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Indoor bonsai, pots and gift ideas. 22 1009 Yonge Street 923-4355 (Rosedale subway)
Oleander -2
Nerium oleander botanically, and it é l @ @t f_ u NOSeES has a number of cultivars including it the double pink form shown here. Itis | 3 : a member of the Apocynaceae family, together with the Vinca that forms a popular groundcover. The genus Apocynum includes the Dogbanes, common wildflowers in the Toronto
Selected miniature roses for the connoisseur andfor Christmasgifting.
Box 255T, Port Credit P.O. Mississauga, Ontario L5G 418 area.
November 1980
Volume 7, Number 6
In this issue
Cover picture: Coleus photographed by Guy Moule.
Peonies with a difference/5
Taxonomic ranks/9
Peanuts/16
Now is the time/18
Horticultural Advisory Committee
Gerda Ferrington, Hal Price, Ken Reeves, Otto Richter, William Rock
Executive Director: Clive E. Goodwin
Editor: Fredrik Kirby
Advertising: Shirley Kirby (416) 226-0996
Graphics and Printing Drewmark Graphics, Toronto
General lnformatlon ISSN 0380-1470
Trellisis publishedin 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 M3C 1P2. Telephone: (416) 445-1552. The Centreis locatedin Edwards Gardens, at Leslie Street and LawrenceAvenue East, the geographical centre of Metropohtan Toronto. Itis a non-profit gardening and floral arts information organization with open membership. Subscriptions to Trellisare only available through Centre membership (10peryear). Opinions expressedwithin do not necessarily reflect those of the Centre.
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PEONIES with a difference
by Janice Cooper
Are you searching for garden material which is beautiful, tough, disease-proof, and will stay for at least 50 years in the same place without needing to be transplanted? Then you should be shopping for peonies. They come in all shades of red, from the new pink red to the dark red of Philippe Revoire ; with whites and pinks of every tone and hue. There are yellows and some varieties are bicolours; there is a type or colour for every garden design.
Since the older varieties are very well known, it is perhaps better to look at some of the newer ones. Strangely enough, the early part of this century saw a great deal of hybridizing going on in Canada. People in Ottawa at the Experimental Farm, and in London and Toronto, were all working on new ideas for colour, flower shape and searching for stem structure that would stand up toNorthAmerican weather. The American Peony Society, which was started in 1903, also encouraged many members to try hybridizing. The very full doubles which were the love of the early breeders like Lemoine, were not good performers in our usual June weather.
Along with the difference of climate, the type of architecture which became common after the war seemed to require different types of bushhabit. The new hybrids are not so spreading, and the shorter, tougher stems help to maintain the outline ofthe bush much better. The
blooms also can be seen to greater advantage as they are carried well up and do not flop in a storm the way some of the French hybrids do. I do not have any bushes over twenty-five years of age, but the difference between Festiva Maxima and Westerner is very easy to see; however, Festiva Maxima retains her place in my garden because her beauty is still unsurpassed by any modern upstart. This is the reason the old ones are still grown and loved they can be a trial to the gardener, but their hardiness and beauty cannot be bettered. Peonies can be the backbone of the garden. Planted along the middle axis ofthe bed, there is room for spring flowering bulbs and iris in front of them and the taller growing perennials and shrubs can flourish
o
Peony photographed by Betty Greenacre.
behind them. By selecting early to late flowering varieties, one can have colour from late May to July and again in the fall, as the leaves turn the most lovely shades of rosy crimson, giving one last gift of colour to the gardener.
They prefer full sun, deep rich soil, and sharp drainage. The bed shouldbe thoroughly prepared. It is much better to dig over the whole bed and at that time digin enough humus to make it easy for the peony roots to settle downand develop goodfeedingroots to sustain the plant for many years; then, in a year or two, your plant should produce a goodshow ofcolour and aset of delicate textured leaves which will add grace to your garden the entire season.
There are only two common problems of peonies botrytis and a virus which affects the crown ofthe plant. These two are both controlled by removing all the leaves ofthe peony close to ground level after the first killing frost, and applying a halfcup of Captan to the crown of the plant each fall. I use it each spring as well, as | have a large number of peonies and I like to prevent trouble where | can.
If peonies are planted two inches below the surface of the bed then in the spring one ofthejoys of an early walk is the sight ofthe new buds getting ready to stretch up to the sunlight as soon as possible. Peonies require precise setting at planting time and care should be taken that the surface ofthe bed does not deepen with time and with the addition of new plants close to the peonies themselves. That is really all the care they need, andwith some Super-Phosphate each fall ifthere are lots of plants close around them, will keep them happy and healthy for many years. There are even stories of their flourishing in deserted
farmyards for twenty to thirty years after the last owner has left. The American Peony Society has a title they bestow on bushes which have grown for many years in one place they call them Heirloom Peonies and[ think that this is a fitting tribute to such hardy, beautiful plants, as well as the people who, many years ago, sought to make apatch of beauty for themselves in the stark, plain yards ofthe farm and villages of that era.
Plant in Fall
Peonies are usually planted in the Fall, after the bush has gone dormant, so that the best time to select the colours andtypes that are best for your garden is the spring. | would suggest a visit to local Flower Shows, or a visit to Walter Gilbert s Peony & Iris Garden in Elora. There one will see the best ofthe new, plus the best ofthe old as well. He will also advise on the suitability of a plant for the use the gardener has in mind for it. Some are too large for tight corners, others do well as they are smaller and neater of growth-habit, and he knows each variety. Originally, this was the garden of one of the unsung heroes of Canada s hybridizers, Mr. Brown, who had a large collection of both peonies and iris whenI first began to garden. | had a few iris from him and a small catalogue packed with interesting names and many of his own hybrids. Years later, when I finally got the name and address again, Mr. Gilbert had taken over the stock and was by then deeply involved in peonies, although he still keepson other plants. There are many places to purchase iris, but there is really only one place where the newest introductions flourish along with the best of the old peonies and that is Gilbert s Gardens.
The plants freshly dug, do much
better than those that are brought in from the big growers in the U.S., with the unavoidable delays of postal and Plant Inspection departments. I have purchased plants both ways, and a good Canadian source is so much better than importing. Driving up to pick up your plants in the fall can be fun, and planting them within 24 hours of their being dug is a plus for the plant that can be easily seen by the difference in spring growth. They seldom show any problems due to transplanting shock.
Before planting the new arrivals, an hour or two of soaking in a pail filled with tepid water and half-strength 1515-15 liquid or water-soluble fertilizer helps to make sure the plant has all the nutrition needed to start it off in a new location. This also helps to make*
sure that the roots do not dry out in the sun and wind waiting to be planted. After the roots are in, I pour the water carefully around them, so that they derive all the good of the solution. If the roots are dormant there is no fear of late fall growth being cut down by winter to the detriment of the plant. One further caution: do not assume that a plant is dead because there is no sign of growth in the spring [ have had the experience ofseeing a plant wait one whole season before it showed any sign oflife. I had given it up for dead, but I did not dig it out and a year after all the others had sent up shoots, this one suddenly came to life and is flourishing now in the garden. This can happen, apparently, so do not be continuedpage 14
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White single peonies photographed by Betty Greenacre.
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Geraniums
The florist s Geranium is botanically the genus Pelargonium. Both it and the true Geranium belongto the family Geraniaceae. There are four major groups of cultivated Pelargonium, three derivedfrom hybrids of three species, and a fragrant-leaved group consisting of thirteen or so other species. These cultivars are Scarlet Flash on the right and Fire Flash below.
Photos: PanAmerican Seed Co.
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TAXONOMIC RANKS
byJames S. Pringle
The purple-flowering raspberry, according to an article on the paintings of Glen Loates, appears fromits fruits to be a true raspberry; but, the article went on, botanists classify it as a member of the Rose Family. Likewise, another magazine featured the Cosby, Tennessee, Ramp Festival as a feast to an odd lily ; the ramp (more commonly called wild leek in Canada) smells as though it must be related to onions and garlic, the writer observed, but botanists say it is a member of the Lily Family. Botanical relationships can be deceptive, one might infer, if the purple-flowering raspberry is more closely related to roses than to true raspberries, and the ramp more closely related to lilies thanto onions! Actually, however, thejournalists original speculations on plant relationships were in complete agreement with botanical classification. The confusion arose from lack of familiarity with the terms used to indicate different levels of botanical relationships. Raspberries, to be sure, are not roses in the usual sense of that word, but raspberries, including the purpleflowering and those cultivated for their fruit, are members of the Rosaceae, or Rose Family, along with roses. Likewise, onions, garlic, and their close relatives, which do indeed include the ramp or wild leek, are all members ofthe Liliaceae, or Lily Family, along with lilies themselves. The International Code of Botanical Nomenclature provides a hierarchy of taxonomic terms to express different degrees of relatedness among plants. It happens thattwo ofthese terms, variety and family, are commonly used outside
the context of biological classification. Because oftheir familiarity, when they are used in this context, they are sometimes applied in disparate, imprecise senses. Even beginning horticulturists and naturalists, however, can readily appreciate the need for more than two terms. To illustrate: Afew years ago, | saw a dayflower shownon television with the commentary, This is obviously an orchid or an iris same family, anyway. A unit of plant classification thatencompasses both orchids and irises is a broad one, but the speaker was quite correct in recognizing that orchids, irises, and dayflowers are more closely related to one another than they are to many other seed plants, such as walnuts or sunflowers. Shortly thereafter, however, aflower arranger, whose entry had to be properly labeled, brought in some exotic foliage and mercifully suggested that it would suffice to identify it only to family . She used the same term as the TV personality, but I doubt that she would have been satisfiedwith identification only to a level that did not differentiate between orchids and irises!
The logical starting-point in a discussion of taxonomic ranks is with the species, the basic unit of biological classification. (The word species is the same in the singular as inthe plural.) Volumeshave been published on the species concept, i.e., on the problem ofdefiningwhat a species is and applyingdefinitions of species to the complexity ofvariation in nature. Such problems, however, are not the subject ofthis paper. Here, we can consider a plant species to be one kind of plant, consisting
of individuals that are highly similar to one another. This similarity has a genetic basis, so that an individual plant does not change its species as it matures or as its environment is altered, and interbreeding among members of one species results in progeny all of which are likewise members of that species. For present purposes, the species concept can be illustrated by examples: white oak, scarlet oak, and shingle oak are three species of oaks, known botanically as Quercus alba, Quercus coccinea, and Quercus imbricaria, and the white trillium, painted trillium, and nodding trillium are three species of trilliums, with the scientific names Trillium grandiflorum, Trillium undulatum, and Trillium cernuum, respectively. Each ofthe names of thesespecies, inthese cases common and scientific names alike, consists of a noun and an adjective(orword used adjectivally). In the scientific names, the noun comes first.
Groups of relatively closely related species, such as the oaks (Quercus) or trilliums (Trillium), are called genera. (The singular ofgenera is genus.) Because the relationship among species in the same genus is usually evident, the noun portion of the English name of a species often corresponds to the scientific name of a genus, as in the examples given above. There are, of course, exceptions; the common names onion, garlic, leek, and chives do not indicate that all are members ofthe genusAllium, although the close relationship among these species is obvious to those who know the plants. Conversely, there are more kinds of beans than those in the genus Phaseolus.
Not until we reach the level at which related genera are grouped do we encounter the taxonomic term family. Because the family is higher in the taxonomic hierarchy than many
people realize, some may be surprised by how much diversity a single plant family may encompass. Sometimes the relationship among genera in the same family is evident even from superficial appearances. There is, for example, a striking similarity in both floral and pod structure among all ofthe plants cited in Table 1 as examples of the Fabaceae or Pulse Family. Likewise, all of the examples of the Lamiaceae or Mint Family listed here have square stems, opposite leaves, bilaterally symmetrical, two-lipped corollas, and a minty scent; and those representing the Apiaceae or Parsley Family all have deeply cleft or compound leaves and the same distinctive arrangement of the flowers. Many family relationships, however, are less obvious. For example, although the relationship between the yellow loosestrifes (Lysimachia species) and the star flowers (Trientalis species) may be obvious, it is less readily apparent that both of these genera are in the same family, the Primulaceae, as the true primroses (Primula species). The Rosaceae or Rose Family is one of the most diverse, as the examples here indicate.
Usually, a plant family derives its - Latin and common names from one of its component genera. Thus, unless it is a one-genus family, it comprises not only the genus from which it gets its name but also other genera, which are not necessarily so similar that they share the same common name. Thus the rose genus, Rosa, consists only of roses, but the Rose Family, Rosaceae, contains other genera than that of the roses.
There are higher taxonomic ranks, but these are of less concern to horticulturists and naturalists, because the relationships among the species making up these higher categories are more distant and less
readily apparent; there has been much less agreement among botanists over the years on the composition of many of these higher taxonomic units; and, except for the distinction between the monocots and the dicots (which are classes), one rarely encounters them in keys to the identification of flowering plants.
Above families there are orders, then subclasses (at which level the orchids and irises are united), then classes (wherethe dayflowersjoin the orchids and irises). In addition, there are supplementary ranks used to subdivide some especially large or diverse families and genera. Between family and genus one may find subfamilies, tribes, and subtribes, as in the Poaceae or Grass Family. Between genus and species one may recognize subgenera, sections, subsections, series, andsubseries, although rarely ifever are all ofthese
used within a single genus. The names of such intermediate entities are not part ofthe name of a species; the scarlet oak, for example, is simply Quercus coccinea, although it is a member of subgenus Erythrobalanus.
Finally, there are the subdivisions of species, namely subspecies, varieties, andforms, and the special horticultural category of cultivar. Space does not permit their discussion in this paper, but the reader may consult my paper The term cultivar: its meaningand use , in Landscape/Paysage Canada, vol. 11, no. 10, pp. 7, 28, 29, or, for a more thorough discussion, write to the Royal Botanical Gardens for Gardens Bulletin vol. 27, No. 3, The concept of the cultivar . Dr. Pringle is theplant taxonomist with the RoyalBotanical Gardens in Hamilton.
Table 1 Some important plant families in Canadian horticulture, with examples of species in each.
LILIACEAE (LILY FAMILY). Ornamentals: Lilium spp., lilies; Convallaria maijalis, lily-of-the-valley; Hyacinthus orientalis, hyacinth; Muscari botryoides, grape hyacinth; Narcissus pseudo-narcissus, daffodil; Tulipa spp., tulips. Food plants: Asparagus officinalis, asparagus; Allium cepa, onion; Allium sativum, garlic.
RANUNCULACEAE (BUTTERCUP FAMILY). Ornamentals: Aquilegia spp., columbines; Clematis spp., clematis; Helleborus niger, Christmas rose; Nigella damascena, love-in-a-mist. Medicinal herb: Hydrastis canadensis, goldenseal.
ROSACEAE (ROSE FAMILY). Ornamentals: Rosa spp., roses, Chaenomeles spp., flowering quinces; Spiraea spp., spireas. Food plants: Fragaria spp., strawberries; Malus pumila, apple; Prunus amygdalus, almond; Prunus avium andP. cerasus, cherries; Prunus domestica, plum; Prunus persica, peach and nectarine; Pyrus communis, pear; Rubus idaeus, red raspberry; Rubus occidentalis, black raspberry; Sanguisorba minor, burnet.
FABACEAE (PULSE FAMILY). Ornamentals: Cladrastis luteq, yellowwood; Lathyrus odoratus, sweet peas; Lupinus spp., lupines; Wisteria spp., wisterias. Food plants: Arachis hypogaea, peanuts; Cicer arietinum, chickpeas; Lens esculentus, lentils; Phaseolus vulgaris, shell and snap beans; Pisum sativum, peas. Forage plants: Medicago sativa, alfalfa; Trifolium pratense, red clover. Weed: Medicago lupulina, black medick.
Continued next page
Table 1 continued
APIACEAE (PARSLEY OR CARROT FAMILY). Food plants: Petroselinum crispum, parsley; Daucus carota, carrot; Anethum graveolens, dill; Apium graveolens, celery and celeriac; Carum carvi, caraway; Pastinaca sativa, parsnip. Weed: Heracleum mantegazzianum, giant cow-parsnip.
LAMIACEAE (MINT FAMILY). Ornamentals. Monarda didyma, bee balm; Salvia splendens, salvia. Food plants: Mentha piperita, peppermint; Mentha spicata, spearmint; Origanum vulgare, oregano; Salvia officinalis, sage. Weed: Lamium amplexicaule, henbit.
SOLANACEAE (NIGHTSHADE FAMILY). Ornamentals: Petunia spp., petunias; Physalis alkekengi, Chinese lanterns; Salpiglossis sinuata, salpiglossis. Food plants: Capsicumfrutescens, bell and chili peppers; Lycopersicon esculentum, tomato; Solanum melongena, eggplant; Solanum tuberosum, potato. Weed: Solanum americanum, black nightshade.
ASTERACEAE (ASTER OR SUNFLOWER FAMILY). Ornamentals: Aster spp., Michaelmas daisies; Agertum houstonianum, ageratum; Chrysanthemum spp., chrysanthemums; Cosmos spp., cosmos; Dahlia spp., dahlias, Gerberajamesonii, gerbera; Tagetes spp., marigolds; Zinnia spp., zinnias. Food plants: Cichorium intybus, chicory, endive, and escarole; Cynara scolymus, artichoke; Lactuca sativa, lettuce. Oilseed plants; Carthamus tinctorius, safflower; Helianthus annus, sunflower. Weeds: Ambrosia artemisiifolia, common ragweed; Arctium spp., burdocks; Cirsium arvense, Canada thistle; Conyza canadensis, horseweed; Taraxacum officinale, dandelion.
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Keep vour eye on the Centre
Events in November & December
In the Gallery in November Paintings by Jim Shortt
Nov. 10 Niagara Falls Bird Trip Cost $10.00 members, $12.00 non-members. A trip to one of North America s premier areas in late fall for water birds. Gulls can number into millions and last year s trip saw at least one extreme rarity. Awide variety of ducks, loons and grebes can also be expected.
Nov. 19
Beginning with Orchids
A Hort. night in conjunction with the Southern Ontario Orchid Society, on how to start with orchid growing.
In the Gallery in December A Group showing by our'Exhibiting Artists Dec. 3-4
Deck the Halls
The Centre s Christmas Show and Sale, wholly organized and run this year by the Garden Club of Toronto, with all the excitement and flair that they re famous for. Don t miss it!
Centre News and Notes
Weed and Pesticide Workshop
Interest has been expressed in a weed and pesticide workshop to deal with methods of control, hazards, techniques of application and similar matters. A fair amount of preparation is necessary for such a workshop we ll only organize it if sufficient interest exists. If you're interested (cost in the $5.-10. range) please let us know.
Seed and Plant Exchange
We' re trying a members-only seed and plant exchange. List your needs or seeds on a slip of paper with your name, address and " telephone number. Hand it in at the office and it will be date-stamped and put on a notice board outside the administration offices. If your needs are met we d like you to remove it: otherwise it will stay there until we need the space for someone else s notice.
Volunteers Needed
We re always looking for new volunteers to help with manning the shops, workshops and library, as well as with the Centre s special events. It s rewarding work in a pleasant environment. Call 445-1552 and Mrs. Anne Dyke, who coordinates our volunteers, will get in touch with you.
Library opening Sundays
Startingin November the library will be openduringour regularopening hours on Sundays. We hope youwill take advantage ofthis new service.
Children s Gardens
We are reviewing the Children s Gardens (at the back of Sunnybrook Hospital) for planning in the coming year. In 1980 we tried a parentchild approach for the first time, with some success as well as some problems. We are now going to decide on the approach we will use in 1981. Any of you who would be interestedin working with either your own or other children in a gardening project over next summer are urged to contact the office and leave your name and number.
Peonies
continuedfrom page 7
too hasty to discard peony roots the first spring if there appears to be no growth.
Having considered when and where to plant our peonies, we come now to the question of colour and form. Peonies come in five main categories single, semi-double, Japanese type, full double, and bomb. There are also anemone flowered varieties, but these are very few. We will not touch on the tree peonies as these need-an article all to themselves. So we can now look at the five categories and I'll suggest some names and colours.
Single Flower
White
Pico Large, cupped petals, yellow centre. Midseason.
LeJour Very large flower, medium height. Early.
I[san Gidui Consideredto be most beautiful of all peonies, centre yellow, carpels green.
Krinkled White Not anew variety but very fine. The petals are broad and crinkled in bud and open to make alovely, different type of bloom.
Pink
Sea Shell Lovely, large bloom, with yellow stamens; strong stems.
Chalice An award-winning, large, clear pink, bright yellow stamens.
Coralie Coralwith crinkled petals.
Red
Burma Ruby Cup-shaped, gorgeous deep red.
Cytherera This is a deep cherryrose, fading to pale peach. Very unusual, this is a new one and is expensive, but it is worth the money.
Doubles
White
Ann Cousins An award winning, medium to large bloom, will bloom as
young plant with excellent form, has rose fragrance.
Festiva Maxima Petals are pure white, while the centre ofthe bloom is laced with crimson. The very heart of this flower has a tinge of cream which adds to its beauty. This plant will need staking.
Rare China Semi-double; a bluish white (four or five rows of guard petals) with a large centre of fine yellow stamens with the clear red carpels showing through like a hand-painted plate.
Pink
Mrs. F.D.R. Creamy pink, medium size. Another Gold Medal Peony.
Nick Shaylor Late light pink, very large. Occasional red markings. A Gold Medal Peony.
Hansinia Brand Flesh pink with salmon reflexes shaded to base of petals. Very dependable.
Myrtle Gentry Immense flowers of rose form, broad petals, good substance, turns white with age. Late mid-season.
Red
Highlight Dark, dark red; midseason, medium height.
Kansas Lighter redthan Highlight; early, tall with strong stems. Awarded the Gold Medal.
Paul M. Wild Dark red but more brilliant than other deep reds. Very late to bloom, medium height, fine form.
Japanese Type
White
Carrara Large flowers, strong stems.
Bu-Te Very large, tall late flower. Long yellow staminodes.
Pink
Westerner Very large blooms, beautiful colour. It has won many prizes.
Kaye Tischler Bright pink and cream. Tall growing. Bright pink staminodes, tipped golden yellow.
0 4pm
cets: 50 its included)
he Civic Garden Centre
Red
Nippon Beauty, Nippon Splendour
Both very beautiful and similar colour, but Nippon Beauty has yellow edges to centre petaloids.
Bomb
Snow Mountain, M. Jules Elie
Large rose-pink bloom, medium height; very strong grower.
There are so many more wonderful varieties to try, so many new orange reds, so many glowing pinks, and such shades of white that defy mere words, that [ urge you to write to Elora for a catalogue today.
The standard varieties offered by the other nurseries are all very good plants andthe old full doubles have fine colour, but are often heavy in the smaller garden. A few singles and Japanese types are no harder to grow, yet lend grace and airiness to the flower border. The reduced
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petallage of the newer introduction makes for a graceful, swaying, lightly balanced bloom ready for rain or wind, and very satisfying to pick for the house. The American Peony Society will send lists of growers to anyone who wishes to write them. A membership in that Society is $7.50 (U.S.) per year, and well worth the money. | suggest Elora Gardens so strongly because it is the biggest in Canada and the best, and can supply any beginner with more than enough new and different types to keep the most particular taste in colour happy.
Addresses:
American Peony Society 250 Interlachen Road Hopkins, Minn. 55343
Gilbert s Peony Gardens
Elora, Ont. Phone 846-9675
Mrs. Janice Cooper is a member ofthe Civic Garden Centre HorticulturalPanel andofseveralgardeninggroups including the American Peony Society.
In the Library
Peonies, Outdoors andIn, 1960, by Arno andIrene Nehrling is divided into five main parts a general introduction to the queen of flowers ; the herbaceous peony; the tree peony; peonies indoors, including arrangements and showing, and a supplement containing a descriptive list of registered varieties. ThePeonies, 1962, edited by John C. Wister gives detailed information on both herbaceous and tree peonies, withemphasis on their history and classification.
city gardens
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Sales and Maintenance
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Peanuts
You can grow peanuts on most fertile, well-drained soils. However, they grow best on sandy to sandyloam soils. When grown in heavy soils, plants have trouble breaking through the soil, and you may have trouble harvesting the pods.
Although there are four main tupes of peanuts, only two are recommended for Ontario conditions. These are the Spanish types, the small red-skinned nuts preferred for peanut butter; and the Valencia types, which have three to five peanuts per pod and are usually roasted for sale in the shell. Valencias mature a little earlier than Spanish varieties, so they are usually more productive in Ontario. Virginia and Runner, the two remaining types, can not be grown in Ontario because they require a long growing season.
Seed houses often sell peanuts in the shell for planting. The whole pod can be planted directly into the soil, but planting the actual seed is usually a more reliable method. When shelling the peanuts for seed, be careful not to tear the skin aroundthe nut. Damaged skin increases the chances of disease, and reduces the chances of sprouting.
Plant peanuts in early May, but not before you usually plant peas because they are not as cold hardy. Peanuts can be planted before beans, however, as they are more frost tolerant.
Allow at least 50 centimetres (20 inches) between each row. Seeds should be spaced 10 to 12 centimetres apart (4 to 5 seeds per foot) along the rows. Plant seeds 3 to 5 centimetres (1 1/2 to 2 inches) deep.
By mid-June, the plants produce yellow flowers. These flowers open in
Courtesy Ball Seed Co. the morning and wither at night; the next day, new flowers appear. Flowers are self-fertilizing; so they do not require bees for fruit set.
A few days after the flowers appear, the flower stalk begins to grow downwards. This stalk, called a peg, penetrates the soil surface and pushes down 5 to 8 centimetres (2 to 3inches) into the soil. The tip of the peg, enlarges and develops into the peanut pod. In 40to 50 days, the pod will contain mature peanuts.
Although peanut plants are fairly drought resistant, they should be watered during late June and July if the weather is dry.
Plants continue to produce flowers and pegs all season. By midSeptember the plant will carry new flowers, new pegs, immature and mature peanuts. The longer the growing season, the greater the
Peanuts are harvested by pullingthe entire plant out ofthe ground. Unlike root crops, peanut plants actually plant their own seeds. Here, you can see a healthy crop of Spanish type peanuts.
Photo:
number of peanuts on each plant. The plants should be allowed to develop and mature until harvest in late September or after a heavy frost. If the soil is loose and moist, the peanut plant can be pulled. To make harvesting easier, lift the soil lightly with a fork before pulling. Another method is to cut the tap root about 10 centimetres (4 inches) below the soil surface with a hoe, and then pull the plant gently out of the soil.
Mature pods have a textured appearance: immature pods are smooth. The inside of a mature pod is grey-black, and the peanuts should be reddish skinned.
If the weather is warm and sunny, leave the peanuts in the sun so the soil on the shell can be shaken off easily. Hang the plants in a warm, dry place until the pods are brittle dry. When dry, remove the pods from the plant. Peanuts in the shell can be stored in a dry place indefinitely. Do not store or dry peanuts under
conditions which promote mold growth. Never eat moldy peanuts as they may contain toxic substances. Prepare your homegrown peanuts for eating using one ofthe following methods. Peanuts in the shell Place peanuts on a cookie sheet, one layer deep. Bake ina 180 C (350 F.) oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Allow to cool, shell, and salt to taste. Shell peanuts Remove the shells and place peanuts, one layer deep, on a well-greased cookie sheet. Bake in a 180 C (350 F.) oven for 15 to 18 minutes. Remove, cool, and salt to taste. Deep-fried, shelledpeanuts Heat cookingoil to 150 C (300 F.) Place shelled peanuts in a wire basket and fully immerse peanuts in the oil. Cook for 10 minutes or until peanuts begin to brown. Remove from ail, drain, cool, and salt to taste.
J.W. Tanner andR.C. Roy, Department ofCrop Science, University ofGuelph
Primarily from fish solubles
Now is the time
byErnestPope
November 1st December 31st
1980 in Retrospect
It is many years since we have had such erratic weather as the year 1980. With virtually no snow cover, many of even the normally hardy perennials suffered severe winter Kill including shasta daisies, iris, primulas, chrysanthemums, delphiniums and rock garden plants such asArabis, Iberis andAubretia.
Then during the normal planting periodfor annuals from May 15th to June 15th, extremely cool nights and rainy weather not only retarded their growth but, in the case of semitropicals such as coleus and celosia, resulted in root rot and the necessity ofreplanting.
Many annuals showed little or no growth until almost July 1st. Those planted out after June 15th grew better, and bloomedjust as early as those set out weeks earlier. Evenin a normal year it is unwise to plant them out prior to May 24 no matter how warm the weather may be prior to that time.
While plants that required snow cover suffered substantially, flowering trees and shrubs that do not need or get it bloomed more profusely than for many years. This indicates that the previous summer when their flower buds were setting, and the subsequent winter weather ideally suited them.
Winter Protection of Roses
During the past winter, losses sustained by many rose growers were considerable in some cases as high as 50%.
Over the years the growers who had the least winter kill have been those who, in addition to hilling up the
bushes with soil, also put on a substantial covering oftree leaves. Last winter provedto be no exception.
After the roses have been hilled up with soil about mid-November, and the ground has started to freeze, they put about a two-foot covering of leaves over the whole bed. To prevent blowing, a few boards, branches or chicken wire are placed over the top. If the leaves are very dry, amoderate watering could be given to settle them down. The reason for putting the leaves on after the ground has frozen is to prevent mice from wintering in the bed and to prevent the leaves heating up in the event ofmild weather.
The area may look like an elephant s graveyard, but over the years it has proved most effective. It means more work in the spring in disposing ofthe leaves, but the results more thanjustify the means.
Raising the Soil Level in Garden Beds
The old idea was to leave the surface of garden beds, for both flowers and vegetables, several inches below the level ofthe lawn. The reason for doing so never seems to have been explained. The only advantage appears to be that in periods of drought they were more moisture retentive.
In the writer s garden, the bed level averages about four to six inches above the lawn level. This has been created by gradually adding garden and mushroom compost over the years. There are several advantages:
1. The top soil depth is virtually doubled.
2. The raised beds show offthe plants much more effectively.
3. Working and weeding is much easier.
4. Drainage during wet weather, especially during the spring breakup, is much better.
5. Because of the improved drainage, winter Kill is considerably less.
6. In dry periods the beds may dry more quickly, but this is offset by the fact that the roots have penetrated deeper into the ground. Also, the soil having more humus in it keeps the water table at a higher level.
It is surprising how many gardens one still sees with the bed soil level at or below lawn level. It usually indicates that very little organic matter has been added.
Raised beds not only bring the flowers closer to eye level, but help offset the domination of the lawn when the beds are too flat.
The gradual raising of the ground levelis no problem with annuals which are replanted each year. It is a different matter for the perennial bed, especially for shallow rooters like iris and chrysanthemums, or plants such as peonies that do not like more than two inches of soil above their crowns.
Most perennials should be divided and reset anyway every three years thus their proper soil level is maintained. In the case of peonies, they should either be dug and reset or else planted in an area by themselves where the soil level is constant.
Protecting Semi-Hardy Plants
All biennials including forget-menotsshould be coveredwith athree inch straw mulch (available at most nurseries), except foxgloves where it should be placed underneath the plant leaves rather than over the crown.
Semi-hardy perennials such as gloriosa daisies, hibiscus, primulas and chrysanthemums will not usually survive difficult winters unless they are also similarly covered.
Christmas Gifts
The poinsettia is probably the best value for the money of all flowering greenhouse grown plants because the coloured leaf bracts will continue for at least three months. It adjusts readily to house temperatures, even though they are usually warmer and less humid than where it was raised. It will take sun or shade and as a result can be placed well away from windows for greater enjoyment.
The mature plant requires little care or fertilizing provided it is amply watered as needed. What more can one ask of a gift plant? It comes in shades of red, pink, and white.
If you tire of the red shade, which is
Your Gateway To Year-round Pleasure
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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. r LORD
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very seasonal, you will findthe pink shade more suitable after the holiday season has passed.
In the writer s opinion, poinsettias are the most improved houseplant; from the standpoint of durability, in the past twenty years.
Another excellent gift, especially for shut-ins, is the amaryllis. It is one of the easiest and quickest to grow of all bulbs, and has spectacular bloom. It is just a matter of planting the bulb and then watching it grow and come into bloom in six weeks time. It will brighten up any room and create a real conversation piece.
The flowers only last about ten days, but the modern Dutch hybrids usually have at least two flower stalks, thus extending the period of bloom. Getting the bulbs to bloom in subsequent years is the real problem but that is another story. They are excellent value for the money even if the bulb is discarded after it blooms.
Early Seeding
December 15th to December 31st is a good time to start the seed of tuberous begonias and hybrid geraniums. Both require a long growing season before they flower, and later sowings may delay the blooming period until mid-summer. Pansies started indoors January 1st will be ready to plant out in mid-April and will bloom shortly thereafter. They are not affected by late frosts, and thrive on cool, moist conditions.
Ernest Pope is on the Advisory Committee of the Civic Garden Centre and an active member of the Men s Garden Club andNorth Toronto Horticultural Society. He contributes regularly to TRELLIS.
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Pink Panther is a F; hybrid, pink fruited variety, averaging 7 to 9ounces. Photo: Ball Seed Co.
Tomatoes for every purpose
Why hydroponic gardening?
First, what is it? Hydroponics is a plant feeding technique which uses water instead of soil as the storehouse for nutrients.
Hydroponics controls the quantity and type of food and water on which plants thrive.
Home hydroponic systems are carefully designed for small spaces which make them ideal for use by apartment dwellers and home owners. No special skills are required. Anyone can be successful.
You can start with a very inexpensive manual system with two square feet of growing area. Planting and harvesting can continue all year long. The whole hydroponic bed can always be fully in use.
sizes and maturity dates in West Chicago trials. Number ofdays indicated is from planting out ofsmallplants in thegarden to maturity.
Demolition
Outside, that crunching sound is an aged building dying . . . Bruderheim the executioner. Bruderheim the demolisher, represented by eight men in hard hats, each an expert in destruction of the past.
A giant, powered, almost-living crane. .. and a hundred bricks that skilled hands have laid individually atop one another, are lifted and dropped at once from the dangling clam ofthis crane. Andthe same greedy machine lifts beams, massive wooden beams, once lovingly mortised and tenoned to support this structure . . . against the elements and for a busy population s purpose.
I saw one huge beam of 25 metres length, wrenched from the roof to crash to the rubble below.
That s from a single tree! | marvelled aloud. The nearest hard hat answered in broken English, Yes. They don t anymore grow so. It was pine, I think. I walked closer to one ofthe fallen giants. Had I ever seen such a length and thickness of wood in living form? Perhaps, but Oh! so seldom can one see virgin specimens of this disappearing facet ofour heritage. Would my sons ever believe that trees once grew so stout and tall?
[ wished then that I couldown and store! such along, straight piece of hewn wood; such a huge ruler oftime. How many now can read its markings?
[ touched it, almost with reverence. Someone, | thought should buy such apiece of time s handiwork; buy it and hang it from the sky.
Robert Hilton, Guelph, Ontario
Perfumed Glads
The recent patenting of gladantheras Guldemond-Myrta (Plant Patent 4032) and Guldemond-Cornelius (P.P. 4033) indicates that success in a difficult intergeneric hybridizing project is being increasingly achieved.
The aim is to bring the fragrance of Acidanthera murielae to Gladiolus. Several years ago, the first successful cross was made Lucky Star , bred by Mrs. Joan Wright (Box 45, Matakana, North Auckland, New Zealand). This and subsequent hybrids resemble gladiolus but open three to five flowers at a time, and the flowers are somewhat pendulous. The fragrance has been variously described as suggestive of briar rose, dianthus and eucalyptus.
Much gladanthera breeding is now being done at the University of New Brunswick (Fredericton, N.B., Canada). Prof. Leo A. Dionne reports that the cross only succeeds when the gladiolus is used as the female parent. Gladantheras generally bloom later than gladiolus. from The Avant Gardener
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For your gardening needs, unusual gifts and handicrafts, dried floral arrangements, come to the Trellis Shop in the Civic Garden Centre.
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Plants for an Eastern Exposure, which receive direct morning sun from sunrise to near midday, upper left: a. Dizygotheca elegantissima (False Aralia); b. Nephrolepis exaltata bosteniensis (Boston Fern); c. Ficus benjamina (Weeping Fig); d. Dracaena reflexa; e. Begonia rex cultivar (Rex Begonia); f. Dryopteris (Fern); g. Cordyline terminalis (Hawaiian Ti); h. Tolmeia menziesii (Piggyback); i. Saintpaulia lonantha (African Violet); j. Polyscias (Ming Aralia); k. Aeschynanthus radicans (Lipstick Vine); . Sinningia speciosa (Gloxinia); and m. Tradescantia (Wandering Jew).
Plants for a Northern Exposure, which receive the least light, top left: a. Spathiphyllum Clevelandii (Spathe Flower); b. Cissus rhombifolia (Grape lvy); c. Adiantum (Maidenhair Fern); d. Aglaonema (Chinese Evergreen); e. Philodendron panduiforme (Fiddle-leaf Philodendron); f. Dracaena massangeana (Corn Plant); g. Chamaedorea elegans (Dwarf Parlor Palm); h. Scindapsus aureus (Pothos); i. Dieffenbachia amoena (Dumb Cane); and j. Ficus pumila (Creeping Fig).
Pictures courtesy of Chevron Chemical (Canada) Ltd.
