Trellis - Fall 2024

[4] FROM THE GARDEN

Join us as autumn festivities embrace a new season

[6] 2024 TRIBUTE GIFTS

[7] HEARTS & FLOWERS

Give Today to Sustain Tomorrow

[8] A LASTING IMPACT

Your legacy gift can preserve public green spaces

[10] JUMPING WORMS

How to recognize and dispose of these invasive pests

[11] GARDEN FOR ALL

Materials shed light on Indigenous history

[12] HANDMADE ARTS & CRAFTS Slow down, reconnect with nature and embrace sustainability

[14] TBG FALL RAVINE

FESTIVAL Enjoy a day of music, adventure and education

[16] AUTHOR TALKS

Meet the writers at the TBG [18] HISTORY OF GARDENING

Gardens of the Roman Empire continue to inspire [20] SUPPORT WILDLIFE

Put down your secateurs and let perennials stand tall

[24] MIGRATING

RAPTORS TBG in fall is a stopping ground for hungry hawks

[26] A GIANT RETURNS

Re-emergence of a living fossil

[30] PLANT TREES

And travel the world

[32] GOTH GARDENING

Non-traditional garden is exciting and fun

[36] 50 YEARS

High Park allotment gardens celebrate gold

[40] CASA DE MATEUS

Baroque-style winery garden captivates visitors

[44] RECIPE CORNER

Royal Spice Carrot Soup

[46] BOOK SHELF

Three informative plant reads for new and seasoned gardeners

[48] NATURE BOOKS FOR KIDS

[49] PUZZLE PIECES

[50] GOOD THINGS ARE HAPPENING

[54] DIY UPCYCLE

How to turn your Christmas Tree into a home cleaner

COVER PHOTO: BLACK HERO TULIPS BY CHLOE HURST. SEE GOTH GARDENING, PAGE 32.

TV broadcaster and weatherman

Anwar Knight and Stephanie Jutila TBG CEO at the Edwards Summer Music series.

FROM the Garden

JOIN US AS AUTUMN FESTIVITIES EMBRACE A NEW TBG SEASON

I SEE THERE are all kinds of fall activities coming up – Nuit Blanche, Fall Ravine Festival, Holiday Market to mention a few. Also, some of the articles in this issue are Nature Books for Kids and Plant Trees and Travel the World.

We are in that moment again, the transition from one season to the next. Somehow the start of school signals a shift, even if the weather is still wavering between summer days and hints of autumn. Our summer campers (all 408 of them) and our summer nature educators have all returned to their school routines as we switch back to field trip mode. And the rhythms of the botanical world change from the focus on flowers to harvesting the garden’s bounty, along with marveling at leaves and seed pods. Let this seasonal swing be a reminder to recalibrate your focus on what Mother Nature has in store to awaken your senses. To get started, you may find some inspiration in the article, Support Wildlife: Put Down Your Secateurs and Let Perennials Stand Tall. Which reminds me, there

is nothing like a weekend of autumn festivities at the Botanical Garden to embrace a new season. Be sure to mark your calendar for October 5th and the early hours of October 6th to engage in this year’s Harvest Festival and the return of Nuit Blanche.

If you are looking for some new trends for your garden, check out the article on Goth Gardening. Or maybe it is time to embrace your crafty side with the Return to Homemade Crafts.

Through it all, celebrate the change of another season and how wonderful it is to have the Toronto Botanical Garden as a place in which to experience all four seasons with your community.

All the best, Stephanie

Stephanie Jutila TBG CEO

PHOTO: BRIAN SIMON

TORONTO BOTANICAL GARDEN

NOV 22-24 AND DEC 13-15, 2024 FRI, 2 TO 6 PM / SAT & SUN 10 AM TO 4 PM

Festive Food | 60+ Local Vendors Live Music | Outdoor Firepits FREE ADMISSION

2024 TRIBUTE GIFTS TO TBG

Donations were made to Toronto Botanical Garden in the name of the following individuals. We treasure this generous support and dedication inspired by these individuals to our shared vision of nurturing a greener, more sustainable world.

In Honour of:

Marilyn Daniell

B.N. Dhanvantari

Lorraine Hunter

Yuet Wah Helen Yuen

In Memory of:

Kai Brodsky

Michèle A. Brown

June Chapman

George Dembroski

Michael Harendorf

Barbara Harrison

Vivien M. Jenkinson

Mary Kulcheski

Shelagh O’Neill

Marlene Di Raimo

Vilma Salabao

Carrie Smith

PHOTO: PEXELS

Give Today to Sustain Tomorrow

By Aleeshia Carman Grant Writer & Development Coordinator

HEARTS &FLOWERS

TORONTO BOTANICAL GARDEN’S annual Hearts & Flowers fundraising campaign is back for another year. “Hearts & Flowers brings our community together. It is a celebration of the Garden we love,” says Stephanie Jutila, CEO of Toronto Botanical Garden.

“Donate to Hearts & Flowers to support our community’s respite from city stressors” urges Stephanie. “For 365 days a year, TBG provides our diverse community with access to nature and the inspiration found in plants, wildlife, and connections to each other.”

The Garden is seeing record visitor numbers and high demand for our nature-based programs (summer camp sold out this year, with the most campers in the Garden’s history!). In 2023, our community supported the Garden with a total of 736 donations, a 40 per cent increase over the number of donations in 2022. However, the expenses of running a free-admission, four-seasons garden, with more than 325 programs, require a larger community investment to meet the increased demand for our programs and the growing costs associated with delivering them. We look forward to the community’s partnership in sustaining year-round programming for 2025 and beyond.

This year we have ambitious goals to raise $250,000 and we need your support to make it happen. “Your financial contribution to our annual campaign will propel us forward, allowing us to expand programs, excel in ornamental horticulture and warmly welcome new visitors,” expresses Stephanie. “As year-end celebrations come into

sight and Thanksgiving is around the corner, we ask that you open your hearts and reflect on the importance and value that TBG has on your life.”

Allow your donation to have a positive ripple effect on the community. Your gift can expand flagship access programs like Living Winter and enhance our indoor and outdoor plant collections. It could mean increasing events for all ages or improving the visitor, member and volunteer experience. Financial support funds everything you love at TBG.

“As the demand for our services grows, so do the associated costs. We urge you to lean in and invest in the spaces you love to visit,” says Stephanie.

For TBG to thrive, we need to increase our earned revenue. “In 2024 and beyond, we are committed to growing our philanthropic support and contributed revenue to further our mission, sustain our operations, retain top talent, enhance our gardens, foster volunteer development and care for our collections,” says Stephanie. Together, we can create an inspired plant place, a dynamic community hub and an engaging learning environment.

“Help us preserve the Garden you love today,” says Stephanie. “Let’s chat if you’re interested in taking our strategies to the next level.” Donate to the Hearts & Flowers campaign to promote community well-being and secure the future of green spaces.

impact a lasting

Your legacy gift can preserve public green spaces for future generations

By Aleeshia Carman Grant Writer and Development Coordinator

LEAVE A LASTING impact that reflects your core values by making a legacy donation to invest in Toronto’s most iconic and celebrated botanical garden. Your legacy gift represents a pledge to future generations and their connection to nature.

Today, the Garden’s endowed investments are less than one million dollars, which is not sufficient to guarantee long-term success. “Your legacy gift will help TBG grow in a sustainable manner, and remove barriers, guaranteeing everyone has access to environmental respite in Toronto,” says Stephanie Jutila, CEO of Toronto Botanical Garden. “Together, we can do the work to be an accessible, welcoming and safe green space for our diverse community.” Legacy gifts serve as a powerful example of what you can achieve for our community and the future of our local ecosystems.

“Legacy giving is the unique opportunity to invest in daily operations and strategic plans that would not otherwise be accomplished through annual budgets.” Beyond supporting TBG financially, your legacy gift says yes to today, so we can act strategically long into the future. It is a ripple effect of change, helping to sustain the organiza-

tion, care for nature and support community health and well-being. Investing in spaces like TBG guarantees respite from the busyness of city life for future generations.

Leaving a gift to Toronto Botanical Garden in your will is simple.

Talk it over with your family and loved ones, and then speak to your lawyer or tax advisor about drafting or revisiting your will or adding a codicil. There is also an option to simply leave the Garden as a beneficiary of a Life Insurance Policy or annuity. Leaving a legacy gift reduces your tax burden, but more importantly, helps to secure Toronto Botanical Garden as a public good and free city green space for generations to come.

Contact us at development@torontobotanicalgarden.ca to discuss your plans. If we are already in your will or if you named us as a beneficiary, let the TBG team know so we can include you in legacy communications and recognize your gift during your lifetime.

To learn more about legacy giving and making a planned gift please speak to a lawyer or check out WillPower (https://www.willpower.ca/for-charities-and-advisors/) for more resources about planned giving.

WHAT'S ON

Thursday, September 26, 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Making Garden Magic: Conversations with Paul Zammit and Leslie Hockley

Personal reflections and lessons learned working in public horticulture with a Q & A session.

Public $25, Members $20

Saturday, October 5, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

FALL RAVINE FESTIVAL

Discover fascinating facts about ravines and local wildlife; songtime with Pete Moss (11 a.m.) and sitewide scavenger hunt with prizes (1 to 4 p.m.) Free Admission. Food Bank donations welcome.

Saturday, October 5, 7 p.m to 7 a.m.

NUIT BLANCHE AT THE GARDEN

Toronto’s all-night, city-wide celebration of contemporary art. Onsite installations include “Finding Roots Together” by Alexandra Iorgu, Alan Colley, Black Wolf Hart and “We Are All Made of Stars” by Sarvenaz Rayati Free Admission

Sunday, October 6, 2 p.m.

TAFELMUSIK AT THE GARDEN: A MUSICAL MENAGERIE

A lighthearted romp through the fields, forests, and barnyards of baroque Europe.

Public $25, Members $23 General admission seating.

November 22 - 24 and December 13 - 15 Fri, 2 to 6 p.m., Sat & Sun 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

TBG HOLIDAY MARKET

Go green this holiday season at this eco-minded, nature-inspired, relaxed shopping experience.

60+ Local Vendors | Live Music | Festive Food Free Admission. Food Bank donations welcome.

GARDEN ISSUES

worms jumping

How to recognize and dispose of these highly invasive pests By Carol Gardner

AS IF THERE wasn’t enough to worry about, gardeners have a new concern: Asian jumping worms. They are called many things (none of them nice) in many places, but jumping worms is the most common description. They came originally from Japan and the Korean peninsula and have been introduced to North America the way that most other invasives have: through horticultural products. They have also been found in fishing bait.

It’s believed that they first came into the U.S. sometime in the 19th century, and, by 2021 they had been found in 15 states. It was only in 2014 that they were seen here in Canada, in the Windsor area. They have now been seen in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, and have been found in many spots in Ontario, including the Niagara area, Wheatley, St. Catharines, Dundas and Toronto (East York, Blythwood Ravine) and York Region.

Fifteen species have been identified in the U.S., but there are three more common ones: Amynthas spp.,

Metaphire spp., and Pheretima spp. They are just as gross as their common names indicate. When they feel threatened, they thrash around (looking as if they’re jumping) and, to escape an attacker, they can break off pieces of their tail. Unlike other worms, their skin is smooth and glossy and they can grow up to 20 cm (8 in). They have a fleshy band that goes all the way around their body. The good news is that they only live for one season; the bad news is that, before they die, they leave teeny cocoons which will, the following year, hatch. They don’t even need a mate to reproduce (and who, I ask you, would want to mate with anything so icky)?

So, what’s the difference between jumping worms and regular garden worms? Everything! As opposed to European worms, Asian Jumping worms are not good for soil or plants. They deplete organic matter, leaving the soil without nutrients and negatively affect biodiversity. They are generally found on the soil surface or a few inches down. Some scientists believe that

they can’t affect deep-rooted plants or native ferns, grasses or perennials. Others say that Jack-in-the- pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) roots deter them, but the truth is, we are just now learning much about them. One of the first garden writers to be concerned about them was the late Larry Hodgson, a good friend of the TBG.

How to avoid getting them: Don’t get any mulch, soil, potting mixes or nursery plants from areas known to be infected by jumping worms.

Before you use purchased soil or compost, place it in black garbage bags and let it ‘solarize’ under the sun for at least half a day.

If you buy or trade plants, remove all the soil right down to the roots to be certain they’re not infected.

Clean off your shoes after walking in parks or wooded areas.

What to do if you find one: Pull yourself together. This suggestion is for me, because I know I won’t handle the situation as calmly as I would like.

Take a picture and report it to the Invasive Species Centre (www. reportcanadainvasives.ca) Citizen reporting is a big part of the effort to monitor, research and control them. Kill them immediately. Using isopropyl alcohol will kill them in seconds or you can put them in sealed plastic bags and leave them in the sun. Then dispose of them. Whatever you do, don’t compost them or leave them in the soil just in case they revive. A mustard solution of cup of dried mustard seed with a gallon of water sprinkled on the area should drive them away, but make sure they don’t escape completely.

Well, this isn’t a nice topic, but it is an important one. Should these things proliferate, they could do untold damage to agriculture as well as to our forests and woodlands, so don’t forget to report them if you see them. As to eliminating them, know that it falls into the category of justifiable homicide.

GARDEN FOR ALL

Educational materials shed light on Indigenous history

By Robin Rakowsky Former Manager of Library Services and Rosie Agro Assistant Retail Manager

AS WE BEGIN the Back-toSchool season, for children and adults, the Canadian education system provides students with opportunities to learn about our nation’s history – both tragic and celebratory.

National Truth and Reconciliation Day and Orange Shirt Day are both held on September 30 each year. National Truth and Reconciliation Day honours the children who never returned home and survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. Public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital component of the reconciliation process. Orange Shirt Day is an Indigenousled grassroots commemorative day intended to raise awareness of the individual, family and community inter-generational impacts of residential schools, and to promote the concept of ‘Every Child Matters’. The orange shirt is a symbol of the stripping away of culture, freedom, and self-esteem experienced by Indigenous children over generations (source: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation - Canada.ca).

Residential schools tried to strip away the knowledge and history of Indigenous culture, but they failed. Now, we celebrate this day to acknowledge the suffering caused by these schools and to continue to learn about the effects. But, more importantly, it is a day to remember the stories and the culture that was almost taken away.

The Toronto Botanical Garden (TBG) supports this day of awareness and learning with educational materials in both the library and the Garden shop.

The Weston Family Library offers a wonderful reference resource from which to learn. In the Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada, a four-volume set, you will find outstanding reference maps of Indigenous Canada, as well as a section devoted to Truth and Reconciliation, including detailed pages on many aspects of the topic with contemporary and historical photographs, maps, and more. (call number: REF E78.C2 Can 2018 v. 1, 2, 3, 4)

The Garden shop supports National Truth and Reconciliation Day and Orange Shirt Day with the following children’s story books written by Alan Syliboy.

• Kaqtukowa’tekete’w (The Thundermaker)

• Wolverine and Little Thunder

• Mi’kmaw Waisisk (Mi’kmaw Animals)

• Mi’kmaw Daily Drum

Storytelling is important not just for preservation of cultural identity and sharing our knowledge with the next generation, but it also creates crosscultural understanding. By learning from one another and sharing stories, we can better understand the world around us. Through these stories, we learn more than just the tales but the history that goes along with them.

Alan Syliboy, and his works, are a fitting example of how we can learn through stories. One of his works, Kaqtukowa’tekete’w (The Thundermaker), tells the tale of Little Thunder, who as he grows, learns about his Mi’kmaw identity through his father’s teachings and his mother’s stories. The reader also learns about the Mi’kmaw stories and language as Syliboy includes both the English and Mi’kmaw languages in his works. By writing in both English and Mi’kmaw in his book, Kaqtukowa’tekete’w, Syliboy is allowing his culture and language to live on through the next generation. By sharing stories, just as Little Thunder’s family does, we can learn, grow, and be more aware and in touch with the world around us.

As National Truth and Reconciliation Day takes place, we can take the time to read, learn from, and listen to stories of Indigenous culture to create a world of better understanding.

The TBG is working towards continued efforts to become a garden for all and to amplify voices of diverse communities—find more articles in this section in upcoming editions of Trellis magazine.

HANDMADE ARTS & CRAFTS LEARNING

A pathway to slow down, reconnect with nature and embrace sustainability

By Natalie Harder Director of Learning

Walk through the Toronto Botanical Garden on any given day and you might think you stepped back in time. You might find a group drying flowers with which to decorate cards, creating their own macrame plant hangers, creating embroidered patches to repair clothing or even going back to before the age of digital photography through cyanotype printmaking.

Amidst discussions of screens dominating our lives, there’s a growing movement towards reviving handmade arts and skills, reflecting a broader cultural shift that values maintaining crafting tra-

ditions supportive of sustainable living. As artist Alan Li notes, “the online world has taken over so much of our lives, many people are realizing they need to have a creative outlet grounded in reality,”. In addition to more traditional art programs such as printmaking, sketching and painting, Alan has noticed participants are craving workshops in traditional techniques such as cyanotype printing. This early photographic technique uses sunlight to create blueprints. Using natural materials like leaves and flowers, participants can produce unique, one-of-a-kind images.

Handmade arts and crafts also provide opportunities to learn sustainable skills, another important factor for many participants. One notable example is the practice of making ink from black walnuts. At the Toronto Botanical Garden, artist Alan Li will offer classes using ink made using this traditional method. By sourcing materials directly from the Garden, Alan makes ink that reduces reliance on commercially produced products. This method not only fosters a deeper connection with nature but also emphasizes sustainability by minimizing the environmental impact

Drawings are done with ink made from black walnuts.

Cyano prints use sunlight to create blueprints.

“ MANY PEOPLE ARE DISCOVERING THE IMMENSE SATISFACTION THAT COMES WITH CREATING ART BY HAND. HANDMADE ART IS NOT ABOUT PERFECTION; THE CREATIVE PROCESS, COMPLETE WITH HAPPY ACCIDENTS AND UNEXPECTED TWISTS, IS THE REAL REWARD.” — Alan Li

associated with transporting goods over long distances.

Embroidery is another practical skill that aligns with the principles of sustainability by promoting the repair and reuse of textiles. Amanda McCavour, an artist known for her large-scale art using traditional embroidery techniques, has exhibited at the TBG and led several classes that bring artistry to this sustainable skill. Botanical embroidery involves stitching designs inspired by plants and flowers onto fabric as a way to mend or embellish clothing. Amanda highlights native plant species in her

workshops allowing participants to showcase their beauty.

Flower pressing, a time-honored technique, involves preserving flowers by flattening and drying them. This practice allows individuals to create lasting mementos from the natural world, offering a slow, meditative alternative to the fast-paced digital environment. Dedicated volunteers at the Toronto Botanical Garden take these beautiful remnants from the garden to sell on cards in the garden shop creating opportunities for visitors to take a piece of the garden home.

The revival of handmade arts at the

TBG speaks volumes about a growing desire for meaningful engagement with the physical world. It’s a countermovement to the pervasive influence of technology, providing a pathway to slow down, reconnect with nature, and embrace sustainability. Alan Li encapsulates this sentiment: “Many people are discovering the immense satisfaction that comes with creating art by hand. Handmade art is not about perfection; the creative process, complete with happy accidents and unexpected twists, is the real reward. It’s about slowing down and finding joy in the process.”

Embroidery is a sustainable skill.

Botanical embroidery features plant-inspired designs.

TBG Fall Ravine Festival

Enjoy a day of music, adventure and education

JOIN US for the Fall Ravine Festival, an exciting day of fun and learning set against the beautiful backdrop of the Toronto Botanical Garden and its surrounding natural spaces. Discover fascinating facts about ravines, local wildlife and how you can contribute to the preservation of Toronto’s ravine systems.

This is a fantastic opportunity for families to get hands-on with nature and environmental stewardship.

Whether you’re a nature enthusiast or looking for a fun family outing, the Ravine Festival has something for everyone.

Admission: Free Parking: Paid parking is available at the Toronto Botanical Garden

For more information and updates, visit our website or follow us on social media. We look forward to seeing you there.

Saturday, October 5th

11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Toronto Botanical Garden 777 Lawrence Ave E Toronto, ON

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

Interactive Song Time with Pete Moss

(Registration required)

11 a.m. to noon

Head over to the Weston Family Library for a delightful interactive music session with musician Pete Moss. Sing, dance, and enjoy a dynamic experience designed to entertain and engage young and old alike.

Site-Wide Scavenger Hunt

1 to 4 p.m.

Embark on an exciting scavenger hunt across the Toronto Botanical Garden, Wilket Creek Ravine and the nearby

TBG Teaching Garden. Pick up your passport at the Toronto Botanical Garden and set off on a journey throughout the gardens, forests and alongside the ravine. Complete a series of activities organized by our fantastic partners, and return your passport to the centre to claim your special prize!

Fall Ravine Festival Partners

Pete Moss, Jacob Rodenburg, Toronto Public Library (TPL) Oliver Couto, The Bee Shop, Human Nature Projects Ontario, Alan Li, North York Harvest Food Bank, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA).

PHOTO: JUNE ANDERSON

• WITH ACTIVITIES FROM OUR FANTASTIC PARTNERS •

Alan Li is an artist focused on nature. He teaches outdoor nature sketching workshops in the ravines at High Park, Toronto Botanical Garden and Riverwood Park in Mississauga. Alan was a past speaker at the TBG Ravine Symposium and more recently he’s teamed up with the Canadian Wildlife Federation to talk about nature sketching with people from across Canada. www.alanlidrawings. com. Alan will guide participants through an onsite printmaking experience during the Ravine Festival.

Jacob Rodenburg is an awardwinning author and nature educator. He will share tips for engaging children by showcasing some fun, tried and true games and activities that get children moving and imagining and share resources that have been useful in his more than 35 years of teaching outdoor education. Kids will only be moved to protect the environment and a nature-rich future if they are given a chance first to fully, deeply and compassionately connect to the natural world. Jacob will show ways to begin this journey.

North York Harvest relies on donations to help 25,000 community members meet their food needs each month. Thanks to strong partnerships with community gardens and local farms North York Harvest is able to provide fresh food and produce. Toronto Botanical Garden provides produce from the TBG Teaching Garden to Oriole Community Food Space over the summer months, helping to ensure that fresh food is a part of emergency food hampers. North York Harvest will be on site to receive harvest. Participants are encouraged to bring additional food donations from their own gardens or pantry staples to help support this initiative.

Pete Moss , musician, whose albums include Birds Rock and Plants Rock, will connect with local nature through songs, stories and movement. Children, families and caregivers will actively participate in songs and stories about local plants, birds, wildlife and weather. Celebrate nature through learning bird calls, how to identify common plants and animal tracks and how to move like local creatures through song.

Human Nature Projects (HNP) Ontario is a federally registered, youth-led, non-profit organization seeking to raise awareness for current environmental issues. Its goal is to drive environmental change in Ontario and help educate Ontarians about pressing environmental concerns through numerous events and initiatives ranging from planting trees, removing invasive species, clean-ups and hosting expert-led informative panels for youth all across the world.

AUTHOR TALKS

Meet the writers in the Weston Family Library

The Nature of Our Cities On June 25, Toronto Botanical Garden’s Weston Family Library celebrated the release of Dr. Nadina Galle’s debut book, The Nature of Our Cities: Harnessing the Power of the Natural World to Survive a Changing Planet.

Now available in the library, this book is a stirring exploration of how innovators worldwide are merging urban nature with cutting-edge technologies to safeguard our cities from the impacts of climate change and promote the well-being of their inhabitants. Nadina shared excerpts from her book, followed by a thought-provoking conversation about its themes and implications. The talk allowed for a Q&A from the audience and a book sale and signing by Nadina.

The talk’s purpose was to explore how urban nature can enrich our communities and common future. Dr. Nadina Galle is a Dutch Canadian ecological engineer, TEDx & keynote speaker, podcaster and author.

Hunters in Paradise

Lorraine Hunter and Janice Hunter Winton will launch their new book, Hunters in Paradise: Tales of a Nassau Childhood on Saturday, October 20 from 2:30 to 4 p.m. Join us in celebrating the release of the book, a collection of short stories by sisters Lorraine and Janice plus an additional tale by their father, the late Eric Hunter. Lorraine is the editor of Trellis and Janice, a former TBG board member, retired as Vice President Administration and Finance, Toronto Metropolitan University.

The Newfoundland Lunch Party Former  Toronto Star gardening columnist Sonia Day returns on Thursday, September 12 from 2 to 4 p.m. with a new novel,  The Newfoundland Lunch Party, A Sisters of the Soil Novel with Recipes is a follow-up to  The Mexico Lunch Party, which she launched at the TBG in September 2022. This time, her Sisters of the Soil, all passionate gardeners, meet up for fun times and good food in Newfoundland, where they make an extraordinary discovery. Join Sonia for an entertaining afternoon. She’ll talk about what inspired her to write the story and promises to bring along samples of an authentic Newfoundland sweet treat for everyone to enjoy. Copies of the book will be on sale afterwards by cash or cheques only, please.

MORE DETAILS OF THESE UPCOMING TALKS CAN BE FOUND ON THE TBG

WEBSITE.

Hunters in Paradise

With humor and selective memories, their book chronicles life on a tropical island in the late 1950s and early 60s including adjusting to living in a hot climate, meeting the neighbours, family history, race relations, tropical plants and fruit, and some of their favourite recipes. Stories and music to be shared with a book sale and signing to follow. Light refreshments to be served.

HISTORY OF GARDENING

Gardens of the Roman Empire continue to inspire gardeners everywhere

By Lee Robbins

FROM THE earliest times, a garden was considered an important part of the Roman family home. Early Roman gardens were essentially kitchen gardens, known as a hortus, usually at the back of the house, and had a practical function such as growing vegetables and herbs for the household.

Early in the empire, Roman home architecture developed, especially in wealthier homes, and the practical function of the hortus garden for food production evolved into a more ornamental peristyle courtyard design, with stone or concrete columns forming an integral part of and defining the space.

Gardens became integral to the architecture and design of the home and formed part of the living space of the family.

Open peristyle courts were designed to connect homes to the outdoors. A pictorial frame of screen walls and pillars would have integrated these landscapes into the fabric of the house and thereby contributed to the deliberate blurring of the inside and the out-of-doors that came to characterize Roman domestic architecture. To the Romans the peristyle was a mini paradise—a garden court that was surrounded by a covered colonnade walkway.

OPEN PERISTYLE COURTS WERE DESIGNED TO CONNECT HOMES TO THE OUTDOORS, AS SHOWN IN SOME OF THESE ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS

This is a classic example of a peristyle garden.

The courtyard might contain flowers and shrubs, fountains, benches, sculptures and even fish ponds. Romans viewed water not only as a necessity of life, but also as a thing of beauty so water features were displayed prominently. Fountains and birdbaths became central features in many gardens which enlivened and softened the straight lines and geometric shapes. Many of the larger Pompeiian homes had beautiful fountain statuettes and elaborate jet systems in ponds and pools.

Many Roman homes had mosaics and frescoes depicting beautiful garden images such as birdbath and fruit tree frescoes.

Many Roman homes had mosaics and frescoes depicting beautiful garden images such as the birdbath and fruit tree frescoes shown here in Garden Fresco in the Oplontis Villa Poppaea.

Modern techniques combining archaeology, botany and chemistry have investigated the remains of plant material recovered from ancient Roman sites and helped identify and distinguish between the uses of plants for food, medicine and ornamentation. Common tree varieties found in Roman gardens included the

ubiquitous olive, pine and cypress as well as imported citrus trees. Flowers included roses, lilies and irises and many other common varieties found in gardens across the GTA today.

A lot of what we know about Roman gardens is from the writings of Pliny the Younger, a magistrate of Ancient Rome in the first century. He described the elaborate figures of animals and obelisks formed from cypress trees and boxwoods in his Tuscan villa. Topiaries were first introduced into Roman gardens around this time and became a predominant artful pruning style, taking on very elaborate forms.

The Mediterranean climate, trade and slave labour all made for the creation of these beautiful gardens. The Roman garden style continued to be applied in the Middle Ages, in the cloisters of colleges and monasteries, and its influence continues to this day. The ancient gardens of Rome still inspire gardeners everywhere and add old-world charm to contemporary landscapes. Many classical features are found in today’s gardens and landscapes paying homage to those ancient stylized Roman gardens.

Flowers included roses, lilies and irises as shown in this fresco from Pompeii

From the Library

◗ Ancient Roman Gardens by Linda Farrar

SB458.55. Far 1998

◗ Italian Gardens by Georgina Masson

SB466I8 Mas 1987

◗ Roman Gardens: Villas of the Countryside by Marcello Fagiolo

SB466I8 Fag 1997

Garden Fresco, Livia’s Villa, Rome

S U P P O R T

WILDLIFE

Put Down Your Secateurs and Let Perennials Stand Tall

By Rose Roberts

IN THE FRENZY of fall’s garden clean-up in preparation for the cold months ahead, it’s easy to forget that although the winter garden may be dormant, it’s still filled with life just waiting to emerge in spring. For more than a decade, ecological gardening experts, backed by science, have been encouraging us to change some of our practices to better support our ecosystems. Even the poets chime in with reminders “…Perhaps the earth can teach us/as when everything seems dead in winter/and later proves to be alive.” 1 And teach us it does.

That’s why this fall I’m putting down my secateurs and letting perennials and ornamental grasses stand tall.

I’m not alone. Walking through my Toronto neighbourhood last winter, I saw swathes of strongstemmed plants that persisted into spring: black-eyed Susan, hyssop, bugbane, false indigo, blazing star, Japanese anemone, coneflower, sedum and Japanese Forest grass, to name a few.

To be clear, there are many essential fall tasks on the to-do list. For example, I will still cut back or dispose of specific plants, especially if they’re infected or diseased. You’ll find detailed information at https://www.torontomaster gardeners.ca/gardeningguides/putting-the-garden-to-bed.

1 3 4 5

A NEW AESTHETIC

I KNOW. After years of habitually cutting plants down to the ground, the thought of letting them stand conjures up the picture of a messy garden filled with brown dead stuff. But we can change that picture. It starts by changing our mindset. More of us are rethinking how and why we garden. More of us are leaning into a new aesthetic –one in which beauty and biodiversity coexist.

It’s true that compared to summer’s flourish and fall’s show of colours, winter’s palette is quiet. Its beauty is shaped by skeletal silhouettes and crinkled textures in hues of copper and gold, silver and tan, bronze and bone. Some plants bow slightly under the burden of snow, others shimmer in winter’s light, and drifts of seed heads wearing their winter toques enchant us with their visual appeal. But beauty is only one part of the equation.

WHY WE DO IT

SOMETIMES, WHAT we don’t do in the garden is as valuable as what we do. Not cutting back plants in fall is one more way to help preserve and protect our ecosystems. In fact, a recent Canadian study shows that our collective effort as home gardeners plays as important a role in supporting biodiversity as larger but fewer patches.2

Pollinators and other wildlife rely on our gardens for food and shelter as much in winter as in any other season. Seed heads dense one day are naked the next, having been visited by seed-eating goldfinches, juncos, sparrows and blue jays. There are places where insects rest and nest during the cold months – underground, in the exposed soil between clumps of ornamental grasses, in nooks and crannies of old logs, in hollow stems and in the blessed mess of leaves left where they fall.3

Creating a beautiful and purposeful winter garden involves some deliberate choices: right plant, right place; focusing on texture and structure rather than flower colour alone; adjusting our maintenance practices to match the ever-growing scientific information about

gardens as havens for wildlife. And while it means a little more to do in the spring, the benefits are worth it.

In search of inspiration, I headed off to the Toronto Botanical Garden (TBG) to meet with Leslie Hockley, Toronto Botanical Garden Lead Horticulturist.

On a windy day in late winter, we walked to various areas of the TBG discussing the value of leaving plants standing. Leslie summarized the key benefits, saying, “We’re providing food, shelter and nesting sites for beneficial insects – all during a time when these resources are scarce.” She added that given last year’s mild winter, leaving stems and tops to collect leaves and snow also provided needed insulation and moisture.

Naturally, letting plants stand in the fall begs the question, “When do I cut them back?” Some experts say “Never!” Others recommend deadheading plants selectively but leaving the stems for the insects they protect.4 At the TBG they do selective deadheading, otherwise plants are left alone through winter. Leslie noted, “The general advice is to wait until late spring when the weather is consistently between 10-15°C or when the risk of hard frost is gone. In the Toronto area that can be as late as mid-May.”

SENESCENCE

BEFORE LEAVING the TBG, I took another walk along the Entry Garden to take in the details of this poetic landscape. Even in senescence – the process of deteriorating with age, including decay and death – these plants stood tall, reminding me of seasons past and those to come, echoing the refrain, “…everything seems dead in winter/and later proves to be alive.”

PERENNIALS

Here’s a sampling of plants that add beauty to the winter garden while supporting wildlife. To dig deeper into areas we’ve touched on, visit the Learn More section at the end of the article. 7 8

Giant Purple Hyssop (Agastache scrophulariifolia) is a bee magnet. And that’s not just marketing hype. Its longblooming, bluish-purple bottlebrush flowers are nectar-rich. In my own garden, the number of bees clustering around this plant at once was astonishing. Butterflies were also frequent visitors. The seed heads provide food for small birds and its square stems (characteristic of the mint family) shelter overwintering cavity-dwelling pollinators. This fast grower — up to 2 m (6 ft) tall — maintained its branching structure into late spring when I cut it back.

Zigzag Goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis) is one of about 30 species of goldenrods in Ontario. Goldenrods are keystone plants, which, as defined by the National Wildlife Federation, are “natives that are essential to our ecosystems because they support 90 per cent of the caterpillar species that enable our terrestrial birds to reproduce, as well as all of our specialist native bee species”. Astounding! Its fragrant, yellow flower spikes bloom in late summer and are a food source for pollinators like bumblebee queens. It grows in part to dappled shade and, at about 1m (3 ft) tall, it’s a good choice for small gardens.

Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ (Hylotelephium spectabile ‘Autumn Joy’), sometimes listed as H. ‘Herbstfreude’, is a late-season bloomer and a source of pollen and nectar for bees, hummingbirds and butterflies. The upright, typically 60 cm (2 ft) tall, blue-green foliage is topped with clustered buds that resemble broccoli (really!). In mid to late summer, the green buds open into domed flowerheads that start pink, turn a deep rose and, by fall, are mahogany. These hard-working plants provide form, colour and texture right through winter.

New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) is only one of 32 aster species in Ontario. From late August to October – or longer – this native plant produces a multitude of pink to purple flowers with bright orange-yellow centres. Visited by a variety of butterflies and bees, it’s an important nectar source for migrating Monarchs. It’s also a larval host plant for other butterfly and moth species. The plant’s sculptural branching and height – between 1-2 m (3-6 ft) tall – add interest to the winter garden.

Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), commonly called beebalm, is an Ontario native clumping plant that grows in full sun to partial shade and is 60-120 cm (2-4 ft) tall. Its fragrant lavender flowers atop rigid stems bloom from June to September. They’re a food source for a variety of pollinators, including bees, wasps, hummingbirds, butterflies and moths. The round seed heads provide late-season food for birds and are especially striking when grown in drifts. For bolder blooms try M. didyma ‘Jacob Cline’ Scarlet Beebalm. For a more compact version, consider M. bradburiana, Eastern Beebalm.

ORNAMENTAL GRASSES

Northern Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) is a North American native grass especially popular for shade gardens. It’s an important larval host for various skipper butterflies, including Pepper and Salt skipper. Its seeds provide food for small animals and birds. Birds also use the leaves as nesting material. This clumping grass is typically 60-90 cm (2-3 ft) tall and is known for its oat-like drooping seed heads which hang gracefully from gently arching stems. Its bluegreen leaves turn deep yellow in fall and purplish bronze in winter. It adds beautiful texture and movement to the winter garden, but self-seeds so keep an eye on it.

Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa macra) is a striking, low-maintenance, four-season ornamental grass that enjoys moist, shady conditions. Its dense, arching bamboo-like green foliage provides shelter to beneficial insects like spiders, which prey on pests that can harm other plants. It also offers shelter to ground-nesting solitary bees. At about 25-45 cm (10-18 in) tall, it adds wonderful texture, movement and colour as fall’s golden hues fade to tan. Two cultivars which I grow and leave through winter: ‘All Gold’ and ‘Aureola’.

Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) is a compact, sun-loving native plant that has an upright growth habit and provides four-season interest. Its slender blue-green stems turn coppery red in the fall and persist through winter. It’s a larval host for a variety of skipper butterflies. Its seeds are eaten by birds, and they use its leaves as nesting material. According to the Xerces Society, female bumblebee queens nest at its base where they’re protected until emerging in spring. The variety ‘Standing Ovation’ is known for a superior upright habit.

LEARN MORE

1. Keeping Quiet, a poem by Chilean poet Pablo Neruda (1904-1973); translated by Alastair Reid. https://bu.edu/ quantum/zen/readings/keepingQuietNeruda.html

2. https://research.carleton.ca/story/ carletons-highly-cited-researcher

3. https://www.xerces.org/leave-the-leaves

4. https://sites.tufts.edu/pollinators/2021/04/the-rightway-to-leave-stems and https://xerces.org/publications/ brochures/save-the-stems

6. Sedum in late winter 7. New England Aster 8. Great Purple Hyssop 9. Wild Bergamot 10. Goldenrod 11. Japanese Forest Grass 12. Little Bluestem Grass and Coneflowers 13. Tufted Hair Grass

MIGRATING RAPTORS

TBG

in fall is a stopping ground for hungry hawks

By Sasan Beni Seasonal Horticulturist

AS A HORTICULTURIST,

I’m often looking down at the ground, at the emergence of new life in the earth. As a birdwatcher, my eyes are usually up in the canopy, or chasing silhouettes in flight across the sky.

Every season has its own cast of characters, down below and up above — species that become more prominent in the garden — an ever-changing sequence of blooms and birds.

For me, autumn belongs to the likes of goldenrods and asters; it resides on the wings of migrating raptors.

Every year, birds of prey make their way south in great numbers, starting in late August and lasting till winter, with the peak happening in September and October. There are several sites in and around Toronto to catch a glimpse of this spectacle — vultures, eagles, ospreys, hawks and falcons, filling the sky by the hundreds. (High Park, Rosetta McClain Gardens and Cranberry Marsh in Whitby to name a few.)

Our very own TBG is an ideal stopping ground for a few hungry hawks, expanding their territory in the fall,

and I want to share a little bit about two common species you may encounter on your next visit to the garden.

Red-tailed Hawk

( Buteo jamaicensis )

This is the most common hawk in North America. I’m sure we have all observed them at some point, circling over the Don Valley, or perched on a light post along the side of the road. Red-tailed hawks hunt in open areas and are built for effortless soaring above fields, meadows and woodlands. In flight, they are easily recognized by their short reddish-brown tail, an attribute that takes a few years to develop, and their belly band of brown feathers. Juveniles have brown tails with dark bars. Similarly, a red-tailed hawk’s eye colour is also an indicator of its age. Mature hawks have dark brown eyes, almost black, while the juveniles have yellow eyes.

On sunny days, they climb the thermals, soar in circles over the Garden and their iconic raspy scream pierces the air. If you’re lucky, you might see

a red-tailed hawk perched on a light post in the parking lot at TBG, eyes fixed to the ground, watching for movement in the garden.

Even though they are one of the largest birds in North America, redtailed hawks weigh only three to four pounds. They have a varied diet, but primarily feed on small mammals like voles, mice and squirrels.

Here in southern Ontario, our redtailed hawks are generally year-round residents. The northern populations will join them in the fall and winter, making it an ideal time to view these magnificent raptors up-close.

Cooper’s Hawk ( Accipiter cooperii )

These forest-dwelling hawks are much smaller than their red-tailed counterparts — about the size of a crow. And as it goes with almost all raptors, females are larger than males. Male Cooper’s Hawks are one third the size of their mates.

They have a flap-flap-glide pattern in flight and hunt by stealth in dense

PHOTOS: SASAN BENI

WHAT BIRDS HAVE YOU SEEN FLYING BY?

tree cover, unlike the Red-tailed Hawks that survey the land from an open perch. Cooper’s Hawks will hunt a wide variety of species, but the majority of their diet consists of medium-sized birds, making them unique in the world of hawks.

In recent years, these agile raptors have become increasingly common in urban areas and will frequent a backyard bird feeder, often leaving behind a gruesome pile of feathers. Most people aren’t like me and don’t rejoice at sights like these. So, if you do have a bird feeder that’s caught the attention of a Cooper’s Hawk, take it down for a few days and the hawk will move on.

My colleagues and I have seen many juvenile Cooper’s Hawks hunting in the Garden, essentially a very large bird feeder. You can identify Cooper’s Hawks by their blocky head and long, rounded tail. Juveniles are brown with tear drop markings on their chest and yellow eyes. They will transition to a bluish-grey with reddish-orange chest and piercing orange eyes as they mature.

As I write this, I can hear a Blackcapped Chickadee sounding the alarm — chick a-dee-dee-dee dee-dee-dee! There’s a danger nearby…

More often than not, the prey lets you know that a predator is around. They alert the forest with repeated frantic notes, or by mobbing the raptor and blowing up its spot until it moves on.

Cooper’s Hawk hunts by stealth in dense tree cover. Top: Redtailed Hawk in flight

a giant

PHOTOS: SASAN BENI, HENRY LEE HEINONEN

returns

Re-emergence of a living fossil

By Henry Lee Heinonen

IF YOU’VE WALKED through Edwards Gardens, you may have noticed a large coniferous tree in The Greensward (the lawn) with feathery green foliage, reddish knurled bark and flared roots at its base.

Dawn redwood tree in Edwards Gardens

THE TREE WAS FIRST DISCOVERED IN FOSSILIZED FORM, BY JAPANESE PALEOBOTANIST SHIGERU MIKI, IN 1941

If you saw this tree in the fall, you might have seen its leaves turning a bright orange before falling. You might have seen its cones, which start as soft green marble-like spheres that split open in neat, symmetrical seams as they mature. This is Metasequoia glyptostroboides, commonly known as the dawn redwood, a deciduous conifer, and my absolute favourite tree species.

My interest in the tree started during the pandemic when I went on a trip to the Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton with my mum, a landscape architect who pointed out one of the trees to me and told me it was a “living fossil”.

The tree was first discovered in fossilized form, by Japanese paleobotanist Shigeru Miki, in 1941. In 1946, a living specimen was described in Hubei province, China, by botanists Hu Xiansu and Cheng Wan Chun. By 1947, a cooperative effort between Chinese scientists and the Arnold Arboretum at Harvard University secured seed

samples of the tree, which were then distributed worldwide. Academic and public interest in the tree were (and are) in part due to its status as a “living fossil,” a term referring to the lack of change between its current and prehistoric morphology. As with Ginkgo biloba, another popular “living fossil”, scientists and laypeople can imagine metasequoia, as we see it today, coexisting with dinosaurs and all sorts of prehistoric megafauna.

Since Miki’s 1941 discovery, fossils of metasequoia have been discovered in North America, Central Asia and even the Arctic Circle, showing us that the small valleys of central China where it is now endemic represent only a tiny fraction of its former natural range. Today, the tree once again spans the globe, albeit in gardens and parks rather than forests.

Doing some research online last year, I learned that the tree in Hubei discovered by Hu and Cheng, known

Dawn redwood foliage

IN 1946, A LIVING SPECIMEN WAS DESCRIBED IN HUBEI PROVINCE, CHINA, BY BOTANISTS HU XIANSU AND CHENG WAN CHUN.

as Specimen 0001, still stands, as does the small village around it. So, this past winter while visiting the half of my family who live in Hong Kong, I made a short excursion into mainland China. With two friends, I started in Chongqing, a municipality with a population of over 32 million people, then took a high-speed train to Lichuan, a city around the size of Hamilton (and thus absolutely tiny by Chinese standards), and from there we hired a car to get us to Moudao village.

I stared in awe at the tree, the first one found. The tree is giant and gnarled, somewhere between 400 and 600 years old. It is revered by local villagers who place small offerings at its base and adorn its trunk with Chinese New Year decorations. This is where the story began, and the story continues today, in the Royal Botanical Gardens of Hamilton, in Arnold Arboretum at Harvard University and in Edwards Gardens and Toronto’s Music Garden.

Back in Toronto, I’ve collected seeds on metasequoia cones in several Toronto parks (the best time to do this is around November, once the cones start to dry and open up, though I’ve had luck collecting them as late as February). Germination is difficult, but once the seedlings get their first true leaves, they’re quite tough.

I now have several two-year-old specimens growing out in a property in Newcastle, Ontario, and from a recent visit I saw that they’re growing quickly in their new home.

Henry Lee Heinonen is a landscaper and ethnographer based in Toronto. He is a Toronto Master Gardener in Training completing his required coursework at the University of Guelph.

Dawn redwood

Dawn redwood Specimen 0001 in Hubei, China

PLANT TREES AND TRAVEL THE WORLD

by Sasan Beni Seasonal Horticulturist

Every time you plant a tree, it sends you on a journey. More often than not, to places you’ve never been, and sometimes, back into your mother’s arms; and a childhood you thought was forgotten...

A Sweetbay magnolia (Magnolia virginiana) we planted in the Garden took me to the outskirts of swamps in eastern United States. The intoxicating fragrance of its creamy-white, sporadic blooms, brought me closer to the eastern tiger swallowtail; who lays her eggs on this plant.

When we planted the Amur maackia (Maackia amurensis) in the Arrival Courtyard, I travelled for the night to northeastern China, and took in the view from those barren outcrops where not much can grow and all species are renowned for their resilience...

And when I met the young Persian ironwood (Parrotia persica), native to Iran, just like me, I wasn’t ready for a trip back home...even in daydream form I knew that I’d have to make several stops to see my relatives; and explain to them why it had been almost 15 years since my last visit. And I would have to introduce my new-found companion—the tree that brought me to them—whose name I didn’t even know in Persian. Who the hell was this tree? Were we strangers to begin with?

For a week or two after planting, I paid daily visits to the Parrotia in the Garden Hall Courtyard. I spent

half an hour every morning combing through my tangles of memory and fragmented childhood in Iran, looking for any trees that were still standing and might have played a role in the distant theater of my upbringing.

Persian ironwood, a predominantly northern species; found in the Alborz Mountains, is a small, deciduous tree, or multi-stemmed shrub, and member of the witch hazel family (Hamamelidaceae). My early years in Iran were spent far from the Caspian Sea and the picturesque greenery of the north.

I found my footing in the Zagros Mountains, in central Iran in a small town called Shahr-e-kord – a steppe ecosystem, famed for its altitude and often referred to as the rooftop of Iran. I remember gatherings of olive trees, the sheens of their silver foliage like puddles of frost in the foothills of drought-stricken mountains; crown imperials, saffron crocus and Schrenk’s tulips taking turns lighting up the hillsides. I remember walking through orchards of pomegranate and walnut, mulberry and almond.

Persian Ironwood Tree

Its showy performance lies in bark and foliage. New leaves emerge purple in the spring and transition to green.

The young Persian ironwood took to its spot in the Garden Hall Courtyard, and I was dizzy with nostalgia. It grew about 25 cm (10 in) in its first six months and a few of us gardeners were concerned that a sudden cold snap in the fall might shock the young tree. This cultivar P. ‘J.L. Columnar’ has a narrow oval form growing about 7.6 m (25 ft) high and 3 m (10 ft) wide. Flowers emerge in late winter to early spring, with no petals and hard to notice...not an attribute for which it is prized. Its showy performance lies in bark and foliage. New leaves emerge purple in the spring and transition to green. Some of the leaves have a hard time doing so and persist into autumn with purple margins like birthmarks, and then burst into a thousand and one shades of orange, yellow, crimson and red.

The bark of our young ironwood is smooth and grey, but will change dramatically as the tree matures. Every winter it will crack and peel to reveal a new mosaic of green, tan and silver—similar to how our memories move within us as we age. I was thankful for the nostalgic journey, and hoped that Parrotia and I would meet back home one day in the Alborz Mountains.

When people ask me what I do for a living, I often joke: I plant trees and travel the world.

Top: Autumn foliage bursts into shades of orange, yellow, crimson and red. Right: The bark of the Persian Ironwood will crack and peel every winter to reveal a new mosaic of colours.

Dark flora and pops of green make this non-traditional garden exciting and fun

By Aleeshia Carman Grant Writer & Development Coordinator

GROWING UP, Chloe Hurst admired her mom’s green thumb and ability to spend hours in the garden making magic happen. However, living in apartments made it a little difficult to continue in her footsteps. And, when Chloe bought her first house, she realized how much she missed getting her hands dirty. “I forgot how much I loved gardening,” she says. “I started digging holes and then spiraled when my friend, who owns a nursery, introduced me to the Black Mamba Petunia.”

An exciting journey awaits.

Chloe’s Carleton Place, ON garden soon took shape, filled with dark flora and pops of green. “I never realized just how many of these plants existed until I started looking for them,” she says. Her garden is not only cool

BLACK HERO TULIPS

NIGHT EMBERS SEDUM

and creative but proof that your natural spaces can take the shape of your interests and vision.

To start a goth garden, Chloe suggests keeping a close eye out for dark plants that are sprinkled throughout nurseries and big box garden centres such as Home Depot or Canadian Tire. For online shoppers, Chloe recommends starting at Veseys. “Look for plants with closed buds”, she says. “They last longer.”

Finding your ideal plants is one challenge and keeping them alive is another. Combat future plant crises caused by incompatible climates by getting to know your zones. Beginners can plan their gardens better by knowing the difference between perennials and annuals, which will help them predict the appearance of their garden throughout the year, says Chloe. Use nutrient-dense soil to give your plants the nourishment they crave, she says. And, when it comes to indoor gardening, Chloe’s advice is simple: “Don’t feel bad if you kill a houseplant, everyone does it.”

Get to Know Local Nurseries

When in doubt, have fun and don’t take it too seriously. Curating such a unique collection takes time. That’s why it’s important to get to know your local plant people.

“A few nurseries in my area have become my plant dealers,” she says with a chuckle. They are a great resource and let her know when dark plants like Black Mondo Grass, Black Petunias and Arabian Night Calla Lilies (Chloe’s favourites) become available.

Chloe turned her passion for goth gardening into a social media sensation, sharing her journey on her Instagram page @theg0thgarden and inspiring others to create their own. “I had no idea so many people would be excited about goth gardening and dark plants,” she says. “I’ve now met some really cool people.”

With the plant community behind you, there’s no time like the present to hone in on your gardening style and cultivate a collection you can call your own.

BLACK MAMBA PETUNIAS

“ I HAD NO IDEA SO MANY PEOPLE WOULD BE EXCITED ABOUT GOTH GARDENING AND DARK PLANTS. I’VE NOW MET SOME REALLY COOL PEOPLE.” – Chloe Hurst

BLACK IPOMOEA

BLACK MONDO GRASS

ARABIAN NIGHTS CALLA LILY

Harvest from Lyn Green’s High Park allotment garden.

YEARS 50

High Park allotment gardens celebrate golden anniversary

By Lorraine Hunter, Trellis Editor

GARDENING IN HER HIGH PARK allotment has been a godsend for Lyn Green. “It got me through the pandemic, both mentally and physically,” she says. In fact, Lyn would like to see allotment gardens in all Toronto parks.

It took her eight years (including three sharing a plot with a generous friend) to get an allotment in High Park where there is always a waiting list. That was 18 years ago. Today she is volunteer chair of the High Park gardeners celebrating 50 years of allotment gardening in High Park.

“My grandmother brought me to High Park to feed the ducks every summer when I was a child. I have lived in the neighbourhood for 40 years and have been going to the park all my life,” says Lyn, a retired professional actor.

None of the original gardeners from 1974 are still there but Lyn sees a renewed interest, similar to the 70s when people were starting to worry about chemical fertilizers. The allotments are mandated organic and can be found south and west of the intersection of Bloor and Keele Streets.

“About 30 to 40 per cent of the High Park gardeners are seniors. They are retired, experienced, have more time to garden and feel it is meaningful to grow your own food,” says Lyn.

But there are also a lot of younger gardeners in the park, she says. “They are anxious about the future and want to learn more.”

There are 12 allotment gardens across the city. High Park has 109 plots in two sections. Each plot is 6.5 by 9.14 metres (20 by 30 feet) or 55.7 square metres

(600 square feet), “enough for one or two gardeners to grow a lot of food,” says Lyn.

The city provides a water line with spigots to attach hoses for the allotments and “an aging fence to discourage picking by both animals and people. We are one of only a few allotments to have a compost station,” says Lyn who grows garlic, beans, tomatoes, lettuce, kale, radishes, Swiss chard, pak choy and enough potatoes to produce 27 kg (60 lbs) in her plot.

“We have people from all over the world including Viet Nam, the Czech Republic, Ukraine, Yugoslavia, France, America, China, Korea and more. Mr. Batal who has the plot next to me grows bitter melon and other things I had never seen while my neighbour on the other side grew beans I had never seen and another grows elderberries from which he makes wine.

“It’s so much fun.”

ONE OF THE most positive benefits of the shared plots is the camaraderie among the gardeners. “We have become a close-knit social group, exchanging stories, trading seeds and plants, and watching red tail hawks. We have great potluck gatherings. There are some good chefs in the park.”

Fresh garlic

Elongated radishes

“IF I AM UPSET, I TAKE AN UMBRELLA AND SIT IN THE GARDEN UNTIL I COOL DOWN.”

– Lyn Green

John Donaldson, who taught Lyn how to grow potatoes, has been minding a plot since the late 1990s. He grows “tomatoes, carrots…everything,” and says, “It has been wonderful.” He regrets that being unable to drive into the park on weekends, however, has made getting there more difficult for some gardeners, especially those with mobility issues. {The City passed a motion in 2023 to keep High Park closed to cars on weekends and statutory holidays.)

For John Esquival, who has been working his plot for over 40 years, the allotment has been “a total lifesaver.”

“It’s a retreat, a haven of tranquility,” says John who lives in a co-op building in the nearby Junction area. “It’s in the heart of the city but you can see deer, hawks, rabbits, chipmunks and even a fox who sometimes sleeps in my garden.” And as for his fellow gardeners. “There is so much goodwill. It’s a place for people.”

Excess produce at harvest time is shared with friends, neighbours and food banks. Many of the gardeners make preserves and freeze what they can, says Lyn.

Gardening, and just being in the garden, she says, is addictive. “If I am upset, I take an umbrella and sit in the garden until I cool down.”

High Park allotment gardeners at the compost station.

Allotments vs Community Gardens

There are some 12 allotments in the city and about 81 community gardens. The difference is that the city manages allotments on public land for which individuals pay for an annual permit. Community gardens are operated by local volunteer groups utilizing unused green spaces throughout the city. For more information on allotment and community gardens see Toronto.ca

Rhododendrons and camellias at Casa de Mateus, Portugal

CASA DE MATEUS

Baroque-style winery garden captivates visitors

By Lorraine Hunter Trellis Editor

IF YOU GREW UP in the 1960s you are no doubt familiar with the empty Mateus wine bottle with a colourful wax candle dripping down its sides.

But I bet you didn’t know that the picture on the label is that of a real palace, the 18th century Casa de Mateus, located in the civic parish of Mateus, Vila Real, Portugal. Mateus rosé, launched in 1942, was the favourite wine of the late Queen Elizabeth II, is mentioned in the lyrics of Elton John’s song Social Disease (1973): “I get juiced

on Mateus and just hang loose,” has been featured in films and on record albums and is still one of the most loved rosés in the world.

Not only was I fortunate enough to visit the Mateus Palace on a recent trip to Portugal, but I got to taste the wine and tour the garden in early May when the roses, camellias, rhododendrons and magnolias were at their best.

The Casa de Mateus, owned by the Mateus Foundation, is one of Portugal’s great baroque masterpieces, the work of

Italian-born architect Nicolau Nasoni. The palace follows a rectangular plan that opens to the west with a main courtyard and a private quadrangle. Its granite wings shelter a lichen-encrusted forecourt dominated by an ornate stairway and guarded by rooftop statues.

The palace gives its name to the wine. Winery buildings on the property date back to the 16th century and were modified in the 1800s. But it’s the gardens that captivated me. Modelled after Versailles in Paris with tiny boxwood hedges, prim statues and a fragrant cypress tunnel, it surrounds the house and chapel with winding paths, archshaped hedges and a wonderful swirling, baroque-style hedge planted in geometric shapes, irregular patterns,

curved lines and emblems interspersed with flowering trees and colourful annual beds.

The garden has a varied history dating back to the 1700s with modifications in 1870 and expansions in 1930. It was classified as a National Monument in 1910. Chestnut and oak trees were densely planted around the pond in the 1970s. João Cutileiro’s sculpture of a woman “sleeping” in the water was installed in 1981 and is one of the first focal points to catch your eye.

You can tour the house and/or the garden and chapel located on the site and partake in a wine tasting all for various prices. Guided tours and audio guides are available. www.casedemateus.pt

Top, left to right: Mateus rosé Middle: Woman Sleeping sculpture Right: Meadow at Casa de Mateus

Bottom, left: Roses in the garden. Middle: Grape covered pathway. Right: Gazania (striped treasure flower).

Swirling baroque-style hedges are planted in geometric shapes and curved lines.

RECIPE CORNER

| ROYAL SPICE CARROT SOUP |

The best thing about the cold weather is this delicious vegetable soup

By Claire Dam

THERE’S NOTHING like a hot soup on a cold day — and what’s better than feeling extra warm inside knowing that you can make a delicious soup from almost nothing? The basic formula for soup is a little bit of fat + some homemade broth (something you can make from food scraps and/or bones) + some meat if desired + whatever veggies you have on hand in your fridge.

For this soup, we’ve used a simple list of ingredients and elevated the flavours with the royal duo of spices. Cardamom is the ‘queen’ of this soup, and black pepper is the ‘king’.

Cardamom, grown primarily in the moist forests of southern India, is known as the ‘queen’ of spices, while black pepper, grown mostly in South Asia, is referred to as the ‘king’ of spices. They are the most widely sought-after spice crop in the world, having both culinary and medicinal uses.

SOUP

Ingredients

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1 cup of leeks, tender, white/light green parts only, chopped

2 ½ tbsp chopped garlic

5 cups chicken or vegetable broth

3 cups peeled and diced carrots

2 cups peeled and cubed potatoes

¼ cup heavy cream, or clotted cream

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp salt, to taste

1 tsp freshly ground cardamom

Method

1. Preheat oven to 300°F.

2. In a large pot (like a Dutch oven), brown the butter on medium. Continuously stir as butter melts, then starts to foam and sizzle. The butter is ‘browned’ after 3 to 5 minutes. When the butter has turned golden brown, the foam has subsided a bit, and you’ll see milk solids on the bottom of the pan. But most importantly, the butter will have an intoxicating nutty, buttery fragrance.

3. Add leeks and garlic, your aromatics, to the browned butter and sauté until just soft. Never overcook garlic.

4. Add your freshly ground cardamom and let it ‘bloom’ for 30 seconds in the browned butter. This will draw out the fat-soluble flavours of the cardamom.

5. Add your broth and scrape off any tasty browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

6. Add veggies and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a gentle

simmer, roughly 20 minutes, or until veggies are tender.

7. While veggies simmer, prepare your peppered pepitas pumpkin seeds and blend your honey and cream together and set aside.

8. Once cooked, transfer the soup to a blender and add the salt, ½ teaspoon at a time to taste, and purée until smooth. When you are adding the salt, remember that the pepitas will be salty too.

9. Serve soup immediately, drizzle with honey cream and sprinkle with a handful of peppered pepitas (pumpkin seeds).

PEPPERED PEPITAS

Ingredients

2 cups pepitas

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper ¾ tsp salt

Method

1. Preheat oven to 300°F.

2. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.

3. Toss all ingredients together and spread in a single layer on your parchment paper.

4. Bake for 10 minutes, stir. Then bake for another 10-20 minutes until seeds are golden, puffy, sizzling and crunchy.

5. Store in an air-tight jar. Soup can be frozen and reheated to be served later. And, you’ll want to make extra pepitas because you’ll be snacking on them as soon as they’re cool enough to pop into your mouth.

(Reprinted with permission from Harrowsmith Magazine)

This yummy soup is adult and kid approved. Serves 6-8.

BOOK SHELF

Three informative plant reads for new and seasoned gardeners

Medicinal Herbs of Eastern Canada –A Pictorial Manual

Reviewed by Veronica Sliva

Author Brenda Jones tells us in her introduction to Medicinal Herbs of Eastern Canada – A Pictorial Manual that there has been a resurgence of interest in medicinal herbs as people are dealing with more chronic diseases and finding little relief in pharmaceuticals. She acknowledges that although drugs will always play a major role in the medical industry, they are not the only answer. There is room for a more holistic approach to healing and nature’s remedies are all around us.

The book opens with a description of some of the most common methods of preparing medicinal herbs such as infusions, decoctions, tinctures, syrups, ointments and salves, liniments, poultices and compresses.

What follows is a catalogue of 72 healing herbs that we might find in our own backyards. Thanks to her background as an artist and illustrator, each herb is painted in meticulous detail. Jones offers advice on how to identify, collect and prepare a variety of local wild herbs for medicinal uses along with tips, facts and recipes.

At the end of the book a chapter on Poisonous Plants deals with those plants we must be careful to avoid. There is a glossary of terms and a comprehensive index.

This book is for anyone interested in learning more about using natural remedies. It is well-organized and easy to read…a good reference.

Also by Brenda Jones, for those interested in medicinal herbs check out Jones’s companion book – Medicinal Herbs of Western Canada – A Pictorial Manual.

Medicinal Herbs of Eastern Canada – A Pictorial Manual By Brenda Jones (Nimbus Publishing Ltd.)

The Tulip Garden

Reviewed by Carol Gardner

Should you ever want to know absolutely everything about tulips, Polly Nicholson’s book The Tulip Garden is the book you want. The writer, an organic gardener and florist, has clearly done extensive research into the history of tulips, as well as spending over 15 years growing them at Blackland House, her estate in Wiltshire, England. She discusses landscape techniques, potting tulips, cutting gardens and blooming times – but beware – this is written by a British writer relating to an English climate, so you’ll have to do some adjusting in your mind. As an example, there’s a lot of talk about what she calls ’annual tulips’ because British weather doesn’t often get sufficiently cold for long enough to allow some tulips to survive.

The pictures, by Andrew Montgomery, reflect romantic country scenes. My only quibble is that the printing is very small and the pages feature great blocks of information that could seem daunting to those of us who are accustomed to being fed small bits of information on the internet. This would be a perfect gift for tulip aficionados as well as gardeners who want to broaden their knowledge of bulbs.

The Tulip Garden by Polly Nicholson (Phaidon Press)

Complete Starter Guide to Bonsai –

Growing from Seed or Seedlings – Wiring, Pruning, Care and Display

Reviewed by Lorraine Hunter

Bonsai is both an art and a craft, says author David Squire in his book Complete Starter Guide to Bonsai – Growing from Seed or Seedlings – Wiring, Pruning, Care and Display. In short, this guide covers everything you ever wanted to know about bonsai and were afraid to ask.

This includes information on starting, potting, pruning, pinching, wiring and watering both indoor and outdoor bonsai species as well as tips for creative displays and dealing with pests and diseases.

David Squire studied botany and gardening at the Hertfordshire College of Horticulture and the Royal Horticultural Society’s Garden at Wisley, Surrey. He has written more than 80 books on plants and gardening. According to Squire, the bonsai market is growing. People have started to prefer bonsai plants inside as they have smaller spaces and need smaller plants. Traditionally concerned solely with growing hardy outdoor trees, shrubs and conifers, bonsai growers are now using the ancient art to grow tropical and sub-tropical plants indoors.

The guide also includes a comprehensive glossary covering everything from Adult Foliage to Wound Sealant. If you are interested in exploring the fascinating art and craft of bonsai, this book is a great place to start.

Complete Starter Guide to Bonsai – Growing from Seed or Seedlings – Wiring, Pruning, Care and Display by David Squire (Creative Homeowner)

NATURE BOOKS For Kids

More Nature Books for Kids

HERE IS AN assortment of Canadian children’s books from Tundra Books by authors from various backgrounds • A Garden Called Home by Jessica J. Lee, illustrated by Elaine Chen is the story of when a young girl and her mother visit their family in Taiwan and the girl notices a change in her mother. At home, in Canada, her mother stays mostly inside. Here, she likes to explore and go hiking. They discuss the trees, bushes, flowers and birds. But when they go home it’s cold and the mother doesn’t want to go outside. How can the girl show her mother that nature at home can be wondrous, too?

• I’m Afraid, Said the Leaf by Danielle Daniel, illustrated by Matt James. Who will comfort a frightened leaf, calm a nervous bird or feed a hungry squirrel? Inspired by the belief that all living things rely on each other for support and survival, this book reminds us that we are better and stronger, together.

• Viewfinder by Christine D. U. Chung and Salwa Majoka. A wordless, graphic novel tells the tale of a young space traveler who visits Earth on a whim and finds a planet empty of people. As she wonders, though, she sees signs that perhaps there is still someone here. A time capsule, a friendly cat and a makeshift railcar all add to the mystery.

GREEN The Story of Plant Life on Our Planet Reviewed by Maureen Donnan

NICOLA DAVIES is a zoologist and award-winning author whose many books for children include Gaia Warriors, Surprising Sharks, Extreme Animals and many more.

Davies introduces two main topics – photosynthesis and respiration – in her latest book GREEN The Story of Plant Life on Our Planet. The two processes involve opposite chemical reactions, which are cleverly illustrated by Emily Sutton.

My eight-year-old granddaughter and I sat down to read this book together. I was quite impressed that she had studied climate change and photosynthesis in Grade 3. She said that the pictures in the book were “awesome” and really helped her to understand how beneficial green trees are to our environment, She did, however, think seven-year-olds who had not studied this in school would have a problem with some of the big words and maybe the book would be too long for them.

If you are thinking about what you can tell your children and grandchildren about the effects of climate change, this book is a good place to start, Between her careful explanations and the beautiful illustrations, you can begin introducing the topic. I believe that we cannot start too early to help our families understand the effects of climate change.

• The Wild by author and illustrator Yuval Zommer carries a message of both urgency and hope, exploring humanity’s relationship with nature in a parable that even the youngest readers can understand and appreciate. This is a modern fable about respecting our planet.

• On a Mushroom Day by Chris Baker, illustrated by Alexandra Finkeldey is all about a day of exploring –of stooping, stretching, studying and maybe even singing about one of the most fascinating life forms on earth. Once you see a mushroom, you can’t help but notice more and more. It includes illustrations of a dozen different mushroom species.

Maureen Donnan and her granddaughter Lynda read GREEN together

PIEC ES PUZ ZLE

Cottage Gardens

Reviewed by Walter Sliva

This 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle shows a collection of six photographs pinned to a rustic piece of paneling, each depicting a variety of cozy cottage gardens and painted in relaxing pastel tones of pinks, greens and yellow. The entire puzzle is 26.625 x 19.25 inches, but you are actually assembling six pictures, each approximately 8 x 8 inches, conveniently separated by differently coloured borders. Whether it is the backyard holiday trailer, the picket

fence spilling over with foxgloves and bluebells, or the garden table set for a fresh air birthday party, each scene triggers carefree, nostalgic memories.

After constructing the edges and borders, and the few unique structures in each frame, it might seem a daunting challenge to determine which of the several hundred coloured flowers fit together to create the scenes. It’s not as impossible as it might seem. Each garden photo has a fairly exclusive complement of colours and shapes. One is mainly yellow with white and pink daisies on a backdrop of light green grass. Three others have similar white-petalled daisies, but with different coloured centres.

The artwork of Lucy Grossman makes this a pleasure to work with. Cobble Hill is a Victoria, BC based company, and prides itself on its random-shaped pieces, each with a unique shape and fit. Their puzzles are available at the TBG Garden Shop.

In Bloom Coloring Puzzle

Reviewed by Lila

Yorke

This 550-piece puzzle from Hallmark Creative Collection adds a new dimension to jigsaw puzzling. It’s a step beyond colour by number. You can make this floral design puzzle your own by using your choice of plain colours and any number of colour combinations.

It’s good if you want to share the work with different people colouring various parts of the puzzle, then taking it apart and having the next person put it back together and colour some more pieces.

You can do the puzzle twice: once in black and white and again once you have coloured it all in with good quality pencil crayons or finetip markers.

Good Things Are Happening

Through the Garden Gate: Swansea

On June 8 and 9, garden-goers visited 23 residential gardens as part of our annual tour. The dedicated organizing committee led by Veronica Sliva, worked for one year on this event, meeting monthly, and weekly closer to the event. Over 60 volunteers took part in the event, totalling 510 volunteer hours in two days with the invaluable support from the Toronto Master Gardeners. We are also grateful for the support of our community partners, Swansea Town Hall and the Bloor-West Village BIA.

Audience feedback: “So thankful to those owners that opened up their ‘garden sanctuaries’ to all of us and especially to those available for explanations and answering of questions. Having the Master Gardeners present for questions was an added bonus. Everything was so well organized and planned out to run so smoothly. Thanks to all.”

BLOOM: A Cirque Garden Masquerade, an immersive dance + circus + garden experience featuring Toronto’s top aerialists at the Garden, welcomed 637 guests during the July performances ending with a final Sunday afternoon sellout performance. The TBG + Artists’ Play partnership is now in its third year, with both organizations committed to growth and collaboration. The circus troupe will return with an indoor holiday show for all ages from December 20 to 22 as part of TBG’s Winter Blooms celebration.

Audience feedback: “It was magical, impressive, beautifully presented, enthralling, thrilling and breathtaking. I will have a great big smile on my face whenever memories of the event come to mind. Bravo to the troupe and thank you to the Garden for giving us the chance to enjoy it. The show made me feel like a kid again for that precious hour. Oh, and by the way, it was really, really, really, really A LOT OF FUN!”

The Edwards Summer Music Series has been generously funded by the Edwards Charitable Foundation for over a decade. We are deeply grateful for their continued support of this beloved FREE outdoor concert series which attracts and embraces the cultural diversity of our community, with over 4,000 attendees each summer. Along with being a whole lot of toe-tapping fun (yes, dancing is encouraged), the health benefits of engaging with live music and gardens are well-documented including boosting creativity and cognitive abilities, reducing stress and creating social connections to combat loneliness.

Tafelmusik at the Garden which began as a three-part winter series, has now expanded throughout the seasons. The Sunday afternoon concert on June 30 included a post-concert garden tour which married the garden with the music. As with gardens, the calming effect of classical music can have a positive effect on our wellbeing, putting our body and minds into a peaceful state.  Audience feedback: “I enjoy performance of the past centuries’ music supported with historical information about composers and plays; beauty of this music and high culture of performance.”

Amanda Rheaume

The Ladies of Soul

It’s a Winner

During the AGM in June, the winning TMU Architecture Student Design Team presented their prototype of Tapestry Arrival Station. Designed for wayfinding, to test how visitors interact with the garden, and to learn more about creating an intuitive visitor experience in an expanded landscape, the scaled models are currently on display in the Library. Your feedback and input are welcome.

Buffalo Meeting

Ontario botanical garden leaders met at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens in April to share experiences, best practices and look for opportunities to work together. Along with staff from Niagara Parks, Royal Botanical Gardens and Guelph Arboretum, Toronto Botanical Garden was represented by CEO Stephanie Jutila, Natalie Harder, Director of Learning and Jenny Rhodenizer, Director of Marketing and Audience Engagement.

Fleurs de Villes ARTISTE

Canadian launch featured the fresh floral trail inspired by remarkable artists spanning various disciplines, created by Toronto’s favourite florists. Over 35 floral installations in the BloorYorkville neighbourhood were on display just in time for Mother’s Day, including TBG’s famous floral mannequins, inspired by accomplished artists throughout history and Bloor-Yorkville’s vibrant art scene. The award-winning installation, Monet’s Women in a Garden located in Yorkville Village, The Oval, was created by Vogue Weddings and Décor. Toronto Botanical Garden was co-sponsor with Yorkville Village.

Nuit Blanche 2024 is the city’s annual all-night celebration of contemporary art, produced by the City of Toronto in collaboration with Toronto’s arts community. Since 2006, this awardwinning event has featured almost 1,600 art installations by approximately 5,800 artists and has generated over $489 million in

economic impact for Toronto.

Following the success of Toronto Botanical Garden’s inaugural participation in Nuit Blanche last year attracting thousands of visitors, the Garden will once again host two installations for one night, Saturday October 5 starting at 7 p.m. and continuing into the wee hours of the morning.

INSTALLATIONS

1. FINDING ROOTS TOGETHER

By ALEXANDRA IORGU, Land-based artist (IG: @clayisalive); Alan Colley, Natural Knowledge Keeper (IG: @livingwildinthecity); Black Wolf Hart, Drum Carrier and Sundancer (TIKTOK: @204blackwolf)

1 2

For Nuit Blanche Toronto 2024, artists and curators will delve into the theme of Bridging Distance with works that explore the multifaceted ways we experience and understand distance, while also reimagining how we can bridge distance through art. This is an opportunity for recalibration and to reconnect with our city, our world and each other, in public spaces.

Surrounded by three sculptures representing ancestral energy, participants will join the line to receive a star, illuminating it before proceeding to the galaxy map. Each star represents a contribution from those who came before. Taking shape as the night progresses, this work will explore themes of oneness and interconnectivity.

AS THE WORLD advances with technology, it can leave out genuine connections. This project aims to make participants feel warm and welcomed, while they experience a meaningful engagement with Indigenous culture. Participants will be invited to listen to music and Indigenous stories, connect and recharge by the fire and reflect on their own journey to Toronto while making symbolic clay roots that form a collective art installation. This co-created artwork will be returned to nature after the event.

2. WE ARE ALL MADE OF STARS

By SARVENAZ RAYATI, interdisciplinary artist (sarvenaz-rayati.com)

THIS INTERACTIVE light installation invites participants to contribute to the creation of a spiral galaxy.

Sales Representative, ABR, SRES

How to Turn Your Christmas Tree into a Home Cleaner

By Jenny Rhodenizer Director of Marketing and Audience Engagement

It’s always hard to part with our evergreen tree that’s brought life and beauty into our living room throughout the festive season. My husband carefully selects the beloved tree, and my daughter names it. As we move into the new year and the needles start to fall, we know it’s time to say goodbye. Before we take the tree to the curb, there are a few ways we recycle and/ or preserve parts of our tree. Here’s one idea for an organic home cleaner..

What you’ll need

• Several small branches from our Christmas Tree (we usually select a Fraser fir)

• Large glass jar with lid

• White distilled vinegar

• Dried orange slices from a garland (optional)

• Fine mesh sieve

• Funnel

• Spray bottle (available at a dollar store or Amazon)

Step by Step

1. Rinse your branches thoroughly in cool water, dry and cut into small pieces.

2. Layer your needles in a glass jar, and top with a handful of dried orange slices, until approximately ² ³ to ¾ full.

3. Top with distilled vinegar, seal with a lid, and shake to combine.

4. Let infuse in a cool, dark place for two to three weeks.

5. Strain out the botanical material by pouring the mixture through a sieve into another container (ideally with a pouring lip or spout)

6. Use a funnel to pour the infused vinegar into a spray bottle and label.

Layer needles Add dried orange slices

Top with vinegar, seal, shake and leave in a cool, dark place

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Tony DiGiovanni, Board Chair

Susan Grundy and Martin Ship, Vice Chairs  Doris Chee, Secretary; Claudia Alvarenga, Treasurer;  Gordon Ashworth, Past Chair

Barb Anie, Dianne Azzarello, Michele Chandler, Adeline Cheng, Ben Cullen, Lucie Gauvin,  Christina Iacovino, Ex Officio, City of Toronto; Margareth Lobo Gault, Deborah Maw, Ex Officio, Garden Club of Toronto, Mark Pratt, Haig Seferian, Nancy Tong, Ex-officio, Milne House Garden Club

TORONTO BOTANICAL GARDEN IS A GARDEN FOR ALL

Your support and engagement are essential in developing an inspired plant place, an engaging learning environment, and a dynamic community hub. We invite you to grow with us. MISSION

Toronto Botanical Garden connects people and plants, fostering sustainable communities and developing reciprocal relationships with nature through lifelong learning.

VISION

Toronto Botanical Garden is a garden for all; a diverse community that recognizes the life-giving role of nature, working together for a more sustainable world.

SIGN UP FOR GARDEN ENEWS!

Receive the latest horticultural news and information on events, workshops, lectures and other horticultural happenings. Free registration at https://torontobotanicalgarden.ca

REGULAR HOURS OF OPERATION

VISITOR CENTRE:  Open daily, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

GARDEN SHOP: Open daily, 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

WESTON FAMILY LIBRARY: Weekdays, 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Weekends, 12 to 4 p.m.

THE BLOOM CAFÉ: (located in the historic barn)

Open Weekdays: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Weekends: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The café will close for the season in late fall.

PARKING: $4.00 per hour. TBG Members FREE

DIRECTORY MASTHEAD

CEO Stephanie Jutila sjutila@torontobotanicalgarden.ca

EDUCATION 416-397-1355 education@torontobotanicalgarden.ca

DEVELOPMENT 416-397-1372 development@torontobotanicalgarden.ca

FACILITY RENTALS 416 397-1324 events@torontobotanicalgarden.ca

GARDEN SHOP 416-397-1357 retail@torontobotanicalgarden.ca

GARDENING HELP LINE Toronto Master Gardeners 416-397-1345 torontomastergardeners.ca

GROUP TOURS 416-397-4145 tourguides@torontobotanicalgarden.ca

HORTICULTURE 416-397-1358 horticulture@torontobotanicalgarden.ca

AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT marketing@torontobotanicalgarden.ca

MEMBERSHIP 416-397-1483 membership@torontobotanicalgarden.ca

TRELLIS MAGAZINE editor@torontobotanicalgarden.ca

VOLUNTEER SERVICES 416-397-4145 tourguides@torontobotanicalgarden.ca

WESTON FAMILY LIBRARY 416-397-1343 librarydesk@torontobotanicalgarden.ca

EDITOR

LORRAINE HUNTER

DESIGN

JUNE ANDERSON

TRELLIS COMMITTEE

LEANNE BURKHOLDER

SUE HILLS

GEORGIE KENNEDY

JENNY RHODENIZER

LEE ROBBINS

VERONICA SLIVA

VOLUNTEER

PROOFREADERS

JACKIE CAMPBELL

LYN HICKEY

JEAN MCCLUSKEY

MARG ANNE MORRISON

ROSE ROBERTS

LIBERTÉ REILLY

ADVERTISING marketing@toronto botanicalgarden.ca

Trellis is published as a members’ newsletter by the Toronto Botanical Garden at Edwards Gardens 777 Lawrence Avenue East, Toronto, Ontario, M3C 1P2, 416-397-1341

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.

©2024

All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without the written permission of the Toronto Botanical Garden.

Charitable registration number 119227486RR0001

777 Lawrence Avenue East, Toronto Ontario M3C 1P2, Canada • 416-397-1341 fax: 416-397-1354 • info@torontobotanicalgarden.ca torontobotanicalgarden.ca • @TBG_Canada

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