Trellis - V29, No2 - Mar 2002

TRELLIS

THE CI1viIc GARDEN CENTRE at Edwards Gardens

WhoWedre

TheCivicGardenCeatre 1958, is avolunteer-based, no nization whose mission is resource forgardening,horticultu environmental issues byencours promoting involvement, and gatherin; seminating and interpreting informatio order to enhance the quality of life formel bersofthe community.

What We Offer

locatedatEdwardsGmns,meCimcm en Centre offers many programs and sef / including year-round activities for fa children. Our horticultural library

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 . . Ueo o cmv v i 416-397-1340

Fax o3in it S WG Satagasoo416-397-1354

E-mall o v sl aa cgc@infogarden.ca

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

Course E-mail ........... courses@infogarden.ca

CGCHbRAY. . . o s o 416-397-1343

Library E-mail ........... library@infogarden.ca

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.

Rentals . i i s dasing e 416-397-1349

Rentals E-mail .......... rentals@infogarden.ca

Trellig Shop 5o oo ool G 416-397-1357

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

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

odmals and a large colpamphlets,nursery and 11asa great selection of eni g books. Horticultural rvices offersfreegardeninginforound, and the Trellis Shop has que gifts, books and gardening supfor sale. The Teaching Garden has been . a working garden to foster interest educatepeople in the love and values of lening and the natural world. As acommu7 service, Artinthe Link offers galleryspace alartists. As well, the CGC has a wide banquet halls,meeting rooms and withaccesstoEdwards Gardens, tos favourite garden spots.

-

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, JudyFloyd,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

Capital Campaign Director Janice Turner King

Course Co-ordinator Rosetta Leung

Developement Co-ordinator Niti Bhotoia

Horticultural Assistant Nicole North

Librarian Mara Arndt

Maintenance Supervisor Walter Morassutti

Rental Co-ordinator Angela Carruthers

Teaching Garden Co-ordinator Shannon Collins

Volunteer Co-ordinator Mary Strachan

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 2

EDITOR

Lorraine Flanigan

DESIGN

June Anderson

EDITORIALVOLUNTEERASSISTANTS

M. Arndt, T. Coombes, M. Magee

VOLUNTEER PROOFREADERS

M. Bruce,J. McCluskey

L. & S. Skinner

~ ADVERTISING 416#397#1351

Printedby

HarmonyPrinting on recycled paper [4 oK)

Trellis is published six times a year asamembers newsletter by The Civic Garden Centre at Edwards Gardens. 777 Lawrence Avenue East,Toronto, Ontario - M3C1P2,416-397-1340.

Manuscriptssubmittedonavoluntary basis are gratefully received. Noremunerationispossible.

Articles, manuscripts and advertising material must be received by the first of the month to ensure publication eight weeks later. For example, material for the May/June lssue must be received by March

Opinions expressed in Trellis do not necessarily reflect those of the Centre. Submissions may be editedforstyleandclarity.

All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited

bontents

Deiartmgts | 4 Note

rom the Boar

Proudly pursuing our mandate 6 Notes from the Corner Office

The CGC at Canada Blooms 8 Volunteer News

Involving our volunteers in a community

What s happening during March Break?

The Year of the Vinca

Pruning tips from the Master Gardeners

Books for kids, a book for herb gardeners

Focus on Pesticides

The first in a series of articles on pesticides

cCamouflageYour Garden

Six strategies for outwitting Bambi

to Plant & Garden Magazine

Lorraine Hunter bids goodbye

Japanese flower arranginghas roots in the past

Plants are waking up from winter s slumbers

Chase

N"[BS from the Board

; " byTracey Lawko ® PRESIDENT

Growmg the branches of our mandate

its mandate to promote an interest in gardening, conservation, research and horticulture to achieve community improvement and that is something every member, volunteer and staffperson can be proud of!

The CGC' s horticultural library has extended its reach through the Internet. Now, not only can you access a wealth of information about the CGC and its activities through our website www.infogarden.org but you can also access the library catalogue online from

The CGC is growing in almost all aspects of The hugely successful Teaching Garden is extending its season and its activities by offering educational gardening programs for children at Canada Blooms. The Children s Activity Workshop, generously sponsored by Canadian Tire, offers a wonderful opportunity for the CGC to further raise public awareness of the wonderful programs and services that the CGC provides to the community. By offering education for children in a new garden at Canada Blooms, we are able to grow our mandate of providing gardening instruction your own home. The online cat- to the public. alogue is a great tool when With 2 geneious With a generous donation searching for general topics as donati n vmthe from the Garfield Weston well as for advanced searches on Ga dd Weston Foundation, we have the seed specific titles and authors. For Foundation, we | money to initiate a Horticultural example, [ wanted to find out have the seed Therapy program at the CGC. what resources the library has money to initiate | The funds will allow us to comon herbs; my search showed a Horticultural plete a feasibility study to deterthat we have 249 books on the mem pyprogram mine what educational and thersubject and 84 journal articles, at the CGC. apeutic programs the CGC can each one listed individually. offer as well as to design and With the help of a grant from the Trillium Foundation, we ve been able to grow our mandate to disseminate more gardening information to the public through the library s online catalogue.

An important part of our mandate is to sponsor horticultural competitions. So, we ve added a new component to our popular horticultural open house Getting theJump on Spring a horticultural design competition featuring wheelbarrows. Garden Clubs and Horticultural Societies have been invited to apply their creativity and showcase their group in a large or small wheelbarrow design on the themes of Expansion Celebrating Growth , Getting a Jump on Spring Celebrating Spring and A Tapestry of Green Celebrating Foliage . I can t wait to see the entries!

test initial programs. We are mandated to promote the investigation and research into the therapeutic value of gardening and to establish gardens for ailing, convalescent, handicapped and underprivileged persons. Through this program, the CGC will reach out to a broader community, establishing itself as an important resource in the discipline of Horticultural Therapy. This donation has given new life to a neglected branch of the CGC mandate!

As we grow each of the branches of our mandate, we get closer to our vision of being the premier centre for horticulture in Ontario. To everyone who has contributed to the development of these initiatives, from conception to implementation, I extend a heartfelt thank you. And please, keep up the good work! @

HELLO: GOODBYE

LorraineFlanigan NamedNewTrellis Editor DiStinctive Trellis has a new editor debuting with this issue.

Lorraine Flanigan, garden writer and columnist, brings her experience as publisher of GardenMart, the Newsletterfor Canadian Gardeners, to her position as editor of 7rellis. Lorraine is an active volunteer at the CGC, a Master Gardener in training and an enthusiastic instructor of the Gardening on the Internet workshop at the CGC. A self-proclaimed obsessive gardener, Lorraine looks forward to providing 7rellis readers with lots of inspiration for their own horticultural passions.

Lorraine is taking over from Liz Primeau, gardening writer, author and founding editor of Canadian Gardening. Liz has resigned as editor of Trellis to concentrate on book writing and other assignments. During her tenure over the past three years, Trellis has undergone a redesign by art director June Anderson, bringing a fresh, new look to the publication that has been well received by readers. I've enjoyed working with everyone, said Liz. It s been very rewarding to see Trellis change and improve. | hope it continues to grow and prosper under the new editor.

by Lorraine Hunter

GARDEN

Sonia's new book "Tulips: facts & folklore about the world's most planted flower" will also be on sale at the show

Garden Accents

from the Corner Office

by Douglas Markoff ® Execumive DIRECTOR

The CGC grows at Canada Blooms

The Civic Garden Centre continues to grow

in many ways. The most recent way will be through our participation in three prominent, and distinct, areas at Canada Blooms. Held at the Metro Convention Centre from March 13 to 17, 2002, this event has attracted over 115,000 gardening enthusiasts in each of the last two years. Canada Blooms offers an extraordinary opportunity for the CGC to raise public awareness about our gardening and horticultural programs and community services as well as to generate revenue and increase membership while having a great time doing it.

attention to their many services, such as the free gardening Q&A forum on the CGC Web site (www.infogarden.ca) and their horticultural fact sheets.

Free admission to Canada Blooms is one

The third area at Canada Blooms where visitors will see us is the Canadian Tire Children s Activity Workshop. An exciting partnership between the CGC s Teaching Garden and Canadian Tire, this large themed garden and children s activity area will be located in the feature gardens area. For more about The Teaching Garden activities at Canada Blooms and at the CGC during March Break read Shannon

Under the canopy of our of the benefits of Collins columnon page 9. booth on Blooms Avenue, the vVolunteeringfor the The CGC has been very busy retail area of gardening-related CGCat this world-class preparing, organizing and products on the 600 level of horticultural event. designing each of these booths the Convention Centre, the CGC will feature our popular Trellis Shop. This year our booth is larger to accommodate additional inventory and to allow customers to browse more comfortably.

Canada Blooms has lined up an exciting array of speakers that includes many internationally and locally acclaimed garden writers. As the official bookseller and book-signing venue for Canadian Gardening s Speakers Series, the CGC and its staff and volunteers will be selling a wide range of books. Following each talk, the authors participating in the garden writers series will be signing their books at our booth on the 700 level.

Combined with the bookselling and signing area is our Hort Happenings booth where we ll be promoting the benefits of joining The Civic Garden Centre and highlighting our many wonderful programs and services. A focal point of this booth will be an exciting collaboration with the Toronto Master Gardeners. The Master Gardeners will lend their expertise to answer the public s gardening questions and to draw

for Canada Blooms. The preparations and the manning of these exhibits require a closely co-ordinated effort among staff and volunteers. As with all CGC programs and special events, assistance from volunteers is essential to our success. The call for volunteers went out early this year but help is still needed. Training will be provided to ensure everyone is comfortable with their responsibilities. And, don t forget that free admission to Canada Blooms is one of the benefits of volunteering for the CGC at this world-class horticultural event. Anyone who has been to Canada Blooms knows this is a show that must be seen; at this time of the year, we re more than ready to get out and have our senses stimulated. All volunteers, including new volunteers interested in getting involved, are invited to contact Mary Strachan, the CGC s Volunteer Co-ordinator, by phone at 416-397-4145 or by e-mail atvolunteers@infogarden.ca. Remember, this is your Civic Garden Centre and you are a key ingredient in our collective success. @

AnnualSoring Open House

News

by Mary Strachan

Building a community of volunteers

I M OFTEN ASKED to find people with certain skills and training to volunteer for positions such as working in the library. So, last November I attended a workshop called Marketing Approaches to Volunteer Recruitment and Retention. The knowledgeable and entertaining fellows who gave the workshop made the point that at a time when organizations have a greater need for volunteers, fewer people are volunteering. They propose that a marketing approach may offer a solution to this dilemma. In their marketing terms, volunteers are the customers whose time (and

ving frail seniors around. It seems that these activities are just a natural part of life for my mother and many others like her. Hmm ... no marketing strategies needed here.

Community involvementfor the

sake ofa better communityand/or with a bit ofhesitation and even a

The more I thought about it, the more I wondered whether or not my mom even considers herself a volunteer. There is no doubt that her efforts are unpaid, that they make a positive contribution to her community and to society, and that she enjoys doing them. So, I called her again and asked her if she volunteers anywhere. Well, sort of , she responded how they choose to spend it) is @ greater cause ... hint of shame. I do things for the their currency . The challenge is being replaced church and the fair but if you for organizations like The Civic bya more mean do I volunteer for cancer or Garden Centre is to convince vol- prescribed act of something like that, no, I don t. unteers to choose its product valunteering. And I should. (the volunteer opportunity) not just over other volunteer opportunities but over all other time demands. All of this gave me a lot to think about in terms of the CGC s volunteer program.

That same evening, I called my mom to check in and to see how she was doing. She was in the middle of making six dozen hardboiled eggs. There was a funeral the next day and it was the turn of her UCW (United Church Women) unit to provide the funeral lunch. You don t have to make devilled eggs, do you? I asked with much concern. No, she said, just egg salad sandwiches. Phew! We talked for a while, and after I hung up, I thought about how my mom becomes involved in making these sandwiches. I know for a fact that no one calls her and says: Would you volunteer to make sandwiches? Nor is she asked to volunteer for the dozens of other things she does leading 4-H clubs, serving at hundreds of church and fall fair suppers, knitting socks, mittens and scarves, sewing costumes for local plays and dri-

It seems to me that the notion of community involvement for the sake of a better community and/or a greater cause that shapes my mother s volunteer activities is being replaced by a more prescribed act of volunteering. Organizations have volunteer co-ordinators on staff who are responsible for volunteer programs. Some high school and MBA students are now required to complete a certain number of volunteer hours before graduating. The Civic Garden Centre is often asked to prove that we are a volunteer-based organization. As such, we ask our volunteers to think in this prescribed way by recording their volunteer hours. And we attend workshops to teach us how to use marketing strategies to recruit and retainvolunteers.

Maybe I need to move on from the community-based ideals ofvolunteering, pull out my notes from the workshop and get to work. Maybe not. Maybe the challenge is to create the feeling of community participation and involvement within this new paradigm of prescriptive volunteering. Hmm, I may be onto something ... @

by Shannon Collins

March Break Mania & Canada Blooms

WITH EXCITING NEW March Break programs and an interactive children s area at Canada Blooms, the Teaching Garden has lots to offer budding young gardeners. Gnomes, Creepy Crawlies and Puppets

Children participating in March Break Mania (March 11 to 15) at the Teaching Garden this year will experience a flurry of exciting new programs. As they did last year, parents will be able to register their six- to nine-year-olds for from one to five full days of creative programming. The Teaching Garden is lucky enough to have two Queen s University education students doing their March Break alternative practicums with us. They will lead the first day of March Break activities. Nimble Nature Gnomes is for the nature-loving child who is ready to go outside in the cold and learn about the cycles and systems of our environment through various hiking and other fun activities. Inside, the kids will create ecology arts and crafts.

Among our talented and dedicated bunch of volunteers, the Teaching Garden is privileged to have Jean Godawa, entomologist extraordinaire and founder of Class Insecta, a travelling bug education business for children. With her creepy crawly friends from all over the world, Jean will be leading Bug Day on Tuesday when children will learn about insects and bugs.

Of course, March Break would not be the same without a visual arts day (that s Art-Ability on Wednesday) when the participants will learn the basics of sketching and painting. On Thursday, kooky characters will pop up with Puppet Pandemonium. Children will recycle and reuse materials to make their own puppets, ending the day with their own puppet shows. Finally, on Friday, March 15, participants will Dabble in Drama and learn how to use movement and voice through a special selection offun drama activities. Tree House Activity Area at Canada Blooms In addition to the March Break programs, the

Teaching Garden and Canadian Tire are working in partnership to create an interactive children s area at Canada Blooms.

This exciting new venture with Canadian Tire is bound to bring new faces into The Civic Garden Centre and out into the Teaching Garden programs. The children s interactive area will host a tree house planting area for kids as well as featuring children s gardens throughout its East to West Canada theme. Please come out and visit from March 13 to 17 at Canada Blooms.

We will need enthusiastic volunteers who enjoy working with children for all of these upcoming events; please consider the Teaching Garden when you think of positive ways to share your time. Call the Teaching Garden at 416-397-1355 or send us an e-mail at teachinggarden@infogarden.org. v

MILNE HOUSE GARDEN CLUB 416-449-3664

invites you to our Third Legacy Eventa DEMONSTRATION & WORKSHOP given by

ANDREAS VERHELIJEN from The Netherlands

AT: The Civic Garden Centre at Edwards Gardens

Demonstration in the Floral Hall

ON: Thursday, March 14, 2002

AT: 12:30 pm. COST: $15.00

Workshop in the Floral Hall

ON: Friday, March 15, 2002

AT: 10:00 a.m. COST: $20.00

A SPECIAL THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROUS DONATIONS

The Civic Garden Centre wishes to extend a heartfelt thank you to each individual and company who donated products and in-kind services to us during 2001.Your generosity and thoughtfulness contributed to our success.

ChristineAdamus

BarbaraAnderson

Mara Arndt

Aina Balodis

Gert Burandt

Andrew Henstra

Pauline Hinch

John Hopkins

Tim Horton Donuts

Huntsville Downs Golf and

CanadianTire Country Club

Sou Wah Chang

Marilyn Chapman

City ofToronto Parks and Recreation

Norm Huth

Ross Knechtel

Gail Krantzberg

The Civic Garden Centre Board of Sandra Louet

Directors

Tish Coombes

V. Cox

Janet Davis

Susan & Geoffrey Dyer

Edwards Gardens staff

Mary Fisher

Lorraine Flanigan

Marie Foley and Francois Fourmy

Robert Lowrey s Piano Experts

Mark sWorkWarehouse

Douglas Markoff

Barbara Mayer

McBlooms

Milne House Garden Club

PlantWorld Nursery and Greenhouse

Joy Reddy

Richter s Herbs

Rosemary Sheppard

Royal Bank of Canada

Marjorie Shu

Darren Sigesmund

Loretta Skinner

Southern Ontario Orchid Society

Pamela Stagg

Amy Stewart

KayTakaoka

David Taylor

Doreen Taylor

Toronto Master Gardeners

HarryVan Belle,Van Belle Garden

Minuteman Press Limited

Barbara Mortenson

Niagara Parks School of Horticulture

Maggie Fox and Anne MarieVan Nest

The Garden Club ofToronto

Tony Grinevicius

Nicole North

Plant & Garden

GloriaVarley

Volunteers ofthe CGC, for all our special events and daily operations

Marion Walker

Barbara Wilkins

New Faces in and around the Civic Garden Centre

THE CGC WELCOMES NITI BHOTOIA, ANGELA CARRUTHERS, AND JANICE KING

#3Niti Bhotoia

DEVELOPMENT CO-ORDINATOR

With an honours degree in mass communications and women' s studies from York University as well as a postgraduate certificate in fundraising and volunteer management, Niti Bhotoia joins the CGC staff as development co-ordinator. Niti will be responsible for assisting the campaign director in all aspects of our capital campaign and with specific annual fundraising programs.

#%Angela Carruthers

RENTAL CO-ORDINATOR

Angela Carruthers graduated from York University with an honours degree in sociology in April 2000. She then secured a contract position at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and

spent the year travelling and working in Australia. Throughout her university years she worked in the event industry and she is continuing her education at Ryerson as she works to complete her certificate in nonprofit and voluntary sector management.

#*Janice Turner King CAPITAL CAMPAIGN DIRECTOR

After more than 12 years of professional leadership in fundraising, most recently as acting director of development for the National Ballet of Canada, Janice is sharing this experience with the Civic Garden Centre as director of our capital campaign. In this role she will be providing her expertise to a dedicated team of CGC volunteers and staff to secure the financial support necessary to revitalize the Centre.

Don t Miss Out onJune Garden Tours

The CGC has lined up three exciting tours, so grab your cameras for some greatgarden gazmg

Tourthe Town and Country

The Glonous Gardens of Gardens ofPort Hope Prince Edward County Be firstin line for the Qut-of-TownTour to Port Hope on June 26 and 27, 2002 Tuesday, June 18. Organized by Bayla Gross, the tour features many town and country gardens that have not been featured on our previous tours of the area. Tour departs The Civic Garden Centre at 8:30 a.m. and returns about 6:00 p.m. Lunch at an attractive local restaurant is included. Members $80; non-members $90. Register now to ensure a place on the bus! Call 416-397-1340.

JOIN US FOR a two-day CGCsponsored tour of private gardens in Bloomfield, Wellington and Picton. While staying at a charming B&B in the middle of an artist s community, we ll explorea number of private gardens, enjoy demonstrations

You've read about them, now visitthem by local artisans, take a winery at the CGC s 15th annual garden tour tour and dine on scrumptious " amug Qaazden @ate meals while learningall about o Saturtd : Ntk £ local horticulture and history. Sunday, June 16 What s not to like? For more featuring details, watch for the next The privategardens ofLawrence Park issue of Trellis.

The Civic Garden Centre

Annual General Meeting Tuesday, April 23, 7:30 p.m.

To be followed at 8 p.m. by an Edwards Lecture featuring Thomas Hobbs, author and proprietor ofthe famous Southlands Nursery, Vancouver. Hobbs hastitled his presentation TheJewelBoxPrinciple: Channelling a Plantsman s Urge.

Free to CGCMembers/non-members $5.00

The Civic Garden Centre

The Floral Hall 777 Lawrence Avenue East Toronto, Ontario M3C 1P2 416-397-1340

In the Pesticide Wars, Confusion Wins

In thefirstin a series ofarticles examiningthe use ofpesticides, Carol Gardnermakes a not-so-gentlepleaforsanity.

imported from their native habitat, their predators often tag along with them; the predators enemies do not. Suddenly, there is no natural control.

I n 1962, when The Civic Garden Centre was Finding an environmentally sensitive solution for fighting pests like these is not easy for the home gardener.

in its infancy, an American biologist named Rachel Carson wrote a book that would reverberate within the environmental and economic sectors of North America until the present day. In Silent Spring, Carson warned that pesticides, including insecticides, herbicides or weed Kkillers as well as fungicides and rodenticides were a threat to both the environment and all the creatures that lived in its soil, used its water and breathed its air.

Carson believed that we had found ourselves in the position of needing pesticides for two basic reasons: the intensification of single-crop agriculture and the importation of organisms from their native homes to other parts of the globe. In primitive agricultural conditions, farmers relied on nature s built-in checks and balances to control the insect population; but, with massive single-crop plantings, the insects that live on a particular crop can grow and prosper without encountering many of the natural predators that would have been present in a multicrop environment. Moreover, when plants are

The pesticide wars have been raging for so long now that Carson s words are no longer particularly shocking. However, in 1962, pesticides were not widely feared, even though many of the synthetic pesticides had come about as the result of research into weapons of chemical warfare during the Second World War. To gauge the effect of assorted chemicals on man, insects were often used as guinea pigs. After the war, the results of the wartime research were applied to the killing of insects that were a threat to crops. The origin of many modern pesticides is not in dispute. What is disputed is the effect of these pesticides on plants, animals and man.

This is where it gets very messy. In one corner we have some very heavy hitters from the worlds of the environment, health and science, including the Ontario College of Family Physicians, the Canadian Public Health Association and the Learning Disabilities Association of Canada who all say that pesticides affect neurological development, reproduction, growth and the functioning of the endocrine and immune systems. The World Wildlife Fund maintains that pollution from toxic chemicals threatens life on this planet every ocean and every continent is contaminated . . .

The Urban Pest Management Council of Canada, which represents pesticide manufacturers, says that their products are perfectly safe if used according to label directions. They claim that an outright ban on pesticides is an overreaction based on misinformation. They ques-

tion the scientific integrity of many of the antipesticide studies and point to other studies that show that the pesticide exposure of the average person in normal circumstances is significantly lower than the standards set by the World Health Organization. Humans, they say, ingest about 10,000 times more of nature s pesticides than of manmade ones: for example, the risk in drinking a glass of apple juice from fruit treated with the pesticide Alar is 58 times less than the hazard of consuming the natural carcinogens contained in one mushroom. Theywarn that a ban on pesticides would have serious long-term consequences including a drop in real estate values, the devastation of golf courses and sports fields and the risk of severe insect infestations that could spread to agriculture and lead to an outbreak of mosquito-borne disease.

appears, without all hell breaking loose!

The origin ofmany modern pesticides is not in dispute. What is disputed is the effect ofthese pesticides on plants, animals and man.

A case in point is Hudson, Quebec, where, after a long and bitter battle, the Supreme Court of Canada upheld a town bylaw that banned the cosmetic use of pesticides within municipal boundaries, including on private property. Since Hudson s fight began, 36 other Quebec municipalities have passed bylaws restricting the cosmetic use of pesticides and, in July 2000, Halifax, Nova Scotia, became the first major city in Canada to ban the use of pesticides on residential lawns and gardens. The law is being phased in over a four-year period. After a recent presentation by the Toronto Environmental Alliance, Toronto s council voted unanimously to talk to the public about restricting pesticide use on private property.

The industry is recommending what they call integrated pest management reducing the need for pesticides through good horticultural practices and, when pesticides are needed, using the least toxic material for the job. For many of their opponents, that s not good enough. They are fighting for a complete ban on using toxic chemicals for purely aesthetic reasons (to make your lawn look better, for instance).

Under the auspices of Health Canada, the Pest Management Regulatory Agency manages Canada s Pest Control Products the legislation that regulates the use of pest control substances. The Ontario Pesticides Act establishes a classification system for pesticides and regulates their storage and disposal as well as the licensing of operators. However, municipalities can pass bylaws that express local concerns but not, it

For the concerned home gardener, trying to make an informed decision is a herculean task. After wading through stacks of studies and counter-studies, I wanted nothing more than to hide in my clothes closet, suck my thumb and say, like Scarlett O Hara, I ll think of it all tomorrow, at Tara. I can stand it then.

Nevertheless, the issue is too important to ignore. And so, with this series, we will try to present as fairly as possible the major issues surrounding pesticides, hopefully without sending you running to your closets as well. In the end, whatever individual conclusions we reach, we may all agree with Albert Schweitzer that man can hardly even recognize the devils of his own creation. @

Carol Gardner is an active Civic Garden Centre volunteerandfreelance garden writer.

Camouflage Your Garden with Deer-Resistant Plants

Be careful whoyou invite intoyourgarden. That beautiful bob-tailedBambi might trampleyourplants, mangleyourshrubberyand devouryourflowers.

Lorna Lukeoffers sixstrategiesfor outwitting this marauder.

hen a gardening friend returned to Wher cottage after a particularly harsh winter, she was dismayed to find that deer had eaten her garden including her favourite plants hydrangeas, hostas, lilacs, and tulips as well as a cedar hedge planted when the cottage was built 50 years ago. Although she threatened to stop gardening altogether, she couldn t imagine cottage life without a garden so she decided to try another approach.

For northern and rural gardeners, gardening can be a challenge especially in the late winter and early spring when deer are at their hungriest. This is when they declare open season on plants and trees. To discourage these marauders you could resort to chemical repellents and fencing, but sometimes repellents are ineffective and while fencing is a practical option it s expensive and unsightly. A better solution is to work with nature by camouflaging your garden with deerresistant plants.

1. Let nature show the way

Deer so cute, so destructive

Mimic nature by noting which plants deer avoid they re usually plants that are native to your area. Generally, deer will stay away from plants with thorns or spiny leaves such as Colorado blue spruce Picea pungens, barberry Berberis and holly Ilex, plants with a strong flavour and pungent taste such as boxwood Buxus, and strongly aromatic plants, shrubs and herbs. Because they rely on their sense of smell to determine what is safe and desirable to eat, a variety of strong odours such as chives or sage tends to confuse the deer. Usually they ll leave, preferring areas where they can easily identify what they are eating.

2. Keep lush leaves out of reach

Choose shrubs and trees whose architecture will discourage deer. Tall plants where deer can t reach the leaves will thrive and go untouched. Even a crabapple tree, which deer usually like to eat, will survive ifits limbs are high enough.

Although no plant is completely deer-proof, resistant plants are those that are, for the most part, not attractive to deer. How resistant a plant is depends on weather conditions, the size of deer populations, the availability of other, more palatable foods and deer eating habits that vary from area to area. The hungrier the deer, the less selective they are.

Bearing these points in mind, here are six ways to create a deer-resistant garden.

3. Wrap or cage trees

In the fall, install a tree wrap such as chicken wire, tying it loosely around the trunks of trees. Remove the wrap in June to allow for trunk expansion during the growing season and so that the tree looks more attractive. Or, use blackplastic mesh that blends with the colour ofthe trunk and leave the mesh on the tree year-round. To protect large trees, make a cage around the tree until it grows beyond the deer s reach.

4. Spring strategies

In the spring when deer will eat almost anything, don t feed your plants with a high nitrogen fertilizer. It only promotes foliage growth which in turn attracts deer. To make plants less palatable to deer, you can spray them with a deer repellent for several weeks when plants put on spurts of appetizing new growth.

5. Design a landscape of unappetizing plants When creating your landscape, choose plants that are unappetizing to deer. The accompanying lists provide a selection of plants that are rarely eaten and a warning of those that are deer candy. While using only the plants that deer find unattractive can make landscape

designing a challenge, these plants will have a better chance of flourishing in the garden than those that are more appealing to deer. In using these lists bear in mind that deer eating habits vary from area to area.

6. Hide attractive plants behind a scent barrier

Once you have established a garden of deer-resistant plants, you can try adding a few plants that are attractive to deer these plants are more likely to survive hidden behind the scent barrier ofpungent herbs, shrubs and trees thatyou have created. @

Lorna Luke is a member of the Trellis Committee and signs upfor as manygardening courses as she can.

PLANTSTHAT DEER RARELY EAT

PERENNIALS SHRUBS AND SUB-SHRUBS

Achilleafilipendulina Yarrow Amelanchierspp. Serviceberry

Aconitum spp. Monkshood Berberis spp. Barberry Ajuga reptans * Common bugleweed Buxus spp. Boxwood

Aquilegia spp. Columbine Cotoneasterspp. Cotoneaster Artemisia schmidtiana Wormwood Ilexspp. Holly Asarum europaeum Wild ginger Juniperus spp. Juniper

Asclepias tuberosa Butterflyweed Lavandula angustifolia Lavender

Astilbe spp. Astilbe Perovskia atriplicifolia Russian sage

Convallaria majalis Lily-of-the-valley Pieris spp. Pieris

Delphinium Elatum Group Delphinium

Dicentra spectabilis Bleeding heart

Digitalis spp. Foxglove

Euphorbia spp. Spurge

Potentillafruticosa Shrubbycinquefoil

Spiraeajaponica Japanese spirea

Amelanchierspp. Serviceberry

Gaillardia xgrandiflora Blanketflower Betula nigra River birch

Galium odoratum Sweetwoodruff

Helleborus spp. Hellebore

Magnolia spp. Magnolia

Picea pungens f.glauca cvs. Colorado blue spruce

Lamium maculatum Deadnettle BULBS

Monarda Bee balm Narcissus Daffodil fiepetaspp. Cotint

Pachysandra terminalis Japanese spurge

Paeonia Peony

Pulmonaria spp. Lungwort

Salvia nemorosa Sage

*MAYBEINVASIVE

PLANTS DEER LOVETO EAT

Acerplatanoides Norway maple

Cornus mas Cornelian cherry

Solidago spp. Goldenrod Euonymus spp. Euonymous

Stachys byzantina Lamb s ears

Thymus spp. Thyme

BIENNIALS

Digitalis spp. Foxglove

Myosotissylvatica Forget-me-not

FERNS

Matteuccia struthiopteris Ostrich fern

ORNAMENTAL GRASSES

Helictotrichon sempervirens Blue oat grass

Leymus arenarius * Lyme grass

Miscanthussinensis Eulalia grass

Phalaris arundinacea * Ribbon grass

Hemerocallis Daylily

Hosta Plantain lily

Malus spp. Apple and crabapple

Pinusmugo Mugo pine

Prunus (fruit-bearing species) Cherry, plum and peach

Pyrus (fruit-bearing species) Pear

Rhododendron (most) Azalea, Rhododendron

Rosa (most, particularly hybrids)Rose

Taxus spp. Japanese and English yew

Trillium spp. Trillium

Tulipa

Tulip

Vinca minor Periwinkle

Fond Farewell to Canada s Practical Gardening Magazine

by Lorraine Hunter

Ihave some sad news.

Plant & Garden has ceased publication. The publisher has decided to sell the subscription list to a competitor. It seems that Canada s practical gardening magazine, the one for people who like to get their hands and knees dirty, no longer exists.

nnnnn

For me, the past four and a half years have been among the best of all my working days. I've looked forward to going to work just about every day. I've met some wonderful people. The contributors and readers have never failed to inspire me. And I've learned so much about gardening, a subject and pastime I've always loved. I've also discovered how much I don t know about it and how much more there is to learn. Perhaps now I ll have more time to put into practice some of the practical knowledge I ve gleaned.

November/December is the last issue ofPlant& Garden, Canada s practical gardening magazine

you from the grower for using an Icicle Pansy on what was to become our second-last cover.

That s six, six-packs of pansies per flat for a total of 36 times 80 or 2,880 individual plants. In desperation I called some friends to help unload them. Before long my double garage was full. But of course we could. n t leave them there. My garden could accommodate several dozen but I'd have to find homes for most of them, and soon. I invited just about everyone I knew with a garden to my house for a pansy party . I delivered them to work colleagues, family members, neighbours and close friends. I extended the invitation to many not-so-close friends ... then it was friends of friends ... friends of my neighbours ... neighbours of my friends ... people out walking their dogs ... And eventually we found homes for just about all of them.

There have, of course, been some rough patches over the years and lots of challenges such as meeting deadlines, keeping within my editorial budget and finding the perfect cover photo. But there have been some exceptional highlights, too: touring the bulb fields and gardens ofHolland; being welcomed to some ofthe most wonderful gardens in the south of England; visiting public and private gardens across Canada.

And - probably the event that most people on my street won t soon forget the day when a huge refrigerator truck arrived at my door with 80 flats of Icicle Pansies, a personal thank

On Christmas Day my garden was still full of purple and yellow pansies and I'm sure they re still there under the soft, fluffy white stuff from this winter s snowfall. When the ground starts to warm up again, I may no longer be editor of Plant & Garden, but I will once again think of these past four years when the Icicle Pansies poke their heads up through the snow to remind me. @

Lorraine Hunter, editor of the now defunct Plant & Garden magazine, is a member of the Civic Garden Centre s Board ofDirectors and chairofthe Trellis Committee.

Welcome to Spring & Summer 2002

As the sun begins to warm the soil, it s time to get into the dirt. The Civic Garden Centre s courses provide a wealth ofgardening information. Browse through these pages to uncover what we have sprouting for you!

Several new items to note. We are introducing monthly classes lead by our staff horticulturists. These are listed on the facing page and are suitable for beginning gardeners. Save some frustration and learn the tools ofthe trade and lingo from the start. Our staff horticulturists, Cathie and Nicole, will be happy to answer any questions you come with and are keen to share their secrets of successful gardening. Seasoned gardeners are welcome to drop by for a bit of a refresher, and perhaps to pick up a handy hint or good idea. And as a gift, when you come to any five of the monthly classes, join us for free at the December workshop, where we will plant a festive container.

For Civic Garden Centre members who also volunteer with us, we now offer a further $5 discount off our member s price for every course in this book. This is our way of saying thanks for helping to make our many year-round programs and services possible.

Come one and all, and grow with us!

Rosetta Leung, Course Coordinator

Sheppard Ave.

INTRODUCTION TO GARDENING: MONTHBYMONTH

New! Join our staff horticulturists for a breakdown of what needs to be done in your garden year-round. Gardening basics for the beginner; from soils and tools to plants and maintenance. We will demonstrate the techniques, share some terminology and answer your questions.

Come to any five of our monthly classes this year and attend the December workshop free (materials fee applies). Workshops for September, October and November will be listed in our fall course booklet available in August. Fee for each course listed below: members $20; non-members $30. Time: 6 to 9 p.m.** Advance registration is required.

APRIL 16 Getting Your Garden Ready for the Season

= Soil preparation testing, analysis of results, methods of amendment

= Sowing annuals and vegetable seeds

» Pruning made simple

APR

MAY30 Planning Your Garden MAY

= Learn about perennials, annuals, herbs, trees, shrubs and vines

= New and exciting plant introductions this year

= Where to find and how to choose plants at nurseries

= Review of planting techniques and tips

JUNE 12 Planting Containers and Hanging Baskets

= Container choices and sources

= Selecting a planting style

= Caring for containers and baskets

JULY4 Waterin the Garden

* How to install a pond, making a water feature in a pot

* Introducing water and bog plants

= Easy maintenance tips

AUGUST 1 Keep Your Garden Looking Its Best

= Pests and diseases clinic (bring your specimens in clear, sealed bags)

= Deadheading and watering hints

Take any five of our introductory classes (April to November 2002) and come Free! DECEMBER 9 Festive Plantings Workshop

= Selection and care of holiday greens and plants

» Inspirational ideas for seasonal urns and more

= Make your own festive planter to decorate at home

JUN

JUL

AUG

DEC

**Staff horticulturists will run each class for 2 hours, either from 6 to 8 p.m. or 7 to 9 p.m. Please indicate your preference at time of registration. The majority will decide, and all registrants will be contacted. Please supply phone numbers where you can be reached during the day or by recorded message.

GARDENING COURSES

Getting Started with Herbs

Jocelyn Allen

Inspired by slides of herbs growing wild or in the garden, discover Jocelyn's top 20 medicinal and culinary favourites, hardy to this zone. Learn their growing requirements, uses and lore. Learn how, why and where you can get the best seeds and plants.

Date: Monday, April 15

Time: 7 to 9:30 p.m.

Members: $20 Public: $30 HRBO01

Gardening with Dwarf& Unusual Plants

Jim Lounsbery

Plant some gems to add interest and character to your garden. Explore these fascinating plants. Sources, growth habits, stunning combinations and care will be discussed.

Date: Wednesday, April 17

Time: 7 to 9:30 p.m.

Members: $20 Public: $30 UNSO02

Pruning Wokshop

Jim Lounsbery

Proper pruning rejuvenates trees and shrubs. Jim will demonstrate the hows and whys of this art. Also learn to care for small trees, flowering shrubs and evergreens.

Date: Saturday, April 20

Time: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Members: $20 Public: $30 PRUO3

Rhododendrons, Azaleas & Companions

Bill Morsink

These plants have become increasingly popular over the fast few years. Rhododendrons do need some special care. Discover the four essential site aspects, three soil characteristics and a selection of proven performers to ensure success. Course consists of live plants, slides, discussion and a Saturday field trip in Edwards Gardens.

Dates: April 22, 29 (Mon.), May 11 (Sat.)

Time: 7 to 9:30 p.m./10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Members: $40 Public: $60 RHD04

Plantscaping Your Garden

Marion Jarvie

It's never too early or too late for planning a garden. Organize planting zones based on light, drainage, etc. and design with colour, shape and texture. The secret of success is always in planning.

Dates: April 24, May 1, 8, 15, 29 & June 5 (Wednesdays)

Time: 7 to 9:30 p.m.

Members: $100 Public: $130 PLAO5S

Feng Shui Your Garden

Tila Silverio

Learn ways to enhance your environment with the use of plants and related material. Create harmony, balance and comfort using this ancient art of arrangement. Adapt nature s elements, to create a garden that rejuvenates your mind and body.

Date: Tuesday, April 30

Time: 7 to 9:30 p.m.

Members: $20 Public: $30

Fun with Bulbs

Frank Kershaw

Discover the many fine bulbs and bulk-like plants that add colour and interest to any garden. Planting techniques, colour combinations, bulb maintenance and sources will be highlighted.

Date: Monday, May 13

Time: 7 to 9:30 p.m.

Members: $20 Public: $30 BLB07

Spring/Summer 2002 Page Four

FENO06

GARDENING COURSES

AllAbout Clematis

Marion Jarvie

Make a home for this beautiful and hardy vine. Marion will sort through the many sizes, flowering seasons and unique cultivars available. Planting suggestions, pruning and care will be covered to help you choose plants to suit whatever size and style of garden you have for stunning blooms from spring through fall.

Date: Tuesday, May 14

Time: 7 to 9:30 p.m.

Members: $22 Public: $32 CLMo08

Making the Most ofShade

Anna Leggatt

Gardening in the shade is not difficult, it's just different. This course will cover annuals, perennials and shrubs which will thrive under shady conditions. Learn about the different types of shade, and design a garden that will flourish in low light. Note this course is offered twice.

Date: Tuesday, May 21

Time: 7 to 9:30 p.m.

Members: $20 Public: $30 SHD09

Date: Wednesday, May 22

Time: 1 to 3:30 p.m.

Members: $20 Public: $30 SHD10

The Weekend Gardener

Frank Kershaw

For those lucky enough to escape to second residences or for those who have limited time to garden. Explore different types of weekend gardens, their design and maintenance. The focus will be on easy to maintain and environmentally smart gardens where native plants and natural processes dominate.

Date: Monday, May 27

Time: 7 to 9:30 p.m.

Members: $20 Public: $30 WKD11

All about Lawns

Anna Leggatt

All you need to know about planting a new lawn or reviving a tired one. Guidelines for selecting the best grass for your lawn and installing a lawn from seed, sod, sprigs or plugs. Instructions for watering, mowing, fertilizing, aerating and dethatching. Best remedies for weeds, pests, diseases and other problems.

Date: Tuesday, May 28

Time: 7 to 9:30 p.m.

Members: $20 Public: $30

A Visit to Frank s Garden

Frank Kershaw

LAW12

A garden of specially created habitats, home to unusual cultivars, wetland plants, ferns, rare bulbs, wildflowers, statuary and more. See for yourself hundreds of species of plants that can grow in the Toronto area. A nearby garden will showcase shrubs and trees in this Royal York/Dundas Street neighbourhood. Map will be mailed upon receipt of registration.

Date: Sunday, June 2

Time: 1to 4 p.m.

Members: $20 Public: $30 FRA13

Colour-scaping

Anna Leggatt

Learn how to use colour and combinations of plants like a great artist to create a living work of art. Examine how differing colours affect us and create drama with colour in your garden.

Date: Monday, June 3

Time: 7 to 9:30 p.m.

Members: $20 Public: $30 COL14

GARDENING COURSES

AllAbout Roses

Marion Jarvie

Discover the splendid varieties of roses, from antique to modern shrubs, climbers and miniatures. Gain practical advice on selecting roses for your garden, considering soil, colour and fragrance. Learn planting and pruning methods to bring out the best blooms. Take home helpful gardening tips for maintenance through the year.

Date: Tuesday, June 4

Time: 7 to 9:30 p.m.

Members: $22 Public: $32 ROS15

Bonsai

Basics

David Johnson

The world of bonsai offers a fascinating dimension to gardening. The art of growing dwarf trees in shallow containers involves some basic, but not difficult, steps. All materials are provided including bonsai stock, which you will prune, wire, pot, then take home for years of enjoyment.

Date: Saturday, June 15

Time: 10 a.m. to1 p.m.

Members: $40 Public: $50 BON16

Architectural Elements in the Garden

Marion Jarvie

There is more to an outstanding garden than plants and their placement. Pots and planters, trellis and arbors, baths and statuary have been part of landscape design for hundreds of years. Explore the range of architectural ornaments for your garden. Find out the advantages and disadvantages of stone, lead, cement and learn which materials will best withstand the rigors of Canada s weather. Plus, discover plants that are themselves architectural elements.

Date: Tuesday, June 25

Time: 7 to 9:30 p.m.

Members: $22 Public: $32 ARC17

NATURE COURSES

Watching the Night Sky

Ray Khan

Learn to locate and identify major constellations and planets. Discover what is visible with the unaided eye and through the use of telescopes set up in Edwards Gardens. Receive advice on choosing and using binoculars and telescopes for night sky observation. All participants will receive a planisphere at the first class.

Dates: June 10, 17 and 24 (Mondays)

Time: 7 to 9:30 p.m.

Members: $60 Public: $80 SKY18

Mt. PleasantArboretum Walk

Frank Kershaw

Mount Pleasant Cemetery, founded in 1873, houses one of North America s finest tree collections. Join Frank on a guided tour of this treasure trove of trees. Marvel at the splendour of the mature canopy, and discover the variety of trees that grow in this climate. Rain or shine. Map will be mailed upon receipt of registration.

Date: Sunday, June 23

Time: 1 to 3 p.m.

Members: $20 Public: $30 WAL19

ARTSAND CRAFTS COURSES

WatercolourPainting

Ita Pechenick

Discover the versatility of watercolour painting from basic to more advanced techniques. Learn about materials, colour theory and composition. Through demonstration and practice, develop a range of skills using washes, wet and dry paper techniques, negative painting and glazing. Bring pencil, watercolour paper, paints and any brushes that you have.

Dates: April 8, 15, 22, 29, May 13, 27, June 3 and 10 (Mondays)

Time: 1to 4 p.m.

Members: $160 Public: $190 WCP20

Ikenobo lkebana

Shizuko Kadoguchi

Japanese flower arranging is a highly traditional art reflecting appreciation of nature and art. This course gives a sound introduction to beginners while continuing to develop the skills of experienced students. Bring one shallow and one tall container, pin holder, clippers, pencil, notebook and lunch. The instructor collects the additional cost of plant material for each session (approx. $7 per class).

Dates: May 15, 22, 29 and June 5 (Wednesdays)

Time: 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Members: $130 Public: $160 IKB21

Floral Designs for the Home

Shirley Binns

Bring colour into your home with flowers. Through demonstration and practice, learn the elements and principles of design, how to condition plant material, and the various uses of floral mechanics. In each class, except the first, participants make a design for which they must supply their own plant material. Bring pruners anda floral knife.

Dates: May 16, 23, June 6, 13 (Thurs.)

Time: 7 to 9:30 p.m.

Members: $70 Public: $100 FLO22

Mosaic Stepping Stone

Cathy Bartolic

Make a beautiful addition to your outdoor surroundings in this hands-on workshop. Cathy will guide you through the technique. Bring an apron and, if you wish, any broken pieces of china to incorporate into your design. All materials are provided.

Date: June 1 and 8 (Saturdays)

Time: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Members: $40 Public: $60 MOS23

Flowers Everlasting

Karen Broadbent

Discover ways to keep flowers in bloom. Through demonstrations learn about silica gel, glycerin, air drying techniques and more. Great tips on suitable preservation methods for a variety of fresh flowers and foliage. Select from a bounty of plant material and make a floral craft for everlasting enjoyment. Note this class is offered twice.

Date: Tuesday, June 11

Time: 1 to 3:30 p.m.

Members: $40 Public: $50 EVR24

Date: Tuesday, June 11

Time: 7 to 9:30 p.m.

Members: $40 Public: $50 EVR25

Pressed Flower Works

Linda Lee Purvis

Learn the technique of pressing flowers then choose from a large selection of pressed blossoms and leaves to affix to a variety of different surfaces. Make oodles of gifts including candles, bags, boxes, cards and more. All materials included

Date: Thursday, June 13

Time: 7 to 9:30 p.m.

Members: $40 Public: $50 PSF26

Courses willbe cancelledfive working days before the start date if registration numbers do not meet minimum requirements. Register early to ensureyour class will run.

ARTSAND CRAFTS COURSES

PaperArts

Jocelyn Allen

Explore a myriad of paper arts and embellishing techniques to create unique cards, bags, tags and wrap perfect for gift-giving all year long. Jocelyn will show you how to use specialty papers with stamping, embossing, gold leaf and more. Note this workshop is offered twice the same day.

Date: Tuesday, June 25

Time: 1 to 3:30 p.m.

Members: $50 Public: $60 PAR27

Date: Tuesday, June 25

Time: 7 to 9:30 p.m.

Members: $50 Public: $60 PAR28

Entertaining Outdoors

Marisa Bergagnini

Nice summer weather is synonymous with entertaining outside. Whether you are planning a backyard barbeque, picnic or formal dinner, do it with style. Marisa has some elegant ideas for dressing up the table with candles, flowers and more. All participants will make a seasonal centrepiece, so make plans to throw a party.

Date: Thursday, June 27

Time: 7 to 9:30 p.m.

Members: $40 Public: $50 ETG29

Decoupage in 3-D

Ann Clifford

Be inspired by this centuries-old craft of paper cutouts. Explore the fascinating forms of decoupage and try your hand at making your own three-dimensional design. All materials are provided.

Dates: July 3, 10 and 17 (Wednesdays)

Time: 12:30 to 3:00 p.m.

Members: $60 Public: $80 DCP30

Courses will be cancelled five working days before the start date if registration numbers do not meet minimum requirements. Register early to ensureyour class will run.

Spring/Summer 2002

Introduction to Botanical Painting

Pamela Stagg

An intensive workshop on the techniques of painting highly detailed, realistic portraits of botanical subjects. Demonstrations and exercises will be combined with painting practice, individual instruction and feedback. Intermediate watercolour skills are required. A materials list will be made available before the first class.

Dates: Sat. July 20 thru Wed. July 24

Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Members: $180 Public: $200 'BOT31

Garlic Braids

Cathy Bartolic

This wonderful craft makes a great decoration. Learn all about garlic and make your own braid to take with you. All materials are provided.

Date: Monday, July 29

Time: 1to 4 p.m.

Members: $30 Public: $40 BRD32

Advanced Botanical Painting

Pamela Stagg

A five-day workshop for students who have experience in botanical painting with watercolours. The emphasis will be on individual instruction and feedback, with demonstrations and exercises tailored for the group. Participation is at the discretion of the instructor only.

Dates: Sat. Aug 3 thru Wed. Aug 7

Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Members: $180 Public: $200 BOT33

Page Eight

Are you age 19-35?

The Civic Garden Centre Youth Committee invites you to two great evening workshops this spring. Mark your calendars for April 10th and June 19th.

To put your name on the mailing list call Kim at 416-920-6644.

The materialin this booklet has beenprepared well in advance ofthe session to which itpertains. Although it is themost current andaccurate information available atthe time ofprinting, The Civic Garden Centre reserves the right to make changes withoutfurther notice. To confirm dates andtimes please call the Course Office at 416-397-1362.

MEET THE INSTRUCTORS

Jocelyn Allen is owner of Beautiful Karen Broadbent has devoted over 25 Things & Bright Ideas, a design busi- years to the art of floral design. She has ness. She offers creative and decorative managed a number of flower shops in Toart classes at her studio, and teaches ronto, and was the personal floral deherbology at Durham College. signer for the Eaton family residence at 3 : one time. She currently owns and oper- Cathy Bartolic started Perennial Petals tes her own business. in 1992, a business devoted to dried, edible and fresh flowers as well as garlic. Cathy has been conducting workshops since 1995, being a regular at Richter's Herbs and area garden clubs.

Are you interested in offering a general interest course for adults?

The Civic Garden Centre is accepting Marisa Bergagnini is a flower design| Proposals forWinter 2003 programs. judge, a horticultural judge, an instruc- Course proposals should include a tor/demonstrator and Garden Club of| course outline, material requirements, Toronto member. She has an undivided group size, and a summary ofyour love for flower arranging and horticul-| Skills, experience and qualifications. ture, competes internationally, and has Mail your proposals to won several awards. The Civic Garden Centre, Attention: Course Co-ordinator. Shirley Binns is an accredited rose judge and a decorative judge. She has competed internationally and has had an arrangement published in the Canadian FlowerArranger.

FACTSABOUTREGISTRATION

Advance registration is required. Registration for Spring & Summer 2002 courses starts Monday, March 18, 2002. Participants may register in person, by mail, phone, fax or on our website. Full payment must accompany each registration. To register by mail, please fill out the form on the back of this booklet and send it to Course Registrations, The Civic Garden Centre, 777 Lawrence Avenue East, Toronto, Ontario M3C 1P2. To register by telephone, call 416-397-1340, or fax to 416-397-1354. To register online, visit www.infogarden.ca. Registrations are accepted strictly on a first-come basis.

MEMBERSHIP: Registration fees are always lower for members than for the public. Civic Garden Centre memberships may be purchased at the same time as course registration, in which case the members discount can be applied immediately.

VOLUNTEERS: Registration fees are further reduced by five dollars to those registrants who are both members and volunteers of The Civic Garden Centre. For details about becoming a volunteer call the Volunteer Office at 416-397-4145.

CONFIRMATION: No confirmation of registration will be sent out. Please make a note of the courses for which you have registered. To confirm registration, please call the Course Office at 416-397-1362.

CANCELLATION AND REFUNDS: All cancellations by registrants are subject to a 20% administration fee. The CGC reserves the right to cancel any event if the minimum number of registrants is not reached one week prior to the start of the class, in which case course fees will be refunded in full. Registrants will be notified of such cancellations by telephone between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Please supply telephone numbers where you can be reached directly or by recorded message. We will not accept responsibility for inconvenience caused to those we cannot contact.

LIABILITY: The Civic Garden Centre assumes no responsibility for loss or damage to property, or for personal injury or mishap, during courses; all activities are at the risk of the participant.

THE BENEFITS OFMEMBERSHIP

Trellis, The Civic Garden Centre s newsletter, delivered to your home Ve six times a year.

Borrowing privileges at the CGC Library, one of Canada s finest horticultural libraries.

Free admission to all monthly Edwards Lectures, featuring many renowned horticulturists.

Discounts on all CGC courses for adults and Teaching Garden programs for children.

g A 10% discount on purchases over Q Discounts on out-of-town bus

$10 in the Trellis Shop, specializing tours, plant sales and special in garden books, supplies and gifts. events hosted by the CGC.

Advance notice of programs, sales and activities hosted by the CGC.

Free access to Master Gardeners Information Hotline.

MEET THE INSTRUCTORS

Ann Clifford has been decoupaging for over 15 years, winning numerous awards. A director of the Decoupeurs Guild of Ontario and member ofthe National Guild, Ann leads workshops.

Marion Jarvie started her own landscape consulting business more than 10 years ago. She has been lecturing in the field for many years throughout North America.

David Johnson has been a member of the Toronto Bonsai Society for over 12 years. He studied bonsai in Japan under Mr. Susumu Nakamura. David regularly contributes to The Bonsai SocietyJournal.

Shizuko Kadoguchi has the highest qualifications in lkenobo in North America. She has taught for more than 30 years in Canada, the United States, Jamaica and Japan.

Frank Kershaw has degrees in science and urban and regional planning, a diploma in horticulture and a certificate in landscape architecture.

Ray Khan is an avid amateur astronomer, a member of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, and part owner of Khan Scope Centre, a telescope store in Toronto.

Anna Leggatt is a nature interpreter at the Kortright Centre for Conservation. She has a diploma in horticulture and is active in many horticultural groups.

Jim Lounsbery was supervisor of parklands at the Royal Botanical Gardens, manager of horticulture studies at Mohawk College and now owns Vineland Nurseries which specializes in dwarf and unusual conifers.

Bill Morsink holds a masters degree in forestry. He has taught at the University of Toronto and has managed urban forests in Toronto and Windsor. Bill is an active member of the Toronto Region Rhododendron Society, specializing in winter hardiness and backyard propagation.

Ita Pechenick has more than 20 years of experience in design and fine arts. Her paintings feature florals, landscapes, still lifes and figures. She is an original member of the Group of Ten Artists of Toronto.

Linda Lee Purvis is a floral designer, teacher and artist. Her company, Magnolia s, has provided dried flowers, herbs, supplies and instruction for over 15 years. She recently launched her book Stone Style.

Tila Silverio is the owner of Nine Corners of Feng Shui. She is a certified feng shui practitioner with the Feng Shui Institute of Canada. She consults for businesses as well as residential clients.

Pamela Stagg is a Canadian botanical artist who has achieved international recognition for her work. She holds the prestigious Royal Horticultural Society Gold Medal for Painting.

@ COURSE REGISTRATION FORM

(Must be accompanied with payment)

Name (please print)

Address

City Postal Code

Telephone (9 a.m. to 5p.m.)

Are youa CGC member? QNo QYes Member#

I want to addyearly membership fee: QSingle ($30) QFamily/Dual ($40)

I wouldlike to registerforthe following:

Q Visa Q MasterCard Q Cheque (payable to Civic Garden Centre) Q1 Cash Credit Card #

Expiry date Signature

No confirmation ofregistration will be sent out. Please make a note ofthe courses for which you have registered. To confirm registration, please call the Course Office at 416-397-1362. Thank You.

The Civic Garden Centre at Edwards Gardens 777 Lawrence Avenue East, Toronto, Ontario M3C 1P2 Tel: 416-397-1340 Fax: 416-397-1354 Email: courses@infogarden.ca

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Ikebana International invites friendship through flowers

Founded in traditional Buddhistrituals, the art ofJapaneseflower arrangingforges a role in contemporary life.

by Norma Piggott

kebana is the art of Japanese flower arrangement. With centuries-old origins in religious institutions, ikebana flower arrangement grew from the custom of offering plants and flowers to the Buddhist or Shintoist deities and from the Buddhist ritual of offering flowers to the spirits of the dead. Although ikebana is concerned with creativity, it has also developed a strong technical discipline.

Ikenobo is the oldest school of flower arranging, dating back over 500 years. The present headmaster is the 45th generation of the Ikenobo familyand is the head priest ofKyoto s Rokkakudo Temple. The name Ikenobo means priest s residence by a pond and can be traced back to 621 CE when a priest took up residence in a temple by a pond which later grew into the city of Kyoto. The most famous form is the rikka which dates back to the sixteenth century and is the source of all late Ikenobo styles. The first teachers and students were priests and members ofthe nobility.

Many schools of ikebana have developed from the Ikenobo foundations and all have their particular rules and techniques. Unshin Ohara, who founded the Ohara school in 1895, departed from the traditional upright forms of ikebana by introducing a wide shallow container. While revolutionary at the time, such containers are extensively used today, allowing more freedom of expression and, in particular, the landscape style which is unique to Ohara. The most modern of the large schools is Sogetsu, founded in 1926 by Sofu Teshigahara. He established the

principles that flowers may be arranged by anyone and that any type of material may be used. He took another radical step to allow even more freedom of expression he moved the arrangement from the traditional tokonoma, an alcove in a Japanese house; arrangements could now be displayed anywhere.

The basic form of an ikebana arrangement follows a fixed pattern and comprises a triangle of three points representing heaven, earth and man. From these principles the arrangements were developed but all the schools have moved to embrace more modern ideas. The schools still create the prescribed traditional arrangements but now include free styles to allow for creativity.

The essence of Japanese flower arrangement involves asymmetrical forms using a bare minimum of materials and retaining rather than filling the empty spaces. In this way, the beautiful line of a branch or the perfection of a bloom can be appreciated. A sense of nature is sought by using materials which are found together and belong to the same season. Withered leaves, seedpods and buds are valued as highly as flowers in full bloom. In modern ikebana, even metals and plastic may be found. The choice of con-

tainer is also important in achieving a sense of harmony and many containers are works of art in themselves. The schools have sought expression in forms beyond their traditional roots to find a role in contemporary life so that ikebana can now be found on a windowsill or dining table or in a hotel lobby.

The schools of ikebana operated independently until the late Ellen Gordon Allen persuaded them to form a worldwide organization. Founded in Tokyo in 1956, Ikebana International has chapters around the world and holds regional conferences as well as conventions in Japan.

The Toronto Chapter was founded in 1981 with 30 charter members, eight of whom remain members today. We hold an annual show in November at The Civic Garden Centre and have also exhibited at the Japan Foundation. The group also enjoys preparing arrangements for special occasions. Shizuko Kadoguchi and the Toronto Ikenobo Chapter provided 18 ikebana arrangements for the Group of Seven Economic Summit held in Toronto in 1987. Our members exhibit in the

Stone Court of the Royal Ontario Museum, creating a new arrangement every week. Last March, 10 of our members attended the World Convention in Yokohama a wonderful opportunity for renewing friendships and an inspiration for future endeavours.

Our meetings are held at The Civic Garden Centre on the second Wednesday of six months of the year. These meetings range from workshops in flower arranging to talks on the tea ceremony and the shakuhachi (bamboo flute). Membership is open to anyone interested in the art of ikebana and the ideals of Ikebana International regardless of previous experience.

Friendship through flowers is the motto of Ikebana International. In that spirit, the Toronto Chapter invites you to visit our booth at Canada Blooms. Come and meet us, get more information and watch our members demonstrating the art ofikebana. @

Norma Piggott is president of the Toronto Chapter ofIkebana International and can be reachedat416-223-7798.

CruiseHolidaysisproudtobepartofCanada

Blooms Opening NightParty

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Join Marjorie Harris Editor-in-ChiefofGardeningLife Magazine on the QE2 sailing for six days from New York on May 12th and arriving in Southampton May 18th.

Queen Elizabeth 2 Gardening cruise includes:

* 6 nights accommodation on Cunard s Queen Elizabeth 2, rated one ofthe* Top Ten Cruise

Lines with Conde Nast Traveller and Travel & Leisure all meals and snacks while onboard the QE2 entertainment while onboard the QE2 airfrom Toronto to New York & London to Toronto air & port taxes

Ask us aboutourspecial England land package with tickets to the Chelsea Flower Show and private/ public garden tours.

Bookby Feb.15"andveceiveo$100, USIDpercabinshipboard credit,

transfers from the airport to the pier and from the pierto the airport three special group onboard gardening seminars with Marjorie Harris onboard one on one consultations with Marjorie Harris - plan your garden while you cruise

P'l'icu st l'ting at $2,839.00 Prices are perperson in Canadian dollars based on double occupancy. - For details call... Cruise Holidays ofToronto West

International Plaza Hotel, 655 Dixon Road, Suite 10, Toronto, ON M9W 1J4 Tel. 416-245-4411 Outside Toronto: 1-800-268-4002 Website: www.ilovecruising.com E-mail: info@ilovecruising.com

A Bumper Crop of New Perennials for 2002

The CGC' s managerofhorticulturalservices, Cathie Cox, chooses some ofthe bestnewperennialsforthe upcomingseason

drian Bloom ofBressingham Gardens once Asaid that new plants are not always better and only time would determine their value in the garden. To know how true his words are, you only have to think of plants like Polemonium caeruleum Brise D Anjou which tends to disappear in the summer heat or Veronica Sunny Border Blue , a former Perennial Plant of the Year, now a sad mildewed plant that s ignored on most garden-centre shelves. This year, though, many of the introductions are robust perennials with excellent growinghabits.

VIGOROUS, WINTER-HARDY PLANTS

A showstopper at the Chelsea Flower Show two years ago, Geranium Rozanne , is a Blooms of Bressingham introduction. An outstanding hardy geranium hybrid, Rozanne is a midsized, long-blooming variety that will both endure our hot humid summers and survive our winters. A repeat bloomer from June to October with mounding, slightly marbled foliage that has great fall colour, Rozanne features very large violet-blue flowers with a white eye.

Another vigorous introduction is the hardy Geranium Elizabeth Ann . With chocolatecoloured foliage and pink flowers that bloom in May, this plant is hardy to Zone 4 and tolerates moist soils.

Similarly hardy but less tolerant of wet soils is Anemone x hybrida Party Dress . Blooming from August until October, it has huge fluffy double pink flowers that are nearly twice the size of other Japanese anemones. Aster oblongifolius October Skies is another new fall-flowering introduction with blue flowers that is more tolerant of drier and poorer soils than other asters. And, for those ofyou looking for astilbes that tolerate drier soils and heat, try the new Astilbe chinensis Vision in Pink and Vision in Red . Another vigorous perennial is Veronicastrum

Coreopsis Limerock Ruby has masses of ruby-red flowers that bloom from June until frost.

Apollo . At only 90 centimetres (36 inches) tall, Apollo is a shorter Culver s root than most and features long, elegant, reddish purple flower spikes. A vigorous long-lived native, Apollo grows in most soils but is especially tolerant of moist soils.

SUN-LOVING PERENNIALS

As a great alternative to the short-lived lupin, try Baptisia Purple Smoke . An incredibly hardy June-flowering perennial with grey stems and purple-blue blossoms, Purple Smoke is tolerant of sun, heat and drought but needs welldrained soils. Another sun-lover with attractive blue foliage and a vigorous growth habit is the Cheddar pink, Dianthus Pixie . If deadheaded, its fragrant two-toned pink flowers will last from spring right through until fall.

Dragon s head or Dracocephalum is a relatively little known genus with a strong long-lived habit. D. argunense Fuji White and Fuji Blue are lowgrowing, clump-forming plants with spikes of flowers that bloom in late spring. Tolerant of poorer soils, dragon s head is a good choice for the rock garden or the front ofthe border.

At the other end of the spectrum, the twometre (six-foot) tall Joe Pye weed, Eupatorium maculatum Carin , with its silvery pink blossoms and deep purple stems, makes an auda-

cious statement at the back of the border. Not for the faint of heart, the bold Joe Pye weed tolerates moist soils, combines well with ornamental grasses and attracts butterflies.

MILDEW-RESISTANT PHLOX

Phlox is notorious for being prone to mildew. Watering well, planting them in rich moist soil and dividing them every three to four years helps to reduce the incidence of this disfiguring disease. But now, there are a number of mildew-resistant varieties including the 2002 Perennial of the Year, Phlox paniculata David . A white summer-flowering variety, David is both vigorous and fragrant. A taller sport of David , Shortwood is a pink-flowered phlox with equally good qualities.

Other mildew-resistant phlox include the new generation of Arendsii hybrids such as Ping Pong with its fragrant two-toned pink flowers that bloom early in the summer; the woodland phlox P. divaricata Blue Perfume ; the new P. paniculata cultivars including the Miss Series such as Miss Elie ; and, for lovers of variegated plants, the exciting newP. p. Becky , a vigorous plant with gold-margined leaves and striking magenta-eyed, salmon-pink flowers.

NEWVARIETIES OFJACOB S LADDER

The fragrant blue-flowered Polemonium caeruleum Snow and Sapphires is a stronger variegated Jacob s ladder than Brise d Anjou . It does not go dormant in the heat of the summer but still requires a shady, cool spot in the garden. Other desirable forms are P. Purple Rain with its dark purple foliage and large blue blooms and P. viscosum Blue Whirl , a compact Jacob s ladder with blue flowers that bloom from late spring to early summer.

THISTLES ARE HOT, HOT HOT!

Thistles are hot this year. Ivory thistle Cirsium diacanthus has purple blossoms and deeply indented silver foliage. Great for cut flowers, C. Jjaponicum Early Rose Beauty has pink blossoms in early summer. Arresting border plants, the blue-flowered Echinops ritro and the white-flowered E. sphaerocephalus Arctic Glow grow to 90 centimetres (36 inches), making them great cut or dried flowers. Eryngium species or sea hollies are among the most garden-worthy of this-

tles. Long-lived in well-drained soil, sea hollies hold their blossoms well and tolerate heat, drought and poor soils. E. bourgatii has beautiful white-veined foliage and blue blossoms with silver bracts while E. Sapphire Blue features some of the largest steel-blue blooms of all the sea hollies. The silvery leaves and stems of the biennial Scotch thistle Onopordum nervosum support large purple blossoms in its second year, making this an impressive architectural plant in the border. Another plant that adds a dramatic focal point to the garden is the cardoon Cynara cardunculus. A tender perennial or vegetable, depending on your point of view the huge, arching, greyish silver leaves of cardoon provide textural interest to a garden. @

PERENNIALSCONTAINERSFOR

There s a stronger than ever focus on using perennials in containers. Here arek some ofthebest

Geranium Rozanne : great for hanging; basketsand pots.

Campanula poscharskyana Blue Waterfall : a vigorous low spreader with masses of blue blossoms in early summer.

Coreopsis Limerock Ruby : the most stunning introductio n thisyear! Named by -

Unusual Plant in their Growers Program Awards of Excellence. Masses of ruby-red flowersthat bloomfromJune until frost.

Coreopsis rosea Sweet Dreams : bicoloured pinkand white daisy-likeflowers.

Carex berggrenit: copper-coloured tufted | usuai "grass" or sedg

The CGC' s perennial plant sale will take placeon May 2, 3 and 4, 2002. In April a list ofthe perennials that will be for sale will be available from the Trellis Shop and will be posted on our Web site (www.infogarden.ca). Pre-sale orders (forpick up on May 2) may be placed byfax, 416-397-1354; by e-mail, horticulture@infogarden.ca; or by post, Horticultural Services, The Civic Garden Centre, 777 LawrenceAvenue East, TorontoM3C 1P2.

B LISTEN TO YOUR PLANTS

As tropicalplants start wakingfrom their winterslumbers, l likeAudrey in Little Shop of Horrors, theyshout Feed me!

by Douglas Markoff

inter is nearing an end, the days are getWting noticeably longer and we ve ordered new plants and seeds from our dog-eared catalogues. Soon itwill be time to return all tropical plants that over-wintered indoors back out to the garden. Before they re ready, how do you care for tropical plants such as Hibiscus, Brugmansia, Lantana and Abutilon once they begin waking from their winter slumber? What signs do plants give to show they are waking up?

AWAKE-UP CALL FROMYOUR PLANTS

Changes in the length of days and nights and associated changes in the intensity of light trigger changes in plant growth. Watch for new leaf bud growth along the length of the main stem and branches producing new leaves is a plant s way of saying I'm awake . For example, unpruned oleander will show new growth at the ends of its branches while bougainvillea may produce colourful bracts before or during leaf growth. These are cues from your plants to change the wayyou care for them.

Key conditions for preparing healthy plants for the outdoors include appropriate levels of light, water, nutrients, temperature and humidity as well as good air circulation and the right soil, pot size, spacing and pruning.

LIGHTANDTEMPERATURE

Even during the winter, tropical plants need light. Generally, unless you have a solarium or greenhouse, try to provide plants with as much light as possible. Because growth slows over the winter, most tropical plants will do fine in a cool, bright room. As the days lengthen in late winter, the room will receive more light and naturally warm up, triggering new leaf growth this is your cue to modify their care.

WATER NOTTOO MUCH, NOTTOO LITTLE

Once they begin to wake up, plants start making new leaves and need more water than they did over the winter when they were growing

Bougainvillea: g spindly, leggy : branches can E be removed

more slowly. Listen to your plants to determine when to water and how much to apply. A plant with drooping leaves is saying I'm stressed out . Avoid stressing plants by providing a steady supply of tepid water.

To keep plants from completely drying out, check the soil surface. If the surface looks dry, the plants may need water. Even though the surface appears dry, the soil below the surface may be moist. To help determine soil moisture, I recommend using a moisture meter. Insert the probe into the centre of the pot without touching the bottom. In time, you will develop a watering schedule that suits your conditions as well as graduate to more advanced techniques such as gauging the weight of the pots or tapping the pot and listening to its sound. A pot with dry soil is lighter and sounds hollow when tapped whereas a pot holding moist soil is heavier and makes a dull thud when tapped.

FEEDING

As the days become longer in March and April, tropical plants begin to grow new leaves and branches. Like Audrey in the Little Shop of Horrors, this is when your plants say "feed me" so start supplying nutrients. The type of fertilizer you use depends on personal preferences for natural or salt-based types as well as on the kind ofplantyou're growing. The CGC Library and the Master Gardeners are a rich resource of information on specific plant requirements.

We grow most tropical plants for their colourful flowers or bracts. A formulation of 15-30-15 or any balanced plant food where phosphorous, the second number in the sequence of three, is higher than nitrogen, the first number, will produce a healthy, well-flowered plant. Follow the

instructions on the fertilizer LISTENTOTHESE determine the kind of pot to use. package regarding application rates __TROPICAL PLANTS For highly visible locations such as or else the general rule of fertiliz- ~Apytilon at an entrance or along a garden ing once every two weeks starting A,,Bougainvillea path, use a decorative pot or jarat quarter strength around early Bmg,mnm diniére. Ifthe containerwill be hidApril and slowly increasing to full Euryopspectinatus den by foliage, an economical nursstrength by the time the plants are ery pot will do. When placing the readyfor the outdoors. FUChSta

AIR CIRCULATION

Good air circulation is essential pot directly into the garden, be careful not to plug the drainage holes you may rot the roots. for healthy plants. A ceiling fan ~ Leucanthemum vulgare Instead, place the potted plant into works well to keep the room at a ;N;;Nef illm Oleandef the soil; add two to three inches uniform temperature by mixing = Plumbago (five to seven centimetres) of clear the lighter warm air with the =Solanum rantonnetti gravel under and against the lower heavier cool air. At the same time, good air circulation promotes uniform humidity levels and reduces the chances of fungal growths.

PINCHING BACK

As days become progressively longer and warmer, many tropical plants grow new vigorous, leggy branches. To keep plants bushy and uniform in shape, pinch and/or prune back these branches, removing some entirely. Consult the CGC Library or the Master Gardeners for details about pruning and pinching techniques for specific plants.

REPOT IN SPRING

Generally, a root-bound plant is saying it s time to move to a larger home. Early spring not autumn when they move indoors is the right time to place plants into larger pots. After watering to moisten the root ball, gently slip the plant out of its existing pot and check the roots. A solid root mass with no visible soil is generally a sign that a plant needs a larger pot. Also, a plant that needed frequentwatering during the previous season is telling you that its pot needs more soil to hold water. Using a soil mix appropriate to the plant, repot into a container two to three inches (five to seven centimetres) wider and two to three inches (five to seven centimetres) deeper. Because the proportion of soil, soil-less mix and compost varies from plant to plant, consult the CGC Library or the Master Gardeners for soil requirements for specific plants. Where you place the plant in the garden will

half of the pot to ensure that excess water flows out ofthe drainage holes.

ACCLIMATIZINGTOTHE OUTDOORS

After all danger of frost is over and when night temperatures are consistently above 6 to 7°C (43 to 45°F) usually about mid-May acclimatize your tropical plants to outdoor conditions. Because plants at this stage are easily damaged by full sun and cool g winds, shelter your plants from the wind, placing them in a bright spotwhere they A root-bound plant won t receive a ful] "eedsalargerpot day of full sun. This gradual adjustment generally takes four to five days and may require bringing plants inside overnightwhen temperatures drop.

Your plants will tell you when they have acclimatized by showing changes in the colour and texture of their leaves; they turn a darker green and feel leathery, more coarse or waxier to the touch. At this point, your plant is saying it is ready for more exposed conditions.

All this work will be rewarded with healthy and attractive tropical plants. Remember plants know what is best for them, so listen to your plants and learn. @

Douglas Markoff, often called Professor Plant, has grown a wide range oftropical, temperate and succulent plants. When not in the corner office at the CGC, he and his wife may be found navigating theirfilled-to-capacity greenhouse and waitingforspring.

by Anna Leggatt

Vinca

THE NATIONAL GARDEN Bureau in the United States is celebrating 2002 as the Year of the Vinca. These easy-care plants are native to Madagascar and have flowers that bloom all season long in lots of different colours. Vinca plants can be massed as groundcover, used as accents in containers or added for colour g to fill in borders.

When I talk about vinca, I mean Catharanthus roseus also known as summerflowering vinca, periwinkle and Madagascar periwinkle. Catharanthus roseus is tender in our climate. It prefers sunny, hot places where it blooms till frost. This vinca should not be confused with its cousins, Vinca major and Vinca minor. Vinca minor is a hardy, evergreen trailing plant that flowers in the shade in spring. Vinca major has softer leaves and is used asa trailer in containers. Because all three of these vincas are members of the dogbane family, Apocynaceae, and have a similar floral structure, botanists first named Catharanthus, Vinca rosea causing lots of confusion!

Vinca has been cultivated for centuries. The original, small-flowered pink form was used extensively to treat various diseases from lung infections to diabetes. In the 1950s, researchers discovered that vinca contains alkaloids that are now used in anti-cancer drugs. Modern breeding has increased the size of the flower as well as improving the germination rates so that today these flowers are valued as popular garden plants.

The flowers of vinca have five overlapping petals joined into a long, thin tube; they bloom in bright, clear colours. The first of the new vinca cultivars arrived in 1988 and included Grape Cooler , a lavender-pink flower with a rosy eye, and Peppermint Cooler , a white flower with a red eye. Now, new and improved varieties appear every year in shades

of red, scarlet, rose-pink, burgundy, orchid, white and even pale blue. There are no double forms so far. The Mediterranean Series has a more trailing habit and can be used in hanging baskets. Some varieties have darker tones to the leaves. Most grow to between 30 and 45 centimetres (1 to 1.5 feet) | tall. The Heatwave Series is more compact. The Cooler Series is suitable for cool, wet conditions.

To grow vinca from seed, start them indoors 10 t012 5 weeks before the last sprmg £ e National Garden Bureau Inc.

2002 named as theYear oftheVinca frost. Fill the pots with sterile, 3 soilless mix, then moisten and leave the pots to drain. Sprinkle the seeds into the pots and cover them completely with six millimetres (1/4 inch) of mix. Because seeds need complete darkness to germinate, put your pots on a tray and place both tray and pots into a large black plastic bag. Leave the tray in a warm place at a temperature of about 25°C (77°F) until they germinate. Then, remove the tray from the plastic bag and place it in a warm, bright place a sunny window or under fluorescent lights. Keep the temperature at or above 21°C (70°F). Water the seedlings when the soil is dry but before they wilt, being careful not to over-water or to over-feed. Fertilize every two weeks with a 10-4-3 water-soluble fertilizer. Plant the vincas in the ground once the soil and air temperatures are above 18°C (65°F). First, harden off your plants by taking them outside to a shady, protected spot for two days. Gradually increase their exposure to the sun from about an hour in the morning to full sun after about a week. @

Anna Leggatt is a Master Gardener, garden writerandactive volunteerfor the Civic Garden Centre. With thanks to the National Garden Bureaufor information provided.

Distinctive Garden Accents

Expert advice from the aster Gardeners

Q When should I prune passionflower to get lots of flowers? |

A Passionflower Passiflora should be pruned regularly to increase flower production. Hard pruning, however, should be avoided as it will often result in excessive foliage production possibly ~ Prune passioncausing reduced flowering. flowerlightly - . . for lots of bloom Pruning in early spring should be confined to removing dead and weak growth, any straggly shoots or as needed to control the size. After blooming, cut back the shoots which have flowered to within two to three buds from the horizontal stems. It is better to replace plants that have become unruly as rejuvenation is rarely successful. Choose a sheltered site in sun to part shade if you put that plant out in the summer.

Q Should I cut back my lavender bush?

A Lavender Lavandula should be pruned in spring after new growth begins to ensure a good crop of flowers and to prevent the plant from becoming straggly.

Cut back old flower spikes and an inch ortwo oftop growth in spring

Do you have a question about gardening? accent on gardens Contact the Toronto Master Gardeners InfoLine at416-397-1345 or log on to the Q&A Forum at infogarden.ca/mastergardenerboard.htm and 5221 HIGHWAY #7 Ask a Master Gardener! MARKHAM, L3R 1N3 905-475-7674

Wlustrations: Vivien Jenkinson

MOVIES

Greenfingers, a charming Brit flick | about the redemptive powers of gardening, stars Clive Owen and Helen Mirren. The story is about the introduction of gardening in the open-prison system. The prisoners sign up for this new activity for their own reasons, none of them related to gardening. Eventually, the garden works its magic, becoming an outlet for their hopes, dreams and fears. The movie reflects Leyhill Prison s real life gold medal win at the 2000 Chelsea Flower Show. Gardeners will relate to the evolution of the tough-as-nails gardeners; everyone will be thankful for an upbeat but realistic film with a hopeful ending.

Reviewed byMara Arndt

At the end of The Hanging Garden you may find yourself switching off your VCR wondering whether Sweet William, the central character in the story, is alive or dead. Played by Toronto s Chris Leavins, Sweet William appears in the beginning of the movie as a 25-year-old gay man

for Gardeners

returning to the family home in Nova Scotia for his sister, Rosemary s (Sarah Polley) wedding. (Nearly all the characters in the movie have flower names: Sweet William s and Rosemary s mother (Seana McKenna) is Iris.) William also appears in flashback at age 15, a troubled youth dealingwith his awakening homosexuality. Unable to cope, he commits suicide, hanging himself from the apple tree in a curiously surrealistic garden. Strangely, William s youthful body is still hanging in the still fresh and lovely garden when the 25-year-old William returns home. No one but the audience seems to think this is unusual, but then the characters are wrestling with their own, typically Canadian familyproblems.

The movie was written and directed with magical style by Halifax s Thom Fitzgerald, and even if you can t figure it out, you'll love the characters and envy the garden where tulips, delphiniums and chrysanthemums bloom together in profusion.

Reviewed byLizPrimeau

Easter at The Trellis Shop

Special Lectures

Speaker: ALEXANDER REFORD

Where: FLORAL HALL

When:WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 7:30 p.M.

Topic: A TRADITION OF INNOVATION: MAKING AN HisTORIC GARDEN Hip THE REFORD GARDENS (Les Jardins de Meétis) in Grand-Métis, Quebec, were created by Elsie Reford in 1927. Today it is home to over 3,000 species of plants, including the Himalayan blue poppyMecanopsis betonicifolia. In the year 2000, Elsie s great-grandson Alexander co-founded the International Garden Festival which introduced contemporary garden design and innovation at Reford Gardens. Reford, an academic and historian, is author of Des jardins oubliés, a review of Quebec gardens from 1860 to 1960. Don tmiss his amazing story. Admission $5

Speaker: MARIONJARVIE

Where: FLORAL HALL

When: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 7:30 P.M.

Topic: TREES NEW, UNUSUALAND SMALL EVERY PLANT SHOULD have its place. Marion Jarvie will talk about how to find the right tree for the right space. She ll introduce us o new and seldom-used trees and surprise us with facts about woody-plant hardiness. A landscape consultant, Marion Jarvie is a popular course instructor at the CGC and has lectured throughout North America. Admission $5

Speaker: JENNIFER LLEWELLYN

Where: FLORAL HALL

When: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 7:30 P.M.

Topic: RIDDING THE GARDEN OF WOODY PLANT PESTS THE LEAasT Toxic Way

A PAIR OF pruners and 20 minutes will repair leaf damage on your snowball vibirnum! Jennifer Llewellyn will explain how pest biology and monitoring techniques help you find pests

before they damage your plants. Nursery crops specialist for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Llewellyn s articles appear in Horticulture Review and Landscape Trades. Admission $5

Speakers: RON SANT &JOHN VALLEAU

Where: FLORAL HALL

When: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 7:30 P.M.

Topic: ANNUALS AND PERENNIALS: WHAT S NEw FOR 2002

WHAT S NEW, WHAT S exciting and what s underused in our gardens? Ron Sant, owner/operator of George Sant & Sons, chief grower of annuals for Canada Blooms and John Valleau, corporate horticulturist for Valleybrook Gardens (Heritage Perennials), will tell us what s coming up this season. Admission $5

Edwards Lecture

SPEAKER: THOMAS HOBBS

WHERE: Floral Hall

WHEN: CGC Annual General Meeting, Wednesday, April 23, 7:30 p.m.

Toric: The Jewel Box Principle: Channelling a Plantsman s Urge

AN INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED garden and floral designer, Thomas Hobbs operated his own highly successful flower shop for over 20 years and is now proprietor of the famous Southlands Nursery in Vancouver. His first book, Shocking Beauty, was an immediate success (it s available in the Trellis Shop). Hobbs is also a regular contributor to Gardening Life and a popular speaker. His talk is sure to be a highlight at The Civic Garden Centre s annual general meeting. Free to members; non-members $5.

by Mara Arndt

New Media Collection in the Works

THE ROYAL BANK Financial Group has donated some seed money to start a new media collection in the library. We ll start by building a collection of instructional videos for on-site use in workshops and seminars. As funds permit, we will add travel videos and CD-ROMs about notable gardens. Let us know if there s a particular title on your wish list .

Artin the Link

Upper Link

A Bohemian RoseRhapsody

EDIE BERGL

March 26 to April 8

Nature in all its glory! Along with other flower combinations, these watercolours feature roses and paintings of unique scenes.

TheBatikArt ofSheila Brogren

April 23 to May 6

Inspired by works dating back some 3,000 years, Sheila Brogren uses the traditional method of waxdye on cotton to create her own style of batiks.

Lower Link

Landscapesfrom FarawayPlaces

GITY NASEHY TABRIZI

March 12 to March 25

These images of the Iranian countryside, reflecting memories of the artist s childhood, attest to the country s varied scenery.

Upper & Lower Links

North York VisualArtists SpringShow

April 9 to April 22

A collection of art by a group of North York artists formed to produce and promote art in our community.

Book REVIEW

For information on Art in the Link, call Cathie Coxat416-397-1358.

The HungryHerb Gardener: Growingand Using CulinaryHerbs

ByJudith Adam Toronto, Prentice Hall Canada, 2001; xii, 164 pages; $31.95

EVEN A NOVICE gardener will find it rewarding and easy to grow kitchen garden herbs, also known as culinary herbs. They can be grown in garden beds, in containers or on a windowsill. Their flavourful leaves are ready early in the season and can be preserved to use in the kitchen year-round.

Judith Adam gives practical advice on growing herbs from seeds, the best soil and plant food to use, sun and shade conditions and different ways of preserving herbs. She also includes mouth-watering recipes as well as instructions for making such useful preparations as pest-repellent sprays. In all, The HungryHerb Gardener profiles 17 different herbs.

Beautiful coloured photographs by Turid Forsyth and plant portraits combine to make this book an inspirational treatment of a fascinating topic.

Reviewed byMadgeBruce

KEW BOOKS FOR KIDS

SELECTED BYJUDY BALDWIN

Alfie s Long Winter byGreg McEvoy

AreYou a Snail? byJudyAllen

Beaver the Gardener by Lars Klinting

Bugs! by David Greenberg

Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! by Bob Barner

Gaston s Ghastly GreenThumb byRobertLittell

The GivingTree by Shel Silverstein

The Hummingbird Garden by ChristineWidman

Miss Pennyand Mr. Grubbs by Lisa Campbell Ernst

Nip andTuck by Robert McConnell

Where Does the Butterfly Go When It Rains? by May Garelick

Wild in the City byJan Thornhill

SPRINGTIME IN SCOTLAND

08 April 18 April, 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 of the Highlands and the Islands of Arran and Islay. This tour has something for everyone- while golfers are on the links, gardeners will be exploring such treasures as the national collection of narcissus at Brodie Castle.

$3079.00 CAD per person double occupancy includes breakfast and dinner daily and Air Canada flights from Toronto.

Floriade 2002

12 August 25 August 2002 with Marjoric Mason Hogue

This tour begins with a full day at the FLORIADE, an international horticultural extravaganza held once every 10 years. The remaining 4 days in Holland will be spent exploring Amsterdam and enjoying several well-known gardens mcluding 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 ofAmhem. 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.

Gardeners Getaway to Chicago

16 September 19 September, 2002

Personally escorted by Marjorie Mason-Hogue and JeffMason

Our four day garden adventures have become wery popular. This year s destination is the gardens and nurseries ofChicago. Pam Duthie, author of Continuous Bloom will host Our wisit to the Botanic Garden. Jeffwill be visiting Chicago in July for the Perennial Plant Symposium and will have previewed all the great sites. Downtown Chicago has a Magnificent Mile , 30 city blocks ofexquisite urban paradise ofmedian planters and gardens. We will, ofcourse, be including our usual final evening dinner-cruise, ; complete with fireworks display. i Final details and pricing will be available early in the New year.

Kindly register your interest in joining our tours by contacting Lorna Bates at 905-683-8411 - Email: |bates@on.aibn.com Or visit our website at www.gardenersworldtours.com

Mark your calendars for the CGC s Annual GolfDay, Tuesday, September 10 at Pheasant Run Golf Course. Watch for details in the next issue ofTrellis.

What s on atThe Civic Garden Centre}

M ARCH

2

Southern Ontario Orchid Society

Judging 1 p.m. Open to the public Information: www.soos.ca

3

Southern Ontario Orchid Society

Plant sale: Floral Hall, 12:30 p.m. Information: www.soos.ca

York Rose & Garden Society

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

6

Special Lecture

Speaker: Alexander Reford

Topic: A Tradition of Innovation: Making an Historic Garden Hip Floral Hall, 7:30 p.m. Admission $5

10

Ontario Rock Garden Society

Speaker: Paul Ehnes

Topic: Spring Bulb Quest in Turkey

Mini: From germination to flowering Floral Hall, 1:30 p.m. Information: 416-755-2325

11

Toronto Bonsai Society

Floral Hall, 7 p.m. Information: 416-755-0880

12

North Toronto Horticultural Society

Speaker: John Beaulieu

Topic: An Introduction to Gesneriads Floral Hall, 8 p.m. Information: 416-484-0677

14-15

Milne House Garden Club

Floral art demonstrations (14th) and workshop (15th) by Andreas Verheijen from the Netherlands Information & reservations: 416-449-3664

18

Mycological Society ofToronto Meeting: Auditorium, 7 p.m. Information: 416-444-9053

19

Toronto Cactus and Succulent Club Meeting: 7:30 p.m. Information: 905-877-6013 webhome.idirect.com/~naylor/tcsc.htm

20

Special Lecture

Speaker: Marion Jarvie

Topic: Trees New, Unusual and Small Floral Hall, 7:30 p.m. Admission $5

24

Canadian Rose Society Meeting: 2 p.m.

Speaker: Joel Schraven Topic: Getting the Dirt on Roses Information: 416-622-6422; e-mail: crs@mirror.org

28

Chrysanthemum & Dahlia Society Meeting: 8 to 10 p.m. Information: 416-286-5798

31

Rhododendron Society ofCanada Meeting: 2 to 4 p.m. Information: 416-226-1270

APRIL

3

Special Lecture

Speaker: Jennifer Llewellyn

Topic: Ridding the Garden ofWoodyPlant Pests the Least Toxic Way Floral Hall, 7:30 p.m. Admission: $5

6

Southern Ontario Orchid Society

Judging 1 p.m. Open to the public Information: www.soos.ca

7

Southern Ontario Orchid Society

Floral Hall, 1 to 4 p.m. Information: www.soo0s.ca

Ontario Water Garden Society Meeting: 12 noon

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

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

8

Toronto Bonsai Society

Floral Hall, 7 p.m. Information: 416-755-0880

9

North Toronto Horticultural Society

Speaker: Peter Keeping

Topic: The World ofClematis

Floral Hall, 8 p.m. Information: 416-484-0677

10 Special Lecture

Speakers: Ron Sant andJohn Valleau

Topic: Annuals and Perennials: What s New and Unusual in 2002

Floral Hall, 7:30 p.m. Admission $5

Ikebana International Floral Hall, 7:30 p.m.

Information: 416-223-7798

14

Ontario Rock Garden Society

Plant Sale, Floral Hall, 12:30 p.m.

Speaker 1 p.m.: Panayoti Kelaidis

Topic: Hardy in Denver

Information: 416-755-2325

Ohara Chapter ofIkebana International Spring Flower Show Auditorium, 12 to 5 p.m. Admission $5

16

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

Information: 905-877-6013 webhome.idirect.com/~naylor/tcsc.htm

20

Society ofOntario Nut Growers

Tree Auction, Auditorium, Open to the public at 12 noon

Information: 905-934-6887

21

Geranium, Pelargonium & FuchsiaSociety Meeting: 2 to 4 p.m. Information: 905-780-7729

22

Mycological Society ofToronto Meeting: Auditorium, 7 p.m.

Information: 416-444-9053

23

CGC Annual General Meeting

Speaker: Thomas Hobbs

Topic: The Jewel Box Principle

Floral Hall: meeting, 7:30 p.m.; lecture 8 p.m.

Free to members; non-members $5

25

Chrysanthemum & Dahlia Society Meeting: 8 p.m. Information: 416-286-5798

27

Rhododendron Society ofCanada

Plant Sale: Floral Hall, 12 to 4 p.m.

Information: 416-226-1270; matthew.h@home.com

IN & AROUND THE GTA MARCH

7-10

STRATFORD GARDEN FESTIVAL

Stratford Coliseum. Admission $5. Information: 519271-7500; www.stratfordgardenfestival.com. 13-17

CANADA BLooMms

MetroToronto Convention Centre. Visit the CGC s Trellis Shop, our booth in the horticultural exhibit area and the CanadianTire Children s Activity Workshop. Information: 416-447-8655 or 1-800-730-1020; www.canadablooms.com. 14-17

SUCCESS WITH GARDENING

International Centre. In conjunction with the International Home& Garden Show. Information: 416-512-1305; www.home-show.net.

SCHEDULES CAN CHANGE AFTER PRESS TIME; BE SURE TO CHECK AHEAD.

CLASSIFIED ADS

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 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 tours. Combine with your visit to Chelsea or Hampton Court Flower Shows, WAFA or Floriade. Information from Judy Prentice 905-947-4595. Email: judyp@acncanada.net

Toronto s Green Living Show 2002

Explore the benefits of an earthfriendly lifestyle. Exhibitors represent natural gardening, eco-friendly homes, organic food, recycling and balancing the body and soul. Join us April 21 at The Civic Garden Centre from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For details, view www.greenliving.ca.