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Strt a gwing friendship soon at a Sheridan Garden Centre
At your closest Sheridan Garden Centre you will find the most (and best) of everything to start growing friendships .
You will find the finest selection of nursery stock in Canada . . . more than 1200 types of plants and trees locally raised, fresh from the soil and ' Guaranteed to Grow .
And at your Sheridan Garden Centre you will also find expert nurserymen who are pleased to assist you in every way possible. They will help you select whatever you need .and will answer any questions you may have.
Let's start a growing friendship soon.
June 27-29, 1975
International Lily Show, Liberty Junior High School, Ashland, Virginia. Contact: Mrs. A. Dugdale, Box 25, Ashland, Va., 23005.
July 2-6, 1975
Carnival of Roses, sponsored by Canadian Rose Society, Inn on the Park, Toronto. Contact: (416) 444-9126.
June 29, 1975
International Bonsai Convention, Deauville Hotel, Miami Beach, Florida. Contact: (416) 782-2403.
Coming Events of International Gardening and Floral Arts Interest
July 10-12, 1975
American Bonsai Society Annual Symposium, Crown Center, Kansas City, Missouri. Contact: Lynn Alstadt, 228 Rosemont Ave., Erie, Pa., 16505.
July 12-13, 1975
Ontario Regional Lily Society Show, Royal Botanical Gardens, Headquarters, Burlington. Contact: (416) 2334900.
October 8-13. 1975
American Horticultural Congress, sponsored by the American Horticultural Society at Honolulu, Hawaii, with tours to other islands. Contact: O. Keister Evans (703) 768-5700.
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Telephone: Toronto: 416 231-0589, Woodstock: 519 537-7942
Features
Coming Events of International Interest, 3; Gardening and Floral Arts Events Calendar, 16; Centre s Annual General Meeting, 23; Shop, 29; and Bookshop, 30.
Other ltems of Interest This Month
Garden Netting Proves Effective for many Tasks, 9; and a cartoon about garden fertilizers, 26.
The Front Cover
A close-up view of the flower of Ismene, or Peruvian daffodil (Hymenocallis x festalis Zwanenburg ), a delightful summer bulb you should plan to grow next year. Story on page 27. Photo i by A. 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) Bryce; G. P. (Geoff) Clarkson; E. A. (Ed) Endersby; Mrs. W. E. (Betty) Ewens; F. (Frank) Fisher; Mrs. J. A. (Edna) Gardner; R. A. (Reg) Mackenzie; G. A. (Gib) Milne; Mrs. M. 4 A. (Chris) Okawara; E. R. (Ernie) Pope; Mrs. E. (Flavia) Redelmeier (Chairman); L. C. (Lar%) Sherk; Mrs. R. (Helen) Skinner; T. W. (Tom) Thompson; D. H. (Dave) Yerex; W. A. (Bill) You ng.
Slc gfor Civic Garden Centre and Trellis
Art C. Drysdale, Editor and Advertising Director; Mrs. J. W. Clarke, Executive Secretary; Mrs. S. Tughan, Membership Secretary.
General Information
Trellis is published monthly (except July and August) by the Civic Garden Centre, 777 Lawrence Avenue East, Don Mills, Ontario, M3C IP2. 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 (85 for 12 months). Opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the Centre. This is Volume 2, Number 6.
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 3,000 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 PeltWilson)
What it does
« Operates Canada's most complete public horticultural library
« Responds to over 3,000 gardening questions annually
« 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
« Carries on an extensive flower-drying program to extend garden beauty through intothe winter months economically
« Operates a Speakers Panel Bureau which brings panels of experts on various subjects to groups desirous of an informative program
« 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)
« Ten issues peryearof Trellis
« Free borrowing privileges from the 3,000-volume library
« Ten per cent discount off all purchases of books and gardening and floral arts supplies boughtfrom the Centre
« Opportunity to join one or more specialized member groups or clubs
« Discounts offall coursesoffered attheCentre
« Free admission to Members Nights held at leasttwice peryear
777 Lawrence Ave. East (in Edwards Gardens), Don Mills, Ontario M3C 1P2
Trellis / 5
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In the February issue I devoted considerable space to the fascinating new vegetable beans or soybeans for home garden use. I also promised a later story on their preparation and storage.
If you did not start any of the revolutionary soybeans inside this spring, there is still time, but since the season is advancing. you had best plant the faster varieties, Early Green Bush which matures in about 85 days, or Fiskeby V' in 68 days. Plants of Early Green Bush , available from Stokes Seeds., 3715 Stokes Building, St. Catharines, Ontario, produce about 50 pods of delicious beans on each 16-inch tall plant. The pods are rounded and yellow when fully mature, with about three beans to each four-inch pod.
Plant directly in the garden now (June 15), 1'4 inches deep in rows about a foot apart. Since this variety, originated in Japan, grows much more erect than other bean varieties, it may be planted much more closely five inches apart in the rows is sufficient. Incidentally, soybeans are more difficult to germinate than other beans, and prefer a warm soil, thus the recommendation that they not be planted until midJune. To speed germination, I suggest you soak the beans in pure water for 24 hours prior to planting them. Since fertilizer coming in contact with these beans will deter germination, it is important nor to add liquid fertilizer to the water in which they are soaked. This soaking is of special importance when the beans are being planted in particularly cold climates where the soil is not warm until after mid-June.
The soybean is widely adaptable in the kitchen where they may be mixed with virtually everything in casseroles, salads and meat pies or served with cheese, vegetables and fish, or scalloped
Not too Late for Soybeans How to Plant and How to Eat them
Art C. Drysdale, Editor
orpuréed. Well-ripened beans store easily all winter and European or Oriental cookbooks reveal that they may be added to sandwiches, soups, or roasted or even made into milk.
The simplest recipe for soybeans is to blanch them in boiling water and eat. Do not shell them until you are ready to eat, then blanch them right in the pod. Pick the pods when fully developed but while they are still green. Boil about ten minutes in salty water, drain and serve. Add about one heaping tablespoon salt to 2% cups of water. It s quite salty, but it's important.
Do not overcook the soybeans (this comes with practice) or the inner lining ofthe pod will come out with the beans. To eat them, hold the pod between the thumb and forefingers ofeach hand and squeeze the beans toward the pod s centre and directly into your mouth. Another way is to stick the pod into your mouth, press down with your teeth while pulling the pod out thereby forcing the beans out of the pod.
As with most highly nutritious things, small portions of soybeans go a long way! People who over indulge , may find that their systems may not be able to digest massive doses of protein properly. Several hamburger chains in the US.A. found they had to cut back on soybeans which were added to their hamburger on an experimental basis during the 1974 meat shortage. Apparently all that extra protein in the soyaburger gave a few customers a bit of gas. So if you over indulge, you may have to chase the soybeans with some burpless cucumbers .
The soybean is right at home with oriental dishes cooked in the hot oil ofa Wok, the cooking utensil that is the secret behind the crisp, tasty vegetables found in oriental dishes. The trick is to heat the oil to the point where it is
crackling, then mix small quantities of vegetables into the hLeated oil and out again so that they will cook rapidly without becoming mushy. One tasty recipe is to mix equal parts of soybean, eggplant, tomato, red and/or green bell peppers and corn meal into your Wok and stir rapidly. All vegetables should be diced as the small pieces cook more rapidly and evenly.
You may add or subtract vegetables in this dish as you like or add any type of meat you feel is appropriate. Meat should be finely diced also and marinated in soy sauce. You may also add a touch of diced green onion or ginger if desired.
Ifyou have a large garden, or happen to rent a garden plot, and plan to grow vegetables for winter storage, the so; beans are especially for you. For storage purposes, you do not pick the pods while they are still green, but rather wait until they fully mature and the beans are more yellow in colour. This will be about the middle of September. Pull up the entire plants, and hang them upside down in the basement; or place the pods on trays, and put out in the sun each day, bringing them back indoors at night to prevent the beans absorbing night dampness from the air.
When the pods are thoroughly dry. remove the beans from their shells and place in a single layer on trays. Place the trays in the oven for ten minutes at
Trellis /
250°F, and then store the beans in jars or similar air-tight containers in adry, cool location.
Cooking dried soybeans is not a difficult task, but it does take considerable time. First, it is best to soak them in water to cover all of the beans, overnight. To cook, bring to a boil in the water in which they soaked (do nor add baking soda as some cook books suggest to speed up the softening of beans, it will neutralize all the vitamin content) and then simmer gently until the beans are tender. The cooking will take at least three hours and boiling water may have to be added during the process as the beans absorb much water.
Once you have cooked the soybeans, you have to decide how to use them. John Gale at Stokes Seeds Ltd. suggests their use in a soybean/corn/tomato casserole. To make this, he says to combine the following: two cups ofcanned corn; two cups ofcanned, cut up tomatoes; % cup of parsley, chopped; salt and pepper to taste; a touch of basil; and three cups of cooked soybeans. Simmer the
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mix for ten to 15 minutes and either serve as is, or after adding a generous amount of parmesan cheese.
Author, Crescent Dragonwagon in The Bean Book, suggests another casserole. For this one, grease a casserole dish well and place a layer of cooked soybeans in it. Season the soybeans with salt and pepper to taste, and a dash each of Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco. Then add a layer of sharp cheese slices. Continue layering cheese and soybeans, being generous with the cheese. Finish the casserole off with the cheese, and over it sprinkle bread crumbs, wheat germ, parsley and paprika; and finally pour on a little milk to add a gravy. Bake this uncovered at 350°F until the cheese melts and the top is golden. She also suggests that for variations you may sauté one onion, some garlic and green pepper, all chopped in butter, bacon fat, or oil. The sautéed vegetables are layered in with the soybeans and cheese. A further variation would involve adding canned chopped mushrooms or canned corn with the other layers.
The Bean Book contains three other recipes for soybeans, including one for soy-wholewheat muffins. The book is available from the Civic Garden Centre s bookshop for $3.20 postpaid.
The Oriental and European soybean varieties are noted for their fine flavour and are far superior to the tasteless soybeans grown commercially in Canada and the United States for animal feed. The food value of the soybean, which originated in Manchuria, has long been known in the Orient. As early as 3000 B.C. soybeans were used as a meat substitute in China. Their high protein content (up to 30 per cent), fat (13.5 to 24 per cent) and total lack of starches makes them a great source of energy plus high protein for body building.
Soybean is in reality a super vegetable which could become the world s predominant source of protein in the future and is already the main ingredient in strength pills taken by weightlifters. Isn t it nice that a vegetable that is so good for you is also such a taste treat?
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Giarden net, as it has been improved through the years, has become a manypurposed garden accessory, and an economical investment. Primarily, one thinks of garden net in terms of saving food crops before the birds get at them. This is the logical way keep the birds out with no harm to them. But there are many other uses, and many problems that netting answers from crop to crop and throughout the seasons.
Garden net is of strong, yet lightweight, polypropylene that will not interfere with normal crop growth, as its open mesh allows normal passage of air, sunlight and moisture. It is easy to use. Just drape over bushes, and when harvest is over, simply roll or fold and move to the next seasonal use. Not affected by any garden sprays, it will not rot, tangle, or mildew and it lasts for years.
Autumn and winter uses too
Fruit trees, vine crops and berries most damaged by birds include cherries, pears, peaches, apricot, plums, grapes, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries and tomatoes. Vegetables and other plants that are bothered by birds, squirrels or rabbits may also be covered. Because, for the most part, birds do not want the fruit until just before ripening, the wise gardener can often shift the net from crop to crop throughout the season.
Almost comparable to frustration over bird damage is that due to fallen leaves. They penetrate under hedges, into decorative bark, marble or stone, and require hand picking for removal. A few bricks or stones to anchor the garden net will keep leaves out. This fits in well. The food crops are in and all the netting can be moved over for such winter uses. The list of uses grows longer.
Garden net may also be used to grow climbing vegetables by stapling garden
Garden Netting Proves Effective for many Tasks
net between support poles; for fencing around gardens and plants; staked to the ground to control erosion on slopes; to keep mulch in place; and winter wrapping protects shrubs from ice and SNOW.
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Giardens, like almost anything else, can be helped out with a little bit of imagination. Have you ever thought of a raspberry hedge or a cabbage and caulifiower border for your garden? I may be accused of having a somewhat unorthodox approach to gardening, but you have to admit that there is something to the idea of training pear trees to grow up the side ofyour house. After all, ivy does not have quite the same flavour as a ripe pear!
Many gardeners fail to recognize that many plants, traditionally thought of as being only ornamentals, can supply the wherewithal for jams, pies, and even wine, while many plants thought fit only for the vegetable garden can have ornamental value. The combination of imagination with the careful choice of plant varieties can result in both beauty and food from areas normally set aside only for ornamentals. Mixing the right kinds of useful ornamentals and plants not usually thought of as ornamentals, can make your garden productive of food, without any loss in attractiveness.
The raspberry, for instance, is considered by most people to be strictly a food plant, but certain types of raspberries can be grown very successfully in a
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Use some Imagination in planning your Garden and harvest Edibles from the Flower area
Benjamin J. Teskey*
hedge to provide privacy, beautiful flowers and tasty fruit. In other words, a hedge of dual purpose raspberries (or blackberries) can do the same job as strictly ornamental hedges with the added dividend of the tasty fruit. A reliable nurseryman can advise on proper varieties.
Cabbages come in several colours, shapes, textures and sizes, and can be used to form an attractive border for a garden. When the head is cut out, the leaves continue to grow, so it is a border for the whole season. Other plants can be mixed with the cabbages to add to the attractiveness of the border, while other dual purpose vegetables, like chives, may also be used.
Asparagus is another dual purpose plant which may be used as a background for flower gardens. After the spring crop ofpears has been harvested, the fern remains to add to the attractiveness of the garden. The asparagus fern may also be used for cut flower arrangements, and the red berries it produces last through the winter. These add a touch ofcolour to the garden and attract such birds as the grosbeak, cardinal and junco.
Flowering shrubs are popular for gu. dens and there are many varieties that will produce useful fruit as well as beautiful flowers. The high bush-cranberry and the flowering quince are two readily available shrubs that provide fruit which can be used for jams orjellies, or can be left on the plants during the winter to attract birds. Other shrubs, like the elderberry, produce fruit suitable for wine-making enthusiasts.
*Mr. Teskey is extension co-ordinator with the horticultural p Ontario Agri 1College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario.
Home garden problem areas may also be made more attractive and productive through the use of appropriate dual purpose plants. Shady spots are appreciated by flowering current (Ribes aureum) which produces colourful flowers, and fruit containing four times as much vitamin C as citrus fruits. Rough or hilly areas can be covered by strawberries, or even with squash or pumpkins, and save you a difficult mowing task.
Dwarf fruit trees, smaller and easier to manage than the regular types, especially dwarf apple trees which produce good quality fruit, are becoming popular as ornamentals. Fruit trees which produce beautiful spring flowers as well as useful fruit may also be put to such ornamental uses as being pruned and trained to grow up the side of a house not an uncommon sight in some parts of Europe. Grapes are another type of plant which have ornamental possibilities. There are many varieties
available and they may be used with excellent results in almost all parts of Ontario for an arbour or on a trellis. Unfortunately, though, the best grapes for wine making are restricted to the warmest parts of Ontario and British Columbia.
Ifone breaks away from the tradition that food plants belong in the vegetable garden and that all ornamentals have no food value, then the possibilities for the imaginative gardener are almost limitless!
Dwarf apple trees take little space and are easily cared for without specialized equipment.
Leaf lettuce, red salvia flowers and foundation evergreens form an attractive group in this front garden planting. Photo by Stokes Seeds Ltd.
Fruit trees trained (espaliered) against a wall take little space, yet provide a decorative treatment for the wall while supplying flavourful fruit easily picked. Photo by A. C. Drysdale.
Mos garden landscapes can be improved by the use of water. You may have a water lily pool in full sun; a fountain in a pool with a background of stones or plants; a gently trickling waterfall or a series of waterfalls from overflowing pools; a large lake or swimming pool; a plain birdbath; or just a container of water plants on a balcony.
You can easily make a water garden in your landscape, even if your back garden is not large. It may easily be complete with falls and pool. In fact, ready-made waterfalls of feather-weight rock with built-in miniature electric pumps are available at fairly reasonable prices. Water lily pools of formed plastic may also be purchased from water plant specialists and some garden centres. It is not hard to build a pool operated from your home water supply or to
Garden Pools and Cascades and the Water Plants to Grow in them
Arthur R. Buckley*
grow the beautiful water lilies that always seem to be so exquisite in the many garden parks and other public gardens in most cities in Canada.
If you are thinking of having a pool you must, of course, decide first from where the water supply is going to come, and where the water is going to go after it fills the pool; whether the pool should be formal or informal in design; what size it can be; and of what materials it is to be built. A pool, like all other landscape features, must be in keeping with its surroundings. Sloping land with no level area presents the most difficult problem because it means a lot of grading has to be done. A bro-
*Mr. Buckley retired as ornamental plant specialist with The Plant Research Institute, now Omamentals Research Service, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa, nearly two years ago. He continues to write gardening information columns for various media.
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ken topography can be used if you make a stream and place rocks, boulders and flat stones in natural positions along its course. A rivulet of this kind should not be perfectly straight but be like a mountain brook which angles and curves down the slope following the contour of the land.
Tropicals are planted in the same way, but they must not be deeper than eight inches below the surface and, of course, the water should be quite warm, up to 21°C (70°F) at planting time. The spectacular tropical lilies may be obtained in colors including blue and will stay open at night instead of closing as some of the hardy water lilies do. So if you have both kinds, you will have not only a variety of colours but a display by day as well as by night. Some garden lighting in the same area will extend the use ofyour garden in addition to setting off the night blooming water lilies.
Nelumbo nucifera, commonly known as the sacred lily of the Nile or the Egyptian lotus, suggests a region far more remote and romantic than back garden pools in Canada.
Yet, ifwe investigate carefully into its botanical affinity, we soon find that the gap is not so wide after all. This lotus belongs to a small genus of aquatic plants of which another no less lovable member is our own Nelumbo lutea, native in southern Ontario and to which the less venerable but equally romantic common name of the yellow chinquapin is given. Both plants are similar with large umbrella-like leaves and flowers which are raised above the water.
The so-called Egyptian lotus lily is not a native of Egypt as might be supposed, but has been grown there since ancient times. In fact, this common name rightly belongs to Nymphaea lotus, an aquatic plant, sacred to the goddess Iris and one which is depicted on many old Egyptian coins.
The lily we are concerned with, and the one commonly given the name sacred lily of the Nile, is a native of India where it has taken its place among the folklore of that country and Assyria and Persia as well. To the ancient Hindus
the blooms represented their country and the leaves the surrounding countries and culture. To the Buddhists, it symbolized the most exalted representation of man with his head held high, pure and undefiled in the sun with his feet rooted in the world of experience.
This water lily can even be grown on a balcony
This water plant differs from the common kind because of its bluishgreen leaves which are held high above the water from two feet in our climate to eight feet in lush tropical climes. These leaves are shaped like shallow bowls and will hold rain water for several hours after a shower. The leaves and long stems look like parasols and, where they are abundant, are often used as such by small children. The huge and showy blooms, like giant, fully opened roses, are sometimes 10 to 12 inches in diameter and stand high above the foliage. Like water lilies, they open partly for a few hours the first day and then for a longer period the second day. On the third day they unfold completely and the petals begin to drop.
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Trellis / 13
Plant
arrowheads and water-chestnuts around
the edge
A pool must have a supply of fresh water. This may come from a stream, clean drainage water, or most commonly the house supply. Sometimes a continuous trickle from the main source (which will keep the pool clean and attractive at a low cost) can be made to
A pool planted almost totally with Egyptian lotus. Photo by Agriculture Canada.
A gently trickling waterfall is a highly desirable feature in any rock garden. Note use of plant materials close to edge of rocks covering edge of pool. Photo by Agriculture Canada.
flow into the regular drainage system. Or, with an electric pump and storage tank, the same water may be used over and over again.
Choose the most desirable place for the pool, even if you must go to a little trouble in order to supply the water to it. The greatest value of a pool lies in what its surface reflects, so place it in front of a group of plants, a rose pergola, or some other architectural feature. To provide good reflection, the surface of the water should be near ground level and the pool so situated that the reflection will be seen from the house or some other well-frequented spot such as the patio or wherever the lawn chairs are usually set.
A pool affords the opportunity for the culture of water plants. If these are water lilies, full sun will be necessary at least in the morning. If the pool is of any size at all, details of construction are best left to a landscape contractor, who will save you money in the long run.
Your main problem will be with the choice of material and planting. Make sure, however, that the pool is at least two feet deep if you want to grow water lilies. Allow for shelves at the edges of the pool to accommodate shallow rooting plants such as arrowhead, wild calla, water-snowflake, frog s bit and waterchestnut. These waterside plants add considerable interest to the pool and seem to tie it in better with an informal landscape.
Sacred lily of the Nile, a native of India grows well in Canada
Get a catalogue at once from a water plant nursery and make your choice of plants. You will find a large selection of two kinds of water lilies, hardy and tropical. The hardy ones should be planted in mid-June and the tropical ones at the end of June.
Planting is simplicity itself. You will need several boxes or tubs of varying sizes. Fill these with a mixture of eight parts good garden loam and one part dried cow or sheep manure, which can be bought at your garden centre. To a bushel of this mixture add '2-cup of7-77 fertilizer. To plant a hardy lily, wet
the soil well. Press soil around the root of the lily allowing the growing tip to extend above the surface. This growing tip is very tender, be sure not to touch it. Place a flat stone over the root and cover the soil surface with sand or finely crushed stone; then submerge the container so that a foot of water covers the crown. It may be necessary to raise the container on bricks, etc. to meet this need.
Another interesting part of the plant is its big funnel-shaped pods. At first downy and yellow, they later dry and become hard and woody, with the seeds loose in hollow chambers, rendering them useful as children s natural rattles. These fruits too, serve another and more useful purpose. After they have dried and are severed from the plant, they float on the tropical rivers for miles until they are caught in the muddy banks where they finally disperse their seeds.
Fruits of both the native and cultivated plants are often used in dried flower arrangements.
This beautiful plant is as easy to grow as a water lily. As a matter of fact it is easier, for it can be grown in tubs or half barrels out of the water (even on a balcony), provided the soil is kept constantly moist by filling the receptacle every two or three days. The best time for planting the sacred lily is late spring, when the weather is warm enough to plant tropical lilies in your area, usually from mid-June to the end of the month. They should be planted in a soil made up of three parts good garden loam to one of well-rotted cow manure. If manure is unavailable, substitute one of the commercial dehydrated cattle manure products available in plastic bags at reliable garden centres.
Divide and re-plant only every second year
The lotus rootstock resembles a thin, elongated banana, 12 to 18 inches long, with a tapered end which is the growing point. If this growing point is broken or bruised, the root becomes worthless. To plant, make a depression six inches deep in the filled tub, half barrel or planter. Place the root in this depression and cover with an inch or so of earth,
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but allow the growing points to protrude for an inch. Cover with sand, but avoid touching the very tender shoots.
Set the receptacle down into the pool so that the tip of the lotus is covered with three or four inches of water.
These sacred lilies will not, of course, withstand the winters in most of Canada. To carry them over from one year to another, they must be taken inside after you drain your pool in late October or before the real winter frosts take over. Keep them in the coolest part of the basement and water occasionally to keep the soil moist.
In the spring, they should be moved out once gain to the pool, but wait until the weather warms so they can get off to a good start. Every second year, remove the roots from the receptacle, fill with fresh soil and fertilizer, and plant one healthy new section of rootstock broken from the parent plant. There should be a lot of root sections left over for increasing your stock or for giving to your friends.
Day blooming hybrid, Nymphaea General Pershing' is a soft pink. Large wheel-like leaves in background are the hybrid waterplatter Victoria Longwood Hybrid' not recommended for home garden pools! Photo by A. C. Drysdale.
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
of Roses, Inn on the Park at 1 pm
Abbreviations used are as follows: H. = Horticultural, S. = Society; and G.C. = Garden Club. Note: Civic Garden Centre Shop, Bookshop and Library open 10 am to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday, plus additional hours as indicated for dates below.
Ontario Regional Lily S. Annual Show, Royal Botanical Gardens (223-4900)
G.C. Rose & ]4 Lily Show Cannington(491-4110) H.S. (432-2272)
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Thornhill H.S. (889-0231)
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18 / June 1975
The story of the famous Butchart Gardens really began in 1904, when an Ontario cement manufacturer moved west to open a limestone quarry outside Victoria, British Columbia. Close by his quarry, the industrialist Robert Butchart built a large mansion, only to have the quarry exhausted of limestone less than a decade later. The Tod Inlet quarry (now the location of the gardens) was moved to Bamberton, across the Saanich Inlet from the gardens, where it is still in operation.
Faced with a gaping hole in the ground adjacent to their home, Robert Butchart s wife Jenny, suggested that it be beautified with flowers. He agreed, and over a period of five or more years, the gigantic task of hauling topsoil, obtaining plants, and planting both the bottom of the quarry as well as the sides went on. As the new garden progressed, people began to come to see it. Mr. & Mrs. Butchart were very generous in freely allowing visitors, in fact tea was often served in a rustic house, now demolished, until pilfering put an end to the practice.
You haven t got the one named after me!
Of the 130 acres on the estate at Tod Inlet, Mrs. Butchart eventually turned 25 acres into four distinctly different gardens an English rose garden; a formal Italian garden wrapped in hedges as finely sculptured as its Florentine statues (and the entire estate was known as Benvenuto Italian for Welcome®); a Japanese garden with dwarf maples and rhododendrons, flowering cherries and a dainty teahouse nestling against a forest of giant Douglas firs; and most intriguing of all, the four-acre sunken garden that was formerly the quarry.
Mr. & Mrs. Butchart, parents of two daughters, used the short winter months
The Butchart Gardens famous Gardens in Victoria attract millions
Herbert Warren*
in Victoria to travel abroad to look for more flowers. She sought out the more rare species of plants, seeds and even bulbs from many countries including Europe, the Orient and Alaska. During a visit to Japan, they were received by the Emperor of Japan, and he was impressed by the undertaking in Victoria, latersending three cherry trees from the palace grounds. And, on another occasion, as Mrs. Butchart showed a British explorer around the gardens, he said, A know one you haven t got a poppylike herb named after me! She smiled and led him to a bed ofsky-blue Meconopsis baileyi.
Why, that's impossible! , said the explorer. I just discovered them myself, in Tibet. But, Mrs. Butchart moved quickly. As it happened, he had sent one plant to Edinburgh, where she was the first to get seeds from it.
Six thousand and more attend free sunset concerts
It is said that the Butchart Gardens were the beginning of Victoria s flourishing tourist industry, and yet in 1939, when the Butcharts offered to sell Benvenuto for one dollar, neither the city nor the provinciul government was willing to pay for its upkeep. This then caused them to deed the garden to grandson, R. lan Ross, a college student who was about to join the Canadian Navy.
Mr. Butchart died in 1943 at age 86, and Mrs. Butchart continued to pay a skeleton staff to keep the gardens open to the public during the war. However, the scarcity oflabour during World War 11 led to a decline of the gardens. At the end of the war, lan Ross returned from overseas where he had been an officer in the navy, and took charge of the gar-
dens. He was responsible for rehabilitating and enhancing them to their present condition. Though Mrs. Butchart did not want anyone paying to see her gardens, Mr. Ross instituted a 25¢ fee and for many years the gardens operated in the red. Mrs. Butchart, living in Victoria, died in 1950 at age 82.
Mr. Ross soon saw the need to try
*Mr. Warren, a graduate of the Ontario Agricultural College, is now retired from the position of parks administrator for the City of Victoria, British Columbia. He is now consultant horticulturist with the Butchart Gardens.
Above, close-up of evergreen foliage of Arbutus menziesii, and below, a large tree of same in Butchart Gardens. Photos by A. C. Drysdale.
and operate the gardens in the black, in order to preserve them. He gradually raised the fee, at the same time instituting many innovations. In 1953, for instance, he put in four miles of underground wiring for an illumination system that has made the gardens as popular by night as by day and even more beautiful. He also had a fountain installed in the sunken garden. It jets 80 feet into the air and is illuminated at night. He, along with his wife, launched a series of free variety shows and sunset concerts that are attended by crowds of 6,000 and more.
New U.S.A. rose cultivars are not necessarily the best
Usually in attendance at the gardens six or seven days per week, Mr. Ross is seldlom recognized by visitors as he works in a very inconspicuous manner. He abhors personal publicity.
Much has been written about the gardens. What struck me after 1 retired from the city, was the infinite trouble and care given by the gardening staff to provide colour the whole season from March to November. Similar displays of continuous colour may be seen in some
city parks in England, or at the famous Hampton Court; but to my mind none of them compare to the continuous display of colour at Butchart Gardens. Nothing I have seen on several continents can touch it! One sees a great deal offormal displays elsewhere; but except for the Star Pond, Italian and Rose Gardens, the planting is of a very informal nature here.
In March and April some 20 kinds of early purple-leaf plums and Japanese flowering cherries are in bloom along with early rhododendrons, azaleas, addromeda, and the usual host of spring bulbs: daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths which last into late May. There are 100,000 daffodils and 96 varieties of tulips. Planted in the fall, forget-me-nots, English daisies, pansies, violas, wallflowers, primulas and polyanthus, arabis and aubretia all provide carpets of bloom in March and April as well. Later, other bulbs follow: scillas, grape hyacinths, chionodoxa and wood anemones. The main spring bulb show lasts a full two months and finishes with the late tulips and spring-planted ranunculus and anemones in June when the many species and varieties of Dutch,
German, English and Japanese iris start into bloom.
Since I have been with the gardens, thousands of rhododendrons and azaleas including some of the best new introductions have been featured in several sections of the gardens. These start to bloom in April, often earlier, and continue until early July, reaching their peak in late May and early June. During the same period, the beautiful native western flowering dogwood blooms. By the holiday weekend in May, calceolarias, heliotropes, cinerarias and schizanthus are planted out in full bloom from the greenhouses. Nemesia, sweet peas and stocks soon follow. Some of these are short season transition plants used to fill a gap after the spring show.
By June, lupins, Oriential and Iceland poppies, columbines, bleeding hearts, bergenias, peonies, pyrethrums and a host of other perennials are in flower. The rare Himalayan blue poppy (Meconopsis baileyi, now known as Meconopsis betonicifolia) referred to earlier, is in full bloom at this time as well.
At the beginning ofJuly, and persisting through the month, the roses are at their prime, as also are fibrous begonias, stocks, snapdragons, petunias, sweet Williams, columbines, delphiniums, foxgloves, lupins, peonies, Oriental poppies and cinerarias. We are in a good position to counter the propaganda which would have one believe that the latest U.S.A. rose introductions have to be the best. An observant person will notice that we have a representation of British and European introductions which are equally good.
Broadleaf evergreen trees up to 60 feet in height
July and August are our prime dis play times and they are also our busiest months for visitors. In 1962, during the Seattle World s Fair, the gardens drew almost 500,000 visitors. Our yearly attendance now comes close to this figure, with the 1,000-car parking lot jammed every day during the peak months. U.S. licence plates predominate, and 30or so tour buses arrive each day. Of late, though the largest number of visitors come from California, we have been
getting rapidly increased numbers from Japan and the FarEast.
August and September see vast displays of annuals at their best particularly due to our ideal climate which features warm days and cool evenings. Roses continue their bloom, although they do reach another prime in October. At that time as well, visitors ooh and ah at fuchsias, hydrangeas, Spanish broom and many cultivars of heather that are in bloom. Lilies, montbretia (Crocosmia), gladiolus, snapdragons, tuberous and fibrous begonias, impatiens, lobelia, petunias, penstemons, four kinds of salvia, marigolds, verbena and zinnias continue to make a brave show in October as well. Chrysanthemums fill gaps left by salpiglossis and other short-season annuals.
Among the trees we grow that are of particular interest to our visitors the pocket-handkerchief tree, or dove tree (Davidia involucrata) attracts much attention. Its obscure flowers are surrounded by various-sized creamy-white bracts in May which give the tree the effect of being covered by large creamy flowers. It is hardy only to zone 7b, which is virtually unrepresented in eastern Canada. Also of interest, are numerous variegated forms of the eastern flowering dogwood. Some 30 years ago, head gardener Alf Shiner helped to plant some coast redwoods, and today they are 100 feet high. Hundreds of Japanese maples grow in the sunken and Japanese gardens. Their autumn colour is a feature in October. The native Arbutus menziesii or madrona is the largest member of the heather family. They are broadleaf evergreens, and famous for their red coloured bark. Some mighty specimens achieve 60 feet in height here, though 40 feet is common.
If you are coming to British Columbia, do not miss a visit to The Butchart Gardens regardless of the season, there will be something for you to see. We are only a pleasant bus ride from the beautiful city of Victoria. The admission charge of$3 will be one ofyour best investments . If you should happen to visit Victoria from November | to March 14, though there will not be a lot to see, do come anyway, admission is free during this period.
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Two members of the Civic Garden Centre Board of Directors retired from the board at the Centre s annual General meeting, April 29. Mrs. F. W. Robertson, and Mr. W. Sandersdid notseek re-nomination for a further term. Chairman Mrs. E. Redelmeier thanked all of the 21 board members for their support and efforts in 1974-75, and especially expressed the board s and Centre s gratitude to Mrs. Robertson and Mr. Sanders. It was pointed out that Mrs. Robertson will be continuing as co-ordinator ofthe Centre s school of floral decoration.
The two new members elected to the board were: Mrs. W. E. (Betty) Ewens, who is incoming president of Milne House Garden Club, and Mr. Frank Fisher, a retired senior executive of Odeon Theatres ofCanada, who is also a board member ofthe O Keefe Centre for the Performing Arts. All 21 board members are listed on page 4.
The year 1974 financial results were summarized. and audited copies of the financial statements were made available. Highlights of the results were as follows. Revenues rose over 50 per cent from $98.434 in 1973 to $157,673 in 1974. Expenses rose as well, but at a slightly lesser rate, from $100.970 in 1973 to $151,706 in 1974. Comparing the two years final balances, one finds a deficit of $2.536 in 1973 reversed to a black figure of $5.967 in 1974.
Individually, some of the operations are interesting to note. For instance, the net income from the garden shop increased 60 per cent. The book shop too saw an increase of the order of 18 per cent. Unfortunately, due to a number of varying causes, income from activities, such as garden courses, floral arts courses, dried flower activities and flower shows was down about 35 per cent. Since these are not major contributors to the Centre s revenues, the total effect was not great. Finally, the Trellis
Civic Garden Centre
Annual General Meeting receives In the Black Financial Statement
operation proved to be successful, in that the cost of providing it to members and gratuitous copies to develop membership, was only $1.443 in 1974, compared to $1.664 in 1973 to provide a far lesser number of the inferior. mimeographed bulletins only seven times per year compared to ten of Trellis. The subsidy from Dunington Grubb Foundation for Trellis helped considerably to enable this success story.
Primarily becauseof Trellis, membership receipts rose 50 per cent in 1974, indicating a need for the type of information published.
The following summary was reported to those attending the annual meeting. A total of354 active volunteers contributed approximately6,658 working hours on 1,939 separate occasions during the past year (to April 30, 1975). These totals are accumulative efforts assisting at multiple functions as well as in the shop, bookshop, library and dried material crafts. Some members work regular one-day or half-day schedules while others prefer steady but spot occasions only. This is an impressive effort but still represents only approximately 14 per cent of our membership. Obviously we should appreciate hearing from more members who, until now, have had too many other commitments but could perhaps volunteer some time in the foreseeable future. It's enjoyable, sometimes physically hard work, but above all, good therapy as the Centre offers a variety of pleasant and stimulating experiences in a unique setting. Do call us at 445-1552.
The entertainment ofthe evening was a delightful talk by Metropolitan Toronto parks commissioner. Tommy Thompson. His topic, simply Meandering With Tommy . Once again the members of the Civic Garden Centre were indebted to Tom Thompson for providing a fitting conclusion to their annual meeting.
Trellis / 23
During August as summer fades and the days and nights grow cooler, evergreen growth ceases and their roots become dormant. It is at that time of year that they are most easily moved and transplanted. Another reason for shifting evergreens or conifers in late summer is that the soil is warm and will remain so for at least another two months, giving the transplanted root systems plenty of time to recover during those weeks when not too much root effort is needed to sustain the top growth. One major factor to consider when transplanting evergreens is size. To be shifted successfully, an evergreen shrub must be lifted with a large root ball and the clinging, packed earth that comes with it the larger the bush, the larger the root ball.
Here s how to move a large Evergreen
To Ensure it will Live T. A. Baer*
For amateur gardeners working without special equipment, no evergreen shrub or tree over five feet tall should be tackled because of weight and handling problems. Anything larger should be left to the expertise of a professional arborist. In fact, most of the trees sold and moved by tree maintenance companies are larger from five to ten inches in trunk diameter.
How large should the soil ball be? Before you begin digging, consider whether the future site of the evergreen is too shady. Wind might be a factor for the individual tree, but often evergreens are used as windbreaks. Exposure to
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*Mr. Baer, is vice president of The Davey Tree Expert Company, Kent, Ohio.
heavy snow and ice may be a factor also. Once you are satisfied with the new position, your work begins. Dig a hole large enough to accommodate the new plant and allow for the fillback. After you have dug the hole, enrich the soil to be used for the fillback with up to one third peat moss or compost.
Start to dig up the plant you want to shift by cutting a circle around it with a good garden spade. In transplanting a small conifer you should allow a six to eight-inch radius from the trunk. For a larger plant, the ball of earth should be correspondingly larger. Twelve inches of soil ball for each inch of trunk diameter is a good general rule.
Once you have dug a perimeter trench (about the width of your spade) around the plant to a depth of 12 inches, and have removed the soil from this circular trench, drive a long-handled shovel in under the centre of the bush. Loosen the ball on all sides. With the shovel in place, put a log or cinder block under the handle near the blade to act as a fulcrum. Push down on the handle and the shrub should spring up
If the evergreen to be moved is extremely large, it is likely wise to call a tree company in to do the job as is shown here. Photo by A. C. Drysdale.
and may be removed from the hole. Immediately throw a wet cloth or wet newspaper over the exposed root ball, leaving it on the shovel, and drag it to the new planting site. Nursery trees are wrapped with burlap at the nursery. If the root ball is too large to drag on a shovel, tip it onto a piece of burlap and pull it along on that.
Has the evergreen got its best face forward?
A transplanted shrub or bush must be reset at exactly the same level as it grew before, if it is to survive. Remove the wet cloth or newspaper, tip the shrub into the hole and fill in with the enriched soil until the hole is three-quarters full. Fill the hole with water and allow it to seep away, then continue putting in the rest of the soil. Mound up
Above, dig the hole for your evergreen at least one foot in diameter larger than the diameter of the soil ball. Enrich the piled soil with up to one-third peat moss or garden mulch. Below, if the soil ball is too large and heavy to drag on a shovel, tip it onto a piece of burlap and pull it along. Note that the soil ball is covered with wet newspapers to prevent drying of the fragile root hairs.
a low saucer of earth as a water ring around the edge of the planting hole and fill this with a couple of inches of mulch. This will keep the soil cool and damp by warding off sun and wind, and reducing evaporation. It also will save you a great deal of future watering as well as weeding.
When moving conifers, roots are very susceptible to injury from exposure to air. The utmost care must be exercised to keep them covered and moist. The tiny root hairs near the tips of the roots are very fragile. A few moments of exposure to air will dry them out and rough handling can break them off. If root hairs cannot take up moisture, the evergreen will wilt and no amount of extra water will help.
The wind is an important and dangerous element to be considered when transplanting any tree, but especially when transplanting large evergreens. Because of their heavy foliage they are apt to catch the wind like a sail, with the result that large newly planted shrubs, unless firmly guyed (from at least three
directions), will generally work a hole around the trunk. If this hole is not filled immediately, the roots will eventually dry out and the tree will die. It is probable that this is the cause of many losses in evergreen planting.
Additional pointers to keep in mind are: 1) Never pick up an evergreen by its trunk; 2) Before you lower the plant into the hole, make certain that its best side faces the direction from which you will be viewing it most often; and 3) Do not give an evergreen any fertilizer at transplanting time. Evergreens need time to recover from the transplanting operation before they are ready for a normal diet. Then next spring feed with a good lawn fertilizer.
Remember, if your evergreens are transplanted correctly and carefully, they will live for many years and look handsome in every season. With proper positioning in relation to your other trees and shrubs, you will get a balanced planting that will enhance your property in the heat of summer and in the dead of winter.
Our neighbours think we may be over-doing it with fertilizers! Reprinted with permission from the Toronto Star.
The Ismene, or Peruvian daffodil is one of the unusuals of gardens, little planted in Canada, and yet easy to grow. The variety shown on the cover, and in the group on this page is Hymenocallis xfestalis Zwanenburg . Unfortunately, the bulbs are not available at this time year, though if you were fortunate enough to obtain one or two in April, from a specialist bulb dealer, they should be in bloom now, or very soon.
The bulbs, though obtained early from the specialist dealer, are not planted outdoors until the weather and soil are warm not until the end of May in southern Ontario, later in colder climates. Or, if you desire, you may start the bulbs indoors in six-inch pots (one per pot) using one third each of peat moss, good garden loam and sharp sand. The bulbs should be set about three inches deep so the neck of each is just above the top of the soil mix. Water well, and do not allow the soil to dry out completely. Apply a liquid fertilizer, such as 15-30-15 or 20-20-20 every two weeks, diluted according to directions.
Bulbs started indoors, should be set outdoors when the weather has warmed up. Those started indoors naturally will have a head start on any planted outside directly in the ground. By doing some each way, you will have a longer period of bloom.
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Peruvian Daffodil is Summer Star of the Unusual Garden
The foliage must be allowed to remain in place, so try planting these say, intermixed with garden chrysanthemums, where the foliage will not interfere. Just before frost, as the foliage begins to turn yellow, dig the bulbs, and bring them indoors for storage. They are best stored at a temperature of 15°C (60°F).
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For Indoor Growing
Browsing Daily &
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ARTHUR FITZSIMMONS GARDEN CENTRE
No. 6 Highway, off No. 403, Hamilton Telephone: (416) 529-1946
A group of Peruvian daffodils growing outdoors. Note strap-like foliage. Photo by A. C. Drysdale.
Centre s Bookshop recommends Summer Reading in How-To Books
Mrs. Marilyn Waugh, Bookshop Manager
June is the month for roses, and Cynthia Westcott states that Anyone Can Grow Roses. Why not let her tell you how for only $2.95? L. Hollis Collingridge Standard Guide to Roses, a special at $3.49, has been written to meet the needs of the rose enthusiast at all levels of experience. The Pocket Encyclopaedia ofRoses In Colour, H. Edland, $5.95; The Complete Rosarian, N. Young, $8.98; The Rose Question andAnswer Book, J. Milton, $4.75; and The Rose-Lover s Guide, A Practical Handbook on Rose Growing, R. Browne, $11.50, are a few of the titles available in the bookshop to help you grow these beautiful flowers. Shrub Rosesfor Every Garden, by M. Gibson, $11.95, and Shrub RosesofTo-Day, by G. Thomas, $15.25, are available for loversof these specialist items.
The story of the creation of the famous Peace rose: For Love ofa Rose, by Antonia Ridge, $2.95 in paper and $6 in cloth is a book to buy foryourselfor to give as a thoughtful gift to a friend. A recent publication, The Man Who Painted Roses, also by Mr. Ridge, $10.95, is the autobiography of Pierre-Joseph Redouté, the famous French painter ofroses. Our member, Jack Blair, has provided us with the following review.
Redouté, born in 1759 in the village of Saint Hubert, Belgium, was a homely man whose passion for flowers coloured his life and work as an artist. The reader will not learn the culture of roses from this book but it should prove to be a renewal of inspiration for flower lovers and artists alike. Undoubtedly the author conducted extensive research and there are interesting references to, and sidelights on, many prominent people of the period up to 1840.
Redouté had the honour of having bestowed upon him the Cross ofThe Legion of Honour of France, by King Louis X and the Order of Leopold by King Leopold I of Belgium. Indeed this is a touching story of a truly humble, gentle and noble man whose purpose in life was clear. A tribute to the accuracy and quality ofhis painting is that reproductions in many forms are on the market today. Some exquisite hastinotes may be found in the Centre s shop and don t forget to pick up a copy of the book in the bookshop.
It is already time to think of preserving flowers to enjoy once the garden is finished for another year. Plant it Now, Dry it Later, by H. Floyd, $14.95, is a recent publication which anyone who dries flowers for decoration will enjoy. Elizabeth MacDermot s The Art ofPreserving Flowers, $4.95 in paper and $7.95 in cloth, is still one ofthe best guides to preserving the colours ofone s garden. And, we havejust received stock of a new Brooklyn Handbook on Dried Flower Designs, ($1.75) which you will want to add to your collection. Civic Garden Centre members Mrs. H. (Kathy) Cantlon, and Mrs. J. R. M. (Lois) Wilson have both contributed to this new handbook, as has Mrs. L. (Barbara) Laking of the Royal Botanical Gardens, Hamilton.
Flower pressing is also a rewarding hobby and we have a number of books to help you with this art. Flower Pressing, by P. & S. Bauzen, $3.95; PressedFlower Pictures, $12.50; and Pressed Flower Collages, a special at $7.98, are both by P. McDowall and should prove invaluable. Sally Miles Natural Collage, $13.95, is full ofinteresting ideas for artists who wish to use seeds, leaves and grasses as their materials.
While on holidays at the cottage, or at home, the summer days usually provide time for Crafting with Nature s Materials, by C. H. Alkema, $3.95; Making Gifisfrom Oddments and Qutdoors Materials, by B. Creekmore, $8.95; and Time to Collect, Print and Paintfrom Nature, by J. Hawkinson, $4.50.
The need for garden supplies and small gifts for hostesses does not diminish during the summer months, and so the Centre s shop remains open seven days per week to aid you.
June, July, August and September are peak flower drying months, and if you have not tried your hand at this fascinating craft, do not hesitate any longer. The shop now has a new supply of its very own flower-drying silica-gel compound, Flora-Cure. It is available in four-pound containers at $8.95. You will likely find that two containers will be required to dry any number of flowers, or those of any size, but through careful use, the same Flora-Cure may be used over and over again for many years. And it even virtually tells you when it needs to be dried for re-use. You'll find complete abbreviated directions on the container label, or better still, pick up a copy ofour booklet, Preserving Beautiful Flowers. 1Us available for a nominal charge to cover printing costs when your purchase any flower drying materials.
While Flora-Cure is the ideal compound for drying flowers such as roses, marigolds, delphiniums, peonies, ornamental cabbage, and a host of others, we also have a supply of Folia-Preserve, our special brand of glycerine compound recommended for the preservation (not actually drying) of branches of such foliage as beech. You may pick up both products any day at our shop, or if you write, telling us just what you want, we 'll advise how much it will cost plus a
Centre s Shop open Every Day during the Summer for Supplies
Mrs. Betty Billes, Shop Chairman
small amount for shipping, and can have it off to you in the matter ofa day. You may, at the same time, want to order or pick up such mechanics as wire for wiring the stems of roses etc., stickum, flora-tape or pin holders.
Our shop photo this month, courtesy of editor Art Drysdale, shows our shop booth at last year s Canadian National Exhibition flower show building. In the picture with volunteer Jack Blair is a representative of the City of Amsterdam Toronto s twin city. We ll be at the C.N.E. again this year and we ll have a selection of tulips for early planting, and likely also the wonder bulb Colchicum. All it needs is a flat surface on which to sit no soil or water, and it blooms for about ten days or more. It s ideal for teacher s projects.
By the time this edition reaches you (the April issue set a record; 21 days tobe delivered to some Toronto homes), the main spring planting rush will be over. It began as a late, though good planting season, because it remained cool and plants were not forced out into leaf overnight . However, that all changed just before the holiday weekend, when a virtually unprecedented heat wave hit. Evergreen and deciduous plants alike sprouted their new foliage thus almost bringing to an end the planting season for trees and shrubs. There will, of course, continue to be trees and shrubs for sale, but potential purchasers should remember the old slogan let the buyer beware . Buy only from established, well-known nurseries and plant sellers and then, be sure you understand the terms of the warranty. In other words, if a plant should die, will it be replaced at no additional cost to you? Or, will you have to pay onehalfthe original cost? Ifyou buy from a door-to-door operator, and something happens, you'll likely have no recourse because these fly-by-nights will be gone spending your hard-earned money and looking for another seasonal gimmick.
Shady deals on trees and shrubs (pardon the pun) are not limited to door-to-door operators (nor are all door-to-door sellers out to gyp you). In early spring this year, a-full page ad appeared in a nationally circulated weekend supplement. It was for plant material from a company in a small southern Ontario town. Now, it may be that the material they supply is top quality, and otherwise satisfactory. But, most likely, the advertisement contained vague statements such as beautiful threeyear-old plants , or bonus of one free spiraca bush etc. These are old chestnuts in horticultural advertising that are generally, now. not accepted by consumer-conscious media. However, there is always one that gets published, some-
And, may the Editor have the Last Word this month on
Fly-by-Night operators
where, and it is the trap into which many first-time gardeners the unwary fall.
Beautiful three-year-old plants when it is applied to, say, an evergreen such as a pine or Japanese yew, means a plant not larger than six inches in height. And, the free bonus is probably a one-year old shrub, a foot high, worth less than $1.50.
Even established national magazines are not exempt from questionable advertisements. Two recent issues of Horticulture contained a full colour ad for the Sheerlund Elm . The tree being advertised was actually not an elm at all. The company had unofficially applied its corporate name (Sheerlund) and elm to the long-known Japanese zelkova (Zelkova serrata) which is similar in some respects to the dying American elm. Only passing mention, in the tiniest typeface, was made of the fact that Zelkova is not recommended for extremely cold climates . In fact, it is not hardy in such climates as Minneapolis, Ottawa, Montreal, etc.
Door-to-door operators have other gimmicks with which to trick you. The top-soil they sell is often blackened with chimney soot (black is beautiful, baby). Good loam or topsoil is not necessarily black in fact the dark muck soils, such as those in the Bradford marsh, are not good additives for average clay or sand garden soils. The best additive is home-made compost!
Cedar and white birch trees sold door-to-door have likely been recently dug from the bush where they grew in a protected environment. Planted out in the open suburbs, with no protection from sun and wind, their lack of roots will usually mean an early demise. The only way to avoid being taken is to shop at a reliable nursery and/or garden centre. They've generally been in business for years, and plan to stay in business. And, to do that, they have to satisfy you. Art C. Drysdale, Editor.
/ June 1975
AUTUMN GARDENING COURSES
Various courses of interest to home gardeners, both in gardening and allied subjects, will be offered at the Civic Garden Centre in September, October and NovembEe)g A brief outline follows. For information, call 4451552.
Monday, September 23, 1:30 and 7:30 pm
Fall Preparation and Planting for your Garden
Tuesday, September 23, 1;30 and 7:30 pm
Workshop in Corn Husk Wreath Making
Wednesday, September 24, 8:00 pm
Learn to Make Your Own Wine
Monday, September 29, 8:00 pm
Dried Plant and Flower Workshop
Monday, October 6, 8:00 pm
Care, Maintenance and Selection of House Plants
Monday, October 20, 1:30 and 7:30 pm
Terrarium Workshop
Wednesday, October 22, 1:30 pm
Corsage Making Workshop
Monday, October 27, 8:00 pm
Winter Propagation of Plants and the Use of Lights
Wednesday, October 29, 1:30 pm
Corsage Making Workshop
Monday, November 3, 8:00 pm
Winter Spraying and Pruning of Trees and Shrubs
NOW, A GREENHOUSE presents FOR THE HOME GARDENER'!
ey : Features : A . EE available:
e Shading Panels
e Double Glazing Panels
e Electric or Propane Heaters
e Avutomatic Vent Openers
ey - : e Eave troughing . ! *" L_-L i- r ? Lok sty is standard on Model86 8 5" x&' 5" all models
Here at last is the Aluminium Greenhouse you've been waiting for, offered in four popular sizes for home growers. This is not just another greenhouse all the best features in modern greenhouse design have been brought together in one design to make it the most up-to-date available. For example, the attractive booklet supplied with each not only contains a calendar of things to do in your greenhouse, but also helpful advice about plant culture.
Complete, detailed photographic instructions make assembly a simple and easy exercise; or, if you prefer, assembly services can be provided. All units come complete with Canadian Pittsburgh double strength glass.
Available at over 30 garden centres and other dealers throughout Ontario. See a display model soon!
For further information, orthe name of your nearest dealer phone or write our head office: ENGLISH
1201 - 12 Deerford Road, Willowdale, Ontario M2J 3J3
Telephone (416) 493-7773 Display units at dealers only