TheToronto Botanical Garden is a volunteer-based, charitable organization whose purpose is to inspire passion, respectand
countless Canadian gardeners. Almost 50 years later, the Toronto BotanicalGarden has nursery and seed catalogues as well as a great selection of children s gardening books.
1958,the Toronto Botanical Garden, formerly The Civic Garden Centre, has encour-
Toronto the mosthorticulturally enlightened cityin theworld.
Located at Edwards ardens, the
including year-round activities for families and children. Our horticultural library has over 8,000 books, periodicals, and a large collection ofclippings, pamphlets,
777 Lawrence Ave. East Toronto, ON M3C 1P2
Administrative Offices: Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Library and shopTBG:
® January through March: Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, noon to 5 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. e April through December: Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 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
Children s Programs: 416-397-1355 childrensprograms@torontobotanicalgarden.ca
Communications: 416-397-1351 communication@torontobotanicalgarden.ca Courses: 416-397-1362; programs@torontobotanicalgarden.ca Donation Inquiries: 416-397-1483 annualgiving@torontobotanicalgarden.ca
TBG Events: 416-397-1484 events@torontobotanicalgarden.ca
Executive Director: 416-397-1346 director@torontobotanicalgarden.ca
Horticultural Services: 416-397-1358 horticulture@torontobotanicalgarden.ca Library: 416-397-1343; library@torontobotanicalgarden.ca
Membership: 416-397-1483 membership@torontobotanicalgarden.ca
Rentals: 416-397-1349; rentals@torontobotanicalgarden.ca shopTBG: 416-397-1357 shop@torontobotanicalgarden.ca Volunteer Co-ordinator: 416-397-4145 volunteers@torontobotanicalgarden.ca
nformation Services ening information , and shop TBG has many umque gifts, books and gardening supplies for sale. The TeachingGardenhas beencreated as a working garden to foster interest and educate people in | the love and values of garden ing and the natural world. A 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. den offers services,
HONORARY PATRON: Adrienne Clarkson
Brian Bixley, Awdrey Clarke, Mark Cullen, Camilla Dalglish, Sondra Gotlieb, Marjorie Harris, LorraineJohnson, Michele Landsberg, Susan Macauley, Helen Skinner
PRESIDENT: Geoffrey Dyer
Dugald Cameron, Peter Cantley, Kathy Dembroski, Leslie Denier, TonyDiGiovanni, Heather Dickson, Suzanne Drinkwater, James E. Eckenwalder, Ralph Fernando, Mary Fisher, Colomba B. Fuller, Jim Gardhouse, PeterGray-Donald, Marjorie Harris,Janet Karn, Catherine Peer, RosemaryPhelan, Roberta Roberts, Dawn Scott, Elaine M. Solway,Judith M. Willmott
Executive Director Director, Communications Program Co-ordinator
Director, Development
Special Events Co-ordinator
Margo Welch
Jenny Rhodenizer Graham Curry, Shayna Segal
Stephanie Chiang
Meagan Wilson Director, Horticulture
Gardener
TaxonomicAssistant
Database Co-ordinator
Cathie Cox
Sandra Pella
Toni Vella
Naureen Qaiyyum Manager, shopTBG
Development Officer
Children s Program Supervisor
Children s Program Co-ordinator
Facility Sales Supervisor
Brad Keeling
Sarah Durnan
Liz Hood
Natalie Harder
Kristin Campbell
Facility Sales Co-ordinator/Volunteers Jenny Beard
Maintenance Supervisor
Walter Morassutti
Maintenance Officers Alvin Allen, Ken Ko,John Agnew
Librarian
Assistant Librarian
Receptionists
Bookkeeper/Accountant
Rob Caldwell
Ruthanne Stiles
Nancy Kostoff, Tanya Ziat
DollyAlly
by Margo Welch e EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR I
The
e have several exciting projects in development which will expand on the success of our first series of gardens completed in 2006. The projects are in keeping with our philosophy of environmental sustainability and will demonstrate beautiful and interesting alternatives for garden design and garden structures.
Woodland Walk
will
be
located
in
the southwestern corner ofLeslie and Lawrence.
In April, a straw-bale shed will be constructed in the Demonstration Courtyard. This building will function as a much-needed garden shed, and information on this innovative type of construction, not widely used in urban settings but more popular in rural areas, will also be provided. (Read about straw bale construction on page 12.)
Another exciting project is the design and site preparation of the Woodland Walk which will be located in the area that wraps around the southwestern corner of Leslie and Lawrence. This surprisingly large area was easy to overlook while driving or walking past it. Although the southern edge of this corner, facing the parking lot, was planted yearly by the city, the area was otherwise badly overgrown with shrubs and crowded with trees, many of which were dead or diseased. All this is about to change.
The design vision for the Woodland Walk seeks to invite and welcome the public into the gardens of the Toronto Botanical Garden and Edwards Gardens. The walk will be a reflection of the beauty and gardens that lie beyond the parking area and will demonstrate how a typical urban landscape canbe transformed. Plans call for a natural wood chip path to lead the visitor from the busy intersection of Lawrence and Leslie through the dappled shade of open woodland with native plants on one side and borders
of vivid colour on the other. It will be planted for fourseason interest.
® Winter will be represented by seed heads and ornamental grasses that will be left uncut.
® The spring border, on the north side of the parking lot adjacent to Lawrence Avenue, will feature a canopy of mature trees and an understorey of dogwood trees underplanted with native woodland spring-flowering perennials and ferns. Native plants such as trilliums will be well represented in collections that showcase their diversity. White-flowering bulbs such as daffodils and snowdrops will be allowed to naturalize.
® The summer borders, located on both sides of the garden adjacent to the parking lot, will be devoted to richly coloured perennials, annuals and ornamental grasses that flower from June to September.
® The east-facing border that lies adjacent to Leslie will focus on shrubs with fall interest, ornamental grasses and late-flowering perennials and bulbs.
The Woodland Walk is being developed with the support and participation of a number of partners. The City of Toronto, represented by the Clean and Beautiful City and the Coordinated Street Furniture programs, Transportation Services and the Forestry Division of Parks, Forestryand Recreation, is assistingwith funding, co-ordination, construction equipment, labour, trees and street furniture. Canada Blooms will be donating the proceeds from its 2008 event, and the TBG will be prominently promoting the Woodland Walk at that show. Thus far, the collaboration with our partners has been wonderful and with additional private sector support, which we are currently seeking, we look forward to a new garden in 2008.2
BySonia Day, proud Toronto Master Gardener, authorand Toronto Star gardening columnist.
SCENE: a horrible wet night in fall 1992. Fairly new to Toronto, I'd never driven on the Don Valley Parkway after dark. Nor had I visited the TBG (then the Civic Garden Centre). The rain bucketed down; the parkway was like a river; the traffic terrifying. I wanted to turn around and go home. But I persevered. And thank heavens I did, because that night I sat down to write the test to join Toronto Master Gardeners. Looking back, it was one of the best things I've ever done.
Becoming a Master Gardener meant gaining entry to a wonderful new world. ['ve learned so much about gardening (and still am learning), made new friends and it helped me establish a new garden writing career in middle age. So never let lousy weather stop you from visiting the TBG. After all, who knows where it could lead?
Toronto Botanical Garden
Wednesday, April 16, 2008, 7 p.m.
Followedbythe Edwards Lecture at 7:30p.m.
"AGardenfor EveryDayoftheYear" with JohnMassey, UK
Thank you to the following Friends for providing generous support towards our programs and services. Our Friends are fundamental to the TBG s ability to educate and provide the community with the most valuable and up-to-date information on gardening and horticulture. The following individuals made donations to the Friends Program from November 1, 2007 to December 21, 2007.
PRESIDENT S CIRCLE
($5,000 +)
George & Kathy Dembroski
Sondra & Allan Gotlieb
DIRECTOR S CIRCLE
($2,500 - $4,999)
Michael & Vivienne Wiggan
BENEFACTORS
($1,000 - $2,499)
Isabel Boardman
Mark & Mary Cullen
Janet Davis
Michael & Honor de Pencier
Heather & George Dickson
Jim & Mary Fisher
Bryce & Connie Hunter
Rosamond Ivey
Edith Jewett
Donald & Janet Karn
Shelagh O Neill
Grace Patterson
Dawn Scott
Wayne Squibb &
Jonas Prince
SUSTAINING MEMBERS
($500 - $999)
Kim & Martin Abell
Katy Anderson
Karen Ann Barnett
Janeen E. Bowes
Pattie & John Cleghorn
Susan & Mike Dolbey
Elsie Howell
Jean Johnson
Joan & Alan Lenczner
Marjorie Lenz
Susan Loube
Joyce McKeough
Anne McLeod
Catherine Peer
ShirleyTaylor
Jane & Donald Wright
Mary Grace Wright
FRIENDS
($140 - $499)
Alice Adelkind
Alexander R. Armstrong
Carol Bairstow
Anne Baker
Virginia & James Baxter
Brian & Maureen Bixley
Kelvin Browne
Vern Campbell
Peter Cantley
Mary Lou Carter
Judith Conacher
Patricia Crawford
Marilyn Creighton
Ellen Farrelly
Dorothy Ferris
Tom & Helen Galt
Erica Gilbert
Irene Gish
Diana Goad
Barbara & Warren Goldring
Naneve Hawke
Peter & Eleanor Heinz
Barbara Ann Hynes
Donalda Kelk
Mary Lee Laing
Florence Lazar
Anna Leggatt
Alessandra Leopardi
Bernice Levitt
Karen Lockwood
Marion Moore
Terri Norris
Otto Muller
Catherine Park
Gisele Quesnel-Oke
Konrad Radacz
Flavia Redelmeier
Joan Redfern
Roberta Roberts
Janet Rowley
Charlotte Smith
Ruthanne Stiles
JaniceTurner King
Martin Wade
Pat Weddell
Margo Welch
Gregory Williams
Anonymous (3)
® Bzzzzz...
That s the sound of one of the coolest creatures in and around the garden the honeybee! This insect is very important to both humans and animals because it is a pollinator. That means that as the bee flies from flower to flower collecting nectar she also moves pollen from one part of the flower to another. This allows the flower to develop into fruit. If not for bees and other pollinators we would not have many of the fruits we enjoy today!
Honeybees, however, do not stop at helping to develop fruit. They also give us something else very sweet honey. Bees make honey by bringing the nectar they've collected from flowers back to their hive. Then, they spit it out and let it dry out a bit. This makes it much sweeter. Some very busy hives can make and store almost one kilogram (two pounds) of honey in a day.
Bees can make so much honey in a day because they can tell each other where to find a good source of nectar by dancing. It sounds odd, but it s true. After a bee has found a source of nectar she gives the other bees a sample and then does a dance to tell them where to find it. Not only do these dances tell the other bees the direction and distance of the food, they also tell them how good the food is and how much of it they will be able to find.
Want to learn more about bees? Come visit the Toronto Botanical Garden on April 19 for Earth Day. We'll be learning about bees from some bee experts, doing bee crafts and, of course, practising our bee dance. To learn more, visit www. torontobotanicalgarden.ca or call 416-397-1341 to register.@
One of the dances honeybees do is called the waggle dance. They do this dance when the food they have found is more than 35 metres (40 yards) away from their hive.To perform this dance, they wiggle and waggle their backsides in a straight line and then they make a loop back to where they started. Then, they repeat these motions, but loop in the opposite direction. Try it yourself by following these dance steps.
LeftTurn Hod %
by Cathie Cox ® DIRECTOR, HORTICULTURE
uring the summer of 2007, staff and Dvolunteers gathered to discuss the design concepts for the gardens still to be built on the north and west sides of the building and to the south of the Carpet Beds and the Nature Garden. We agreed that all of our gardens must be sustainable: that is, we should continue to employ the policies of recycle and re-use, right plant, right place, native plants where appropriate, organic gardening and wise water usage. We should also incorporate educational opportunities and support revenue generation wherever possible. The board of directors has now accepted these concepts.
In addition to sustainability, we established four essential concepts for an urban botanical garden. The first is to provide a safe and secure space where children (with their parents) can creatively play and interact with nature: a place that stimulates the imagination using the basic natural elements of soil, water and plants. Anyone visiting our gardens last summer will have noticed the many families with young children lookingfor playareas. The SpiralMound certainly bears witness to how popular such an area could be. Elements could include tall meadow grasses, tunnels, a maze and a huge birds nest. Seating would be provided for adults and the area would be walled
a feasibilitystudy to help us decide on the location of the glasshouse (one suggestion is the library patio) and how it could be designed to be environmentally sound using green technology.
The third concept envisions a garden with rocks. Situated on the west side of the building, this garden would showcase horticultural gems: rare, unusual, miniature and slow-growingplants. Its design would utilize the natural slope of the land, partial shade from the existing mature trees and the moderating effects of the rock.
The final concept is an area devoted to small contemporary urban gardens which would highlight trends in landscape architecture and garden design. These gardens chosen in a competition held every two or three years would be innovative, employ sustainable environmental concepts and incorporate native plant material.
Our next step is to gather focus groups to ensure that all functional aspects of the gardens are considered. Once completed, fundraising begins and landscape architects will be invited to present their designs.
There are many possibilities when it comes to public garden design but having limited space makes us aware of how judicious and far-sighted staff and focus groups must be when planning our new gardens. @ and supervised.
The second concept calls for a conservatory or greenhouse to provide exhibit space for seasonal plant displays and for collections of tropical and tender plants. This space could also be used for horticultural programs and for propagat-
ing plants for fundraising sales and to supply our gardens. We'll be setting up
Wholesale contracts + Retail Sales Grasses, Wildflowers, Shrubs and Trees
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MARCH 12-16, 2008
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JOIN GARDEN ENTHUSIASTS FROM ACROSS NORTH AMERICA IN OUR CELEBRATION OF SPRING IN ONTARIO FLOWER POWER 2008!!
Explore acres of stunning gardens presented by Ontario s premier landscape designers, shop the new Living Green, Artisan Alley and Plant Marketplace and meet Canada s gardening experts speaking on garden travel, plants, design and ecology.
Experience must-attend events including our Opening Night Party Love in the Garden, Home Depot Qutdoor Living Central, Scotts Wild Bird Habitat and Miracle-Gro Do Up the Doorstep.
ADULT $18 SENIOR/STUDENT $16 CHILD 12 AND UNDER FREE NEW RBC AFTER 5PM RATE $10 FOR TICKETS VISIT WWW.CANADABLOOMS.COM 416.447.8655 OR SOBEYS ONTARIO STORES
In this third in our series on global warming, Carol Gardnerand Lorraine Hunteroffer ways to cope with drought.
full of contradictions. For example, why should global warming result in hurricanes and flooding as well as drought? There are a number ofissues in play. The thicklayer ofpollution (carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases) that traps heat in the atmosphere results in warmer temperatures and, therefore, greater evaporation of water. Warmer water in oceans pumps more energy into tropical storms, increasing their destructiveness, and the melting of glaciers contributes to the rise of sea levels.
The concept of global warming seems to be Forest Service is planning to adapt by selecting large drought-tolerant trees and planting them only during the wettest season. We might well take a lesson and do the same. Keep in mind that trees with small leaves use water more efficiently than do larger-leaved specimens, and that trees with deep upright or multilayered crowns maintain water better than those with flat crowns. Fortunately, Canada is home to many droughttolerant trees and shrubs, including Manitoba maple (Acer negundo), honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos), Rocky Mountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum), sumac (Rhus spp.), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), Russian olive (Elaeagnusangustifolia) and Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana).
The topic is the subject of many long and learned papers, so we should probably just accept that while we may not understand all the science behind global warming, as gardeners we re going to have to deal with the results. In our part of the world, the most immediate challenge is likely to be drought. We had a small taste ofit in the summer of2007. The National Center for Atmospheric Research calculates that the percentage of earth s land area stricken by serious drought more than doubled from the 1970s to the early 2000s.
It seems obvious that we have to change our ways, using more drought-tolerant trees, shrubs and plants and creating an environment in which they can flourish. We may also have to rethink that pride of many a Canadian homeowner: the perfect lawn. An average suburban lawn (7.6 by 12.2 metres/25 by 40 feet) uses about 45,500 litres (6100 gallons) of water every summer. Does that really make sense any more?
Xeriscaping is aword thatwe ll be hearingmore often. It s a term thatoriginated in 1981 when the water department of Denver, Colorado, combined xeros, the Greek word for dry with scape (from landscape). It refers, in part, to selecting plants with low watering requirements as well as to grouping plants with similar watering needs.
To counter the effects of less water, particularly in the interior western forests, the Canadian
Many of the perennials, ornamental grasses and sedges that already inhabit our gardens are drought tolerant. Silver-foliage plants generally need less water because their woolliness think lamb s ears (Stachys) and mullein (Verbascum) protects the plants from heat by maintaining an area of moisture near the leaf. Many native plants are drought tolerant as well. Bear in mind, however, that no matter how drought tolerant a plant may be, it will still need liberal watering until it becomes established.
Gardeners are certainly not alone in their concerns; scientists worldwide are working on the problem of adapting plants to changing conditions. Botanists at the University of Toronto have been researching gene manipulation in plants; they ve found that drought-tolerant plants are actually missing a gene involved in opening and closing a plant s stomata (the pores on the leaves). To conserve water, plants with a gene called ERA1 close their pores when there s a lack of moisture. But, with the stomata closed, they can t access the carbon dioxide that is essential for photosynthesis. With this knowledge, scientists are developing plants that can exert better control over the utilization of their natural defence systems in response to the climate (for example, closing their
1.The recently introduced Flower Carpet roses are more drought tolerant than most other roses and are disease-resistant, prolific bloomers. Smaller ' than most shrub roses, they are easy to maintain. ) Plant them in full sun for blooms from late spring { through autumn. Mulch inlate fall with a layer of leaves 15 to 20 centimetres (six to eight inches) deep to help retain moisture around the roots.
2. Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida) is a \ tough low-maintenance perennial. lts flowers are yellow or orange with brown or green centres. It / bloomsfrom midsummertofall. Grow in full sunor partial shade with average well-drained soil. Black| eyed Susan spreads by underground rhizomes to ~ form large clumps. ,
3. Some ferns work very well in the dry shade, ) including maidenhair (Adiantum spp.), ostrich \ (Matteuccia struthiopteris), Christmas (Polys( tichum acrostichoides)and shield (Dryopteris spp.) ferns. When planting, supplement the soil ) with compost and place the base of the crown at soil level. Water well for thefirst growing season to _ help the plant become established.
4. Hostas do well in moist soil but can tolerate , dry shade. There are hundreds of varieties to select ' from. Soil should be fertile and well drained.
| 5. Lamb s ears (Stachys byzantina), grown main( ly for the velvety texture and silver colour of its foliage, also produces light purple flowers on tall '\ spikes. Lamb s ears grows best in full sun and is an . excellent low-maintenance plant. (6. Lungwort (Pulmonariaspp.and cvs.) combines ) delicate blue, red, pink or white flowers with pointed oval Ieaves dottedwnth 5|Iverspots lt blooms e
g S o,S B stomata in times of drought and opening them when it rains).
This process of gene manipulation differs from what we may think of as genetic modification of plants (which involves combining material from different species). The Toronto research is based on altering hormonal responses in plants to make them more responsive to their environment. Performance Plants, a company formed in 1995 by the Biology Department of Queen s University, is developing and testing plants based on this research.
in the spring, preferring full or partial shade and well-drainedfertile soil. -
7.You can counton elegantyettough-as-nailsEpi- | medium for great groundcover. Commonly called barrenwort or bishop s hat, it typically produces ( heart-shaped leaflets. Underground rhizomes hold moisture, enabling the plant to tolerate dry shade.
8. Geranium macrorrhizum is considered one of the best carpeting plants. A rapid spreader that s not invasive, it has soft, frilly, fine-lobed leaves thatturn brilliant shades of orange, red and maroon in autumn.While drought tolerant,it likes good drainage so amend clay soil with compost.
9. Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) | blooms in summer with purple pink or mauve daisy-like blooms with rusty orange centres. Grow in full sun in average to fertile soil. Good drainage is essential.
10. Geranium Rozanne ,justnamed 2008Perennial Plant of the Year by the Perennial Plant Association, may be used as a groundcover, a frontof-the-border specimen or in a mass planting. Its large violet-blue flowers with purple-violet veins and small white centres offer non-stop flowering through the growing season. This hardy geranium thrives in full sun to partial shade and although it prefers moist well-draining soil, it boasts exceptional heat and drought tolerance. For more information on plant selection, visit the Toronto Master Gardener Website at torontobotanicalgarden.ca/master gardener/DroughtTolerantPerennials.shtml andtorontobotanicalgarden.ca/mastergardener/ Xerwcapmgshtml
You and I are unlikely to start messing around with plant genetics, but we can do some very simple things to allow our gardens to cope with drought, including using a rain barrel, installing a water-efficient drip irrigation system, adding moisture-retentive compost to the soil and mulching liberally to help conserve water.
Garden writers Carol Gardner and Lorraine Hunter are members ofthe Trellis Committee.
Buildings ofstraw, says Carol Gardner, stand up to more thanfairy-tale wolves.
his spring, the TBG will be the §& proud owners of the firststraw-bale building registered in the city of Toronto. The building, a garden shed, will be located in the Demonstration Courtyard as an artistic display, an educational tool, a meeting place for gardeners and garden volunteers and a storage facility for gardening tools.
The shed is a gift to the TBG from Cindy Blakely, in memoryofher mother, Anne Callahan, who died inJanuary 2007 at the age of 86. Anne was a lover of horticulture and nature. A longtime member of the Garden Club of Toronto, she was a winner of a gold cup for flower arranging and, in fact, made all the family s Christmas floral arrangements in the month before her death. Cindy chose the shed to memorialize her mother because, she said, Anne would have loved the educational and environmental components. She was a believer in lifelong learning .
Buildings using straw in their construction have existed since the 19th century. In the 1890s, a group of settlers in Nebraska were dismayed to find that the land on which they intended to build their new homes contained no trees and soil that was too sandy for compacting. They decided to use blocks of compressed straw to build houses for themselves and shelter for their animals. Many of these buildings are still standing. Nevertheless, this construction method was forgotten once transportation provided access to more usual building materials and was not revived until the late twentieth century, when hundreds of straw-bale buildings
were built in Arizona and New Mexico. The idea spread to other countries in the early 1990s.
In the story of The Three Little Pigs, a blowhard wolf easily demolishes the straw house. This is a perfect example of why we should not rely on information gleaned from fairy tales. In fact, straw-bale buildings have proven to be as durable as other types of buildings. They have twice the insulation value of standard buildings, so they are warmer in winter and cooler in summer. They have better fire ratings than standard construction and are resistant to rodents and other pests (including wolves). Straw-bale wall systems are up to 50-per-cent less expensive than traditionally built walls.
Perhaps most importantly, straw-bale buildings have minimal negative environmental impacts, either during construction or afterward. The straw is harvested from easily renewable crops such as wheat, oats, barley, rice, rye, hemp or flax. The straw bales replace the majority of the framing lumber, manufactured insulation and plastic barriers used in standard construction.
Our shed will be built by Chris Magwood, lead instructor for the Sustainable Design and Construction program at Sir Sanford Fleming College in Haliburton, co-author of three books on straw-bale buildings and former editor of The Last Straw Journal. Work will begin as soon as the ground warms sufficiently.
The shed will measure 6 metres x 3 metres (20 feet x 10 feet) with post-and-beam (light framing)
construction and straw-bale infill enclosed with stucco. The foundation will include an existing cement pad and concrete blocks. A perspex (transparent thermoplastic acrylic resin) window will allow visitors to have a look at the construction inside the shed.
An additional element will be a green roof, planted with hardy and drought-tolerant plants such as succulents and stonecrops (a selection of green roof plants will be on display at the TBG booth at Canada Blooms). The green roof will be built and donated by horticulturist and landscape designer Terry McGlade of Perennial Gardens Corporation and Gardens in the Sky, an awardwinning company that has been instrumental in bringing green roofs to Canada. Terry also designed and built the green roof at the front of the George and Kathy Dembroski Centre for Horticulture and is a member of the Organic Landscape Alliance and Landscape Ontario.®
Carol Gardneris an award-winninggarden writer and member ofthe Trellis Committee.
For those interested in learning about onefrom novices to experienced construction professionals and will cover every aspect of plastering the bales. If you're interested in attel ng both thelecture andtheEworkshop, for non-members. The lecture only will be d students with ID and
General manager Gerry Ginsberginvites
you to experience the first breath ofspring.
Founded over a decade ago by The Garden
Club of Toronto and Landscape Ontario, Canada Blooms, The Toronto Flower & Garden Festival has grown to become Canada s largest annual horticultural show. Since 1997, more than one million visitors have joined in this annual celebration ofthe best ofOntario s flower and gardening industry.
This year s Flower Power theme honours the energy, innovation and vibrancy of landscape and floral design from the 1960s to today. Explore more than 30 new display gardens presented by premier landscape designers and architects and admire the creativity of Canada s leading professional and amateur floral designers. In 2008, visitors can browse the newest gardening products from more than 200 vendors in Marketplace, which this year includes the new Artisan Alley, Living Green and Plant Market sections.
Tickets for Canada Blooms have been held at the same prices for the third consecutive year. All proceeds from the show support the development of the new Woodland Walk Entrance Garden, which will be created at the Toronto Botanical Garden (see page 4 for details).
March 12 to 16, 2008
Canada Blooms will be presented at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, South Building. Two dollars of every ticket sold at shopTBG will directly fund theTBG s new Woodland Walk. Tickets are also available on-line at canadablooms.com or at Sobeys Ontario Stores and shopTBG: adults $18 (advance rate $16 before March 12); senior/student $16; children 12 and under, free. New this year: special RBC after-5-p.m. rate $10. For information, visit canadablooms.com or call 416-447-8655.
1. Opening Night Party: Love in the Garden is one of Toronto s must-attend events. Join special guests HGTYV Stars Colin and Justin on Tuesday, March 11.
2. The Gardening Life Speaker Series presents five days of Canada s top gardening experts on five stages. New for 2008 are themed educational days: Garden Travel, Plant Day, Design Day, Ecology Day and City of Toronto Day.
3. The Home Depot s Outdoor Living Central can show you how to create an outdoor oasis at your own home.
4. Visit Scotts Wild Bird Habitat and learn how to attract the beautiful sights and sounds of wild birds to your garden.
5. Help judge the finest front door container garden at the Miracle-Gro Do Up the Doorstep exhibit for a chance to win a special prize.
6. The Garden Club of Toronto hosts one of Canada s largest annual flower shows.
7. Wander through a maze of healing herbs and edible plants representing the four chambers of the heart in the Heart and Stroke Foundation Garden.
8. Blooms Avenue, sponsored by Flowers Canada, on the 600 Level is the place to be to enjoy the freshness, quality and variety of Ontario-grown cut flowers and plants.
9. 360 Restaurant at the CN Tower Cooking Stage is where you ll enjoy tips from some of Ontario s premier chefs, including Executive Chef Peter George of the CN Tower.
10. Communities in Bloom, presented by Tourism Ireland on the 700 Level, will feature exhibits from five award-winning municipalities in Ontario. Here you can learn more about each community s beautification program.
11. Taste award-winning wines at the Niagara Wine Garden, featuringJackson-Triggs, Inniskillin, Naked Grape and Sawmill Creek Wineries.
12. Don t miss the Floral Superstars or Celebrity Flower Arranging Competition on the Unilock Stage, daily from Wednesday to Saturday.
13. Bring the family to the Can You Dig It? For Kids! play area where children can plant a seed, paint a pot or dig in the sandpit.
14. The City of Toronto will celebrate the Greening of Toronto on Sunday, March 16, with special displays and speakers.
15. Learn what you can do in small spaces at SkyScapes by Laguna with balcony and terrace garden presentations specially designed for condominiums. @
May 14 through 18, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Floral Hall
This sale features rare andunusual . perennials, plants found intheTBG themed gardens, native plants, heirloomand ornamentalvegetables, HotPicks for2008, andPiet OudolfCombinations...PLUS knowledgeable assistance inplant selection fromtheTorontoMasterGardeners.
Plant Preview Shopping Day Tuesday, May 13, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Dr. A. VenketRao explores the plant sources ofphytomedicines.
THERE HAS BEEN A SURGE of interest in complementary and alternate strategies in the management of human health. This has led to an examination of the bio-active constituents of medicinal plants, known as phytochemicals (e.g. ginseng, St. John s wort etc.), as well as in plant foods with medicinal properties, including soybean, vegetables, fruits and berries, garlic and onions, cereals and nuts. Recent studies show that major phytochemicals, including antioxidants, phytoestrogens and immune modulators, play beneficial roles in the prevention and treatment of cancers, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and osteoporosis.
Plants contain many antioxidants that counteract oxidative stress induced by highly reactive free radicals that interact with cellular components such as proteins, lipids and DNA. Some antioxidant phytochemicals include compounds such as the carotenoids. The orange colour of carrots, for instance, comes from beta carotene which is a natural source of the essential vitamin A. Similarly, the red colour of tomatoes is due to lycopene, a carotenoid with potent antioxidant properties. Lycopene has recently received a
Phytoestrogens such s estrogen
great deal of scientific scrutiny, including in the laboratory at the University of Toronto. In numerous studies lycopene has been shown to be beneficial in the prevention of cancers, cardiovascular diseases and osteoporosis.
A second type of antioxidant, polyphenols, is present in many plants including herbs, spices and blueberries, strawberries, blackberries and raspberries. Canada s Food Guide recommends the daily consumption of seven to eight servings of fruits and vegetables, which provide antioxidants that minimize the damaging effect of oxidative stress.
Every day scientists are discovering other beneficial phytochemicals. However, caution in their use is essential: some phytochemicals are known toxic agents that can cause damage to the liver, brain and other vital organs in the body and even the beneficial ones can be dangerous if taken in large amounts.
In view ofthe accumulating scientific evidence on the health benefits of plant foods, herbs, spices and other medicinal plants, it would be prudent to include them as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle and grow them in your garden! @ Dr. A. Venket Rao is Professor Emeritus, Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University ofToronto.
Reduces the risk
ofbreastcancer
Competes with dietary Lowers serum Phytosterols cholesterol has cholesterol levels
Isothiocyanates
Organic sulphur compounds (including allyl sulphur)
Increases the capacity of the liverto detoxify harmful cancer-causing compounds
Slows the growth of tumour cells
Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and kale
Alliums, including garlic and onions
FIND OUT MORE ONLINE:
Retards, prevents or sends disease into remission
Prevents the spread of cancer
IDEAS FOR WOMEN: ideasforwomen.com/news/womens-health/nutrition/2006/08/14/85/
NETDOCTOR: netdoctor.co.uk/focus/nutrition/facts/oxidative_stress/oxidativestress.htm
OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY: ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/5050.html
OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY: http://Ipi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/phytochemicals.html
Compiled by Marion Magee from History ofThe Civic Garden Centre by Elizabeth Bryce.
IT WAS ON December 4, 1958, that the executive board ofthe Garden Club ofToronto accepted the proposal ofone of its members, Edna Gardner, for the development of Milne House in Edwards Gardens as both a garden centre serving Metropolitan Toronto and a headquarters for the Garden Club. With seed money of $2,000 per annum for three years, Mrs. Gardner started developing this dual project, which almost 50 years later, was to become the Toronto Botanical Garden.
On May 1, 1960, membership was opened to the new Civic Garden Centre (CGC), whose aims were to provide leadership in horticulture, conservation, civic landscaping and gardening practice. Many of the core activities of today s TBG were set out: news bulletins, the gardening hotline, a library, demonstrations, shows, lectures, sales, garden tours, children s activities and a demonstration bee colony! Only the latter is still to be realized. One year later, 125 members had joined the CGC and the organization had issued its first newsletter, The Builetin.
In September of 1961 James Boyd became director of the Centre (to work three days a week for a monthly salary of $100). Mr. Boyd was described as a natural for the CGC and over the next 13 years the organization prospered under his innovative leadership, supported by the enthusiasm and hard work of a dedicated staff and a host of volunteers. Flower arranging courses were offered, the Garden Club s library of some 250 books (formerly housed in the home of the Club librarian) was moved into the CGC s home at Milne House and plant societies began to hold meetings in the building.
Then disaster struck. On November 27, 1962, most of Milne House was destroyed by fire and only files and some 200 books from the library s collection were saved. By now, however, the CGC had become a part of the community and
¢ CGC/TBG DIRECTORS
James A. Boyd 1961-1974
George Sinclair 1974-1975
Gordon Brackett 1975-1977
Clive Goodwin 1978-1981
Gordon Wicks 1982-1985
Sally Sullivan 1985-1995
Bonnie Hillman 1995-1996
David Nodwell 1997-1998
Douglas Markoff 1999-2003
Ron Dybeck 2003
Margo Welch 2003-
Art Drysdale 1970-1976
plans began for a new building with the support of Metro Parks Commissioner, Tommy Thompson, who persuaded the Commission to commit $100,000 towards rebuilding.
In August 1964, Raymond Moriyama s stunning structure of stone and wood was opened by Madame Vanier. It included an auditorium (today s Garden Hall), staff offices, a library, a teaching room and a boardroom. Metro Parks pledged to continue to be responsible for maintenance and utilities and the Garden Club guaranteed $14,000 per annum for salaries (raised largely through the Club s annual shows). Mr. Boyd immediately began to plan expanded activities for the Centre with the assistance of a women s committee of volunteers.
By the early 1970s the CGC s membership had reached 1,700, the Centre and in particular the Library needed more space and Mr. Boyd was pressing for a much larger exhibition hall. Under Flavia Redelmeier, the new chairman of the CGC board, the plans for the extension were begun in the summer of 1973. Jerome Markson was chosen as the architect for the new building, which was officially opened on December 2, 1976, by Lieutenant Governor Pauline McGibbon. @ 3% 3% 3R 3R 3R 3R 3R 3R JR 3R 3R 3% 3 3 X 3K Marion Magee is a member of the Trellis Committee and a dedicated TBG volunteer.
Talented, witty and entertaining, says Nancy Tong, this top designerprovided inspirationforMilne House Garden Club.
IAN BUXTON, a multi-award winning designer from England, certainly provided the WOW factor at last October s meeting of Milne House Garden Club. With great stage presence, he created five fabulous jaw-dropping designs while simultaneously instructing and entertaining the audience with a stream of witty commentary.
As he worked effortlessly, it seemed we learned more about him and his road to success. As a young boy he won a choral scholarship for the Magdalen College choir in Oxford. Later, to prepare for joining the family business in a sixteenth-century hostelry, he studied catering and hotel management. While working in the hospitality field his love of flowers flourished as he began arranging flowers for weddings, conventions and other social events.
In the United Kingdom, students of floral design are given a rigorous training in the basics of design and only when these have been thoroughly mastered can a student move on to more contemporary styles of floral art. In 1989 Buxton took his Area Demonstrators test and in 1996 he passed the National Demonstrators test of the National Association of Flower Arranging Societies. Having designed for many flower shows, he has helped raise thousands of pounds for charity. He loves to exhibit at both local and national levels, and his awards include a gold medal at the 2003 Chelsea Flower Show. In 2004 he won the World Association of Flower Arrangers elimination contest to represent the United Kingdom at the 2005 World Show inJapan.
Buxton s solid background in traditional British flower arranging was evident in his creations for the Milne House meeting and in the ease with which he was able to adapt them to a particular time and place. All of his designs employed large quantities of plant material a reflection
of England s more temperate climate and love of gardening.
While walking in the forest during his visit, Buxton came across an interesting piece of wood, which became the backdrop for a vertical design (Walk in the Woods) that incorporated tiny pumpkins appropriate to Ontario s harvest season. A subsequent tabletop design used greens popular here at Christmas. He quickly and deftly designed components while rhyming off the botanical names of the plants he used and he involved the audience by asking for the names of plant material he acquired in Canada.
For his finale, Mr. Buxton pulled out all the stops to produce a two-piece, massed arrangement that was quintessentially British. He used every tint and tone of Milne House s signature colour, pink, to create a monochromatic masterpiece. While an operatic soundtrack signalled the design s completion, he was rewarded with a well-deserved standing ovation. As a bonus, his designs graced the corridors of the Toronto Botanical Garden to be enjoyed by both staff and the public. @
Nancy Tong is second vice-president of Milne House Garden Club.
In 2008, proceeds from Canada Blooms will be directed to a new garden established this year at the Toronto Botanical Garden, the Woodland Walk. This garden, located at the corner ofLawrence Avenue and Leslie Street, will be highly visible from the street and will announce the presence and beauty of the gardens that lie beyond. Recognizing the importance ofbeautifying this busy intersection and typical urban landscape, Toronto's Clean and Beautiful City program will also be contributing toward the project. In addition, Toronto Botanical Garden, will be working closely with the Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation who are lending their support towards the creation ofthis garden. TBG will have a garden installation at the entrance to Canada Blooms which will reflect the themes ofour gardens and showcase the Woodland Walk.
"The Woodland Walk will have diverse and multiple missions." says Cathie Cox, Director ofHorticulture at Toronto Botanical Garden, "It will be used for education, both passive and active, to promote sustainability, conservation and biodiversity as well as traditional horticulture." For more information visit www.torontobotanicalgarden.ca
*TO BLOOMS AV year to the entran escalators. The sh 1mechanics and avarietyof andoutdoor living items. Select authors will also besigning theirbooks. Checkthe webszte www.canadablooms.com for details.
NEWTHIS YEAR! TBG will engage your kids in the wonders ofnature as they learn to paint garden pots, plant seeds and follow the worms as they make soil! Let their imagination guide the way as they dig in the sand pits and tend the gardens. Ifyou have an enthusiastic bookworm, curl up with them in the book nook andreada story about nature. Be sure to take advantage of # the stroller parking area. Parent supervision required. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
by Cathie Cox
IN THESE TIMES of extreme weather with drought, high temperatures and occasional water restrictions, a green approach to gardening concentrates on knowing your plants and their requirements and understanding your soil and how to improve it to get the best results.
Providing the right soil for the right plant is one of the most important factors in creating a healthy garden. Most plants require a soil with adequate organic content, moderate pH, and a range of particle and pore sizes that retain moisture and nutrients while allowing oxygen to penetrate and water to drain easily. Some plants thrive in a variety of soils from poor, dry and gritty to humus-rich and boggy. For example, alpines typically prefer the first type and bog plants the latter. Adding organic content to alpine beds or improving aeration in wet sites will often lead to the plants demise. Gardeners may spend many hours digging or amending their soils, erroneously thinking that more is better.
Double digging has been practised since the nineteenth century and involves digging to a depth double the norm (that is, to 30 to 45 centimetres or 12 to 18 inches). Compost or composted manure is usually added to the soil during this exhausting process and all of the topsoil is moved from one end of the bed to the other. Double digging is still recommended for vegetables if the beds have never been cultivated or if deep planting is required, as with root vegetables. However, single digging (to half the depth of double digging) is adequate for most purposes. It increases soil aeration, clears weeds and debris and aids root penetration. Remember, however, that any kind of digging
can damage soil structure if done when the soil is wet. Moreover, repeated digging can cause erosion, leaching of nutrients and minerals from the soil, panning (when a hard layer forms preventing roots from penetrating deeply) and soil compaction (this occurs in clay soils when topsoil is buried beneath the subsoil).
To avoid damaging the soil structure by single or double digging, try improving the moisture retention and nutrient levels of existing beds by adding organic matter such as compost, composted manure and leaf mould to the soil surface. This should be done annually in the spring or late winter and is especially important for sandy or loamy, quick-draining soil. On clay, add grit or coarse sand to the surface at any time, once or twice a year; this improves drainage and prevents the ground from cracking in dry weather. When adding manures to clay, use mushroom compost it s lighter than other types. Using a variety of soil amendments rather than a single type adds a wider range of minerals and nutrients to the soil.
Applying a thick layer of mulch around plants helps conserve moisture, keep soil cooler and control weeds. Many different types can be used, from straw, bark and chipped wood to gravel, pebbles and stones small or large. When applying mulch, ensure plants are not buried and water afterwards to prevent the mulch from wicking water from the soil.
Soil amendments and organic mulches will gradually break down and be incorporated into the soil by worms, thereby improving its structure, nutrient levels and moistureretention properties.®
Cathie Cox is the TBG s Director ofHorticulture.
To help grow ourmembership b so more people can learn and bene t g ree |\/| ng from whatthe TBG has to offer, S OW we launched theToronto Botankal Garden s Membership Challenge 2007. Contestantsreferredoneortwo
All Green. .
All
members each, and the winner of the draw is RANDIETOPPS who wins a _ one-yearsingle membership to the TBG. April 25 - 27, 2008 ) J 4 Direct Energy Centre CONGRATU LATIONS!}' EXhibition Place , - greenlivingshow.ca
by Anna Leggatt
In thisfirst in a series, Anna Leggattweeds outan invasiveplant plaguing our gardens and woodlands.
GARLIC MUSTARD is a recent invasive weed in our part of Canada. When I lived in England, I knew it as Alliaria officinalis or jack-by-thehedge. Other common names include hedge garlic, sauce-alone, poor man s mustard, jack-in-the-bush, garlic root, garlicwort and mustard root.
Native to Europe, itwas first recorded on Long Island, New York, in 1868 and is now found from eastern North America to Alaska. Brought to the New World by settlers for food and medicine, it has since spread through all but the hottest and driest regions of North America.
Garlic mustard is a cool-season, biennial member of the Brassicaceaes, which includes cabbages and mustards. It can be recognised in its first year by a rosette of dull, mid-green, heart-shaped leaves thatsmell ofgarlic when crushed. The leafmargins are coarsely toothed and the leaves feel rough. It s easy to recognise these plants in a mild winter as they form an evergreen groundcover in disturbed areas, alongside trails and in our forest edges, ready to grow once the warmth of spring arrives.
In the second year, the plants shoot up to half a metre (20 inches) in height and the leaves become smaller towards the top of the stem. Clusters of small white flowers appear with petals arranged in a cross shape. The flower stalks lengthen as the black seeds develop in long, thin pods. The plants die rapidly after flower production, leaving dry brown stalks byJuly. Each plant may produce as many as 850 seeds, which can remain viable in the soil for up to five years.
Why should we be concerned about this weed? It crowds out our native plants, such as the trillium, and competes with garden flowers. It grows in shady places and produces a chemical that inhibits
the growth of other plants. Garlic mustard has no natural enemies in North America, though it is pollinated by our native insects and also selfpollinates. Caterpillars of the endangered West Virginia White butterfly (Pieris virginiensis) die if eggs are laid on garlic mustard. Removalofgarlicmustard takes persistence. Seeds blow in, even ifyou think every plant has been removed. Non-flowering stems have averystrongrootsystem, so in hard claysoils, cutplants down well below the crown; otherwise new stemswill shoot up from buds at the top ofthe roots. In softer soils and for flowering stems, which have a weaker root system, pulling them up by the roots is usually effective. Be sure to destroy any cut or pulled stems, because stalks left exposed will have enough stored energy to produce seeds.
Photo: © Queen s Printer for Ontario, 2003. Reproduced with permission.
If it s permitted in your area, Roundup can be used as a control in the early spring when growth has just started. Remember that using this product kills every green plant it touches, so apply with care, according to directions.
Mulch your garden well and try not to disturb the soil too much, which will bring dormant seeds to the surface where they will quickly germinate.
Luckily, many plants will be killed by a cold winter with little snow cover. However, in harsher winters, a thick cover of snow will protect the plants.
Look out of the window. Is the soil visible in your garden? Go out and check for garlic mustard. If it s warm, it will be growing, so get it early! @ 3¢ 3¢ 30 3% 3 3¢ 3K 3¢ 3K 3K 3K 3K 3K 3K 3K 3 Anna Leggatt is a Master Gardener and tireless TBG volunteer.
Floral Demonstration with Champagne Reception with Tamara Robbins, Associate Design Editor of Style at Home
Invite your mother tojoin you for an afternoon in the garden including an inspiring flower arranging demonstration accompanied by champagne, cocktails, hors d oeuvres and a leisurely stroll through the contemporary themed gardens at the Toronto Botanical Garden.
SUNDAY, MAY 11, 2008, 1 to 4 P.M. [PGO8W04] Member $45 / Public $55 Toronto Botanical Garden
To register call 416-397-1341
steshome
Saturday,June 14 & Sunday; June 15, 2008 II a.m. to 4 p.m.
Consultations
Pruning ¢ Cabling
Root Treatments
Insect & Disease Treatment
Removal & Stump Grinding
Skoot Rodent Repellent
Anti-desiccant Protection
Fertilization ¢ Soil Amendments
Certified Arborists
One-Day Pass
Public $40 /'TBG Members $35
Tickets are limited, advance purchase recommended
Headquarterslocated in Withrow Park, 725 LoganAvenue
Tickets on sale March 12, 2008 at shopTBG and online at torontobotanicalgarden.ca
For more information 416-397-1341 torontobotanicalgarden.ca
In support of
SPRING CLEAN-UP can begin as soon as the soil can be worked and the lawn is dry enough to walk on. Although gardening in the spring can be very pleasurable, do not attempt to complete all of this work in one day.
* Clean beds by removing clumps of leaves by hand. Be careful not to damage new sprouts. However, leaf mulch left on the beds will result in organic matter being added to the soil through decomposition.
* Compost what s left of last year s annuals.
* Soil from the previous season s pots and planters can be used to top-dress beds.
* Remove what's left of last year's top growth and seedheads.
o |f detritus is diseased (i.e. powdery mildew) do not compost.
* Replant perennials that have been heaved out of the soil exposing their roots e.g. coral bells (Heuchera)
* Consider dividing mature perennials.
® Cut back ornamental grasses in early spring as new growth appears.
® Prune shrubs to remove dead, diseased and crossed branches.
o |f the shrub flowers early in the spring, prune after bloom. If it flowers late in the season, prune early in spring.
* To rejuvenate a mature or old shrub remove a third of the oldest stems from the base of the plant every year for 3 years. This will allow sunlight into the middle of the plant and encourage new growth.
* Do not remove more than 1/3 of the stems each year.
* To shape, cut the longest, awkward stems back to an outward facing bud.
® Many weeds can be controlled during spring cleanup.They are easier to pull out when young and the soil moist. Look for the ones that were bothersome last year.
e Watch for "volunteers" of desirable plants. Edit out those in the wrong place
e Mulch open soil areas using such materials as compost, shredded leaves, fine bark chips or straw to about 2 to 3 inches of thickness, to minimize the spread of weeds.
¢ Add organic materials such as compost, shredded or composted leaves or well-rotted manure around perennials.
Add slow release nutrients such as bone and bloodmeal or granular fertilizers.
e Observe the microclimates in your garden or lawn area. Which areas are damp and the last to thaw? Which are in full sun, partial shade or full shade. Are there areas that retain moisture throughout the growing season?
e Select new plants for specific growing conditions.
e Consider moving plants to more suitable locations. ¢ Consider which plants will need staking and put support in place early.
® Check your tools. Clean, repair, or replace them as needed. Sharpen and clean the lawn mower. @
Excerpted from the Toronto Master Gardener Factsheet, Spring Clean-Up. For more tipsfrom theMaster Gardeners, visit torontobotanicalgarden. ca/mastergardener_factsheets.shtml.
AS ECO-CONSCIOUS construction methods gain mainstream acceptance, more and more resources are available for those interested in this sustainable building practice. At once a science and an art, the principles of green building can be applied to both the largest office building and the smallest garden shed. Below are some resources that stand out as especiallyvaluable. And of course, you can browse them in our library!
Building Green: A Complete How-To Guide to Alternative Building Methods by Clarke Snell & Timothy Callahan. One of the most comprehensive and well-illustrated compendiums of green building knowledge, Snell and Callahan s book covers earth plaster, straw bale, cordwood, cob and living roofs. If you want a book that explores the whys and the hows, you d be hardpressed to find a more authoritative work.
Design ofStrawBaleBuildings: TheState ofthe Artby Bruce King. Building with straw bales has been experiencing a revival in popularity since its original introduction in the 1800s. It can be found throughout the world, in many climates. Bruce King is the founder of the Ecological Building Network and a structural engineer who brings a high level of expertise to this manual for strawbale construction. Among the topics covered are moisture control, fire resistance and durability.
Natural Remodeling for the Not-So-Green House: Bringing Your Home into Harmony with Nature by Carol Venolia & Kelly Lerner. Venolia and Lerner s book offers practical advice on how to modify an existing home to make it more energy-efficient and ecologically friendly. A step-by-step process takes you through an evaluation ofyour house, surroundings and lifestyle to prepare a strategic plan that brings your home into harmony with nature .
Canada Green Building Council (cagbc.org/ cagbc_profile/about_us.php). Formed to accelerate the design and construction of green buildings in Canada, the CaGBC represents 1,400 member organizations involved in the design, construction and operation of buildings. The council implements the LEED Green Building Rating System in Canada.
Ontario Straw Bale Building Coalition (strawbalebuilding.ca). The Ontario Straw Bale Building Coalition provides information to homeowners and contractors. The organization provides training courses, construction test data and a useful database of resources. @
For up-to-date library news, visit the library blog at torontobotanicalgardenlibrary.blogspot.com
Buzzy the Bumblebee
By Denise Brennan-Nelson, illustrated by Michael Glenn Monroe
Chelsea MI: Sleeping Bear Press 2003; 32 pages, $10.95 paper
READING IN A BEAUTIFUL GARDEN one day, Buzzy is shocked to discover the scientific fact that
he shouldn t be able to fly! Convinced that his wings really are too small to carry him, young Buzzy begins the dangerous journey home, on foot. Denise BrennanNelson sheartwarmingadventure,with brightlycoloured illustrations by Michael Glenn Monroe, reminds young and old of the importance of believing in yourself. Highly recommended by bee-ginning readers. Reviewed byJen Barratt
by Graham Curry ® PROGRAM CO-ORDINATOR
THIS YEAR, EARTH DAY falls on Tuesday, April 22, but we re jumping in early to celebrate with lots of activities for the whole family on Saturday, April 19, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This year s theme is BEES and other beneficial insects, and there are talks, walks and other fun events for the whole family both in the gardens and indoors. There s a hike at noon, bee craft workshops in the early afternoon and a lecture by bee experts from the University of Guelph. The city will provide free compost in the TBG parking lot. And there will be guided tours of our gardens throughout the day.
The biggest buzz is the grand opening of our straw bale garden shed built under the direction of Chris Magwood, Ontario s guru of this construction method. It will be the first straw-bale building in the Toronto area to be registered with the Ontario Straw Bale Building Coalition. With the building of the shed, the TBG continues its leadership role in green design by using a renewable agricultural waste product (straw from a local farm) for the bales, doors and windows
Most of these events are free and require no advance registration. Those requiring pre-registration are:
Bee craft workshops on April 19, 1 to 2 p.m. OR 2 to 3 p.m.
Public $10 per family; TBG members $7 per family 416-397-1355; childrensprograms@torontobotanicalgarden.ca
The Big Dig! April 22, 1 to 4 p.m.
Public $25; TBG members $20 416-397-1341; programs@torontobotanicalgarden.ca
from local salvage shops, low-toxic milk paint and solar lighting all topped off with a green roof by Terry McGlade (see page 12).
Then on Earth Day, Tuesday, April 22, the TBG s gardeners will get you off to a flying start with The Big Dig! This course will show you how and what to plant for summer, how to divide and transplant existing plants, what to add for healthy soils as well as offering tips on fertilizers, organic pest control and pruning. @
OURWINTER LECTURES offer the best of the best in experts, advice and, most importantly, inspiration. 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.
SPEAKER: Bob Hyland
Topic: Great Plants for Adventurous Gardeners
WHEN: Thursday, March 6, 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Floral Hall
IS YOUR GARDEN longing for colour, drama and movement? Jump start the gardening season with bold architectural plants, ornamental grasses and exuberant annuals and perennials. Combine them with Bob s recommended flowering, fruiting and foliage shrubs and you ll be guaranteed a garden with four-season interest.
Bob Hyland is a nurseryman, garden writer and consultant. Along with partner Andrew Beckman, garden editor for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, he owns and operates Loomis Creek Nursery in Hudson, New York. Bob is the former vice-president of horticulture and operations at Brooklyn Botanic Garden. His peripatetic career at the San Francisco Botanical Garden and Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania has acquainted him with plants from around the world.
SPEAKER: Claude Cormier
ToriC: The Garden as Art Form
WHEN: Thursday, March 27, 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Floral Hall
HERE AT HOME, we may know him best for his famous Blue Stick Garden, created for the inaugural season of the Métis International Garden Festival in 2000. But, from Shanghai to Le Havre, Claude Cormier is recognized as one of the world s premier landscape designers. The influential New York magazine, Fast Company,
has chosen him as one of 14 designers all disciplines, worldwide who are driving design forward. His work is a combination of brilliant colour, unusual materials, droll humour, dramatic symbolism and unparalleled elegance. Cancel any other plans you may have this is an evening that can t be missed!
Claude Cormier established his award-winning Montreal-based practice, Architectes Paysagistes Inc., in 1995, after studying landscape architecture at the University of Toronto and history and theory of design at Harvard. His firm s work is distinguished by an inventive spirit, and includes such highly public projects as the Palais des Congrées and Place d Youville in Montreal, the new Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto and a co-design of the newly opened urban beach, H,O, in Toronto.
SPEAKER: John Massey
ToriC: A Garden for Every Day ofthe Year WHEN: Wednesday, April 16, 7:30 p.m. WHERE: Floral Hall
WITH 45 ROYALHORTICULTURAL SOCIETY gold medals to his name, you might wonder how plant breeder and nurseryman John Massey has had time to establish a private garden but he has, and it s filled with many specialty plants: hellebores, dwarf conifers, Anemone pavonina, Primula auricula, Lewisia, hardy cyclamen, Hepatica, Hydrangea and Salvia. Enjoy a tour of his garden, via his words and the wonderful images by well-known garden photographer Jonathan Buckley. Come and be inspired!
Ashwood Nurseries has been run byJohnMassey since 1967. During that time, he has established a haven for plantaholics. The nursery has an impressive selection of shrubs, trees, fruit, roses, climbing plants, perennials, alpines and heathers. His hellebores are regarded as being some of the finest strains ever produced, attracting gardeners and growers from all over the world.
1
Toronto Judging Centre ofthe
American Orchid Society
Judging, Studio 1, 1 p.m.
Open to the public
Information: soos.ca
2
Southern Ontario Orchid Society Meeting, Floral Hall, noon to 4 p.m.
Information: soos.ca
Greater Toronto Rose & Garden Horticultural Society Meeting, Studio 1, 2 p.m.
Information: GTRoses@aol.com
Greater Toronto Water Garden & Horticultural Society Meeting, Studio 3, noon
Information: onwatergarden.com
6
Edwards Lecture
Speaker: Bob Hyland
Topic: Great plants for adventurous gardeners
Floral Hall, 7:30 p.m.
Public $15; TBG members free
9
Ontario Rock Garden Society
Speaker: Henrik Zetterlund
Topic: Corydalis, Dicentra & other bulbs and hardy plants
Floral Hall, 1:30 p.m.
Information: www.onrockgarden.com
10
Toronto Bonsai Society Meeting & workshop
Garden Hall, 7:30 p.m.
Information: torontobonsai.org
11
North Toronto Horticultural Society
Vicki Taylor-Scott: Low-maintenance gardening Studios 1, 2, 3; 8 p.m.
Information: 416-488-3368
117
Mycological Society of Toronto Meeting, Garden Hall, 7:45 p.m.
Information: myctor.org
18
Toronto Cactus & Succulent Club Meeting, Studio 1, 7:30 p.m.
Information: torontocactus.tripod.com
27
Edwards Lecture
Claude Cormier: The garden as art form Floral Hall, 7:30 p.m.
Public $15; TBG members free
30
Toronto Region Rhododendron & Horticultural Society Meeting, Studio 1, noon
Information: onrhodos.com
5
TorontoJudging Centre ofthe American Orchid Society Judging, Studio 1, 1 p.m.
Open to the public; Information: soos.ca
6
Southern Ontario Orchid Society Meeting, Floral Hall, 12:30 p.m.
Information: soos.ca
8
North Toronto Horticultural Society
Jim McWilliam: Mums & dahlias
Studios 1, 2, 3; 8 p.m.
Information: 416-488-3368
Ontario Rock Garden Society
John Massey: Hellebores, hepaticas & cyclamens
Floral Hall, noon
Information: www.onrockgarden.ca
Toronto Bonsai Society
Marco Invernizzi
Garden Hall, 7:30 p.m.
Information: torontobonsai.org 15
Toronto Cactus & Succulent Club
Meeting, Studio 1, 7 p.m.
Information: torontocactus.tripod.com
16
Edwards Lecture
Speaker: John Massey
Topic: A garden for every day of the year
Floral Hall, 7:30 p.m.
Public $15; TBG members free
19
Earth Day Celebrations
Activities for the whole family
11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Information: 416-397-1340 torontobotanicalgarden.ca
20
Toronto African Violet Society Show & sale
Floral Hall, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Information: bluejasper.com/tavs
Toronto Chapter Ohara Ikebana Ikebana show
21
Mycological Society of Toronto
Annual meeting, Garden Hall, 7:30 p.m.
Information: myctor.org
22
SOOS Newcomers
Boardroom, 7 p.m.
Information: soos.ca 26
Toronto Region Rhododendron & Horticultural Society Meeting, Studio 1, noon
Information: onrhodos.com
Geranium, Pelargonium & Fuchsia Society of Ontario Plant sale
Greater Toronto Rose & Garden Horticultural Society Meeting, Studio 1, 2 p.m. Information: GTRoses@aol.com
Greater Toronto Water Garden & Horticultural Society Meeting, Studio 3, noon Information: onwatergarden.com
e R U R R e R, February 28 to March 2
Stratford Garden Festival
Information: stratfordgardenfestival.com
March 6to9
Successful Gardening Show
International Centre, 6900 Airport Road
For more information: home-show.net/successwithgardening
12to 16
Canada Blooms, the Toronto Flower & Garden Festival
Metro Convention Centre, South Building
Information: canadablooms.com
Postagepaid Portpayé
PublicationsMail Poste-publications
Exciting Day and Multi-Day Garden Adventures in 2008Join Mary MortonTours and their garden expert, Frank Kershaw, on exciting one day, two day and six day garden tours to some of Ontario s and America s great gardens.This year s tours include eight one-day outings, a two-day trip to the scenic Finger Lakes gardens, and a fabulous six day tour of great gardens and mansions in the Philadelphia area. These tours feature deluxe motorcoach transportation, sumptuous meals and an opportunity to meet with passionate gardeners. For details contact Mary Morton Tours at 416-488-2674 or email marymortontours@aol.com. Why stay at home be partofa great garden experience. Registration No. 04488722.
Garden Tour - September 2-15, 2008 Spectacular Gardens, personally selected and escorted by Marjorie (Mason) in the Scottish Borders, Yorkshire Dales, Lake District and Snowdonia in N. Wales. Historical cities
of Edinburgh, York, Chester plus Harrogate Flower Show, also notable Botanical Gardens $4289.00 per person double occupancy including air from Toronto. We have 8 spaces available for this popular tour. New Zealand North and South Island Gardens 28 October - 13 November 2008 Marjorie personally escorting our Mastergardeners and gardening enthusiasts. Please visit our website for detailed Itinerary at www.gardenersworldtours.com or contact Lorna 905432-8411 or e-mail lorna@cwtajax.com.
The Most Beautiful Villages of Provence Crillon le Brave, Les Baux etc. May and September departures. Discover Iceland...Thermal greenhouses, poppies, arts, heritage. June departure. Wild Flowers of Newfoundland...July. Polar Bears ofChurchill...October. Christmas Markets of Paris...December. Small group, escorted BROWNTOURS. Contact jeanne012@sympatico.ca 905764-1318 OR Overseas Travel Ltd. 416-481-4427.
777 Lawrence Ave. East
Toronto, ON M3C 1P2
Tel: 416-397-1340
Fax: 416-397-1354
E-mail: info@torontobotanicalgarden.ca
www.torontobotanicalgarden.ca