~ The Toronto Botanical Garden is a volunteer-based, charitable organization whose purpose is to inspire passion, respect and ,understan@iing of gardening, horticulture, the natural landscape and a healthy environ~ment. Since its inception in ~1958, the Toronto Botanical ~ Garden, formerly The Civic Garden Centre, has encouraged, stimulated and educated
countless Canadian gardeners. Almost 50 years later, the Toronto Botanical Garden has expanded its vision and set a goal to become a self-sustaining urban oasis while making Torontothemosthorticulturally enlightened cityin the world.
WhatWeOffer
Located at Edwards Gardens, the Toronto Botanical Garden offers many programs and services, including year-round activities for families and children. Our horticultural libraryhas over 8,000 books, periodicals, and a large collection of clippings, pamphlets,
3% Directory & Hours of Operation
777 Lawrence Ave. East Toronto, ON M3C 1P2
Administrative Offices: Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Library: Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
shopTBG: Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Library and shopTBG open for some special events and holidays: call 416-397-1340 to inquire.
Telephone: 416-397-1340; Fax: 416-397-1354
E-mail: info@torontobotanicalgarden.ca
Master Gardeners Info Line: 416-397-1345
Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Sunday & Holidays noon to 3 p.m. or www.questions.torontomastergardeners.ca
nursery and seed catalogues as well as a great selection of children s gardening books. Horticultural Information Services offers free gardening information year-round, and shop TBG has many unique gifts, books and gardening supplies for sale. The Teaching Garden has been created as a working garden to foster interest and educate people in the love and values of gardening and the natural world. As well, the TBG has a wide variety of banquet halls, meeting rooms and show space, with access to Edwards Gardens, one of Toronto s favourite garden spots.
3¢ Patrons
HONORARY PATRON: Adrienne Clarkson
Brian Bixley, Awdrey Clarke, Mark Cullen, Camilla Dalglish, Sondra Gotlieb, Marjorie Harris, LorraineJohnson, Michele Landsberg, Susan Macauley, Helen Skinner
3¢ Board of Directors
PRESIDENT: Geoffrey Dyer
Dugald Cameron, Peter Cantley, Kathy Dembroski, Leslie Denier, Tony DiGiovanni, HeatherDickson, Suzanne Drinkwater, James E. Eckenwalder, Ralph Fernando, Mary Fisher, Colomba B. Fuller, Jim Gardhouse, Peter Gray-Donald, Marjorie Harris,JanetKarn, Martha Mclean, Catherine Peer, Rosemary Phelan, Roberta Roberts, Dawn Scott, Elaine M. Solway,JudithM. Willmott
3 Staff Members
Executive Director
Margo Welch
Director, Communications Jenny Rhodenizer
Program Co-ordinator Graham Curry Director, Development
Stephanie Chiang
Special Events Co-ordinator Meagan Wilson Director, Horticulture Cathie Cox
Maintenance Officers Alvin Allen, Ken Ko,John Agnew
Librarian
Assistant Librarian
Receptionists
Bookkeeper/Accountant
Rob Caldwell
Ruthanne Stiles
Nancy Kostoff, Tanya Ziat
Dolly Ally
LorraineHunter(chair), Lorraine Flamgan (editor
Jenny Rhodenizer Bntt Sxlverthome
M.Magee
L. Hickey,J.McCluskey, L &S. Skmner,
416-397-4145
Trellis is published five times a yearas a members newsletter by . teToronto Botanical Gant possible. Articles, manuscripts and advertising material must e first of the publicat on material for the November/ December 2007, issue must be received by S 7, 2007. ~ pmwns expi Trellisdo not necessarilyreflect those of the TBG. Submissions may be editedfor styleand clarity.
- MIrights resen Reproduc on in whole or is prohibited without written permission.
Charitable business number: 119227486RR0001
PubhcztmnsMail
m by Margo Welch ¢ EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR I
Developing our gardens, greening Toronto
he first season with our own gardens has been gratifying and delightful with only a few of the headaches that are to be expected with a new enterprise. Given the growth and impact of the gardens, visitors have been very impressed to learn they were planted only a year ago. Good design, a co-operative spring and expert care and maintenance from the garden staff and volunteers have made the plants flourish.
We did experience pests and some theft, including plant labels, which is a common problem in botanical gardens, but we managed to deal with issues like these as they arose and learned from our experience. The Spiral Mound has remained a challenge as it is simply too tempting for people to stray from the path. The resulting damage has been a great frustration so we are reviewing options and considering solutions that will maintain the intent of the design but keep people off the plant material.
We are also planning to develop more gardens, including the Water Garden, which is a priority because we know it will be a beautiful addition and a favourite with visitors. Such development requires fundraising but we hope to secure the money for the Water Garden by next year and begin construction immediately thereafter.
Our original Master Plan included conceptual designs for a number of other gardens that were not built in Phase One. Now that we have developed and maintained the first 12 gardens, we will be working on the next phase of garden design over the fall and winter and will keep members informed of our progress.
This past spring, we were approached by Toronto Water to provide advice and assistance on the landscape of the E J. Horgan Water Treatment Plant, which was to be featured at an international conference at the end ofJune and needed
to look its best for the event. Cathie Cox, director of horticulture, produced a plant design and maintenance program, which was implemented with the assistance of TBG gardener Sandra Pella and additional contract workers under Cathie and Sandra s supervision. The results were very positive the gardens were transformed and the TBG earned some needed revenue. We will be considering additional projects with Toronto Water and other city departments as an effective way to further our mission of greening Toronto while demonstrating environmental responsibility and horticultural excellence.®
Goodbye to Leanne Hindmarch
We were very sorry to say goodbye to Leanne Hindmarch, our librarian, who left in July to become Architecture and Environmental Design Librarian at the California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California. Leanne has made an enormous contribution to the Toronto Botanical Garden, both as a volunteer and on staff, before, during and after the Revitalization Project. Her skill, energy and intelligence are evident in the expanded role of the Weston Family Library and its position as the TBG s hub for information and knowledge.
Supporting the Toronto Botanical Garden Means Enhancing Our Community
BY SUPPORTING THE Toronto Botanical Garden, you re helping to provide our city with a rich botanical and cultural experience that enhances the lives of its citizens. More than 96.3 per cent of our operating budget is self-generated income that comes from course revenues, membership fees, special events and the generous support of our many donors.Through your support, we are able to provide the infrastructure needed to sustain the TBG as a resource for horticultural and environmental information, education and services to our community. Without you, we would not be able to grow our gardens, teach our children and inspire our community.
There are many forms of giving and not all involve money. Donating your time to our various programs or helping to plant trees is an essential and fulfilling form of giving. Providing needed tools and equipment to maintain the gardens is a practical and functional way of contributing. A gift of securities is easily facilitated through a financial adviser and can result in tax savings for you. All of these ways of giving to the TBG can be rewarding and your generosity will go a long way to support our many exceptional educational programs and services for the community.
9 WAYSTO SUPPORTTHETBG
You can support environmental and horticultural education in these important ways. .
1. Use our Plant Lovers Fund to commemorate a special event (see page 9)
2. Buy a book for the Weston Family Library collection
3. Upgrade your membership by becoming a Friend of theTBG
4.Volunteer at our events or in the garden
5. Donate an In Memory Gift for a loved one
6. Celebrate a special occasion with aTribute Gift
7. Support a community event through Sponsorship
8. Buy a Brick in the Teaching Garden
9. Donate just because
For more information, visit our Web site at www.torontobotanicalgarden.ca or contact the Development Office at 416-397-1483 or annualgiving@ torontobotanicalgarden.ca.
Friends of the Toronto Botanical Garden
THANK YOU to the following Friends for providing generous with the most valuable and up-to-date information on gardening supporttowardsourprogramsand services.OurFriendsarefunda- and horticulture.The following individuals made donations to the mentalto theTBG s ability to educate and provide the community Friends Program from March 1, 2007 to June 30, 2007.
PRESIDENT S CIRCLE
(85,000 +)
In honour of Mabel E. Woods and Harold G. Woods
DIRECTOR S CIRCLE
($2,500 - $4,999)
Martha Mclean
BENEFACTORS
($1,000 - $2,499)
Wendy Crean
Ute E. Durrell
David & Janet Greyson
Heathbridge Capital Management Ltd
Nancy Kennedy
Helen & John Shaw
Marjorie Shu
SUSTAINING MEMBERS
($500 - $999)
Stephanie Chiang
Suzanne & David Drinkwater
James & Susan Eckenwalder
Rose Feikes
Bryce & Connie Hunter
Frances & Julia Johnson
Bob Hutchinson & Carolyn Kearns
Judy Weeks
FRIENDS
($140 - $499)
Anonymous (7)
Jim Allen
Katy Anderson
Robert Armstrong
Dr. & Mrs. L.A. Beech
Ruth Bolt
Linda Boyko
Michele Bussieres
Dorothy & John Cartmell
Dorothy Cottrelle
Marilyn Creighton
Patricia Dalton
Heather & George Dickson
Dorothy Ferris
Barbara & David W. Fleming
Helen Galt
Nancy Garrow
Patricia Gawen
Louise Golding
Beverley Harrison
Mark Hartley
David Hogarth Smith
Jean Johnson
Brian King
June Knudsen
Sonja Koerner
Anne Kotyk
Mary Lee Laing
Marion Lambert
Barbara E. McDonald
Mitchell Siebert Family
JoAnn Moysey
Barbara Murchie
June Murdoch
Jean M. Read
Joy Reddy
Penny Richards
Dr. Roberta Roberts
Lynn Ross
Jeanne Rowles
Janet Rowley
Lana Soosar
Ray &Trudy Stacey
Barbara Stephen
Valerie Story
HelenThibodeau
DeborahVernon
Martin Wade & Martin Wade Landscape Architects Limited
Gilbert & Marion Warburton
Penny Welch
Gregory Williams
Judith Willmott
Saving the Harvest
WITH FALL ON ITS WAY, it s the time to head out to the garden to harvest the vegetables you've cared for all summer. Carrots and corn, potatoes and parsnips, zucchini and summer squash are ready to be picked from September onwards.
While out harvesting, have you ever found a forgotten bean or pea pod looking yellow and dried out on the vine? Don t compost it collect it! Many of the vegetables we eat when they are young and tender become seeds-in-the-making a few months later. Allowing vegetables to flower and go to seed is a great way to see the life cycle of some of our common vegetables. If there s a special plant in your garden that you
How do plants grow?
would like to grow again, here are a few easy seed-collecting steps.
1. Allow the plant to bloom; as the flower dies away the seeds will begin to ripen.
2. Check seeds every day to see if they re ready for collecting. They re ready when they:
a. turn a dark colour
b. look dry
c. fall off the plant when touched
3. Place seeds in a dry paper envelope and write the name, month and year collected on the front, then seal the envelope and store in a cool dry place.
4. Plant seeds next year and watch them grow!
From seed to sprout, plant, flower and seed pod, arrange the pictures below in the correct order.
Attentionallcampers families!You are invit
Teaching Garden to te and gather the harvest that so many small hands helped to
FLOWER
SPROUT
PLANT
T'1°G 'y Hamsuy
by Cathie Cox Director, Horticulture
Meet Toni Vella: taxonomic assistant
THE TBG HORTICULTURE DEPARTMENT
is blessed with a number ofcommitted volunteers who work hard and enthusiastically. Many have worked here for years; others joined us when we installed the gardens. We have volunteers who garden, assist in the library and help the teachers; volunteers who repair, build and mend; and volunteers who help with administration. Toni typifies the enthusiasm and commitment of our many volunteers.
With a background in information technology for over twenty years, Toni s most recent job was heading the group that provides global support for the entire server infrastructure of a large financial institution. While taking a break from her career, she decided to volunteer at the TBG working at anything related to horti-
culture and gardening with the aim of a possible career change into the field in the future.
Toni generously agreed to volunteer in the plantdatabase department, cataloguing, researching and recording all of the plants in our new gardens. She continues to work in this area with an unflagging enthusiasm and a questioning, open mind. This virtue has been of immense value to the TBG in setting up its plant database. There have been many decisions to make in undertaking this huge enterprise, and she plays a large part in looking at options and recent research in plant taxonomy where DNA mapping has resulted in the changing of plant names. Toni also makes accession and public visitor labels on the TBG laser engraver for all of the plants that we buy and grow in our gardens. Not only is Toni
conscientious and thorough but she never loses her sense of humour.
Last year she decided to become a Toronto Master Gardener and has already completed much of her course work. She feels that her volunteer work has helped enormously with botanical taxonomy and nomenclature even though, as she wryly states, I may not know what all the plants look like . While Toni enjoys all types of gardening, she particularly loves to grow vegetables, especially heirloom tomatoes. She likes to grow plants from seed and has caught the collecting bug, starting with species and cultivars of bleeding hearts and purple coneflowers.
Toni does not confine herself to volunteering in one area; she also helps with the plant sales and will start a new job of working on the TBG seed exchange later this summer. Toni is just one of a group of valuable volunteers that I, and the TBG, are extremely lucky to have and know!®
TBG PLANT LY VERS FUND
by Stephanie Chiang ® Director, Development
DO YOU REMEMBER receiving a perfect gift something thoughtful, personal, special or rare? I've tied bows on countless gifts for birthdays, weddings, holidays and just because . With each one [ wondered, will they like this, be touched by it, use it or throw it away?
A few months ago our director of horticulture, Cathie Cox, introduced me to the luscious magazine of Kew Gardens, which had a dog-eared page with a small item on giving a gift of bulbs. I was intrigued. Kew has always been a leader in botanical gardens, and the idea of gifting a bulb collection to commemorate a loved one or special occasion seemed to me personal, special and rare that illusive perfect gift.
Cathie and I discussed how this idea could be applied in our own gardens with their various plant collections. For example, the evergreens in the President s Choice Show Garden include dwarf and slow-growing cultivars suited to small urban gardens; the Garden Hall Courtyard boasts a wonderful Japanese maple collection, including Acer palmatum Sango-kaku (the coral barkJapanese maple) which hugs the shop windows as you enter the Westview Terrace. This spring, our grape hyacinth collection was one of the most outstanding features of the Terrace Garden. One of our most notable collections resides on our Green Roof; the xeric collection features five different sedum species, which are drought tolerant and help absorb rainwater runoff.
After a lot of thought and discussion with the staff at the TBG, we developed the idea of creating a Plant Lovers Fund to support the nurturing and care of these special collections. This is not a new idea for the TBG. Long-time TBG members Loretta and Stanley Skinner were the first to make a donation in support of our plant collections and we re hoping you will think it a good idea too. Consider giving a gift of a virtual tree, plant, shrub or collection to mark a
special occasion such as a wedding, anniversary, significant birthday or just because . If you know of someone who would be honoured to receive a birthday card, for example, inscribed with the name of an Acer palmatum Inaba Shidare , the Plant Lovers Fund might just be the perfect gift. A Virtual Plant Donation Book, located in the Weston Family Library, will be displayed to record the names of recipients and donors of this most special group our TBG Plant Lovers!
For more information on how you can participate in the Plant Lovers Fund, contact the Development Office at 416-397-1483 or annualgiving@torontobotanicalgarden.ca or visit our Web site at www.torontobotanicalgarden. ca. Each dollar raised supports the nurturing and care of the TBG s special collections.®
The Chelsea Flower Show 2007
Nostalgia and eco-gardeningare top trendsfrom Chelsea, reports Cathie Cox.
Bradstone Show
return to a softer romantic and nostalgic approach to garden design and planting themes was the key trend at the Chelsea Flower Show this year. Pared down minimalist plantings have been replaced by dense combinations of lush, informal, almost blowsy perennials, annuals and smaller ornamental grasses. Typifying this wave of nostalgia, the BBC RHS People s Award went to the garden designed by Chris Beardshaw: Celebrating 100 years of Hidcote Manor. This was a traditional design of intimate garden rooms luxuriantly filled with cottage-type flowering plants alternating with the formal and manicured trees and hedging so typical of a traditional English garden.
Favoured colours tended to strong purples and paler mauves and lilacs. Popular plants were the strong vertical spikes of delphiniums, salvias,
veronicas, lupins and deep black and purple irises interspersed with alliums. The most popular grasses were Stipa tenuissima with its mass of blonde tresses and Stipa gigantea with arching stems of glistening gold flower heads. They were used very extensively to add movement, light and background colour and nearly always in combination with darker jewel-toned traditional cottage-type flowers such as columbines. Unfortunately, both of these grasses are annuals in Ontario but they re still worth growing. Other popular flowering plants were columbines (Aquilegia spp. and cvs.), especially the deeper colours and double varieties, love-in-a-mist (Nigella), silver-foliaged perennials, woodrushes (Luzula spp.), sedges (Carex spp.), Jack-in-the-pulpits (Arisaema spp.), hardy geraniums, Nepeta racemosa Walker's Low ,
Photo: Michael Walter/Troika Designed by Sarah Eberle
The
Garden designed by Sarah Eberle was awarded a Gold Medal.
Knautia, shade-loving alpines (especially Cyclamen spp.) and bear s breeches (Acanthus).
I have yet to go to a Chelsea show and not be wowed by and overcome with desire for at least one plant. This year it was Orlaya grandifiora with its subtle beauty offern-like foliage and pure white flowers that appear to be a cross between Queen Anne s lace and a lacecap hydrangea.
Environmental responsibility and eco-friendly gardens were very much in evidence. All the gardens adhered to strict environmental guidelines. Many used drought-tolerant plants, avoided the use of lawns in their designs and displayed solar panels, wind turbines, reedbed drainage systems and green roofs. Plants to attract beneficial insects and bees were used, although native and wildflower gardens appeared to be out of fashion.
Natural stone, gravel, limestone paving and scree were used extensively to replace lawns, add quirkiness or dramatic colour and as a substitute for mulch. Decks are out in favour of natural stone seating areas.
Some gardens chose a futuristic or astronomical theme. This year s winner of Best Show Garden went to 600 Days with Bradstone, a garden designed by Sarah Eberle. An innovative designer with six previous gold medals, Sarah designed the garden with an eye to the next millennium and its future challenges. Extensively researched, the design represented a terrestrial space garden on a crater rim on Mars and featured volcanic landscapes and an area for relaxing and a small vegetable garden. This was a garden that inspired thought rather than emulation.
Trees with a sculptural quality, whether by nature or design, were a common theme in most gardens. Hornbeams, pencil cypress, columnar English oaks and beech were the most popular. Strong lines of hedges were pruned narrow and tall. Examples of pleaching, shearing and pruning were found in most gardens and appeared to be almost a necessity for small gardens. In the Linnaeus Tercentenary garden, created by Swedish designer Ulf Nordfjell, the crabapples were trimmed to have high, flat, thin crowns to contrast with the white birch and spruce which
were pruned into tall hedges. The sculptural look of the hedging and fastigiate or candle-shaped trees provided an ideal setting for the art pieces and water features commonly found in each of the show gardens.
Amongst the exhibits in the big tent, it appears that dogwoods are now almost as popular as Japanese maples. The red osier, Cornus sericea Hedgerows Gold , Cornus controversa Variegata and the Chinese dogwoods, Cornus kousa var. chinensis cultivars, seemed to gain the most attention. Water remains popular but in a more subdued form. Water features appeared to be more natural, subtle and simpler with shallow pools and ponds. The emphasis is on still or slowmoving water and reflective pools.
Very noticeable by their absence were vegetables. Always popular in previous years, there was no sign of the perfect veggies that had won best in show a few years back. The sole vegetable exhibit was of potatoes through the ages by Thompson and Morgan. To see it, one had to queue very patiently to ask for information from this engaging booth. Hopefully this does not presage a decline in interest in vegetable growing.
Garden design and plant choices seemed to reflect nostalgia for a simpler more peaceful time as well as an acknowledgment that gardeners have to make wise eco-friendly choices to help preserve our natural habitats. The appearance of informality in the plantings, the afternoon tea service in a few gardens but most noticeably in the Tufa Tea courtyard garden designed by Kati Crome, props such as tennis rackets left lying on garden furniture and the return of the rock garden and alpines gave a haunting feelingofdéja vu. The trend in rock gardens seems to focus on shade-loving plants and native North American alpines and dwarf perennials. It was pleasing to see so many British gardeners enthralled and fascinated by Jack-in-the-pulpits, trilliums and lady s slippers, all of which had been groomed and grown to perfection.@
PLANT SPOTTING AT
Sara Katzpresents a roundup ofthe 12 most asked aboutplants on thisyear s tour.
Acer campestre Carnival
y all accounts, the 2007 Through the BGarden Gate Tour of the gardens of Davenport Ridge and Wychwood Park was a great success. Master Gardeners were kept busy answering questions, giving gardening advice and identifying the many plants found in the various estate, woodland, jewel-box and water gardens featured on the tour. Here is a list of the top 12 plants visitors asked about.
1. Acer campestre Carnival ( Carnival hedge maple) This variegated maple, a showstopper at 57 Hillcrest, will lighten any shady spot in the garden. It was found as a chance seedling and introduced in 1989 in The Netherlands. A slow-growing shrub or tree, it will reach three metres (10 feet) and should be planted in sheltered, part shade for best performance.
2. Actinidia kolomikta (Hardy kiwi vine) A standout at 57 Hillcrest, the leaves on this Zone 5 vine are green with pink and white patches. White flowers will produce edible fall fruit if male and female plants are grown together in full sun. Hardy kiwi spreads to six metres (20 feet) and needs support to climb.
3. Actaea simplex (Atropurpurea Group) Brunette syn. Cimicifuga ramosa Brunette ( Brunette black cohosh) The tall spikes of pinky-white flowers and dark purple-green leaves of this handsome shade-loving perennial couldn t be missed at 10 Austin Crescent. A Zone 4 perennial, it can be grown in sun but will need extra watering.
4. Aesculusparviflora (Bottlebrush buckeye) This beautiful native shrub, found growing at 28 Tyrrel, has large white panicles of flowers that bloom in late June. It has no pest or disease problems and will tolerate a wide variety of soils. At three metres (10 feet) high and eight metres (26 feet) wide, it grows in sun or shade and is drought tolerant the perfect shrub for any garden!
5. Alocasia x amazonica Polly (Elephant ears) These frost-tender tuberous plants were used to create a dramatic front door planter at 57 Hillcrest. Its leaves can grow more than 30 centimetres (12 inches) long. Flowers are yellow spathes, sometimes followed by red berries. It needs bright, indirect light and high humidity. Water well in summer. Bring indoors over win-
Photos:
Lorraine Flanigan
Actinidia kolomikta
ter and water infrequently with rain or filtered water and mist daily.
6. Cornus kousa (Kousa dogwood) Spotted at 16 Wychwood and 78 Wells Hill, this elegant dogwood is a tree for all seasons. Creamy white flowers in June are followed by raspberry-shaped red berries and flaming red and orange foliage in fall. Horizontal branches and a blend of tan and
brown bark is striking against a background of snow. It prefers moist, acidic, well-drained soil in sun or part shade and grows seven metres (23 feet) high and five metres (16 feet) wide.
7. Eupatorium Chocolate ( Chocolate boneset) Found growing at 28 Tyrrel, this 1.5 metre (five-foot) tall perennial has bronze-purple foliage with contrasting clusters of pure white flowers that are excellent for cutting. Hardy to Zone 3, it can be grown in sun or shade and will tolerate moist to dry soils.
8. Fagus sylvatica Purpurea Tricolor (Tricolor beech) A star plant at 16 Turner, this tree features dramatic purple leaves with irregular green and pink markings. The best colour is produced in part shade. It will eventually reach 12.5 metres (41 feet) in height and eight metres (26 feet) in width. It is not recommended for hot dry areas.
9.Jeffersonia diphylla (Twinleaf) A member of the barberry family, this native plant was seen at 78 Wells Hill. It blooms from April through May and grows in rich, damp woodland soil. Twinleaf has large 12-centimetre (five inch) wide basal leaves, each divided into two leaflets, and pro-
duces white flowers in early spring. Its unusual fruits have hinged lids that open to release seed.
10. Persicaria (Fleece flower) Two varieties of this easy to grow perennial were on view in two gardens on the tour. Persicaria Superba (syn. Polygonum bistorta Superbum ), a low mat of white frothy blooms graced the front garden at 69 Lyndhurst. Along the fence at 57 Hillhurst,
Salptglsszssinuata
Persicaria polymorpha (also called white dragon) produces 1.5 metre (five foot) high clumps of bold white astilbe-like flowers on dark red stems. Both varieties are hardy to Zone 3 and will grow in sun or part shade.
11. Plectranthus Mona Lavender This purple-flowering annual, featuring glossy green leaves with purple undersides, was used to great effect in several pots and containers on the tour. It likes rich soil and plentyofwater. Pinch it back to encourage more compact growth.
12. Salpiglossis sinuata (Painted tongue) A standout at the Spadina House gardens, this annual hasbrilliantlybicolouredandveinedtrumpet-shaped blooms. It is easily grown from seed. Sow outdoors in asunnyspot in fertile soil after danger offrost has passed. Coverthe plantingbedwith landscape cloth or burlap as seeds need darkness to germinate. Keep soil moist, and when seeds have germinated (two to three weeks), uncover to expose to light. Thin to 20 centimetres (eight inches) apart when five to eight centimetres (two to three inches) high. @
Sara Katz is a Master Gardener and a member of the Through the Garden Gate Committee.
BULB PLANTING FOR BEGINNERS
Even the greenestgardener can produce a colourfulgarden, says Lorraine Hunter, withfoolproof, spring-flowering bulbs.
here is something magical about spring-blooming bulbs. We plant them in the fall before the ground freezes knowing their appearance several months later will herald the end ofwinter and the beginning of spring. I call this an act of pure faith. Here s a quick look at some of the easiest bulbs to grow.
*Tulips
Of all the bulbous plants, the tulip is the most popular and one of the easiest to grow. No other bulb has as many colours, shapes and sizes. Colours range from red to yellow, pink, lavender, white, orange, violet, purple (and countless colours in between) and many are bicoloured. Some tulips are scented and others have variegated leaves with cream or white markings. Even a small cluster provides a splash of hope for what s to come just when you re starting to wonder if winter will ever end.
Tulips are divided into three main classes, each of which includes many varieties: early, midseason and late-flowering, the largest group. If you plant some from each group, these spring-flowering bulbs will give you an entire season of magnificent bloom from April through June. Dig holes two and a half to three times as deep as the bulb is wide, usually about 10 to 15 centimetres (four to six inches) deep. Leave 10 to 15 centimetre between bulbs.
elris
The iris, sometimes known as flag and named for the Greek goddess of rainbows, grows from both bulbs and rhizomes. One of the earliest to bloom is Iris reticulata, a lovely little dwarf iris also known as rock garden, wild snow or miniature iris. Only five to 15 centimetres (two to six inches) tall, it is considerably shorter than tall bearded irises and has striking flowers in shades of blue and purple born on naked (leafless) stems. The low growing Iris danfordiae, also referred to as a dwarf iris, is very similar to
Tuck tulips into the ground over winter
Information Center
Photo: Netherlands Flow
| Buy bulbs early, while stores, (including shopTBG, have a / good selection.
" ePurchase high quality bulbs, { free of bruises or soft spots.
¢/ *Avoid planting bulbs in soggy ) areas. Without proper drainage, . bulbs may rot over the winter.
" Even if shoots emerge, they are | weakened and susceptible to , disease.
" ePlant to come up in full or / partial sun.
, *Prepare the soil by adding lots of compost or other organic / matter.
1 eIn general, dig holes two and a half to three times as deep as
BULB PLANTINGTIPS
the bulb is wide, usually about 10 to 15 centimetres (four to six inches), and space the bulbs 10 to 15 centimetres (four to six inches) apart.
Plant lots of bulbs, in groups of five or seven or more, but don t plant them in a straight row like soldiers.
eAdd bulb fertilizer such as superphosphate to the bottom ofthe hole as directed on the package and roughly mix it into the soil.
ePlace each bulb in the hole, pointed side up, root side down. The bottom of the bulb should rest firmly on the bottom of the hole.
S
I reticulata but it is bright yellow. Both can come up through the snow in early to mid-March. Iris bulbs should be spaced 10 centimetres (four inches) apart and covered with 12.5 centimetres (five inches) of soil. They enjoy rich soil and should, ideally, be dug up and separated in the spring or late summer every three or four years or as blooms become fewer.
eHyacinths
Known for its unmistakable perfume, hyacinth comes in various shades ofwhite, blue, pink, red and purple and will grow in sun or part shade, ideally protected from heavy winds. Space 15 centimetres (six inches) apart and cover with 15 centimetres of soil.
eMuscari
Muscari or grape hyacinth, with its tightlyclustered purple flowers, is said to smell faintly like grape juice. The bulbs should be planted 7.5 centimetres (three inches) apart and deep.
eNarcissus
oFill the hole with soil and water the bulbs thoroughly.
*Bulbs can benefit from a fiveto 10-centimetre (two- to fourinch) deep mulch of shredded bark, compost or leaves to pre- | vent the ground from alternately freezing and thawing, which can heave the bulbs out of the ground during winter.
ePlant tall flower bulbs in a sheltered location to protect them from the wind.
eIn our area, spring-blooming bulbs can be planted once nighttime temperatures drop to between 4°C and 10°C (40°F
There are at least 25 species of Narcissus, commonly known as daffodils, and thousands of to 50°F).
hybrids. Excellent for naturalizing in beds, borders and rock gardens or for use as cut flowers, all species have a central trumpet-shaped corona surrounded by a ring of petals. The traditional daffodil is golden yellow, but the corona often features a contrasting colour. Hybridizers have developed some daffodils with a double or triple row of petals. Other cultivars have frilled petals or an elongated or compressed central corona. The most common colours are yellow, white, orange-red, orange and salmon.
eAlliums
Sometimes called ornamental onions, alliums perform best in full sun with well-drained, fertile soil and good moisture. There are hundreds of ornamental species. While some flower heads are just a couple of centimetres (about an inch) wide, others can be more than ten times as large. Available with flowers in mauve, white, yellow or silvery pink, they range in height from just 15 centimetres (six inches) to more than a metre (39 inches).®@
Lorraine Hunter is a garden writer and chair of the Trellis Committee.
For Lorraine Hunter, the TBGKitchen Gardenbrings back culz nary memories
hen I heard from Cathie Cox that the TBG Kitchen Garden would feature fresh produce from the Caribbean this past summer it brought to mind the hot, humid summers of my youth living in Nassau, Bahamas, and in particular all the fruits we took for granted living on a tropic nd - including mangos, coconuts and
child, I remember we threw th di washing water onto the ground just outside
have fresh tomatoes, hot peppers and limes on hand for conch salad or grilled fish.
Seeing the green and chili peppers, tomatoes and even pineapples happily ripening over the summer in the TBG gardenmade me think of some of those Bahamian dishes that were once a staple in mydiet. Here are a few _ of myfavourites.
Conch Salad
Look for frozen conch in Caribbean fish stores in or around Kensington Market. Lobster may be substituted for conch.
2 |b (1kg) fresh or frozen conch; the best are frozen in salt water
12-15 limes
1 large tomato, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 stalk celery, diced
1 large onion, chopped
salt (optional)
1-2 hot peppers, chopped
Squeeze limes and defrost conch in lime juice. While conch is still slightly frozen, remove and chop into '2-inch (1.25-cm) cubes. Place vegetables in a large bowl and add the lime juice. Add the chopped conch back into the vegetable and lime mixture. Chill for 2 hours before serving. Stir and taste. Add 1 to 2 hot red peppers if desired.
Peas and Rice (a.k.a. Rice and Peas)
In one form or another, this dish is a staple throughout the Caribbean. (Substitute blackeyed peas or kidney beans if pigeon peas are unavailable.)
1 cup (250 mL) canned or dried pigeon peas
2 whole cloves of garlic
5 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 cups (500 mL) uncooked rice
1 cup (250 mL) canned tomatoes
1 red pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
Y cup (125 mL) bacon, cut into small pieces
1Thbsp (15 mL) tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste
Boil dried peas in a medium saucepan with 5 to 6 cups (1.25-1.5 L) water. Cookpeas 45 minutes or until tender and set aside. Fry bacon in a medium pot with onions, garlic and red pepper. Sauté for 3 to 5 minutes and add salt, pepper, thyme and tomato paste. Add canned or boiled peas along with tomatoes and 4 cups (1 L) of the water used to boil the peas. Add rice; bring to a boil. Reduce
heat; cover tightly when most of the water has evaporated. Remove from heat and serve.
Grilled Fish
2Tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1% Thsp (20 mL) fresh lime juice
1Tbsp (15 mL) minced fresh ginger
1 Scotch bonnet pepper seeded and thinly sliced
4, 6- to 8-ounce (170- to 225-gram) fish fillets
salt and freshly ground pepper
Combine olive oil with garlic, lime juice, ginger and hot pepper in a mixing bowl. Add fish fillets and turn to coat well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Light the barbecue and remove the fillets from the marinade, scraping off most of the garlic and ginger pieces. Season the fish with salt and pepper and cook over grill for about 10 minutes per inch of thickness.
Pineapple Tart (Pie)
This recipe is traditionally made with pineapples from the island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas, but canned pineapple may also be used.
4 cups (1 L) crushed pineapple
1 cup (250 mL) sugar
2 cups (500 mL) flour
Y2 cup (125 mL) butter, cubed
3 Tbsp (45 mL) ice water
pinch of salt
To make filling, simmer pineapple and sugar for 15 to 20 minutes. Cool. To make pastry, sift flour and salt. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Blend in 2 Thsp (30mL) ofwater and mix to a firm dough, adding more water as needed. Knead dough lightly for a few minutes, until it is smooth and firm. Chill in refrigerator for 10 minutes and then roll out evenly to fit a 9-inch (23-cm) square baking pan, reserving some pastry for the lattice top. Pour filling into pie shell. Cut strips of pastry and makea lattice top. Bake at 350°F (176°C) for one hour or until pastry is golden brown.®
Lorraine Hunter is a garden writer and chair of the Trellis Committee.
SPOTLIGHT ON The Hidden Gardens o
Pamela Dodds discovers a little known Cornwallgarden.
AT LOW TIDE, St. Michael s Mount becomes a peninsula attached to the mainland at Marazion by a shingle and sand causeway. But for the remaining 16 hours a day it s an island with just over twenty-four acres of granite and slate rock. Atop this rocky pile, castle and church complete an iconic view, drawn, engraved and painted by artists for centuries, and photographed by the hundreds of thousands of tourists.
For centuries, St. Michael s Mount was an important seaward defence, and today much of the original twelfth-century fortified castle and a priory remains. In 1659, St. Michael s Mount was acquired by Col. John St. Aubyn, in whose family it remained. The castle, church and lady chapel were subsequently restored and used as the family s summer residence. In 1726 the third SirJohn created the walled terraced gardens that lie on the Mount s south flank. In 1954, ownership of the Mount passed to the National Trust but the family still has charge of the gardens. Known only to a minority of visitors, these hidden gardens cling to the very steep rocky southern, seaward face of the Mount. To discover their charms, turn away from the main throng of tourists turning right along the harbour quay at the Mount s end of the causeway and bear left to the garden entrance, which lies beyond the line of former fish cellars (now shops). From this point, the path, lined withAgave americana, winds south along the east side of the Mount. Agaves need a frost-free climate, so their successful cultivation in these south-facing gardens is testimony that the Mount s extremely exposed site includes pockets of a semi-tropical micro-climate.
The most sheltered areas are three walled terraces. A little pavilion provides entry to the middle terrace and another terrace features a wrought-iron wellhead. More terraces facing westward are connected by a seemingly random network of very steep steps, tiny lawns,
Visiting St. Michael s Mount
The gardens of St. Michael s Mount are open weekdays in May and June and Thursdays and Fridays from July to October. If you plan to visit, wear stout shoes and clothing suitable for wind and rain and perhaps even carry a stick to assist with balance on the slopes. For more information, visit www.stmichaelsmount.co.uk.
[opeios ooona s Sresainss St L S R TR e PR i U eruptions of flowers and sudden sun-heated enclosures , as described by garden historian, Dr. Timothy Mowl. Smothering the terraces with colour are Clematis, Mesembryanthemum, Geranium, Leptospermum scoparium and borage (Borago), Cordyline, Furcraea and Agapanthus. The garden paths end at Sea Gull Seat, beyond which are cliffs and bracken and across the waters of the bay, distant views of Penzance.
Quiet enjoyment of this most atypical of Cornish gardens, hidden under the noses and escaping the attention of the vast majority of present-day pilgrims to St. Michael s Mount, would be seriously compromised should word get out, so please keep it to yourself! @
Pamela Dodds is an art historian who lives in Polgooth, Cornwall, and writes about Cornwall s architecture andgardens.
by Anna Leggatt
Michaelmas daisies
MICHAELMAS DAISIES, also known as fallblooming asters (Aster syn. Symphyotrichum®*), are an essential group of perennial plants for brightening up the fall garden.
I grew up in England where every fall butterflies covered the many varieties of Michaelmas daisies thatgrewin ourgardens. When I arrivedin Canada, in a long ago September, I was surprised to find them growing wild in the fields and woods.
All fall asters have daisy-like flowers with a yellow centre. Colours range from whites to pale pinks, mauves and blues, bright pinks and reds to bright and dark blues and purples. Flowering time is from late July to early November, depending on the variety and the severity of the season most will still flower after a light frost. They grow best in full sun, though some are happy in partial shade, such as Aster novae-angliae Harrington s Pink (syn. Symphyotrichum novaeangliae Harrington s Pink ), and a few grow in deciduous shade (A. divericatus). The height range is from five centimetres up to two metres (two inches up to 6.5 feet), depending on the variety. Most have an attractive musky smell and make excellent cut flowers.
A. n-a. Andenken an Alma Pdtschke (syn. Symphyotrichum n-a. Alma Po6tschke ) is one
FAVOURITE CULTIVARS
of my favourite fall asters. Developed from our native New England aster, this group grows in tall, large clumps of upright-branching stems with long hairy leaves. Alma Pdtschke features flowers of bright salmon pink. It grows to about 1 metre (39 inches), making it best for the back of a border. It needs a moist rich soil and full sun and is hardy to Zone 3. Buy plants in bloom as I've sometimes found some with flowers that look crumpled .
Fall asters have few problems, but can become mildewed if the soil is dry, so keep them well watered. Because the lower leaves often brown and die, use other plants to hide their bottoms. Many, including Alma Pétschke , will flop over, so staking is necessary. You can reduce their height by pinching out the growing tips in mid-June; this also makes the plant bushier. Many varieties self-seed, sometimes producing new forms and colours. To avoid this, you can deadhead the spent blooms or leave the seeds for the birds.
Try growing fall asters they look great with many ornamental grasses.®
Anna Leggatt is a Master Gardener and tireless TBG volunteer.
A. n-b. var. novi-belgii Lady in Blue 30 ¢m (12 inches)
A. lateriflorus Prince (syn. S. lateriflorum var. lateriflorum Prince )
A. Little Carlow
A. divericatus (syn. S. divaricatum), A. laevis (syn. S. laeve var. laeve) and A. cordifolius (syn. S. cordifolium)
50 ¢m (20 inches)
Forms a flat mat of white flowers; small, greyish leaves
Dome-shaped form; deep purple flowers
Semi-double, bright blue flowers
Tiny white flowers appear on horizontal branches; purplish foliage
60 cm (24 inches) A multitude of almost sky-blue daisy-like flowers
40, 45 & 50 cm (16, 18 & 20 inches)
All grow in the shade in my garden; the latter spreads by rhizomes and has become a nuisance, but worth growing as it brightens shady spots
* Taxonomists are reclassifyingsome asters to the genus Symphyotrichum. Both names have been included to avoid confusion.
TBG Café - serving at the hippest venue in town
Carol Gardnerdiscovers the owners of4 la Carte Kitchen are rooted in gardening.
s regular visitors know, the TBG Café Ais now being managed by a la Carte Kitchen Inc., the company that caters many events for the TBG (including Through the Garden Gate). The company s co-owners, Brian King and Simon Kattar, understand the work of non-profit organizations through their long-standing relationships with many of Toronto s arts and cultural organizations, including Roy Thomson Hall, the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art and the Royal Ontario Museum. They have cooked for politicians, including René Lévesque, Pierre Trudeau and every prime minister after him, religious leaders such as Pope John Paul II, royalty (Queen Elizabeth II) and people in the film business (Sir Ralph Richardson and Brad Pitt).
Business manager Brian King received his formal training in Culinary Arts & Administration at the hotel school in Colchester, England before going on to work at the Grand Hotel National in Lucerne and at the Carlton Tower Hotel and The Berkeley Hotel in London. Executive chef Simon Kattar graduated from the Ecole hoteliere de Beirut and worked at the St. George Hotel in Lebanon and the Westbury Hotel in London.
In the early seventies, both partners emigrated from England to Canada. Once they hit Toronto, they worked at all the city s hot spots: the Four Seasons, the Royal York, the Prince Hotel and the Park Plaza. They became reacquainted (they had originally met while working in London) while working for a Toronto catering company and decided to open a small food shop on their own. Because their staff came from all parts of the world, they were able to offer more exotic foods. When their customers began asking them to cater events, a new business was born.
Their credentials, obviously, are impeccable, but the thing that makes them perfect for the TBG is that they are both avid gardeners. They come by it naturally. Simon s family home in Lebanon was set among olive groves. He s now eagerly awaiting assighment of a garden allotment just five minutes from their business location; it s his favourite destination when looking for a break from his busy kitchen. Both Brian s grandparents and parents were passionate gardeners. His father had his own garden and a couple of allotments in England where he was a dahlia aficionado. He switched to irises when they moved to Canada, joining the iris society and gardening enthusiastically on Brian s seven-acre property in Beaver Valley. The partners are very enthusiastic about the TBG Café. Because they decided to manage it just a week or so before it was due to open this spring, they haven t had a chance to put all their plans in motion. They d like to make the spot more bistro-like, with table service and a window for quick orders of ice cream and cold drinks. With the emergence of the TBG as the hippest place to hold an event , they see all sorts of possibilities for expansion and improvement. Just to be prepared, they ve been checking out the restaurants at Kew Gardens and the New York Botanical Garden, so watch out, Toronto, it s only going to get better and better!@
Gardneris an award-winninggarden writer and member ofthe Trellis Committee.
The Café1s open daily from 10 a.m 0 6 p.m.,
Carol
38shon B FALL BULBS
e Allium Gladiator This ornamental onion boasts giant 15-centimetre (six-inch), violet-purple flower heads that bob atop towering stems that reach 1.3 to 1.5 metres (50 to 60 inches) in height.
e Tulipa Aria Card This coloured fringed tulip changes to white with a fringed purple edge as it matures.
e Tulipa Curly Sue A dark purple-red fringed tulip that grows to 45 centimetres (18 inches) in height.
e Tulipa Rai A parrot tulip with deep violet, ruffled blooms andyellowish green accents, Rai grows to 50 centimetres (20 inches).
This fall, browse our great selection of tulips, muscari, hyacinths, crocuses, daffodils and fritillarias and receive your 10-per-cent member discount when you buy!
ARE HERE'
Bennett Jones is proud to sponsor the Toronto Botanical Garden s 7thAnnual Golf Tournament
Bennett Jones is a nationally and internationally recognized Canadian law firm founded and focused on principles of professional excellence, integrity, respect and independent thought.
Toronto Master Gardeners inviteyou to a special event
October 27, 8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
The Delights of Diversity
Vines, lilies, treesandshrubs to thrillyounowandin thefuture
Three inspiring lectures by leading horticultural experts:
Twiners, Stickers, Clingers&Hookers
How to use a wide variety of vines to diversify your garden design using very little space.
Lilium - Known, Unknown & Future
A glimpse into the future of the genus Lilium will you soon be able to grow blue lilies?
Rare Trees &Shrubs ofOntario
How to use some of Ontario s most unusual woody plants in your garden.
PLUS small-group tours of the Toronto Botanical Garden, led by the Horticulture Director.
Only $25.00 for the public ($20.00 for Master Gardeners) including refreshments at breaks. Optional lunch available for another $15.00.
Pick up a registration form at the Toronto Botanical Garden or request one from toronto.mg@hotmail.com.
REGISTER EARLY TO ENSURE YOUR PLACE!
MANY YEARS AGO, TBG volunteer Ken Duncan planted the seeds of a rose-coloured wisteria beside the entrance to the Civic Garden Centre, as it was known way back then. The plant grew and flourished, producing lots of leafy growth but nary a bloom. During the construction of our renovated building, head gardener David Leeman decided to get tough. In the fall of 2005, the roots were pruned to make way for construction. Then, the followingspring, David pruned back the top growth to two or three buds, creating the structure for the plant that grows up the stone wall outside the Floral Hall. Last summer, he pruned out the long whips. His drastic actions must have startled the vine into bloom because for the first time in its lazy life, it produced two long-awaited flowers this season. Surprisingly, they were blue, not rosy pink as Ken had believed theywould be What compelled our wisteria to bloom after such a long sulk? Leeman chalks it up to the regimen of pruning, coupled with the vine s sheltered position in the Floral Hall Courtyard, and a minimum of fertilizer just the commercial hen manure used on all the gardens at the TBG.
Lorraine Flanigan
== Y Expert advice from the Master Gardeners I
Qi planted a foxtail lily (Eremurus) and after blooming it disappeared completely. Does it have a dormant period? Since it disappeared at the end ofJuly will it have the strength to come back next year?
A Don tworryaboutyour \ foxtail lily the plant will regrow from its tuberous b root. The foliage starts to 6 die as soon as the plant flowers but must be left to die back naturally. For this reason, some gardeners plant a medium-sized perennial at the base of the foxtail lily to hide the bare flower stem. To help this plant over the winter, protect it with an organic mulch, but be sure to remove the mulch early in the spring, especially if it's wet. Foxtail lilies start to grow very early in the season so it may be necessary to cover the tender flower shoots to protect them if late night frosts threaten.
Foliage of foxtail lilies dies back naturally as it blooms
Q 1am attempting to collect, dry and store heirloom tomato seeds so that I can plant them next season. [s it all right to store them outside in the garden shed over the winter months? Or should they be stored inside somewhere?
A Seeds store best between 0° to 5°C (32° to 41°F), temperatures at which they do not freeze but enzyme activity within the seed is retarded. They can be stored at higher temperatures (up to room temperature) but their viability decreases in warmer environments.You can store your seeds in cans with metal lids, screw-top glass jars, plastic film containers or even old vitamin bottles. The key to storing seeds is a cool, clean and dry environment.
Qi1 planted a rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) in the fall and almost gave up on it this June. I dug it up and potted it in earlyJuly and it is now putting out some nice foliage. [ don t have space in the garden until the annuals die back in the fall, so my question is, should I leave the plant in the pot and store it in the garage or basement over the winter? Or could I plant it in the garden in late October? I protected it from the wind with a screen of burlap last fall and wonder if I should wrap it up again?
A Rose of Sharon is a very vigorous plant and transplants well, but be patient it is slow to leaf out in the spring and may take several years to establish itself. Although it might survive the winter in the pot in an unheated garage where temperatures do not drop below freezing, it's better to plant it in the garden in early to mid-fall. This will give it enough time to establish roots before winter. Once transplanted, make sure to water well right up to when the ground freezes. Rose of Sharon benefitsfrom being placed in a protected and sunny part ofthe garden away from cold winds but does not need burlap protection.
lllustrations:
Rose of Sharon will give prolific blooms once established
Do you have a question about gardening? Contact the Toronto Master Gardeners Info Line at 416-397-1345 or log on to www. questions.torontomastergardeners.ca and Ask a Master Gardener!
Vivien Jenkinson
1 LOVE TREES
by Leanne Hindmarch e Librarian
A Fond Farewell
BY THE TIME YOU READ THIS, many of you will have already heard that I've left my position as TBG Librarian. As of early August, I'll have started a new position as Architecture and Environmental Design Librarian at the California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California. There I will be dedicated to assisting their College ofArchitecture and Environmental Design, helping both faculty and students with their information needs. While I'm quite excited about this change (the position is very much aligned with my prior academic background in architectural history and urban geography), I'm also very sad to be
leaving. The TBG is doing great things, and it has been wonderful to have played a role in this time ofgreatchange. I've made some great friends here and helped with some exciting research projects. As it has always been, the TBG is the site of a great community: it is a meeting place for a group of varied individuals who share a passion for gardening, plants and the care of our environment. I'm thrilled to have met so many ofyou! So thank you all for making this a great place to work. I'll miss you, but I'll definitely come back to visit. I can t wait to see how the gardens continue to grow!
Book REVIEW
THERE S A NEW FACE IN THE LIBRARY.
Over the summer, Rob Caldwell joined the TBG as Librarian. Rob has worked in various libraries for the last 10 years and has experience in collection development, online services, community outreach, training services and project management. Along with his B.A. in English language and literature he has a Masters in library and information science and a post graduate diploma in web design and production. He is keenly interested in nature and gardening and has a collection of more than 100 cacti. He will be working in the library four days a week and spending the rest ofthe time looking after his newborn daughter, Madeleine.
Peonies
By Pamela McGeorge, 5 with photographs by Russell McGeorge Richmond Hill: Firefly Books 2006; 144 pages, $24.95
THIS BOOK OFFERS all dedicated peony fans a comprehensive overview of the history and botany of the peony as well as suggestions for selecting and growing the best species and hybrids for every region and garden condition.
While not primarily intended as a picture book, it nonetheless contains many gorgeous full-colour illustrations of the numerous peony species. There is also a chapter that explores the use of the peony in medicine and cooking. In a word, the writer deals fully with the universal appeal and many uses of peonies. Reviewed byMadge Bruce
Pamela McGearge.. % Fhctogracv RinoekWater
Edwards Lectures 2007 |
OUR FALL LECTURE SERIES features an outstanding line-up of internationally acclaimed horticultural experts and garden designers. Learn about the cutting-edge research on plants and conservation and the history of garden design.
SPEAKER: Dr. Allan M. Armitage
Toric: Native Plants for North America
WHEN: Wednesday, September 12, 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Floral Hall
WIDELY ACKNOWLEDGED as one of the world s foremost horticulturists, Dr. Armitage strongly encourages a wider use of native plants by landscapers, gardeners and producers. In this lecture he will dispel myths about native plants and provide information on useful species for gardens. Habitat, hardiness, correct garden site, maintenance and propagation will all be discussed. Whether you are a native plant enthusiast or simply wish to use plants that work in the landscape, this lecture is for you.
Allan M. Armitage is a professor ofhorticulture at the University of Georgia, Athens; the author of 11 books including his most recent one, Armitage s Native Plants for North American Gardens, and the recipient of many awards, including the Medal of Honor from the Garden Club of America. His newly launched Web site, www.armitageimages.net, contains over 5,000 images for use on Web sites, in catalogues or on labels.
Arrive early and enjoy a free half-hour guided tour highlighting the native plants in the TBG gardens. Tour starts at 6:45 p.m.
SPEAKER: Dr. Spencer Barrett
Toric: Flower Diversity: Exploration and Evolutionary Significance
WHEN: Tuesday, September 25, 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Floral Hall
TRAVEL THE GLOBE through this fascinating exposé of exciting and diverse plants from exotic regions around the world. Dr. Barrett will discuss plant diversity and his research into the ecology and evolution of flowers. A recent project includes work on wild Narcissus species and he will highlight his botanical expeditions to Chile, Argentina and China.
Spencer Barrett, a professor of botany at the University of Toronto, is a world leader in plant evolutionary biology. He enjoys an international reputation for his work on invasive plant species and is an acknowledged expert on the potential environmental consequences posed by the introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). His research projects involve implications for improved crops and novel means of controlling the spread of harmful invasive plant species. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and a former NSERC Steacie Fellow.
R R e R R
SPEAKER: Dr. Danna Leaman
Toric: Conservation and Sustainable Use ofMedicinal Plants
WHEN: Wednesday, October 10, 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Floral Hall
DR. LEAMAN WILL discuss the conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants and how botanical gardens can use these plants to illustrate the broader issues and approaches to conservation. She will highlight the use of medicinal plants in the cultures of China and Canada s First Nations and will provide you with practical information for their use.
Danna Leaman is an ethnobotanist with a doctorate in biology from the University
of Ottawa. She is affiliated with the Canadian Museum of Nature as an associate researcher and serves as a consultant and adviser to various organizations, including Canada s Biodiversity Convention Office, Botanic Gardens Conservation International, Plantlife International, the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWFE).
SPEAKER: Patrick Chassé
Topic: Garden and the Mind s Eye
WHEN: Tuesday, October 30, 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Floral Hall
DRAWING ON GARDEN DESIGN both past and present, Patrick Chassé examines how designers aesthetic ideas are translated into physical reality and how we perceive and learn from unique garden spaces. His examples include both the historic gardens of Gertrude Jekyll who painted with plants and Claude Monet s gardens at Giverny. Equally passionate about the cultural history of gardens and the interrelationships of garden design with the natural environment, Chassé will also discuss the cultural currents evident in a selection of his own gardens and landscapes.
Patrick Chassé is a landscape architect, educator, writer and historian who has designed gardens throughout the eastern United States and abroad. He is also a frequent lecturer and his work has been featured inArchitecturalDigest, Gardens[llustrated and House and Garden. His many projects include a reconstruction of an Ottoman garden in Istanbul and preservation work on Beatrix Farrand s last home and garden in Maine. Currently, he has joined the Gardner Museum (Boston) as its curator of landscape.
Lectures are free for TBG members. The fee for non-members is $15. Door sales only, limited seating, doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Studio Master Class with Patrick Chassé
Wednesday, October 31, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Let landscape architect Patrick Chassé help you design a residential landscape plan that complements and melds with your local environment. You ll learn techniques for analyzing space using Patrick s residential scale templates and develop a theoretical house design and footprint for each specific area, creating functional and beautiful living environments. Special attention will be given to designing appropriate entrances to these garden spaces.
Patrick will use the gardens at TBG for on-site analysis and for the studio templates used for creating individual designs, and an illustrated presentation will highlight his own projects. The class will conclude with a group critique and Q & A session. Don t miss this rare opportunity to learn from an expert; Patrick is one of ten international designers profiled in Page Dickey s Breaking Ground.
Adeliciouslunch,refreshmentsandsupplymaterialsare included in the coursefee. Members $250/Public$280
MILNE HOUSE GARDEN CLUB FLOWER SHOW
by Graham Curry ¢ Program Co-ordinator
Setting the harvest table
By all these lovely tokens September days are here, With summer s best of weather And autumn s best of cheer.
Helen HuntJackson
AUTUMN IS A BEAUTIFUL time of the year when brightly coloured leaves follow summer s riot of flowers. This fall, the TBG s programs help you celebrate the season in style with the third eventin our popular Style Series, Setting the Harvest Table, with Erin McLaughlin, editor-in-chief of Canadian Home & Country.
The harvest table is a place to gather and enjoy the company of family and friends. Imagine a harvest dinner party where savoury casseroles and fresh fruit pies warm in the oven while pots bubble on the stove with delicious flavours that waft through the house. Erin will serve up her best mouth-watering recipes for the ultimate harvest party, that may include cilantro cheese cornbread, roasted sweet potato spears with bacon vinaigrette, brandied pumpkin tarts and hot cranberry sangria. You'll enjoy sampling dishes prepared by one of Erin s favourite caterers who will serve some ofthe best treats for the Thanksgiving table.
Erin will also show you how to set the table, whether indoors or out, in such celebratory style that guests will be singing your praises. She will bring her favourite vintage props and will
demonstrate, step bystep, how to dress the table in a number of themes, incorporating family treasures from around your house things like those dainty teacups from grandmother s attic or a vintage punch bowl you rarely use.
You ll take home lots of ideas for fun decorative crafts that could include jack-o -lanterns with colourful leaves and twigs to add a touch of whimsical fun to the dinner table. And for evening celebrations, Erin will show you how to light up the table with inspiring ideas such as fresh apples cored and filled with tapered candles to give a warm and intimate glow to the room.
From floral arranging to creating a menu to impress your guests, you ll be delighted with Erin s stress-free ideas for adding a magical touch to the harvest holiday.
During this seminar, have fun making a handson project and take-home recipe cards to make your Thanksgiving holiday a very special one.
The time is ripe to taste the harvest of the season and to gather together in celebration of the autumn season. It all starts here at the TBG this fall.@
The TBGSeedExchange needs yourseeds by October 26, 2007
PLEASE DONATE cleaned seeds (no chaff) collected from your garden (or responsibly collected in the wild). Please, no leftover commercial seeds.
OTIPS ON HARVESTING
Cut seed heads from the stems and place in paper bags and store in a cool, dry place until fully dried. Most seeds are best collected when the seed pods turn brown and start to split open. Some pods that explode should be cut off as they turn brown (e.g., hardy geraniums). When fully dried, sieve to remove all chaff and other debris. Store seeds in wellsealed paper envelopes (not in
plastic bags), labelled with the following information:
*Plant name (common and botanical) and cultivar
*Plant type (e.g., annual, perennial, bulb, vine)
*Flower colour
*Height (centimetres)
*Comments (e.g., bloom time, easy to grow, attracts birds)
Please combine all seed packets into one large brown envelope and enclose a listing of your donations along with your name, address, telephone number and email address. If any seeds are late ripening, include anote indicating that those seeds will follow later.
For more information on all
of the above and for submission forms and detailed collection and cleaning information, see www.torontobotanicalgarden.ca. If you have computer access, please complete the form available on the Web site and submit by e-mail to seedexchange@ torontobotanicalgarden.ca. Mail or deliver seeds by OCTOBER 26 to Cathie Cox, Director, Horticulture, Toronto Botanical Garden, 777 Lawrence Ave. East, Toronto M3C 1P2.
Any TBG member can order from the list of seeds, which will appear in the January/February 2008 issue of Trellis. Remember, donors orders are filled first!
TORONTO BOTANICAL GARDEN 7TH ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT
Toronto Judging Centre of the American Orchid Society
Judging, Studio 1, 1 p.m.
Open to the public; Information: www.so00s.ca
30
Sogetsu Ikebana
Meeting, Studio 1, 10 a.m.
Information: highpark35@rogers.com
Southern Ontario Orchid Society
Marilyn Light: Native orchids
Floral Hall, 12:30 p.m.
Information: www.so00s.ca
Toronto African Violet Society
Open house & plant show Garden Hall, 1 to 4 p.m.
Information: www.bluejasper.com/tavs
Toronto Region Rhododendron & Horticultural Society
A tour of gardens from Exbury to Chelsea Studio 3, 2 to 4 p.m.
Information: www.onrhodos.com
OCTOBER
7-8
Toronto Bonsai Society
Bonsai show & sale; Floral Hall
Sunday: noon to 5 p.m.; Monday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Information: www.torontobonsai.org
9
North Toronto Horticultural Society
Studios 1, 2, 3; 8 p.m.
Information: 416-488-3368
10 Edwards Lecture
Danna Leaman: Conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants
Floral Hall, 7:30 p.m.
TBG members free; public $15
Limited seating; door sales only
15
Toronto Bonsai Society
Meeting, Garden Hall, 7 p.m.
Information: www.torontobonsai.org
Toronto Mycological Society
Dr. Andrew S. Methven: The genus Flammulina Studios 1, 2, 3; 7:45 p.m.
Information: www.myctor.org
16
Toronto Cactus & Succulent Club
Annual mesamb show (living stones)
Studio 1, 7:30 p.m.
Information: torontocactus.tripod.com
23
SOOS Newcomers
Boardroom, 7 p.m.; Information: www.soos.ca
25
Canadian Chrysanthemum & Dahlia Society Meeting, Studio 1, 7 p.m.
Information: www.mumsanddahlias.com
27
Delights ofDiversity
Lectures on vines, lilies, trees and shrubs
Floral Hall, 8 a.m to 3:30 p.m.
Master Gardeners $20; public $25
Registration: toronto.mg@hotmail.com
28
Sogetsu Ikebana
Meeting, Studio 1, 10 a.m.
Information: highpark35@rogers.com
30
Edwards Lecture
Patrick Chassé: Garden and the mind s eye
Floral Hall, 7:30 p.m.
TBG members free; public $15
Limited seating; door sales only
SCHEDULES CAN CHANGE AFTER PRESS TIME BE SURE TO CHECK AHEAD.
CLASSIFIED ADS
Preview Itinerary for September 06 18 2008
Star Choice UK Garden Tour personally escorted by Marjorie Mason. Beatrix Potter Hilltop Farm, Harrogate Flower Show (RHS), Bodnant Gardens, Alnwick Gardens, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Logan botanical gardens. Tour the fabulous Scottish Borders, Yorkshire Dales, Lake District and North Wales, stay in Robbie Burns country, Sir Walter Scott s Abbotford, historicYork and Chester. Itinerary details at
www.gardenersworldtours.com or contact Lorna at 905-432-8411 or lorna@cwtajax.com
With Open Gardens Toronto 2007 visit 20 gardens, grouped in different areas of the city on weekend afternoons in September and October. Entrance fee of $3 or $25 for all gardens goes to the Canadian Women s Foundation. See www.opengardenstoronto.com for details.
