The CIVIC GARDEN CENTRE Garden Topics & Events Newsletter
MESSAGE TO MEMBERS
by Gordon D. Wick, Exec. Dir.
Our budget preparation s involve many weeks of analysing CGC s needs for the complete year ahead. This leads me to feel that we should strive for a high degree of continuity in committees, to allow a maximum involvement when setting up our budgeting goals.
[ feel it is desirable that CGC s active volunteer element have a channel through which to input suggestions on areas needing higher emphasis in overall budget considerations. At the same time, we should welcome ideas for new ways in which the volunteers feel they could generate different sources of funds through activities which can be supervised and operated by the volunteers themselves while generating the minimum need for extra staff time involvement.
We have just come through two years of restructuring the base financial support system of this organization. The changes made, have been aimed at allowing us to continue to operate this beautiful but expensive building, for the good of all amateur horticultural organizations. We continue to underwrite the operating costs for all the horticultural user organizations by charging rentals, which in no way cover the overall operating -costs,
Even these artifically low rentals are a burden to some of the small horticultural clubs. They are finding they can-
not meet rising costs (ie. postage and printing) without setting up specific fund raising events of their own. But, is this not only as it should be? Each club has to operate within its own resources and realize that it takes some fund raising activities to balance any active club s budget.
As an organization, CGC and its staff are doing our utmost to ensure that amateur groups have an opportunity not only to have an inexpensive place to meet, but also have an opportunity to gain access to the gardening public through our extensive releases of coming events information to the media.
We have also been able to open up an opportunity for the other organizations to participate in the educational exhibit area of the Garden Festival Show held in Feb. Just how aggressively the individual clubs approach their educational exhibit is up to them, but it reflects directly on the manpower and dedication of those currently involved in the individual clubs.
Putting their best foot forward is important to each group as they utilize this opportunity to access the 60,000 people who are expected to attend that show. Once again, CGC is playing a supportive role by publishing the Growing and Creating information booklets which are distributed by the individual clubs at their educational exhibit. We have also tried to tie in as many specialty speakers as possible in the Theatre program which will be running adjacent to our educational display area in the East Mezzanine.
PRODUCT PROFILE
PLANT FOOD PLUS
Reported to be a new organic foliar fertilizer Plant Food Plus was formerly marketed under the name MicroMist . It is a non-toxic liquid fertilizer that has yielded good results when used as a spray provided recommended strength is not exceeded. In fact, when in doubt half the dose.
Gerda Ferrington reported that she used it, at about one-quarter the recommended strength, as a spray on house plants, about once a week; year round and the plants seem to love it.
I always use this fertilizer in combination with others, depending on what I see as the special needs of particular plants. ~ Whether the same results would be seen if one used nothing but Plant Food Plus , I don t know. It would be worth looking into .
Particularly good results have been observed in all members of the African Violet family and the Begonia family. Terrarium plants seem to benefit too.
Jack Adams, a Dahlia specialist reports that he has been using the product approx. 3 years and has found that there seems to be a natural substance in it that deters sucking insects such as aphids and white flies.
Jack reports it increases the size of the outer stems of Dahlias making them more rigid. It also intensifies the colour in both the petals and leaves. On all seed settings, germination set was approximately 15% higher with no loss of seedlings grown in Promix. This was tested over a 2 year period.
Plant Food Plus does not contain nitrogen, phosphate, potash, commonly found in basic fertilizers. Some trace elements are also included in
better quality fertilizer products, however they are included in minute proportions. Exact requirements by various plants are hard to ascertain but the modern practice of growing in soilless mixes has increased the importance of adding a wide range of trace elements that make up this compound. There seems to be little chance of burning or over-feeding and it can be used safely with any commercial fertilizers or insecticides.
Available in Trellis Shop in two forms Liquid concentrate $7.95 Ready to use $4.39
SNIPPY TIPS
Two new revised editions of Snippy Tips are now available in the Trellis Shop. No. 1 Care of Cut Flowers and Plant Material and No. 2 Drying and Preserving Plant Material . $2.00 each
WONDERLAND OF BULBS
Send $1.00 for our new catalogues, refundable on first order.
The multitude of rare and interesting bulbs listed, over 700 varieties, many difficult to obtain elsewhere, will prove to be a revelation. By far the most complete bulb catalogue in Canada.
C. A. CRUICKSHANK LTD.
Since 1925
Canada' s Leading Bulb Specialists
1015 Mount Pleasant Road Toronto M4P 2M1 488-8292
The CIVIC GARDEN CENTRE
Intermediate Corsage Course - one day workshop 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Rhododendron Soc. of Canada - Annual meeting 2 p.m. - Art Drysdale
Hobby Greenhouse general meeting 8 p.m.
Southern Ontario Orchid Society meeting 1 - 5 p.m.
Geranium and Pelargonium Society of Ontario meeting 2 - 4 p.m.
Mens Garden Club meeting 8 p.m.
Gardening with Wildflowers - a 5 week course starts at 8 p.m.
Designing a Winter Garden - one evening only at 7:30 p.m.
Intermediate Japanese Flower Arranging - 3 week course 10 am - 3 pm
Green Thumbs (Junior Garden Club) 9:30 a.m. to noon
Canadian Wildflower Society meeting 2 p.m.
Gesneriad Society meeting 2 -4 p.m. Mini Workshop on Basic Culture
Toronto Bonsai Society 7 p.m. Silent Auction & Wine and cheese party
MEMBERS NIGHT 8:00 p.m. - a joint meeting with North Toronto
Hort. Soc. - Kay McGregor showing slides on Wildflowers of Spring
Renovating Old Gardens - 3 week course at 7:30 p.m.
Garden Therapy Group meeting 12:30 - 2:30 pm - Handicapped people
welcomed - More information call Judy Boon 445-1552
Ikebana International meeting 7 - 9:30 pm
York Rose meeting 2 - 4 p.m.
Red Cross Blood Donor Clinic 2 - 4 pm and 5:30 - 8:15 pm
MEMBERS NIGHT 7:30 p.m. GREAT GARDENS OF THE WORLD
- an Audio-Visual Presentation by Les Marsh as an added attraction a question and answer period will feature THE OLD GANG AGAIN The CGC panel of experts returns
Hobby Greenhouse meeting 8 p.m.
Can. Chrysanthemum Society meeting 8 p.m.
S. Ontario Orchid Society meeting 1 - 5 p.m.
Outdoor Gardening - a 5 week course starts at 7:30 p.m.
Botanical Drawing & Painting - 8 week course starts from 10 am - 2 pm
Mens Garden Club regular meeting 8 p.m.
Basic Flower Arranging - 5 week course at 9:45 am, 1:30 or 8 p.m.
Basic Sogetsu Ikebana Flower Arranging - 8 week course starts at 1:30 Green Thumbs (Junior Garden Club) 9:30 am to noon
Gesneriad Society meeting 2 - 4 pm
American Rock Garden Society (Ontario Chapter) meeting 2 p.m.
Toronto Bonsai Society meeting 7 p.m.
North Toronto Hort. Society meeting 8:15 p.m.
Garden Therapy Group meeting 12:30 pm for Handicapped people
Ikebana International meeting 7 - 9:30 pm
COMING EVENTS AT THE For all your gardening needs CIVIC GARDEN CENTRE
Art at the Centre
In the Link Gallery:
Jan. 28 - Feb. 12 - Rita Baumgartner chinese brush on silk, panels, rice paper, birds, flowers
Feb. 13 - 27 - Elizabeth Scully watercolours, flowers, scenery
Feb. 28 - Mar. 13 - Charles Stothers acrylics, florals and landscapes and Gerald Brandis woodcuts florals
WINTER HOURS
from Nov. 11th to April 30th Trellis Shop and Library Mon to Fri. 9:30 - 4 pm,Sat.,Sun.12-4
COURSES
STARTING IN FEB. & MAR.
Feb. 6 Gardening with Wildflowers 5 week course at 8 p.m.
Feb. 6 Designing a Winter Garden one evening only at 7:30 pm
Feb, 6 Intermediate Ikenobo Ikebana Flower Arranging - 3 week course from 10 am - 3 pm
Feb. 12 Renovating Old Gardens 3 week course at 7:30 p.m.
Mar. 4 Outdoor Gardening - 5 week course starts at 7:30 pm
Mar. 5 Botanical Drawing & Painting 8 week course starts 10 a.m.
6 Basic Flower Arranging 5 week course at 9:45 a.m. 1:30 or 8 p.m.
NURSERY GARDEN CENTRES
Ikenobo Ikebana Society of Toronto 22nd Annual Flower Show on MARCH 24th, 1985 1-6pm. at the Civic Garden Centre Mushin Na Hana O Mitsumete Focusing on the Innocence of a flower Admission $2.50
There will be Ikebana demonstration by a senior professor from Japan at 2 p.m.and 4 p.m.
Specializes%é in dried and silk flower arrangements.
Arrangements for sale in The Trellis Shop
General Information
Volume 12, No. 1 ISSN 0380-1470
Editor: Gordon D. Wick, Exec. Dir. Assistant Editor: Grace Tughan Advertising Inform. (416) 445-1552
Trellis is published ten times per year as a member s newsletter, by the Civic Garden Centre, 777 Lawrence Ave. East, Don Mills, Ontario M3C 1P2 Telephone (416)445-1552
The Centre is located in Edwards Gardens, at Leslie St. and Lawrence Avenue East, at the geographical centre of Metropolitan Toronto. It is a non-profit, volunteer based, gardening and floral arts information organization with open membership. Opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the Centre. Printed by Munns Press Ltd., Whitby, Ont.
Continuing with the Civic Garden Centre members program series we are pleased to present two programs in February
Join us for a joint meeting with North Toronto Horticultural Society
Wildflowers of Spring
a slide presentation by Kay McGregor
TUESDAY Fe b . 1 2 8:00 p.m.
Our second members program will be a 35mm audio visual presentation
Great Gardens of The World
presented by Les Marsh
WEDNESDAY Fe b : 27 7:30 p.m.
as an added attraction a question and answer period will feature THE OLD GANG AGAIN The CGC panel of experts returns.
UPCOMING MEMBERS NIGHTS
SUNDAY, MARCH 31st - Joint meeting with CANADIAN ROSE SOCIETY Presentation on GREAT ROSE GARDENS OF THE WORLD
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10th - Joint meeting with TORONTO RHODODENDRON SOCIETY Presentation on RHODODENDRONS AROUND US by Richard
Birkett
PLAN TO VISIT . ... ardenestival &85
Where you will see the latest ideas on gracious living Gardens galore for you to explore
Incorporating two great shows for one low price
FLOWER & GARDEN SHOW POOL & SPA SHOW Automotive Building Queen Elizabeth Building
Exhibition Place, Toronto February 20-24, 1985
Flower arranging competitions (sponsored by the Ontario Horticultural Association)
For further information contact: GARDEN FESTIVAL 85 1450 Don Mills Rd. Don Mills, Ontario M3B 2X7 (416) 445-6641 Produced by Southex Exhibitions
Dear Volunteer
As February approaches I'm becoming more and more excited about Garden Festival 85. The Civic Garden Centre is again co-ordinating the Educational Exhibit in the east mezzanine of the Automotive Bldg. Feb. 20th to 24th.
This year, the response from the various societies and clubs (more than 30 of them) has been most encouraging as they realize the success of last year s show and the exposure that they gained from it.
Of course, as usual, I'm asking for your help at the Show, a four hour shift would be ideal.
We will have our shop open through out the show with flower arranging equipment and books for sale, as well as our exhibit and information area. We need at least 3 people per shift with 3 shifts per day and 5 days of the Show, that s forty-five shifts to cover.
The publicity and prestige that our Centre gains from a show like this can t be measured in dollars. Indeed, should a non-profit organization s efforts ever be measured in dollars? But, considering that last year more than sixty thousand people passed through the Garden Festival show shouldn t we put our very best foot forward and make the Civic Garden Centre s exhibit at Garden Festival 85 bigger and better than ever before?
If you can t spare time between February 20th and 24th to help the Centre at the Show, maybe you have time a day or two before to help us set-up, or even prepare at the Centre packing boxes. If you think you do, please call me the more help we have the better our Show will be.
Looking forward to hearing from you, I remain your volunteer co-ordinator. Dorothy
Flower & Garden Show
DATES & HOURS Wednesday, February 20 to Sunday, February 24, 1985 inclusive
Wednesday, February 20
Thursday, February 21 Friday, February 22
10 and under FREE with
TICKET FOR EACH ADULT ATTENDING TO THE TICKET SELLER ON YOUR ARRIVAL AT THE SHOW AND PAY ONLY $3.00 EACH This ticket allows the holder $1.00 off the regular adult admission of $4.00
BONSAI
The cultivation of dwarfed potted trees originated in China at least as early as (265-420 A.D.) the Tsin Dynasty. In the late Thirteenth Century the practice spread to Japan where the design of such trees was refined and made to represent natural tree forms. The name Bonsai, meaning planted in a tray, is Japanese in origin and refers to the shallow containers in which the trees are normally grown.
The goal of Bonsai cultivation is to reproduce in miniature the beauty of a large, mature tree in its natural setting. By tradition, the maximum height of a Bonsai is normally considered to be about 125 cm., however, very small trees, called Mame or Shohin, are sometimes grown less than 3 cm. high. Reverence for age, an important part of Japanese philosophy and culture, is strongly evident in the attempts of Bonsai growers to create the illusion of time-worn and weather-beaten masterpieces of nature s own hand.
The creation of a Bonsai requires care and patience. Plant material must be chosen with an eye for potential; a stout trunk, strong roots, and good branching will suggest maturity in a tree. The Bonsai grower must begin with at least a mental picture of the finished product, then proceed to cut, bend and otherwise manipulate the material to produce fine, dense foliage and beautiful shape and proportion. After the Bonsai grower has given the tree its basic shape, he selects a container with the same care an artist would use in selecting a proper frame for his work. Length and depth of the container, as well as style, color and texture, are all determined by the character of the tree it must hold.
After years of effort, the grower achieves in his Bonsai a remarkable marriage of the arts of sculpture and horticulture. The Bonsai is in fact living sculpture, ever changing through the years, but constant in the delight it offers for generations.
Where
Great Gardens
At your closest Sheridan Garden Centre you will find the finest selection of nursery stock in Canada, including more than 750 varieties of plants and trees grown on Sheridan 's own farms.
And Sheridan's nursery stock is guaranteed for one full year. At Sheridan Garden Centres you will also find qualified nurserymen who will be pleased to help you in any way they can.
GARDENING BOOK SELECTIONS FROM OUR
Geraniums for Home and Garden
by Alan Shellard
In-depth study of -cultivation of geraniums and their varieties for the beginner and the experienced gardener .
GERANIUMS
FOR HOME AND
GARDEN
This book will help anyone to increase the range and beauty of their geraniums. The book contains 8 pages in jil & full colour and detailed descriptions of the 10 most popular geraniums. hard cover $29.00
The Japanese Art of Miniature Trees ad Landscapes Their Creation, Care and Enjoyment by
Yuji Yoshimura and Giovanna M. Halford
\As this book proves, anyone given a reasonably green [thumb and a modicum of patience can create his own bonsai.
Here are detailed instructions, together with many helpful diagrams and charts and a treasury of photographs, on every phase of the art; Propagation and training, with hints for small-apartment dwellers; daily and seasonal care, and treatment of pests; how to judge, select and exhibit bonsai, with emphasis always upon the untold enjoyment they can provide. Available in paper $15.00
The Garden Book by
John Brookes
The Garden Book is a complete guide to creating and maintaining outdoor landscapes and gardens that are beautiful, functional and perfectly suited to the everchanging variety of modern life-style requirements.
It covers balconies, roof gardens, patios, terraced gardens, courtyards, rural and urban spaces, full size gardens, and small, and walled areas. The Garden Book covers Plant selection and shows how to make the most imaginative use of them. Design plans help gardeners to create an overall pattern. hard cover $33.95
: o The Miracle Houseplants by Virginie F. and George A. Elbert ) %&& &" u% i
An updated, expanded edition, The Miracle Houseplants provides all the information necessary for producing gorgeous blooms indoors; the proper soils to use; watering directions; proper temperature, humidity and ventilation; tips on fertilization; pest control; cuttings and leaf propagation; and terrarium culture.
Available in hard cover $28.95 and paper $16.95
ALAN SHELLARD
JOHN BROOKES
The : . Trellis Shop
We have received a new selection of beautiful handcrafted containers suitable for arrangements in the Japanese style. These are reasonably priced from $20.00. Also new to our shop are good quality Ikebana shears, imported from Japan priced from 18.95.
The Kobike is a Japanese trimming saw with an interchangeable blade system. The blade has large gullets at the end becoming smaller towards the handle facilitating the start of the cutting. We have these saws with stained, finished oak handles, scabbard and leather belt loop, price $23.95.
SPECIAL OFFER! For a short time only, we are able to offer our customers the Regal 3-tier Light Garden at the regular price of $399.00 but including a $35.00 hydroponic unit. These units, for soilless gardening in conjunction with your Floralite gardening system can bring you the joys of fresh winter salad greens & herbs. Please come in or give us a call if you would like to order one of these Floralite garden specials.
Our seeds are now arriving and we will have the peat pots, flats and soil mixes in which to start your seedlings.
We will look forward to seeing you.
MARCH 3 -10,
1985
It s A Celebration of Britain in the Spring
Philadelphia, PA - On March 3-10, all will have a chance to escape winter s chill and take a transcendent journey through Britain in the Spring as the 1985 Philadelphia Flower Show celebrates A Touch of Britain Our Garden Heritage right under the fiveacre roof of the Philadelphia Civic Ctr.
Here, visitors will find British history, whimsy and wonder all expressed in fabulous displays of color and new life. Entering the main exhibit area, they will be treated first to thousands of begonias and boxwood, twisted in pretzel shapes in a knot garden of the type that amused Elizabethan noblemen in England hundreds of years ago.
Beyond, stately stone archways entwined with pink pillar roses form the entrance to an exquisite formal British garden where stone statues of the mythological deities Apollo, Demeter and others watch over a fantasy kingdom that dates its design back to the Roman conquest of Britain. Here, in this masterpiece created as the knot
garden is by Gale Nurseries of Gwynedd, Penns., resides a beautiful cont.
® Handy vertical slide adjustments
® Quality decorative casters
® FEasy to assemble
® Each fixture individually wired, separately switched and CSA approved
Economical Dual Spectrum lighting 3T 48 DS e $399.00 plus $5.00 shipping chgs.
® Neatly packaged for safe transport
® Sturdy modular chromium steel frame
REGAL ® Floralight s exclusive super tough 3 -TIER garden trays
® No tools required
LIGHT
® All covered by Floralight s exclusive GARDEN product/service warranty
e 65 High x 50 Wide x 20 Deep
7/0% 6" SAOW
fountain, precisely sculpted topiary, ornate Versailles containers holding pear trees and vines of pink roses trained to form lollipop-shaped trees .
These two islands of British culture and breathtaking artistry will be surrounded by 50 other major exhibits by leading florists and landscape nurseries in the Delaware Valley, university horticultural departments and world-famous gardeners and gardens including Britain s Merrist Wood Agri. College winner of Best of Show honors last year at London s famed Chelsea Flower Show. The Merrist Wood students will work with students from the Delaware Valley College of Science and Agric. to create a romantic cottage garden of the type seen all over the British countryside.
Many of the other exhibits will also echo the theme of the Show with settings that include a colonial Williamsburg pleasure garden ; a garden where Alice and the Mad Hatter are preparing for their tea party; a South American jungle clearing with a hut and intimations of the harrowing life of a British orchid hunter; an island garden with a bridge modeled after one in Cambridgeshire, England; and a garden where a typical British garden wedding is about to take place.
Other exhibits run the gamut from simple displays of explosive floral color and contemplative presentations of Ikebana flower arrangements, to laboriously crafted Bonsai miniature trees and intricate rock gardens. As always, some new specimens of plants and flowers will be making their debut. All the flowers in the Show are forced into bloom, awakened early from Winter sleep. cont. on p.15
GARDENER'S DREAM BOOK
Half thefunofagardenisthinking aboutallthegreatthingsyoucould grow next year.
That swhywe veeditedthenew 1985editionofourbig84pageSeed &GardenBookparticularlytohelp youplan. Thereare580colourpictures, many helpful instructional articles,over1800detailedlistings.
Each item is hand picked for our climate and our home gardeners needs.
Write tous today and askforyour free 1985 Seed & Garden Book and we llsendyouasabonusacoupon goodfor a free 100 gram packet of SugarSnapPeaseeds.
DOMINION
SEED HOUSE Dept. 57, Georgetown, Ont. L7G 4A2
We ve been helping home gardeners bymailsince 1928
by Lois Wilson
RHETORIC AND ROSES
by Edwinna von Baeyer Fitzhenry and Whiteside Ltd. $29.95
Treasure trove! A book on the history of gardening in Canada from 1900 to 1930! It s filled with fascinating data on home gardens of the time, school, railway and public gardens; information on the swift growth of government-sponsored experimental stations and tells of the keen interest, not just among professional horticulturists, but among amateurs, to collect and breed new garden plants.
The Chapter on early plant breeding is filled with almost unbelievable information. Henry Groff of Simcoe, Ontario, by profession a busy bank manager, handled, at the beginning of the century, 50,000 seedlings of his hybrids of gladiolus, listing 1600 varieties for sale. Isabella Preston, a shy and quiet lady, working at the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa, produced dozens of new varieties of lilies, more than eighty varieties of lilacs hardy for the prairies, beautiful Siberian irises named for Canadian rivers and dozens more of new plants. Some are still listed in nursery catalogues today.
The impressive story of Frank Skinner, the prairie farmer of Dropmore, Man. who became a brilliant, self-taught horticulturist of world renown, is another gem. Still remembered as the man who worked with Russian and Manchurian horticulturists to get information to help him to breed prairie hardy plants, he was also the developer of the popular Dropmore Trumpet honeysuckle.
The Chapter on the Canadian Pacific Railway and its flower gardens around stations from coast to coast - - in one
year there were fifteen hundred of them growing some 60,000 pansies, -is another fascinating one. It was not the flowers the CPR admired -- they were trying to persuade newcomers to Canada how fertile the land was!
A first impression of the illustration is disappointing for it s all in black and white but one must remember that there was no color reproduction in those heady days of gardening -- it was the flowers that were produced in full color.
Mrs. von Baeyer s research has been impeccable and her bibliography extensive. She has also included an Afterword by Susan Buggey, Chief of the Historical Branch, Prairie Region, of Parks Canada, on the Preservation of Historical Gardens in Canada Today.
This book is available in the Trellis Shop or at the CGC Library.
Pine Ridge Nurseries
Home of all your gardening needs SPECIALIZING in:
® Geraniums over 200 varieties (zonal, novelties, regals, ivies, scented, fancy leaved, miniatures.)
e Herbs
® Perennials
® Annuals
® Tropicals
® Trees and Shrubs
® Roses
® Evergreens
We care about your gardening problems. Come and see us at our unique Garden Centre and Greenhouses.
GARDENING NOTEBOOK
by Ruta Stancikas
FEBRUARY
With the days lengthening noticeably, the sun shining longer and stronger, gardeners thoughts turn seriously to spring. Time should now be spent in planning the upcoming season s garden early planning is what makes a successful garden.
PLANTS FROM SEED
Filling the garden with annuals such as petunias and marigolds can take a hefty bite out of your gardening budget, but starting plants from seed can cut down that expense. Aside from substantial dollar savings obtained in growing your own plants from seed, you also have the choice of so many more varieties available through seed catalogues. And the satisfaction of knowing you grew it yourself! If you haven t already ordered seeds, do so now, especially if you re considering new introductions because their supply is often quite limited.
Another reason gardeners start plants from seed is to gain time flowering will start earlier and last longer. As well, the growing environment can be controlled much more satisfactorily indoors of great importance where slow growing and tender plants are concerned.
When should certain seeds be started?
Plants that require a minimum of seven to nine weeks from seeding indoors to planting in the garden include: fibrous rooted begonia, impatiens, browallia, lobelia and verbena.
Those requiring a minimum of six to eight weeks include: ageratum, sweet alyssum, lupine, bedding petunias, portulaca, phlox, stock, strawflower, snapdragon, nicotiana, parsley and tomatoes.
Plants that should be started four to five weeks before setting out are: clarkia, cosmos, marigold, zinnia, sweet alyssum and calendula.
Starting seeds indoors, however, depends entirely on you, the gardener. It depends on your needs, facilities as well as the growing season in your area.
The availability of products such as fluorescent lights, peat pots, strips and pellets, found in all garden centres and most department stores and hardware stores, makes starting seeds indoors that much easier.
Vegetables and flowers given the All America seal of approval as noted in catalogues have been rigorously tested and can be counted on to produce well. Remember too, that seed catalogues are excellent sources of information. They provide most of the answers to...when, where and why.
SHRUBS
When planning your landscape, be sure to include some decorative berried shrubs that will add colour to the garden in the bleak winter months. Plants such as barberry, cotoneaster, viburnum, euonymus and honeysuckle not only produce eye-catching foliage in spring and summer, but they follow up with bright berries in the fall that often remain throughout the winter. Plan now and plant as soon as possible in the early spring.
TULIP TIME IN HOLLAND
MAY 5 14
: visit the bulbfields of Keukenhof : talk to bulb growers : sightsee in Amsterdam and the Hague : attend the flower auction at Aalsmeer write, phone or drop in for details Sparks, Slater and Associates Ltd. 102, 1 Gloucester St.Toronto M4Y 1L8 Contact: Clare Slater, 921.3138
GARDENING NOTEBOOK
INDOOR PLANTS
One of my favourite plants for indoor winter colour is the begonia. No other plant family can compete with begonias for variation in foliage colour, shape and texture. Their flowers range in shades from white to pink, salmon, yellow, red and a brilliant orange.
And, the diverse assortment available, ensures that at least one kind will make a good houseplant for you. Wax begonias tolerate quite cool rooms and will bloom indoors throughout the entire winter if lots of sun and nutrients are provided. When shopping for begonias, look for rosebud and giant single flowered varieties.
In foliage type, besides the full-sized rex, star, beef-steak and angelwing, the dwarf varieties are equally beautiful and easy to grow. No matter what you choose, begonias will add a striking element to your home.
They need moist air, however, because without it their leaves will turn brown at the edges. They should be kept warm, in bright, indirect light to fluorish. Flowering types have higher light requirements. Although traditional gardening wisdom says these plants should be kept constantly moist, overwatering will lead to rot. They will stay healthy longer if you allow them to dry slightly between waterings.
GENERAL INDOOR PLANT CARE
If you have the urge to splurge, and purchase a few additions to your indoor plant collection, remember that the key to a green thumb is to choose the right plants for the growing conditions you have at home.
Temperature is an important factor, Most plants don t take too kindly to sudden changes in the temperature. Plants are grouped into 3 categories:
cool - 50-60 deg. F. 10-15 C. moderate - 60-70 deg. F. 15-21 C. warm - 70-80 deg. F. 21-26 C.
Before you make a purchase, be sure to check your room temperature range.
Light is another very important factor. An easy and pretty basic way to check how much light you have is to hold a piece of paper up to the light and see what shadow is thrown. If the shadow is sharp, then the light is good, while a barely visible shadow indicates dim light.
Most purchased plants come with general directions. If direct sun is called for, then the plant will need it for at least half a day. Indirect sun means the light should be filtered through a sheer curtain, while bright light means the plant should be placed in a well-lit room but away from direct sunlight.
OUTDOORS
Try to keep rock salt away from your lawn and plant beds since it can kill grass and seriously injure trees, shrubs and perennials. Consider using urea as a substitute for rock salt.
Check to see that winter mulches are still in place and doing their job and be sure any plant protectors you have set up are shielding the plants against the drying sun and wind.
Ruta Stancikas is a Toronto journalist.
Mini Rose Nursery
Collector of Miniature Roses For list and map Write Florence Gahagan
P.0O. Box 873, Guelph, Ont. NIH 6M6
THE PHILADELPHIA FLOWER
SHOW cont.
The Philadelphia Flower Show, the largest indoor flower show in the world, is produced annually by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of horticulture in the mid-Atlantic states. The Show is an American tradition dating back to 1829 and today welcomes over a quarter of a million visitors from all over the country and the world.
In addition to being a visual delight, the Show is highly educational and this year will feature demonstrations by Sheila Macqueen, mistress of the art of the English bouquet. Free gardening and flower-arranging demonstrations will be given on the Show floor and many exhibitors and staff members of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society will be available to answer gardening questions.
The Show is also a competitor s paradise with classes in table settings, room decoration, flower arrangement, miniatures and horticulture that attract over 1500 entries to be judged by 160 national and international experts including Rosemary Verey, renowned English author and garden designer.
Show hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets are $6.50 for adults and $3.25 for children under 12.
Dear Volunteer
P.S. I would like to thank everybody who helped to decorate the Centre for Christmas. I know our members and visitors to the Centre appreciated it; most definitely, the staff and volunteers did. Dorothy
&2 White Rose
NURSERIES
Growers and distributors of quality garden plants and craft products
NOW 10 beautiful garden stores to serve you
Bulk Ennombre third troisiéme class classe
C IVIC
ARDEN
President Mrs. Camilla Dalglish Ist Vice - President Mr. Donald McLaren
2nd Vice - Prtisident Mr. B:ian.Bix!ey
gENTRE Toosiser 1 MDonatd O Mitare
Board of Directors:
For 1984: Mrs. Camilla Dalglish, Mrs. Mae Macmillan, Mr. Grant Ross, Mr. Fidenzio Salvatori, Mrs. Helen Skinner, Mr. Howard Stensson, Mr. David Tomlinson.
For 1984 & 1985: Mr. Brian Bixley, Mr. Charles Coffey, Mrs. Rae Fowler, Mr. Peter Hand, Mrs. Hazel Lyonde, Mr. Monte Watler
For 1984, 1985 & 1986: Mr. Art Drysdale, Mr. Albert M. Fisher, Mrs. Sue Macaulay Mr.Donald McLaren, Mr.Harold Wakefield,Mrs.Katie May McCarthy, Mr.Robert G. Bundy.
Receipts issued for tax deductions for all but the basic annual ! At the Civic Garden $10. members fee (Charitable Registration No. 0228114-56-13) | Centre you ll be among BT e T TS e e, T e i e e R | friends, people who THE CIVIC GARDEN CENTRE, [ share the same interests 777 LAWRENCE AVENUE EAST (at Leslie), you do in gardening Don Mills, Ontario M3C 1P2 : & horticultural things.
445-1552 | As a member, you en: : joy free borrowing priv- Basic Annual membership $10.00 | Jilg:};es Siacdisni glfort.
Additional family member 2.50 e | Library s 5,000 books. I v On regular priced mere | chandise over $2. you
Other Categories by annual subscription: i 10% in our Shop. kd
Sustaining Member $35.00 or more
b, You earn a discounted i | registration fee when Contributing Member $50.00 or more S s A enrolling in our classes. Supporting Member $100.00 or more : Trellis newsletter will Donation to the Civic Garden Centre e sl be mailed to you 10 times per year.
I wish to become a member of the Civic Garden Centre in | iz i the category marked. e Basic membership Renewal [ ] I fee alone cannot meet
Enclosed is my cheque for §..........ccee..e.made out to the | our total operating Civic Garden Centre. | costs. _If you sharé our Please send my Trellis Newsletter to the following: [ sommuine s ene Dig y mlc()tmg hortlculture,_c;ve ask you to consider 1y L L BURRSI o KRR Ty e S SR R LM e e { Gthet medbEdiD cate gories, which include e {un L SRR S B R SR e S L S el R s | S dednoitbl doast
| ions.