HARDY LOCALLY GROWN ROSES
World Famous New Introductions for 1975.Plant Roses this fall with our 100% Guarantee until Summer 75.
ENGLISH DAFFODILS HOLLAND & o IRISH TULIPS
Saturday and Sunday, October 26 and 27 are the days of Dried Flower Material and Winter Bouquet Sale, at the Civic Garden Centre. But, there will be several innovations this year the most obvious will be the addition of a number ofdried flower crafts, all handmade by our members. Included in the craft items for sale will be wall plaques in various sizes each protected under a plexiglas cover; book ends; and shadow boxes. There will also be pressed flower items.
While there will be a good display of beautiful dried flower bouquets for sale as in past years, the number ofarrangements will be strictly limited. In lieu of a large number of arrangements, there will be a large selection ofpre-packaged dried flower materials sufficient to make your own arrangement. Two sizes of boxes will be offered, one in the $5 price range, and one about $10. To go along with these pre-packaged materials, there will be on-going demonstrations ofhow to make yourown arrangements from the boxed materials. Likewise, from the Centre s shop there will be a wide selection ofaccessories including the new Dry Oasis .
For those who just want to augmnent their own dried flower collections in order to make special bouquets, there will also be a mass of loose material including leaves, grasses and seed pots; all individually priced. In the container line, there is to be a white elephant sale table with a wide selection of economical containers, as well as a selection of the usual good lines carried by our shop. Come on Saturday, October 26, from 10:00 am onwards, and make your selection from our superb materials. We'll be open until 6:00 pm that night, and then open again at 1:00 pm on Sunday.
While talking about sales, please mark the dates of November 28, 29, 30 and December 1 on your calendar. These are the days ofour annual Christmas sale this year. With this sale as well,
Preserved Flowers that last all Winter to be featured in do-it-yourself Kits
there will be a new format, and most evident is the shortening to a four-day event. Watch future issues of Trellis for further details.
Flower Arranging in all Styles
A special three-day workshop will be given at the Civic Garden Centre on three consecutive Wednesdays, November 6, 13 and 20, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 .m.
Each morning and afternoon will be devoted to a different type or style of decorative design. Still life, assemblage, free form, abstract and the oriental manner will be delineated by the instructor but the students will be expected to participate individually. These workshops are open to everyone. While no particular level of experience is required for enrollment, completion of the Centre s Basic Flower Arranging course, along with some reading in advance, will be desirable.
The instructors need no introduction for they are exceedingly competent and very well known in flower arranging circles and to horticultural societies: Margaret Dove, Mary Baillie and Audrey Meiklejohn. For application form for the three-day workshop please call the Centre s office, 445-1552.
Indoor Light Gardening Specialists
e Terrarium lamps e Hobby greenhouses
e Wall & table e Humex' grhse. models accessories
e Build-up mini- e Stewart gardengardens ware Exotic, Miniature & Terrarium Plants at The Plant Room, Hornby, 878-4984
EQUIPMENT CONSULTANTS AND SALES
@n Dunwin Dr., Mississauga, Ont. L5L 1A3 Phone 828-5925
Regular Features
School of Floral Decoration, 3; Gardening Events 12; Garden- ing Under Lights, 18; Milne House, 19; Shop, 20; Highrise Gardeners, 20; and Library and Bookshop, 21
The Front Cover
Autumn is Chrysanthemum time. This huge arrangement was a feature of a Tokyo, Japan show in 1970.sl'he Canadian Chrysanthemum Society has a show at the Centre on November 2 and 3. Photo by Art C. Drysdale.
Civic Garden Centre Board of Directors
Mrs. K. G. (Audrey) Allman; R. H. (Roy) Bainard; Mrs. J. H. (Betty) Billes; J. (Jack) Blair; J. E. (John) Bradshaw; Mrs. D. P. (Elizabeth) Bh?'ce; G. P. (Geoff) Clarkson; E. A. (Ed) Endersby; R. A. (Reg) Mackenzie; G. A. (Gib) Milne; E. R. (Ernie) Pope; Mrs. E. (Flavia) Redelmeier (Chairman); Mrs. F. W. (Genevieve) Robertson; W. (Wilf) Sanders; L. C.(La Sherk; Mrs. R. (Helen) Skinner; T. W. (Tom) Thompson; Dm. (Dave) Ye- rex.
Staff for Civic Garden Centre and Trellis
George Sinclair, Executive Director; A. C. (Art) Drysdale, Associate Director and Editor; Mrs. J. W. (Awdrey) Clarke, Executive Secretary.
General Information
& Trellis is published monthly (except July and August) by the Civic Garden Centre, 777 Lawrence Avenue East, Don Mills, Ontario, M3C 1P2. The Centre is located in Edwards Gardens, at Leslie Street and Lawrence Avenue East, the geographical centre of Metropolitan Toronto. It is a non-profit gardening and floral arts information organization with open membership. Subscriptions to Trellis are only available through Centre membership (35 for 12 months). Opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the Centre. This is Volume 1, Number 8.
THE CIVIC GARDEN CENTRE Telephone 445-1552
What it is
A non-profit gardening and floral arts centre for the dissemination of information to amateur gardeners and flower-arrangers
« An open membership body with over 2,000 keen gardener-members (from rank amateurs to advanced professionals) who pay only $5 for 12 months
« Home of six gardening clubs or groups with specific gardening interests
« Meeting place for specialized plant societies from Bonsai to Roses
« Home of some of the best flower arrangers in North America (quoted from U.S.A. author and editor, Helen Van Pelt Wilson)
What it does
Operates Canada s most complete public horticultural library
« Responds to over 3,000 gardening questions annually
o Organizes, in both spring and autumn, garden talks and demonstrations on a wide variety of subjects and at different levels
« Teaches non-commercial flower arranging at various levels to over 300 persons annually and encourages their competition
e Carries on an extensive flower-drying program to extend garden beauty through into the winter months economically
o Operates a Speakers Panel Bureau which brings panels of experts on various subjects to groups desirous ofan informative program
o Publishes information booklets on various subjects; e.g. Preserving Beautiful Flowers
« Stages two flower shows each year and hosts numerous others
What members receive ($5 annual fee)
o Ten issues peryear of Trellis
« Free borrowing privileges from the 3,000-volume library
o Ten per cent discount off all purchases of books and gardening and floral arts supplies bought from the Centre
« Opportunity to join one or more specialized member groups or clubs
« Discounts off all courses offered at the Centre
« Free admission to Members' Nights held at leasttwice per year
777 Lawrence Ave. East (in Edwards Gardens), Don Mills, Ontario M3C 1P2
Giardeners with an interest in tropical plants will experience an exciting learning adventure on a botanical exploration at the Metro Toronto Zoo where more than 1,000 different species of plants can be discovered.
One ofthe zoo s aims is to recreate as closely as possible the natural environment of the animals; the equatorial rain forests in the African and Indomalayan pavilions; and outdoors, the African Savannah, and Eurasian woods and plains. Desert, swamp and Mediterranean plants, as well, will provide the settings against which the animals are seen.
Zoo horticulturalists chose the tropical plants from 30 nurseries in Florida after extensive research to ensure geographical authenticity. The plants were then shipped to a central point and trucked directly to Toronto on specially climatized trucks, normally a 28-hour trip. However, with speed limits imposed by gasoline rationing, the drive took 60 hours. The assembling ofplants began over 18 months ago and planting began in January this year.
The tropical plant collection includes 400 trees, 4,000 shrubs, and endless ground cover; plus 6,000 square feet of tropical grass which stays green the year round, also imported from Florida. (Bluegrasses, which predominate in Canada go dormant in winter.) The zoo palm collection is probably the most varied one to be found in North America. This botanical collection is important not only because it is the largest assembly ofplants at the zoo, but because it includes rare and endangered species, at a cost of $200,000.
No insecticides to be used
The zoo must purchase plant material that is available in North American nurseries to reduce the possibility of introducing new pests and diseases from abroad.
Tropical Plant Exhibits rival the Animals at newly opened Metro Toronto Zoo
Ken Brown*
A greenhouse donated by the family of the late Senator Wallace McCutcheon is maintained on site to propagate plants. At least one plant of each of the 1,000 species will flourish under glass for replacement purposes. Several species of endangered plants also are grown. These can, ultimately, be returned to nature. As well, the greenhouse will act as a plant hospital. Connected to the greenhouse is the integral potting shed a gift from the Garden Club ofToronto, and used as the working area.
A seed programme is being instigated to expand the diversity of the plant collection through participation in the International Seed Exchange, a loose group of botanical institutions that supply seeds readily available to them, to other countries. Seeds from several countries have been obtained in this manner.
Small tropical plants, many of which are not generally available in Toronto, are on sale in the zoo retail shop.
No insecticides will be used on any of the plants in the pavilions. Insect control will be by nature; i.e., predatory insects which prey on destructive insects which suck the juices from the plants. For example, 50,000 ladybugs have been imported from California to control the spider mites and aphids. They will be helped by predacious spiders. Minute wasps 1/16th of an inch long have been obtained from Agriculture Canada to control a common greenhouse pest, the white fly. The wasp destroys these pests by laying its own eggs within the white fly pupae.
By using these natural methods, the zoo hopes to keep the insect population. in balance and as a result, protect the tropical plants.
* Mr. Brown is horticulturist for the Metro Toronto Zoo, and addressed the annual meeting of the Civic Garden Centre in April this year,
6 / October 1974
Another method of protecting the plants is by climate control, maintaining a constant temperature. In the African and Indomalayan pavilions, the temperature will never go below a tropical 70°F. The pavilions are heated by a forced air humidified heating system.
The horticulturalists hope that not only will visitors learn about rare and tropical plants, but that they will recognize others of the plants which are found in many homes as house plants. Visitors will be able readily to identify many of these, but they will be astonished at the gigantic size to which these plants grow in nature a change from a two-foot-high rubber plant to a towering rubber tree, although they are the identical species.
Indomalayan Exhibit
The Village Edge, a small pavilion introducing the Indomalayan region, features a rice crop and other plant life which exists on the edge of a Malayan village. It shows what life exists where the city endsand the country begins and what plants and animals live beside and off man.
Tropical rain forests are recreated in both the African and Indomalayan pavilions; however, the foliage differs even though some similarities will be obvious to the observant botanical explorer. Various families of plants have different species developed in each of these areas. Some species are generally spread throughout the tropics and occur in both places.
A cross-section ofsome of the plants in the Indomalayan pavilion includes the heaviest tree brought to the site, the Banyan, which weighed in at three tons. (The largest Banyan tree ever discovered covers eight acres the tree walks putting out branches from which roots descend to embed themselves in the earth.) Rubber trees grow here along with the mango and umbrella trees, coconut and fish-tail palms. Members of the ginger family will be found, also the cycads, gigantic flowering relative of the ferns which have not evolved or changed since pre-historic times. An interesting fern is the bird s nest fern which has a solid rather than feathery frond. Epiphytic orchids which grow in the air, exposing their roots to
absorb the moisture; exotic hibiscus plants, and red and yellow crotons (another recognizable house plant) provide colour contrast to the varied shades of luxuriant green.
African Exhibit
The humidjungle of the tropical rain forest recreated in the African pavilion includes one of the most varied palm collections in North America along with the palms in Indo-malaya. One of the more interesting plants is the traveller s palm from Madagascar, which spreads its fronds in a large fan pointing in a south and north direction, probably due to the prevailing winds. This is not the reason why, however, it is called a traveller s palm, but due to the plant s capacity to retain pockets ofwater for the thirsty traveller at the base of its overlapping segments in the trunk. Another rare palm is the triangular palm, its trunk forming a definite isosceles shape. More cycads flourish here and screw pines resembling huge swivelling pineapple tops. A unique tree is the sausage tree which grows an inedible two-foot long sausage-shape fruit. More of the fig family the fiddle-leaf fig bamboo, banana trees and the waterplant, papyrus, burgeon in this daily-watered area. Even a coffee bush is producing beans. Flowers include African daisies, grown from seeds imported from Africa and the elegant orange and purple bird of paradise.
A special exhibit, South African succulents, including the endangered pachypodium, grow next to a window framing the African Savannah outdoor paddocks. Here, hawthorne (which resembles the African acacia tree), Sumac, Locust and apple trees dot the landscape.
North American Pavilion
The plants in the North American pavilion represent two areas: the swamplands of the Florida Everglades and the southwestern desert. The swamp area displays cabbage palms, palmettos, gumbo limbo trees, cannas and swamp ass.
The desert has many cacti such as opuntia, from which tequila is made, agaves (century plant) and yucca plants.
The zoo0 s collection of cacti was started off with a presentation from the (Conclusion on page 9)
Trellis / 7
T his is the time of year to do the easy chores necessary to get your Christmas cactus to bloom well from December until the first of February. Keep in mind that a Christmas cactus doesn t necessarily bloom at Christmas despite its common name. There are new varieties which have been bréd to flower at the time of the American Thanksgiving and others that come into bloom some time in February. Ifyou want to be sure of bloom at Christmas, make sure you buy plants that are known to flower at that festive time of the year.
Unfortunately, that s not the whole answer. The reason your Christmas Cactus fails to bloom may be due to the kind ofcare it does or does not receive. First of all, you must harden off this
Your Christmas Cactus will bloom if You duplicate its Natural Conditions
John Bradshaw*
year s new growth on which the flower buds will eventually appear. This is accomplished by only watering twice during the next four weeks. Following that, the plants will initiate or develop flower buds. If you can get the night temperature down to 50 or 55 degrees for the next four weeks, flower buds will form regardless ofthe total length ofdaylight hours. It can be difficult, however, to get the temperature down that low indoors. I's more easy to achieve 60 to 65 degrees at night. At that temperature you ll need to supply 13 hours of uninterrupted darkness such as would be found in an unused room or cupboard.
* Mr. Bradshaw is Canada s best-known garden broadcaster and writer. His broadcast is heard each Saturday morning at 10:07 am overCFRB, and hiscolumn appears twice weekly in the Toronto Sun.
1010 on your radio gets you
JOHN BRADSHAW
SATURDAYS beginning at 10 a.m.
SUNDAYS beginning at 8:10 a.m.
You ll need to do this from early October to the middle of November.
If you leave the plant in the normal temperature of 75 degrees or better at night, the flowerbuds will seldom form.
After the flower buds have formed, they ll produce their blooms at normal room temperatures. At this time, give the plant a sunny window, making sure that you don t close the curtains behind it at night, thus putting the plant in a temporary refrigerator where it can be so cold that it may be killed by the frost.
Each year, I receive many letters complaining that a Christmas cactus plant has produced a quantity of buds which have exasperatingly dropped off just before flowering time. I believe that the chief causes of this problem are overwatering, constant exposure to cold draughts or being placed too close to the heat. Having taken care of the location problem, make sure that you only water twice a week. Syringing twice a day with room-temperature water is also a good plan. For watering and syringing, do not use water that has been put through a softener. Tap water allowed to stand overnight will be satisfactory although the best sources ofwater for all house plants are either rain water or melted snow.
The water that has been put through a mechanical softener is treated with salts to remove certain chemicals that cause hardness, particularly calcium. These water softeners do their work by replacing the calcium with sodium, a chemical which is far more harmful to plant life than the calcium which it replaced. Indeed, plants require calcium but are injured by sodium.
Many indoor gardeners have become concerned because their domestic water supply is being fluoridated as a health measure in the prevention of tooth decay. Will this have a harmful effect on their plants?
There is no effect whatsoever, good or bad. In fact, plants are grown in soils which contain up to a 1,000 times as much fluorine as is used to treat our water supplies. Many fertilizers, particularly those which are partially composed of bonemeal, contain a fair amount of fluorine.
Chlorine, a chemical added to the do-
mestic water supplies of cities, is another chemical which is often suspected of being injurious to house plants. Fortunately, it passes offso easily that, even if used at the maximum amount permitted, it does no harm. The mere act of running water out ofa tap into a watering can, usually gets rid of most of it. What little does remain, goes off as a gas when water is applied to soil. It's also a fact that fertilizers often add more of this chemical to the soil than you'd find in tap water.
Metro Zoo
(Conclusionfrom page 7)
students of Victoria Park Secondary School who went on an ecological study in the Big Bend National Park in Texas, in March, 1973. They brought cacti with them as a gift for the new Metro Toronto Zoo.
Eurasian Pavilion
Primarily a Mediterranean setting, the Eurasian pavilion contains more plants with edible fruit than any of the other pavilions. Growing are lime and other citrus, banana trees, edible figs and the loquat a Chinese fruit-bearing tree. A non-edible variety of the ficus family, the creeping fig, climbs walls, and jasmine vines produce flowers to cast a delicate aroma in the pavilion. Various palms, including one ofthe few species that grows in the northern Mediterranean regions, and desert palms from North Africa, are part of the display.
A visit to the Metro Toronto Zoo for those interested in indoor gardening holds many extra rewards in the form of rare and unusual plants.
PEFFERLAW PEAT COMPOSTED MANURE/ PEAT MIX
The ideal soil mix correctly balanced to fill the needs of all growing plants indoors or out.
G. T. STRAIN & SON
Cannington, Ont. Phone (Toronto) 364-6068
One of the most rewarding and foolproof gardening projects this month is the planting of bulbs to force for flowering in the long winter months which are ahead of us.
Bulbs used for forcing must be of the largest size, firm and free from any disease. They should be varieties recommended for early or late forcing. Bulbs selected this way will permit you to have flower from the beginning of January until the outdoor show of bulbs begins in late March.
Recommended varieties for early forcing are: any single or double early varieties of tulip, Goldemr Harvest and Mount Hood daffodils, and Amsterdam , pink and Bismarck hyacinths. For mid-season and late forcing the following are best: Apricot Beauty , Golden Melody .and Apeldoorn tulips; Unsurpassable and Flower Record daffodils; Carnegie , Delft Blue and Yan Bos hyacinths; as well as all miniature bulbs such as crocus.
The Beauty of Spring Indoors from January to March by Forcing Bulbs
Deiter Maier*
For your containers, you may use almost anything, provided it has drainage, and is about twice the depth of the bulbs to be forced. The common bulbpan is usually best. Before using new clay pots or bulbpans, be sure to soak them overnight or they will draw moisture from the potting soil to the detriment of the bulbs.
The soil for forcing bulbs need not be rich in nutrients but should have a loose, crumbly texture which drains water easily. A good soil mixture consists of one part each of loam, peat and sharp sand or perlite. To improve the drainage of loam or compost add sharp sand or perlite. Avoid manure or any other decaying additives. If mixing is too much trouble, purchase a ready-prepared general potting mixture from the Civic Garden Centre s shop.
Potting is your next step. Start with the early flowering varieties, followed by mid-season and late flowering types. Remember that the cool-storage time after potting is about 12 weeks, before
For an array of spring flowering bulbs indoors as early as January next year, such as that shown at left here, it is necessary to plant bulbs for forcing now, using the methods outlined, and as shown below at right. Agriculture Canada photo.
the bulbs may be brought into the house for forcing.
Before filling the pots with soil, place stones or broken pieces ofclay pot over the drainage holes to prevent soil loss, then fill the pot partially (and loosely) with soil so that the tip ofa bulb, set on this soil, is level with the rim of your container. Place as many bulbs as you can get in the pot without them touching each other. Then press them gently into the soil and fill pots within half an inch of the top, being certain that the tips ofthe bulbs peek out ofthe soil surface. Water thoroughly, and label each container. Always plant the bulbs so that the flat sides face the outside of the container. The first big leaf comes out of this side of the bulbs and you will have a more symmetrical pot.
Bulbs must have a cold period before they will bloom. The most convenient placeis a root cellar where the temperature is kept between 40° and 50° F. not warmer. A deep coldframe or window well can also be used and the pots covered with peat, styrofoam or straw to keep them at an even temperature. If a rootcellar, cold frame orwindow well is not available, an outdoor pit may be used. In a shaded spot dig a trench one inch deeper than the tallest container. Set the pots close together in the pit and cover lightly with sand or perlite. Then, top with six inches ofsoil. After this, dig a trench around the pit to provide drainage, and after freeze-up, mulch over the top to keep it from freezing solid.
While stored, the bulbs must be kept moist, but this will not be difficult if the bulbs are stored outdoors. After about 12 weeks, when bulbs have developed long roots and a sprout of leaf growth about four inches long, they may be brought inside for forcing. Start them inside in a cold (60° F.) room, out of the light for about two weeks; then increase to 70° with normal light. Previously-forced bulbs cannot be forced again, but may be planted out-of-doors after drying during the summer.
* Mr. M-luishe-llchupofmwutmm of the regional parks system operated by the Metropolitan Toronto Parks Department.
GARDEN ALL YEAR
A hobby without peer - for leisure, home beauty and livability-a garden that blooms all year with only a few hours care each week.
Our catalogue contains dozens of full colour photos of prefabricated greenhouses in lifetime aluminum. With it you can choose a greenhouse that is sure to harmonize with your home.
Write for your copy today!
LORD & BURNHAM CO. LIMITED
Dept. T, 325 Welland Ave., St, Catharines, Ontario
Events in blue held at Civic Garden Centre; more data from the Centre (445-1552) unless a specific phone number given. All other events (in black) held elsewhere; for data call phone number given. All events begin at 8:00 pm unless otherwise stated.
Sun Mon Tues Wed
OCTOBER ] 3
Library and Shop open 1
Abbreviations used as follows: H. = Horticultural; S. = Society; and G.C. = Garden Club. Note: Civic Garden Centre Shop and Library open 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday, plus additional hours listed below. i
Toronto Bonsal S. (782- ]4
Leaside G.C. Chrysanthe- ] 5
Cloverleaf (MI: 2403) mum Show (481-0192) G.C. (278-3'4]8)
Agincourt G.C. Chrysanthemum Show (294-1701)
Thornhill H.S. (889-0231)
Toronto African Violet S. (6914450)
Library closed all day
1:30 and 8 pm
H.S. (476-3087)
Azalea S. of Can
Batik Art Show at 1 pm 20 Fall Gardening Course at 21 Lake Simcoe (Sutton) ) . Rhododendron (822-8935)
East Toronto H. & Dahlia S. |Schomberg H.S. (939- eral Meeting (44 (691-3665) 2146)
Kingsway-Sunnylea H.S. (239-
Brooklin H.S. 9316) Show (655-3790
Mount Albert H.S. (473-2120)
Newmarket H.S. (895-4145)
Nobleton H.S. (859-0808)
Scarborough H.S. (282-8728)
Stouffville H.S. (640-1922)
Westway H.S. (247-6093)
Library and Shop open 110 5 pm | Library open 7 to 9 pm
Library open 7 to 9
Dried Flower Material and 27 Fall Gardening Course at 28 Civic Garden Centre 29 Winter Bouquet Sale 1 to 1:30 and 8:00 pm
Members' N and Spe5 pm cial General
Markham H.S. (294-3267)
North York H.S. Prize Night |Brampton H.S. (459-0119) (221-2158) Lakeshore H.S. (278-2517)
Roseland H.S. (893-1288)
Library and Shop open 110 5 pm | Library open 7 to 9 pm
Canadian Chrysanthe- 3
Library and Shop open 7 to 9 pm
Swansea H.S. (i
Georgina Brock (Wilfrid) 4 Men's Garden Club 5 Etobicoke H.! mum and Dahlia Society H.S. (432-2592) regular monthly meeting 5255) Late Fall Show 10 am to 4 pm. Auction of Blooms at 4 pm
Nobleton H.S. Annual Banquet (859-0808)
Oshawa H.S. Annual Meeting (728-8302)
Library and Shop open 1 to 5 pm
S. at 1 pm (759-1439)
Toronto Bonsai S. (782- ] ] 2403)
Agincourt G.C. Show (294-1701)
Library open 7 to 9 pm
Library and Shop open 1 to 5 pm
Library open 7 to 9 pm
Library open 7 to 9 pm
12
Unionville H.! Night (297-1430
Uxbrldge H.S. P (852-6959)
Thurs
iissauga) l 6 Canadian Chrysanthe- ] 7 ] 8 ] 9 mum and Dahlia S. (2232964)
East York G.C. Chrysanthemum Show (425-7496)
Library and Shop open 10
lo 9:00 pm Library open 7 to 9:00 pm am to 5 pm
) and 23 Beaverton H.S. (426-7878) 24
25 Dried Flower Material and 26 rada Gen- Winter Bouquet Sale 10 17-8046) am to 6 pm
'Chl'ysanthemum 7)62-1001)
Library and Shop open 10 am to 09 pm 5 pm 30 3] NOVEMBER ] Canadian Chrysanthe- 2 mum and Dahlia Society Late Fall Show 2 to 8 pm (223-2964)
Library and Shop open 1 to 5:00 pm
S. (742- 6 7 Riverdale H.S. (466-4235) 8 9 Schomberg H.S. Annual Banquet (939-2146)
and Shop open 10 am to 5
"any jobs you carry out in October will have a direct bearing on the ease of gardening next spring and often on the quality of the plants you grow. Planting spring flowering bulbs, renovating the perennial border and moving shrubs and trees, for example, can change the whole appearance of the garden, although the effect is not apparent until the warm spring days start the plants into growth.
One of the jobs you should tackle right now to lessen your spring work is to dig the vegetable garden or any other area currently left bare. If these patches are dug now and left in a rough condition, working the soil in the spring will be a mucheasier job, for even the heaviest of soils will crumble nicely by spring if dug in the fall. The perennial
WONDERLAND OF BULBS
A perusal through our illustrated Fall bulb catalogue will prove to be a revelation. A multitude of rare and interesting bulbs now available over 700 varieties listed; exotic jewels for your Spring garden. Clip and return this ad for your free copy.
C. A. CRUICKSHANK LTD.
Since 1925
Canada s Leading Bulb Specialists 1015 MOUNT PLEASANT RD. TORONTO 488-8292
Autumn Work in Garden will relieve rush in Spring Plus some special Bulbs to plant
Arthur R. Buckley*
border too, should receive a light forking, say about three inches deep among the plants, and deeper in areas where annuals were set out. By doing this now, the border will be free of weeds for a considerable period and a further infestation may be averted by a light raking over in late spring. Digging out perennial weeds from the border is much more simple now when the ground is moist from the fall rains.
Gladiolus corms and dahlia tubers should be dug this month. To dig gladiolus, thrust the digging fork on each side of the row to loosen the corms first; then they can easily be pulled out by the tops. As soon as each is dug, cut off the tops flush with the corm and place the corm in a box or bag. I like to cut down five- or eight-pound paper bags and
If it s about Gardening . . . ask Toronto s Civic Garden Centre. Membership, including ten issues per year of TRELLIS only $5 for 12 months.
For Indoor Growing Browsing Daily and Sunday No. 6 Highway, off #403, HAMILTON.
place the bulbs in these, each variety labelled and placed in a separate bag; then the bags are set in flats or fish boxes which can be placed one on top of the other when finally stored in the basement. Blocks of wood placed between the flats will allow a free flow of air. After digging the corms, use a dust containing Sevin on them so that any thrips flying around will not be tempted to land on them and lay their eggs. Place the flats in a light, airy, frost-proof shed or garage for drying, but don t forget to take them to the basement in December when really serious frosts are likely to occur.
When the roots are easily removed from the corms it is time for cleaning. This usually takes place about the end of December. At this time take off all the roots and place each cleaned corm in a bag and dust again as mentioned earlier; then store in a 40 to 45 degree temperature for the winter. Save the small pea-like cormels, for these will give you good size corms in two or three years.
Ifyou can dig dahlias with lots of soil adhering to the roots, it is possible to store them in a cool part of the cellar with little or no effort. This is more likely to be possible ifyour soil is on the heavy side. In this case place some newspapers on the floor of the coolest part of your basement and stand the whole root on top of these. When the soil is sandy and drops off the tubers, it is necessary to place them in cardboard cartons and fill around them with vermiculite, making sure they are completely immersed. Be very careful not to break the tubers when digging, for a cracked or broken tuber neck will not grow next year.
Many of you with homes in the more established parts ofthe cities will be raking leaves during the bright October days. There isn t much trick to this job except perhaps in raking them on to a piece of burlap or tarpaulin to accelerate removal. If at all possible I would suggest you collect and stack the leaves for future use. Organic material is so hard to come by these days that every
effort should be made to acquire it by all means possible.
Make a stack of leaves nine inches deep when trodden; on top of this, place an inch or two of good top soil sprinkled with 10-6-4 (or similar) fertilizer; then another nine inches of leaves, more soil and fertilizer. Keep repeating this procedure until there are no leaves left. Soak each layer well with the hose and you will have nice crumbly leaf soil within a year. To assist decay turn the outside of the heap to the inside next April and repeat in the fall.
Keep cutting the grass until freezeup. Reduce the cutting height of the mower to one inch, to help prevent snow mould that might occur in early spring.
Bulbs have always held a unique place in the heart of gardeners, for out of the most inert-looking unpromising structures, in a comparatively short time, arise some of the world s most beautiful flowers. When we think of spring-flowering bulbs our thoughts first turn, naturally, to the flamboyant bedding type tulips, the crisp cool daffodils, and the crocuses and hyacinths that are imported by the million each year from Holland. Let us look at some equally beautiful but much lesser-known bulbs imported in minor quantities from the same country species that will give us complete satisfaction even though (Conclusion on page 17) Author Buckley demonstrates the digging of gladiolus corms, and their transfer to paper bags, for storage in flats until they are dry. Agriculture Canada photo.
* Mr. Buckley retired as onamental plant specialist with The Plant Research Institute, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, just over a year ago. He i to write gard information columns for newspapers across Canada.
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Special bulbs to Plant
(Conclusionfrom page 15)
grown in a clump of not more than three or four bulbs.
There are a number oftulips that are unusually attractive and interesting for their individual blooms and leaves. Many of these are in the so-called species tulip class. Included among these are the horned tulip (Tulipa acuminata), with wavy leaves and narrow twisted petals; Red Riding Hood , a Tulipa greigii hybrid tulip with vivid red flowers and striking mottled foliage; and the new fringed types which have fringed edges to the petals and flower very early in the season. Two low-growing species specially suited to the rock garden are the vivid purple Tulipa pulchella violacea, and the showy, shining red Tulipa maximowiczii.
The long list of narcissus cultivars contain many unusual kinds that should be grown more. This year try some bulbs of February Gold and Peeping Tom , hybrids of the cyclamineus group that are not more than a foot high and yet bear perfectly-formed miniature trumpets. You may extend your pleasure by growing Thalia and Tresemble , both cultivars in the rriandus class noted particularly for their drooping snowwhite flowers.
A clump of jonquils (Narcissus jonquila) will also bring a new joy to your garden. These will bear many sweetscented single butter-yellow blooms on single stems; Baby Moon is a cultivar with softer yellow flowers.
For a plant that is bound to excite discussion, get a few bulbs of the Turkestan onion (Allium karataviense). Its broad metallic red-bordered leaves form a cup in which nestles huge globes of rosy-white flowers.
One of the most imposing groups of bulbous plants is the Foxtail lily (Eremurus). This group includes some very striking tuberous plants that will grow up to six feet high with enormous spikes oflight pink bloom. Ofthese, Eremurus robusta and its hybrids are the easiest to grow if given good drainage and a covering of straw or leaves in late November or early December to keep them from sprouting too early in the spring.
Equally imposing and much more arresting is the crown imperial lily (Fritillaria imperialis) a bulbous plant that bursts through the ground in early spring and produces a plant two or three feet tall with glossy green foliage, from which arise thick stems with clusters of flowers terminated by a tuft of green leaves. There are four cultivars available, ranging from golden-yellow to red and orange-brown. Grow these in the shade of shrubs and near the home where they get sun from the west side. The smaller fritillaries such as the Snake s head fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris) are not commonly grown and are now available in many cultivars with distinctive and charming flowers with various shades of brown, yellow and white.
Quite different in appearance to all the other bulbs mentioned are the little winter aconities with their tiny buttercup-like flowers above deeply-cut leaves. These bulbs must not be allowed to dry out in storage. Rather, the little bulbs, which look like pieces of putty, should be soaked overnight if dry and planted right away the next morning.
Try also the Star of Bethlehem, (Ornithogalum umbellatum) which has white stars held six inches above the arching grassy leaves. Plant as few as a half-dozen and in a few years they will expand to a very large colony.
As for all garden plants, prepare the soil well by spading it deeply and mixing in some fine peat or similar humus along with fertilizer such as 6-9-6 at the rate of five pounds per 100 square feet. Then plant the bulbs in clumps in various parts of the garden and around the house. Remember to plant the small ones that bloom early near the front or back door so you will be able to see them without walking through snow or mud. Most ofthose mentioned are ideal near walks and steps, next to stone walls or fences, in rock gardens, and in larger groups between and in front ofshrubs.
Now is also a good time for planting perennials, deciduous trees and shrubs. Afterplantingand watering, mulch with straw or leaves to provide warmer temperatures at the roots for a longer growing season and to prevent heaving during winter.
Gardening Under Lights panel presentation proves popular
uestion: What enthusiastic group at the Civic Garden Centre has gone from none in the spring, to 115 active members, with over 90 per cent attendance at a meeting?
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Answer: The Centre s Gardening Under Lightsgroup an affiliatedchapter of the Indoor Light Gardening Society of America.
Questions from the members, verbal and written, bombarded the panel at the September 11 meeting. Leni Forsdike of The Plant Room, Oakville, George Sinclair, the Centre s executive director, and Bob Turner of the group s executive committee, with the humorous assistance of group chairman, Gib Milne, fielded the questions by answering them in a very practical way.
The interest of the group is obvious additional information to supplement the panel s answers was volunteered by numerous members. Many of the questions indicated concern about lights: how many, how far from the plants, where, what kind. One intriguing fact was given by member Leslie Marsh: outdoors on a sunny summer day the light intensity is 20,000 foot candles; it averages 600 to 700 indoors with plants four inches away from fluorescent tubes. This was offered as the main reason seedlings growing indoors be-
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come spindly in their striving to reach light.
In response to questions on what kinds of bulbs and tubes are best, the combined answer indicated that while more-expensive tubes such as Gro-Lux wide spectrum are probably best for gesneriads, the common cool and warm white fluorescents, together with small incandescent bulbs are ideal for most plants. For an area of20 inches wide by four feet long, two 40 watt warm and/or cool white, with two 15 watt incandescent bulbs is about ideal. In response to the question of how far from the plants should the lights be, the answer of 8 to 10 inches on average, but as close as four inches for quick bloom, or for starting seeds. If plants grow spindly, they are not close enough.
How long should lights be left on?
Plants need to have a rest too, was the response; 16 hours per day is the maximum length lights need to be on. If growth is too rapid, try reducing the
Centre s activities " prove fulfilling ~ especially to Members of Milne House Garden Club
Eleanor Weckman
How do you keep busy now that your family is all grown? Aren t you bored being at home all the time? Don t you feel the four walls closing in on you? Have you not considered re-entering your former profession?
A resounding No! will be the answer to most of these questions should they be posed to Civic Garden Centre members. As a matter of fact, since joining the Centre and Milne House Garden Club, there are not enough hours in a day it has become a busy and active life. Like the most brilliant diamond, life .around the Centre and the floral arts evolving therefrom is many-faceted. If we place garden club activities in the centre of the diamond, we can cut a facet for our own gardens, gardening under lights, house plants, flower arranging, preservation of flowers, ceramic containers, macrame hangings for planters, accessories and deco-
number of hours by two.
Future meeting interest questionnaires were given to members as they arrived, and the results were collated by Centre associate director, Art Drysdale, who reported on the results at the end of the meeting: since most persons wished a further presentation of a general nature on growing under lights, the meeting on October 9 would be a variation of that of September, using some type of panel to field questions; the meeting on November 13 would feature the second most wanted topic starting seeds for outdoors under lights.
While enjoying coffee, the members looked at some specimen gloxinias, purchased young plants, glanced through a display ofbooks on light gardening, and jotted down the addresses of members who had offered their homes for visitations .
Why not come and join us on Wednesday, November 13 and have your questions answered.
rative placement for our endeavours within our homes. And, don t forget the many friends with similar interests that we make in gardening circles.
You say you live in an apartment and cannot have a garden? I know a lady, prominent in garden clubcircles, with a rock garden on her balcony; to say nothing of beautiful hanging planters incorporated into her decorating scheme. High Rise Gardeners of Toronto are a busy and active group at the Civic Garden Centre.
There are successful fund-raising endeavourssuch as last month s Fashions with Flowers show that take us into the realm of fashion. There are interesting speakers as at our October 15 meeting when we will hear from Tommy Thompson, Metropolitan Toronto s well-known and entertaining parks commissioner.
And, who can resist the excitement of a flower show especially when the theme is Kitchen Capers October s theme. What a boon to fall housecleaning ofthe kitchen with such topics to choose from as Bread Board , Egg Cup (a small arrangement of course, but larger than a miniature), Everything but the Kitchen Sink , Pot Conclusion on page 22)
Trellis / 19
The Centres Gardening Under Lights group is well under way for another season of indoor gardening. And, our shop has a great number of supply items for indoor light gardeners beginning with the 2-ft and 4-ft fluorescent light units either with or without sockets for incandescent bulbs; quartz chippings for plant trays to help maintain humidity; plant syringe bottles to provide additional needed humidity; watering cans ofmany sizes; specialized soil mixes for all plants; liquid fertilizers in various ratios for all types ofplants; vermiculite and perlite for starting cuttings; and pots, pruners and spare bulbs and tubes. All of this equipment is available to members of the Centre at competitive prices, ifnot a little cheaper, even before
Centre s Shop to be guided by new Committee of Members to better aid You
Mrs. Doris Weir, Shop Director the special 10 per cent discount is deducted. If you are contemplating a major purchase as a gift for a friend who likes to garden, be sure to see our range of light fixtures.
Our spring flowering bulbs are in now, and a good selection awaits you! There may even be a few of the amazing Colchicum bulbs left the ones that provide their flower without even any soil or water. Call the Centre now and reserve the bulbs you want for planting this fall.
A new range of gift items is arriving now as well. Be sure to see the real tree leaves enamelled with copper each one a little different and even more beautiful than the previous.
Just space to include the re-institution of our shop committee, to aid in the stockingoftheshop. Mrs.HarryCantlon, Mrs. Denison Featherstonhaugh, Miss Pat Rogul, Mr. Jack Blair and Mr. Larry Sherk, will have your interests at heart as they devote several hours each month to meetings at which new items will be considered. If you have a pet gardening or gift item you would like to see us handle, please speak to one of these members or to staff persons, George Sinclair, Art Drysdale or myself, and we ll be pleased to consider it.
Highrise Gardeners to hear Third Viewpoint on Indoor Plants and Welcome new Members
Highrise Gardeners of Toronto met at the Civic Garden Centre on Tuesday, September 10, to hear Miss Martha Veldhuis and all in attendance were both entertained, and enlightened on the subject of indoor plants. Then on Tuesday, October 8, the club s guest speaker was Mr. William L. Palmer, on (Conclusion in next column)
Centre s Library and Bookshop prepare for intensive Winter Season
Mrs. Wendy Hillier, Librarian
O.u: library is a fun place to be when one can find such titles as How to Hold Up a Bank, Beginner s Guide to Pot Plants, and even Houseplants for the Purple Thumb. Other tantalizing titles in our collection are Bug Haiku, Witches Guide to Gardening, and Gaston s Ghastly Green Thumb. Come see for yourself if we are prepared to help you plan a life of crime or become an anatomical wonder. No, we don t have copies of The Scarlet Pimpernel or A Child s Garden of Verse!
As the summer s flowers fade, more and more people take an interest in dried flowers for winter arrangements. Although it is too late to take advantage ofthis year s blooms for preserving, it is the ideal time to begin thinking and planning ahead for next year. Also, dipping into a few of the new dried flower books before the Dried Flower Material and Winter Bouquet Sale on October 26 and 27 will give one a greater appreciation of the skill and artistry involved in this appealing art form.
With the longer evenings and shorter
Highrise Gardeners
(Conclusionfrom page 20) the topic of Houseplants in General . Mr. Palmer is an amateur grower who took up indoor gardening as a therapy. He too, imparted a volume of valuable information to the club.
The final speaker in the series of three on indoor plants, will be Mrs. Jean Hamilton, on the Culture ofAfrican Violets . The date of this meeting will be Tuesday, November 12. All apartment, condominium and town house residents, and anyone else interested in these most famous of house plants, are welcome to attend this meeting. A small charge is made to nonmembers of the Highrise Gardeners. Come out and meet your fellow apartment gardeners and discuss your problems or ingenious solutions with them.
daysofautumn comes an upsurge ofinterest in gardening indoors under artificial light. What was once only practical as an under-the-basement-stairs sort of thing has quickly become an interesting way of increasing the number and scope of house plants available for display year round. In the Civic Garden Centre library and bookshop, we have material to help those who use their lights primarily as a propagating aid as well as for those who wish assistance in designing functional yet attractive light cases. Anyone who heard George Elbert when he was at the Centre last spring will want to see his The Indoor Light Gardening Book and would probably also enjoy the periodical, Light Garden, which the library receives six times a year. Mr. Elbert is president of the international Indoor Light Gardening Society of America.
During the past few weeks the bookshop has been receiving its stock of 1974 calendars, and now is the time to find the most complete selection. By doing your book and calendar shopping at the Civic Garden Centre, you not only save 10 percent on purchases over $2 but you help finance our continually expanding library. Nowhere is it easier to choose a gift for yourselfor for someone else interested in gardening or related subjects. Everybody benefits when you support the bookshop.
Member, Mrs. W. Cockburn, has supplied us with the following review of 201 Garden Shrubs in Colour by Jaap Hage, which sells for $6.95.
If you are making a new garden, renovating an old, tired one, or just looking for a specimen tree or shrub, this book is foryou. The coloured plates are beautiful and would be a great help in making a choice. Several lists of plants suitable for shade, partial shade or bright sun, will help further in making your decision. The text given with each plant is plain and simple, giving directions for siting, planting and propagation. A list of trees that are not allergic to city conditions is also very helpful. Evergreen groundcovers cut down on garden maintenance, so these are covered too. Ifyou are interested in climbers or vines, they are also listed.
Really an ideal addition to any gardener s bookshelf.
And, may | now have the eighth
Last Word ?
Art C. Drysdale, Editor
Belatedly this month, I have the pleasure ofofficially welcoming George Sinclair to the position of executive director of the Civic Garden Centre.
3 George has been with us now for just l over four months - and quickly grasped (%" a knowledge of the s Centre s many broad-ranging activities. Members of the Centre now have one of Canada s most knowledgeable horticulturists on whom they may call for advice and problem-solving information. Many of our members knew George prior to his joining the Centre s staff, but for those who did not, here are some of the highlights of his distinguished career in horticulture.
At the end of April this year George retired from the position of general superintendent of parks for the Borough of Etobicoke within Metro Toronto. In the 17 years he served Etobicoke, he
Milne House Garden Club
(Conclusion from page 19)
Cleaners , Coffee Mug , and Salad Bowl .
While at this business of telling you ladies it really is not essential to establish your identity in the work-a-day world to find self-expression and complete fulfillment, what about planning family outings what working mother has time to enjoy a leisurely stroll through Edwards Gardens or to spend Thanksgiving at Pioneer Village?
How about you? Gardening anyone? Start with a Civic Garden Centre membership; take one of the non-commercial flower arranging courses; then on to the garden club or horticultural society of your choice. See their listings on the centre spread of this and every issue.
saw the borough s parks system grow from 20 parks totalling 150 acres to 150 parks with over 2,000 acres. His most recent accomplishments were the initial development for the borough s Centennial Park complex (including the ski hill built from garbage) and the first allotment gardens in the Toronto area. The growth of the allotment garden program has been phenomenal with 400 plots being used this year up from 132 last year.
George Sinclair came to Canada from Scotland in the mid-"50s and first worked for the Ontario Jockey Club where, among other projects, he was responsible for the landscaping of the then new Woodbine Racetrack.
One of George s most important contributions to horticulture in Canada was the borough s displays at the Garden Club of Toronto s Spring Flower and Garden Show each spring. His talents for producing spectacular flower show displays will not be lost, for he has also been appointed the superintendent of the Canadian National Exhibition s horticulture building, where he has already demonstrated it is still possible to stage a good flower and gardening show if the results of this year s show are an example. And, he only started in May this year for a mid-August show! Welcome aboard the good ship, Civic Garden Centre, George.
This month, I am finally able to disclose plans for an addition to the present extremely cramped Civic Garden Centre. Our new building will be stunning designed by Jerome Markson Architects. It will . . . but I think I'd rather show you! So, come out to our Members Night on Tuesday, October 29 at 8:00 pm. Come and see the plans and sketches for yourself, and hear the details of our planned expansion.
You'll hear how the new addition will serve you and your special interest group better, learn how the $1,300,000 project is to be financed, and meet the architects who are working on the plans. Please do try to be there and offer your comments, suggestions and criticisms! In addition to our building plans, there will be another feature, plus a short Special Meeting of Members (turn to p. 11), together with door prizes, and a cash bar.
22 / October 1974
George Sinclair
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