July 1982
For all your gardening needs ...all year round.
eallana Cullen
NURSERY GARDEN CENTRES
CIVIC GARDEN CENTRE HORTICULTURE AND GARDENING MAGAZINE
HATS OFF TO THE FLOWER SHOW LADIES!
by Heather Fuller
If you somehow missed seeing the banners flying in the breeze along Lawrence Avenue or the sight of the yellow and white striped marquee decorating the west driveway of the Civic Garden Centre during the week of April 21 to 25, then you missed one of the most successful ever Spring Flower and Garden Shows of The Garden Club of Toronto.
commsncliie 1982 ed1t1on of this popular biennia ower Show, the 25th 1in Garden Club history and the first of many, we hope, at the Civic Garden Centre, featured a wildflower theme of "Flowers, Naturally!". Who would have imagined that under the colourful marquee would be such a variety of Ontario wildflowers in bloom -the yellows of marsh-marigolds, coltsfoot and daffodils, the white of trilliums and hepaticas, the purple of violets, and the pinks of azaleas, hyacinths and a saucer magnolia.
New this year was the staging of the premier flower arranging competition amidst the gardens of the marquee. "The Lure of the Wild" attracted fifteen talented arrangers from the Cloverleaf Garden Club of Mississauga, the Kitchener-
Waterloo Garden Club as well as Milne House and The Garden Club of Toronto. A1l fifteen designs were masterpieces of creativity and restraint. Red ribbons went to Mrs. J. E. Irving of Milne House, Mrs. Robert H. Wesley of The Garden Club of Toronto and Mrs. Georgina Mentis of Cloverleaf, with Mrs. Mentis receiving the Canadian Club Award for Flower Arranging from John C. New, President of Hiram Walker and Sons Limited, as the overall winner.
The Civic Garden Centre building itself was a bustling place with eleven educational displays and a Question Centre in the Garden Hall (Auditorium); a clever threedimensional mural entitled "A Walk in the Woods" by the students of Dewson Public School decorated the Tink; 15 classes of herb competitions, 33 horticultural and 10 flower arranging classes staged in the Floral Hall, along with an intriguing display of "Herbs for the Honey Bee" around an old fashioned straw beehive, and a colourful display of bulbs and bedding plants planted by the Etobicoke Parks and Recreation Services Department which was redesigned half way through the show as the tulips faded and had to be replaced!
Upstairs the studios were trans-
formed into the Garden Club Cafe with bright yellow tablecloths and begonias, art for display and sale on the walls, and lunch and refreshments served to about 500 people a day. Down the hall in the Coffee Bar, another team of members was busy serving 3,600 cups of coffee and lemonade.
After a drenching rain on Tuesday which threatened to wash away the peat moss and carefully planted flowers in the tent, the sun came out on Wednesday to welcome the public. And come they did -- by chartered bus, by car and by public transportation -- 18,329 people attended the show, many seeing the Centre for the first time. The Gift Shop and Book Shop benefited from the many shoppers who wanted to take home seeds or books. And as a result of inquiries during the show, the Centre gained at least 15 new memberships.
With thousands of volunteer hours of effort behind such a professional result, The Spring Flower and Garden Show raised approximately $40,000. for its Wildflower Woods project at the Humber Arboretum.
Congratulations, ladies, for a beautiful show!
Mrs. Fuller is Publicity Chairman of The Garden Club of Toronto. STIIN NOQ 8LL essep $98P SWSI0IL PINL
TOM THOMPSON COMMENTS
With this issue of Treillis, we inaugurate a whole new concept of communication with you, our members. We have opted for a publication which will have at least one major item of horticultural interest and crisp cultural notes from the best information available. It will carry news of all the societies that meet here, personality notes, announcements of coming events and courses, book reviews and special sale items in the book shop and garden shop. It will be a lively paper that we hope will bring you much closer to all that goes on here so that you will always be well informed and feel welcome to use the variety of services we offer.
We would like you to get to know the library better because you have at your disposal one of the finest horticultural libraries in Canada. Presently the Orchid Society has placed in the library, on loan, their collection of more than 200 books for your perusal, and other recent publications are constantly being added.
The garden shop has a new look too. This shop is here to serve you and the stock in the shop has been changed in an effort to do this better. From time to time we will offer special sales of topical items which will be a real bargain as well as a regular line of gifts and wrappings.
NEW MINTS
by Conrad Richter
Even self-acknowledged brown thumbs get smug with their gardening prowess when it comes to the mints, for they are among the most aggressive of herbs. In fact, they quickly overstep their bounds and require rather more discouragement than encouragement. So why grow more mints? Because a fascinating range of scents and flavours is to be experienced, particularly in some of the more recent introductions.
The revival of herbs over the past decade has initiated a renewed fervor amongst herb fanciers to seek out and introduce to cultivation heretofore unknown species
We would like you to get to know the staff better. Recently, an Assistant Director was appointed in the person of Joni Coletto. Joni is a graduate of the Niagara School of Horticulture and will be pleased to join the rest of the staff in serving your gardening needs.
In order to make this new concept of Trellis a success, we need to hear from you, our readers. Please write or call us with your suggestions and comments. We will not only welcome them, we need them.
We hope you will approve our new publication and, most of all, enjoy it.
CGC TOUR
TORONTO PORTUGUESE COMMUNITY
The Civic Garden Centre will sponsor a tour of the Portuguese community in West Central Toronto on Wednesday, July 14, commencing at 5.00 p.m. The tour will take us through the backyard gardens of the Portuguese people, demonstrating their skill in high production from small spaces.
Following the walk, we will join them for a traditional dinner and entertainment. Registration is 1imited. The fee is $35.00. For further information, call the Director at 445-1552.
and varieties from the world over. Interesting new varieties of basil (ocimum), lavender (Lavendula), oregano (origanum) and scented geranium (Pelargonium) are now available. In the mints, two new varieties attracting attention are grapefruit mint and Time mint.
Lime mint is a variant of orange mint, also variously known as bergamot or eau-de-cologne mint. (Mentha X piperita var citrata.) Its foliage and flowers are identical to orange mint in appearance, having ovate leaves and ovoid lavender-purple terminal spikes. The only distinguishing characteristic is its sharper, Time-Tike fragrance emitted on crushing the leaves. The scent is somewhat elusive especially on cloudy days
when some noses may only detect a less distinctive fruity aroma.
Grapefruit mint is also a variant of orange mint having hairier, less rounded leaves and a grayish cast. Based on a visual comparison, it apparently possesses some characteristics of silver mint (M. longifolia), while still retaining the unique flower structure of orange mint. The scent is suggestive of grapefruit, and its flavour presents alluring possibilities for summer drinks, teas and jellies. It is perhaps not surprising that there are hundreds of forms of mint, since mints cross-pollinate so freely. To the botanist, the mints present a perplexing array of selected hybrid strains, often rendering the identification of specific cultivars an exercise in futility. Even the common peppermint (M. X piperita) is thought to be a cross between watermint (M. aquatica) and spearmint (M. spicata). Interestingly, mints raised from seed nearly always possess a rank menthol odour and flavour and do not match the quality of the root-propagated strains. Unfortunately, the seed trade continues to misrepresent mint seeds which will only serve to dampen the current popularity of herbs.
Pine Ridge Nurseries
Home ofall your gardening needs
SPECIALIZING in:
®Geraniums over 150 varieties (zonal, novelties, regals, ivies, scented, fancy leaved, miniatures.)
e Herbs
® Perennials
e Annuals
® Tropicals
® Trees and Shrubs
® Roses
® Evergreens
We care about yourgardening problems. Come and see us at our unique Garden Centre and Greenhouses.
The public should especially beware of seeds advertised as peppermint seeds since peppermint flowers are sterile and cannot produce seeds. Such labelled seeds are usually from crude varieties of spearmint, poor substitutes for the real thing.
For mint enthusiasts there are now over twenty mMenthas available commercially ranging from the diminutive Corsican mint (M. requienii)
to the bold Bowles mint (M. X alopecuroides) notable for its woolly puffs of grey leaves. But there are probably many more worth growing, just waiting to be discovered or rediscovered. The one that has whetted my curiosity is the mystical chocolate mint, rumoured to exist, but yet to turn up. If you find it, Tet me know!
Conrad Richter is Manager of Richters, Goodwood, Ontario
COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE MINTS
x alopecuroides (suaveolens X longifolia)
aquatica
arvensis
x cordifolia (suaveolens X spicata)
x gentilis (arvensis X spicata)
x gentilis 'Variegata'
x gentilis 'Crispa longifolia
x piperita vulgaris (aquatica X spicata)
x piperita citrata
pulegium
pulegium 'Gibraltarica requienii
spicata suaveolens
suaveolens 'Variegata' sp.
Mini Rose Nursery
Specializing in Miniature Roses
For 1982 Listing write Florence Gahagan
P.O. Box 873, Guelph, Ontario N1H 6M6
BOWLES (WOOLLY APPLE) MINT
WATER MINT
CORN MINT
SPEARMINT
i) RED MINT
i) AUSTRIAN MINT
GINGER MINT
CURLED MINT
i) SILVER MINT
i) HORSE MINT
PEPPERMINT (CANDYMINT)
i) ORANGE (BERGAMQOT) MINT
ii) LIME MINT
i1i) GRAPEFRUIT MINT
PENNYROYAL
CREEPING PENNYROYAL
CORSICAN MINT
i) SPEARMINT
i1) MENTHOL SPEARMINT
APPLE MINT
PINEAPPLE MINT
ENGLISH MINT
city gardens
Tropical Plants
Sales and Maintenance
lan A. McCallum, B.Sc.(Agriculture)
446-1040 9:00 - 5:00 Monday to Friday
CLUBS AND SOCIETIES LOCATED IN THE CIVIC GARDEN CENTRE
Milne House Garden Club
Established in 1967, the Milne House Garden Club is celebrating its fifteenth year. As a member of the Garden Clubs of Ontario, it has a voice in areas of study which include environmental conservation. Milne House is a founding member of the World Association of Flower Arrangers (W.A.F.A.) A scholarship is awarded annually to the Niagara School of Horticulture. The outreach programme embraces Horticulture-Therapy. Milne House in the years ahead will strengthen its support in making The Civic Garden Centre of major interest to the public.
Hazel Lyonde, President, M.H.G.C.
The York Rose and Garden Society
The York Rose and Garden Society, the local Toronto affiliate of the Canadian Rose Society, is a friend1y group interested in gardening in continued page 6
NOW OPEN YEAR ROUND
DON VALLEY GARDEN CENTRE
2714 St. Clair Ave. East Toronto, Ont. M4B 1M6
Complete Garden Supply Centre located centrally in East York just east of O Connor Drive.
* Roses Ontario grown stock
* Nursery stock and
¢ Fruit Trees excellent selection
* Number 1 Nursery Sod
¢ Bedding and Perennial Plants
¢ Tropical Plants
¢ Soils ® Peat Moss
® Seeds ¢ Patio Slabs
e Fertilizers
