CIVIC GARDEN CENTREHORTICULTURE AND GARDENING MAGAZINE b A
VIOLETS BY LAKE ONTARIO
15th Annual Convention
The African Violet Society of Canada
Friday, May 9: 2.00 9.00
Saturday May 10: 9.00 5.00
Rodeway Inn (formerly Seaway Towers)
2000 LakeshoreBlvd. W., Toronto
Hosted by the Lakeshore African Violet Society
Admission: $1.50
Further information: 621-1549
Mini Rose Nursery
Specializing in Miniature Roses
For 1980 Listing write Florence Gahagan
P.O. Box 873, Guelph, Ontario N1H 6M6
FOOD PLANTS ANSWERS THAT WORK
How to grow everything from parsley to fruit trees. Ken Reeves answers your questions and provides sources of up-to-date data for every region in Canada and the U.S. $6.95 at all bookstores. Published by
@Clarke Irwin
Your Gateway To Year-round Pleasure
All year gardening is a hobby without peer now you can have a garden that blooms all year with a few hours care each week.
Carry summer into Winter, hasten Spring with your greenhouse garden. Extend your home living space with a thermally glazed conservatory.
Write today for your free copy of our colour brochure illustrating standard pre-fabricated greenhouses in lifetime aluminum, either single or thermal glazed.
WONDERLAND OF
BULBS
Send $1.00 for our new catalogues, refundable on first order.
The multitude of rare and interesting bulbs listed, over 700 varieties, many difficult to obtain elsewhere, will prove to be a revelation. By far the most complete bulb catalogue in Canada.
C. A. CRUICKSHANK LTD.
May 1980
Volume 7, Number 3
In this issue
Cover photograph: Syringa vulgaris Rochambeau
Asingle French hybrid introduced in 1919 by E. Lemoine, Nurseryman, Nancy, France. This specimen is a good example ofa well balanced lilac shrub covered with bloom to the ground level.
Lilac Paradise/5
You can grow dwarffruit trees Part 11/9
Favourite annuals/14
Now is the time/16 Dwarfevergreens/20
Publication Committee
James Floyd (Chairman), Jerry Maccabe, Mary Smith, William Stensson, Clive E. Goodwin
Editor: Fredrik Kirby
Advertising: Shirley Kirby (416) 226-0996
Graphics and Printing Drewmark Graphics, Toronto
General Information issno03so1470
Trellis is published in the months of January, March, May, July, 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 - MB3C 1P2. Telephone: (416) 445-1552. The Centre is located in Edwards Gardens, at Leslie Street and Lawrence Avenue East, the geographical centre of Metropolitan Toronto. It is a non-profit gardening and floral arts information organization with open membership. Subscriptions to Trellis are only available through Centre membership (10 peryear). Opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the Centre.
You can enjoy all these benefits when you subscribe to TRELLIS horticulture and gardening magazine.
You become a member ofThe Civic Garden Centre. You will receive special members rates on all courses. You receive TRELLIS by mail every two months. It contains timely articles by outstanding authors; how-to-stories and seasonal suggestions; news of events and courses held at The Civic Garden Centre.
4. You may registerforcraftcourses,seespecialshows, hear qualified speakers.
5. You can borrow free from over4,000 gardeningbooks.
6. You SAVE 10% on purchases over $2.00 at the Garden and Book Shops.
TO LEARN MORE CALL 445-1552 AND EXPRESS YOUR AREA OF INTEREST
CIVIC GARDEN CENTRE HOURS
Weekdays 9.30a.m. to 4.00 p.m.
Saturdays and Holidays 10.00a.m. to 4.00p.m.
Sundays 1.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m.
Library closed on Sundays and Holidays
I wish to subscribe to TRELLIS and become a member ofTHE CIVIC GARDEN CENTRE. Enclosed is my cheque for $ made out to THE CIVIC GARDEN CENTRE, 777 Lawrence Avenue East, Don Mills, Ontario M3C 1P2.
NAME
ADDRESS
POSTAL CODE PHONE
will receive
(Reg. No. 0228114-56-13)
ILAC PARADISE
by Charles D. Holetich
A good friend of ours reminisced once about her life on the farm and her ardent gardening mother, who used to have every kind of lilacs in her garden. I asked her to name a few, to which she replied: Oh, well, we had a white one, and a purple one, and ared one, and of coursea lilaccoloured one.
When some months later [ took her to Canada s largest lilac collection at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton, where over 630 kinds are now on display, she was amazed, speechless, and a bit humbled. But not for long! As the first impression wore off she was hopping from bush to bush, reading the labels and smelling the flowers, as if she wanted to determine which one had the best combination of fragrance, colour and flower-cluster composition.
Since that time, five years have passed, and our friend keeps coming back to observe lilacs at their best, which for our collection is during the last week of May and the first week in June. To the best of my knowledge, however, she has not pronounced any particular lilac cultivar to be absolutely and indisputably the best. The choice is just too great, and the addition of 10-20 new lilac cultivars to the collection each year further complicates the task.
Of the approximately 2000 named lilac cultivars, many have disappeared from private and public lilac collections or from the trade, but over 1500 are still known to exist, to which newly developed hybrids are being added continuously. All that, you must agree, spells LOTS OF LILACS!!!
There are about 28 known lilac species, of which two are native to
Europe, the remainder to Asia, and none to North America. Nevertheless, the greatest number of private and public collections with 100 or more lilac cultivars on display are in North America.
Nature has producedfew lilac hybrids, but man-made contributions are numerous. Among the nearly 200 hybridizers or introducers mentioned in the recent Tentative International Lilac Register , the name Lemoine is far in the lead. In fact, so great was the contribution of lilac hybrids by Victor and Emile Lemoine from Nancy, France, that the largest group of lilac cultivars has been named French Hybrids .
Beside French Hybrid Lilacs two other significant groups of lilacs are known: Syringa x hyacinthiflora cvv., or Early Hybrid Lilacs , and Syringa Xprestoniae cvv., or Late Hybrid Lilacs . Late Hybrid Lilacs bloom in the colder regions where French Hybrids and Early Hybrids will not.
If lilacs are to bloom well, they require sunny locations and soils which are not too wet. Therefore, lilacs should not be planted in depressed locations with clay soils,, which may be waterlogged for periods of 3 weeks or longer during the spring thaw or fall rains. One can overcome the problem of watersaturated soils by planting lilacs on mounds of lighter, more porous soils 2 feet high and 10-12 feet wide, but proper site selection is still the best solution.
Though in general lilacs can be planted in the fall from the time the leaves are turning colour until the freeze-up, and in the spring from the time the ground is frost-free until the bud break, the second half of
October and April are best for our region. Of course one could prolong the planting time if the lilacs were dug during dormancy and placed in coolers or if the plants were obtained in containers.
Except for permanently wet soil conditions, lilacs are very tolerant of diverse soil quality and pH. They are known to thrive even in gravelly locations where many other plants would not grow. Ideally, however, they like mildly alkaline to neutral soils which are well drained and rich in nutrients.
Since the flower buds for next year s bloom are formed during June, July and August of the current year, it is advisable to cut the spent flowers off, so that nutrients are diverted from unwanted seed production to better flower-bud formation for next year s bloom.
Pruning, if needed, should be done soon after the bloom is over, while rejuvenation should be done during winter months.
There is no known remedy to stop the liberal growth of unwanted
suckers. Some cultivars are known to produce them in greater quantity than others.
Lilacs on their own roots are preferred to grafted ones. Ifthey are grafted onto green ash, privet or late lilac (S. villosa) understocks, suckers are easily distinguished by their foliage and can be cut back, but when common lilac is used as the understock one cannot readily distinguish the sucker from the understock until one compares the stock and understock bloom. Lilacs that are known to be grafted should be planted so that the graft union is covered with 1 1/2 2 of soil.
Multistem lilacs are preferred to single-stem ones. Five to nine stems of different ages per bush is a sensible aim. Periodically the oldest stem is cut at the ground level during winter months and a new sucker is permitted to develop into a new stem. This practice of constant regeneration assures healthier and more vigorous growth, a shorter and more balanced shrub, richer and more accessible flower clusters, and a Botanical Gardens.
General view on a segment of the Katie Osborne lilac collection at the Royal
good possibility of survival in case of borer attack. The lilac borer prefers to attack older wood.
Seed collected from hybrid lilacs will as a rule produce seedlings with bloom of poorer quality than that of the parent plant. Propagation on a small scale is therefore done by division of suckers, by ground or airlayering, and by trying to induce root growth on softwoodcuttings. Cuttings are taken 4-5 weeks after the peak ofbloom and are placed under ajar in an area where they will have maximum of indirect, but no direct sunlight, or in a plastic enclosure under an artificial light. Many books and articles have been written about plant propagation. One should obtain at least aknowledge of suitable soil mixtures, temperature, light and water requirements, and how to use fungicides and rootgrowth hormones, to avoid a disappointment.
Many of the best lilacs , provided that there is such a thing, are not readily available from commercial sources. As is the case with many difficult-to-obtain plants, joining the plant society enables one to learn and to be part of the plant-exchange pool. For more information on the International Lilac Society, please write to Mr. Travers Hutchison, VicePresident for the Eastern Canada Region, 83 Chatsworth Drive, Toronto, Ontario, M4R 1R8, or phone 481-4862.
EQUIPMENT CONSULTANTS & SALES
Everything for the year round gardener
Indoor gardens and accessories. Greenhouse accessories. Automatic propagators. Capillary matting. Humex and Stewart products. External roll shades for greenhouses and Florida rooms. 2241 Dunwin Dr., Mississauga, Ont. L5L 1A3 (416)828-5925
Syringa vulgaris Krasavitsa Moskvy The name in translation means Beauty of Moscow . This double French hybrid is one of the nicest Russian introductions. Obtainedfrom Moscow Botanic Garden and doing well in Hamilton s collection.
The following is the list of my 20 favourite lilacs. Take the list with you when you come to visit the collection during its peak of bloom. Look for them, and let me know ifyou agree or disagree.
Syringa vulgaris Sensation single purple with white border
Rochester single white
Slater s Elegance single white
Krasavitsa Moskvy double white
Edward J. Gardner double pink
Lucie Baltet single pink
Mme. Lemoine double white
Nadezhda double blue
Paul Thirion double magenta
Charles Joly double purple
Frank Patterson single purple
Primrose single yellow
Mrs. Harry Bickle single reddish-pink
Bright Centennial single purple
Dwight D. Eisenhower single magenta-blue
Erzherzog Johan single lilacviolet
% hyacinthiflora Esther Staley single reddish-magenta x Sunset double magenta
cv. Maiden s Blush single pink x prestoniae Miss Canada single reddish-pink
Arboretum (Lilac Garden)
bSR
How to get there from Toro
Take QEW and 403 Highways. Exit Highway No. 6, north and at first light turn right, to Highway No. 2. At second light, turn right, follow Highway No. 2 west, to Old Guelph Road, turn right, 1/2 mile to
BOUNTY
Plant Food 6-2:2
Primarily from fish solubles
Arboretum-woody-plant garden part of which is Lilac Garden. The arrows indicate the route. >k
Mr. Holetich is Arborculturist and Plant Records Co-ordinator at the Royal Botannical Gardens, Hamilton, Ontario
STURDY
Plant Food 0-15-14
For extra bloom and fruit Promotes sturdy growth
USE BOUNTY AND STURDY TOGETHER FOR BEST RESULTS!
of
A saferway toeffective plant g control. Kills Aphids, Mealy ; W bugs, White fly, Spider mites g on Vegetables, Omamentals, Shrubs and Trees.
11 Station St., Maple, Ontario L0J 1E0 (416) 832-2919
You can grow dwarf fruit trees for beauty, fun andproduce Part 11
by A. Hiles Carter
What care and culture help dwarf trees to thrive?
Once established Dwarf Trees will live and bear fruit for 20 to 30 years. Some specimens are on record as being alive and well up to 60 years. So you see dwarf trees have a good investment potential, and deserve good treatment. These small trees need vigorous pruning when young, and gradually less as they mature. They like shallow cultivation and good mulching. They do require dusting or spraying, both of which are easy and inexpensive, since you can standon the ground while doing this job. They respond well to thinning of surplus fruit. Let s consider now some of the care factors in more detail.
Mulching
Straw, grass clippings or shredded leaves make good mulches. The mulch should be 2 6 thick, and extend overa circular area about 4 feet in diameter, with the tree in the centre. Mulching keeps down weeds, reduces evaporation, keeps soil cool in summer and reduces alternate freezing and thawing of the soil in winter and spring.
Watering
Since dwarf fruit trees have a smaller and shallower root system than standard trees, more attention must be given towatering. Trees in sandy loam should be heavily watered every 10 days in a dry season. In heavy clay loam they may need to be watered only once a month.
Pruning
Most experts advise pruning in late winter and very early spring. Sharp
tools such as a saw, pole-clippers and hand clippers are all useful. Cut small limbs back to an outside bud. When cutting off a branch, leave no stub. See the sketches below. In each case A is the correct and B the incorrect method of pruning a limb or a branch.
LIMB BRANCH
« No stub e & oy Correct 5 ] s Bud :':l: ¢7 pruning
There are numerous excellent diagrams showing steps in pruning in Southwick s book. These are well worth studying. When pruning larger branches, it is wise to use three separate cuts as shown below .
1. Make cut A first. This prevents the bark tearing back to the trunk as the limb falls.
2. Make cut B next to remove the major part of the branch.
3. Finally make cut C, leaving no stub. Then paint the wound with tree paint, Tree Kote, or a pruning bomb, to seal the wound and prevent infection by molds, bacteria or fungi.
A fertilizing program
Good compost materials and well rotted manure are just about the best fertilizers you can apply. They should be applied in the spring. Spread this material over a circular area starting at least a foot from the trunk and extendingjust beyond the outer reach of the limbs.
Commercial fertilizers of the 5-10-5 (5% available nitrogen, 10% phosphoric acid and 5% potash) or 6-10-4 can be used successfully. But don t overdo it. About 1/4 pound per tree is suggested for each of the first few years. In addition to the above, traces of boron, calcium, magnesium and zinc are sometimes needed. They must be applied in the form of soluble salts containing these elements. Boron deficiency in apples and pears causes russetting and cracking, and numerous brown corky areas within the fruit. A cure for this is to spray the leaves of the tree with a solution of borax containing 3 ounces ofborax in 10 gallons of water.
For more detailed information consult the books listed at the end of this article, and bulletins issued by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food.
Pest control
We recognize two types of pests; insects and plant diseases. Diseases may be caused by fungi or by bacteria. Some sprays and dusts will protect dwarf trees from insects, other kinds from diseases. Commercial all-purpose sprays or dusts contain substances to do bothjobs atonce.
GARDENER/HORTICULTURIST FOR HIRE
For projects requiring extra care: Perennials, Vegetable Culture, Wildflower Gardens, Home Landscaping, Design Service. Resume and references available. Homer Moelchert BSA, MS 929-3450 After 9.30 p.m.
Now scheduling for 1980 season
For dwarf apple trees the codling moth and apple maggot are the chief insect pests. Apple scab is the chief disease threat. Let us consider briefly how control may be obtained.
Even the most experienced growers do not agree on whether to use sprays or dusts; but modern developments seem to favour the use of sprays. General purpose sprays are likely to contain captan, malathion, and methoxychlor. These materials must be handled with great care. Keep the sprays out of eyes and away from skin and clothing. They are toxic to varying degrees. So, be sure to follow all direction and caution statements exactly. Do read Chapter 10 in the book DwarfFruit treesfor the Home Gardener for exact details on how, when, and what to spray. It contains excellent summary tables of directions.
Tanglefoot, available at some garden centres, is used frequently. Simply spread a band a few inches wide around the trunk of each dwarf tree, at a level about 1 foot above the ground. This stops ants and other insects from crawling up the trees and causing leaf and/or-fruit damage.
Fruit thinning
Most fruit trees set more fruit than they can bring to maturity. So thinning should be done to improve the size and quality of the fruit. It also prevents breakage ofbranches by overloading. The experts recommend thinning the fruits when they are about the size of marbles. Peaches and nectarines should be thinned to about 6 inches apart. Apples and plums grow in clusters on fruit spurs. It is easy to pick off deformed, diseased or undersized fruits first, then space the remainder. Leave apples, plums and pears about 2 4 inches apart. There are special ways to do thinning. Grasp each fruit of peaches and nectarines and twist them off the stem. Apples, pears and
plums must be treated differently or the whole fruit spur is likely to break off. Thin these without pulling the stem of the fruit from the spur. Hold the fruit with the thumb and first finger then push the fruit from the stem with the other fingers of the same hand.
Harvesting the crop
When is the best time to pick fruits? A home gardener can pick at just the right day! There is nothing finer than the lusciousjuicy eating quality of a tree-ripened peach!
Picking time for apples is indicated by a slight softening of the fruit, and when the deep green undercolour turns lighter and a hint of yellow appears. Pears,however, should be harvested in a condition that most amateurs would think was quite unripe. Actually the dark green skin colour should be just changing to a yellowish green. The pears will still be very hard. Pick and store in baskets in a cool place. In a few days or a week they will be just right for eating or canning. Pears allowed to go yellow on the tree are likely to develop gritty spots in their flesh or to begin to go brown, soft and mushy in the centre. Peaches, plums and cherries should be allowed to ripen on the tree. They will be juicy, sweet and full of delicious flavour, a condition never to be obtained from commercially sold fruit. Commercial fruits must be picked in an unripe or immature state to reach the market!
Storing fruit from your trees
Early varieties should be used directly; however, | have been able to keep plums, peaches and pears for 4 or 5 weeks after picking. They should be individually wrapped in paper and placed in the crisper of a refrigerator. This is a happy way to extend the season for fresh fruit sundaes and shortcake with icecream.
Late apples and pears are stored at temperatures between 32°F and 40°F.
Ripening is a chemical process that goes on faster and faster as the temperature rises. For example, apples ripen twice as fast at 40°F as they do at 320F.
To prevent these fruits from shrivelling up by losing water by evaporation, even when they are stored in the coolest room in the basement, proceed as follows. Sprinkle or spray cold water on the floor, walls, and occasionally even the fruit itself. This creates a high
CNIB @ SOCIAL CaterBlan CATERING services
o WEDDINGS e COCKTAIL PARTIES e e BANQUETS e LUNCHEON MEETINGS WITH COMPLETE SERVICES
We care about your gardening problems. Come andsee us at our unique Garden Centre and Greenhouses.
AATCO TRAVEL SERVICE Presents
Spend a Long Weekend in Montreal at The International Flower Show FROM $144.00
INCLUDES:
e Hotel Accommodations For 3 Nts.
* Transportation by Deluxe Highway Coaches
* Admission into the FLORALIES Garden Show
» Baggage Handling
OPTIONAL:
» breakfast daily
e city tour
Departures:
May 16 Other June 6 dates
June 20 available Jina by on request
FOR MORE IMFORMATION CALL AATCO TRAVEL SERVICE 492-0790
2950 Birchmount Rd., Scarborough, Ont.
humidity in the room and reduces the rate of evaporation from the fruit.
Beets, carrots and potatoes like the same storage conditions as apples. But don t store onions, cabbage or celery near the tree fruits unless you want the apples to absorb flavours and taste like an onion or a cabbage!
Summary
There are many good reasons for the home gardener to plant some dwarf fruit trees. Although they need only a small space they yield good quantities of high quality fruit. Dwarf fruit trees are easy to plant, cultivate,mulch, prune,spray and fertilize. Careful planning and selection will enable the family to enjoy an appetizing succession of home-grown apples, pears, peaches and plums. Details on planting, care and harvesting have been outlined. Citrus tree dwarfs can be grown in apartments, by those who have no gardens.
So, why not make a start in the spring of 1980 toward home fruit production on dwarf trees? You too, can become an Expert .
Reference books on growing dwarf fruit trees
The Civic Garden Centre Library has many books devoted entirely or partially to this subject. If your time is limited, | recommend especially the following books:
1. DwarfFruit Treesfor the HomeGardener by Lawrence Southwick
2. DwarfFruit Trees, Indoors and Out by Robert Atkinson
3. DwarfFruit Treesfor Home Gardens by I.B. Lucas*
4. Fruits andBerriesfor the Home Garden by L. Hill
*(A Canadian who before 1946 had dwarftrees at Markdale, Ontario.) »k
Hiles Carter is a member ofthe Men s Garden Club. He is a knowledgeable botanist who grows dwarffruit trees as a hobby.
Keep
your eye on the Centre
Events in May and June include the Centre s Plant Sale, garden tours, a birding trip to Presqu ile Provincial Park, a special Bonsai Night, and the start ofthe ever-popular Photography Course on May 7.
May 9
May 10-11
May 12
May 23
May 23-25
June 6-8
June 20-22
Centre Plant Sale 10.00 a.m. 4.00 p.m. This is always a popular sale, so come early for the best selection! There ll be annuals, vegetables and usually some perennials and house plants, all grown by our members.
We ask membersdonatingplantstothesale tobringthemto thebackdoorsoftheFloralHall(attheeastendofthebuilding) on Thursday May 8 between 10.00 a.m. 4.00 p.m.
Bonsai Night 8.00 p.m. Mr. John Naka, one of the two foremost instructors in Bonsai in North America, will be speaking and demonstrating at this special lecture, organized bythe BonsaiSocietyofToronto asajoint programme withthe Centre.
Bird Trip to Presqu ile Provincial Park leave 9.00 a.m. This bus tripisto oneofOntario sforemostmigrationpoints on what is traditionally the best birding weekend of the year. Leaders: Mr. Clive Goodwin and Mr. Arnold Dawe. Cost $10.00, payable in advance. Space is limited. (Ajoint activity with Toronto Field Naturalists.)
Civic Garden Centre Tours of Private Gardens Arepeat oflastyear sverypopularprogramme,butwithnew gardens added. This is outstanding value for $2.50 you may visit three different gardens each weekend. They are open on Friday evenings and Saturday and Sunday aftenoons. As a consideration to those opening their property for these tours, the specific gardens to be visited are listed on the tickets, but not publicized in advance.
TREES, SHRUBS & TORONTO FLOWERS TO KNOW SOGETSU IN ONTARIO
SOCETY
Sheila McKay & Paul Catling
KEBANASHOW || Al dochig e s
Sunday, May 18, 1980
Illustrated throughout with line 1:00-6:00 p.m. drawingsbyBetsyGordon. 200pages, Tearoom, door prizes, pottery sale and mini flower arrangements size 5-1/4 x 7-5/8 . Paperback $6.95 at your booksellers.
Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre 100 ScarsdaleRd 123 Wynford Drive, Don Mills Don Mills, Ont. M3B2R8
J.M.Dent & Sons Canada Limited
Admission: $2.00 Under 12 free 447-7221
Favourite National Garden Bureau Annuals from Seeds
Here are a few of the ten top flowers from seeds as presented by the National Garden Bureau.
GOOD MORNING, GLORY
Morning glories are in seventh place and climbing.
No other flowering vine can excel morning glories for quickly screening and covering unsightly objects. A vine can easily top a 20-ft. pole but can be kept in bounds by pinching tip growth.
You d never guess from the array of colour on morning glory vines that individual blossoms usually last only one day. True. . . they have but a few hours to complete pollination before they wilt. But don t grieve over their demise; a fresh new crop comes every morning.
A built-in clock opens the morning glories between the witching hour and dawn. It is still pitch black when the spiral-wrapped flower buds unfurl.
OLD-FASHIONED NASTURTIUMS
Large seeds, easy to grow, nasturtiums are a genuine heirloom flower. They were among the first seeds ordered after colonists established trade with England. Now they hold fourth place among flowers from seeds.
Ifyou want vining nasturtiums, buy the old-fashioned single types. The modern varieties have ornate double blossoms and compact, nonvining plants.
Nasturtium seeds sprout best in total darkness so be sure to cover i seeds to a depth of 1/4 inch.
Nackurtiime
GIVE PETUNIAS ROOM
Petunias are third in seed purchases; first place in seedling sales.
Beginning gardeners can be deceived by petunias. They see baby plants in bloom when no longer than a teacup and don' t believe they can increase in size 10 to 20 times over. Leave a little bare earth between petunia plants and they will perform to their full potential.
Petunias ALYSSUM, YOU SWEET THING
Alyssum offers more than just a breath of spring. The plants are so useful and adaptable that alyssum continues to climb inpopularity,
Alyssum plants begin blooming when they are extremely small. At the adolescent stage plants are covered kwith thumb-shaped cluster oftiny four-petaled blossoms.
As theplants growolder they spread, cascading down rocks and filling in between tall, leggy flowers and shrubs. Alyssum blooms itself out during very hot weather. Experienced gardners whack plants back severely and scatter more seeds amongst the pruned carryovers.
ROSE MOSS THRIVES ON NEGLECT
Portulaca or rose moss is a selfreliant flower. Drought doesn t faze it and little or no cultivation is needed. Rose moss does best in spots which are too hot and dry for other flowers or weeds. It s a desert flower with fleshy leaves and stems and a strong network of roots that sustain it through long, dry spells.
A little known fact about portulaca seeds is that they frequently germinate and sprout better if stored in a regfrigerator at approximately 40°F for two to four weeks. Prechilling breaks the dormancy that may cause slow sprouting.
ASTERS: WORTH THE EFFORT
They rank sixth among flowers from seeds. And they re loved for their ice cream colours and holding power when cut for arrangements.
Experienced gardners start aster seeds early indoors 10 to 12 weeks prior to the usual date of the last spring frost. This gives them larger aster plants which begin to bloom soon after transplanting. >
Asters
Now isthetime
byErnestPope
May 1 to June 30
Annuals
May is the peak month for planting annuals, whether we are hardening offour own seedlings, or buying them from nurseries.
Here are a few that the writer has found most satisfactory and attractive.
Ageratum Biscay
Begonia Gin
Begonia Glamour Series
Geranium Showgirl
Gloriosa Daisy Pinwheel
Marigold Yellow Nugget
Pansy Golden Crown
Pansy Imperial Blue
Petunia White Cascade
Petunia California Giants
Snapdragon Little Darling
Zinnia Peter Pan
Plants for shade outdoors
* Aquilegia Fuschia
* Astilbe
* Hosta
* Aubretia Impatiens
Balsam Lobelia
Begonias Nicotiana
* Bleeding Heart
* Campanula
*Primula
* Pulmonaria
Coleus Torenia
Foxglove
* hardy perennials
* Trollius
Cprlocueedorllateee
Selected Miniature Roses * % % Sendfor 1980catalogue to Box 255T, Port Credit P.O. , Mississauga, Ontario L5G 418
Plants that like it hot and dry and will tolerate poor soil
* Cerastium Morning Glory
Cleome Nasturtium
Cosmos Portulaca
Gazania * Evening
Gloriosa Daisy Primrose
Gomphrena
* Liatris
* hardy perennials
* Yucca
Dividing and transplanting bearded iris
This class of iris should not be transplanted until at least five or six weeks after floweringhas finished. This means about July 20th and it can continue until the end of August.
The reason they should not be touched before the former date is because the roots on the old rizomes start to die as soon as blooming has ended and new fibrous roots begin to form immediately.
These new roots are very small and brittle and if any of them are broken off at the base the plants suffer during the next year.
By mid July these new roots will not only have grown considerably, but have toughened up enough to take the rough handling they receive when being divided.
After planting the new roots send out smaller anchoring roots while the soil is still warm. That is why transplanting should be discontinued after August 31st, otherwise it may be too late for further root development, and the rizomes may freeze, or heave out of the ground during the winter. If it is necessary to plant late, a first year mulch should be applied.
The late Harry Randall, one of Britain s most famous iris growers,
had this to say about too early grown during the previous summer. transplanting Experts who advise Pruning in the fall, although better beginners to plant or transplant irises than not at all, results in cutting out as soon as they have finished branches on which the flowering buds flowering are doing a great disservice are already set for next year. to those beginners. It is an excellent It does not mean shapingthe bush way of ensuring that the plants will into the too common form of a ball. flower indifferently, if at all, the Nothing looks worse than a shrub following year . that has had its naturally cascading ; : branches given such crewcut Pruning flowering shrubs fraRifrent
To get the maximum bloom from The best bloom on most shrubs owgrmg shrubs some pruning each takes place on the newer, more year is necessary. A good rule is to vigorous branches. Hence the real prune immediately after they finish purpose is to cause the bush to renew blooming. Nl
Asblooming takes place with most After the newly planted shrub has of them in May and June, it P been growing for about three years, it c!omg so at what isusually the busiest | ;g time to start by cutting out one or time of the gardening year. two of the oldest branches at ground ; !t}lesuall.yhstartskwith forsytl:}ia1and
SlrI;lrsinZSb\fg:)mrir:logcsh?;abzg eol:/eruoyr; the @ \ old branches, plus the new ones 6
Largest - % Iris NG Garden
specializing in Miniature, Intermediate, Standard, Border andTall Bearded Iris. Siberian and Spuria also available.
e QOver 600 varieties with some bloom between early May and mid-dJuly.
® Peak bloom mid-June.
e Enquire abOlil(t other selected
Convert your garden and kitchen nurserystock. waste intoFREE, nutritiouscompost
Visitors andgroup tours welcome in weeks.
FREE CATALOGUE ONREQUEST
Unique thermal construction and complete ventilation system ensure complete MchLLEN,S rapid decomposition. Two easy access doors to remove compost. Designed to be seenforconvenientbackdoorcomposting.
ll lS Garden
Available at The Civic Garden Centre, : ;s and garden centres. R.R.#1 Norwich, Ontario
(519)863-6508
level. This will cause the vigorous roots to send out new branches from the base.
Ifthis is done annually thereafter the shrub should keep young and healthy, with the addition of an annual feeding once a year, preferably in the early spring.
Ifthe old shrub or shrubs have been neglected, and are badly overgrown, it is often best to cut back the entire bush to about six inches from the ground level. This will mean little bloom for two or three years but a complete growth renewal at the end of that time. An alternative is to cut out two or three of the oldest branches each year, a slower procedure but it prevents the problem of large empty spaces.
There are a few exceptions to the above recommendations, such as Peegee Hydrangea, Rose of Sharon, Butterfly Bush, and Hydrangea arborescens, that bloom after August 1st, usually continuing until frost. This type of shrub is late blooming because the blooms are formed on
Walter Coles
Caterers to Toronto since 1847
Delicious food delivered or picked up at our store.
EVERYTHING for weddings, luncheons, cocktail parties.
Gourmet dinners for two. Phone 483-3501 for brochure. 366 Eglinton Ave. W., Toronto
NATURAL BUG CONTROLS
FOSSIL FLOWER
Natural Organic Bug Killers and repellants, made from DIATOMACEOUS EARTH
(Money Back Guarantee)
the new wood or current year s growth. They should therefore be pruned fairly heavily early in the spring, before they start to leaf out, as the flower buds have not already set as is the case with spring bloomers.
A majority of the shrubs in most of our gardens suffer from lack of proper pruning and fertilizing. They will take a lot of neglect but will thrive on proper treatment. It is surprising how many gardeners take good care of their perennials and annuals but leave their shrubs to fend for themselves.
Care of tulips after blooming
Many horticultural books tell us that tulips after blooming should not be moved or disturbed until after the foliage has completely died down. Recent experiments raise serious doubts that this is so.
At Edwards Gardens, where the Civic Garden Centreis located, a large and beautiful display of tulips has been grown for some years by the Metro Toronto Parks Department. About ten days after they have bloomed in May, they are carefully dug up with the stems and foliage still attached to the bulbs and laid out bare rooted on the floor of the loft of a barn located on the property, and
PRUNING SPECIALIST
All types of trees and shrubs pruned properly
Tree pruning Insured
Willing to barter
Brian Sinclair 762-5828 anytime
PURPLE MARTIN HOUSES
A Purple Martin eats 2,000 mosquitos aday.
Beneficial Insects also.
Free brochures at many stores or from Fossil Flower, 463 Woodbine Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M4E 2H5
(416) 691-6029
allowed to gradually cure during the summer months. Then they are cleaned and replanted for the coming year. These same bulbs bloom the second yearjust as well as if they had remained in the ground. Ifthe process is repeated over subsequent years, they gradually deteriorate as they would ifthey had remained in the ground.
This would seem to indicate that the nourishment for the setting of the next year s bloom comes from the ripening stem and leaves rather than from the roots. After flowering the old roots from bulbs left in the ground seem to die rapidly and new ones do not start to grow again until early September, the bulbs remaining dormant during the summer. Obviously shallow planting of not more than six inches will facilitate the removal of the bulbs after blooming.
An amateur gardening friend of the writer, who specializes in growing tulips in quantity, plants them five inches deep, breaks off the seed pods after blooming and digs up the bulbs, stems attached, within a few days. He stands them up in bushel baskets and places them in a shady well-aired area and as soon as the stems have completely died down, cleans the bulbs and stores them in a cool, dry place until planting time in the fall. He has yet to notice any difference the following year, compared to those left to ripen in the ground. He has followed this practice successfully for a number of years.
Obviously this is a great help to those who grow in quantity, or in display beds and who want to plant annuals in their place as soon as possible.
The important point is, that contrary to general belief,tulips can be moved without harm if properly handled.
For the gardener with only a few clumps it is probably still easier to
leave them in the ground from year to year until they play out. Plantings that have deteriorated, usually after the third year, should be marked and dug up and discarded right after blooming, otherwise it is very difficult to locate them for replacing in the fall.
Recently the Dutch have developed a new tulip that has bloomed without deterioration for five successive years. If it keeps up this performance it might revolutionize the industry. s
Ernie Pope is a member ofthe Civic Garden Centre s Advisory Committee and a member ofNorth Toronto Horticultural Society. He is a regular contributor to the TRELLIS.
HOME MINDERS
Travellers: We visitvour home daily to water plants andflowers, careforpets and houses. Bonded. 485-6747
WHO ELSE can handyou aline like this?
Rock garden plants and alpines from the mountains of the world.
Vigorous herbaceous perennials, ground covers, dwarf shrubs, herbs.
Almost 200 sedums, 100 sempervivum, 20different species and varieties of dianthus, geranium, thyme, veronica, primula, lychnis and campanula along with such rare novelties as carduncellus, rhaponticoides, dracocephalum, ruyschianum and erodium chrysanthum are included ina fine collection of over 1,000 perennials for Ontario gardens.
THE "@ountry Squires Garden
SteelesAve. 2 mileswest of Highway #10
Open Sundays only and holiday Mondays April 20 to July 20
DWARF EVERGREENS
byJim andBarbara Lounsbery
Do you have a DwarfAlberta Spruceor a Mugho Pine in your landscape? If you do, you are already taking advantage ofthe special qualities of dwarf evergreens.
This group of plants is becoming increasingly popular and visible, both for home gardeners lookingfor shrubs in scale with smaller lot sizes, and for collectors who seek out tiny and rare specimens.
The term dwarf conifer refers to any conifer variety which remains small as it matures, relative to the wild original species. This is not to be confused with Bonsai , an art in which potentially large trees are artificially kept small by pruning and confinement in small containers. Natural dwarfs may be as small as golf balls even after many years, as in the case of some Chamaecyparis cultivars, or they may bejust compact cultivars of larger shrubs, such as the Armstrong Juniper, a sport of the Pfitzer, very useful as a foundation plant.
Dwarf conifers display all the colour, texture and variety of outline of their larger counterparts. Berckmann s Golden Oriental Cedar, the dwarfBlue Spruces, and the winter brownish reds ofthe Cryptomerias all add colour to the landscape in every season. Textures can range from the tightly packed needles of the Pygmy Spruce to the featheryjuvenile foliage of the Rheingold Cedar, and outlines can be as neat and formal as the Alberta Spruce or as rugged as an old Hinoki Cypress.
LANDSCAPE USES
For small lots and townhouses, dwarf evergreens provide the yearround colour and low maintenance of their full-sized relatives, while remaining in scale with their surroundings. They can, with care, be left in pots for apartment balconies or poolside designs.
Prostrate and irregular forms placed in a rock-garden can contribute a natural and permanent setting for the herbaceous plants, and make a pleasing background for the flowers. This effect can be seen in the rockgarden at Niagara Parks Commission s School of Horticulture.
Rhododendrons and other broadleafed evergreens, as well as heathers, also mix well with small conifers, and the protected, semishaded areas chosen for the rhododendrons are ideal for some of the more exotic but less hardy dwarfs.
Another use for dwarf evergreens is in cemetery plot plantings, where they add beauty and dignity with little maintenance.
When designing with dwarf evergreens, it is best to provide a setting where their qualities are shown off to advantage. A number of dwarfs grouped near a walkway are
city gardens
Tropical Plants
Sales and Maintenance
Ian A. McCallum, B.Sc.(Agriculture)
446-1040 9:00 - 5:00 Monday to Friday
more effective than scattered amongst a wide border of larger shrubs. The tiniest bun-shaped specimens, ususally quite rare and expensive, must be placed where they are visible from several angles.
This brings us to the question, often heard by nurserymen, of how big will it get? . The important question is really, how big will it get how soon ? . All evergreens continue to grow as long as they live but at tremendously different rates. Reference books often give the size of evergreens at the age of ten years, a useful piece ofinformation. One must weigh the advantages of waiting years for a very slow grower to reach a pleasing size, or paying a premium price for an old specimen, or else choosing a more vigorous variety which may have to be dug out in ten or twelve years. It all depends on taste and availability.
AVAILABILITY
Each year, more and more dwarfs appear in the retail catalogues. Lately, for example, the Blue Star Juniper, a compact blue spreader, has become widely available, and the Japanese Garden Juniper is also finding its way into garden centres. Due to their slow growth, the cost is relatively high, and it is best to buy from a reputable nursery that can offer a guarantee and expert advice.
Collectors wanting less common varieties must do more searching. A few Ontario nurseries specialize in ® DwarfEvergreens ® ® Heathers ® Perennials ® o Rhododendrons e
P.O. Box 98 ® Martin Road Vineland Station, Ont.
Dwarf evergreens surround an Umbrella Pine in Longwood Gardens, Pennsylvania.
dwarf and unusual materials, and these can be interesting places to visit. Importing trees from the U.S. and Europe is difficult and expensive, due to federal Plant Protection regulations and shipping and currency costs.
CARE
The care of dwarf evergreens is similar to that of regular evergreens. Soil does not have to be particularly fertile, but most prefer acid conditions. All evergreens appreciate regular watering during their first summer, and a rinse ofthe foliage with the hose will perk them up and deter spider mite. Any pruning of the more vigorous types should be started early in the plant s life and continued regularly so that old thick wood never has to be hacked out.
HARDINESS
There are dwarf evergreens hardy to every zone in Canada; in most cases the dwarf varieties have the winter hardiness of the wild species,
although golden and variegated types are often more delicate. Thus spruze, fir and pines are generally safein central Ontario, while most Chamaecyparis and a fewjunipers are restricted to southern Ontario. If you are experimenting with a variety borderline for your area (as most collectors love to do) remember that drying winter winds are probably more deadly than low temperatures and protect the plant accordingly.
VARIETIES
We have listed a sample of ten varieties, demonstrating a range of species, colours, sizes and degrees of hardiness.
Abies balsamea Hudsonia (Hudson Balsam Fir) A very hardy fir for the rockgarden, with a flattened globe shape and glossy foliage. Reaches about one foot height and width in ten years.
Chamaecyparis obtusa Nana Gracilis (Hinoki False Cypress) A handsome specimen with dark green foliage arranged in tight fans. Roughly pyramidal, it reaches about three feet height in ten years. Probably hardy to Toronto.
Cryptomeriajaponica Vilmoriniana
A tiny globe shaped plant with tight foliage which turns a peculiar brownish red in winter, but regains its rich green colour in summer. The cryptomerias are generally hardy in the Niagara Peninsula. Another form which we have grown is Cristata , with startling cockscomb-like growths on the tips.
Juniperus squamata Blue Star (Blue Star Juniper) A low, slow growing plant with dense foliage of a purplish blue.
Juniperus procumbens Nana (Dwarf Japanese Garden Juniper) A very low spreader of bluish green colour. Ideal for the rockgarden; also used for bonsai.
Picea pungens R.H. Montgomery (Montgomery Spruce) This dwarf variety of Colorado spruce forms a broad cone shape of an attractive blue-gray colour.
Pinus mugo varieties (Mugho Pines)
A number of low growing green pine cultivars fall into this group and all are quite hardy. The variety Pumilio is a particularly compact and neat round form.
Pinus parviflora Bergman (Bergman s Japanese White Pine) A wide spreading low pine with long twisted bluish needles.
Thuja occidentalis Rheingold (Rheingold Cedar) A rounded small shrub, grown for its colour. It is a pink gold in summer and a bright bronze in winter. Quite hardy.
Tsuga canadensis Cole (Cole s Prostrate Hemlock) A very flat ground hugging hemlock which spreads gracefully over rocks in a rockgarden.
REFERENCES
Duwarfconifers: a handbook oflow andslow-growing evergreens.
Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. Plants and Gardens vol. 21, no. 1, 1965. 65pp. Harrison, Charles R. Ornamental conifers. New York: Hafner, 1975. 224 pp. 554 col. plates.
Welch, Humphrey J. Manual of dward conifers. New York: Theophrastus, 1979. 493 pp. photos. (All these books are available either in the C.G.C. LIBRARYor in the BOOKSHOP) >k
Jim andBarbara Lounsbery operate a nursery specializing in dwarfevergreens at Vineland Station.
Ruth Buck Fishman
Landsc?ige Design Residential
araduate landscape architect 485-4676 associate member O.A.LA. evenings
White Rose u
Growers
HAMILTON SCARBOROUGH CAMBRIDGE NEWMARKET 2500 Barton Street East 1306 Kennedy Rd. 561 Hespeler Rd. 55 Yonge Street Parkway Plaza South of Highway 401 Highway 24 South ofDavis Drive Centennial and Barton St. North of LawrenceAve. 500 yds. S. of Highway 401 895.2457 560-1600 755-5345 621-5281
ETOBICOKE MISSISSAUGA WHITBY UNIONVILLE 1582 The Queensway 335 Dundas St. E. 1242 Dundas St. E. No. 7 Highway Between Kipling Ave. East of Highway 10 West of Thickson Rd. East of Woodbine Ave. and Highway 427 West of Cawthra Rd. East of Anderson St. West of Kennedy Rd. 255-0725 277127127 668-7505 297-3330
and distributors of quality garden plants and craft products NOW 8 beautiful garden stores to serve you Open 7 days a week
Planning, design and construction by Japanese landscape architects and For your gardening needs, horticulturists. unusual gifts and handicrafts, Commercial, industrial, large estates and dried floral arrangements, come residential including townhouses 6 the Teollie Shop Bithe Ciic Indoor and outdoor Tree pruning and spraying Garden Centre. Maintenanceservice Open to the public during Government licensed weed control regular C.G.C. hours.
225-7836
C.G.C. members: Member: Landscape Ontario 10% discount on purchases over $2.00.
The Chinese Flowering Dogwood flowers in mid-June with creamy white to slightly pinkish bracts. Autumn colour is scarlet with red fruit clusters. This plant is just one of an exceptionally wide choice in ornamental shrubs available from Sheridan Nurseries.
