Frankie Ferragine, Albert Graves, Marjorie Mason, Arthur Skolnik, Denis Flanagan
Editor lorraine Flanigan
dEsign
june anderson
trEllis CommittEE
lorraine hunter (chair)
lorraine Flanigan (editor)
carol gardner
liz hood
marion magee
zachary osborne
jenny rhodenizer
Paul zammit
VoluntEEr
Editorial assistant m magee
VoluntEEr ProofrEadErs
e brais, m bruce, j camPbell, l hickey, m magee and l uyeno adVErtising
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to do Features News
4 Who’s talking lorraine Flanigan, the globe-trotting gardener
Hort Happenings book review, descanso gardens and the chelsea Flower show at 100!
Welcome andrew mckay, development officer
5 from the tBg rest easy tBgKids city critters Family series and march break nature camps
Volunteers susan lipchak green Community compost council of canada
6 strokestown Park House and the irish national famine museum not nearly as grim as it sounds
9 death by nutmeg Penang’s tropical spice garden
11 Highgrove House where organic gardening reigns
12 trade secret top pests and invaders
Just ask advice from the toronto master gardeners my favourite Bug the earthworm
13 Container Crazy indoor drama garden gear heirloom seeds in Your garden jobs to do around the garden with Head gardener sandra Pella anna’s Plant Pick Plants for the winter garden
14 Blogwatch gardens around the world on the go goings on tBg lecture series
tHis issuE of Trellis is gEnErouslY sPonsorEd BY HarmonY Printing.
TBGNewsnews
Who’s Talking
HORT HAPPENINGS
— Compiled by Zachary Osborne, Weston Family Library
1001 Gardens You Must see Before You die a must-read for travel and garden enthusiasts, this updated edition includes new gardens and attractions. at 960 pages, it covers gardens from 72 countries worldwide. it also serves as a current and trustworthy reference to botanical can themed gardens. be informed by this wellresearched and beautifully compiled book — you’ll be inspired to see them all! r. Spencer-Jones, general editor (2nd ed., Happauge, nY: barron’s 2012).
LECTURER: LORRAINE FLANIGAN
TOPIC: THE GLOBE-TROTTING GARDENER
WHEN: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013, 7:30 P.M.
Join renowned garden writer, Master Gardener and tour leader Lorraine Flanigan for this fun-filled look at some of the world’s best garden travel destinations — no passport required! From classic English gardens and the formal parterres of French chateaux to contemporary public spaces such as Duisberg’s Landschaftspark, Lorraine’s talk highlights some of the most beautiful, unusual and off-the-beaten-path parks, gardens and festivals in the world, with bonus peeks at Chaumont-sur-Loire, Chelsea and Floriade 2012.
Plan your next gardening trip at the Garden Travel Fair. Chat with tour operators and horticultural personalities about upcoming gardening tours. Garden Travel Fair and light dinner available in the lobby from 5:30 p.m. Talking Books at 6:45 p.m. in the Weston Family Library. Public $25, students (with valid ID) $15, TBG members free. Door sales only. Limited seating.
DESTINATION DESCANSO
recently named one of the world’s top ten gardens by National Geographic, descanso gardens is a treasure for garden tourists. located 30 minutes from los angeles, california, descanso features a five-acre rose garden, oak tree forest, Japanese garden and north america’s largest camellia collection. tour the gardens on the enchanted railroad, a miniature (1/8th) replica of a fully functioning diesel train, and explore the diversity of the garden’s 160 acres. exhibitions at the newly unveiled Sturt Haaga gallery are also worth a visit. For more information, visit descansogardens.org.
THE CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW IS 100!
From May 21 to 25, 2013, the rHS chelsea Flower Show celebrates its centenary on the grounds of the royal Hospital, chelsea. this massive and hotly anticipated annual celebration of plants and floral and garden design promises to be bigger and better than ever. the chelsea Flower Show is a not-to-be missed destination for many in the horticultural community, and the 100th anniversary is sure to amaze. For more information, visit rhs.org.uk/shows-events.
Welcome
McKay D E v ELOPMENT O FFICER
there’s a new face in the Development Department. Andrew mcKay comes to the tBG with fundraising experience with the ontario march of Dimes, where he was responsible for wideranging service and support throughout the province. Before that, he was with ccs Fundraising and worked with specific fundraising campaigns, conducted volunteer training and developed engagement strategies. A graduate of the university of ottawa, Andrew has a certificate in the essentials of Fundraising from the AFp Wellesley institute and the Advanced Applications for Fundraising program at Humber college. When he’s not raising funds, Andrew enjoys music, film, reading and writing — and he’s an avid fan of toronto sports teams. please drop by his office and say hi!
Andrew
From The TBG
ALDONA SATTERTHWAITE executive Director
Emily Dickinson wrote that “there is no frigate like a book to take us lands away …” and I think the same can be said for the travel issue of Trellis. While our gardens slumber, we can read about fragrant flowers in sultry exotic climes — or simply be inspired to plan a trip to somewhere wonderful. The act of gardening involves stamina and perseverance, and I think it’s good that, like our plants, we too can relax for a few months and just dream.
In general, I’ve observed that most gardeners are sensualists, and many of my gardening pals love the same things that I do — travel, beauty and creativity in all its forms, reading, nice food, animals and simple comforts. (In winter, I like to wrap my nightie in a hot water bottle while I perform my nightly ablutions, so it’s lovely and warm when I put it on.)
Here at the TBG, the year’s end also marks the time when I turn to you, our faithful members and friends, to ask that you remember that we are a registered educational charity and, if you haven’t already done so, consider making a taxreceiptable charitable donation to help us continue our work. Many of you know that we have had a challenging year, and your help right now would be truly appreciated.
Of course, the entire TBG staff also joins me in wishing you a joyous and peaceful holiday season and a happy and healthy New Year. And, being gardeners, our fingers are crossed for a decent amount of snow this year — but not too much — to protect our precious plants from winter’s icy blasts. Rest easy.
Green Community compost council oF cAnADA
If you slurped your way through Soupalicious in the fall or planted extra rows in your garden for the Plant a Row, Grow a Row program, you’ll know the work of the Compost Council of Canada. This national non-profit organization promotes composting at the municipal, agricultural and industrial levels, but you would know them better through their innovative outreach projects in the communities they serve. The CCC joined forces with the TBG to offer the Grow, Cook & Relish canning course this past October and will present Secrets of Sensational Soups on Tuesday, February 12, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
goTo
TORONTOBOTANICALGARDEN CA/ADULTED FOR DETAILS AND TO REGISTER
GET TO KNOW CITY CRITTERS
toronto is filled with amazing wildlife. From the bees, butterflies and birds that take to the skies to the raccoons and skunks that wander our neighbourhoods at night. Surviving in an urban centre is tough, though. the often misunderstood coyote is a great example of an animal that has learned to coexist with humans. once diurnal (active in daylight), it has responded to the daytime pressures caused by human activity and become more nocturnal (active at night). to learn more about toronto’s amazingly adaptive animals, register for our new city critters Family Series. Join us this winter and spring for the first two of this five-session series.
Hoot ’n’ Howl Owl Prowl Saturday, January 19, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Great Birds of Prey Saturday, april 6, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
MARCH BREAK NATURE CAMPS
March break nature camps for children aged 6 to 10 years take place indoors in our beautiful James boyd children’s centre as well as out in the gardens and surrounding ravine. Sign up for a day or save by registering for the full week. camps run March 11 to 15, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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Yours, Mine & Ours
Volun T eers
Susan Lipchak is a multi-faceted volunteer. She has been a garden volunteer for the past six years, she’s a tour guide for both the TBG and the Toronto Music Garden, and she is also a Toronto Master Gardener. A professional violist for 40 years with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Susan’s passion for plants grew as her summer work schedule diminished. Susan looks forward to the official opening of the Woodland Walk, an area in which she has spent many volunteer hours, and we look forward to many more years of collaboration with this talented volunteer. — Sue Hills
StrokeStown Park HouSe and
tHe iriSH national Famine muSeum
an infamous past, a serendipitous rescue — and it’s not nearly as grim as
it
sounds, says Aldona Satterthwaite
P H oto S b y a ldona S attert H w aite
In 2013, Tourism Ireland is promoting The Gathering, a year-long celebration. Everyone of Irish descent, or with an interest in Ireland, is invited to visit and partake of a rich array of special events. For information, visit thegatheringireland.com
Located in a pretty part of Ireland called Roscommon County, Strokestown Park was the family seat of the Pakenham Mahon family from 1653 to 1981. Although a bit off the beaten track, it offers you a chance to see a lovely Georgian Palladian house, interesting gardens and the Irish National Famine Museum all on one site.
I could start with your standard guidebook fare: “The large imposing house, built in the early 18th century, was designed by renowned Dublin architect Richard Cassels.” Well, yes. But what I liked best is far more personal — the original furniture and ornaments, left intact by its last owner, Olive Pakenham Mahon, who died in 1981.
I know it’s a miracle that I’m seeing it at all.
In 1976, Westward Garage Limited, a local company, approached Olive to see if they could buy a few acres to expand their truck-importing business. She was not keen to divide the land, but let it be known that her son and heir, Nicholas, was planning to sell the entire estate at auction. The company made an offer that was accepted with the proviso that Olive and her husband, Major William Stuart Hales, could live there as long as they wished. Westward’s original plan was to keep the four acres they needed and sell off nearly 300 others, which might have meant that Strokestown would have suffered the fate of many other large ruined houses in Ireland. Then one serendipitous weekend, Jim Callery, a company director, asked to look through
the old estate documents, and everything changed. What he found both astonished and moved him, as he realized that Strokestown Park House’s papers documented nearly 350 years of local history, including the part it played in the Great Irish Famine of the 1840s. Rather than sell the estate, he convinced the company’s other directors to restore it.
It’s been a long process. The house, with the last remaining galleried kitchen in the country (the mistress of the house would drop her orders down from the gallery to the cook), opened to the public in 1987. The Irish National Famine Museum, which was developed in the stable yards, opened in 1994. The restoration of the four-acre Walled Pleasure Gardens, with the longest herbaceous border in Ireland and Great Britain, was completed in 1997. The restored Georgian Fruit and Vegetable Garden opened in 2000. And the work continues.
On my arrival at Strokestown I was met by Director (and horticulturist) John O’Driscoll. Our first stop was the Woodland Walk, which had been planted in the 1700s by Thomas Mahon. Over time, it became overgrown and impenetrable. In 2011 the original paths were carefully restored but the overall impression is still romantic wildness. That day, the tangled trees — among them, beech and oak — served as the backdrop for sculptural displays of recycled materials by 15-year-old students who were vying for a cash prize for their schools.
John explained that as the Mahon family fortunes ebbed in the 1960s, some parts of the garden were simply let go. The glass houses, handsome
pergola, formal parterre and tennis and croquet lawns had to be rebuilt or re-established and the large lily pond completely cleared.
Today, Strokestown Park has two fulltime gardeners as well as volunteer help.
Although it was mid-September when I visited and the plantings in the long border were past their best, there was still good colour to be seen. In the kitchen garden, I was captivated by the old varieties of apples, some dating from the 1700s, espaliered in fan shapes against an old stone wall. I sampled ‘Ashmead’s Kernel’, which had a pleasant, almost pear-like flavour. This garden is tended in traditional organic ways and grows only heirloom varieties of plums and pears, many types of vegetables, and soft fruits including raspberries, gooseberries and white, black and red currants.
While the house and gardens alone are worth a visit, the Irish National Famine Museum is the icing on the cake. Not large, it draws on what may be the best private archive on the famine to illuminate the history of that tragic era while drawing parallels to this continuing scourge in other countries today.
Bring Summer To Your Winter
‘Ashmead’s Kernel’ apples from 17th century.
The longest herbaceous border in Ireland and Great Britain.
Looking at the documents and correspondence on display, you’d have to be made of stone not to feel moved by the sad fate of those poor unfortunates who were at the mercy of nature and their landlords. I was shocked at the size of the typical berth assigned to a family on board the “coffin ships”. It is shallow and barely long enough for one person, let alone six or even 10! How did they manage?
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Where did they sleep for all those weeks? Packed together like sardines, weak from hunger, it’s no wonder so many sickened and died.
See for yourself, and you’ll come away grateful for your good fortune.
Aldona Satterthwaite is Executive Director of the Toronto Botanical Garden and former editor-in-chief of Canadian Gardening
torontobotanicalgarden.ca/get-gardening/trellis, for more on the Irish potato famine and Strokestown Park
If You Go
OPEn yEAr rOund www.strokestownpark.ie Adults: €8 (one attraction only) or €12 (combined House, Famine Museum and Garden); Child: €5 (all 3 attractions); Family (2 adults + 4 children under 16 years) €25. Gleeson’s Townhouse and restaurant is a comfortable three-star inn in the heart of roscommon, which is 29 km (18 miles) from Strokestown; excellent organic and locally sourced food; gourmet food and wine shop. gleesonstownhouse.com
THE GARDENS OF LONDON featuring the Centennial Chelsea Flower Show • May 18 – 25, 2013 Includes members-only opening day of 100th RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Hampton Court Palace, Kew Gardens, Windsor Castle, Wisley Gardens and RHS Gala Dinner in world-renowned Glasshouse
THE BEAUTY OF BRITAIN • June 20 – 28, 2013
Discover the beauty of Wisley Gardens the home of RHS, a private tour at Castle Howard, stay at a historic country estate hotel, take part in a garden design workshop at Harlow Carr and enjoy an evening of Scottish culture
PLUS all our garden tours include a one year membership in the RHS!
Other garden tour destinations – Portugal, New Zealand, South Africa, Italy, France, Japan and more!
Pre-register today for information on one or more of these exciting itineraries by calling Muriel
DEATh By Nutmeg
in the tropical Spice garden in Penang, Malaysia, Dan Cooper discovers some surprising facts about common culinary spices.
DiD you know you could die from eating too much nutmeg? Did you know that the banana tree is not a tree at all, but a herb? And did you know that most of the cinnamon we buy is not true cinnamon from Sri Lanka but the less expensive, and harsher, cassia? I learned all this and more on a visit to the Tropical Spice Garden in Georgetown, on Penang Island off Malaysia’s west coast.
In the 1800s Penang was a spice paradise, with several large-scale British growers cultivating and exporting exotic spices around the world. Today the Tropical Spice Garden is just about all that is left of that once-booming trade, but it’s a perfect introduction to the many spices that made southeast Asia rich and famous.
This enchanting gem of a garden, established on 3.2 hectares (eight acres) of an abandoned rubber plantation and opened in 2003, is home to more than 500 species of exotic tropical flora, spices and herbs. And you can see and smell most of them on a guided walking tour through the jungle. (The ones that are not in season can be smelled in the small gift shop where you can pick up a lasting souvenir of your visit.)
The Tropical Spice Garden is a veritable feast for the senses that starts at the main entrance where a breeze of spices wafts over you. On the walking tour, an English-speaking guide will point out the tree or plant where a spice comes from and pluck off a leaf or rub a seed pod to let you smell the fragrant aromas. There are three garden trails to explore: a Spice
Visitor’s CheCklist
• Open daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Trail, featuring more than 100 varieties of spices and herbs; an Ornamental Trail, showcasing exotic flora, including palms, ferns and gingers; and a Jungle Trail, which follows an elevated pathway through ferns, wild orchids and other jungle species. There are also themed outdoor rooms, including water, cycad and bamboo gardens.
Best of all, you can sample these spices at the on-site Tree Monkey restaurant, which serves Asian fare featuring many of the garden’s own spices. Set amidst giant rain trees (Albizia saman) and overlooking the ocean, this restaurant is a gourmet’s delight. My wife and I sampled the lemongrass, ginger, honey and lime tea with fresh ginger root held in a twisted sprig of lemongrass. For lunch we dined on pandan chicken — tender morsels of chicken marinated in a sweet chili sauce and steamed in spicy and aromatic pandan leaves.
If you want to do more than feast on the scents and tastes of these exotic spices, you can sign up for a half-day cooking class at the garden’s cooking school, the first in Penang. Under the guidance of professional chef Pearly Kee, you’ll learn how to prepare
• Admission with tour: RM 22 (roughly $7). Special rates for children, seniors, students, families.
• Cooking classes (maximum 10 people): RM 200 (roughly $65) including admission and tour. • Public buses 102 and 101 go to the garden from downtown Georgetown. • If you drive, free parking is available outside the garden. For more information, visit tropicalspicegarden.com
traditional Malaysian meals with fresh herbs and spices that you harvest yourself from the centre’s own gardens. But go easy on the nutmeg. As little as two whole raw seeds can cause hallucinations and, rarely, death. In low doses, however, ground nutmeg is perfectly safe and is used to flavour dishes around the world.
Whether you take a cooking class, dine on fresh herbs and spices or stroll through the jungle, you’re sure to learn something new and come away invigorated by your immersion in Penang’s Tropical Spice Garden.
Dan Cooper is a Toronto Master Gardener, a world traveller and a travel photographer. More of his stories and photos can be seen at moissecooper.blogspot.ca.
while visiting Southeast asia, be sure to seek out hong kong Park which is set amidst the skyscrapers and slopes of Victoria Peak.
Philadelphia Flower Show Philadelphia Flower Show Philadelphia Flower Show
Get ready for spring on this 5-day tour filled with horticultural mastery! Spend three nights in the heart of Philadelphia and enjoy sightseeing and a visit to the city’s famous flower show. You’ll also have time to explore the renowned Longwood Gardens, ensuring that you’ll be inspired for your spring gardening.
Departs: March 1, 2013
Departs: March 1, 2013
$1,295 per person twin, $1,595 single
$1,295 per person twin, $1,595 single
Tour price includes: coach travel to Philadelphia, accommodation, breakfast daily and 1 dinner, sightseeing as listed in the itinerary and all taxes.
•
71 Mount Hope St., Lindsay, ON Registration: 50009376 and 50009377
Gardeners World Tours introduces exciting small group, 10 day mini-bus Garden Tours of England for 2013. All guaranteed departures. Priced to appeal to anyone who loves gardens. These tours, for 6 people only, allow you to visit a picturesque part of England: Spring Gardens of Cornwall, Scilly Isles and Cotswolds from May 04 to 13 or stay at Hampton Court Palace and enjoy their Flower Show plus Cotswold Village Gardens from July 05 to 15. Tours are at a leisurely pace with personal attention. For destinations and itineraries visit www.gardenersworldtours.com Contact Lorna@gardenersworld tours.com with your inquiries 905-683-2838. All reservations with Carlson Wagonlit Travel Source Karen@carlsonwagonlittravelsource. com or click on our “rose button”
to access Gardeners World Tours directly from TBG website.
GARDEN TOURS with Margaret Dailey-Plouffe. 2013 tours: PHILADELPHIA FLOWER SHOW –
March 3 to 6, 2013 PHILADELPHIA/ BRANDYWINE May 5 to 10 TULIP TIME in HOLLAND, MI May 6 to 10 CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW May 18 to 25 QUEBEC GARDENS including Reford Gardens – July 13-18 BUFFALO GARDEN FESTIVAL –
July 21-23 NYC featuring the HIGH LINE – Aug. 15 to 19 Plus Frank Lloyd Wright Returns – Aug. HIGHGROVE & the COTSWOLDS – Sept. To receive more details/ itineraries, please call 416-746-7199 OR 1-877-672-3030 or e-mail: Margaret@hnatravels.com Heatherington & Assoc. www.hnatravels.com TICO50017223.
I look forward to meeting you at the TBG Garden Travel Fair, February 7.
Ontario Rock Garden & Hardy Plant Society Super Plant Sale 2013 May 5, 2013 – 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. 5th Annual Super Plant Sale Toronto Botanical Garden 777 Lawrence Ave. E. Toronto
Serendipity Traveler invites women travellers to travel with us in 2013 and experience our finely handcrafted itineraries. Charleston Historic Houses & Gardens, Chelsea Flower Show & English Gardens, Wildflowers in Wyoming’s Grand Tetons, The Best of Nova Scotia, Treasures of Turkey. Travel is transformational, join us www.serendipitytraveler.com 800-975-2357.
Highgrove House
Lyn Hickey takes us to the home of HRH The Prince of Wales, where organic gardening reigns.
The tour guide met us at the coach and explained the rules: stay as a group, no wanderings and no cameras, no cellphones, no photos. Then she shared some features of this wonderful garden.
Highgrove House was acquired in 1980 as a tired and somewhat neglected 37-acre estate. The gardens comprise 15 acres and the balance is devoted to the farm. With the help of 12 gardeners, Prince Charles has worked to transform this property into an organic oasis. We learned that all prunings are mulched or composted, only natural fertilizers are used, there are no cement pathways and all insects and creatures are encouraged, even the rabbits that eat new plantings and the predators that eat the rabbits.
The gardens are a series of themed areas that flow easily one to another. We saw the small Buttress Garden made of recycled stone and planted with yews and lupines. Then we walked through the Laurel Tunnel, which is underplanted with ferns. The Thyme Walk has a mixed cobblestone pathway interplanted with 20 varieties of thyme and edged with individually clipped golden yews. The four-acre Wild Flower Meadow, enclosed with willow hoop edging, includes clover, buttercups, alliums and camassias. In autumn, sheep from a local farm graze on the
grasses, all the while stomping seeds into the soil and fertilizing the meadow.
Walking onto a soft spongy mulch walkway we entered a cool shaded area called The Stumpery, a ghoulish collection of uprooted moss-covered tree stumps. Gunnera overhangs a water feature of upended rocks, the leaves providing shelter for the ducks that eat the slugs that would otherwise eat the hostas.
The Wall of Gifts is made from stone gifts given to the Prince in his travels — faces and cornerstones — and all underplanted with daffodils and hellebores.
All of the azaleas in the Azalea Walk are potted, perhaps to move them in and out as their flowers fade, but what I found more interesting, because I have a small garden, were the climbing hydrangeas, roses, ivies and clematis on the walls.
The Walled Kitchen Garden, originally built for potatoes in the early 1800s, reminded me of a quilt with gravel paths arranged around four squares, each planted with fruit, herbs, flowers or vegetables. The produce goes to the main house or to shops and hospices.
A sense of humour recurred throughout: the round blobs called “pudding” yews are clipped to the gardeners’ various whims. The yew hedge, with four openings that frame HRH’s sculpted head, Prince Charles calls the “me hedge”. And the giant frog and snail topiaries are amazing. I was impressed with the huge variety of garden rooms, the use of natural-only materials — no plastic or metal stakes or trellises — the lack of manicured lawns, the constant sounds of birds and insects and the acceptance that many weeds are wildflowers. Once scorned for his attention to plants and their personalities, Prince Charles has resisted criticism and has promoted a change in attitudes towards organic gardening and the protection of the environment.
Lyn Hickey is an enthusiastic TBG member and volunteer who believes gardening to be better than a fitness club membership.
To learn more about the gardens and gardening practices at Highgrove House, check out Elements of Organic Gardening, available in the Weston Family Library.
in season To Do
Just Ask trade secret
we all lust after plants that we see on our travels, but bringing them home (even the most innocentlooking plant cutting or seeds) could release an environmental tsunami of viruses, fungi, bacteria, or insects. alas, it’s just not worth it. here are three of the top 10 pests and invaders: dog-strangling vine (Cynanchum rossicum and C. louiseae) invasive; can choke woodland plants including trees; thought to have been brought from europe during world war ii to be tested as filling for life jackets.
emerald ash borer kills all north american species of ash trees. from china and eastern asia; first found in canada in summer 2002; believed to have been introduced in packing material.
Norway maple (Acer platanoides) invasive; first brought from europe in the 1700s. — Carol Gardner
torontobotanicalgarden.ca/ get-gardening/pestdiseases-weeds/top-10, to see the complete list of top 10 Pests and Invaders goto
How should I take care of my Christmas cactus?
In fall and winter, leading up to and during flowering, allow the surface of the soil to dry out a bit between waterings. once the plant has flowered, keep the soil a little drier until spring when new growth appears. give it as much bright light as possible, but avoid direct sunlight. Mist frequently and keep it in a place where the temperature is between 13 and 21°c. to ask a Master gardener torontomastergardeners.ca goto
My Favourite Bug
the earthworm
Bug Lady Jean Godawa explores the underground world of worms.
Beneath the icy hard surface that, only a few months ago, was warm, green and fragrant, lies one of the garden’s most important creatures. Deep below the frost line, earthworms are huddled into knots and covered with a protective slime, waiting out the winter cold until the spring rains arrive. of the thousands of earthworm species worldwide, most fit into three distinct habitat groups. Litter-dwelling worms, such as compost worms, live on top of the soil and feed on plant debris. topsoil worms reside in the upper few centimetres of soil forming horizontal passageways as they move and feed. Species in these two groups cannot survive our winters. instead, they lay eggs in small lemonshaped cocoons which they deposit in the soil or surface leaf litter. as temperatures drop, the adult worms die but their eggs stay well protected from the harsh winter
conditions, ready to hatch at the first sign of spring. Subsoil dwellers such as dew worms or nightcrawlers (Lumbricus terrestris) dig vertical tunnels deep below the topsoil and feed by dragging organic matter from the surface down into their burrow. these species, favoured by anglers as excellent fish bait, can live for several years. in each layer, earthworms perform vital services ensuring healthy soil for our gardens. as they move, they aerate the soil and create pathways for water infiltration. as they feed and excrete, they help control harmful nematode populations, they assist in the formation of topsoil, they help to neutralize soil pH, and they provide valuable plant nutrients such as phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium. encourage healthy earthworm populations under grass by leaving clippings on the lawn. in beds, provide organic mulch and mix the soil with compost to feed the worms. avoid deep and repeated tilling as this will damage burrows and injure or destroy most topsoildwelling worms. optimum moisture conditions for plant growth are also optimum conditions for earthworm success. Like insects and spiders, earthworms are invertebrates. although not technically “bugs”, they are still one of the garden good guys.
asIaN loNghorN Beetle Is oNe of toP 10 INvaders.
container crazy
INdoor draMa variegated ivy echoes whiteblooming Phalaenopsis orchids in this faux bois container. each orchid stem is supported by a Natraj branch (fantail willow). Swirls of male palm fronds and spiralled bean pods add texture.
For more inspiration, don’t miss the southern Ontario Orchid society show, February 16 and 17, 2013, at the toronto Botanical garden.
Anna’s Plant Pick
Plants for the winter Garden
it’s possible to have an attractive winter landscape. admittedly, flowers are few but when the snow is absent, look for the Christmas rose (Helleborus niger). By carefully placing a clear plastic cover over this plant, you can pick flowers on December 25 — this is a true Christmas rose. the flowers of heathers (Erica spp.) will open on warm days at the end of December, continuing on until spring. Several have bronze winter foliage.
Snowdrops’ pale green tips show above the ground in late fall, sometimes flowering at the end of January. they lie flat under the snow, stretching up to the sun during thaws.
Witch hazels (Hamamelis) typically flower in February, and sometimes in late January, with narrow petals in yellows and bronzes. H. x intermedia ‘Primavera’ is primrose yellow; H. x intermedia ‘Jelena’ has red-bronze petals.
When the snow is deep, look at the bark of shrubs and trees. How about the café-au-lait peeling bark of seven son flower tree (Heptacodium miconioides)? or the dark shaggy bark of oak-leaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia)? Serviceberries (Amelanchier spp.) have splendid dark grey bark and the golden bronze shiny bark of Prunus maackii glows in the winter sun. the deeply peeling bark of Acer griseum can sometimes cup the snow.
Many shrubs have coloured stems. Dogwoods range from crimson reds through oranges and golds, and Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’ has red, orange and yellow stems. Acer palmatum ‘Sango-kaku’ lives up to its common name: coral-bark maple.
Berries often persist through winter. Berberis ‘red tears’ has clusters of elongated scarlet berries that last till spring. they look great against the snow! visit the tBg during the winter months and watch for many of these plants.
— Anna Leggatt, Toronto Master Gardener
Garden Gear
heIrlooM orgaNIc seeds froM reNee’s
Plan your veggie garden now! ShoptBg is excited to announce a new collection of heirloom certified organic vegetable and herb seeds from renee’s garden Seeds. For a full list of seeds available, visit torontobotanical garden.ca/explore/shop.
around the Garden with head Gardener sandra Pella
It’s december going on January, the ground has frozen (hopefully!) and it’s the perfect time to mulch the garden with evergreen boughs left over from seasonal decorating. lay the branches gently over perennials, and while you’re in the garden, watch for any plants that tend to heave out of the ground from winter freezes and thaws, such as coral bells (Heuchera) and blazing star (Liatris), gently heeling them back into the ground.
Follow Sandra’s gardening escapades at toronto botanicalgarden.ca/ inbloom
JoBs to do
WINteR
once seed and bulb orders arrive, organize them by the month they should be started or planted. do a germination test to ensure any seed from previous years is still viable.
c heck seed-starting supplies and stock up where necessary.
i nspect bulbs in storage, discarding those that are damaged.
m ove indoor tropical plants to west-and south-facing windows to maximize exposure to natural light.
m any house plants benefit from an occasional shower.
force spring-flowering branches (crabapple, cherry and forsythia) for indoor bouquets.
h ope for snow and when it falls, shovel the snow onto bare patches in the garden.
order seeds from the seedeX. for a list of seeds, visit toronto botanicalgarden.ca
torontobotanicalgarden.ca/ get-gardening/how-to/ winter-pruning. Watch the hands-on video featuring winter pruning techniques for fruit trees and vines.
C H e C k L I st
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2013 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Presentations and demonstrations
Floral Design Competition
Market Place
Free Gardening Advice
Winter Garden tour (weather permitting)
Gently used book sale
Jump Cafe
Meet with Horticultural societies, garden clubs and environmental organizations
Toronto Botanical Garden 777 Lawrence Ave. East
FREE ADMISSION
$2 donation is appreciated. Visitors who donate will have the opportunity to win exciting prizes.
Happenings
TBG LECTURE S ER i ES
LeCTUReR: LoRRaine FLanigan
TopiC: THe gLoBe-TRoTTing gaRDeneR
WHen: THURsDay, FeBRUaRy 7 Join renowned garden writer, Master Gardener and tour leader Lorraine Flanigan for this fun-filled look at some of the world’s best garden travel. Garden Travel Fair, light dinner and shopTBG open from 5:30 p.m.; Talking Books, 6:45 p.m.
Lectures take place in the Floral Hall. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; lecture at 7:30 p.m. Public $25, Students (with valid ID) $15, Members free. Door sales only, limited seating.
TRaVeLLing gaRDeneR aRMCHaiR LeCTURes
Can’t get away this winter? Check out the TBG’s Travelling Gardener illustrated lecture series featuring key garden hot spots. January 22, Great Gardens of Ontario; February 11, North America’s Great Public Gardens. To register call 416-397-1341 or visit torontobotanicalgarden.ca/ adultedadult.
Blogwatch
on THe go
March 15 to 24, 2013. Drop by and visit the TBG’s Family and Gardening booth (G5) and help us celebrate the 15th anniversary of the TBG Teaching Garden. For more information, visit www.canadablooms.com.
goings on
• student art exhibition opening Thursday, January 17, 7 to 8:30 p.m.
• Join the Book Club. Meetings take place on the last Wednesday of every month. First meeting: Weston Family Library, Wednesday, January 30, 7 to 8:30 p.m. FREE Open to TBG and Book Lovers Members only. To register, contact Jan Neuman at janneuman@rogers.com or 416-656-8246.
• get the Jump on spring, saturday, February 23, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A horticultural open house. FREE admission; $2 donation for chances to win great prizes.
gaRDens aRoUnD THe WoRLD
For bloggers’ views of some of the best gardens to visit, check out these photopacked blogs.
• Veronica sliva takes you to gardens around the world in garden Destinations.
• alice’s garden Travel Buzz visits historic landscapes, public parks and special gardens from California to Venice.
• The garden Design and Landscape blog at gardenVisit.com showcases international garden design.
• The galloping gardener seeks out gardens in the United Kingdom and europe to Canada and the United states.
• The garden Wanderer is written by a Canadian ex-pat living in Belgium.
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 more than 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. Charitable business number 119227486RR001.
GENE r A l H our S AND ADM i S S io N
G A r DENS : Free admission, dawn to dusk
A DM i N i StrAtiv E oFF ic ES : Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
W ESto N FAM ily l i B rA ry: Call 416-397-1343 or check www.torontobotanicalgarden.ca for hours of operation.
shop t BG: Call 416-397-1357 • shop@torontobotanicalgarden.ca
M ASt E r G A r DENE r S’ iNFo l i NE : 416-397-1345, noon to 3 p.m. (April & July, Monday to Thursday, Saturday; May & June, daily; August through March, Monday, Wednesday and Saturday). Visit torontomastergardeners.ca and Ask a Master Gardener
MEMBErSHip: $45 single, $65 family. call 416-397-1483 or sign up on line 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 ri ENDS o F t HE toro N to B otAN ic A l GA r DEN
the toronto Botanical Garden (tBG) is deeply grateful to its Friends for providing continued and generous support towards programs and services. our Friends enable us 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 July 1 and october 31, 2012.
DiRECToR’S CiRCLE
Wendy & John Crean
BEnEfaCToRS
Nicola & Donald Mayer
Grace Patterson
SUSTaininG MEMBERS
Ron Graham
fRiEnDS
Kathleen M. Belshaw
Joanne & Jeffrey Fallowfield
Rebecca & Nicholas Golding
Valerie M. Grant
Brandy Hermant
Alison Hymas
Vivien M. Jenkinson
Anne & Bob Kotyk
Susan & Todd Leask
Jo Ann Moysey
Susan & Charles Pielsticker
Joy & Jim Reddy
Michael Reid
Elisabeth Renner
Judith Rose
Helen Silverstein
Loretta & Stanley Skinner
Anthony Spencer
Barbara Stewart
Nancy Sutherland
Eleanor Ward
Brenda & Bennett Wong
pAtro NS
Ho N orA ry pAtro N : ADriENNE clArKSoN
Brian Bixley, Mark cullen, camilla Dalglish, Sondra Gotlieb, Marjorie Harris, lorraine Johnson, Michele landsberg, Susan Macaulay, Helen Skinner
B oA r D o F D ir Ector S
Mary Fisher, President and Co-Chair; Allan Kling, Co-Chair. Ellen Carr, Heather Cullen, Colomba B. Fuller, Jim Gardhouse, rebecca Golding, Steven Heuchert, Elaine le Feuvre, Joan lenczner, penny richards, Judy Shirriff, Nancy tong, Barbara yager, David young StAFF D ir Ectory
ExEcutivE DirEctor
Aldona Satterthwaite director@torontobotanicalgarden.ca 416-397-1346
BuSiNESS AND FiNANcE Director of Business initiatives and Finance Margaret chasins business@torontobotanicalgarden.ca 416-397-1484
Database & technology Administrator & Special Media Specialist, trish cassling database@torontobotanicalgarden.ca 416-397-1371
Administrative Assistant, Stefan Weber assistant@torontobotanicalgarden.ca 416-397-1321
coMMuNicAtioNS DEpArtMENt Director of Marketing & communications carrie Shibinsky media@torontobotanicalgarden.ca 416-397-1351
creative Director, Jenny rhodenizer communication@torontobotanicalgarden.ca trellis Editor editor@torontobotanicalgarden.ca DEvElopMENt DEpArtMENt Director of Development, claudia Zuccato ria development@torontobotanicalgarden.ca 416-397-1372
Development officer, Andrew McKay annualgiving@torontobotanicalgarden.ca 416-397-1483
Events & Facility coordinator, rachel Kay rentals@torontobotanicalgarden.ca 416-397-1349
EDucAtioN DEpArtMENt Director of Education, liz Hood education@torontobotanicalgarden.ca 416-397-1355
777 l awrence Avenue East, 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 • @TBG_Canada
