The Toronto Botanical Garden is a volunteerbased, charitable organization thatacts as a central resource and leader for gardening, horticultural arts and sciences, and allied environmental issues.
Dur Vision
The Toronto Botanical Garden will be an outstanding horticultural landmark that provides leadership in gardening education and information to enhance the qualityoflife forthe communityand its visitors.
What We fer
Located at Edwards Garden, the Toronto Botanical Gardenoffers manyprograms and services, including year-round activities for families and children.
3¢ Directory & Hours of Operation Administrative Offices
Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Library &Trellis Shop
April 1 to December 23
Monday to Friday 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday, Sunday & Holidays noon to 5 p.m.
January 5 to March 31
Monday to Friday 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sunday & Holidays noon to 4 p.m.
Telephone: 416-397-1340; Fax: 416-397-1354
E-mail: tbg@infogarden.ca
Master Gardeners Info Line: 416-397-1345
Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Sunday& Holidays noon to 3 p.m. or Infogarden.ca/mastergardenerboard.htm
Community Services: 416-397-1351 communication@infogarden.ca
Our horticultural library has over 8,000 books, periodicals, and a large collection of clippings, pamphlets, nursery and seed catalogues as well as a great selection of children s gardening books. Horticultural Information Services offers free gardening information year-round, and the Trellis Shop has many unique gifts, books and gardening supplies for sale. The Teaching Garden has been created as a working garden to foster interest and educate people in the love and values of gardening and the natural world. As a community service, Art in the Link offers gallery space to local artists. As well, the TBG has a wide variety of banquet halls, meeting rooms and show space, with access to Edwards Gardens, one of Toronto s favourite garden spots.
3¢ Patrons
Brian Bixley, Awdrey Clarke, Mark Cullen, Camilla Dalglish, Sondra Gotlieb, Marjorie Harris, LorraineJohnson, Michele Landsberg, Susan Macauley, Helen Skinner
3% Board of Directors
PRESIDENT: Janet Greyson
Kim Dalglish Abell, Alice Adelkind, Brad Badeau, Arthur Beauregard, Marisa Bergagnini, Dugald Cameron, Peter Cantley, Lindsay Dale-Harris, KathyDembroski, Leslie Denier, TonyDiGiovanni, HeatherDickson, Suzanne Drinkwater, GeoffreyDyer, Ralph Fernando, MaryFisher, Judy Floyd, Carol Gardner, Lorraine Hunter, Linda Ledgett, Sonia Leslie, Patrick Li, Doreen Paton,Jean Read,Jennifer Reynolds, Dawn Scott, Bunny Slater
3¢ Staff Members
Executive Director
Margo Welch
Manager, Community Services Jenny Rhodenizer Manager, Horticultural Services Cathie Cox
Volunteer Co-ordinator Christine Martin
Accounting
Administration
Joe Sabatino
Shirley Lyons Course Co-ordinator Rosetta Leung
Annual Giving Manager Janice Turner King
Capital Campaign Director Janice Turner King
Annual Giving Development Co-ordinator Andrea Maclntyre
Development Co-ordinator Niti Bhotoia
Horticultural Assistant
Librarian
Maintenance Supervisor
Karen Sloan
MaraArndt
Walter Morassutti
Facility & Event Co-ordinator Stephanie Chiang
Teaching Garden Co-ordinator T.B.A.
EDITOR
Lorraine Flanigan
DESIGN
June Anderson
VOLUNTEER
EDITORIALASSISTANTS
M. Arndt, T. Coombes, M. Magee
VOLUNTEER
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Jennifer Capretta
VOLUNTEER PROOFREADERS
M.Bruce, M.Burston
J. McCluskey
L.&S. Skinner
K. Sundquist
ADVERTISING
Printed by Harmony Printing on recycled paper
Trellis is published six times a year as a members newsletter by _ the Toronto Botanical Garden at Edwards Gardens. 777 Lawrence Avenue East, Toronto, Ontario M3C 1P2, 416-397-1340.
Manuscripts submitted on a voluntary basis are gratefully received. No remuneration is possible.
Articles, manuscripts and advertising material must be received by the first of the month to ensure publication eight weeks later. For example, material for the March/April issue must be received by December 19.
Opinions expressed in Trellis do not necessarily reflect those of the TBG. Submissions may be editedforstyleandclarity.
All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without written permission.
Charitable business number: 119227486RR0001
Canada Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement #40013928 ISSN 0380-1470
from the Board
= by Janet Greyson e PRESIDENT
Board governance
s part of the revitalization process, the ABoard of Directors of the Toronto Botanical Garden has been reviewing its governing practices to ensure that the organization is working as efficiently and effectively as possible to provide you with quality programs
and/or participate in the executive council. In this way the board carries out its governing responsibilities for the various activities that occur at the TBG. Through constant review and assessment of both policy and practice, the board seeks to continually monitor all and service. Our efforts will 7.7"'0 gh constant aspects ofthe organization. ensure that our policies and review and as:sessment Our board is a hardworking, direction will reflect the needs OfbO.th pOllCJ/ and dedicated and skilful group of and interests of the TBG s mem- practtce, the board individuals who are equipped bers and the community. seelgs to Contlnua y to provide expertise and leadGovernance refers to the monitor all aspe.CtS Of ership. In partnership with an process and structure used to the Olganlzatlon equally skilful and dedicated direct and manage an organization s operations and activities. It defines the division of power and establishes the mechanisms to achieve accountability among stakeholders, the board of directors and management.
Good governance systems help organizations focus on the activities which contribute most to their overall objectives: to utilize their resources effectively and to ensure they are managed in the best interest of their stakeholders.
As part of a board s stewardship role, there are a number of key responsibilities. For example: determining mission, strategic objectives, selecting and evaluating the executive director and ensuring the organization conducts itself in a legally and fiscally responsible manner in regard to all its financial matters. In addition, the board represents the interests of the organization to the public; communicates clearly to share information and board decisions; ensures that effective management systems, such as appropriate structures and policies, are in place; and manages the board itself to ensure effective recruitment, training and self-evaluation.
The Toronto Botanical Garden Board of Directors is composed of 28 individuals. In addition to participating in monthly board meetings, members either sit on or chair a committee
executive director and staff, the Toronto Botanical Garden is well prepared to carry out its exciting plans of revitalization. Good governance is an important component in facilitating the opportunity for success. @
Volunteer at Canada Blooms
The TBG needs help with its exhibit at Canada Blooms in March.
Specifically, we need:
- Strong volunteers for set-up, including truck unloading and book set-up
- Creative volunteers to help decorate our booth
- More Strong volunteers for take-down, including books and truck loading
- Money-wise cashiers and assistants
- Persuasive volunteers for our membership booth
Special request
We need to borrow short picket fencing for our booth.
Contact Christine Martin, volunteer co-ordinator at 416-397-4145 or volunteers@infogarden.ca if you can help.
CANADA BLOOMS
The Toronto Flower and Garden Show
Nm s from the Corner Office
by Margo Welch e Executive DIRECTOR
Revitalization moves forward
participation in our Library and the Teaching Garden and in our many courses, lectures, workshops and special events. In addition to our ongoing services and
The year 2003 has been full of activity and building architect and project manager. Our architect for the building renovation is David Sisam of Montgomery Sisam Architects Inc. He brings with him a record of award-winning designs, a sensitivity to client programs, we have been active Iaann :( ll?li zegutl? needs, creative solutions for funcwith our revitalization project. At buildi.ngarchitect tional space planning and an apprethe close of one year and the begin- , ciation of beautiful materials. He S ° 2"
and project manager:
ning of another, it seems fitting to report on the progress ofour revitalization plans.
Last summer we changed our name to the Toronto Botanical Garden (TBG) to signal our new and ambitious vision and to better communicate our plans for the future. This name change reflects the growth in our thinking and specifically speaks to the first phase of our revitalization the renovation of our building and the creation of landmark gardens on our site at Edwards Gardens. Reaction to the name change has been positive and has generated much interest among those who know us and with those who had never heard of us or had never understood who we were as The Civic Garden Centre. The general public, industry and trade, government and sister botanical gardens are all watching with new interest to see how our changes will look.
Planning for the building renovation and gardens has taken time but excellent progress has been made. Teams ofvolunteers, now amalgamated as the Revitalization Committee and working under the leadership of the Board of Directors, have worked tirelessly over the last few years to determine our future needs and to research what others have done successfully (and not so successfully). This work has helped direct and shape our vision, preparing the way for a professional team to implement our project.
Lastyear, the Revitalization Committee conducted a thorough and competitive search to select the best team for the final design and project implementation. I am now pleased to announce our
has extensive experience with renovation projects such as ours and has worked successfullywith small organizations.
To manage each step of the way, the TBG has hired Rick Gosine of Dalton Engineering & Construction as project and construction manager. Rick will co-ordinate the efforts of the many consultants involved in the planning and implementation stages as well as keep the project on time and within budget. Dalton, and specifically Rick, has worked effectively with a number of small organizations to renovate or expand existing facilities while keeping their doors open and maintaining operations.
Final selection of the landscape architect is under way. [ will inform you of the choice as soon as it has been finalized. We are delighted with the talent and calibre of our professional team and will ensure that the landscape architect matches this high standard. Together, the architect and project manager will provide top-level expertise. They have the experience to anticipate our needs and identify opportunities and will help us avoid costly delays and mistakes.
As detailed plans for the project are developed and finalized we will ensure that TBG members are kept informed and invited to view drawings and comment on progress. The project schedule calls for construction to begin in late 2004, so this will be a busy and exciting year in the history of the Toronto Botanical Garden.
I wish you all the best in gardening, health and happiness for the New Year. @
Volunteer News
o =9\
by Christine Martin ® VOLUNTEER
Reflecting and dreaming
AS I TURN OVERa page of the calendar to yet another year, I find myself pausing to reflect on the past year and considering my dreams for the upcoming year.
The past year has been full of joys and triumphs although some projects seemed to take much longer than [ anticipated. But overall, it was a good year for the volunteer program at the Toronto Botanical Garden. As I look through our volunteer list, I'm amazed to find that we have over 300 faithful volunteers and over 80 new volunteers who have helped us out in 2003. Sadly, a number of volunteers have retired and several have passed away; we miss them.
Looking back, I recall the popular skills-building workshops enthusiastically attended by over 80 volunteers. I especially remember the images of our tree and weed identification walks through Edwards Gardens. 'm encouraged by our volunteers thirst for knowledge, their great spirit and their goodwill and willingness to give. And I appreciate the encouragement they have given me in my work here as volunteer co-ordinator. I also recall the positive feedback that our volunteers received, especially at special events. Volunteers, you can all be proud ofyour contributions!
Assessing the volunteer program as a whole, I 'm pleased at how it has grown. Much of my time has been spent administering and developing this program. We ve made some progress on policies and procedures, especially in the development of position descriptions for various volunteer roles. As well, the records in our database have been brought up to date. I've also been able to keep volunteers informed about happenings at the TBG through the distribution of frequent Volunteer Updates.
And how can [ forget the many special events held at the TBG over this past year? Dozens of volunteers pulled together and gave so much to make our events successful. Most recently, I'm
thankful for the many who helped to make this year s Mistletoe Magic, with its mix of new and traditional components, a very festive event! It s good to dream big. As you reflect on your role as a TBG volunteer or as someone who has seen our volunteers at work, I'd love to hear your thoughts on our past performance as well as your dreams for the future of the volunteer program here at Toronto Botanical Garden. As we move into a new year, let s put our dreams together to grow an even better volunteer program. @
DREAMS FORTHE 2004 VOLUNTEER PROGRAM
BY CONCENTRATING on the infrastructure of the volunteer program, we hope to build and reinforce this critical foundation for the good of all TBG programs and services.
¢ Plan a transition for the volunteer program during theTBG revitalization
VOLUNTEERS WANTED ONGOING
Tour Guides
Teaching Garden programs
Teaching Garden maintenance
SPECIAL EVENTS
Getting the Jump on Spring, February 22
Canada Blooms, March 3 to 7
To find out more about these positions, contact Christine Martin at 416-397-4145 or volunteers@infogarden.ca.
by Madge Bruce
/Cultivating an interest in gardening
FOR THOSE GARDENERS who are parents or grandparents, the day will invariably arrive when the children in our lives feel they must acquire a pet of their very own usually a dog or a cat to love, cherish and look after. As you have probably learned to your chagrin, the looking after part routinely falls to the parents or grandparents. Here s an alternative that could lead to a lifelong love of gardening. Begin early, before you receive that first request for a pet, to interest the children in gardening in their very own gardens. Start by presenting them with the gift of a packet of seeds vegetables or flowers, whichever you think } might be appealing. s You ll soon discover how truly rewarding it can be
enjoy planting seeds under your guidance. Older children can be expected to help with regular tasks such as watering the plots and weeding. If space is too limited for the children to have a special plot of their own, something as small as a patio planter or window box garden might do, one that they can plant and maintain themselves. After their work sessions, reward the children with a treat such as a juice break. To make their first gardening experiences as satisfying as possible, choose dependable plants and simple tools. Before you know it, you may very well have fostered a taste for a rewarding, lifelong hobby while creating pleasant family memories. Gardening then becomes a family pastime to see the look of delight on the
To make} and a chance for its members to children s faces when little T'Stgqrdenlng share quality time together. green sprouts begin to burst experiences as To reinforce this interest and through the soil to children, this is a minor miracle. After satisfyingas possible, choose dependable keep it growing, you might consider enrolling the children in one this experience, they are either hooked or they re not. If not, p try buying them a hamster at least it s a low-maintenance pet!
nts and simple tools.
If the children do become interested in gardening, the next challenge, is how can we introduce them to a productive gardening routine, a regular method of participation? First, consider their ages. Younger children will
of the Toronto Botanical Garden s Teaching Garden programs. Programs for 2004 run during March Break and from May to October. For information, call 416-397-1355 or e-mail teachinggarden@infogarden.ca. @
Madge Bruce, a grandmother offive boys, is a long-time volunteer in the TBGLibrary.
Naturalized Front Gardens WEEDS OR WILDFLOWERS?
[ LorraineJohnsonoutlines theprocessfollowed by the CityofToronto in dealingwith neighbours complaints about naturalizedgardens/
Sandy Bell was ne $50 for her front garden's
"excessive growth of grass and weeds".
hen Toronto gardener Sandy Bell was Wordered in June 1993 to cut down the excessive growth of weeds and grass in her front garden, she decided to fight city hall. She went to court in October 1993 and in front of a justice of the peace defended her planting (which a building inspector testifled was about one foot in height, excessively too high ) on the grounds that she had created a wild garden to reflect her environmental beliefs and that neither excessive nor weeds was defined in the bylaw under which she was charged. The justice found her guilty and gave her a $50 fine.
Following the judgment, the city created a new bylaw which prohibited grass and weeds over 20 centimetres (about eight inches) in height. Believing that the new bylaw would still have the effect of restricting wild gardens such as her own, Bell decided to appeal her conviction. She went to court again, and in September 1996, Justice Fairgrieve rendered his decision, ruling that the city s bylaw unjustifiably violated Bell s constitutional right to freedom of expres-
sion and conscience and that the bylaw was invalid and unenforceable due to the vagueness of its terminology. The city was thus forced to amend its bylaw.
Although Toronto still has the 20-centimetre height restriction for grass and weeds, there s now an exemption in chapter 202 of Toronto s Municipal Code for growth that is part of a natural garden that has been deliberately implemented to produce ground cover, including one (1) or more species of wildflowers, shrubs, perennials, grasses or combinations of them, whether native or non-native, consistent with a managed and natural landscape other than regularly mown grass. This exemption currently applies only within the boundaries of the old city of Toronto until the bylaw becomes harmonized throughout the amalgamated city ofToronto.
While the judge in Sandy Bell s case wrote in his judgment that there are now thousands of private naturalized gardens in Toronto, and I think that an inevitable consequence of routine exposure to them is that they no longer shock one s sensibilities, naturalized gardens do occa-
Photo: Lorraine Johnson
sionally lead to neighbour complaints, and it is prudent for people who are creating such gardens to know what the city s process is for dealing with them.
Complaints about front yards and backyards in Toronto are directed to the Municipal Licensing and Standards (MLS) Division of the Urban Development Services Department, which sends an inspector out to view the property. Inspectors do not have any formal training in horticulture, but they do have a binder with a listing and photographs of Ontario s noxious weeds (as outlined in the province s Weed Control Act which lists 23 plants including, for example, all species of milkweed). According to Scott Sullivan of MLS, if the inspector feels that the homeowner is in non-compliance with the bylaw, we issue a notice because we have no way of telling if it s a natural garden. However, Sullivan also notes that inspectors do use their judgment. If they clearly see a flower garden, for example, they won' t issue a noncompliance notice.
The notice gives the gardener 72 hours to cut the garden; the notice also mentions the naturalgarden exemption. If the gardener invokes this exemption (by writing a letter to the Commissioner of Urban Development Services, City Hall, 100 Queen Street West, 11th Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5H 2N2), then Municipal Licensing and Standards requests that the Parks and Recreation Division, which has horticultural expertise, conduct an inspection of the garden and write a report.
The Parks Division s inspector conducts a visual inspection to determine whether or not the garden falls within the criteria of a natural garden as outlined in the bylaw. However, it must be noted that the bylaw s wording provides very little in the way of clear guidance as to what a natural garden actually is, saying only one (1) or more species of wildflowers... whether native or non-native, consistent with a managed and natural landscape. When asked for clarification as to what general principles related to naturalization or aesthetics Parks inspectors use to determine whether or not the garden falls within the criteria of a natural gar-
den, Arthur Beauregard of the Natural Environment and Horticulture Section, responds: Our inspections are predicated upon a wide spectrum of aesthetic possibilities and styles. The key phrase is: consistent with a managed and natural landscape other than regularly mown grass . We do look for evidence of active management. We rely upon principles that are included in professional literature on this subject.
The Parks Division s inspector does not, in general, request that the homeowner be present during the inspection in order to ask the gardener for information regarding his or her management plan. The inspector does, however, announce him- or herself upon arrival and, if the gardener is not home, leaves a business card. The gardener can request a meeting by phoning the inspector; Beauregard notes that we have had several instances of meeting with property owners over the past two years.
In the written report, the Parks Division s inspector gives an opinion to MLS as to whether or not the garden falls within the criteria for a natural garden. MLS then makes a recommendation to Community Council on whether to grant a natural-garden exemption for the property or not. Community Council then addresses the matter and makes a recommendation to full City Council. If council grants an exemption, the original notice to cut the garden is cancelled. If council does not grant an exemption, then MLS gives a second notice to comply. If the gardener fails to act, the city can send in a crew to cut the garden (at the homeowner s cost) and lay charges.
A notation of council s decision is included in MLS s computer file on the property, so that in the event of an approved natural garden being the subject of another neighbour complaint, there is at least a record on file of the garden s long, long natural history. @
LorraineJohnson is a noted garden writer and author. Her most recent book, The Gardener s Manifesto, includes a number ofstories about natural gardeners and their encounters with the law.
Toronto sAward-winning Mosaiculture
(ArtharBeauregardtakes us behind the scenes of Toronto s exhibitatMontreal sMosaiculture)
osaiculture International Montreéal M (MIM) 2003, the second international exposition and competition, opened in June with plant sculptures representing 56 cities from 31 countries. The horticultural art of mosaiculture evolved from the nineteenth- and twentieth-century traditions of formal carpet bedding and developed into elaborate threedimensional displays that incorporate many small plants. Creating a mosaiculture involves four stages: concept and design, metal sculpture fabrication, planting and maintenance.
Teams from five continents arrived in Montreal during the five-week construction period. Toronto entered the competition in November 2002 and immediately began working on a design around the exposition s theme, Myths and Legends of the World.
As a relatively young city with a population that s perhaps the most culturally diverse on earth, our research uncovered no single myth or legend that we felt would suitably represent our city. Therefore, we based our concept on the classical Greek mythological creature, the chimera: a multi-headed animal that symbolizes something hoped for . To represent Toronto s rich cultural mosaic, the chimera was designed
Toronto s display was awarded the Government ofCanada Silver Medal Award for Cultural Image.
to depict the earth s four races: the body of the chimera was a bison, representing Aboriginal peoples; its three heads of the lion, the stag and the tiger represented, respectively, African, European and Asian peoples. The idea was to place this chimera within a distinctly Toronto landscape by including prominent architectural elements such as City Hall, the CN Tower and Skydome.
The next step involved working with artist Helena Hocevar who created a sketch and clay sculptures of the chimera. These sculptures, along with phototransparencies, were given to the metal artist, Peter Siebert. The transparencies were overlaid with scale measurements so that when projected onto a wall, they created life-size outlines that were used as patterns for producing three metal sculptures.
Each sculpture s exterior surface is a grid of steel rods measuring from 1/4 to 3/8 inches (6 to 9.5 millimetres) in diameter. This frame must be sturdy enough to support the fabric holding the planting medium yet allow enough space for plants to be placed within its framework. Interior structural braces must be strong and stable enough to support the load of metal, moist planting medium and plants, without »
Photo: Arthur Beauregard
compromising plant placement and root zone soil depth. These * metal sculptures, or | gridwork shells, shaped the ultimate artistryof the planted mosaiculture. Our metal artists laboured several weeks to fabricate the sculptures that formed our composition.
Packing the metal frames with the planting medium took the team of six two and a half weeks to complete.
Once completed, the metal sculptures were placed on site the last week of May. Then our team of six, which included Stanley Roszak of Edwards Gardens, prepared to plant. We systematically packed the sculptures with a special planting medium designed to maintain good drainage and water retention despite being densely packed. The medium was contained within a sturdy, porous fabric that we attached to the metal frame with pull ties or metal orings. This process took our team about two and a half weeks to complete.
Our planting scheme was carefully designed by horticultural artist Sue Clarke. Plants used for mosaic sculptures must be relatively fast growing and amenable to the frequent clipping necessary to stimulate bushy carpet growth. We chose a complete palette of traditional carpet bedding plants includingAlternathera, Santolina, Echeveria, Pyrethrum, Hypoestes and various small-leaf prostrate perennials. Each plant represents a single tile of the mosaic. Plants were grown in trays of 72 so as to balance reasonably bushy top growth with a compact root plug that could be easily inserted into the sculpture.
The Toronto team used custom-manufactured dibbles to punch holes into the fabric and the planting medium that were exactly the size of the plants root plugs. These helped us plant quickly while ensuring that no air pockets remained. Following the artist s design which had been drawn onto the fabric with a white marker, we spaced the plants between two and three inches apart. This took our team one and a halfweeks. Then, a team of two spent three days completing the final landscape detailing including
grading, sodding and flower bed installation.
Key maintenance activities of the finished exhibit included irrigation, fertilizing and trimming. Watering mosaic plant sculptures is very challenging. Smaller elements such as animal ears dry out quickly. At times the lower areas oflarger elements (such as the belly of the bison) become too wet. We overcame these challenges by using a high-quality planting mix, by creating proper drainage and through adroit watering! The adage It s the hand on the hose that determines plant health remains the single most important principle, despite the innovative irrigation systems that continue to be devised by mosaiculture artists and technicians. Regardless of the irrigation methodology, regular monitoring and judicious regulation of watering (up to four times on a hot summer day) is essential.
Mosaicultures require regular fertilizing to maintain vigorous healthy growth that can sustain the continual clipping necessary to produce bushy coverage. Nutrients are usually delivered in solution through use of a porportioner as part of the irrigation program.
Clipping and trimming the mosaiculture require a highly skilled and artistic touch. Trimming ensures that the original design is realized with correct definition ofshapes and contours.
Producing a mosaiculture involves a series of artistic and horticultural efforts that culminate in a living piece of art. It requires diligent effort and meticulous attention to detail. As with all artistic and horticultural activities, it is a labour of love that s as satisfying to those producing it as the result is pleasing to the audience! @
A member ofthe TBG board ofdirectors, Arthur Beauregard is Toronto Parks & Recreation Manager, Natural Environment & Horticulture and Artistic Director and Project Managerfor Toronto atMIM2003.
Photo: Arthur Beauregard
HOW [ ALMOST BECAME A TV STAR
Lorna Lukefinds herself upstaged in thegarden.
here I was seated under the lilac tree at Tthe back of my peaceful city garden on a perfect July morning staring blankly at the television camera. My eyes were open but my tongue was tied. As the cameraman trained his lens on me, the pleasant young man facing me began asking questions: What do you value most in your garden? What kinds of mistakes have you made? Have you always liked to garden? The questions ricocheted around my head but my mouth dried up and nothing came to my lips. How did I get here?
... the truth is thatas Iget older;, Iwo aboutmywisteria than my waistline.
pictures of my garden, she thought it was whimsical and interesting and asked if I would agree to have my garden filmed. What kinds of questions will they ask me? I responded. They want you to be spontaneous. They will surprise you, she replied. That was a little unnerving but I thought, What the heck. Why not?
more
It had all started when I'd feng shui d the career area of my house. I had just finished a course at Ryerson called Feng Shui for the House and Garden. (Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese theory that looks at chi or energy and creates space for the chi to flow freely.) To test out what I had learned, [ started clearing out the clutter in my home. No sooner had I completed the first area, which happened to be the career area (I dream of becoming a garden designer), than I received a call from Helen Williams, my course instructor at Ryerson. She was helping Home & Garden Television find an appropriate garden to televise for Mark Cullen s show. Although she had only seen
Early in the morning, two weeks later, four men from HGTV arrived at my home. By then I was relatively composed and ready. I had spent the weeks dashing about the garden getting it ready for its debut. Other than reviewing the botanical names of my plants, I hadn t spent much time thinking about the interview and what [ would say.
Luckily the crew immediately set me at ease, introducing themselves and complimenting me on my garden. Nigel, the cameraman, went off in search of the perfect spot for the interview and to set up his camera; Mike, the sound man, arranged his apparatus; John, the grip, carried equipment about. Meanwhile [ became acquainted with Steve, the affable young interviewer. Before I knew it, everyone was in position and I was seated across from Steve.
The cameras started to roll and Steve asked,
Are you having fun? It s important to have fun. So far so good, I thought. This isn t so hard.
Tell me where your interest in gardening comes from? Have you always gardened? Cut, cried Mike, planes overhead. What a relief! [ was having trouble getting started.
OK. Let s roll, said Nigel five minutes later. Just then Molly Malone, my golden retriever returned from her walk and rushed out the back door barking furiously. Cut, called Mike. Can we do something about the dog? After Molly was banished to the house, filming resumed.
Now where were we? asked Steve. Who are you? How does your garden reflect who you are? Oh, look at the cat, shouted John. Get a shot of that cat. The camera zoomed in on Ivan the Terrible, my 20-pound tabby as he swaggered out from under the dogwood, a live mouse hanging from his mouth. This was so distracting. [ was having trouble focusing.
Let s talk about how you achieved balance in your garden, continued Steve. [ knew his
lips were moving but I had gone blank. I think I babbled something about yin and yang though, because Steve smiled encouragingly.
Well, Lorna, smiled Steve, let s finish off by talking about your philosophy of gardening? Well, I blurted, the truth is that as I get older, I worry more about my wisteria than my waistline. Cut, yelled Nigel. That s it! Can we copyright that line?
The interview was over.
But wait, I said, I remember now what [ wanted to say. I'm just getting warmed up. Too late, replied Steve, you were great. And they packed up and left.
If I had it to do over, I'd forget about brushing up my Latin or deadheading my Dicentra. I d concentrate instead on muzzling the dog, locking up the cat and figuring out some snappy answers. Who knows? Next, maybe I'll clear out the relationship area of my home.
An avid gardener and aspiring garden designer, Lorna Luke is a member of the Trellis Committee. ®
Horticultural societies and specialty groups from across Ontario will be available to give advice on plant material, flowers and general gardening techniques. If you've been wondering why your roses don' t flourish or what kind of bug is eating your hostas, this is a wonderful opportunity to have your questions answered. Free garden talks and demonstrations with gardening experts are scheduled throughout the day.
Horticultural societies will also be competing in the 3rd Annual Design Competition in the categories of Baskets, Bags and Bonnets. Designs will be judged and on display throughout the show.
See full schedule of events at www.infogarden.ca.
Pruhomce Park
In a sleepy country village in the Czech Republic, Lorraine Hunter discovers a botanicalgarden that s a wonderfulplace to get lost.
If we had to get lost anywhere we couldn t
have picked a better place than Pruhonice Park, a 250-hectare garden attached to a twelfth-century storybook castle in the picturesque village of Pruhonice, 10 kilometers southeast of Prague in the Czech Republic.
As we hopped off the local 385 bus and into the manicured entrance courtyard resplendent with magnificent mature peonies of both herbaceous and tree varieties with blooms as big as
dinner plates my husband had the good sense to ask the entrance attendant for a map. Even though there was not one available in English, that piece of paper, all in Czech, would prove indispensable several hours later in helping us retrace our steps just like Hansel and Gretel but without the bread crumbs.
The park, now a state botanical garden and horticultural park, is the main attraction of the sleepy country village of Pruhonice. On week-
The castle overlooking Pruhonice Park.
ends it's packed with day-tripping Czech families, but on a drizzly weekday morning we had the exotic gardens, sweet-smelling woods and three artificial lakes to ourselves.
We entered the grounds and headed down the pathway off the terrace at the back of the building, past blooming lilacs and golden chain trees, into the picture-book site on a shaded pathway around the first lake. It was an idyllic setting with white swans and wood ducks floating by. Eventually we headed off the beaten track but not before looking back to see the castle and its mirror image shimmering on the lake. Every time we took a turn there was a bench with another scenic view.
As we admired the various formal, meadow and alpine gardens we noticed how different the terrain was in various parts of the park.
Here were bells of Ireland, columbines, hellebores and poppies in a rockery. Suddenly we came to a cliff side with cacti sprawling from every crevice. By the lake we noted blossoming dogwood, hydrangea, ferns and forget-menots. Wild roses were just beginning to bloom at the edges of waterfalls and picturesque wooden bridges.
We had the good fortune to be there in May when some 7,000 azaleas and rhododendrons come out in all colours of the rainbow, including many with unbelievably lovely fragrances mingling with the scent of freshly mown grass.
Pruhonice Park was established in 1885 by Count Ernest Emanuel Silva Tarouca who continued to work on it until his death in 1936. His intention was to create a beautiful Bohemian landscape stocked with exotic trees. To this end he engaged E Thomayer, the leading landscape garden designer of the day. Into the valley of the Boti¢ River he incorporated exotic tree species and plant material from all over the world. He added numerous vistas and outlooks to open meadows and created an extensive alpine garden on rocky banks skirting the Botic.
In addition to the rhododendrons, the botanical garden is home to some 1,700 irises, 230 peonies, 800 rose bushes, 250 day lilies and 130 water lilies plus an old collection of fruit tree species.
As we stopped to admire the view from one of the many lookouts, we suddenly came to a busy country road and realized that we were lost. Attempting to retrace our steps, eventually we met a Czech couple who spoke no English but were able to show us where we were on the map and how to get back to the chateau.
Despite this small setback, I would unhesitatingly recommend a side trip to Pruhonice Park for anyone visiting the Czech Republic who enjoys visiting beautiful gardens. And if you re up to it, this is a great destination for a walk in the woods. @
Lorraine Hunter is a garden writerand member ofthe Board ofDirectors ofthe CGC as well as chair ofthe Trellis Committee.
GREAT PLANTS FOR THE WINTER GARDEN
(Cathie Coxpaints the wintergarden with a palette of evergreens, shrubs, trees and ornamentalgrasses)
eauty in a winter garden lies in the conBtrast of ice, snow and frost with green and blue evergreens, the bare branches of trees and shrubs and the sway of ornamental grasses. This otherwise bleak, cold, minimalist landscape, devoid of foliage and flowers, provides a dramatic foil for a cluster of red berries, a blackened branch, a frosted juniper bough or the red twigs of dogwood. Every snowfall and freezing rainstorm reveals a different aspect of the canvas that is your garden.
Qualities that are essential in plants for a winter garden include hardiness, colour, texture, detail, form and, most importantly, staying power. Any colour is attractive during the cloudy or snow-whitened months of winter. Different hues of green become more noticeable, especially when grouped with contrasting colours. Without foliage or flowers, the textures of twigs, branches and bark, when highlighted against a blanket of snow, reveal the bones or structural elements of the garden as well as the form or shape of the plant. Details such as berries, seed pods, cones, curling bark and frost-rimmed leaves make a walk in the winter garden one of discovery. The most important factor in choosing a plant for winter interest, however, is staying power; plants should look good from November until early March.
Some winter beauties are team players during spring, summer and fall, waiting for their chance to shine in winter. The coral bark Japanese maple, Acerpalmatum Sango kaku , is a slow-growing tree with an ultimate height of about five metres (16 feet) that suddenly becomes the belle of the ball in winter when its red bark turns a stunning, glowing coral red. Another Cinderella plant, the corkscrew hazel or Corylus avellana Contorta , becomes attractive only when its gauche wilting foliage falls to reveal the true beauty of its wavy, twisting and
spiralling stems. This shrub is a piece of sculpture that can stand alone in the garden. Its stems, which are laden with pendant yellow catkins in late winter and spring, make great presents for floral arrangers. Yellow-twig and red dogwood branches are equally welcome. During the growing season, the rather ordinary shape and green (sometimes variegated) foliage of these shrubs is easily overlooked. However, if pruned hard every spring, their stem colour intensifies, becoming very showy in winter when the shrubs are massed in groups. My favourite dogwood is a relatively new introduction in Canada, Cornus sanguinea Winter Beauty or blood-twig dogwood. The stems are a combination of red, yellow and orange tipped with pink. They look fabulous in seasonal containers combined with evergreen branches.
Silver birch looks elegant in all seasons, but the Himalayan birch, Betula utilis var. jacquemontii, is a jewel in the winter garden with its fine tracery of dark branches that contrast with its smooth polished white bark. It looks best growing against a background of evergreens.
As a group, evergreens tend to catch the eye in winter with their dense forms and rich green, blue, yellow and even purple foliage. They add structure, background colour and contrast. Also, as barriers in the landscape, they help protect the weaker members of the plant kingdom. Choosing favourites in this category is difficult but if I had to limit my choices, I would choose the dwarf Colorado blue spruce, Picea pungens Glauca Globosa . Its blue needles turn to silvery blue in winter but look good all year round. The golden Adam s needle yucca, Yucca filamentosa Golden Sword , is another of my favourite evergreens. With green-edged rich yellow sword-shaped leaves, it provides strong colour and contrast when grown amongst ground-covering junipers and red-berried
cotoneasters. Cotoneaster horizontalis or rockspray cotoneaster is a particular favourite of mine until February or March when it tends to lose its leaves. The herringbone pattern of its branches, the prolific display of red berries and its vigorous ground-hugging, weed-choking habit endear it to me even though I know I will hate its shabbiness in early spring. That s when I prune it back ruthlessly.
The oakleaf hydrangea, Hydrangea quercifolia, provides much interest and drama. A moderately robust shrub with presence rather than beauty, this plant undergoes a series of changes from the beginning of fall to mid-winter. Its large oakshaped leaves change colour from green to rich plum-purple. They gradually start to wilt early in winter but mostly remain on the branches until spring. On the larger stems, the exfoliating bark is gradually revealed once the leaves start to drop to make wayfor burgeoning spring buds.
Helleborus niger, the Christmas rose, is a very welcome sight with its semi-evergreen foliage that acts as a foil for its captivating, yellow-centred, white anemone-like flowers. Every
year [ am bowled over with its habit of flowering when all other plants look dead. However, I cannot bear to think of this lovely plant suffering the extreme cold, so I mulch it under a blanket of leaves, taking a peek from time to time over the winter.
Ornamental grasses are my favourite group of plants in wintertime. They look their best during the last half of the season, peaking in the autumn. They add movement, grace, colour and even sound when winter winds begin to gust. As a group, Miscanthus includes some of the showiest and most beautiful of all the grasses. Miscanthus sinensis Gracillimus or maiden grass has narrow, graceful, silvery ribbed arching foliage and a clump-forming habit suitable for small gardens. Over the winter, the leaves bleach out to a parchment colour. Seeing it against a backdrop of deep green evergreens, my need for a garden all year round is almost satisfied. @
Cathie Cox is manager ofHorticultural Services for the Toronto Botanical Garden.
CITY OF TORONTO HISTORIC MUSEUMS
Spadina Museum: Historic House & Gardens
7th Annual Garden Lecture and Workshop Series Our Growing Heritage
ecture: Weird, Wacky, Wonderful Plants Sunday, February 15" 1:30-4 pm Frank Kershaw simplifies how to grow unusual plants such as Japanese Jack-in-the-Pulpit and outdoor orchids. $15 + GST (includes refreshments).
Workshops: Going Potty - Building and Filling Your Own Hypertufa Container
Part I - Sunday, April 18" 1-4 pm - Build Your Own Hypertufa Container Wendy Woodworth shows you how to build the perfect home for dwarf or alpine plants
Part II Sunday, April 25" 1-4 pm - Filling Your Hypertufa Container Anna Leggatt helps you create a beautiful arrangement of alpine plants.
Please call for workshop admission fee information.
Watch for Herbal Delights: The Use of Medicinal and Culinary Plants in History coming November 7, 2004. $15 + GST (includes refreshments). Presentations will include time for questions from the audience.
Book now and avoid disappointment!
Spadina Museum: Historic House & Gardens is located at 285 Spadina Road,just south ofSt. Clair Avenue. Paid parking is available next door at Casa Loma. Call 416-392-6910.
Plants of | Florida
[ On her annual treks to the sunshine state, Carol Gardner eyes some tropical beauties.)
dentrul npet' features:bright
Is there anything more humbling for a gar-
dener than travelling to a different gardening zone and not recognizing any of the plants? In the early hours of a dark winter s day, you load up the car for the long drive ahead. Three days later, you arrive on another planet, filled with wonderful growing things that are a mystery to you.
We often make our annual pilgrimage to Sarasota at the same time as many of our nongardening friends. On trips closer to home, they re accustomed to asking me the name of this or that plant; often, I don t have a clue, but at home [ know enough to fake it. Hmmm, I say, looks like a Chamaecyparis to me, but I'm not sure about the cultivar. That usually shuts them up. If you don t want to out-and-out lie (and I don t think of it as really lying), you can distract them with folklore along the lines of the name escapes me for the moment, but, if you were to look underneath the leaves just before dawn, you might see the fairies that make it their home. That sort of talk got me booted off the list of TBG tour guides a few years ago (okay, I quit, butjust in the nick oftime!).
The problem is that, in Florida, I don t even know enough to fake it successfully. Sure, everyone recognizes the bougainvillea that tumbles enthusiastically over balconies, and you d have to be a real dolt not to recognize the lemon and orange trees that are a feature of just
about every garden. Palms are ubiquitous, but there are just too many of them to get the names straight. Any so-called friend who asks about the identity of an individual palm is just plain mean-spirited; you might want to reconsider that friendship. However, I've picked up a few things over a couple of visits and I 'm delighted to share them with you as a starting point.
9 BANYANFicus benghalensis
Another easily recognizable tree is the banyan. With its silvery-green bark and aerial roots that look like multiple trunks, it presents a very eerie appearance; perhaps that s why it is the stuff of so many legends. Buddha is said to have searched for wisdom for many years but only found it after meditating under a banyan tree for seven days and seven nights. Buddhists consider the banyan sacred, and it is the national tree of India. It is not, however, considered sacred by Florida citrus growers. The strangling fig, as it s called, has aerial roots that can strangle host trees, including orange and grapefruit trees, palms, cypresses and even oaks.
9 BOTTLEBRUSH Callistemon citrinus
Bottlebrush is a small tree with bright red, brush-like flowers that just knock your socks off. The weeping version (C. viminalis) grows higher and is stunning even when not in flower.
9 CABBAGE PALM ORCABBAGE
PALMETTO Sabalpalmetto
Notwithstanding my earlier comments, there is one palm that s instantly recognizable: the Florida state tree, the cabbage palm. That s because it s tall, 15 to 24 metres (50 to 80 feet) and generally has a ring of dead leaves just under the living ones; [ always have the urge to shinny up and remove these unsightly dead leaves.
9 GOLDENTRUMPETAllamandacathartica
Golden trumpet is a twining vine (often pruned to a shrub) with large, trumpet-shaped, bright yellow flowers.
, JACARANDATREEJacaranda mimosifolia
A jacaranda tree in bloom is a beautiful thing. For a period of eight weeks (April toJune) it has an explosion of violet-blue flowers that is impossible to ignore.
9 SEA GRAPE Coccoloba uvifera
Sea grapes are so-named because female trees bear reddish fruits that hang down in grape-like clusters. They have shiny leathery leaves with red veins and fragrant white flowers. Found near sand dunes and beaches, they can take different forms depending on care from a sprawling shrub to a vase-shaped tree of up to nine metres (30 feet) tall.
9 SPANISHMOSS Tillandsiausneoides
Spanish moss, in spite of its name, is not a true moss, but rather a member of the pineapple family, Bromeliacae. It s an epiphyte, making its own food rather than relying on the host plant. It connects to the host plant through long thin strings that wrap around the host tree and hang down from its branches; these branches often break under the weight. Several species of songbirds use the moss to make their nests. While you retain that lovely image, | must add that its thick masses are also host to reptiles, warblers, bats, chiggers, and other creatures. A legend says that Spanish moss came into existence when a Spanish conquistador, Gorez Goz, bought a beautiful maiden for a yard of braid
and a bar of soap. The poor young woman ran away from Goz, finally climbing a tree to escape from him. Goz followed her until his beard became hopelessly entangled in the tree; he died there and the maiden escaped. His beard is all that remains.
These are just a few ofthe plants most often seen in my part of Florida. However, if you want to really study the subject, there s no shortage of information: Florida has 23 botanical gardens. I 'm planning to spend a lot of time this year at Sarasota s Marie Selby Botanical Gardens so that, when I'm lusting after some particular specimen, I'll know the proper name of the thing I can t have. Only in Canada, eh? @
Carol Gardner is an award-winning garden writer, volunteer and a member of the TBG s Board ofDirectors as well as a member of the Trellis Committee.
LEARN MORE ABOUTTHE PLANTS AND GARDENS OF FLORIDA
SOURCES INTHETBG LIBRARY
Florida Landscape Plants, Native andExotic by JohnV. Watkins
From temperate to tropical - the transplanted gardener by Roger Johnson inAmerican Gardener 80 (1, January-February 2001): 46-50
Native Orchids ofFlorida by Carlyle A. Luer
Splendor restored by Judith B.Tankard in Horticulture 100 (2, March-April 2003): 50-55
WEB-SITES
Botanical Gardens www.aabga.org
Florida Native Plant Society www.fnps.org
Florida Plants Online www.floridaplants.com
Perennial Symposium 2004
Making perennials more accessible
A full-day seminar filled with valuable practical tips from the experts in the perennial world, including what's new and the best in design and colour all for a member price of $55 before February 4.
Register soon. Fees go up to $75 on February 4, 2004.
February 10, 2004
Toronto Botanical Garden
Member pricing offered to TBG and Landscape Ontario members For further information, visit www.hort-trades.com.
THANKS TO OUR IN-KIND DONORS OF 2003
As well as those who provided in-kind gifts and services to our Golf and Garden Day, the following individuals, companies and societies provided gen-
INDIVIDUALS
Mara Arndt
Brenda Batthany
Pat Briffa
Elizabeth Bryce
Bernice Cherney
Krystof Chrzanowski
Lloy Cook
Deborah Curran
Janet Davis
Susan Dyer
Mary Lou Eaton
Edwards Gardens Staff
Erica Fischer
Joan Hodges
Sara Jackman
Barbara Langs
Roberta Langtry
Helen Lawson
Lorna Luke
Susan Macaulay
Marion Magee
Carl & Barbara Mahler
Barbara Mayer
Kathy Mills
Charmiene Montgomery
Joan Moore
Estate of Mary Elizabeth
Lorraine Flanigan Moeslein
Brenda Flint
Brenda Hamer
Kathy Hartley
Judy Hernandez
Sprmgt imein Sco hosted by Marjorie
Gwyneth Norton-Wilks
Norman Oaker
Peter Payne
Gwen Rattle
erous in-kind gifts and services during the past year. The Toronto Botanical Garden extends to you all its appreciation and thanks.
Joy Reddy COMPANIES
Stanley Roszak APS Press
Marguerite Savidant Ball Publishing
Bertha Sharpe Firefly Books
Nooney Sigesmund Highland Evergreen
Louise Simpson Hofland
Helen Singer Jackson-Triggs
Pamela Stagg JEA Perennials
Ernest Stallan Landscape Forms
Elizabeth Stewart Loblaws
Ruthanne Stiles PlantWorld
Pat Stone
JoyceTill
TBG Board of Directors
TBGVolunteers
Marion Walker
Joan Weed
Catherine White
Joyce Wood
SOCIETIES
TheGarden ClubofToronto
MilneHouseGardenClub
TorontoAfricanVioletSociety
Toronto Master Gardeners
Weicbm@to @ardenersWorld Tours 2004
l;IaSon and Stewart Bennett.¢
A host of Golden Daffodils will greet us as we explore the land ofBumsand the Scottish Borders. Culzean Castle and Gardens, Threave Gardens, Beatrix Potter s Hilltop Farm at Hawkeshead
Chelsea Flower Show ( on special RHS Members Day) 17-27 May 2004
This 10 day tour will include Sissinghurst, Wisley, Leeds Castle and London Theatre experience. Lorraine Hunter and Carol Gardner will escort this Town and Country Tour to the South of England. $3789.00 per person, double occupancy. Single Supplement $440.00
Garden Getaway to Cleveland 12-15 September 2004
This popular annual Fall Tour will be escorted by Marjorie and JeffMason, visiting Cleveland Botanical Gardens and specially selected venues. We suggest you book early to avoid disappointment.$759.00 per person double occupancy.
W ]@ng to share programme available contact LORNA for detailed information on all our tours. '/9/@3;&583 841 1 fax 905-6836842
-mail Ibates @on.aibn.com or visit our website at www.gardenersworldtours.com
Plam iran
by Anna Leggatt
Mlss Wlllmott s Ghost, Eryngiumgiganteum
SEA HOLLIES, Eryngium giganteum, make dramatic statements in the herbaceous or mixed border. Sea holly is also known as Miss Willmott's Ghost, named for Miss Ellen Willmott (1858-1934) who gardened in England and France and on the Italian Riviera. Many plants are named after her or her garden at Warley Place. This common name for Eryngium giganteum comes either from her alleged habit of dropping seeds when she visited gardens or perhaps from a prickly temperament.
Eryngium giganteum is reputedly a short-lived perennial, but it is a biennial for me in Toronto and my mother s plants in England were also biennial. The plant makes a rosette of mid-green heart-shaped leaves during the first year. A large taproot stores food underground enabling the plant to produce a branched stem the next summer rising up to about one metre (39 inches). The plants are usually 50 centimetres (20 inches) in width. The stems have large stalkless heart-shaped blue-green leaves, attractively veined with silver-green and edged with spines. The leaves that grow farther up the stem are more spiny and less heart-shaped than those closer to the ground. The tips of each branch end in a thimble-shaped cluster of tiny steely blue flowers (called an umbel) surrounded by a spiny ruff of silvery bracts. Each inflorescence is up to 2.5 centimetres (one inch) in diameter and 4 centimetres (1.5 inches) long. The largest circle of bracts may be up to 10 centimetres (four inches) in diameter. The cultivar
Silver Ghost has even better silvery coloured bracts. At the end of the season, the dead plants look quite attractive; although they are supposed to be white, mine look more of a light brown colour.
These plants self-seed easily just remove the unwanted seedlings to keep them under control. Sea hollies are easy to grow from fresh seed, either indoors under lights or, better still, in a pot in a shaded place outside so that the seeds will freeze and thaw in the late winter. Transplant them to their permanent positions when the plants == are still small, about 4 centimetres (1.5 inches) across. Like many plants with long taproots, sea hollies resent being moved because it is difficult to do so without damaging their root. Sea hollies will grow in any soil but prefer a drier, well-drained location. However, they do need plenty of water during the first year. They need lots of space, too, so do not let other plants cover or crowd them out.
Sea hollies are excellent for use in dried arrangements. Cut the stems when half of the tiny flowers are open and hang them to dry in a cool airy place. This practice may also encourage your plant to flower again nextyear because it failed to set seed before being cut.
Seeds of sea holly will be available from the Toronto Botanical Garden s 2004 Seed Exchange To order, seeSeedexinsert. ¢
Anna Leggattis aMaster Gardener; garden writerandactive TBG volunteer.
lllustration: Jocelyn Mann
B Expert advice from the Master Gardeners |
Q 1I'd like to start some geranium, Pelargonium, seeds. Is early February a good time to do this?
Seed geraniums in February under lights.
A Yes, early February is just about the right time to start planting seeds of geraniums. They should take approximately two weeks to germinate. Once they have germinated, place the seedlings under good light.
Q How can I encourage my Christmas cactus, Schlumbergera x buckleyi, to bloom? I have it in a bright window. 3 | Darkness 1 \ | promotes bud et formation of \ '4' Christmas S \ Cactus.
A To bloom well, Christmas cactus must have a period of complete darkness for more than 12 hours each day for a period of six to nine weeks. If this is not possible, | suggest you remove the plant from the bright window each evening, put the plant into a covered cardboard box and place it in a cool spot so that the plant will receive no light for at least 12 hours.
Q 1 have been trying to start castor beans, Ricinus communis. Last year I failed. This year, I soaked them for 24 hours, added heat using a
plant heat pad and gave them 15 hours of light daily. Again nothing germinated. Is there a special requirement for these beans that I'm missing? My next shot is to put them in the dark. Perhaps they don t like the light to germinate. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Castor oil plants have prickly seed pods.
A Sorry to hear that you re having so much trouble germinating castor bean seeds. According to Eileen Powell s From Seed to Bloom, the seeds of castor bean should be soaked in warm water for 24 hours. After sowing, be sure to keep the room temperature at between 21 and 24°C (70 to 75°F). After this kind of treatment, your seeds should germinate within 15 to 21 days. If this still does not work, the seeds you have may be to blame. If you bought the seeds from a commercial source, they should be fine, but if they were hand collected, they may not have been ripe enough when picked. Failure to germinate may also be due to improper seed storage that could lead to fungal disease or rot. Clean pots anda sterile, soilless growing mixture will also contribute to better germination rates. When dealing with castor beans always bear in mind that all parts of this plant are toxic, especially the seed within the seedpod.
Do you have a question about gardening? Contact the Toronto Master Gardeners InfoLine at 416-397-1345 or log on to the Q&A Forum at infogarden.ca/mastergardenerboard.htm and Ask a Master Gardener!
lllustrations: Vivien Jenkinson
by Mara Arndt e Librarian
Kids New Media Collection
WE ARE PLEASED to announce that Royal Bank Financial Group has donated some growing money to enhance our new media collection. We'll be adding nature and science videos (public performance rights only) for use by groups of children. As funds permit, we will add kids videos and CD-ROMs for personal use.
Web site REVIEW
Going south
Strelitzia reginae, Plumbago capensis, Pachystachys lutea seeing these plants in the middle of winter is possible if you are going south and visiting the Florida Botanical Gardens. Located in Largo, the botanical gardens display native plants and beautiful exotic tropicals in both natural and formal gardens. For details about the gardens, visit their Web site at www.flbg.org.
Driving home in April, an absolute must is a visit to see the azaleas and rhododendrons in Virginia. For a list of public gardens located in the state, browse the Terracopia Web site at www. terracopia.net/geo/Virginia_Botanical+Gardens.htm.
Reviewed byJean McCluskey
TRAKKERS
Cross Country Ski Club
Book REVIEW
Flora: over 20,000 plants and their cultivation requirements
of international botanical and horticultural experts headed by Canadian garden writer Wendy Thomas, this comprehensive reference book (weighing six pounds!) helps gardeners choose the perfect plant for their gardens while expanding their knowledge of the plant world.
This beautifully illustrated work contains 10,000 photographs of plants from all over the world. It is divided into three sections.The introduction suggests plants suitable for each of 12 hardiness zones, along with appropriate growing techniques. The second section is organized alphabetically by botanical name. Each entry provides a detailed description of the plant, its origin, qualities, cultivation requirements, growth habit and propagation methods.The last section includes colour illustrations of leaf, flower and fruit types, a comprehensive glossary and an index.
Contributors include some of our leading gardening writers. The foreword is written by Judith Adam and other writers include Trellis editor Lorraine Flanigan, Patricia Hanbridge, Bruce Rutherford, Patrick
Seymour and DavidTomlinson.
An indispensable reference tool for avid gardeners every-
* Free lessons for adults and children where, this large hardcover volume is packaged in a stur-
* Sunday bus trips : : . 3 dy carrying case. The accom- 2 fi % (2 free trips with membership) SaTing, castoack DR
Open House - Tuesday, Nov 25th
Swansea Town Hall @ 7:00 pm allows handy access to the extensive data on over
20,000 plants.
Reviewed byMadgeBruce
THANKS TO OUR GOLF DAY SPONSORS
TheTBG would like to acknowledge and thank the following individuals and companies for sponsoring the Golf and Garden Day held on September 16, 2003. In excess of $26,000 was raised from this event in support of the Toronto Botanical Garden.
Event Sponsor
TORYS LLP
Dinner Sponsor
Chair-man Mills
Garden Sponsor IVK
Challenge Sponsors
Hole in One - Roy Foss Motors Ltd.
Men s Closest to the Pin - Brad & Kathy Badeau
Men s Longest Drive - Land Rover-Jaguar, Thornhill
Women s Closest to the Pin - Fashion Imports
Women s Longest Drive - Ontario Paint and Wallpaper & Aurora Landscape Ltd.
Contest Sponsors
Putting - D.W. King & Company Inc.
Buy the Pro - Le Boeuf Properties Inc.
Hole Sponsors
Atkinson & Associates Insurance
Bayview Flowers (Jordan Station) Ltd.
Bousfield, Dale-Harris, Cutler & Smith Inc.
Bradford Greenhouses Ltd.
Brookdale Treeland Nurseries
Max Epp, Ball Superior
Konkle Farm & Greenhouses Ltd.
Landscape Ontario
John McColl, Scotia McLeod
Modugno-Hortibec
Paul G. Gardner & Associates
Perennial Gardens Corp.
MEMBERSHIP SURVEY
We thank everyone who responded to the membership survey that was enclosed in the November/December issue of Trellis. We apologize for neglecting to enclose a reply envelope, but are thrilled that so many of our members either dropped offthe survey or sent it back by mail. THANK YOU.
Rosenwig McRae Thorpe LLP
Smith, Nixon & Co.
TradeWinds International Sales Co. Inc.
Yoder Canada Ltd.
Special Gifts
Kaye Cathers, Suzanne Drinkwater, Ralph Fernando, David & Janet Greyson, David & Lenore Hawkey, Sandra Munn
Live Auction Sponsors
Acme Environmentals, Alan & Alice Adelkind, A la Carte Catering
Silent Auction Sponsors
Abbott of England, Alfi Inc., Kate Bahen, Bell Distributions, Michael & Sue Burns, Calla Design, Greg Cochrane, Gordon & Brenda Currie, George & Kathy Dembroski, Elisabeth Legge Fine Antique Prints, Chris Gallow, Gardenimport Inc., David & Janet Greyson, Ben Gross, Phil Hardy of Beacon Hall, Horticultural Design, Rick Matsumoto of the Toronto Star, Michael Kluthe Salon, Mary Anne Miller, Moss, Neal Brothers, Oak Ridges Food Market, Angie Rowan, Steam Whistle Breweries, Timberland
Prize and In-kind Sponsors
CIBC - Private Banking, City ofToronto, City of Toronto Sign Shop, Coors Canada, Dansk, Flemingdon Park Golf Club, Gardening Life magazine, JVK Ltd., Nancy Laurie, Patrick Li, Masterpost Ltd., Joan Mathers,TheMay Group Inc., Minuteman Press, Modugno-Hortibec, Neal Brothers, Ontario Power Generation, Phil Henry Sales, Red Rose, Royal Bank, Sheridan Nurseries Ltd., Via Verde, White Rose
The TBG Golf Committee
Sue Burns, Janet Greyson, Andrea Maclintyre, Jenny Rhodenizer, Angie Rowan, Joy Sjare
Edwards Lectures |
GARDEN BY DESIGN SERIES
SPEAKER: ANDREWWILSON
WHERE: FLORAL HALL
WHEN: JANUARY 29, 7:30 p.M
TopIC: INFLUENTIAL GARDEN DESIGNERS OF THE 20TH CENTURY
THROUGH ENGAGING PROFILES OF 56
garden stars of the 20th century, Andrew Wilson will show how these innovators of garden design created their styles and shaped gardening taste. He will illustrate how garden design broke free in the last century to become a more dynamic, diverse and intellectually vital art.
Andrew Wilson is the director of Garden Design Studies at the world famous Inchbald School of Design in London, England. He is a natural and enthusiastic teacher who has worked for many years as a freelance garden and landscape designer. Andrew is the author of The Creative Water Gardener and Influential Gardeners: The Deszgners Who Shaped 20th-Century Garden Style as well as numerous articles for Gardens Illustrated, House and Garden, Landscape Design, and the Sunday Telegraph. Free to members; non-members $12
SPEAKER: GORDON HAYWARD
WHERE: FLORAL HALL
WHEN: FEBRUARY 11, 7:30 P.M.
Toric: YOUR HOUSE, YOUR GARDEN: A FOOLPROOF APPROACH TO GOOD GARDEN DESIGN
THE IDEA THAT YOUR HOUSE IS THE centre of your garden is not just an aesthetic notion but a practical tool. During his presentation, Gordon Hayward uses 80 pairs of slides to show you how your house can help in the design of the front, side and back gardens as well as gardens located between buildings, in courtyards or centred around outbuildings. Gordon Hayward is a nationally recognized garden designer, writer and lecturer. A contributing editor at Fine Gardening, he has been writing for Horticulture for twenty-four years. He is the author of five books on garden design. He and his wife Mary are developing a garden g surrounding their 200year-old Vermont farmhouse and a tiny garden outside their cottage in the Cotswold Hills ofEngland.
Free to members; non-members $12
SHOWYOURMEMBERSHIP CARD FOR FREEADMITTANCE
Our outstanding lecture series for 2004 features internationally renowned speakers. Free admission to these lectures is a benefit to members of theToronto Botanical Gardens.To
help our volunteers (who may not recognize all your faces), please bring your current membership card to each lecture to confirm your free admittance.
Ultimate GardeningWorkshops Series
You've Got It Made in the Shade
Saturday, February 28, 10 a.m.to 4 p.m.
City gardeners often find themselves struggling with too much shade! Learn to love your shady garden by making educated choices in plants. There are many plants that thrive in low light environments and flourish under adverse soil conditions. This workshop will address common
Ken Beattie, HGTV problems confronting shade gardeners. During the day, there'll be plenty oftime to respond to your questions. Discover tried and true shadeloving plants as well as the newest innovations in creating a cool lush urban retreat.
Speakers
Annuals for Shade with Ken Beattie, host of HGTV's "Get Growing" Perennials for Damp Shade with JanetAnderson, JanetAnderson Perennials, Grower ofDistinct Perennials Dry Shade Xeriscaping with Marjorie Mason, Mason House Gardens and host ofCKQT radio's "Let's Get Growing" Innovative Design Solutions for Shade with Haig Seferian, host ofHGTV's "Garden Architecture"
Admission: TBG members $30; public $40; lunch, $10 (optional, must be preordered)
Mark your calendar for the next ultimate gardening workshop!
March 13,2004
Big Ideas for Small City Gardens
At o the Link
CoaxingReality GAIL JOINER
January 20 to February 9, Upper Link Opening night, January 22
The artist s unique approach combines photography and watercolours. Original photographs are enhanced with filters including chalk, charcoal, mosaics and watercolour to expand on the beauty of nature, architecture and pop culture.
The
Garden
Ethereal SANDYTRUNZER
January 20 to February 9, Lower Link
Opening night, January 21
Monochrome and colour photographs capture a sense of quiet solitude and grace that can be found in the gardens and parks ofToronto.
North York Visual Artists
February 17 to March 8, Upper, Middle, and Lower Links
Opening night, February 19
For information on Art in the Link, call Cathie Coxat416-397-1358.
Please come andjoin us at Canada Blooms 2004
Tides ofTime, March 3-7.
2004 will mark the first year that the majority of the horticultural classes will be open to all individuals wishing to participate.
In the past we have noticed the quality of your specimens and we saw no reason to isolate your plants from those of the Garden Club of Toronto. Your participation will help us make Canada Blooms the best place to showcase genuine horticultural talent from across Ontario.
As an entrant, you will receive two free tickets to Canada Blooms.
Tel: (416) 447-8655
http://www.canadablooms.com
JANUARY
3
Toronto Judging Centre of the American Orchid Society
Boardroom & Administration Foyer
Judging, 1 p.m.
Open to the public.
Information: www.so0os.ca
4
Southern Ontario Orchid Society
Meeting, Floral Hall, 12:30 p.m.
Information: www.so0os.ca
11
Ontario Rock Garden Society
Meeting, Floral Hall, 1:30 p.m.
Speaker: Dugald Cameron
Topic: Bulbs and Other Goodies
Information: www.onrockgarden.com
12
Toronto Bonsai Society Meeting, Garden Auditorium
Opening seminar, 7 p.m.; main event, 8 p.m.
Information: www.torontobonsai.org
Free introductory meeting
13
North Toronto Horticultural Society
Annual meeting
Studios 1, 2, 3, 8 p.m.
Speaker: Anna Leggatt
Topic: Rock Gardens for Any Space
Information: 416-480-9379
20
Toronto Cactus & Succulent Club
Annual general meeting and slide show
Studio 2, 7:30 p.m.
Information: Dave Naylor
905-877-6013 or torontocactus.tripod.com
Free introductory meeting
22
Canadian Chrysanthemum & Dahlia Society
Meeting, Studio 1, 8 p.m.
Information: 905-686-8058
25
Rhododendron Society of Canada
Meeting, Studio 1, 2 p.m.
Information: 416-486-6631
Ontario Water Garden Society
Annual general meeting, Studio 3, noon
Speaker: Mike Dorothy
Topic: Ground Fault Interrupters and Electrics
Information: www.onwatergarden.com
29
Edwards Lecture
Speaker: Andrew Wilson
Topic: Influential Garden Designers ofthe 20th Century
Floral Hall, 7:30 p.m.
Admission: $12
Free to TBG members
FEBRUARY
1
Southern Ontario Orchid Society
Meeting, Floral Hall, 12:30 p.m.
Information: www.so0os.ca
7
Toronto Judging Centre of the American Orchid Society
Boardroom & Administration Foyer
Judging, 1 p.m. Open to the public.
Information: www.soos.ca
8
Geranium, Pelargonium & Fuchsia Society
Meeting, Garden Auditorium, 1-4 p.m.
Ontario Rock Garden Society
Meeting, Floral Hall, 1:30 p.m.
Speaker: Barbara Wilkins
Topic: Adventures with Barbara
Information: www.onrockgarden.com
9
Toronto Bonsai Society Meeting, Floral Hall
Opening seminar, 7 p.m.; main event, 8 p.m.
Information: www.torontobonsai.org
Free introductory meeting
10
North Toronto Horticultural Society
Meeting, 8 p.m., Studios 1, 2, 3
Speaker: Frank Kershaw
Topic: Rocks in the Landscape
Information: 416-480-9379
11
Edwards Lecture
Speaker: Gordon Hayward
Topic: Your House, Your Garden: A Foolproof Approach to Good Garden Design Floral Hall, 7:30 p.m.
Admission: $12; free to TBG members.
Ikebana International Meeting, Studio 1, 7:30 p.m.
Admission: $5
Information: www.icangarden.com/clubs/II
12
Coming Up Roses
Speaker: Pamela Stagg
Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.
Admission: $12 public; $5 TBG members
14-15
Southern Ontario Orchid Society
Show, Floral Hall, 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Plant sale, seminars and ask the experts
Information: www.so0os.ca
Speaker: Dr. Jean-Marc Moncalvo, Curator Cryptogamic Herbarium, ROM
Topic: Mushroom adventure stories and fungi collected in Thailand
Information: http://myctor.org
22
Getting the Jump on Spring
8th Annual Horticultural Open House
TBG, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission free
Information: www.infogarden.ca
26
Canadian Chrysanthemum & Dahlia Society
Meeting, Studio 1, 8 p.m.
Information: 905-686-8058
28
Ultimate Gardening Workshop: You've Got it Made in the Shade
For details, see page 29.
Admission: $40 public; $30 TBG members
29
Ontario Water Garden Society Meeting, Studio 3, noon
Information: www.onwatergarden.com
SCHEDULES CAN CHANGE AFTER PRESS TIME BE SURE TO CHECK AHEAD.
CLASSIFIED AD
Double-Flowering Garden Tour Coming in 2004 - The Dufferin Arts Council DoubleFlowering Garden Tour in the beautiful escarpment townships of Mono and Mulmur. Eight varied, outstanding gardens will be open not once, but TWICE, on Sunday, May 30 ("What do you mean, is any16 thing happening in the garden?") and Saturday, August 7 ("What August blues?") for one lowpriced ticket. Details in the next issue ofTrellis, but reserve these dates now.
Mycological Society of Toronto Meeting, Garden Auditorium, 7:45 p.m.
CLASSIFIED ADS
Great Gardens of England and More
Small group (maximum 8) small roads tours of gardens and places of interest in Britain. Itineraries for 2004 include Spring in Devon and Cornwall (14 days), Ireland in May (14 days ) , the magnificent gardens of Kent and the Cotswolds featuring a day at the Chelsea Flower Show, (10 days), plus other fabulous tours throughout 2004. Limited spaces early booking necessary. Judy Prentice 905- 947-4595 judyp@acncanada.net
Ontario Wildflowers Birding and botany tours to The Bruce, Manitoulin Island, Ojibway Prairie and Pelle Island. For free Newsletter and itineraries, call George Bryant atTravel Helpers (416) 443-0583
TORONTOBOTANICALGARDEN
Northern Wildflower Art Adventure
Paint wildflowers amid the spectacular mountains and lakes of northern B.C. s historic Gold Rush country, in a course led by top botanical painter Pamela Stagg.Optional sightseeing includes a wilderness boat trip and glacier hike. July 1st10th, 2004. For details, please visit www.atlinart.com or call 1-800-651-8882 (PT)
Escorted Tour of Victoria s Most Beautiful Gardens May 2004 Wwith
Carole Charsley, Garden Consultant and Designer, 7 nights superb accommodation, 5 days garden tours, pick up and return daily, sightseeing drive along Victoria s coastline, 1 day free, lunchtime buffet at The Empress Hotel, For more details call Carole 250-385-8254
