 15-20cm, June-Aug. yell, BU, 60cm, sun-ptshade, moist, June

Trellis

ANDE BURS BURS PILO DOLB GARN BURS BUCK DOLB LEGG MARK BUCK BUCK MARK JENK, LEGG LEGG LEGG LEGG BURS MARK ANDE COOM DOLB RUNC GARN BURS PILO LEGG BURS RUNC RUNC PILO ANDE BUCK SMIT GARN DOLB, GARN ANDE HEIN, LEGG DOLB ANDE COOM GARN LUCK ANDE, COOM BURS COOM PILO

81.Gaillardiagrandiflora

82.Geum Mrs.Bradshaw

83. Helenium sp.

84. Hibiscus moscheutos

85. Hylomeconjaponica

86. Impatiens balsamina

87. Ipomoea purpurea

88. Ipomopsis rubra

89. Iris pseudacorus

90. Iristectorum

91. Kitaibelavitifolia

92, Lathyrus latifolius

93. Lavandula angustifolia Munstead

94, Lavandula angustifolia Rosea

95. Lavatera trimestris

96. Liatris spicata

97. Linum grandiflorum

98. Lobelia siphilitica

99. Lunaria annua

100. Lychnis coronaria

101. Lychnisviscaria

yell/red, PER, 90cm, sun, easy,June-Oct. oran/red, PER, 50cm, dbl flwrs, should come true, May-July

yell/oran, PER, 1.5m, late summer-earlyfall pink& red, PER, 1.3m, sun, moist, fertile, Aug.-Oct. yell, PER, 30cm, ptshade, easy, May-June

mix, AN, 50cm, sun toptshade,June-Aug.

purpwith pink stripe, AN/VI, (morningglory),July-frost red, BI, 1m+, small fernyclumps inwinter, summer yell, PER, 60cm, bogor pond,May-June blue, PER, 45cm, (roofiris), June-July whit, PER, 2.5m, large lvs, mallow-like,July-Aug. pink, PER, 2m, (perennial sweet pea), needs support,July-Sept. purp, PER, 30-45cm,June-July

pink, PER, 40cm,June-July whit, AN, 60cm, (annual rose mallow),June-July pink, PER, 60-100cm, excel cut, dried fiwrs, July-Aug. red, AN, 30-45cm, sun-ptshade,June-Sept blue, PER, 75cm, native, moist, self-seeds, July-Aug. purp, BI, 75cm, (honesty), seed heads good dried, May-June rose, BI/PER, 60cm, (rose campion), greyfoliage, all summer pink, PER, 45-60cm, (German catchfly), sun,June-Aug.

102. Magnoliaxloebneri(ex Leonard Messel ) pink, TR, 5m, early summer

103. Magnolia stellata (ex Royal Star )

104. Malva moschata Alba

105. Malva sylvestris

106. Melampodium paludosum

107. Mitella diphylla

108. Moluccella laevis

109. Monarda punctata

110. Nicandra DarkStar

111. Nicotiana sylvestris

112. Nigella damascena

113. Oenothera biennis

114. Oenotheratriloba

115. Onopordum acanthium

116. Papaver miyabeanum

117. Papaverrhoeas Shirley

118.Papaverrhoeas Shirley

119. Papaver somniferum

120. Papaver somniferum

121. Penstemon digitalis Husker Red

122.Phaseoluscv.

123. Primulajaponica

124. Primulajaponica

125. Pterocarya fraxifolia

126. Pulsatilla vulgaris Papageno

127. Ricinus Carmencita

128. Rosa glauca

whit, TR, 5m, late spring whit, PER, 60cm, clumpforming,June-Sept. purp, AN, 60cm, (mallow), sun-pt shade,July-Sept. yell, AN, 20-25cm, (African zinnia), tinyflwrs,June-frost whitish, PER, 15cm, shade, acid soil, May-June whit, AN, 60cm, (bells ofIreland), showybracts, frag, early summer mauv, PER, 50cm, showycutflwr,July-Sept. navyblue, AN, 90cm, (shoo-fly), blkseed lanterns,Aug.-Sept. whit, AN, 1.5m, (tobacco plant,nicotine), frag, June-frost 1t& dk blue/whitmix, AN, 30cm, self-seeds,July-Aug. yell, BI, 175cm, flwrs open atdusk,July-Sept.

yell, BI, 10cm, (eveningprimrose), opens at dusk, July-Sept. pale mauv, B, 2-3m, (Scotchthistle), greyfoliage,July-Aug.

softyell, PER, 10cm, summer

pink, AN, 90cm, self-seeds, sngl ordblflwr, summer

pink, AN, 90cm, dbl, self-seeds, sun, summer

blk, AN, 1m, dbl, looks greatwith pinkdbl below, summer

pink, AN, 1m, dbl, lovelycolour, mid-summer

whit, PER, 75cm, reddishIvs, semi-evergreen,July-Aug. red, VE/AN/VI, 90cm, sun,edible,July-Aug.

red, PER, 30cm, huge blooms, moist soil, May-July red, PER, 45cm, easyto germ, ptshade, May-July

TR, 15m, (Europeanwing-nut), easiestto germ outdoors

mix, PER, 30cm, sun-pt shade, May-June

red, AN, 90-210 cm, (castorbean), purp foliage, poisonous pink, SH, 1.5m, (syn R. rubrifolia), reddish Ivs, scarlet hips,June-July

ANDE BURS MARK LUCK PILO LEUN RUNC LEGG LEGG DOLB DOLB, GARN DOLB BUCK JENK RUNC ANDE HEIN JENK JENK, SMIT BURS DOLB LEGG LEGG ANDE LEUN GARN COOM RUNC DOLB ANDE GARN BURS BURS LEGG GARN COOM ANDE HEIN BURS BURS ANDE BUCK DOLB ANDE JENK PILO BURS LEGG

129. Ruta graveolens yell, PER, 50cm, (rue), herb, blue foliage,July DOLB

130. Ruta graveolens yell, PER, 90cm, (rue), airyblue-green foliage, easy,July ANDE

131. Salvia coccinea Ladyin Red red, AN, 60cm,June-frost ANDE

132. Salvia sclarea pale pink, BI/PER, 90cm, (clary sage), July GARN

133. Sidalcea Party Girl pink, PER, 70cm, sun, July-Aug. GARN

134. Sisyrinchium idahoense dkviol-blue, PER, 15cm, grass-like foliage, May-June BURS

135.Stokesia laevis blue, PER, 60cm, (Stokes aster), re-bloom ifdeadhead,July-Aug. ANDE

136. Symphyandra hoffmannii whit, BI, 60cm, campanula-like flwrs, self-seeds, June-July DOLB

137. Symphyandra pendula whit, BI, 60cm, similar to S. hoffmannii DOLB

138.Tanacetum parthenium Aureum yell/whit, PER, 10cm, gold Ivs, daisy-like flwr, summer ANDE, BUCK

139.Tellimagrandifiora whit, PER, 50cm, (fringe cups), ptshade, April-June DOLB

140.Thalictrumflavum ssp. glaucum yell, PER, 1.25m, (synT. speciosissimum), pt shade,June-July GARN

141,Thermopsisvillosa yell, PER, 90cm, June-July DOLB

142.Thunbergia alata yell, AN/VI, (black-eyed Susanvine), shade, May-frost BUCK

143,Thunbergia fragrans pink, BU, 25cm, lvs tender, summer PILO

144,Tiarella wherryi pinkish-whit, PER, 15-20cm, shade, NAnative, May-June COOM

145,Tithonia Torch oran, AN, 2m, architectural,July-Oct. BURS, RUNC

146.Tithonia rotundifolia oran/scar, AN, (Mexican sunflower), sun-pt shade,July-Oct. HEIN

147.Tropaeolum majus mix, AN, 40cm, (nasturtium), sun-pt shade, edible,June-Sept. HEIN

148.Tulipa kaufmannia Fashion whit/yell, BU, 25cm, earlyblooming ANDE

149.Verbascumnigrum yell, PER, 1.6m, wands ofbrightflwrs, sun,July-Aug. BUCK

150.Verbascum sp. (Cotswold Group) whit, B, 100cm, purp filaments to stamens,July-Aug, LEGG

151. Verbascum sp. yell, PER, 1.5m, July-Aug. DOLB

152.Verbena bonariensis purp, AN, 1.5-2m, mixwith tall perennials, self-seeds, July-frost GARN

153.Veronica peduncularis blue withwhit eye, PER, 15cm, mat-forming, May-June ANDE

154.Veronica schmidtiana blue, PER, 15cm, easy, compact, growsMuskoka, May-July ANDE

155.Veronicastrum virginianum whit, PER, 1m, (Culver s root), moist soil,July-Sept. MARK

156.Yucca sp. whit, SH, 1.5m, well-drained soil, sun,July GARN

2002 SEED EXCHANGE ORDER_EORM.

NAME(PLEASEPRINT)

ADDRESS

Areyou a seed donor? O Yes (1 No 0 SASE enclosed

Q $4handling enclosed

Orders arefilled in theorderreceived,with donors getting first choice.You may order up to 15 packets of seed. Please write the numbers clearly on the form below, going across the page in ascending numerical order. Send the form with a SASE and a $4 cheque (payable toThe Civic Garden Centre) for handling if you wish to have the seeds shipped. If you plan to pick up your seeds at the CGC, please enclose the form, a self-addressed envelope and a chequefor$4.

DEADLINE JANUARY 18

O Addressed envelopefor pick-upenclosed {0 I'd like to help package the seeds

Saladgreensgrowing in the house in winter?Read on...

by Liz Primeau

The spring mix that started showing up in but in my garden, even outdoors in summer, they won't even sprout. (Since that first experiment I've added basil, dill and coriander to my windowsill planters because they offer up leaves that both smell and taste wonderful. I also start another pot or two a week after the first, for successive crops.)

supermarkets a few years ago used to scare me. It was so expensive! Imagine, $7.99 per pound for fancy salad greens! Of course I bought a bagful, closing my eyes at the checkout desk to shield them from the cost. The jagged and smooth leaves, the burgundies and different shades of green, reminded me of the mesclun salads we d eaten in the south of France many moons before. They 'd been tiny spears of exotic wild and tame greens with sweet, nippy and nutty flavours, nothing like the iceberg lettuce of my youth or the romaine ofmy more mature years.

I have to admit the spring mix from the supermarket didn t quite live up to the tastes of France, but its small perfect leaves and mix of colours brought back the ambience. Then one day I opened my eyes at the checkout desk and realized the eight or so cups I had in the plastic bag were actually weighing in at about $3. Not bad, considering a head of plain old lettuce was close to that in January. But being a cook of frugal nature as well as a gardener who'll try anything once, I decided to grow my own on the windowsill of course, it being earlyJanuary.

My first experience was partly successful. I used a deep pot with more soil than necessary, and the living room s west windowsill was too warm for the seedlings and just high enough for the cats. They like to bask there in January and thought I'd brought them the pot of earth as a gift. And while the sun was too hot when it shone, its light didn t last long enough for my struggling seedlings.

So I started another batch in a low, shallow plastic pot about five inches (13 centimetres) deep, filled with seed-starting mix fortified with good topsoil. I sowed shallow-growing greens oak leaf lettuce, arugula, Lollo Rossa , BlackSeeded Simpson and Red Sails , spinach, cress and mustard. Regretfully I left out the lamb s quarters; they may grow like weeds in Europe,

As I do with all seed-starting ventures, I sieve a bit of damp soil over the seeds, pressed down gently so soil and seeds made contact, and spritzed with water. Then I encased the pot in a plastic bag and put it on top of the water heater, a warm bed for germinating. Once the seeds had sprouted, the plastic came off and the pot went on the windowsill in the kitchen this time. It unfortunately faces east (south would be ideal), but felines aren t allowed.

Ofcourse I needed auxiliary light, so I bought a small, portable fluorescent growing tube, which I propped up beside the pot and turned on as soon as the sun went down, leaving it on till my bedtime. (An installed fluorescent would be better.) One could also use an incandescent grow-light, but theydon t give the same range oflight as fluorescents, which mimic the sun s rays; the incandescents are usually more convenient, however, because they re sold as spotlights and can be set on the sill or mounted on the windowframe.

Anyway, the plants in my second batch thrived. Mindful of the fact that our house was probably too warm for good growth, I set the pot for a while in front of a window and opened it slightly, protecting the plants from icy blasts with a large sheet of cardboard. Of course, I did this when my husband was out, since he writes the cheque for the heating bill. In about four weeks I had some lovely two-inch greens to cut for salads, and to come back to and cut again, as long as I hadn t trimmed off so much the first time that there was nothing left to grow. There wasn t enough for a big salad for two, but my pot provided lovely fresh leaves to garnish the top and remind us of summer. @

Taking theEEE e

Got the winter blues? Gardener, cure thyselfat Getting the Jump on Spring it sgood

medicinefor the wholefamily

by Carol Gardner

Pack up the family and join the crowd at Jump on Spring: The kids will love the Secret Garden s special activities, and you can take in a demonstration of Ikebana, the art of Japanese flower arranging.

his is the season for flu, colds and that Tworst of all winter afflictions, gardener s gloom, the overwhelming and unrequited need to get dirt under your nails and green patches on the knees of your jeans. Over the years this problem has been known by a lot of names: ligularia lust, catalpa craving, peony pining, heuchera hankering, yarrow yearning.

Call it what you will, the symptoms are the same:

Your gardening books are so dog-eared you might have to plant them this spring.

You ve worn out your mouse clicking onto Internet gardening sites.

Your kids are complaining that you ve used up all their graph paper designing and redesigning your virtual garden.

You spend the early morning drinking coffee

and staring disconsolately outside, hoping for a sign of something heck, even a weed showing its little green head above the snow.

You suspect people are starting to talk about you. And your spouse, usually so kind, suggested that you get a grip during one of your recent early-morning staring sessions.

Having one or more of these symptoms could indicate that you, too, suffer from this common affliction. Well, we have a suggestion that should offer some temporary relief: pack up the family and come to the CGC s Getting the Jump on Spring, our 6th annual horticultural open house. This is an event the whole family can enjoy, from young to older. For example, the Teaching Garden offers a supervised Corner for Kids full of enjoyable activities. And for those of more advanced years who have difficulty getting

around, indoor ramps give access to all three floors. For gardeners waiting impatiently for the first sign of spring, the day offers the rarest of all gifts hope!

All the major horticultural societies will be at the show with information about their organizations, offering tips and, new this

about it in the future. In the meantime, have a look at the imaginative and diverse designs on view they ll surely spark your creativity.

GETTING THE JUMP ON SPRING

is one day only:

SUNDAY

FEBRUARY 24

10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

As usual, the who s who of the gardening world will give talks and seminars on a wide range of topics, including ornamental potscaping, hard-to-find perennials, year, short demonstrations on techniques from rose grafting to planting water lilies. If you 've been thinking of joining one of the horticultural groups, this is a great opportunity to have a look at what they do and to generally chat them up. Canada Blooms joins us with information about its annual show in March, and gardening experts will be available to field your questions.

Admission free.

Many societies will participate in the Wheelbarrow Design Contest, a first this year. The wheelbarrow is the symbol of the CGC s revitalization and rebuilding initiative; you ll be seeing a lot more

Get Ready for Spring...

...or sweeten up the winter blahs with courses on everything from garden makeovers or planning all-season bloom to traditional soapmaking and the fine art of lkebana.

Registration for the CGC s Winter Courses begins January 7. If you don t have your complete list of courses (it was included with the November/December issue of 7rellis), a booklet with full information on topics and how to register can be picked up at the CGC.

unusual annuals, attracting birds to your garden, balcony gardening, what s new in roses, grasses, native plants, gesneriads, daylilies, clematis, environment-friendly gardening and floral design.

A La Carte, the caterer that s been so popular at recent events, will have coffee, delicious snacks and lunches available. The Trellis Shop will be chock-a-block with supplies to get you started on your spring garden. Best of all, admission is free. We d love you to join us. Being among kindred spirits may be the best medicine of all. @

Gardening in February and March? - Yes!!! GARDEN TOURS - CUBA 8"- 15"February, & 22 -29"March 2002. Fully escorted tours of Eastern Cuba s fascinating botanical gardens. Between the Caribbean Sea and the forbidding Sierra Maestra are microclimates supporting exotic species and ancient plants. Based in Santiago de Cuba the throbbing heart of Caribbean Cuba we ll enjoy luxury accommodations and the culture of the oldest colonial city in the Americas. Our guides are Cuban specialists of internationally reputation, whose gardens have been their lifework. Amid a cloud forest of giant ferns and orchids, we ll explore high altitude gardens. Our cactus expert will lead us through his multinational collection and in search of indigenous rarities. Casa de los Helechos is the 25 year labour of love ofits director who created this unique tropical fern garden in his family s home yard. Our travels will take us to orchid laboratories, medicinal plant gardens and a Bird ofParadise nursery.

For more excitement Add-on aside trip February go hunting wild orchids with our expert March attend the Jamaican Orchid Society s Annual Show in the company oftheir President

Contact Kate: South Wind Travel & Tours* Tel. 416-921-4012

Visit ourwebsite www.realcubaonline.com

by Anna Leggatt

Alcea {Althaea} rosea, a long-time favourite

THE HOLLYHOCK IS one of the first flowers that come to mind when you think of an oldfashioned cottage garden. If you want an informal look in your garden, this is definitely a plant to include, and not just for its casual appearance: it s also easy to grow and relatively trouble free. Because of their height, hollyhocks look best at the back of the border where the tall flower spikes show up well. Hollyhocks are short-lived perennials, but we usually treat them as biennials or annuals. If you start the seed indoors early, they should flower the first year.

When started outdoors and treated as a biennial, the first year s plant forms a low rosette of large, coarse, hairy leaves in a heart or maple leaf shape. The second year the flowering stalk, covered with smaller leaves, shoots up in early summer, sometimes to a height of 2.7 metres (nine feet), with a leaf spread of 90 centimetres (three feet). The flowers start in late June, and many varieties continue to bloom till frost. The blooms are long-lasting and cup-shaped, 7.512.5 centimetres (3-5 inches) across, and come in a wide range of colours reds, pinks, yellows, corals, white and a dark maroon that s almost black. Some have a dark centre eye; others are lighter in the centre. Recent breeding has produced double and dwarf strains.

Our modern hollyhocks are derived from

Win your very own copy of The GreaterPerfection

This stunning new book by Frank Cabot is for sale in the Trellis shop at $112.

To be eligible to win you must attend the Civic Garden Centre s first Edwards lecture ofthe NewYearfeaturing Brian Holley ofthe Cleveland Botanical Garden on January 30" Bring a non-memberfriend and double your chances to win.

strains that originated in China, where hollyhocks were cultivated for thousands of years. The seeds were brought to North America by early colonists.

Hollyhocks are easily grown from seed. If you obtain seed from named hybrids from friends or the CGC seed exchange (many varieties are listed this year; see page 16), don t expect them to grow true to type; the second generation may revert to the parent stock or you may have a new colour. Packaged hybrid seed from commercial sources will grow true, at least for the first generation. Start seed indoors in early February if you want bloom the first season, or outdoors once the temperature remains between 18-29°C (6585°F). Seeds germinate in 10-14 days. Cut the stem back in early August to encourage more bloom, a bushier plant and a longer life.

Hollyhocks like full sun, but they aren t choosy about soil almost any ordinary garden soil suits them. Rust can be a problem: leaves look sickly and have orange spots. Destroy the leaves and grow new plants in a different area. Plants may survive an attack of rust if leaves are removed. Watch for weevils if you save seeds the insects find the seeds delicious.

My favourite hollyhocks are the single clear yellow, the almost-black Alcea rosea Nigra and the double Powder Puff hybrids. @

Make this your New Year s resolution:

I will Be a Friend

Please give to the annual Friends of the Civic Garden Centre fund-raising program. Your giftwill help support CGC programs and services. Then think of yourfriends. A membership or donation to the CGC makes the perfect birthday, mother s day, retirement, holiday orjust-because-you-are-a-friend gift. Watch for details in your membership renewal or call 416-397-1340 for more information.

To all those who supported us last year: Thankyouforbeing a Friend.

Expert advice from the aster Gardeners

Q MyAfrlcan violet is losing its roots. The foliage seems all right, butwhat s happened to the roots?

A Root mealybugs eat the fine root hairs of African violets. Control them by submerging the pot and soil ball in 4 litres (one gallon) of water to which 30 cc Soakthe root ball in a (one tablespoon) of Malathion malathionsolution to has been added. Leavethe plant destroysoilmealybugs in the water two to three minutes, then allow it to drain thoroughly. Bear in mind the the toxicity of this chemi= cal use protective clothing and follow package instuc< tionscarefully. Don t use in the presence of children.To £ prevent a recurrence, use napthalene flakes, or crushed =mothballs, at the rate of a small pinch to a four-inch pot Sprinkle on the surface and water in well. Repeat = once more to be sure all the eggs have been destroyed. N Jenkin

Q What is rock wool? Can I make it?

A Rock wool is a mineral fibre spun on a machine and used in horticulture as a rooting medium. It s a substance formerly classed as possibly carcinogenic. Handle with care wear gloves and goggles when using it. It's sold in nurseries in sheets priced from $5 to $10.

Q I've been given a staghorn fern. How do I look after it?

A Piatycerium likes bright light but not direct sun. It needs high humidity; in a dry house, mist-spray it daily. Try ~Staghorn ferns grow to keep it cool the preferred Well in a piece ofbark, temperature is 13°C (55°F) in hanging on s wall winter and 21°C (70°F) in summer, though it can survive 24°C (75°F) ifthe humidity is high. It s best grown suspended on bark or in a hanging basket. Keep the soil moist while it s in active growth but barely moist during the winter rest period.

Distinctive Garden Accents

Leslures - Edwards Lectures

Speaker: BRIAN HOLLEY

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

Toric: Forging a Powerful New Presence: The Last EightYears at the Cleveland Botanical Garden

BRIAN HOLLEY was associated with the Royal Botanical Garden in Hamilton for 17 years before taking the helm at the Cleveland Botanical Garden in 1994, and in this talk he covers its transformation from the former Garden Center of Greater Cleveland to its nationally acclaimed present status. He shares

SpeakeRr: LIZ PRIMEAU

insights into the process of expansion and its central focus, the Glasshouse first of its kind in the world, where visitors will be able to step into the spiny desert of Madagascar and the cloud forest of Costa Rica, two of the world s most fragile ecosystems.

Members free; non-members $5

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

Toric: Learning from Classical Gardens

TWELVE YEARS AGO Liz Primeau turned her hobby into a job when she became the first editor of Canadian Gardening magazine and later host of a television series of the same name. A gardener since her 20s, she had already enjoyed a successful career in journalism as writer and editor at magazines such as Toronto Life, Weekend, Chatelaine, City Woman, and Vista. Her talk includes many

ideas for adapting features of the classic, even formal, styles of gardens past to the modern Canadian garden. Liz is currently at work on a book about front-yard gardens for Firefly Books, and after the talk she ll sign copies of her just-off-the-press second edition of Gardeningfor CanadiansforDummies. Copies will be available at the Trellis Shop.

Members free; non-members $5.

Special Lecture

Speaker: ADRIAN BLOOM

Where: FLORAL HALL

When: FRIDAY,JANUARY 11, 7:30 p.M.

Topic: GARDENING WITH CONIFERS AND OTHER PLANTS

AUTHOR, PLANTSMAN and president of Blooms of Bressingham Nursery in Norfolk, England, Adrian Bloom s special interest is in creating effective plant groupings for both large and small gardens. His personal garden, which

has one of the largest collections of conifers in the United Kingdom, is known for its yearround display of colour. In this talk he provides tips on how to use conifers in your garden with other plantings to achieve balance, structure and visual interest all year. Adrian is holder of the Royal Horticultural Society s Victoria Medal of Honour for service to horticulture. His new book, Gardening with Conifers, is available from the Trellis Shop. Admission $5

1 LOVE TREES & SHRUBS

Let your fingers do the shopping

FRESH HERBS IN WINTER

In the winter what a pleasure it is to grow your own herbs to chop for salads, add to a casserole or garnish a soup. With that in mind, I searched the Internet for assistance. By going to the portal Web site www.suite101.com and keying in growing herbs indoors , I came up with some helpful information. The second article I read, Grow an Indoor Herb Garden this Winter, by Barbara M. Martin, has a link to an excellent account by Conrad Richter of growing herbs indoors, wherein all the requirements of light, soil, water and fertilizer are covered, followed by notes on specific herbs. For further information, go to www.richters.com. Suite 101 has other articles and provides more links to other herb sites.

Book REVIEWS

The Greater Perfection: the Story of the Gardens atLes Quatre Vents

By Francis H. Cabot

New York, W.W. Norton, 2001; 327 pages; $112 at the Trellis Shop.

FRANK

CABOT S

BOOK is designed to take the reader through the various stages of expansion and development of Les Quatre Vents, Quebec s largest privately owned garden, to its current status as a worldclass horticultural attraction. The book reads like a memoir, tracing the history of the garden from its inception in 1928 by the author s parents, through its enhancement by his two architect uncles in the 1930s and 1950s to its near-completion by the author, the present owner, beginning in 1975. Today s garden, which Cabot admits may undergo more changes, combines perfectly with the natural landscape, expertly exploited in a seamless transition.

LOVE FLOWERS, MUST TRAVEL

Just a reminder: Floriade, the world horticultural exhibition held in Holland every 10 years, takes place this year. It has its own Web site, www.floriade.nl. For general information on this and other outstanding flower shows, go to www.icangarden.com.

Reviewed by Madge Bruce

Appealing to both the intellect and the emotions, the story details the garden s inspiration and reveals details of the work required to maintain it. Gardeners from all corners of the globe have come to enjoy it, including some CGC members. Frank Cabot is perfectly qualified to write this book, and not just because of the family connection. An award-winning horticulturist who s held leadership positions in major gardening organizations in the United States and Canada, he s also the founder of the Garden Conservancy, dedicated to the preservation of exceptional private gardens in North America. An artist by training, his eye for design and colour is apparent throughout Les QuatreVents.

The book is copiously illustrated with gorgeous colour photographs, covering in detail the various features and plantings that make it an exquisite garden experience. In a word, this is a stunning book, written by a visionary gardener.

JANUARY

Southern Ontario Orchid Society

Plant sale: 12:30 p.m.

Meeting: 1 p.m.

Speaker: Tom Nasser

Topic: Bulbophyllums

Information: www.so00s.ca

North Toronto Horticultural Society Meeting: 8 p.m, Floral Hall

Speaker: Connie Hunter of Canada Blooms

Information: 416-484-0677 11

Special Lecture with Adrian Bloom

Topic: Conifers in the Garden

7:30 p.m., Floral Hall

Admission: $5 13

Ontario Rock Garden Society Meeting: 1:30 p.m., Floral Hall

Speaker: Barbara Wilkins

Topic: The Drakensberg Mountains

Mini talk: Local suppliers

Information: 416-755-2325

Toronto Bonsai Society Meeting: 7 p.m.

Information: 416-755-0880 15

Toronto Cactus and Succulent Club

Annual General Meeting: 7:30 p.m.

Information: 905-877-6013

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

Ontario Water Garden Society Meeting: 12 p.m.

Speaker: Steve Watson

Topic: Filtering your pond the natural way

Information: 416-422-2164 or 416-431-3899 24

Canadian Chrysanthemum & Dahlia Society

Meeting: 8 p.m.

Information: 905-686-2834

Rhododendron SocietyofCanada

Meeting: 2 to 4 p.m.

Information: 416-226-1270

E-mail: matthew.h@home.com 30

Edwards Lecture

Speaker: Brian Holley

Topic: Forging a Powerful New Presence: The Cleveland Botanical Garden 7:30 p.m., Floral Hall

Members free; non-members $5

FEBRUARY

3

Southern Ontario Orchid Society

Plant sale: 12:30 p.m. Meeting: | p.m.

Speaker: Alan Koch

Topic: Miniature Cattleyas

Information: www.so0os.ca

CGC Ultimate GardenWorkshop

10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Floral Hall

Members $10; non-members $15

Lunch available: $15

Pre-registration: 416-397-1340 10

Ontario Rock Garden Society Meeting: 1:30 p.m., Floral Hall

Speaker: Brent Hine

Topic: Alpine Gardening

Mini talk: Trips, expeditions, garden visits

Information: 416-755-2325

Geranium, Pelargonium & Fuchsia Society Meeting: 2 p.m.

Toronto Bonsai Society Meeting: 7 p.m., Floral Hall

Information: 416-755-0880

North Toronto Horticultural Society Meeting: 8 p.m., Floral Hall

Speaker: Lorraine Flanigan

Topic: Great Ideas from the Chelsea Flower Show

Information: 416-484-0677

Edwards Lecture

Speaker: Liz Primeau

Topic: Learning from Classical Gardens

7:30 p.m., Floral Hall

Members free; non-members $5

16-17

Southern Ontario Orchid Society Show

Public: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day

Photographers only: Sunday, 8 to 10 a.m. Information: www.soos.ca

Mycological Society ofToronto Meeting: 7 p.m

Speaker: t.b.a.

Information: 416-444-9053

Organic Landscape Alliance

Annual general meeting: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Must pre-register; includes lunch and speaker Contact: 416-596-7989 or toll free 866-820-0279

CGC Getting theJump on Spring

10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission: free

Information: 416-397-1340

Canadian Chrysanthemum & Dahlia Society Meeting: 8 p.m.

Information: 905-686-2834

Schedules can change after press time; be sure to check ahead.

We are involved in Canada Blooms inMarch2002 in a BIG way and need volunteers for the following positions: customer service, selling books and garden giftware, decorating ourtwo boothsin BloomsAvenue andoutside the lecture area, booth assembly and dismantling (calling all ourextra-strong helpers), inventory control, book signings and horticulturistsin fact, we have ajob for everyone! Help make us look good atthis year s Canada Blooms. To volunteercall Mary Strachan at416-397-4145 ore-mail her at volunteers@civicgardencentre.org

Bermuda Gardens, March 2003. <

Based in a delightful hostel we study birds, tropical botany and seashore life. Our fourth tour to this magical island. For free Catalogue and Newsletter and itineraries, call George Bryant at Travel helpers (416) 443-0583 or 1-877-245-2424.

Great Gardens of England and More - Exclusive

small group (maximum 6) small roads tours of gardens and places = of interest in Britain. Variety of itineraries for 2002, plus customized CIICk your Way to tours. Combine with your visit to Chelsea or Hampton Court the Explore the Flower Shows, WAFA or Floriade. Information from Judy Prentice < . 905-947-4595. Email: judyp@acncanada.net