e brais, m bruce, J. camPbell, l hickey, m magee, J. mcclusky, d. Puder, a sidsWorth, l. & s skiNNer aNd l uyeNo
adVErtising
416-904-4457
Trellis is published as a members’ newsletter by the toronto botanical garden at edwards gardens
777 lawrence avenue east, toronto ontario, m3c 1P2, 416-397-1340
Trellis welcomes queries for story ideas, which should be submitted to the editor for consideration by the trellis committee at least four months in advance of publication dates.
opinions expressed in Trellis do not necessarily reflect those of the tbg submissions may be edited for style and clarity.
all rights reserved. reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without written permission.
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canada Publications
mail Product sales agreement #40013928
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cover Photo: JaNet davis
to do Features News
4
green Community tree tenders and garden design grads on the go canada blooms and more! Who’s talking david Wistow presents the gardens of versailles newcomer heidi hobday a good read Canadian Wild Flowers
5 from the tBg the big chill tBgKids amazing owls, march break tribute barbara mayer
6 huntington’s desert garden
Near Pasadena, an extraordinary garden
7 Be part of nature at floriade 2012 a once-in-a-decade extravaganza!
8 gardens of sarasota and naples
Free with tbg membership
9 nong nooch tropical Botanical garden in thailand, a garden where capability brown meets salvador dali
10 a sustainable parking lot they dug up a parking lot…
12 trade secret Photo lens choices
Just ask master gardeners answer your questions my favourite plants Four Woodland Walk plants in our gardens garden star learning the lingo Kalanchoe
13 Container Crazy Winter wonderland garden gear toronto botanicals soap in Your garden Jobs to do around the garden with head gardener sandra pella
anna’s plant pick hinoki cypress
14 Events Calendar What’s on, edwards lectures
15 thanks to our friends
Printed by harmony Printing
Green Community tbg’s roots Keep Spreading!
TBG visitors had the opportunity to enhance their tree literacy at the LEAF (Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests) Tree Tenders training workshops held at the TBG last fall. The TBG continues to crosspollinate with Toronto’s finest non-profits in the field. Watch for more training sessions in 2012.
gRaDs aWaRDeD tbg MeMbeRshiP
Congratulations to this year’s graduates of George Brown’s Garden Design Certificate Program. At the September Edwards Lecture, more than 15 graduates were awarded their certificates and given a complimentary one-year membership to the TBG.
A GooD ReaD
Canadian Wild Flowers
Who’s Ta Lk InG
LeCtUReR: DaviD WistOW
tOPiC: the gaRDens Of veRsaiLLes
When: thURsDaY, febRUaRY 2, 7:30 P.M.
Toronto’s own David Wistow has been creating connections between people and art at the Art Gallery of Ontario for more than 25 years. He will lecture on what many consider the most famous garden in the world. Versailles boasts more than 200,000 trees as well as 210,000 flowers that are planted annually. David will captivate you with gorgeous images of this magnificent garden, tracing its cultural importance and stages of growth and development. Historical highlights include the tumultuous seventeenthcentury influence of Louis XIV and the revolutionary changes in garden architecture of Marie Antoinette. When he isn’t developing exhibitions and installations, lecturing, writing or producing television programming, David sketches and paints in ink and watercolour.
Public $20, students (with valid ID) $15, TBG members free. Door sales only. Limited seating. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
a botanical treasure resides in the weston Family library. Published in 1868, Canadian Wild Flowers features text and botanical descriptions by catherine Parr traill and illustrations by her niece, agnes Fitzgibbon, who sought the necessary subscriptions to cover the production costs. this first edition has been generously donated by Marisa berganini, past president of the garden club of toronto and a tbg member
Welcome
With her many years of retail and volunteer management experience, Heidi hopes to bring more visitors and buyers into the gorgeous sunny space of shoptBG. When she isn’t “basementing” (that’s where we unpack the new shipments), she can be found spending time motorcycling or with her husband, paul, and new cairn terrier puppy, Dexter.
On the gO
• the tbg Speakers Series at Canada blooms, March 16 through 25, 2012, features top-shelf educators speaking on today’s hot topics, including potscapes, foodscapes and kidscapes. be sure to drop by our on-site shop for a signed copy of your favourite speaker’s latest book. Visit canadablooms.com for daily schedules.
• escape the cold! take a tour of allan gardens on display through January 16 is a festive show of poinsettias; and from January through March the fragrant flower bulb show is a breath of fresh spring air. tours are nominally priced, can accommodate large and small groups and make a unique gift for a birthday, holiday or special treat. contact 416-397-1366 or tourguides@toronto botanicalgarden.ca.
• the tbg takes you to the Philadelphia flower show plus Longwood gardens, March 3 through 6, 2012. For details and to book, contact Margaret at Heatherington & associates, 416-746-7199 or 1-877-672-3030.
• celebrate the 25th anniversary of through the garden gate with a tour of the gardens of rosedale. Saturday, June 9 and Sunday, June 10. For information call 416-397-7037 or visit torontobotanical garden.ca.
torontobotanical garden.ca For more inFormAtion cAll 416-397-7037.
From The TBG
aLDOna satteRthWaite executive Director
The Big Chill
Generally, I write about plants and gardens and what-have-you in this column, but this time I need to talk about something that’s a lot less fun.
It’s not just winter that’s causing many charitable organizations like the Toronto Botanical Garden to experience the big chill. The current uncertainty of the global economy makes everyone nervous, and fundraising is proving to be tough sledding indeed.
Some people may look around our building and beautiful gardens and assume that we are a rich organization with money to burn. The reality is we need to reinvent ourselves every year. As a charity, we raise about 95 per cent of our operating budget through memberships, donations, grants and other private means, with very minor support from the city. We don’t have a fat endowment, nor do we charge admission. The funds generated through membership fees and Friends donations account for around nine per cent of our budget, and we must scramble to find the rest. Currently, this is made harder by the disruptive renovation of the city parking lot directly in front of our building. While it will be beautiful when it’s finished, it is having a negative impact on our operations and revenues.
Rest assured all is not doom and gloom, however. Our staff and volunteers have accomplished so much here, and they continue to do so. They are terrific.
Our mission states that the Toronto Botanical Garden connects people, plants and the natural world through education, inspiration and leadership. Put differently, we bring “soul food” to people from every walk of life — beauty, solace, learning, nature. No, it’s not brain surgery and it doesn’t pave roads. But if you, like me, feel this kind of nourishment is important, please consider making a tax-receiptable donation to the Toronto Botanical Garden as part of your end-of-year charitable giving and buy TBG memberships as gifts for friends.
As always, thank you for your continued support, and warm good wishes for the holidays from all of us at the Toronto Botanical Garden.
nighttime is an exciting time to be outdoors. when we go to bed some animals are just waking up. one of the most fascinating nocturnal birds is the owl. there are a few types of owls, such as the eastern Screech and the great Horned owls, which live in the forest surrounding the toronto botanical garden. it’s a rare treat to see one of these owls because they are out and about when we are usually in bed. one way to hear or, if you are lucky, to spot an owl is to go for a nighttime hike. winter is the best time because owls are very territorial then and will hoot back at almost anything they hear. if you are interested in learning more about owls, going on a guided winter hike and even dissecting an owl pellet, join us for owl Prowl. this year a live owl will make an appearance for a nose-to-beak experience that you’ll be sure to remember. this event is suitable for kids of all ages, parents, grandparents and anyone interested in learning more about these fascinating creatures. See you there! Saturday, January 21, 2012, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Pre-registration required. March break the toronto botanical garden has a brand new lineup of exciting programs for children that will be sure to entertain, engage and educate during March break. Sign up for one day or save by registering for the full week. camps run from March 12 to 16, 2012, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
barbara Mayer, a long-time tbg member and generous benefactor and Friend, died on Monday, october 10, 2011. during the tbg’s capital campaign, barbara’s contribution made the westview terrace possible. She was a long-time member of the out of
town tour committee and worked tirelessly on behalf of the tbg for many years. She will be much missed and greatly mourned by her many friends. Her family has kindly requested that any donations in her memory be made to the tbg
The hunTingTon’s DeserT garDen
in a neighbourhood near Pasadena, Janet Davis explores an extraordinary world-class garden.
For garden enthusiasts visiting the Los Angeles area at any time of year, a “must-see” is the spectacular Desert Garden, one of 14 themed gardens at the Huntington Botanical Gardens in San Marino, near Pasadena. With 5,000 species of cacti and succulents arranged in 60 artfully landscaped, geographic beds over five hectares, it is one of the largest and most beautiful of such collections on the planet. Roberto Burle Marx, the renowned Brazilian landscape architect, called it “the most extraordinary garden in the world.”
Tall bottle palms (Beaucarnea spp.), boojum trees (Fouquieria columnaris), tree yuccas, twisted euphorbias and columnar cacti (Cereus spp.) form the backbone of the beds, looming over dagger-leafed agaves, bushy jade plants, paddle-shaped prickly pears and wine-red aeoniums with their yellow flower clusters. Glowing everywhere are the scarlet and yellow flower spikes of aloes, the largest collection outside Africa. Plump golden barrel cacti (Echinocactus grusonii) consort with clusters of Mammillaria geminispina, nicknamed “whitey” for the resemblance to a pile of furry tennis balls. Hugging the ground are crassulas, sedums, senecios, sempervivums, delospermas, echeverias and kalanchoes, their myriad hues contrasting nicely with the red lava rock mulch.
Strolling through the garden is not like being in a barren desert at all, more like stepping into a painter’s canvas of textures and colours and otherworldly forms. And though the garden is now cared for by an expert staff versed in the high-tech world of tissue culture, it is the proud legacy of two determined men from a very different age.
The twentieth century was still young when businessman Henry E. Huntington began developing land along the California coast south of
Los Angeles. Many of his investments were tied to the stops his brand new, L.A.-based Pacific Electric Railway trolley cars would make in oceanside suburbs like Redondo, Hermosa and the eponymous Huntington Beach. But of all Huntington’s real estate holdings, the one closest to his heart was the 240-hectare San Marino Ranch he purchased in 1903 near Pasadena, northeast of Los Angeles. A working ranch, it featured oranges, peaches, walnuts, alfalfa and livestock.
To manage the operations, Huntington hired young William Hertrich. A trained horticulturist and estate manager, Hertrich was soon planning gardens on a grand scale, even as he developed California’s first commercial avocado grove and managed the ranch’s 18,000 citrus trees. After building the Palm Garden, he approached Huntington in 1905 with an idea to use drought-tolerant cacti on a steep gravelly slope. It took time to convince his boss, who’d had painful encounters with cactus spines while expanding rail lines through the California desert, but soon they were in collecting mode, ordering rare specimens from Europe, taking trips to South America and even adding a rail spur to bring in the biggest specimens from Arizona and Mexico.
Fabulous homes, art collections and expansive gardens became an obsession among the industrialists of the Gilded Age in the United States, and Huntington was no exception. In 1919 he sectioned off 84 hectares to house his new Beaux Arts home, an art gallery featuring eighteenth-century British works, a library containing rare books and a botanical garden — all open to the public on a limited basis. The remaining land was subdivided and developed into the exclusive homes of the city of San Marino. By 1927, when Henry Huntington died and his property
If You Go
the huntington library, art collections & botanical gardens are located near Pasadena in the city of san Marino (1151 oxford road), approximately 20 kilometres northeast of downtown los angeles. they are open daily except tuesdays; hours vary depending on the season and day of the week. adult admission is $15 Us check the web site for more info: huntington.org.
When in the Los AngeLes AreA, be sure to visit …
• Descanso Gardens
1418 descanso drive, la cañada Flintridge descansogardens.org
became a public attraction, the Desert Garden contained more than 12,000 plants and was already a favourite with visitors. Today, along with a conservatory protecting an additional 3,000 fragile, tender or rare plants, it remains the crown jewel in this extraordinary and historic California garden.
Janet Davis is a garden writer and photographer as well as a member of the Toronto Botanical Garden.
Be ParT of naTure aT floriaDe 2012
Carol g ardner gives us a sneak peek at this once-in-a-decade horticultural extravaganza!
This is the season when I take out my gardening books, pour a cup of tea (or a glass of wine, depending on the time of day and my level of desperation) and pray for an early spring. I know I’m not alone. This year the difference is that spring really can arrive early — with a visit to Floriade, the world horticultural exposition that takes place only once every ten years. The show is being held in Venlo, The Netherlands, and promises to be pretty spectacular. The grounds cover 66 hectares and feature 80,000 plants. The exhibitors come from over 100 countries and there are five large themed restaurants offering international cuisine.
Floriade began in the 1960s as an exposition to offer countries the opportunity to showcase their economic, social, cultural and technical developments. For gardeners, it’s a chance to see the latest in floral and garden design, new plants and emerging green technology. And let’s not forget being wooed by the romance of gardening through the integration of horticulture, architecture, music, art and food.
The theme of Floriade 2012 is “Be part of the theatre in nature, get closer to the quality of life.” At first read, it sounded to me a bit airy-fairy (as themes frequently do!) but the organizers have made it real by dividing the exposition into five distinct parks. Green Engine portrays horticulture as the green engine of the economy. The newly built Villa Flora, described as “the greenest office in the Netherlands,” will become home to a number of businesses when the show closes. In the meantime, it will house an indoor flower show where design goes from classic to wild and where visitors can participate in a mock floral auction. The Work Pavilion transforms a dull office space into a green and leafy spectacle before your eyes. The Green
Emotion Theatre will host demonstrations by top floral designers. Education & Innovation relates the story of horticulture past, present and future through the use of four pavilions focusing on landscaping and garden architecture, bees and arboriculture. Environment stresses the importance of greenery at home, on the streets and in the working environment. It contains a horticultural pavilion, a Living Pavilion that merges indoors and outdoors and The Avenue of Garden Cultures — a street of 120 different and unusual tree species overlooking 15 model office gardens created by garden designers from Estonia, Belgium, Japan, Germany and Luxembourg.
Relax & Heal focuses on health and food. Relax in the City is a vibrantly coloured area of plants, shrubs and trees designed to soothe the soul. The Feel Good Garden will demonstrate how energy and aura harmonize to influence garden atmosphere.
World Show Stage events will highlight international art, culture and entertainment and their relationship
If You Go
the tbg offers a comprehensive Floriade/Keukenhof trip from april 19 to 27, 2012. For details, see gardeningtours.com/ Floriade2012.htm
Floriade, April 5 to october 12, 2012 venlo, limburg, the netherlands (bordering germany) tickets (various packages, including multi-day passes; average daily price €25) can be purchased online at floriade.com/ tickets
When in hoLLAnD … between March 22 and May 20, be sure to visit Keukenhof, a historic 32-hectare park built on the site of a fifteenth-century castle, herb garden and hunting grounds. Filled with blooming tulips, hyacinths, daffodils and other spring bulbs, the gardens are often the venue for concerts of classical music. this year ’s theme is Poland — heart of europe.
to horticulture. Floriade Boulevard is bordered by an amazing water park. There is also a Rose Garden, an Indonesian Pavilion and Theatre Hill — a natural feature in the shape of an amphitheatre which will host a wide variety of shows on summer evenings.
Carol Gardner is an award-winning garden writer and member of the Trellis Committee.
The gardens of sarasoTa and naples
while visiting Florida last spring, Gloria broks used her tbg membership to visit two public gardens — for free!
Marie Selby botanical GardenS
Opened in 1975, the Marie Selby Gardens provide a lovely oasis in the busy city of Sarasota. The emphasis in these 5.5 hectares is on epiphytes such as bromeliads, gesneriads and, especially, orchids — the indoor tropical conservatory contains 6,000 orchids! I particularly liked the spider orchids, but there were some species I’d never seen before. They even have an area where you can buy orchids as well as a beautiful gift shop full of orchidinspired items. Outside there is a café with tables under the mature trees and winding paths by mangrove forests edging the Gulf. Walking towards the southern mansion that houses art and photo exhibits, I passed by a pond with a waterfall, a fountain, a fern garden, cacti and even an area of raised beds with vegetables along with many in containers. I was most surprised to see blueberries growing there too.
napleS botanical Garden
Begun in 2000, the Naples Botanical Garden covers some 70 hectares. About half the garden is a nature sanctuary wetland preserve with a large pond, walkways and a birding tower. Elsewhere there are seven botanical world habitats, which was my favourite part of the garden. There is a whimsical Children’s Garden with a walk-through
butterfly house that contained one of the strangest vines I’d ever seen. Called a giant Dutchman’s pipe (Aristolochia gigantea), it reminded me of the pitcher plants of Newfoundland with its many hanging pouches. Walking on to the Brazilian Garden full of boldly coloured flora that represented several different ecosystems, I came to the Burle Marx plaza with its ceramic mural and infinity pool. Roberto Burle Marx was known as the “father of modern landscape architecture,” and this square is a tribute to him. The Asian Garden impressed me the most with its beautiful bamboos, gingers and water plants artfully placed among an Asian pergola, a Thai pavilion, a Javanese ruin and a Balinese shrine. These architectural structures enhanced the garden and transported you to another world. The nearby lily pond added to the air of serenity as did the lovely Asian music played by a musician sitting in the pavilion. The Florida Garden was fun, too. The centrepiece is an original chattel house surrounded by palms, grasses and wildflowers of south Florida.
At each of these gardens there was a volunteer guide to answer questions and explain the meaning of the theme.
Gloria Broks is a member and long-time volunteer of the Toronto Botanical Garden.
Show theM your tbG MeMberShip card! one of the benefits of toronto botanical Garden membership is free admission to the more than 270 gardens in north america that are part of rap — the american horticultural Society reciprocal admissions program. your tbG membership card gains you free admission. Visits to these two gardens alone paid for Gloria’s tbG membership fee.
If You Go
• Marie Selby Botanical Gardens 811 south Palm avenue, sarasota Open every day but Christmas, hours vary, adult admission is $17 us (Free to tbg members) selby.org
• Naples Botanical Garden 4820 Bayshore Drive Naples Open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; adult admission $12.95 US (Free to tbg members) naplesgarden.org
More Florida GardenS the 18 Florida gardens participating in the raP program include:
• Edison & Ford Winter Estates 2350 McGregor Boulevard, Fort Myers edisonfordwinterestates.org
• Fairchild Tropical Botanic garden
10901 Old Cutler Road, coral gables fairchildgarden.org
• Sunken Gardens 1825 4th Street North, st. Petersburg stpete.org/sunken
dutchman’s pipe
nong nooch Tropical BoTanical garden
in thailand, lorraine Flanigan discovers a garden where Capability brown meets salvador dali.
On the lengthy drive leading to the parking lot of Nong Nooch Tropical Garden, vast tracts of topiary trees, cactus gardens and palm groves whizzed by the windows of the bus as a group of garden and travel writers gasped in wide-eyed amazement at the sheer scope of the gardens — 240 hectares at last count. We had arrived in a plant paradise that seemed at once both sublime and surreal.
To call it a botanical garden is to understate the extent of the facility: a garden of gardens, Nong Nooch is also a resort, cultural centre, research lab, entertainment venue, elephant camp and a popular site for weddings — anything but what its founders envisioned when they bought the land in 1954. At the time, Mr Pisit and Mrs Nongnooch Tansacha planned a plantation of fruits — everything from mangoes to coconuts. That idea didn’t survive Mrs Nongnooch’s inspirational European tour during which she saw some of the grandest gardens of the world. On her return, work began on the botanical garden that would open in 1980 as the Nong Nooch Tropical Garden & Resort.
Today, the view from the elevated skywalk that snakes through the grounds only hints at the expanse of gardens that lies before you. There’s no sense in making a plan to explore them methodically; you’re guaranteed to be distracted by one horticultural phenomenon or another, one grand design after another, one absorbing exhibit in a series of absorbing exhibits.
Hundreds of potted bonsai plants line one road, looking formal, ancient and meticulously maintained while beyond that elegant display is a cheeky installation of pink flamingos, seeming to graze blissfully on the grassy lawn under the palm trees. In another area of the gardens, Thai temples overlook
an elaborate French parterre worthy of Versailles while classic Greek and Roman sculptures punctuate a flowerfilled European Garden. And among the extensive collections of orchids, bromeliads and other tropical plants happily growing in steamy conservatories, who would expect to find a replica of Stonehenge? This large-as-life installation features colourful groundcovers that blanket the ground under the monolithic boulders and paved pathways neatly trimmed with clipped hedges. Thai Druids are alive and well and gardening at Nong Nooch!
There’s lots more, including an Italian Garden, a Cycad Conservation Center, a Tower of Ants, an Umbrella Garden, a Flower Show Garden and a wall planted with agaves — bliss! But a standout in this garden of outstanding gardens is the Pottery Garden. This terra cotta wonderland features sculptures fashioned from terra cotta pots in all sorts of shapes, sizes and designs, from elephants, dragonflies and pumpkins to archways, towers and gazebos — oh my! Slightly unsettling are the lazy tigers (yes, they’re real) that lounge on platforms placed here and there throughout the Pottery Garden while colourful squawky parrots amuse the multitude of children exploring the area in wide-eyed wonder.
Nong Nooch is gaining a worldwide reputation after garnering a Gold Medal at the 2010 Chelsea Flower Show for its Great Pavilion exhibit. If you can’t make it to Thailand, have a look a the virtual tour on the Nong Nooch Web site.
Lorraine Flanigan visited Nong Nooch Tropical Garden & Resort in 2011 as a guest of the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
If You Go
• Nong Nooch Tropical Garden & Resort
34/1 moo 7 na Jomtien, sattahip, Chonburi (about 1.5 hours from Bangkok and 30 minutes from Pattaya)
Admission, 500 THB (about $16 cdn) for full access to the park as well as Thai cultural and elephant shows. nongnoochgarden.com when in thailand, be Sure to ViSit …
• Jim Thompson House Museum 6 soi kasemsan 2, rama 1 road, Bangkok jimthompsonhouse.com
• Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Herb Garden, Rayong www.tourismthailand.org
• Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden chiang mai qsbg.org
• Royal Flora Park Ratchaphruek chiang mai royalflora2011.com
SuStainable Parking lot
with apologies to Joni mitchell, says Lorraine Hunter, they dug up a parking lot and are replacing it with as close to paradise as a parking lot can get.
After several years in the planning, the city’s long-awaited parking lot improvement project is finally underway. Parking at the Toronto Botanical Gardens and Edwards Gardens may have been a pain this past fall but once the changes to the redeveloped west lot are complete, it is expected to become the city’s premier parking lot in terms of green technology and environmental responsibility.
“We are relieved to be moving forward with the parking lot project,” says Leslie Coates, Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, City of Toronto. The project has been designed to help reduce rainwater runoff into the surrounding ravine system during major downpours which has contributed to major ravine damage in the past. “It was understood early on that a conventional asphalt rehabilitation was not the preferred approach given the parking lot’s location immediately adjacent to the sensitive Wilket Creek ravine and that the lot serves the innovative LEED silver-certified TBG facility. Instead, we have produced a sustainable design that incorporates measures aimed at encouraging infiltration, reducing runoff rates and arresting the pollutants contained within the runoff.”
“While the project is led by Parks, Forestry and Recreation we have received funding support from Toronto
Water and the Public Realm Office of Transportation Services in the City of Toronto,” says Coates. “We are also appreciative of the support and enthusiasm of the TBG staff during the design process and we are working hard to minimize disruption to TBG and park visitors during construction.”
Portions of the lot will be covered with permeable pavers to allow water to soak into the ground beneath. A huge gravel base will be put in to support the weight of the pavers and provide a place for the water to run. Huge drainage tiles are also being installed.
Instead of one island bed, there will be three, known in “green” jargon as biofilters, each running the length of the parking lot. More than 60 trees will be planted on them. TBG horticulturist Paul Zammit and head gardener Sandra Pella helped select trees as well as perennials that reflect the urban environment and that are drought and pollution tolerant. These include many species that are native to the area.There will also be a pedestrian passageway through the islands, the main purpose of which is to reduce compaction at the base of the newly planted vegetation.
It was necessary to take down several trees during the renovation but the trunks, stumps and limbs were left pretty much as they were and are being saved for the TBG’s future children’s
garden. W. Gary Smith, children’s garden designer, provided directions on how the trunks were to be cut. Wood chips from any limbs that had to be cut were kept as mulch for the Teaching Garden.
Four native Kentucky coffee trees have been relocated from the original island bed into existing gardens on the east side of the parking lot, including one in the new Woodland Walk. “A number of plants had to be lifted and will be relocated,” said Zammit, explaining that TBG staff had to work quickly as the construction began. “At one point Sandra was literally five feet in front of the bulldozer taking plants out.” Many are currently stored in the President’s Choice Show Garden and the Demonstration Courtyard, “and it will be a rush to relocate them in the spring,” he says.
Both the hardscaping and the landscaping are expected to be complete late this spring. Zammit noted that “when you drive into the parking area from Lawrence Avenue there will be a roundabout with exits leading into the different lanes of the lot.” Only the west side of the parking lot will be redeveloped at this time, meaning that “we will end up with before and after lots,” joked Zammit.
“There was no ideal time to do this very important, critical project,” said Zammit, “but we are very happy and excited that this is happening.” Local City Councillor Jaye Robinson is also very excited that the parking lot revitalization is underway. “The new trees and greenery,” she says, “will increase sustainability and minimize environmental impact while creating another beautiful and functional space in Ward 25.”
Our new, sustainable parking lot is expected to be completed in late spring, 2012.
Lorraine Hunter is a garden writer, Master Gardener-in-Training and Chair of the Trellis Committee.
Floriade 18 April – May 1, 2012 Marjorie Mason escorted garden tour to amsterdam, maastricht, bruges and se england. limited availability. land tour $4,289 twin/share plus air. Chelsea Flower Show 18 May – 01 June 2012 Join NW Pacific gardeners for best of english gardens: rhs wisley; sissinghurst; Kew; gardens, chartwell; hampton court; hidcote; Kiftsgate, chatsworth, Powis, stourhead $4,199 twin/share plus air. registrations contact Karen 416-449-0931 karen@ cwttravelsource.com advance registration now for south of england and hampton court Flower show July 2013 with marjorie contact lorna to create small group tours (3-14 days) specific to your personal requirements. 905-683-2838 lorna@ gardenersworldtours.com For day-by-day itineraries, pricing and newsletter please visit www.gardenersworldtours.com
information techniques a dvice
in season To Do
JuSt aSK trade SeCret
Lens Choices for Garden Photography
A telephoto lens can help capture the beauty in the details of a single bloom. A wide-angle lens, or specialized “stitching” software, can help to capture the sweeping beauty of an entire landscape. Don’t forget a macro lens too! Experiment and have fun.
– Mark Trusz, TBG photography instructor, picturetheweb.com
in
our Gardens
Garden Star
the highlight of our gardens last season was Pennisetum setaceum ‘sky rocket’, a recently introduced variegated annual fountain grass. it proved to be a very vigorous, graceful and showy addition to the Beryl ivey Knot garden.
my indoor Stephanotis suddenly produced a fruit that looks like a small mango. is this common?
this is the seedpod, which is fairly unusual to see because the fruit does not readily set. Pick the pod when it ripens, but just before it splits open to reveal the seeds in the centre. to grow from seed, sow indoors under bright, indirect light.
My Favourite PLants
Four sEAsons in thE wooDlAnD wAlk
garden designer Sara Katz selects four plants growing in the Woodland Walk that provide interest in spring, summer, fall and winter.
this past season i have been fortunate to work with Paul Zammit, sandra Pella and many wonderful volunteers, weeding (lots of weeding!), planting and caring for the tBg’s new Woodland Walk and Bird habitat. native trees, shrubs, grasses and perennials are taking the place of the nonnative plants that were growing there, and they will provide food and shelter for birds, bees, butterflies and other pollinators. here are four of my favourite Woodland Walk plants. they would make beautiful additions to your own garden, too.
Spring: the shocking pink, pea-like flowers that line the bare branches of the eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis) seem to shout “spring is here.” When the flowers fade, heart-shaped green leaves and brown seed pods appear. the leaves, which turn golden yellow in the fall, are arranged neatly along the branches as if carefully hung by a woodland nymph.
Learning
Summer: unusual and elegant, Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) features large leaves grouped into three leaflets that shelter a green and purple striped “pulpit” (spathe), which encloses a pale yellow “Jack” (spadix). shiny green berries turn brilliant red in the fall.
Fall: Wild raisin (Viburnum cassinoides), also called witherod, puts on a spectacular fall performance. Berries change from green to pink to red to blue and, finally, to black. often all colours are present in the same fruiting cluster. the dark green leaves become red, orange and purple. this shrub is a bird magnet.
Winter: the graceful silhouettes of the layered, horizontal branches of the pagoda dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) are exquisite when dusted with snow. i often find birds’ nests among the slim branches. attractive grey bark.
Lingo
A telephoto lens can isolate one bloom from the rest.
container crazy
Winter WOnderLand start with a hardy young evergreen, such as cedar, spruce, juniper or boxwood. here we have used Juniperus scopulorium ‘Blue heaven’, which echoes the silvery-blue patina of the planter. add assorted branches and boughs for colour, contrast, texture and fragrance. For this container, fir, cedar and southern magnolia were used. Branches of Salix x ‘Flame’ add height and blend with the colour of the brick wall. the potted tree can be planted in the garden in the spring.
— Paul Zammit, Nancy Eaton Director of Horticulture
Anna’s Plant Pick
Chamaecyparis obtusa (hinoki cypress)
evergreens are a pleasant way to colour the wintry landscape, but not all evergreens are completely green. Many are golden, some are distinctly blue, while others take on a bronze cast in winter. shape and texture add to the picture with fastigiated, globe, conical, weeping, spreading and prostrate forms. (though the latter may be under the snow!). My favourite evergreens belong to the hinoki cypress group. there are many dwarf forms which are derived, surprisingly, from arge 35-metre-high trees used for lumber in Japan.
Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘nana gracilis’ is an uneven pyramid in shape. horizontal fans of bright green curving branches end in shell-like projections that are strong enough to hold the snow the leaves are actually small scales, covering the younger branches. this hinoki cypress is very slow growing, reaching less than one metre in 10 years and perhaps two metres at maturity it will grow in full sun to part shade and in any soil as long as it does not dry out. C. obtusa ‘nana gracilis’ is hardy to Zone 5. [it may appreciate a protective winter mulch on exposed sites. — ed.]
Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘nana ’ is even smaller and slower growing while Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘nana aurea’ is yellow at the branch ends.
to see these trees growing, visit the conifer garden at the tBg over the winter. and in the spring look for hinoki cypress at the nurseries and plan to add interest to next year’s winter garden.
— Anna Leggatt, Toronto Master Gardener
garden gear
toronto botanicals is a collection of vegetable-based soaps made by hand using unpasteurized wildflower honey, beeswax and bee pollen produced from hives tended by the toronto beekeepers co-operative. Available in six fragrances, including blends of honey with lavender, lemongrass, lemon, rose geranium, rosemary and oatmeal & almond. $4.99 each; 5 for $20.
around the garden with head gardener sandra pella
What can gardeners do when fingers and toes are freezing? Hang with the elements by gearing up. dress in layers with woollens on feet and back. dry warm gloves are often difficult to find, so i layer mine with a snugly fitting pair next to my skin and a slightly larger size over them so the inner pair stays dry. it’s below zero when i plant up containers. With long johns, ski pants and boots such as Sorels (good to -40°C) plus a funky toque and scarf, you might say i’m fashionable!
— read Sandra’s What’s in Bloom blog at torontobotanicalgarden.ca/ inbloom
in Your Garden
JOBS tO dO
indOOr GardeninG Pot up amaryllis bulbs for a fresh splash of colour from January to march.
catch up on reading garden literature.
Attend garden shows and horticultural meetings.
keep the foliage of indoor plants clean and dust free. many tropical plants enjoy a warm shower or quick rinse in the sink. monitor foliage and stems regularly for signs of pests and act quickly to control them.
water indoor plants thoroughly yet sparingly depending on sunlight levels, size of container and room temperatures. Avoid overwatering, especially cacti and succulents.
when light levels are low, limit fertilizing and feed only actively growing plants.
As days become longer, repot root-bound specimens, moving them to slightly larger pots.
visit garden centres during January and February when fresh shipments of tropical plants often arrive.
visit a public greenhouse; take a tour of Allan gardens.
Enjoy the view of the winter garden from indoors!
H e CK l i S t
January
8
Southern Ontario Orchid Society Floral Hall, 10 a.m.; soos.ca
Toronto Gesneriad Society
Studios 1 & 2, 2 p.m. torontogesneriadsociety.org
9
Toronto Bonsai Society Garden Hall, 7:30 p.m.; torontobonsai.org
Garden Hall & Studio 1, 7:30 p.m. torontobonsai.org
EDWARDS LECTURES
February 2 • David Wistow Gardens of Versailles
Renowned art historian David Wistow’s captivating images tracing the cultural importance, stages of growth and development and historical highlights of Versailles.
March 1 • W. Gary Smith
Unleashing Creativity in the Garden
Gary will help you unleash the artist within, making meaningful gardens that express the relationship between a sense of place and your creative spirit. The TBG’s proposed Children’s Garden will be Gary Smith’s first Canadian project.
Lectures take place in the Floral Hall at 7:30 p.m. Public $20, students (with valid ID) $15, TBG members free. Door sales only, limited seating. 416-397-1340.
Generously sponsored by the Edwards Charitable Foundation
Toronto Region Rhododendron & Horticultural Society
Studio 1, 2 p.m.; onrhodos.com
Photo:
David Wistow talks about the gardens of Versailles in the February 2, 2012 Edwards Lecture.
aB out t he toronto Botanical Garden
the toronto Botanical Garden (tBG) is a volunteer-based, charitable organization whose purpose is to inspire passion, respect and understanding of gardening, horticulture, the natural landscape and a healthy environment. the tBG raises over 95 per cent of its operating funds through membership, facility rentals, retail enterprises, program fees and donations. the organization relies on the generosity and financial commitment of individuals, foundations and corporations to help maintain the gardens and support the many horticultural and environmental services we provide to our community.
G eneral hours and ad M
ission
Gardens: Free admission, dawn to dusk a d M inistrative oFF ices: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Weston Fa M ily l i B rary: Call 416-397-1343 or check www.torontobotanicalgarden.ca for hours of operation. shop t BG: Call 416-397-1357 • shop@torontobotanicalgarden.ca
Master Gardeners’ i n Fo l ine: noon to 3 p.m. 416-397-1345 (April & July, Tuesday to Saturday; May & June, daily; August through March, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday) www.questions.torontomastergardeners.ca
GiFt MeMBership: $45 single, $65 family. call 416-397-1483 or sign up online at torontobotanicalgarden.ca/join
siGn up For Garden e-neWs!
Receive the latest horticultural news and information on events, workshops, lectures and other horticultural happenings. Free registration at torontobotanicalgarden.ca
F riends o F the toronto B otanical G arden
the toronto Botanical Garden (tBG) is deeply grateful to its Friends for providing continued and generous support toward programs and services. our Friends enable the tBG to educate and provide the community with information on horticulture, gardening and environmental issues through lectures, courses and events. the following individuals made their contribution to the Friends program between June 29 and october 28, 2011.
DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE
Wendy & John Crean
BENEFACTORS
Nancy C. Sprott
SUSTAINING MEMBERS
Allan Kling & Tecca Crosby FRIENDS
Mary Audia
Kathleen Belshaw
Sheila Brown & Doug Guzman
Marilyn Chapman
Deborah Cloakey
Joanne & Jeffrey Fallowfield
Joanne Fleming
Louise & Mark Golding
Rebecca & Nicholas Golding
Catherine & William Graham
Janet & David Greyson
Peter & Eleanor Heinz
Gordon Horne & Scharley-May Horne
Brooke Hunter & Mark Gaynor
Alison Hymas
Richard M. Ivey & Beryl Ivey
Elisabeth A. Jocz
Ayako Kawai
Nicole & Robert Leaper
Susan Leask & R. Todd
Bernice Levitt
Susan Lipchak
patrons
h onorary patron: adrienne clarkson
Brian Bixley, Mark cullen, camilla dalglish, sondra Gotlieb, Marjorie harris, lorraine Johnson, Michele landsberg, susan Macaulay, helen skinner
B oard o F directors
tom sparling, Mary Fisher (co-chairs); suzanne drinkwater, Geoffrey dyer, colomba Fuller, Jim Gardhouse, steven heuchert, Janet kennish, allan kling, Joan lenczner, penny richards, dawn scott, Judy shirriff, pat Ware, Barbara yager
sta FF directory
executive director
aldona satterthwaite director@torontobotanicalgarden.ca 416-397-1346
Business and Finance director of Business initiatives and Finance
editor@torontobotanicalgarden.ca developMent departMent director of development, claudia Zuccato ria development@torontobotanicalgarden.ca 416-397-1372
development officer, Jessica reese annualgiving@torontobotanicalgarden.ca 416-397-1483
correction notice: in the Fall issue of Trellis the dimensions of Viburnum farreri ‘nanum’ should have read 1 to 1.2m (3 to 4 feet) x 1.2 to 2.4m (4 to 6 feet).
education departMent director of education, liz hood education@torontobotanicalgarden.ca 416-397-1355
Weston FaMily liBrary librarydesk@torontobotanicalgarden.ca 416-397-1343
horticultural departMent nancy eaton director of horticulture paul Zammit horticulture@torontobotanicalgarden.ca 416-397-1358
head Gardener, sandra pella gardener@torontobotanicalgarden.ca taxonomic assistant, toni vella taxonomy@torontobotanicalgarden.ca shoptBG shop@torontobotanicalgarden.ca 416-397-1357
Maintenance supervisor Walter Morassutti maintenance@torontobotanicalgarden.ca 416-397-1344
head, volunteer services sue hills
volunteers@torontobotanicalgarden.ca 416-397-4145
777 l a wrence a venue e as t, toron to, o n tario M3 c 1 p 2 , c anada 4 16-397-1340; fax: 416-397-1354 info@torontobotanicalgarden.ca torontobotanicalgarden.ca @ t BG_ c anada
