The CIVIC GARDEN CENTRE Garden Topics & Events Newsletter
MEMBERS PROGRAMMES
Monday, March 9th at 7:30 p.m.
BRIAN HALLIWELL
Assistant Curator, Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, England and respected horticultural journalist.
THE PLANTS AND GARDENS OF JAPAN
Mr. Halliwell s talk will be liberally illustrated with slides, including some of the fabled gardens of the Imperial Palace. (With Ikebana International)
Thursday, March 19th at 7:30 p.m.
PATRICK LIMA
Journalist, Author, noted gardener
LARKWHISTLE
Through slides, Mr. Lima will take us to Larkwhistle , his award winning garden on the Bruce Peninsula. (See also the review of Mr. Lima s new book about herbs on page 17).
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. Opinjons expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the Centre.
Printed by York Printing House Ltd.
Gentle reader,
I hope you like the changes we are gradually making to Trellis . May I invite you to write to me, so that a letters column can be started? Anne Marie Van Nest also welcomes horticultural enquiries by mail. Some of these will be reprinted in your newsletter, as space permits. Remember...your suggestions, submissions, etc., are warmly encouraged and appreciated.
NEW EXECUTIVE SECRETARY JOINS CENTRE
Lorraine Pounden has joined the staff as Executive Secretary/ Editorial Assistant. Lorraine has extensive secretarial experience at the senior level as well as a ready smile and a large amount of patience; both necessary in her demanding and complex job.
In her spare time, Lorraine enjoys cross country skiing, reading, gardening and walking. She has a 16 year old son who s a keen volleyball player, and two cats who are not.
CGC OPERATING HOURS
WINTER HOURS
from Nov. 1st to March 31st Trellis Shop and Library Mon.to Fri. 9:30 - 4 pm,Sat.Sun.12-4
SUMMER HOURS
from April 1st to October 31st Mon. to Fri. 9:30 - 5 pm,Sat.Sun.12-5
ALL ABOUT CATCH THE GARDENING SPIRIT
by Phyllis L. Peterson
On Sunday, April 26, the Civic Garden Centre will hold a Catch the Gardening Spirit Day from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. To find out more about it, I talked to Sue Macaulay, chairman of the project and a member of the Centre s board.
It s an educational event, she explained, a how to day devoted to everyone who wants to create or improve a garden. They may be a novice or highly experienced. They may want to plan their entire available space or simply create an attractive patio area. To help them, we ve organised this Day with nine experts present to lecture on appropriate subjects and give advice. For instance, landscape architects will discuss planning and design. Other topics will range from basic layout plans through horticultural advice to how to work with a professional. Each speaker will give a 40 to 50 minute presentation in a separate studio room. Participants can learn about everything from shade trees and ground covers to creative planting; from how to grow tasty vegetables to how to plan an urban garden in limited space to much, much more.
P.L.P.: Will there be an opportunity for question and answer periods?
S.M.: There certainly will. We ve organized a Speaker s Corner in the Floral Hall for short talks, demonstrations and help with specific problems throughout the Day. We ve also invited specialised Horticultural groups to set up demonstrations and give advice.
Anne Marie Van Nest, the Civic
Garden Centre s horticulturist, will be on hand to answer questions as well. And with workshops and slide presentations added to lectures and discussion, we feel there s a lot of help here for every gardener, whether they be a beginner or a veteran.
P.L.P.: What about plant displays? The best way to learn about and appreciate plants is to see them first-hand.
S.M.: I agree. We re setting up a simulated garden area featuring a wide variety of plants, and we ll be conducting guided mini field trips through it to aid in plant identification and the understanding of various cultural requirements. At the end of the day, everything on display in the garden area will be for sale at a moderate price.
P.L.P.: Sounds wonderful. One final question, though. What about attendance fee and registration.
S.M.: Because enrolment is limited, we re asking would be participants to register before April 1st. The fee for members of the Civic Garden Centre is $25.00, and for non-members, $30.00. This fee includes a free kit with printed information on all the lectures, plus other useful reminders. Refreshments will also be available.
With such a comprehensive, wellthought-out agenda, Catch the Gardening Spirit Day is bound to be a great success. Everyone wishing to take part in this unique and exciting event is asked to fill in the registration form below and mail it in as soon as possible, certainly well before the end of March.
PLEASE REGISTER ME FOR CATCH THE GARDENING SPIRIT
Name (Print)
Address I ENCLOSE A CHEQUE FOR $25.00 (member) or $30.00 (non-member)
Cosght Card Uosrs Ondy Fees are not refundable after the registration deadline. el el LILITTITTITITTITT] i Enpwien G
=
WINTER REFRESHMENT 55
by Juliet Mannock
To have a garden is both an act of faith and a relentless challenge.
No matter how outrageous the slings and arrows capricious fortune tosses your way to turn an erswhile Eden into a mildewy insect infested dumpthere is always the thought of next year....
Stuck indoors while blizzards rage I often ask myself what it is about gardening that turns normally reasonable people into HOPE personified? Gardening 1s a pleasure; certainly, an obsession, undoubtedly; healthy outdoor excercise, of course; an alternative to climbing mountains, building the pyramids and a practical study of aesthetics and yet there is more.
On a recent meander through the library I came across a quotation which, in the way quotations do, seemed particularily apt.
Half the interest of a garden is in the constant excercise of the imagination. You are always living three, or indeed six, months hence. I believe that people entirely devoid of imagination never can be really good gardeners. To be content with the present, and not striving about the future, is fatal.
-trom Pot-Pourri in a Surrey Garden, 1897, by Mrs. C.W. Earle.
One of the casualties of this century is that certain words have lost curency in everyday use. For instance the words imagination and inspiration have become almost exclusively the property of science fiction writers and religious broadcasters. So much so, in fact, that when employed in other contexts, such as gardening, their use appears over dramatic and pompous. Pity. A hefty dollop of inspiration mixed with an equal quantity of imagination will do more
for the garden and its owner than all the most carefully selected plants and cunningly devised colour schemes in the world.
Winter is the ideal time of the year to excercise imagination in relation to the garden by reading, which is one of the best antidotes to bad weather.
Partial as I am to those often neglected works of fiction - the seed catalogues (to me temptation incarnate) - my inclinations veer towards what might be described as inspirational biographies of great gardens. Three outstanding examples (now in Penguin paperbacks) are:
The Education of a Gardener by Russell Page, The Well Tempered Garden and The Adventurous Gardener both by Christopher Lloyd, plus old favorites in the short essay catagory such as Thalassa Cruso s To Everything There is a Season , (now published as The Gardening Year ) Green Thoughts by Eleanor Perenyi, The Scented Garden by Rosemary Verey, Onwards and Upwards in the Garden by Katherine S. White, and so on.
Although to some extent all of them contain practical gobbets of information, their value, to me, lies in their author s understanding of gardening as nothing less than an art. Reading and rereading them each year, I am always astounded to discover fresh evidence of their appropriately down to earth common sense, ideas on scale and proportion, form, structure, texture, and most of all their feelings of enjoyment and enthusiasm; all parcelled up in an eminently readable and entertaining style. Far too many gardening books are of the how-to-manual variety, useful, accurate and informative but deadly serious; so ploddingly written that reading becomes a dreaded penance.
Looking at pictures is part of a pre-
scribed diet to resuscitate a jaded imagination. Some books have a
few choice colour photos to illustrate points in the text while others,
primarily picture books, are devoted to idiosyncratic and personal gardens and provide pleasure and inspiration.
WONDER[_AND
OF BULBS
Send $2.00 for our new I find works of art even more seduc- catalogues, refundable on tive. On dismal days, looking at first order. Monet s paintings of his flower borders at Giverny is as beneficial to the spirit as an unexpected glass of champagne!
The multitude of rare and interesting bulbs listed, over 700 varieties, many difficult
In short, inspiration and imagination to obtain elsewhere, will can be sparked by any number of un- prove to be a revelation. By likely influences - a description in a far the most complete bulb novel, poetry, movies, wallpaper, catalogue in Canada. fabrics, etc. The important thing is: to be alert and receptive. Its all
worthwhile in the end. After all, making and maintaining a g,arden =
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Canada s Lest;gnc:glgi?b Specialists probably the only opportunity most Dept. T of us will ever get to create an 1015 Mount Pleasant Road original work of art. Toronto M4P 2M1 488-8292
SHERIDAN NURSERIES LIMITED
Where
Great Gardens
At your closest Sheridan Be n And Sheridan's nursery Garden Centre you will I . Stock is guaranteed for find the finest selection of nur- ~one full year. sery stock in Canada, including At Sheridan Garden Centres you more than 750 varieties of will also find qualified nurseryplants and trees grown on men who will be pleased to help Sheridan 's own farms. you in any way they can.
MISSISSAUCA NORTH-CENTRAL ACINCOURT ETOBICOKE 606 Southdown Rd, 2827 Yonge St 3444 Sheppard Ave E. 700 Evans Ave Mississauga LS) 2v4 Toronto M4N 2J4 Toronto M1T 3k4 Etobicoke MIC 1A1 Tel 822-0251 Tel 481-6429 Tel 293-2493 Tel 621-9100
UNIONVILLE OSHAWA KITCHENER 4077 Hwy. 7, Unionville 847 King St W, Oshawa 100 Elmsdale Road, Kitchener L3R1LS Tel 728-9429 Tel 743-4146 Tel. 477-2253
P.O. Box 98 ® Martin Road Vineland Station, Ont. LOR 2EO0
A NEW FUND RAISER FOR THE CENTRE
PERENNIAL SALE
Pre-order pickup Friday, May 8th
4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Public Sale
Sat. & Sun., May 9th & 10th
Noon to 5:00 p.m.
Due to the booming interest in perennials we have increased our selection of perennials for this new,
4 Pots - $1.99
In order to secure your selection, we would ask you to complete your order form and return it to the Centre by April 24th.
Members who have submitted this order form are eligible for their 10% discount on any plants that they purchase on pre-order pick up day separate sale.
Friday, May 8th.
e e e e b S e e b e S ) Sl e b b b e ) ) ) b b
Achillea filipendula, Gold, Yarrow
Achillea millefolium, Red
Achillea The Pearl, white Ajuga, Bronze Beauty
Alyssum saxatile, Gold Dust
Anemone pulsatilla Pasque Flower
Anthemis, Kelwayi, Yellow
Aquilegia, Dragon Fly 18" mixed Arabis, Spring Charm, Carmine Arabis, White
Armeria Glory of Holland pink
Armeria, white
Artemisia, Silver Mound
Aster, Alpinus mixed Aster, blue
Astilbe, pink
Astilbe, red
Astilbe, white
Aubrieta Hendersonii, Lilac
Bellis perennis English Daisy Bellis perennis Giants
Bergenia cordifolia Giant Rockfoil
Campanula carpatica Bellflower
Carnation, Pink
Carnation, White
Carnation, Red
Centaurea montana Bachelor s Button
Cheiranthus Siberian Wallfl.-Gold
Chrysanthemum coccineum
Pyrethrum
Convallaria Lily of the Valley
Coreopsis grandiflora Tickseed
Delphinium
Dianthus, Sweet William mix
Dianthus Brilliant Cascade
Dicentra Bleeding Heart - red
Dicentra Dwarf
Dictamnus albus Gasplant pink
Digitalis, Foxy Foxglove mixture
Doronicum Leopard s - Bane
Draba
Gaillardia, Burgundy
Geum, Yellow
Gypsophila, Double Snowflake
Heuchera, Bressingham Coral Bell
Hesperis matronalis Sweet Rocket
Hollyhock, Powderpuff, mix
Hosta Honeybells
Hosta Medio Variegata
] Iberis sempervirens Candytuft wh.
] Iris, Baby Blue
] Iris, Baby Yellow
] Iris, Baby White
Kniphofia Pfitzers Torch Lily
Lavandula, Munstead, lavender
Leontopodium alpinium Edelweiss
Lobelia Cardinalis Cardinal Flower
Lunaria annua Money plant
Lupine mix, dwarf
Lychnis Arkwrightii Scarlet
Campion
Lythrum, roseum superbum-rose
Matricaria - Feverfew White Star
Monarda didyma Bergamot []
Myosotis Forget-me-not, Blue
Myosotis rose
Oenothera missourensis Evening Primrose
Penstemon barbatus Beard tongue
Phlox paniculata mixed
Phlox subulata Creeping Phlox
purple
blue
pink
red
white
Physalis Alkekengi, Chinese Lantern
Platycodon Balloon flower
Polemonium Jacob s Ladder
Poppy, Alpine - 6 mix
Poppy, Oriental - orange
Potentilla nepalensis
Primula, mix, Hybrid
Rudbeckia, Marmalade orange Coneflower
Salvia superba Sage
Saxifraga Flowering moss white
Sedum Dragons Blood, red
Sedum Spectabile Showy Stonecrop
Shasta Daisy, Alaska, single flwd
Shasta Daisy, G.Marconi, dbl.
Soldanella Alpina 15 cm blue
Statice, Linomium dumosum, 307 silver/gray
Veronica - Speedwell et
Perennial Sale, Members pre-order pickup Friday May 8th, 4:00;.m. to 7:00 NN p.m.
To take advantage of members 10% discount
PLEASE ORDER BEFORE APRIL 24th
NAME:
ADDRESS: City Province
Postal Code Phone
A 10% member s discount will apply to advance orders only and only if order is received prior to April 24th. Orders charged to Mastercard or Visa will receive 5% discount only.
The CIVIC GARDEN CENTRE
PRESENTS OUR ANNUAL FUND RAISING PLANT SALE
Members Pre-Order Sale MAY 13th, 1987, 1:00 - 8:00 p.m.
ANNUALS
Boxes @ §1.25
] Ageratum - Blue Blazer, 15 cm
] Ageratum - White Spindrift, 15 cm
] Alyssum - Snowcloth,white, 10 cm
] Alyssum - Midnight,violet, 10 cm
] Alyssum - Wonderland rose,10cm
] Aster - Dwarf Queen mix, 30 cm
] Aster - Powder puff mix, 61 cm
] Aster - Early Charm mix, 45 cm
] *Browallia - Blue Troll, 20 cm
] Carnation-Enfant deNice,mix,35cm
] *Calendula-Fiesta Gitana, mix,30cm
] Celosia - Fiery Feather, red, 31cm
] Celosia - Apricot Brandy, 40 cm
] Cleome - H.Campbell, white, 1.2m
] Cleome - Rose Queen, pink, 1m
] Coleus - Wizard mix, 25 cm
] Coleus - Carefree, mix, 30 cm
] Coleus - Carefree, red, 30 cm
] Cosmos - Sunny Red, 30 cm
] *Dahlia - Rigoletto, mix, 38 cm
] Dianthus - Wee Willie, mix, 15 cm
] Dusty Miller, Silverdust, 20 cm
] Kale - Flowering, red
] Kale - Flowering, white
] Lobelia - Blue Crystal, 15 cm
] Lobelia - White Lady, 15 cm
] Lobelia-Rosamond-cherry red,15cm
] Marigold - Janie, yellow, 20 cm
] Marigold - Janie, orange, 20 cm
] Marigold - Janie, flame-bicol, 20cm
] Marigold-King Tut, yel/red, 25cm
] Marigold-Scarlet Sophia scarlet,31cm
] *Marigold-Inca, yellow, 30 cm
] *Marigold-Inca, orange, 30 cm
] Marigold-Diamond Jubilee, yel,50cm
] Marigold - Climax, yellow, 75-90cm
] Nicotiana - Nicki Red, 40 cm
] Nicotiana - Nicki Rose, 40 cm
] Nicotiana - Nicki White, 40 cm
] Phlox - Twinkle mix starshaped,15cm
] Portulaca - Sundance, mixed
] Salvia - Red Hot Sally, 25 cm
] Salvia - Red Pillar, 35 cm
] Salvia - Splendens Tall, red, 75cm
] Salvia-Farinacea,Bl.Victoria, 35cm
] Snapdragon-Floral Carpet,mix,20cm
] Snapdragon-Little Darling,mix,30cm
] Snapdragon-Carioca, mix, 51 cm
] Snapdragon - Rocket, mix, 90 cm
] Snapdragon - Princess White, 30cm
| *Thunbergia Susie - orange trailer
] Verbena-Blaze, bt.scarlet, 25 cm
] Verbena - Amethyst, mid-blue,30cm
] Verbena-Showtime solid cl.mix,25cm
] Verbena-Trinidad-pink, 22 cm
] *Vinca - Bright Eyes, white/red, 25cm
] *Vinca - Little Linda, rosy pink,25cm
] Zinnia-Burpeeana, mix, 50 cm
] Zinnia - Pulcino,mix, 35 cm
] Zinnia - State Fair, mix, 90 cm
PETUNIAS
Petunias-(Single flowered - Grandiflora)
[ ] Petunia - Red Flash
[ ] Petunia - White Flash
[ ] Petunia - Yellow Magic
[ ] Petunia - Burgundy, Velvety wine
[ ] Petunia - Blue Lace-deep blue/pur.
[ ] Petunia - Rose Cloud, deep rose
Petunias - (Grandiflora Cascading)
[ 1 Petunia - White Cascade
[ ] Petunia - Chiffon Cascade lt.mauve
[ ] Petunia - Pink Cascade
[ ] Petunia - Royal Cascade, purple
[ ] Petunia - Red Cascade, deep red
Petunias - (Picotee Grandiflora)
[ ] Petunia - Red Picotee
[ ] Petunia - Blue Picotee
[ ] Petunia - Rose Picotee
Petunias - (Double Flowered)
[ ] *Petunia - Snowbird, white
[ 1 *Petunia-Honey Bunch sal.pink
[ ] *Petunia - Cardinal, red
[ ] *Petunia-Purple Pirouette viol/white
[ ] *Petunia-Strawberry Tart, red/white
Petunias - (Floribunda)
[ ] Petunia - Coral Madness
[ ] Petunia - Summer Madness
[ ] Petunia - Plum Madness
[ ] Petunia - White Madness
[ ] Petunia - Red Madness
Plants marked * are 4 per box others 6 per box.
Your Support Helps
IMPATIENS:
[ ] *Novette - Red
[ 1 *Novette - Scarlett
[ ] *Novette - Orange
[ ] *Novette - White
[ ] *Novette - Pink
[ 1 *Novette - Wild Rose
[ 1 *Novette - Salmon
[ 1 *Novette - Mixed
[ ] *Showstopper - Pink
[ ] *Rosette Double - Mixed
BLITZ IMPATIENS
[ ] *Orange
[ 1 *Red
[ 1 *Pink
[ 1 *White
GERANIUMS - From Cuttings
-4 pots $1.89
[ ] Yours Truly - Red
[ ] Snowmass - White
[ ] Picardy - Salmon-pink
[ ] Flirt - Pink
[ 1 Empress Irene - Orange/Red
[ ] Aurora - Cerise
FISCHER GERANIUMS
-4 pots
[ ] Mars - Red
[ ] Casino - Dark Salmon
[ ] Champagne - Light Rose
[ ] Blues - Pink
[ ] Fortuna - Red $1.99
Seedling Geraniums by the Flat
[ ] 3% Pinto red - 18 per flat
[ 1 3% Pinto pink - 18 per flat
$25.00
[ 1 3% Pinto white - 18 per flat
IVY GERANIUMS
-4 pots
[ ] Ivy-Sybil Holmes Double Pink
$1.99
[ ] Ivy-Tavira Double Red
[ ] Ivy-Harvard Double Burgundy
10 HANGING BASKETS$15.95
A large variety of hanging baskets for sunny and shady locations will be available for your selection.
FIBROUS BEGONIAS4/box $1.39
[ 1 *Scarletta - bt.red, green foliage
[ ] *Viva - white, green foliage
[ ] *Linda - Salmon/pink,green foliage
[ ] *Vodka - scarlet, bronze foliage
[ ] *Gin-Salmon/pink, bronze foliage
[ 1 *Whiskey - White, bronze foliage
SPECIALTY BEDDING PLANTS
[ ] 3% Dracaena spikes $1.99
[ 1 4 Fuchsia - mixed $1.99
4 NON STOP BEGONIAS $2.29
[ 1 Red
[ ] Yellow
[ ] Salmon
[ ] Apricot
4 NEW GUINEA SUNSHINE IMPATIENS $1.89
[ 1 Zenith-Br.Orange,gr.& yel. foliage
[ 1 Red planet - red, gr.& yel. foliage
[ 1 Cosmos - Dk.rose, gr.&yel.foliage
[ 1 Milkyway - White, gr.&yel.foliage
[ 1 Enterprise - Redish pink,bronze fol.
[ 1 Eclipse - Scarlet, Bronze foliage
[ 1 Comet - Dk. Pink, bronze foliage
[ ] Twilight - Blush Pink, gr.&yel.foliage
VEGETABLES $1.25
[ ] Parsley
[ ] Onions - Sweet Spanish
[ 1 Peppers-Calif.Wonder swt.grn. 72days
[ 1 Peppers-Shepherd sweet red, 68 days
[ Tomatoes-Bonny Best, 70 days
[ Tomatoes-Early Girlslicer 52 days
[ ] Tomatoes-Better Boy, 70 days
[ Tomatoes-Beefsteak, 96 days
CHERRY TOMATOES
[ 1 Tomatoes-Sweet 100, 65 days
[ 1 Tomatoes-Tiny Tim, 45 days, Patio
[ 110 Pot - Patio Prize Tomatoes $4.50
Plants marked * 4/box others 6/box.
WE ARE EXPANDING
Because of your interest & support our Spring Plant Sale has grown to the degree that we have expanded in order to bring you the largest selection of varieties possible. To do this we have separated the perennial & annual sales. Our perennial sale will now be held in the Auditorium, Saturday & Sunday, May 9th & 10th, noon to 5:00 p.m. We have been most fortunate in having a large selection of unusual perennials grown for us by Keith Squires as well as the more usual plants, commercially grown.
This doesn t mean that we are not anxious to receive your donations. The sale of donated plants brings a considerable revenue so please pick up your pots (available free at the Centre) and get potting!!!
With your help we can make this our most successful plant sale ever. Spread the word that even the newest gardeners can shop at our sales as continuous horticultural advice is available.
HIGHLIGHTS FOR 1987
NEW BLITZ IMPATIENS
The most popular type of impatien is now available in 4 exciting colours. The Blitz series which produces the largest flowers and the tallest plants now comes in Red, Pink, White and Orange. These impatiens are spectacular in hanging baskets as well as in the garden.
NEW FISCHER GERANIUMS
A new introduction of -cutting geranium. Fischer geraniums are specifically bred for early flowering, bushy and vigorous growth. They are ideal for the garden, patio pots and window boxes.
Many cultivars are self-branching and therefore grow to a very good compact shape with lots of blooms. Be sure to watch for Mars, Casino, Champagne, Blues and Fortuna.
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING YOUR CIVIC GARDEN CENTRE
PRE-ORDERS - WEDNESDAY, MAY 13th, - 1:00 to 8:00 p.m.
PUBLIC SALE - THURSDAY, MAY 14th, - 1:00 to 8:00 p.m. FRI., SAT., SUN. & MON., MAY 15th to 18th, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Plants listed on this order form are greenhouse grown for the Civic Garden Centre. Take advantage of members sale to ensure a good selection & your 10% discount. PLEASE ORDER BEFORE - MAY 1st. Your Selection is to be picked up WED., MAY 13th, from 1:00 to 8:00p.m. ONLY.
Name: Address: City Prov.
Postal Code: Phone ( )
A 10% member s discount will apply to advance orders only and only if order is received prior to May lst. Orders charged to Mastercard or Visa accounts will receive 5% dis. only.
MILNE HOUSE GARDEN CLUB
SATURDAY, 2nd MAY, 1987. 10 am.- 6 pm.
ADMISSION: $3.00 t= HE BUS TOURS: $2.50
CivicGardenCentre % i Tickets: Edwards Gardens ¥ vommuswo ||
§44-4268 v T A i = LAWRES :l lll ; 4474394 O ']g i
24th ANNUAL FLOWER SHOW on MARCH 29th, 1987 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the Civic Garden Centre
HARU no ELEGANCE
Admission $2.50 Official opening 1:30 by KATIE MAY McCARTHY
Demonstrations at 1:45 & 3:30 by Professor MASUMI MIURA from Japan Tea Room Containers for sale "
Steeles Ave. W. (2 miles west of Highway 10) R.R. 10 Brampton L6V 3N2
Knowledgeable staif 7 days a week (9-5pm) mid-April - mid-Oct. Over 3000 different hardy plants, alpines, dwarf conifers and shrubs, Hardy ferns, vines, groundcovers and native wildflowers Gift Certificates $10. up (10-15-20 etc.{ by mail any time All Year Send $2.00 for NEW (No.10) PLANT LIST by mail to above address
SPECIALTY P§REN NIALS
CGC Members Only - Friday, May 8th 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
PUBLIC Sale - Sat.& Sun., May 9th & 10th, Noon to 5:00 p.m.
Thanks to Keith Squires we are able to quantities are limited they will be offer you the following selection of available on a first come, first served extraordinary perennials. Because basis.
AT THE CENTRE AND
DOROTHY BOVEY BOTANICAL ART WORKSHOP
June 1 to June 4, 1987
Internationally acclaimed artist Dorothy Bovey will be coming to the Centre to conduct this four day Botanical Art Workshop. She is a botanical painter, photographer, writer, broadcaster and world traveller, as well as a distinguished lecturer.
As a botanical artist, she has been awarded five gold medals by the Royal Horticultural Society of London and has had one woman shows in many parts of the world. While she enjoys painting scientific illustrations of new and exotic plants, she equally enjoys painting primroses and violets.
Her travels have taken her around the globe and she has captured many exciting moments on film. Her photographs have been widely exhibited.
In addition to conducting this botanical art workshop, Dorothy Bovey will also be speaking at the Centre on June 14, as part of our Garden Talk series.
If you are interested in participating in the Dorothy Bovey Botanical Art Workshop, register EARLY. Enrolment is limited to 20 persons only. After registration, students will receive a list ofrequirements by mail.
The registration fee for this workshop is $125.00, payable on or before May 4. We regret, no refunds after May 25.
Dear Volunteer:
We are pleased to welcome Patricia Bowker, Anita Millyard, Mary Clarkson and Ann Manester as new, regular volunteers to the Centre this month. Each is working 2 day per week and we are very appreciative of their efforts.
B.C. GARDEN TRIP IN MAY
There is room for four more participants to see some of the wonderful private gardens in Victoria and Vancouver,led by David Tarrant of U.B.C.
The tentative schedule is as follows: Fly to Victoria on May 1; Ferry to Vancouver (via White Rock) on May 4; return to Toronto on May 8..
Estimated cost for air fare, accomodation (3 nights in Victoria and 4 in Vancouver), hotel taxes and baggage handling only:
Single occupancy: $1075
Double occupancy: $860
Don t miss this opportunity. Call the Centre today to make your reservation.
PLEASE REGISTER ME FOR THE BOTANICAL ART WORKSHOP. I enclose a cheque for $125.00
R B e S e S s S R S SR TR SO R
GARDEN FESTIVAL 87
April 3rd to 12th
What better way to spend a day than to stroll through landscaped gardens, picking as you go not flowers, but words of information and inspiration about gardening.
Our Centre is pleased to be involved in this spectacular event which this year is part of the National Home Show.
As a special bonus to our members, the company which produces the show, Southex Exhibitions, has very generously cut the admission price in half.
If you enter the show through the Queen Elizabeth Bldg. and show your Civic Garden Centre membership card you will pay only $3.00. This then entitles you to take the shuttle bus to any other part of the National Home Show.
Many of our user groups will be involved in our display so don t miss out. Mark your calendar today for a trip to remember.
See you there,
HELP WANTED
GARDEN FESTIVAL
If you are able to volunteer please call and tell us when you are available. We need many helpers.
If you are interested, please call Carolyn Smith, Volunteer Co-ordinator.
THE JOHN BROOKES WORKSHOP: A REVIEW
Recently, the Civic Garden Centre scored a coup by having John Brookes, the internationally-known landscape designer, author and lecturer conduct a two week workshop on landscape design here at the Centre. This was the first time Mr. Brookes had run a course of this magnitude in Toronto. It was, essentially, the first two weeks of the four week course Mr. Brookes offers at his home and studio at the Clock House, in England. For the 24 participants, the experience proved to be, in turns, exhilarating, exhausting, inspiring, frustrating, helpful and certainly unique.
Mr. Brookes brings a pragmatic, highly evolved, no-nonsense approach to design, eschewing the tricky and busy for the simple and beautiful. As a teaching aid, he has developed a grid system, based on using the lines of any permanent structure on a site, which virtually guarantees pleasing scale and proportion for any design. He has a finely developed eye for shape and flow, and can instantly zero in on a weak spot in any design scheme (as we soon found out). His lectures are extremely clear, lucid and economically phrased. He has distilled the art of landscape design down to an easy-to-digest science, and was able to give all the workshop participants (mostly professionals in landscape design and allied fields and
students of landscape architecture), many worthwhile tips to help achieve better results in their work more quickly and efficiently. In short, he has a real talent for making, the murky come perfectly clear.
Mr. Brookes, in addition to putting us through the paces in developing design and planting plans, also gave us refreshment for our souls with excellent, well organised slides (those showing his planting schemes were absolutely magnificent). And he was generous with his time in reviewing our own private design schemes, gardens and works-in-progress.
At the farewell Chinese banquet, Mr. Brookes promised to come back and teach the final two weeks of his workshop at a later date. This will be awaited with great anticipation, though admittedly learning about landscape design in Mr. Brookes wonderful garden in England would be rather more inspiring than at the Centre s Studio 1.
For those who have not, as yet, had the benefit of John Brookes personal tutoring, a nice wallow in any of his books is highly recommended. They are well written, concise, and beautifully illustrated, and are available both at the bookshop and in the library. John Brookes latest book is The Indoor Garden ,
FROM THE BOOKSHOP
by' Margaret Austin
THE
HARROWSMITH
ILLUSTRATED
BOOK OF HERBS by Patrick Lima. Illustrated by Turid Forsyth. Camden House 1986 $19.95 (paper)
It would be easy to praise this book because it is a rarity - a garden book written and produced in Canada for Canadian gardeners. But it is more than that. With this first book, the author and his colleagues have made an outstanding contribution to garden literature - beautiful, informative and delightfully written.
Patrick Lima writes from experience; the superb photographs by John Scanlan of Larkwhistle Garden in the Bruce Peninsula are proof that he is no mean gardener.
The author s personal definition of the word herb leads to a consideration of the selection and placement of herbs in the garden.
We are led on an exploration to pick and nibble and crunch and sniff through his own garden. In his discussion of structure and design, which emphasizes proper soil preparation, there is a description of the plain hard work that went into the creation of Larkwhistle.
The practical and thorough advice on growing kitchen herbs - perennials, annuals and biennials - will be welcomed by many who have tried and failed to grow herbs well in this climate. Many suggestions are made for their use, along with a smattering of more formal recipes. Confessing to a weakness for the thyme family (he never met a thyme he didn t like), Mr. Lima devotes a chapter to this group; another chapter is given to alliums and yet another to herbal teas.
At Larkwhistle, he tells us, herbs are also grown for the colour of their blooms and the colour of their
foliage, ranging from the greys, garden silverware , to all the shades of green for lighting a shady corner.
Quoting famous and not so famous gardeners of the past, the author treats us to his own views on fragrance in the herb garden - I cannot think of better garden company for old roses than lavender. Space is also found at Larkwhistle, he tells us, for carnations, scented geraniums and Florentine iris, the source of orrisroot powder for fixing the fragrance in potpourri.
Advice is given on growing herbs indoors in winter (not easy), and preserving fresh herbs for winter use and decoration.
For those who wish to grow unusual varieties of herbs, or for whom economy is important, the chapter on propagation is invaluable. In fact, here is good advice for anyone who has failed at growing plants from seed. Stem cuttings, root stock division and layering are also described.
A source list for herb seeds, plants and related miscellaneous items is included. My favourite is the Fish Lake Garlic Man in Demorestville, Ontario.
Throughout, we are enlightened and entertained by the author s very personal point of view which enhances the text. Turid Forsyth s exquisite botanical drawings and the photographs, especially those of Larkwhistle garden, contribute to a perfect whole.
In my copy of his book, Patrick Lima has written For Inspiration . Inspiration indeed!
GROWING CONCERNS
By Anne Marie Van Nest
March is the most unpredictable month of the whole year. That nasty lion will not relinquish his hold on us to the lamb. So we must face the chilling northerlies and hope that the little Galanthus nivalis (Snowdrops) can brave the storm. I can remember days in March when I rejoiced in the balmy weather while gardening in short sleeves. On the other hand, I do recall snowdrifts in April. We will just have to make do with the weather as it comes.
FORCING BRANCHES INDOORS
We can hurry spring along by forcing some branches in the house quite easily. Most of the early spring flowering shrubs can be forced: examples include Forsythia, Malus species (Flowering Crab Apple), Prunus species (Flowering Cherries), Viburnums, Spiraea thunbergiana (Thunberg Spirea) and Magnolia kobus Stellata (Star Magnolia). You might experiment with some others from your garden as well. After selecting your branches, immediately place them in a pail of water with some floral preservative. Set your pail in a cool location and mist the branches frequently. Soon you will have glorious bursts of spring, especially if you force some forsythia.
FERTILIZATION
With the coming of March it is time for all good gardeners to come to the aid of their houseplants. A reward is definitely deserved by our plants for struggling through the dark, gloomy, dry winter months. It is time to divide, repot and fertilize. Perhaps your plants deserve a spring tonic fertilizer. There are a number of fertilizers available for your plants, so make your choice carefully. Consider what plants you are going to
fertilize; flowering or non-flowering plants. Everything will fit into one category or the other depending on the stage it is presently in.
Non-flowering plants should be fertilized with an allround balanced fertilizer such as the old reliable 20-20-20 or 10-10-27. One consideration you might give to your fertilizing routine is to take the recommended fertilization and dilute them to be applied at each watering. This will allow a small amount to reach the plant with each watering and will encourage uninterrupted growth and decrease the chances of damage due to over-exuberant fertilizing.
For flowering plants or plants that will come into bloom soon, a fertilizer with a higher ratio of phosphorus will encourage the plants to bloom (there are other benefits as well). Such a fertilizer can be found by reading the three (or more) sets of numbers found on the package. The first number represents nitrogen which is responsible for the growth of leaves and stems. Too much nitrogen will result in plants that are very soft and lush. They will take longer to harden or mature and are more susceptible to diseases and insect damage. The second number in the ratio represents phosphorus, which helps to produce fruit and seeds as well as to encourage good root formation. Thid nutrient is fixed in the soil and won t leach out like nitrogen. It doesn t last forever in the soil though, especially in a small pot. The third number of the ratio represents potassium, which will help the plant form sturdy parts. It also helps build up resistance to certain diseases and it has a balancing influence on the other nutrients. The remaining numbers on the package are the trace elements and are required in a very small amount by the plants. These are often incorporated in fertilizers and rarely are deficient.
Iron is the minor nutrient that is lacking most often.
Back to flowering plants - They should have a higher middle number (Phosphorus) such as 15-30-15 or 10-30-20 or 4-12-4 or 0-15-14, the list could go on forever. The directions on the package should be followed: do not add a little bit more because you missed last weeks fertilizing. This could cause burning and damage the plant. Always apply your fertilizer to moist soil. This will help prevent burning the roots and tips of the leaves.
SUMMER FLOWERING BULBS
Get a head start on the growing season by purchasing your summer bulbs from the Trellis shop now! These bulbs are happy to be potted and started indoors. One of the new bulbs this year is Babiana striata, otherwise known as Baboon-roots . Apparently baboons like this corm in their native South Africa. Also new this spring is Ornithogalum thyrsoides (Star of Bethlehem), which is also from South Africa and has long lasting flower spikes 30 cm tall and white in colour. Pleione formosanum is a Hardy Orchid from the mountains of Formosa and is very short (6 ) It is a striking soft lilac rose colour marked on buff yellow. Homeria breyniana and Polianthus tuberosa are also new introductions this spring. Many of these plants produce excellent cut flowers and are highly perfumed.
3 TRELLIS SHOP
by Jackie Brisby, Manager
This month we are introducing a line of garden tools from a well known British manufacturer. These tools are of exceptional quality - tools that should last a lifetime.
The head and socket of each fork and spade is forged from a single bar of strong manganese steel. While this makes them more difficult to manufacture it produces the very toughness one requires when using them. The sockets are solid (not welded) and enclose completely a beautifully finished, straight-grained handle of American ashwood that goes right down to the blade of the tool.
Included in this shipment are a long handled trowel and fork at $19.50. These are both wonderful tools for easing back strain and for those having small planting and storage areas such as condominium and townhouse residents. In addition. there is a lawn edg-
ing knife with a carbon steel blade and 32 handle which cuts and lifts turf with little effort.
If you are considering buying tools this spring, please have a look at these. We think they are exceptional. Our members receive a 10% discount.
IN THE LIBRARY
Pamela MacKenzie, Librarian
Don t forget that we have an extensive collection of seed and nurserymen s catalogues; the 1987 issues are arriving almost daily. When you are planning your spring sowing and planting these are a valuable source of information. I regret that they are not for loan, but photocopies can always be made.
Bulk Ennombre third troisieme class classe
%
CENTRE
Board of Directors:
* President
* 1st Vice-President
* 2nd Vice-President
* Treasurer
* Executive Committee
Mr. Brian Bixley
| Mrs. Sue Macaulay
Mr. Charles Coffey
Mr. Charles Coffey
For 1986: Mr. Art Drysdale, Mr. Albert Fisher, Mrs. Hazel Lyonde, Mr. David Tomlinson, Mr. Harold Wakefield, Mrs. Joyce Dossal, Mrs. Marian Lawson
For 1986 & 1987: Mr. William Aimers, *Mrs. Camilla Dalglish, Mrs. Susan Macaulay, Mr. Andrew Osyany, Mrs. June Punnett, *Mr. Bob Saunders, Mr. Peter Thomas
For 1986, 1987 & 1988: Mr. Brian Bixley, Mr. Charles Coffey, Mr. Mark Cullen *Mr. Peter Hand, Mrs. Margaret Killey, Mrs. Susan McCoy, Mr. Phillip S. Tingley, Mr. Victor Portelli.
Receints issned for tax deductions for all but the basic annual | $15. members fee (Charitable Registration No. 02281 14-56-13) |
THE CIVIC GARDEN CENTRE, !
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Don Mills, Ontario M3C 1P2
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