Houseplants of the Month; Children s Activity, 19; June-JulyAugust Gardening Hints, 21
. Centre s Features
Garden Shop, 14; Recent Additions to the Centre s Library, 16.
The Front Cover
One of our native wild flowers, Castillija miniata as photographed at Williams Lake, B. C. Photo by Sid Morris.
Civic Garden Centre Board of Directors
Mrs. K. G. (Audrey) Allman; R. H. (Roy) Bainard; M. (Murray) Blankstein; G. P. (Geoff) Clarkson; Mrs. W. E. (Betty) Ewens; F. H. (Frank) Fisher; Mrs. J. A. (Edna) Gardner; R. (Richard) Hook; J. C. (Jack) Mason J. (Jerry) Maccabe; GA (Gilbert) Mllne Mrs. M. A. (Chris) Okawara H. A. (Hal) Price; Mrs. E. (Flav1a) Redelmeier (Chairman); G (Grant) Ross; Ms. Ok (Thisbe) Schenk; L. C. (Larry) Sherk; Mrs. R. (Helen) Skinner; T. W. (Tom) Thompson; D. H. (Dave) Yerex; W. A. (Bill) Young.
G. J. (Gordon) Brackett, Executive Director; Mrs. J. W. (Awdrey) Clarke, Executive Secretary; S. (Sid) Morris, Editor.
" Trellisis publishedin the months ofMarch, April, May, June, September and November and distributed on or about.the 15th ofthe month previous by the Civic Garden Centre, 777 Lawrence Avenue East, Don Mills, Ontario M3C 1P2. The Centre is locatedin Edwards Gardens, at Leslie Streel and Lawrence Avenue East, the geographical centre of Metropolitan Toronto. Itis a non-profit gardening and floral arts information organization with open membership. Subscriptions to Trellis are only available through Centre membership ($10 per year). Opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the Centre. This is Volume 3, Number 4.
You are Invited To Join Telephone
What it is
e A non-profit gardening and floral arts centre for the dissemination of information to amateur gardeners and flower-arrangers
e An open membership body with over 3,000 keen gardener-members (from rank amateurs to advanced professionals)
e Home of six gardening clubs or groups with specific gardening interests
e Meeting place for specialized plant societies from Bonsai to Roses
e Home of some of the best flower arrangers in North America (quoted from U.S.A. author and editor, Helen Van Pelt Wilson)
What it does
e Operates Canada s most complete public horticultural library
e Responds to over 3,000 gardening questions annually
e Organizes expertise garden talks and demonstrations on a variety of subjects and at different levels
e Teaches non-commercial flower arranging at various levels and encourages competition amongst members
e Carries on an extensive flower-drying programme to extend garden beauty economically into the winter months
e Operates a Speakers Panel Bureau which brings panels of experts on various subjects to groups desirous of an informative programme
e Publishes booklets on various subjects; e.g. Preserving Beautiful Flowers
e Stages two flower shows each year and hosts numerous others
What members receive
e Six issues per year of Trellis
e Free borrowing privileges from the 3,000-volume library
e Ten per cent discount off all purchases of books and gardening and floral arts supplies bought from the Centre
e The opportunity to join one or more specialized member groups or clubs
e Discounts off all courses offered at the Centre
e Free admission to Members Nights held at least twice per year
| wish to be recorded as a member in the above category and enclose my cheque for [] Please accept the additional amount as a donation towards your program.
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FOUR STEPS TO A BEAUTIFUL LAWN.
So-Green has developed an easy-to-follow, four step program that will guarantee you a beautiful lawn. Each step is being outlined in this publication during the appropriate period of time.
STEP3:MAY JUNE JULYAUGUST.
Feed and water your lawn now' High Organic available in 50 Ib. to protect it against the hot bags. Apply High Organic 10-6-4 at weather ahead. Use So-Green 101bs. per1000sq.ft. High Organic 10-6-4 (contains Weed Killer available in 60 Ib., ; 40 Ib. and 20 Ib. bags and 5 Ib. 0 70% Milorganite plus 20 trace BeveSADO Wen Killer 102540 af elements) Its designed to feed all 1¢"q per 1000 sq, ft. types of grasses, will not burn, For a free copy of the complete and does not require watering in. So-Green Four Step Program write If weeds are a problem, use to the address below. So-Green Weed Killer plus nn 10-5-10 fertilizer in May or June. SUEIEE It kills dandelions, plantain and o So-Green Division, F. Manley Sthe.r broadlelaf Weads e Corporation,25Lesmill Road. Don Mills, eeding your lawn. Onlarie
The Battle Begins With Lawn Weeds
C. G. Waywell Department of Horticultural Science
To gardeners, public enemy number one would be a suitable title for all lawn weeds. From spring till fall, most lawns become battlefields, as gardeners try to outwit and outmanoeuvre their weed problems. By planning strategies ahead of time, most lawn weeds can be kept well under control.
The herbicide 2,4-D is used most often by gardeners to control broadleaf weeds in lawns. Dandelions, plantain and several common lawn weeds can be killed by using a spray application of one ounce of 2,4-D acid in four gallons ofwater on approximately 2,500 square feet oflawn. The quantity of2,4-D acid in the products sold varies too much to use any other way of expressing the rate. Most labels will give the amount of product to use to apply the rate given above.
Herbicides such as 2,4-D and related compounds kill weeds by disturbing the growth pattern of susceptible weeds. The best time to spray, therefore, is in the early part of the season late May and June and again in September when the weeds are growing rapidly. In
L&S needs
established lawns the fall application is most successful. When weeds are killed in September, very few weed seeds will germinate in the lawn that fall. The lawn grasses, however, will resume growth and tend to fill in the space formerly occupied by the weeds.
Several companies have products on the market which are mixtures of 2,4-D with mecoprop, dicamba, or dichlorprop. Some are three-way mixtures. These will control chickweed, clover, and many hard-to-kill lawn weeds.
Crabgrass can be controlled to some extent by controlling mowing height and by watering lawns thoroughly through July and August to encourage the growth of lawn grasses. Herbicides which can be used for crabgrass control must be applied early in the growing season before the weed seed starts to germinate. They are not effective once the crabgrass seedlings are established. Dacthal is a trade name for one of the products.
Remember that many garden plants can be killed or damaged by 2,4-D and similar herbicides. Use a sprayer reserved particularly for these herbicides.
Continued on page 21
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An Unconquered Frontier: Highrise
Evva J. Yellowley
More and more Canadians are making their permanent homes in highrises these days and discovering that a balcony isn t merely something that comes with an apartment but a whole new experience. Yet although residential highrises have been in the Canadian skyline for more than 20 years, balcony gardening remains very much a pioneer s field.
It has a few facets in common with ground-level gardening and some akin to container gardening anywhere, but in the main its challenges are unique. The duration and weather of a summer, the gardener s priorities, and even some of the terms he uses are distinctly highrise, different from those familiar to housedwellers. And thanks to the ingenuity of architects and the 360 degrees of the compass, any balcony precisely resembles very few others in its particular combination ofsize, construction, exposure and problems.
Highrise Gardeners of Toronto was established in 1972 so that Metro s apartment gardeners could pool their knowledge and investigate together their special areas of concern. But after the lectures and discussions, slide shows and plant exchanges of its SeptemberJune season are over, the joys and lessons and harvests a member derives from his balcony are entirely his own.
A balcony is not altogether outdoors, yet not quite like a room either; far smaller than the average garden, but more scenic than a patio. Because its space is limited and often awkward it requires careful planning by the gardener who furnishes it and he should first of all furnish it to suit himself because his plants will fare better all summer if he takes time to relax among
Balconies
them instead ofjust rushing past with a watering can. A balcony can be overfurnished with remarkably few pieces if these are bulky in themselves or heavy in appearance.
Tubular aluminum chairs and lounges or wrought iron sets with clean and simple lines are much more satisfactory on most balconies than imposing all-wood pieces, full-skirted wicker or ornate wrought iron. And when, after the rush of planting and arranging his garden in May, he does begin to enjoy leisure moments in his outdoor garden room, the décor-minded gardener may well find that such things as rust on railings or tarnished window frames detract from its charms. The best way to deal with them is to include painting and steel wool soap-pad sessions in the list of preparatory chores to be done each spring before plants are installed.
Preparing for the growing season. Photo by author.
Trellis
Wind is often a deciding factor as regards the amount oftime one can spend enjoying a balcony, and in the selection of plants. Many Metro building managements object to the placing on a balcony ofany structure that is visible from the street. A few permit residents to install, at their own expense, canvas panels or drapes which shut out sun and attract heat while they don t really stop wind but rather detour it around new corners. The only worthwhile windbreaks are perforated lattice panels, trellises, widely spaced bamboo blinds or pierced plastic or Fibre Glass panels which break up both wind and full sunlight into moderate doses.
Some of us who are determined to keep on gardening despite winds and managements have found that perennials will grow where annuals can t, because their tissues are stronger. Hardy needle evergreens can be particularly rewarding on exposed balconies. They may not seem like exciting specimens to have around during summer months but they re there to keep one company right through the cold season, which is ever so much longer.
For the gardener who has recently moved from house to apartment and always thought of gardening in terms of tulips and peonies, climbing roses, day lilies, cannas, larkspur and glads, the balcony garden becomes a whole new world approached via a seed catalogue in which he looks for all-season blooms, dwarf varieties, and flowers in the reduced scale suited to a balcony setting. He learns to recognize the built-in wind-resistant features of many plants sturdy geranium, wispy lobelia, ground-hugging portulaca, compact ageratum. Trouble comes with rigid stems which fold over instead ofbowing to the wind, with brittle, fleshy ones such as those of pendant begonias, or where there is a vulnerable mass to be tossed around German ivy and cascade petunias may be snapped clean off their roots in late summer if they aren t cut back severely or thinned at least once during the season.
The selection of plants, be they ornamentals or edibles, depends first of course on the gardener s tastes and then
on the time he is willing to spend tending them. Petunias, geraniums, midget tomatoes and scarlet runner beans are universal favourites because they almost look after themselves. But the novice balcony gardener sometimes finds he has problems even with these because he has not taken into account precisely what it is the sun does on his balcony.
A sun-loving human being might say
We get every bit from sunrise until noon if his balcony faces east, or It arrives around one, and lasts right through °til sunset if his apartment is on the west side of a building. But a sun-loving green being in a container on the floor ofeither balcony may, in its own way, inform the human that it receives a scant 90 minutes per day. Since sun-loving plants must receive a minimum of five hours per day and fruittype vegetables need even more to develop flavour, they must be raised well off the floors of most balconies, above the shade cast by the railing.
Just how much time the sun actually spends on a given spot in his garden, and how drastically its pattern of sweep changes between summer solstice and autumnal equinox, are things each gardener must chart for himself for his plants sakes. The house-dweller goes through life knowing that the sun is always around somewhere; one has to live in an apartment, where sunlight is rationed, to comprehendjust how much it does in fact move around! And at the end of summer, balcony gardeners with certain exposures may comment on how wonderfully sunny it was while those with another complain about the endless overcast days a subtle weather pattern of cloudy mornings or afternoons or evenings can t escape the notice of the people and plants who count on sun in that time slot.
South and north exposures also must be reinterpreted in the apartment context. With the sun at its zenith on June 21 a south balcony overhung by the one above receives a line of sun less than two feet wide at the front, and during the hottest weeks ofsummer the garden contains mainly shade plants. By early September, however, the sun s angle has decreased and it may reach five or six
8 / June 1976
feet in on the balcony, sometimes upsetting the scheme of a gardener who wasn t prepared to move containers forward to the relative shade of a railing s solid panels.
On the other hand, the north balcony gardener may be fooled, by the morning and evening sunlight on his railing at planting time in May, into thinking he ll have that much there all summer. A month later he will in fact have still more, but after June it will inexorably recede. His safest tactic is to use the railing position either for early-season sunloving annuals or shade perennials, and devote the rest of his garden to shade plants. He has the great advantage of brightness over the house-dweller with north windows: there is usually enough light on high exposed north balconies to maintain the richest colours in variegated leaves and even support some dark green leafy vegetables, and root types.
And the north balcony has the safest conditions of all when it comes to the greatest enemy of plants: hot soil. All balcony gardeners know that the frequency of watering increases remarkably between May and October, as plants root systems fill their containers. Not all of them realize, however, just how dangerous it is to allow the sides of pots to be heated by direct sun, or how much heat is retained overnight by concrete floors and brick walls. Outer containers must be used to screen clay or plastic pots, and thick- or double-walled containers with large diameters are the safest by far. All balcony containers should be raised off the floor, on bricks or wood or cement blocks, to permit air circulation between them and the hot floor. Members of Highrise Gardeners of Toronto use a great variety of inexpensive materials: soy tubs, wicker and plastic baskets serve as outer containers for small pots, while plastic-lined bushel baskets, laundry hampers, styrofoam ice chests and fish crates can each hold enough soil to accommodate a giant bouquet of flowers or a satisfying number of vegetables.
When apartment living is promoted as the lifestyle which frees people from snow-removal and lawn-mowing chores, I wonder how the promoters console house-sellers who still don t
want to give up their gardens. It certainly isn t true that you can grow on a balcony anything you grow in the ground. (Highrise members who have harvested balcony-grown potatoes and sunflower seeds are real but rare.) Nor does a balcony garden provide nearly as much physical exercise as the back 40 of a house. But balcony gardening does entail endless work for the mind, a much more precise appreciation of weather and plants than one needs at ground level, comparatively light chores and, in exchange for all these, a garden which is intimate, an integral part of one s home, and the gardener s alone to enjoy.
terra organica® SOIL MIXTURE is available at the CIVIC GARDEN CENTRE and at other garden supply outlets.
The finished product for summer enjoyment. Photo by author.
Mrs. Yellowley is Newsletter Editor of Highrise Gardeners of Toronto.
Common Sense In Using Pesticides
F. L. McEWEN
Department of Environmental Biology
Today we have many pesticides and each one is packaged in a variety of ways. For the home gardener, these are formulated as liquids to be diluted with water and wettable powders; secondly, they can be mixed with water and sprayed onto the foliage of plants to be protected from insects and diseases, or applied to the soil for control ofpests in the soil. The homeowner can also purchase dust formulations in shaker cans, ready-to-apply or in packages to be emptied into your own duster for application.
On each package will be found a label that specifies how the product should be used and what pests it will control. This label is important. It is your guide to successful use of the product. Follow the instructions carefully and use the product only in the way the label directs.
Insecticides are products to kill insects. Carbaryl (Sevin), methoxychlor, pyrethrum and rotenone are good to control most beetles and leaf-eating caterpillars, while Malathion is good to control aphids and some other insects. Insecticides should be used only if a lot of insects are feeding on your plants. Don t bother with the sprayer for a few bugs. If only a few are present on a few plants, it is much easier to pick them off by hand or shake them from the plant and destroy them.
Fungicides are products to prevent diseases in plants. Maneb, mancozeb, captan and ferbam are some of those used commonly by the home gardener for general disease control, and sulfur is especially good for mildew on plants.
In using fungicides, be guided by past experience. If you have been having disease problems in the garden, treat
those plants where the problem has occurred. Foliar diseases on roses are usually present and will make them unattractive and not productive. With many flowers and garden crops, however, fungicides are not needed.
Herbicides are used to control weeds; 2,4-D, mecoprop and dicamba are a few of those available for control of broadleaved weeds, while others are needed to control crabgrass. Herbicides properly used will play a major role in keeping your lawn neat and attractive.
Herbicides are intended to kill plants and one must be very careful not to accidentally apply these when they will damage sensitive crops. Always use a different sprayer for applying herbicides than the one used for insecticides and fungicides. Label your herbicide sprayer to make sure it is used only for weed spraying,.
In Ontario, highly toxic pesticides can be purchased only by agriculturalists and licensed pesticide applicators. Those available to the home gardener are quite safe to use and will not injure children or pets, provided common sense is used. Always remember that all pesticides are poisonous.
Keep all pesticides in a cabinet that is locked and out of the reach of small children. Do not apply pesticides on windy days when most of what you apply will end up in your neighbor s yard. Apply them when the air is reasonably calm and make applications so that the air movement carries the spray away from the applicator. Do not have children or pets with you when applying pesticides and make sure that measuring containers and spray mixtures are not left around where children may get them. When you have finished the job, empty your sprayer in a safe place and
Continued on page 13-
If it's about Gardening . . . ask Toronto s Civic Garden Centre. Membership. including six issues per year of TRELLIS only $10 for 12 months.
The Civic Garden Centre located at 777 Lawrence Ave. E., is open to the public Monday through Friday 9.30 am to 4 pm Saturdays 10 am to 4 pm Sundays & Holidays 1 pm-4 pm Open Wednesdays through till 9 pm.
THE BUTLER'S PANTRY
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We carry a complete line of gourmet cooking utensils including:
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A wide variety of kitchen gadgets * and the famous Rival Crock Pot as advertised on the Johnny Carson Show.
HOWDY NEIGHBOUR WE KNOW WHAT S BUGGIN YOU! ANNOYING INSECTS LIKE MOSQUITOES, GNATS, ETC. THESE PESTS SPELL RUINATION TO OUTDOOR LIVING ENJOYMENT.
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4 e Contains two 15 watt controlled emission i;u;, a < filtered black lights e Consumes less power than ekadan a 60 watt lamp e For the larger backyard, pool or other similar area.
House Plants
English ivy (Hedera helix)
There are many varieties of English ivies and some have the oddest shaped foliage imaginable. The basic variety has three or five lobed dark green leaves about 5 to 7 cm (2 to 4 in.) in length. However, you can find round or heartshaped leaves with no lobes, as well as three, four, five or seven lobes on a leaf as small as 1 cm (% in.) in width or as large as 15 cm (6 in.) in width. Plants come in a variety of colours including green with white or cream, and yellow.
Ivies do best when they get four or more hours of direct sunlight each day but will grow fairly well in bright indirect light. They prefer night temperatures of 10° to 12°C (50° to 55°F) and day temperatures of 20° to 2°C (68° to 72°F). Keep the soil moist but do not overwater. Newly potted ivies should not be fed for two or three months. The potting soil should consist of 1 part loam, 1 part peat moss or leafmold and 1 part sharp sand. To this mixture add 1% teaspoons of superphosphate, 1 tablespoon of ground limestone and 2 teaspoons of 5-10-5 fertilizer per each gallon of potting mix.
For a bushy plant pinch off stem tips at any season. These tips will root easily.
of the Month
Chinese hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis)
The beauty ofthe hibiscus flower is as exciting as it is graceful. With any luck you could have a plant for 25 years or more. The flowers range in colour from snow white to yellow, salmon, orange and scarlet. There are some varieties with variegated foliage. With pruning, plants can be kept under three feet tall. Hibiscuses should have at least four hours of direct sun a day. They prefer temperatures of 16° to 18°C (60° to 65°F) at night and 21°C (70°F) or higher during the day.
They can be propagated by stem cuttings of new growth.
Chinese hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis)
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New Impatiens For Your Hanging Baskets
ne of the most colourful new flowers for hanging baskets is Futura Impatiens. Impatiens or sultanas have become increasingly popular for shade gardens. The new Futura strain has not only proven to be one of the best for bed planting, but is uniquely adapted to hanging baskets and other containers.
The Futuras have several advantages over other impatiens or sultanas as hanging basket subjects. They have large flowers 2-5 cm (1% to 2 in.). They have a beautiful full shape that flows over the edge of baskets. They are dwarfer growing than others which tend to outgrow their container. They are extremely free flowering, producing more colour than other varieties.
Home gardeners can produce their own hanging baskets by following a few simple procedures. Fill your baskets or other container with a lightweight soil mix especially for containers. Ordinary garden soil is too heavy and poorly drained unless at least 50% organic matter or other supplements such as vermiculite are added.
Although a single plant will eventually fill an 8 or 10 inch container, several plants will fill it more quickly. A single feeding with slow release fertilizer may be enough to last all summer. Plants can also be liquid fed at monthly intervals. Impatiens bloom more profusely on relatively low levels of fertilizer.
Containers should be placed in full or partial shade. They can take some direct morning sun, but should be shaded from direct afternoon sun. Once plants are established, they will tolerate more sun if adapted to it gradually.
Futura impatiens are available in eight colours and a mixture. Plants can
be purchased in many garden centres, greenhouses where bedding plants are sold. Seed can be purchased from Stokes Seeds.
Pesticides from page 10 return it to your storage. Do not purchase more than one year s supply of any pesticide, and when the container is empty, dispose ofit in your regular garbage pickup.
PEFFERLAW PEAT COMPOSTED MANURE/ PEAT MIX
The ideal soil mix correctly balanced to fill the needs of all growing plants indoors or out.
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Cannington, Ont. Phone (Toronto) 364-6068
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Garden Shop
Betty Billes
I do hope that you didn t lose too many annuals before the last snow fall. I remember waking up one morning and thinking that we had certainly had a short summer! But despite the lingering cold weather or perhaps because of it we are all looking forward to a long summer enjoying our gardens.
As you read this edition of Trellis magazine, the Centre Garden Shop is once again in the throes of change. When we moved from our original small shop area into the foyer of the Garden Centre, our space increased tremendously. But we are now losing space as the builders break through the walls of the old building to hook up with the new. Never let it be said that we are sad or upset by these inconveniences frustrated at times, maybe! But we try to look to the bright side ofthings to come and can hardly wait till the snow flies once again and we are safely nestled in our promised area in the new building. Please bear with us over the summer months.
The new proprietors of the snack shop in Edwards Gardens are really on their toes and have made many new goodies available to their customers. It is certainly ajoy for people to be able to come and browse through our shop, then trot over to the snack bar, pick up a snack and sit outside to enjoy the beautiful surroundings of the Gardens. We at the Centre wish the new proprietors much success.
New arrivals at the Garden Shop have all our girls in a dither. We now have a beautiful new array of linen placemats as well as hemp mats, some with matching serviettes, others with matching serviette holders. There is also a new line of photographic plastic mats and we are hoping for one of Edwards Gardens to be produced soon. Again in
the linen line, there is a lovely selection of flowered tea towels which are excellent for drying dishes but which also make pretty wall hangings. Hangers for these are available in the shop.
New in the gardening line is a lovely set of pots ideal for displaying your plants on the terrace or for indoor display in the winter. It would take too much space to describe them all best to come and see for yourself! There are many new varieties of hangers, some shell, some beaded and as always, many hempen. We also have a good variety of pots for these hangers, as well as several hand crafted pots with leather thongs.
Now available for you ardent bird fans is a new bubble feeder with a flat top; also, bird house kits that anyone can put together. Of course, we carry the usual C.I.L. products of which Mr. Bradshaw speaks each Saturday on his program The John Bradshaw Show on CFRB radio.
And yes, we do take orders for out of stock items. For things that we don t usually carry, ask one of the happy faces behind the counter and we will see what can be done.
Now the Shop has a new project and invites you to take part in it. You may not know it, but our new building is to have ramps rather than stairs leading to different levels. For the first time, the Civic Garden Centre will be able to accommodate wheelchairs so we would like to have some chairs available to those who need them. Dominion Stores Ltd. will help us towards that end if we collect grocery tapes from their stores. We are asking that you save your Dominion Store tapes and place them in the Happy Face Box at the Gift Shop to help us gain these chairs as a service to our community.
See you next bulletin!
Betty Billés, Chairwoman Shop Committee
Lois Wilson
Oriental Poppies
Youll think there s been a magician playing tricks in your garden if you grow Oriental poppies, Papaver orientale. Planta little bit ofa rubbery root cutting or a small and insignificant nursery plant, give itno more than ordinary garden care, then some bright summer morning you find a most beautiful clump of sliver-haired, finely cut green leaves in your perennial border. Ifnothing else appeared from this dull looking bit of root or tiny plant, this clump of leaves would be enough. But there is more to come. For out of this clump tall, gray-green stems rise, up, each with a fat bud about as big as a large walnut.
Then, most magical of all, out of this bud breaks a huge and brilliant fragile flower. It will be anywhere from five to eight inches across and will have the texture of gossamer.
Plant some of the newer varieties of this spectacular perennial and you will have flowers in your garden that will dance in the soft summer breezes like double-skirted ballerinas. These newer varieties come in shades of white, pink or rose, yellow, orange, red or crimson.
Planting time is August, but if the prospect of poppies for your garden intrigues you, visit the good nurseries near you when the poppies are in bloom, and choose your favourites then. The only variety we caution you to consider well before you plant it is Olympia. It is an early blooming double, and harsh orange in colour. Once in your garden, it could easily outlive your patience and favour.
Lovely varieties to look for are Snowflame, which is white in the heart and edged with flaming orange; Dainty Lady, pale pink overcast with silver; Flashy Glow, yellow with an orange cast; Grenadier, with huge flowers of brilliant scarlet; Cerise Beauty, a deep rose with shiny blackish purple spots
and Beauty ofLivermere which is a rich crimson with black marking. All these poppies have the typical deep, dark heart which, when the sun shines on it, seems to be a strange blend of purple and black.
Poppies prefera light, gritty soil, very good drainage and full sun. You plant them either as root cuttings or nursery plants in August or early September, keeping the top of the root three inches below the surface. If you are using nursery plants ofa substantial size, set them in the ground at a 45 degree angle so that the crown will not collect water and rot. Plant them three to five plants to a clump for best effect, and two feet apart from each other. This gives them room to grow and increase, and also gives you a chance to inter-plant them with annuals like petunias, verbena or dwarf marigolds for flowers when the poppies have died down. If you are planting a root cutting, which, by the way, will look for all the world like an old lead pencil, be sure to plant it vertically with the thick end up. Root cuttings generally take two years from planting to flower so you will get much faster bloom in your garden if you buy nursery stock plants.
You will be wise to mark the site of your poppies clearly. Their whereabouts can be a mystery to you at some seasons of the year. The plant develops quickly from leaf to bud to flower to seed pod. Then, in midsummer after blooming and ripening, the leaves completely disappear. At this point, unless you have marked their location, you can easily lose them by inadvertently chopping them up with your spade or cultivating tool. A fresh crop of leaves appears again in the early fall.
For the first few seasons of growth you should protect new plants in winter with a mulch of straw, evergreens or crispy leaves like oak, tucked around
the plant under its leaves. A mulch lying over the plant creates conditions likely to cause rot.
Feed poppies as you would any of your other perennials. When you first prepare the site for new plants, dig about one foot deep and mix compost into the soil, some well-rotted manure if you can get it, and bonemeal in the proportion of about ' Ib. to the square yard. Thereafter, give a feeding with a regular commercial fertilizer as growth begins in the spring, and once again on the appearance of the new clump of leaves in the fall.
If you have heavy clay soil in your garden don t be misled into thinking you can create the proper drainage for successful poppy growing by digging a hole and preparing porous soil for that pocket only. More often than not such a hole acts as a water pocket, collecting and holding water around your poppy plant instead of draining it away. The sad end of sucha tale is that the poppy rots. Therefore, make sure that the whole site where you plant your poppies has good general drainage.
Malathion will best control most pests, but a badly diseased plant is better destroyed than treated for a cure.
Seed pods should be cut before they can burst and drop their seeds for cross pollination of any two varieties, even two whites, results in 90-95% of the resultant seed producing orange flowering varieties. People who say their pink and red poppies have reverted to orange are wrong. The original plants have not reverted, but the broadcast seeds of the original plants have.
Poppy seed pods, by the way, make fascinating material for winter bouquets. When you cut them off the plant hang them up to dry in a warm, dark place for a few weeks. Then you will be able to use them with other dried flowers and leaves, in bouquets all winter.
Poppies still go on playing tricks on you when you try to cut them for bouquets for your house. Ifyou cut them in the garden as you would your other flowers, they will flop over and die because the milky juice of their stems leaks out and is not replaced by water. Take a lighted candle and a bucket of 16 / June 1976
water to the garden in the early morning and as you cut your poppies char a good two inches of the stem in the candle flame, then plunge it up to the flower bud in the cold water for three or four hours. This charring forms a seal to keep the milky juice in the stem and at the same time forms a suitable medium for water to rise up through it to keep the flower fresh. Ifyou can, cut for your bouquets buds which arejust beginning to show colour. Then you will have the pleasure ofwatching each bud unfold as if by magic into an enchanting, silky flower.
BE SURE TO VISIT THE Snack-Barn the next time you're at EDWARDS GARDENS
Recent Additions to the Centre s Library
Pamela MacKenzie
Outdoor Gardening
Harrison, R.E. Climbers and Trailers. Ingwersen, W. Classic Garden Plants. Pouliot, P. Gardening. Shewell-Cooper, W.E. Compost Flower Grower.
Royal Horticultural Society. Lilies 1975 and other Liliaceae.
Junior Gardeners
Berrisford, J. The Young Gardener. Cutler, K.N. Growing a Garden. Hogner, D.C. Good Bugs and Bad Bugs in Your Garden.
Keen, M.L. The World Beneath Our Feet: The Story of Soil.
Selsam, M.E. The Carrot, and Other Root Vegetables.
Garden Planning
All You Can Build in the Garden. Kramer. Garden Planning for the Small Property.
Pamela MacKenzie is the Civic Garden Centre s librarian
NOTES FROM AN OLD PRO
Audrey Meiklejohn
Afier many years of study and practice, flower arranging has become second nature to me now . This is not to say that I can produce a commendable design without some effort. It takes a careful study of the schedule, a thorough check of my supply of containers, accessories, branches, driftwood, etc., many anxious trips to the garden and some flashes of inspiration before I am ready for the actual production of entries for the rose show.
This may all sound beyond the reach ofa beginner, but experience is the best of all teachers, so my suggestion is that you enter every class that appeals to you. I would also suggest a basic flower arranging course. If this is not possible, then search out books on the subject.
Once you have an idea that might interpret the class title, choose container, roses and other elements to carry out this idea. The schedule may not specifically state that roses should be the dominant element of a design, but since we are concerned with entries in a rose show, they should be the loveliest blooms you can find. I am not suggesting that exhibition type roses should be sacrificed (?) to the arrangement classes. Choose, rather, those that have special appeal the singles, semi-doubles or those old lovelies inherited from your Grandmother s garden. Bear in mind that roses open quickly in a warm room so pick only those that have not reached perfection, choosing varying stages of development. An additional cut of the stem end under water will ensure a longer lasting bloom. Select other plant material, according to your requirements and place all in deep, room-temperature water in a cool place away
from drafts for several hours.
A good design is achieved by deliberate planning and the first placements establish the structure or skeleton, with the height at least twice the greatest measurement of the container. There are few restrictions on combinations of materials, but the roses chosen will dictate your colour scheme and ifbasic design principles are kept in mind a fitting and harmonious creation should emerge.
The choice of container will, of course, depend on the theme or title of the class, the requirements ofthe schedule and plant material available. The hunt for suitable containers is never ending and leads to some very unusual finds. Roses seem to adapt to any environment, be it ghostwood, driftwood, ceramics, metal or burlap and string! Never discard anything that just might enhance a design until you have examined it from all angles. Inspiration comes to some arrangers with the acquisition ofjust such a find .
Mechanics vary from pinholders, cupholders, wire mesh to water retaining material. Roses, I have found, do not always take kindly to the latter, but if they have been well hardened, with all lower leaves and thorns removed, will usually last the length of the show. The type of container dictates the mechanics to be used, but it is essential that sufficient water be present and that the mechanics be hidden.
A quick run through of design principles may be ofsome help towards that first red ribbon.
Balance is the most important of the principles ofdesign and this implies visual balance on either side of an imaginary central axis; from front to back
and from top to bottom, with the greatest visual weight one-third up from the lip of the container. Space, enclosed or suggested, within a design has very great bearing on over-all balance.
Dominance implies the use of one outstanding element (other than container, which should never be dominant) and as mentioned previously, should be the roses used.
Contrast is achieved by variations in colour, form, size and texture of plant material, container and accessories.
Rhythm is visual activity or movement throughout the design and is established by repetition and gradation of colour and forms and by line direction.
Proportion refers to relative amounts of one area to another. Scale, on the other hand, deals with relative size of one flower or leaf, etc. to another, to the container and in the case of miniatures, to the space allotted in staging.
Colour is a visual sensation and the most compelling ofall the elements and its use must be related to the foregoing design principles. Briefly, areas of strong chroma may be balanced by larger areas of weaker chroma, advancing hues (yellow, orange, red) may be balanced in depth by receding ones (blue, violet and green). Similarly the use of one hue, with tints, tones and shades, will give dominance and rhythm. The addition of other colours in lesser values will give contrast and aid in achieving good proportion and scale. I have found restricting colour in a mass design to one dominant and two secondary hues of weaker chroma can produce a very gratifying result.
Through trial and error I have finally come to the conclusion the most satisfactory way of coping with the problem of transporting and placing entries in the show is to develop the outline structure of a design at home and on arrival at the exhibition hall, add the flowers and other final details in the staging area. Thus the lighting, background colour and space available can be assessed and ifnecessary, alterations made to the exhibit.
One last word of advice to a beginner. Please do not despair if you find the morning of the Show you have one less pink rose than you had planned on using, but go along with your arrange-
18 / June 1976
ment anyway. There will aways be someone there pleased to give you his (or her) extras. Rose growers and exhibitors are like that!
Article from The Canadian Rose Annual 1976, with per- mission.
Water Lilies Aquatic Plants
Everything for the Water Garden Free Catalog on request
MOORE WATER GARDENS
PORT STANLEY, ONT. NOL 2A0 Phone 519-782-4052
LANDSCAPE DESIGN
eALL TYPES OF RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL LANDSCAPE DESIGN CALL AFTER FIVE PAUL OR JOHN 266-7883 626-3290
STUDENTS OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
NEW PLANT CARETAKER
Here's a very neat and highly efficient system of watering pot plants and one which will be welcomed especially by those who grow many plants indoors. It uses the capillary system of watering which keeps a fibre mat continuously damp. Plants placed on the mat are kept automatically watered., The Caretaker provides the essential humidity where . plants are grown in the home in the dry winter atmosphere,
Rolls of capillary mat can be purchased for extensive layouts. Commercial growers have proved the efficiency of this matting and very large areas are covered by it to keep the vast quantities of pot plants watered with minimum labour, Available postpaid by mail for only $4.60 per kit, which includes Ontario Retail Sales Tax in Ontario.
Children s Activity Page
Find the Hidden Plants
Instructions for finding the hidden plants. Below the puzzle you will find the list of plants hidden in the puzzle. Circle the hidden plants named in the puzzle.
GARDEN TOOLS
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FIND THESE WORDS
Spading Fork Cultivator Sickle
Round Mouth Shovel Pull Hoe
Spade
Garden Rake
Garden Trowel
Dutch Hoe
Hedge Shears
Lopping Shears
Spading Fork
Nozzle
Lawn Mower Hose Reel
Hand Roller Sprinkler
Digging Fork Bulb Trowel Pruning Saw
Rotary Disk Edger
Duster
Sod Tamper Pruning Shears
Watering Can Pole Pruner
Wooden Rake Hay Chop Hoe
Hand Sprayer
Corn Broom
Cultivator Hoe
THE CIVIC GARDEN CENTRE
SUMMARIZED FINANCIAL INFORMATION FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1974 AND 1975
$25,394
THE CIVIC GARDEN CENTRE NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The financial position went from a surplus on operations of $5,967 for 1974 to a deficit of$8,741 for 1975 and the decline has continued into 1976. Hopefully the increase in membership fees will help to correct this situation. However the shops must carry inventories you can t sell from an empty wagon and suppliers want payment oftheir accounts. The cash position must be built up. Members are urged to renew their membership, invite new memberships, encourage donations, patronize the shops and participate in the activities.
The new facilities will bring expanded opportunities and expenses so improvement of the financial position must be a priority.
Copies of the audited financial statements are available on request.
June Gardening Hints
Mark the areas where the spring bulbs have been planted. Then you can fill the bare spots with additional bulbs next fall. Allow the bulbs to remain in the soil until their foliage has ripened so that the quality of the bulbs will not deteriorate as quickly.
Remove the old flower heads of lilacs and rhododendrons without removing any of the branch. Next year s bloom comes from the tip of the branch.
Prune the spring flowering shrubs now.
To stimulate a second crop of blooms on delphiniums, cut the stem half way to the ground. Delphiniums are heavy feeders so fertilize with a fertilizer high in phosphorus and potassium but low in nitrogen.
Continue to spray or dust your roses against insects and diseases. Regular _ watering and feeding is also a must for good roses. Avoid overhead sprinklers, use ground soakers instead. This method of watering helps in the prevention of mildew and blackspot.
Start perennial seeds now.
July Gardening Hints
Continue to spray or dust your roses to prevent disease.
Be sure to water plants that are sheltered under trees and roof overhangs. Powdery mildew develops during hot humid weather, on lilacs, phlox, zinnias and roses. Spray with Acti Dione P. M. to prevent the disease from getting a good hold on your plants. This is a good time to start dividing your iris. Remove the entrie clump from the bed. Cut leaves to 4 inches in a V-shape. Select only the healthiest and plant each division with the top of the roots above the soil surface. Thoroughly water all plants during the hot dry spells of summer.
August Gardening Hints
Transplant perennial seedlings to a permanent location. Continue to water your annuals and any plants in containers. Do not fertilize your roses or shrubs now as these plants will produce new growth that will not be hardy; it could die back during the winter.
The Battle from page 6
The sprayer cannot be completely washed out so that it can also be used to apply insecticides or fungicides. Many people have learned this the hard way and there is no need to repeat their mistake.
To reduce or prevent drift of the spray particles, use a coarse spray, only enough pressure to get even distribution and spray when there is no wind. Many gardeners have found that early morning or late evening is the best time of day in their locality.
YOUR AD can appear here for as little as $168 per year!
D. QUERIPEL & SON LIMITED
COMPLETE LANDSCAPING AND DESIGN SERVICES
71 Glencameron Rd., Unit 4 Thornhill, Ont. L3T-1P5 889-3251
DOMINION STORE SALES SLIPS WANTED
Drop (or mail) your Dominion sales slips into the Centre and help defray the cost of furnishing our expansion facilities.
Coming Events of notable Gardening
and Floral Arts Interest
June 5-6, 1976
Rhododendron Society of Canada, Annual Meeting and Flower Show, at The Montreal Botanic Gardens, from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Contact: Ken Duncan at (416) 447-8046.
June 12, 1976
Herb Fair, sponsored by the Southern Ontario Unit of the Herb Society of America, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at York Pines United Church Kettleby, Ontario.
June 12, 1976
Canadian Iris Society, Flower Show at the Civic Garden Centre from 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
June 16-17-18, 1976
Ontario Horticultural Association Convention, at Sir Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario. Contact: Russell F. Gomme (416) 965-1091.
June 20, 1976
The Peony Society Flower Show, at the Civic Garden Centre from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
June 27, 1976
Tournament of Roses, sponsored by Canadian Rose Society, in the ballroom of the Harbour Castle Hotel, from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Auction of the show s roses at closing time.
July 11, 1976
Garden Tour, sponsored by Clover Leaf Garden Club (Mississauga) for information phone (416) 270-8033 or (416) 822-8033.
September 11, 1976
Fall Rose Show, of the Canadian Rose Society, at the Civic Garden Centre from 2:00 p.m.
/ June 1976
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PATIOS AND PENTHOUSE GARDENS
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C. F. NYMANN
ART GARDENER
CONSULTANT
The following Specialty groups meet at the CENTRE for regular meetings: The Toronto Bonsai Society, The Can. Chrysanthemum Society, The Can. Rose Society, Gardening Under Lights Group, The Highrise Gardeners of Toronto, The Men s Garden Club, The Southern Ontario Orchid Society, The Rhododendron Society and The Junior Gardeners ( Green Thumb & Enthusiasts ) of the Civic Garden Centre.
You are welcome to attend any of the Society meetings or other interests Please call for meeting times.
Visit Clargreen on Monday and smell the Flowers.
Visit Clargreen on Tuesday and listen to the Birds.
Visit Clargreen on Wednesday and see the Banana Tree.
Visit Clargreen on Thursday and hear the Waterfall.
Visit Clargreen on Friday and watch the Cactus grow.
Of course, you can come on Saturday and Sunday, but we're a little more crowded then and you might miss something.
Visit Clargreen weekdays for a leisurely look at Spring in over an acre of tropical greenery and colourful garden displays.
Summer Hours
Mon-Fri 9-9 Sat 9-6
Sun & Holidays 10-5
For Quality, Fair Prices visit a Sheridan GardenCentre
LONGACRES GARDEN CENTRE
4077 Hwy. #7, _ Unionville, L3R 1L5 F Phone 297-2253
Herman Loeven, Manager
GLENPARK GARDEN CENTRE 2827 Yonge Street, Toronto, M4N 2J4
Phone 481-6429
Lou Sato, Manager
SHERWAY GARDEN CENTRE f
700 Evans Avenue, Etobicoke, M9C 1A1
Phone 621-9100
Jim Herod, Manager
SOUTHDOWN GARDEN CENTRE 606 Southdown Rd., Mississauga, L5J 3X9
