Trellis - Gardens by Design 2012

A SPECIAL ISSUE OF

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Toronto Botanical Garden

Get the basics right Page 14

Kids in the

garden Page 17

Smart design

easy care

Plus

How-to

plant, prune & deal with pests!

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25 Trends years of

to love or hate Page 6

Visit our ARTISTS’ GARDEN at CANADA BLOOMS - G6A

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welcome to Gardens by Design Toronto Botanical Garden’s celebration of 25 years of gardening

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his year marks the silver anniversary of the Toronto Botanical Garden’s Through the Garden Gate tour.

Since its inception as a major fundraising event in 1988, the tour has opened the gates to hundreds of private gardens, from Rosedale and Riverdale to Hogg’s Hollow and the Toronto Islands. Did the gardens featured on the downtown tour of 25 years ago look different from those on the 2012 tour of Rosedale? Definitely, yes!

Over the last 25 years, much has changed in the world of horticulture. This special Garden by Design issue of Trellis celebrates the lessons of where we’ve been and the promise of where we’re going. In “25 Years of Gardening”, Carol Gardner takes the pulse of the city’s top gardening influencers to reveal two decades-and-a-half of TRENDS, both good and reviled, from the introduction of ornamental grasses to the arrival of the ubiquitous leaf blower.

Photographer Janet Davis’s collage of silver plants opens our DESIGN section where Victoria Stevens writes about designing a garden that grows along with the changing needs of your family, Lorraine Hunter offers tips and ideas for creating kid-friendly gardens and landscape designer Tony Spencer talks with landscape architects Victoria Lister Carley, Amanda Lapointe and Martin Wade about creating low-maintenance gardens that are distinctive and functional yet easy to care for.

Getting down to basics, our HOW-TO section offers techniques for tending your garden. Veronica Sliva gives a season-by-season roundup in “What to Plant When”. In “The Kindest Cut”, Helen Battersby talks with pruning pro Jim Lounsbery for tips on taming ornamental shrubs. And Tena van Andel takes a light-hearted look at dealing with pests in an era of organic gardening.

Gardening spans generations, and nowhere is this more evident than in our closing story, “All in the Mason Family”, which shows how three generations have been smitten by the container gardening bug, from matriarch Marjorie of Mason House Gardens, to her son Jeff and grandson Derek.

Whether you’re an experienced gardener who has watched the gardening landscape change over the last 25 years or an enthusiastic newbie we hope this special Gardens by Design issue of Trellis will inspire you to help shape the next 25 years in your garden.

— Lorraine Flanigan, editor All proceeds from the sale of Gardens by Design help support the programs and services of the Toronto Botanical Garden. We thank the following individuals for their generous contributions: Helen Battersby, Janet Davis, Carol Gardner, Lorraine Hunter, Marion Magee, Jeff Mason, Veronica Sliva, Tony Spencer, Victoria Stevens and Tena van Andel as well as our team of eagle-eyed proofreaders, talented members of the Trellis Committee and the best and brightest of the city’s garden influencers (for a complete list, see torontobotanicalgarden.ca/trends).

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gardens by design • special issue 2012

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A Special Issue of Trellis, 2012

contents

Editor Lorraine Flanigan

Design June Anderson

Trellis Committee Lorraine Hunter (Chair) Lorraine Flanigan (Editor) Carol Gardner Marion Magee Gwen Rattle Jenny Rhodenizer

Volunteer Editorial Assistants M. Magee, M. Nevett, C. Peer

Volunteer Proofreaders

ABOUT THE TORONTO BOTANICAL GARDEN

647-984-8800

Trellis is published as a members’ magazine by the Toronto Botanical Garden at Edwards Gardens 777 Lawrence Avenue East Toronto Ontario, M3C 1P2 416-397-1340 Trellis welcomes queries for story ideas, which should be submitted to the editor for consideration by the Trellis Committee at least four months in advance of publication dates.

Opinions expressed in Trellis do not necessarily reflect those of the TBG. Submissions may be edited for style and clarity.

All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without written permission.

Charitable business number 119227486RR0001 Canada Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement #40013928

Toronto Botanical Garden connects people, plants and the natural world through education, inspiration and leadership. The TBG encourages, stimulates and teaches countless adults and children with its innovative urban-scale garden plantings, nature-centred educational programs and environmentally friendly practices. We look beyond our borders to create strategic alliances that support our mission, extend our reach and strengthen our influence within the community.

777 Lawrence Avenue East Toronto, Ontario M3C 1P2, Canada 416-397-1340 fax: 416-397-1354 info@torontobotanicalgarden.ca torontobotanicalgarden.ca

6 25 Years of Gardening It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

The city’s top influencers point out what mattered in gardening over the last two decades and a half.

ISSN 0380-1470 Cover photo: TOM ARBAN

Printed by Harmony Printing

Cert no. SW-COC-002063

By TTC: Exit the Yonge subway line at the Eglinton station and take the 51, 54 or 54A bus to Lawrence Avenue. The TBG is on the southwest corner. torontobotanicalgarden.ca

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gardens by design • special issue 2012

PHOTOS (THIS PAGE, FROM TOP): courtesy victoria Lister carley, TBG, international flower Bulb information center (opposite, clockwise from top): jeff Mason, ibc, theresa forte

Advertising

trends

E. BRAIS, M. BRUCE, J. CAMPBELL, L. HICKeY, M. MAGEE, J. MCCLUSKEY, L. Uyeno

Volume 39 N u mber 2

Discover

how-to

design

all that

14 As Time Goes By

Keys to designing a garden that grows along with you and your family

17 Kid- and Parent-

24 To Everything There Is a Season: What to Plant When A season-by-season planting timeline

Friendly Gardens Garden design that works for the whole family

26 The Kindest Cut Tips on pruning ornamental flowering shrubs

20 Raising the Bar for

28 Dealing with Pests:

Low-Maintenance Gardens Tips from three landscape designers on creating a smart and stylish city garden

We’ve Come a Long Way, Bugsy Dealing with pests and disease in an era of organic gardening

offers garDeners with a free trial issue Garden Making is the award-winning Ontario-based magazine that’s all about plants, garden techniques and great garden design. Sign up for your free inspection copy at gardenmaking.com/TBG

Three generations of container gardeners

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gardens by design • special issue 2012

204-111B Garrison Village Dr Niagara on the Lake, Ont. L0S 1J0

Promo code: TBG

30 All in the Mason Family

trends

Phlox paniculata ‘David’ is one of the best new plant introductions.

25 Gardening years of

— it was the best of times, it was the worst of times

This year marks the silver anniversary of the Toronto Botanical Garden’s quintessential garden tour, Through the Garden Gate. To celebrate 25 years of gardening, we talked with 25 movers and shakers who have influenced gardening in Toronto. We asked them to ponder the last two decades and a half and share their thoughts on the most significant (and most reviled) trends, best (and worst) plants, most valuable lessons learned (and lost) and plenty more! Their responses were wise, witty and intrepid.

Here’s a snapshot of gardening life at the turn of the last century and beyond.

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Most Overlooked Trend: Container Gardening As more condos dot the skyline, container gardening has come into its own. Just ask the Toronto Botanical Garden’s Nancy Eaton Director of Horticulture, Paul Zammit, the master of the whimsical and elegant container. Whether they’re on balconies, on roof gardens or on the ground, containers are BIG. Surprisingly, Janet Rosenberg (Janet Rosenberg & Associates) was the only expert who mentioned them, saying “I use urns — the bigger, the better.”

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gardens by design • special issue 2012

PHOTOS (THIS PAGE): WALTERS GARDENS, PAUL ZAMMIT (OPPOSITE, FROM TOP): SHELLEY BIGGS, JANET DAVIS, Landscape Design Advisor/Flickr

— compiled by Carol Gardner

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Best Shopping Trend: Perennials Explosion!

The greatest change of the last 25 years, says landscape architect Victoria Lister Carley, is the increase in the variety of perennials available. In 1987 there were seed catalogues galore, filled with pretty annuals and tantalizing vegetables, but perennials were just catching on. Terra Nova Nurseries, one of the first to specialize in perennials, got its start five years later. Now, Janet Rosenberg declares that “annuals are passé”. Here are five of the best perennial introductions.

• Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii ‘Goldsturm’ • Coral bells Heuchera cvs.

• Japanese forest grass Hakonechloa cvs.

• ‘David’ phlox Phlox paniculata ‘David’ • Purple coneflowers Echinacea, especially ‘Summer Sky’ (Big Sky Series)

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Retro Trend: Grow Your Own Growing our own vegetables is as old as civilization, but author and gardening columnist Sonia Day sees today’s hipsters getting interested in growing their own food as the best trend of the last 25 years. Her thoughts are echoed by gardening expert Mark Cullen who views homegrown food as the trend that’s most likely to endure.

No Guff Vegetable Gardening co-author Steven Biggs digs gardening.

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Most Misunderstood Trend: Native Plants Many of our experts lauded the increased use of native plants, agreeing with Christine Gracey (D.A. Gracey & Associates Ltd.) that “they are hardy, provide food sources for wildlife, are resistant to pests and disease and require less care once they are established.”

However, Janet Rosenberg says: “Don’t assume that just because they’re native, they don’t need water or care.

Remember, they’re coming out of a wild area into an urban yard — very different conditions. Sometimes plants bred for the urban garden fare better.”

Trees such as the Eastern redbud make dramatic garden features.

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“Only God can make a tree, probably because it’s so hard to figure out how to get the bark on” — Woody Allen (not one of our gardening experts) In a more serious vein, Martin Wade (Martin Wade Landscape Architects) declares that the most beautiful garden feature is “a simple specimen plant, preferably an Eastern redbud or serviceberry, well placed in the garden and uplit to show off its wonderful form”. However, not all trees are beloved. Stephen Aikenhead (Aikenhead & Associates) calls the Norway maple the worst tree, saying that “as long as they’re available, we should speak out against their use!”

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Most Divisive Design Trend: Outdoor Kitchens Love ’em or hate ’em, outdoor kitchens were on many minds. Stephen Aikenhead celebrates firepits and cooking circles as a natural and historic way to bring us back into the night garden. However, horticulturist and green roof expert Terry McGlade (Flynn Canada) thinks they’re “the worst garden feature” and Beckie Fox, editor-in-chief of Garden Making says “outdoor kitchens take up good gardening space and shout ‘look at me!’”

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gardens by design • special issue 2012

dig in trends 7

The Steve Jobs of Garden Design (Most Significant Influencer) Piet Oudolf, Wolfgang Oehme and James van Sweden were the top choices, followed by Mother Nature, John Brookes, Claude Cormier, Martha Schwartz, Christopher Bradley-Hole, Tom Stuart-Smith and up-and-comer Luciano Giubbilei.

Gardenimport’s Dugald Cameron keeps things in perspective by adding: “A garden guru is an expert because they’ve made all the mistakes and killed more plants than most people.”

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Eco-Trend: A Farewell to Lawns “The decline of the front lawn is very encouraging,” says landscape and land art designer Stephen Aikenhead. It seems it’s time for a more natural makeover of this icon of the front yards of yore. Master Gardener Anne Kotyk explains that “replacing lawns with plantings of any type gives far more interest, diversity, shelter and opportunity to feed wildlife.”

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Take Time to Smell the Roses Let’s face it; gardeners are impatient. We plant a couple of things and expect to wake up the next morning to Sissinghurst. Our experts recommend patience. Mark Cullen says the most important lesson he’s learned over the years is that “the best gardens take time” and author Lorraine Johnson adds, “we need to observe slowly and be patient (an ongoing struggle!).”

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Most Reviled Tool: Leaf Blower Mark Cullen calls gas-powered leaf blowers the worst trend and Stephen Aikenhead’s fondest wish is “the outlawing of leaf blowers and mandatory training and licensing for whipper operators.” There are no defenders on this issue.

Hi-Tech Trend: Electronic Gardening The greatest change in gardening is the use of the Internet for information. Larry Davidson (Lost Horizons) says, “The blooming of the Web has allowed passionate gardeners to establish blogs; institutions to make research available; and publications to make podcasts of some of the leading lights of horticulture.”

But it’s not all good news in the electronic world. Dugald Cameron and Sonia Day have a message for HGTV: Live up to your name and reintroduce some real gardening shows — and forget about “instant gardens”! So there.

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gardens by design • special issue 2012

PHOTOS (THIS PAGE, FROM TOP): INTERNATIONAL FLOWER BULB INFORMATION CENTER, MCCAIG/iSTOCKphoto (OPPOSITE, FROM TOP): JANET DAVIS, TERRA NOVA NURSERIES

Piet Oudolf

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Best Design Idea: The Garden Room Vita Sackville-West was way ahead of her time when she divided her garden at Sissinghurst Castle into distinct “rooms” separated by clipped hedges and delectably ancient brick walls.

But it wasn’t until more modern times that designers discovered we didn’t need castles to make room for rooms. Joel Loblaw (Joel Loblaw Inc.) says the development of garden rooms “adds interest and makes the space dynamic”. And landscape designer Terry McGlade calls this development “the most lasting trend” of the past quarter-century.

Miscanthus is one of many ornamental grasses that are now staples of contemporary gardens.

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The Who Knew? Trend: Ornamental Grasses Lorne Hancock (Hancock Landscape Planning & Design) recalls: “While working in Vancouver in 1990, a client had returned from Germany with pictures of grasses; they were mostly non-existent in Canadian nurseries.”

Kennedy McRae (Earth Inc.) agrees, saying that ornamental grasses have changed the face of gardening more dramatically than anything else. The grasses, however, are not beloved by all.

Caroline de Vries (Tradewinds International) is weary of them, saying “there are too many in too many gardens and commercial spaces.”

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Most Disappointing Trend: Underperforming Plants Over the last decade there has been a flood of new plants — and a rush to get them to market. This has resulted in many poorly performing plants. Larry Davidson cites the example of Campanula persicifolia ‘Kelly’s Gold’, a yellow-leaved selection that was a sickly grower. C. ‘Blue-eyed Blonde’ is a much better plant,” he says. Victoria Lister Carley suggests that you wait three years after a plant introduction before trying it.

Buyer beware…

‘Bradford’ ornamental pear Pyrus calleryana ‘Bradford’ Buckthorn Rhamnus cathartica Jacob’s ladder hybrids Polemonium caeruleum Orange and yellow coneflowers Echinacea cvs.

Midnight Wine weigela Weigela florida ‘Elvera’ To find out why our experts avoid using these plants, goTo torontobotanicalgarden.ca/trends

Campanula ‘Blue-eyed Blonde’ is better than ‘Kelly’s Gold’

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The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Our experts were pretty clear about things they love and loathe.

Good

Bad

Ugly

The availability of quality materials — Tom Sparling (Sparling Landscape Architects)

Architects’ increasing use of materials that contribute little to the “nature” of the garden — Tom Sparling

Stamped concrete masquerading as stone — Kennedy McRae

Safety and comfort — Neil Turnbull (Neil Turnbull Limited)

Dangerous garden steps — Neil Turnbull

Coloured mulch — Christine Gracey

A well-tuned water feature adds so much to a garden — Kennedy McRae

Rubber pool liners that leak!

— Juergen Partridge (Juergen Partridge Ltd.)

Poorly designed or too-small ponds or pools — Caroline de Vries

Mass plantings rule!

— Joel Loblaw

Planting in rows to achieve modernity — Joel Loblaw

Plants in neon colours — Sheila Murray (Belisle/Murray Landscape Architects)

Butterflies and caterpillars — Victoria Lister Carley

Lily leaf beetles, Japanese beetles and Asian ladybugs — Caroline de Vries

Invasive species such as the emerald ash borer — Lorraine Johnson

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gardens by design • special issue 2012

dig in trends 20

For Your Eyes Only: Essential Gardening Books At last count, Amazon.ca listed 41,220 gardening books on its Web site. That’s information overload! Here’s what our panel of experts recommend as essential reading. These books are available through the Weston Family Library, Toronto Botanical Garden.

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The WellOutfitted Gardener From tip to toe, here’s what our experts favour in gardening garb and gear.

• Tilley hat • Felco pruners • Gloves (a personal choice!)

• Chanel tweed jacket (lots of pockets) • Old belt with two holders for pruners and snippers • Knee pads • Bog boots • A glass of vino and a comfy patio chair To find out what gear our experts favour goTo torontobotanicalgarden.ca

John Brookes, The Book of Garden Design Thomas Church, Gardens Are For People Michael A. Dirr, Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs Noel Kingsbury, Gardens by Design Wolfgang Oehme & James van Sweden, Bold Romantic Gardens Scott Ogden & Lauren Springer Ogden, Plant-Driven Design Russell Page, The Education of a Gardener Michael Pollan, Second Nature: A Gardener’s Education

For the complete list,

goTo torontobotanicalgarden.ca/trends

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…and the Rachel Carson Award Goes to: Growing Organically The greatest change was universally acknowledged to be the way we use fertilizers and pesticides.

Victoria Lister Carley says that even before it became a political issue, many gardeners had already reduced their use of chemical fertilizers and now most people think of compost and manure first when they want to fertilize.

Mother Nature’s Medicine: Gardening!

Many of our experts mentioned the health benefits of gardening.

Kennedy McRae wishes that “many more people see the benefits of enjoying gardens because they are truly our best connection to nature in our hectic lives.” Bill Stensson (Sheridan Nurseries) cautions that “with the senior population growing, health care costs will explode; people who are active will need fewer health [care] interventions.”

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Maintenance-Free Gardens — and Other Fairy Tales!

Martin Wade scorns “the notion that a maintenance-free garden is achievable. At the bare minimum a garden needs a bit of input during the establishment period,” he says. And Mark Cullen jumps in to add that he gets annoyed with “people who insist on buying cheap stuff and being disappointed by their performance.” The message: be realistic folks!

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Good Bones — Essential for Supermodels and Gardens Many of her colleagues echoed the statement of Penny Arthurs (The Chelsea Gardener & Associates) that “good bones — quality paving, walls, fences — underpin plantings and endure through one’s worst gardening disasters.” Neil Turnbull advises; “start your design with the overall composition, the ‘big picture’. The rest will fall in line.”

gardens by design • special issue 2012

PHOTOS (THIS PAGE, FROM TOP): NORTHLIGHTIMAGES/iSTOCKphoto, TIMBER PRESS, TBG (OPPOSITE: cjp/iSTOCKphoto

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• • • • •

•

• •

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Get Down to Basics After you have the bones, make sure you use good soil and mulch. Beckie Fox believes that “good soil makes all the difference” and Christine Gracey counsels, “mulch, mulch, mulch!”

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The David Suzuki Award Goes to: Environmental Awareness Just about everyone mentioned environmental awareness as one of the biggest changes in gardening. “Plants are the only purchase that both increase in value and benefit the environment,” says Bill Stensson. “My wish for the future is clean air!” adds Kim Price (Kim Price Landscape Design). Peter Guinane’s (Oriole Landscaping) fondest hope is for “a more conscious effort from everyone to reconnect kids with the natural world.”

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Share your DNA with your Garden “Ignore trends and just do what you like!” says Sonia Day, who does exactly that. Sheila Murray echoes that belief, saying “one garden style does not fit all”.

Bottom line: your garden should be a reflection of your taste and, just as you evolve, so should your garden. Beckie Fox’s fondest wish is “that more people engage in gardening for the true, unabashed joy of it, creating gardens that are personal, vibrant and unique.”

Back to the Future…

Mark Cullen reflects the wishes of his colleagues when he says: “We are on the threshold of the most exciting era in gardening ever.

Before us are greater possibilities, more resources and a wider awakening to the overall purpose and benefits of gardening.

The new generation will lead us into an extraordinary future.”

Carol Gardner is an award-winning garden writer and member of the Trellis Committee.

Bring Summer To Your Winter

classifieds Leaside Garden Society is excited to announce its annual Garden Tour to be held on Saturday, June 23, 11:00 – 4:00. Mark this date on your calendar. This year’s tour again promises to be an exciting mix of garden styles and plants. Check the website www.leasidegardensociety. org for further information.

CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW PLUS – National Trust Gardens May 19 - June 1, 2012 hosted by Dee Monpetit. 13 days of the best selected gardens of England! • Sissinghurst Castle Gardens • Scotney Castle • RHS Wisley • Hampton Court Palace • Kew Gardens • Cotswolds villages • Powis Castle • Chatsworth Estate • Hardwick Hall • Stourhead • Plus 2 needed shopping/rest days in Windsor! $4589.00 includes charter air Toronto/share basis. Itineraries and registration forms on our website www.gardenersworldtours.com Karen at Carlson Wagonlit Travel Source 416449 0931 Karen@cwttravelsource.com

hydroponics.com

FLORIADE FALL TOUR, Sept 13 - 24, 2012 visiting Holland, Luxembourg, France, terminating in Paris, $4299.00 including air from Toronto. See website for full itinerary www. gardenersworldtours.com. “New” Cotswold Village Experience for small group (12) lucky gardeners 14 -24 September. Glorious gardens and antiques galore plus Malvern Flower Show and possibly Highgrove. Call Lorna on this unique opportunity 905-683-2838 lorna@ gardenersworldtours.com Frank Kershaw 2012 Amazing Garden Adventures Visit some of Ontario’s most spectacular private gardens! Dundas Valley - June 9 Amazing Bruce County - June 16 Grand River Valley - June 23 Scenic Creemore - July 7 Northumberland Inspiring Gardens - July 14 Muskoka Paradises - July 28 Call for brochure.

Mary Morton Tours (416) 488-2674 TICO #4488722

design

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st

Century

Gardens Design ideas for our changing lifestyles — born of the past, inspired by the future.

Silver Anniversary Plants (Clockwise from top left) Silver sage (Salvia argentea), ‘Pewter Lace’ Japanese painted fern (Athyrium niponicum ‘Pewter Lace’), ‘Sapphire Skies’ yucca (Yucca ‘Sapphire Skies’), ‘King’s Ransom’ Siberian bugloss (Brunnera macrophylla ‘King’s Ransom’), ‘Montgomery’ dwarf blue spruce (Picea pungens ‘Montgomery’), ‘Rave On’ coralbells (Heuchera ‘Rave On’), ‘Ultramarine’ hosta (Hosta ‘Ultramarine’), ‘Bascour Zilver’ hens and chicks (Sempervivum ‘Bascour Zilver’) Centre: Artichoke agave (Agave parryi var. truncata) Concept and photography by Janet Davis

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gardens by design • special issue 2012

design

As time goes by

“Nobody has ever asked me for a highmaintenance garden,” Toronto garden designer Sara Katz observes wryly, reflecting on the sometimes overly optimistic and unrealistic expectations of new homeowners wanting their first garden. “Young people want an instant garden,” she says. “There’s a lot of education involved. You have to explain that what it looks like this year will change next year.”

Katz, whose company, Wild at Heart Design, has helped create and renovate gardens for people at every stage of life, from young couples with little time and money who want a fabulous low-maintenance garden to gardeners in their golden years who are no longer physically able to keep up the gardens they’ve nurtured over a lifetime. In between are families with children and pets who need space for play and entertaining as well as empty nesters who finally have the time and the means to get seriously into gardening.

Each stage of life places its own particular requirements on a garden, so how do you start off with a design that can be adapted as you grow from one stage to the next? Our experts say it comes down to getting the basics right at the beginning, which involves some careful assessment and planning.

“First of all, really think through what sort of a family you are,” advises Sue Macaulay, a Toronto landscape architect and former lecturer in landscape design at Ryerson University.

“Some are indoor people who just like to look at gardens, not work in them.

Other families have a cottage and are away for most of the summer.” In both cases, the families’ needs dictate a simple design with plants that require minimal watering, weeding and fertilizing.

Secondly, do a clear-eyed assessment of what you’ve got to start with, the good and the bad, says Katz. “I ask people to give me a wish list,” she says.

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“I had one client who wanted an English country garden, but the yard was shaded by trees. Guess what? You can’t do it, I had to tell her.”

Have the soil tested to see if it needs amending (it almost certainly will); make note of the areas of sun and shade and how many hours of each there are in a day; check for wet and dry spots, making sure everything drains away from the house. Look at the “borrowed landscapes” beyond the garden, too. Do you want to screen the neighbour’s ugly garage? Do you want to enjoy another neighbour’s flowering crabapple? These will determine the structural decisions to be made, says Macaulay.

Once you’ve made an inventory of what’s already there — and what you want to keep and either get rid of or hide — measure your garden. Get some graph paper and loosely draw the elements that will be staying and the ones you want to create.

gardens by design • special issue 2012

PHOTOS: (This Page) triffit/istockphoto (OPPOSITE): Lorraine Flanigan

Victoria Stevens finds that getting the basics right at the beginning is the key to designing a garden that grows along with you and your family.

If you plan to do a lot of entertaining, draw in a deck or patio and decide whether you want all or a portion of it in the shade. If you have children or plan on having a family, consider a lawn big enough for them to play on, the possible location of a swing set, sandbox or playhouse and leave space in the beds for a children’s garden.

“My guide is to divide the garden into three. One is the patio/deck, two is the sunniest spot for perennials and three is the lawn, with plantings beyond,” says Macaulay.

Once the plan is in place, the next step is to turn the concept into a reality and, here again, thinking long term is essential, say our experts. First come the structural elements, the hardscaping such as fences, patios, walls, pathways and raised beds. One way to make the structure more “kid friendly” is to make the paths smooth and wide enough to accommodate a tricycle, suggests Macaulay. Installing raised beds in some areas makes them ideal for vegetable gardening, keeps the dog out and provides a comfortable seat for weeding later in life, she adds.

If you’re lucky enough to have a suitable tree, building a tree house in the backyard will give children years of fun. Or you can install a sandbox that can be removed when the kids are grown and then turn the area into lawn or another bed for flowers or vegetables.

Katz suggests using pea gravel in the sandbox instead of sand and recycling it later for other uses in the garden. If your yard is large enough, consider spacing shrubs and trees far enough apart to accommodate paths where kids can run and hide behind the bushes, she adds.

If you build a garden playhouse for the children, make it big enough to become a garden shed later on. Paving stones at the back of the garage can be used as a basketball court for teenagers; later they can be removed to create more beds or a seating area, Macaulay suggests.

Now comes the choosing of plant material. This is where neophyte gardeners often make mistakes that can come back to haunt them years later.

“How many people have planted a cute little blue spruce right by the front door, only to find 20 years later

that it’s grown to 70 feet?” asks Katz.

“It’s important to buy things for the size of the property. People say they’ll prune, but they don’t.” Even so-called dwarf varieties of trees and shrubs can grow much larger than you’d expect, so it’s important to look up information in a horticultural reference book, read the labels, or ask a knowledgeable staffer at the garden centre before buying, advises Marion Jarvie, a gardening expert and frequent lecturer at the Toronto Botanical Garden. “Unless you have an estate of two acres or more, everything should be dwarf,” she says emphatically.

For those who don’t want to do a lot of work, underplanting with hostas, barberries, decorative grasses or euonymus will do the trick, Jarvie suggests.

“They are very low maintenance. Just a tickle of pruning once a year is all you need to do,” she says. “However, while there are low-maintenance gardens, there are no “no maintenance” gardens.

You still need to give it an hour a week, but that’s less than it takes to look after a swimming pool.”

Once the kids are grown and out of the house, those who want to expand their horticultural horizons can do so, knowing the basic bones of the garden

torontobotanicalgarden.ca

are there as a backdrop to their creativity.

Perhaps some, or all, of the lawn will disappear to make way for new beds or a pond or a tranquil seating area with a fountain, a bird bath, statuary or a grouping of container gardens.

The possibilities are limited only by imagination and budget.

And when you reach that age when squatting, bending and lugging heavy bags of mulch are no longer possible?

“Simplify and reduce,” advises Katz. “I have one client who’s in her nineties.

She’s been in her house for 50 years and she’s a fantastic gardener, but she just doesn’t have the strength to do it all. You have to recognize that it’s not just the person who’s aging, but the garden as well.” The answer for this client was to eliminate the largest perennial bed and grass it over, then to install raised beds around the deck of the bungalow that are easy to work in without bending.

Get the basics right and your garden can be adapted to grow with you for a lifetime of pleasure.

Victoria Stevens is a retired journalist who volunteers at the Toronto Botanical Garden.

Decide whether you want the patio to be in sun or shade, or a bit of both.

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gardens by design • special issue 2012

design

The quick fix

“Pruning shrubs and dividing overgrown perennials will immediately make the garden look better,” says Sara Katz. “And define the edges of beds, either with stone or just cut a really nice clean edge.”

Does the hardscaping shape up?

First, though, is the hardscaping.

“Do the fences, walkways, decks and sheds need replacing, can they be fixed or are they fine as they are?” asks Katz. “This is the structure of your garden and it’s often the part that’s most dated. You may want to get rid of that 1970s faded pink interlocking brick.”

How’s the soil?

Next, look at the soil. Neglected gardens often have compacted soil that makes it difficult for roots to spread and nutrients and water to flow. Get the soil tested to determine the proportions of clay, silt and sand in your soil. Ideally, garden loam should be 15 per cent clay, 40 per cent sand and 40 per cent silt, with about 5 per cent organic content, according to Douglas Green in his book Landscape Magic: Tricks and Techniques for Rejuvenating Old Yards and Gardens. He suggests improving the soil by double digging

(to a depth of two Bringing shovel blades) and a garden adding amendments back to such as sand, compost order takes or gypsum during the a certain degree of process. However, except ruthlessness. for vegetable beds, Katz recommends simply putting a layer of compost and a layer of mulch on For shrubs, Green recommends top of the soil and letting nature pruning in the dormant season, that is take its course. It may take a season after the leaves have fallen. First, get or two before the soil is friable but, rid of the dead wood. Next, remove all says Katz, that’s better than turning crossing and rubbing branches and over the soil and disturbing the any branches growing toward the complex web of micro-organisms at inside of the shrub, starting with the work in the soil. largest and moving to the smallest.

Stand back and evaluate the size and Call an arborist shape of the shrub after each cut. “If Next, look at any mature trees a person is patient with an old, on the property. Getting rid of overgrown lilac, you can cut it right unwanted trees can be problematic, down and it will grow back,” says not only because city bylaws make it Katz. “But a lot of overgrown shrubs difficult but also because removing are not worth keeping. It’s just better them can be prohibitively expensive. to dig them up by the roots.”

It may end up being a case of living For overgrown perennials, the best with whatever trees are there, time to renovate is late summer or Katz says. However, trees can be fall, at the end of their growth cycle pruned to improve their shape and but before the first frost, according lower branches removed to allow to Green. Divide them by working a more light and air into the garden. sharp shovel into the root mass to She strongly recommends employing separate and lift out enough roots to a qualified arborist to do this work. reduce the remaining plant to a reasonable size. Replant the divided Get rid of the riff-raff sections or pot them up as gifts to The next step is to determine what’s neighbours or donations to your dead and what’s still alive, which local garden society. obviously has to be done in the Make a shopping list growing season, Katz says. Remove Once you’ve gotten rid of the dead the dead plants and then take a wood, eliminated unwanted plants look at the still-living shrubs and and divided the rest, think about perennials and decide which of them adding some dwarf evergreens for you like enough to rehabilitate. year-round colour and winter “The main problem for many interest, says Katz. “They add gold, people is identifying what they green and bluish colour to the have,” says Katz. “Sometimes that winter garden.” may mean hiring a professional for And while you’re shopping for new an hour or so to tell you what you’ve plants, consider the many interesting got and whether it’s in the right new and disease-resistant varieties of place.” Once you’ve identified your shrubs, roses and perennials available plants, decide which of them you like well enough to put in the time to these days, she says. “There are new varieties of phlox that are mildewrestore and maintain them, Katz says. resistant, hellebores whose faces turn “If you don’t like it, pot it up and give up, roses that bloom all summer and it away. If you do, it’s a matter of how daisies that don’t grow so tall they much time are you willing to give. flop.” — V.S. Perennial beds are a lot of work.”

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gardens by design • special issue 2012

PHOTO: TRIFFITt/iSTOCKphoto

How to tame an overgrown garden

If you’ve bought a brand-new house in the suburbs, your garden is most likely a blank slate to do with as you wish. But for those buying an older house in the city, you’ve probably inherited a garden created over many years by a succession of owners who may, or may not, have had an interest in and knowledge about gardening.

The result could be a hodgepodge of overgrown trees, shrubs and perennials, weedy paths, fallingdown fences, cracked paving and a lawn that is more clover than grass.

Don’t despair. The prospect of bringing your garden back to order and beauty needn’t be as daunting as you imagine. All it takes is a little time, patience, some research and a certain degree of ruthlessness in getting rid of what needs to go.

design

kid & parent-friendly

Kids love gardens with a theme. Suggest any of the following and let them be as creative as they like.

Alphabet If you’ve got the space, help the kids choose and plant flowers ranging from alyssum to zinnia or vegetables from artichokes to zucchini.

gardens The most important thing about designing a garden around young children, says Lorraine Hunter, is that it has to work for the whole family.

P hotog r a phy by The r esa Fo rte

PHOTOS: (OPPOSITE) xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (This Page) mxxxxxxxxx

Farm Animals Intersperse goat’s beard, cowslips, lamb’s ears and hens and chicks with toy farm animals and tractors.

Wild Animals Look together through catalogues to find plants such as tiger lilies, elephant ears and snapdragons and use ceramic wild animals or painted clay figures to accessorize.

Butterflies Plant brightly coloured flowers such as alliums, bee balm and petunias. Add shallow pans for water.

Fairies Mix appropriate garden ornaments with plants such as ‘Elfin’ thyme or the ‘Fairy’ rose.

Grow Your Own Pizza Plant tomatoes, basil, green pepper, onions, rosemary and oregano in a circle divided into wedgeshaped sections for a fun “pizza garden”.

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gardens by design • special issue 2012

design Making gardening fun • Help your kids sow seeds of vegetables that mature quickly, including radishes, beans, zucchini, carrots, spinach, peas and lettuce.

• Put in a few seedling plants (such as cherry tomatoes), too, to help your child see results more quickly.

• Gardening in containers can also be fun, productive and manageable for both kids and adults. For example, you could do the planning but let the little ones help choose the plants and even plant them with your supervision.

• Mix flowers and vegetables, but be sure the flowers are non-toxic. Sunflowers, marigolds, nasturtiums and pansies are good choices.

• Provide child-sized — but real, not toy — gardening tools and gloves.

• Include plants that become play structures for climbing, creating mazes and hiding spots.

• And what kid wouldn’t love a tree house, even a small platform just a few feet off the ground that could serve as a clubhouse, playhouse or even a puppet stage? This could be a good project for dad (or mom) to build.

“

There is something thrilling about

“Children don’t stay four years old for very long,” says landscape architect Victoria Lister Carley who designed a child’s secret garden that’s featured on the Toronto Botanical Garden’s 25th anniversary Through the Garden Gate tour this year. “A client with young children once reminded me that at the end of the day she also wanted to enjoy the garden. Just because you have kids doesn’t mean that you can’t have your own friends over for dinner.”

Thinking ahead is an important aspect of planning a garden that will serve different needs as the family grows up, says Lister Carley. “If you are putting in play equipment, for example, make sure that everything is placed so the space looks normal once it’s all taken away.”

That’s a sentiment echoed by children’s garden designer W. Gary Smith. “Be sure to leave room for growth and change,” says Smith, who has created a master plan for the future children’s garden at the TBG. “Don’t overdesign,” he says, adding that the main purpose of a children’s garden is to encourage children to use their imaginations. Providing too many things for them to play with won’t leave enough room for any truly new experiences.

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With a little creative planning you can transform your backyard into a paradise for little ones that will also be viable for other members of the family.

What makes a space fun for kids is not so much its size or location as what they can do with it. An open space, covered by lawn, makes an ideal play area for young children. If possible, have a paved area for skating, bicycle riding and hopscotch. Ideally, this area can double as an outdoor seating area for the whole family now and be transformed at a later date into a more sophisticated space for entertaining.

Be sure to include children, even little ones, in the gardening process. “There is something thrilling about planting a seed, watching it grow, anticipating what it might taste like and finally harvesting it,” says Natalie Harder, the Children’s Education Supervisor at the TBG. “I have never met a child who did not enjoy pulling a carrot out of the soil.”

Natalie recommends having a special area in your garden just for kids. “If they have a little responsibility for it they will feel more invested in the whole gardening experience,” she says. “It is always nice to set kids up for success, so start off with some vegetables that grow quickly. At the same time, they

gardens by design • special issue 2012

”

planting a seed, watching it grow and finally harvesting it.

photo of Lila: Courtesy Lorraine Hunter

can plant some that might take a little longer but will be very satisfying — like carrots. Swiss chard is also great because kids can continually harvest it until late fall — if they pick it, they might even eat it!”

Gardens offer many different experiences. “Kids love touching, feeling, smelling and eating plants,” says Harder. “Together with your kids, plant some lovely herbs to smell, some vegetables they can pick and eat and some plants with different textures.”

Kids also love their own special secret spots to hide. “Shrubs just low enough for them to fit under, or a

crook in a tree, are great ways to encourage kids to spend time on their own and reflect on their relationship to nature.”

Gardening is a great way for adults to teach kids about the natural world through hands-on experience. “They might think they are just watching a bee fly from flower to flower in the garden but they are really learning all about pollination.”

Lila Yorke provided plenty of inspiration for her grandma’s story.

Lorraine Hunter is a grandmother, Master Gardener-in-Training and chair of the Trellis Committee at the Toronto Botanical Garden.

Put safety first • If you do put in swing sets or a climbing unit, make sure all edges are rounded and smooth and that units are positioned in the shade and are easily visible from a window in your house.

• Make sure playground equipment is placed on a soft surface such as wood shavings, specialized playground wood nuggets, rubber matting or grass.

• Equipment should be firmly anchored into the ground. Never attach ropes, clotheslines or pet leashes to the equipment. These can be dangerous and lead to tragic accidents if children become entangled in them.

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• Keep children protected from sun and heat exposure. If there is no natural shade, a big umbrella is great for shading the sandbox on hot days, just as it is for adults lounging on the patio.

• Leave ample room around playground equipment and make sandpits big enough for several children at once. Activities large enough for only one or two children can cause bickering.

• Safely store away gardening equipment.

• Keep fertilizers, pesticides and other chemicals locked up, out of sight and out of reach.

gardens by design • special issue 2012

design

Raising the Bar for

Low-maintenance

Gardens I

Tony Spencer puts down his secateurs to ask three landscape architects about designing a smart and stylish low-maintenance city garden.

t’s one thing to design a garden, quite another to maintain it.

All three of the landscape architects I spoke to — Victoria Lister Carley, Amanda Lapointe and Martin Wade — have designed a fair share of projects with low maintenance in mind.

Martin Wade has observed a profound shift amongst residential clients over the last 25 years: “The majority now ask for a low-maintenance garden. A lot of them, even if they’re gardeners, don’t necessarily want a garden that requires intensive maintenance — just because of time constraints.” In the buzz of the big city, it makes perfect sense.

Homeowners want a garden that fits their lifestyle but without the work.

They view gardens as open-air extensions to their houses, replete with the now-familiar idea of garden rooms to divide up the space for entertaining, play or quiet reflection. While urbanites appreciate the ambiance of a natural setting, they tend to have neither the time nor the energy to care for a more labour-intensive, plant-centric garden.

How low is low?

A low-maintenance garden can be a thousand different things in terms of overall style, hardscape, plant materials, design elements and furnishings. There are no hard and fast rules; depending on the site, the torontobotanicalgarden.ca

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garden might include anything from a small potager to a xeriscape of droughttolerant plants. Whatever form it takes, the garden needs to be tough, selfsustaining and attuned to local growing conditions to make it easy to care for.

Process makes perfect

While the approach of any given designer may differ, the basic process is the same. It begins with a client consultation to discuss how the garden will be used, and based on this, a wish list of design elements is developed.

The landscape architect examines the raw space itself, noting areas of both potential and deficiency, and then looks at the variables of the local growing conditions: things such as light levels, soil structure, water table, hardiness zone (to assess plant suitability) and the presence of neighbouring tree lines which tend to create difficult conditions with dry heavy shade and rootbound soil.

All this information is translated into a design solution: an evolving site plan which maps out the spatial organization into a tight configuration — replete with entry points, rooms, level changes, pathways, screening and views — all considered from multiple perspectives.

Details are paramount — are there pets, kids or a special feature from the wish list to include such as lighting design, focal points or irrigation?

gardens by design • special issue 2012

The design of this landing is clean, uncluttered and functional. Three simple, bold containers, with plantings that change with the seasons, provide year-round interest in this key location, which offers a first view of the garden from the back doors of the house. Design by Martin Wade and Nancy Chater.

avoided at all costs. Lawns are considered high maintenance and used minimally, if at all.

The practicalities of maintenance vary with the garden style. For example, in a plant-intensive design, finely shredded bark mulches may be used to protect the planting along with discreet irrigation systems or soaker hoses set on timers to ensure their trouble-free survival. (Tip: try bark mulch mixed with a manure compost which will amend the soil at the same time.)

Ultimately, while every aspect of the garden design is scrutinized for ease of care, all three designers agree there’s no such thing as a no-maintenance garden. Moreover, homeowners looking for low-maintenance solutions need to get past the need for fussy perfection: be prepared to accept a bit of dust or a few stray fallen leaves, and instead, enjoy how the garden changes with the seasons, dying seed heads and all.

This process also helps the architect identify opportunities to minimize the level of care needed in the garden. For example, all three gardens in this profile utilize some combination of raised beds and container plantings versus traditional flower beds. Aesthetics aside, raised beds are far easier to maintain, allowing easy control of the soil mix, moisture levels and the planting combinations. On a purely practical level, the raised bed provides a low wall where the owner can sit to tend to the plants or do the odd bit of weeding.

Photo: Tom Arban

Hardscape versus Softscape

Starting from the ground up, our designers emphasize the importance of investing in quality hardscape materials as the foundation for a low-maintenance landscape. Choose durable stone and pavers that can withstand seasonal wear and tear while needing no more care than the occasional sweep.

Prepare hardscape areas with an extra

deep foundation of gravel or screening sand to ensure ample root-free drainage and when laying the stone, join sections tightly to discourage weeds and seeds from sprouting in the cracks. If the hardscape costs threaten to balloon the initial budget, consider phasing in the construction of the garden over time to cushion the added expense.

For the “softscape” of planted elements, there’s much variation in how our three landscape architects work to minimize the level of maintenance: massed blocks of drought-tolerant perennials and ornamental grasses or boutique selections of specimen trees, hardy shrubs and woody plants. In either case, they recommend going for plants with proven reliability rather than this season’s must-haves.

Reliability means long-lived predictable performers that grow to a given size without the need for regular dividing, trimming or deadheading. Invasive thugs and heavy self-seeders are to be

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Planting maven Victoria Lister Carley

Victoria Lister Carley chooses her plants and words with equal care. “I endeavour never to use the term ‘maintenance’. I refer to it as ‘garden care’,” she says, and advises homeowners to think about what level of work they’re willing to put in for what level of reward, in terms of the horticultural richness of their garden.

Lister Carley uses hardscaping to set the stage, rarely getting into the planting design until after the general layout of the garden is under construction. “It follows as people get more of a sense of themselves in the space. It’s very significant because it changes the ambiance of the garden and the level of care required.” For example, a design with well-chosen shrubs and woody plants is far simpler to maintain than a complex perennial planting.

gardens by design • special issue 2012

design

For this Riverdale garden, landscape architect Victoria Lister Carley worked with a series of microclimates, shifting from sunny conditions on an upper patio to dry shade below. For the sunny spot, she used a tough xeriscapeand-herb planting in raised beds on either side of the steps. Raised beds make it easier to control the soil mix as well as elevating the plants closer to eye level. A small patch of grass at the bottom of the garden surrounded by a shady mixed planting heightens the natural ambiance.

Know your conditions: “The standard Toronto garden has more shade than sun,” she says, a crucial factor in plant selection. Unlike some other landscape architects, she works with extensive planting lists rather than following a planting plan. “If you have a list,” she says, “and lay the plants out on site, you’ll develop a much more complex planting design.” The trick is to strategize to keep the planting relatively low maintenance.

Lister Carley aims for a seasonal flow which accomplishes just that.

“For your garden care, you get a lot of excitement if you interplant so you have the bulbs coming up through the daylilies or irises, which hide the foliage as the bulbs die down: tulips, followed by alliums, and so on.” The key to low maintenance is strategic interplanting.

She also values workhorse shrubs such as viburnums and deutzias, which fill out to a certain size and then stay put which cuts down on the need for trimming, pruning or replanting.

No matter how low maintenance the planting, Lister Carley advises vigilance in the beginning. “If you train the puppy, you get that garden

healthy and established and it’s not so much work later on.” Clear all areas of weeds before planting and mulch directly afterwards to maintain soil moisture and inhibit weed growth.

Most importantly, keep in mind that it can take up to two seasons of diligent watering and occasional weeding to establish even drought-tolerant plants in their new environment.

ravine beyond. Lapointe notes: “This kind of limited palette lends itself very well to contemporary design. For this garden in particular, when you’re in the space, the eye is drawn beyond, into the ravine where it’s wild and nature just takes over.” The minimalist style also means less maintenance simply because there are fewer elements

Window to the soul Amanda Lapointe (MHLA Inc.)

Rosedale is notorious for outsiders getting lost in its maze of streets and cul de sacs and for its Victorian mansions perched atop steep ravines. In just such a setting, Amanda Lapointe has created a contemporary backyard space that brings together garden and ravine in an artfully understated way.

The design concept plays upon the power of contrasts, juxtaposing a minimalist style of both hardscape and plantings with the wildness of the

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gardens by design • special issue 2012

PHOTOS: (opposite page) COURTESY VICTORIA LISTER CARLEY, Per Kristiansen

in the mix: tightly joined flagstone and interlocking brick dominate the surface areas while the limited number of species used in the planting reduces tasks to little more than seasonal cleanups, hedge trimming and cutting back ornamental grasses in the spring.

The garden frames the view of the ravine beyond. The glass-edged pool takes this concept one step further to create the illusion of a vanishing edge.

Lapointe was inspired to use glass by the notion of the garden as a window to the soul.

The actual garden area is all on one level, delineated into rooms and designed to “anticipate how a person will move through the space.” If people are always cutting corners, it creates excess wear which may require attention. In the same spirit of directing the flow, Lapointe makes a point of creating a clear entrance to each room to set off the respective areas used for seating, dining and barbecue cooking.

The garden features only six plant species used in blocks of mass plantings; this strict palette places the aesthetic emphasis on plant structure and texture as opposed to colour and bloom. Lapointe thinks in terms of

a four-season planting with beech trees, yew, boxwood and a living wall of climbing hydrangeas to create an impression of “green wherever you go.” The total effect is in keeping with the low-maintenance philosophy — there’s little need for regular garden tasks such as deadheading, watering or dividing, and the plantings continue to contribute structure and interest well beyond their prime.

Tabula rasa Martin Wade (Martin Wade Landscape Architects)

Like an actor who comes fresh to a new role, Martin Wade starts each project with a blank slate. Rather than imposing a signature style, he engages with the client through an in-depth process to unlock the character of a garden from within.

Tony Spencer is a Toronto-based freelance writer with his company Body English. A former landscaper, he’s often found working in his garden at his cottage in the Kawarthas.

MARTIN WADE’S DESIGN FOR A MULTI-PURPOSE ASIAN GARDEN FEATURES LOW MAINTENANCE ELEMENTS This restful, high-tech Asian garden requires a low-maintenance regime that’s in keeping with the shady conditions. “This particular client,” explains Wade, “liked the idea of having a flow from one space to the next, in sort of a multi-purpose garden.” The design solution features a series of levels leading from the house down to the deck and into the garden. The whole area can be easily flipped into one larger zone for entertaining simply by pulling back tables and chairs. The garden transitions from formal to less formal with a private retreat at the back, which features crushed stone and an overhead trellis made from vine-covered tension wire.

The low-maintenance aspect of this garden is evident throughout. The terraced deck is constructed from ipe, a sustainable exotic wood prized for its extreme durability. In the central area, natural stone paving with raised beds on either side makes for easy maintenance.

The plantings form linear geometric backdrops with uniform bands of a single species contrasted by a mixture of groundcovers and flowering shrubs, all of which are largely self-sustainable once established.

Wade realizes there is no client manual for how to keep a garden.

And that can be a problem. “In some cases in the past, a garden I had designed deteriorated, which really came down to maintenance, so I concluded that homeowners were either doing it themselves and not doing it well or they were hiring mow-andblow firms who specialize in lawn care but didn’t understand how to care for plants.” To solve the problem, Wade (as does MHLA Inc.) offers a horticultural service that comes once or twice a month: “It’s a win-win: the homeowner is getting the quality of maintenance they need and it’s being maintained by personnel who understand the original design intent.”

Design by Martin Wade and Michelle Pochadt

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gardens by design • special issue 2012

how-to To everything there is a season

what to plant when

Winter is a time to…

Plant ideas

Though many gardeners view spring as the start of the gardening year, it’s winter where the magic begins. True, not much is happening outdoors, but for keen gardeners, ideas for the gardening season ahead take shape inside beside a crackling fire (possibly with an agreeable beverage).

• The first of the seed catalogues arrive in late October. On-line and in print there’s no shortage of information to get the creative juices flowing.

• Winter is the time to mull over photos of last year’s efforts, make notes and plan for the gardening year ahead.

• Sow seeds indoors. Starting plants from seeds is not only economical; it also allows you to grow new and hard-to-find varieties (it’s fun and addictive, too!). torontobotanicalgarden.ca

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PHOTOS (THIS PAGE): WRAGG/iSTOCK (OPPOSITE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT): HEIKEKAMPE/iSTOckphoto, JANET DAVIS, INTERNATIONAL FLOWER BULB INFORMATION CENTER, LAMMERST333/iSTOCK

When it comes to successful gardening, says Veronica Sliva, timing is everything. Here’s a season-by-season planting timeline.

Early Spring (before the last frostfree date) is the time to…

Plant the cold-hardy

• As soon as the ground is workable (typically when daffodils start to bloom), plant seeds of cool-season veggies such as peas, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, leeks, lettuce, onions, spinach and radishes.

• Welcome spring with pansies. They can take the cold.

• Get bare-root roses, shrubs and trees planted as early as possible while plants are still dormant.

Summer is the time to…

Enjoy the fruits of your labour — and do more planting!

• Continue to plant perennials (especially autumn bloomers).

• In late summer sow a second crop of cool-season vegetables (e.g., broccoli, carrots, kale, peas and salad greens) for fall harvest.

• Plant biennials such as foxgloves, hollyhocks and sweet William for bloom next year.

Seasonal tips Ken Brown, horticulturist, instructor at the Toronto Botanical Garden and owner of the popular gardening Web site, gardening-enjoyed.com, provides this expert advice, season by season.

Winter To help prevent “damping off” (a fungal disease that kills seedlings), be sure containers are scrupulously clean. I wash them in a bleach bath … about a quarter cup of bleach to a laundry tub of water.

Early Spring When planting bare-root shrubs, dig a hole large enough that the roots aren’t bent out of shape. Prune long ones if necessary.

Late Spring (after the last frostfree date) is the time to…

Get busy! The planting frenzy is in full swing

• Transplant seedlings of vegetables and annuals.

• Divide and transplant summer- and autumn-flowering perennials.

• Plant summer-flowering bulbs such as calla lilies and gladioli.

• Direct sow annuals that are quick to flower from seed, including zinnias and nasturtiums.

Fall... The second busiest gardening season

• Plant container-grown and “balled and burlap” trees and shrubs.

• Plant spring-flowering bulbs so they have time to develop strong roots.

• Divide and transplant spring- and summer-flowering perennials.

• Sow perennial seeds that need a period of cold to sprout (e.g., columbines, primroses, shasta daisies).

• Plant peonies so there’s time for feeder roots to grow strong before going dormant in winter. A winter mulch helps prevent frost heaving.

• Plant garlic to harvest next year.

Late Spring Transplant on a cloudy day to reduce moisture loss.

To encourage strong roots, apply a transplant fertilizer (10-52-10) at planting time and water well. If the soil is still cold by the last frost-free date, wait two more weeks to plant peppers, eggplants and tomatoes. Cold soil stunts their growth.

Summer When planting in hot weather, be sure to water plants well.

Fall Transplant deciduous trees after the leaves have fallen.

Continue watering until freezeup to ensure the root ball stays moist going into winter.

Veronica Sliva is a garden journalist and television guest on Rogers Cable TV. Visit her blog at gardenersworld.ca

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gardens by design • special issue 2012

how-to

the kindest cut Helen Battersby talks with pruning pro Jim Lounsbery for tips on pruning ornamental shrubs.

Observe how the plant grows

Pruning can help…

1. Shape and create a strong structure 2. Remove defects such as broken, crossing, dead or diseased branches 3. Make a tree or shrub more compact 4. Shape “unnatural” forms such as hedges or topiary 5. Increase fruiting, flowering or foliage 6. Rejuvenate a tree or shrub 7. Remove suckers 8. Remove low-hanging branches

If it isn’t topiary, pruning should aim to look natural. Look closely at your shrub. Then look at it again.

“Don’t be in a hurry to make that cut,” says Jim. “You can’t glue it back on.” Some woody plants will forgive pruning errors. Others, such as magnolias, won’t.

Have the right tools

Use a good hand pruner for branches up to two centimetres in diameter. If you’re tempted to twist while cutting, you need a larger tool. A medium lopper (long-handled pruner) adds leverage for branches with a diameter of up to five centimetres. Use a large-tooth pruning saw for larger cuts or narrow spaces. Keep tools sharp and clean, so you don’t transfer diseases from cut to cut.

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Choose the right time

Some flowering trees and shrubs flower on buds produced that season — this is called flowering on new wood.

Others, such as forsythia, create next year’s flower buds shortly after they finish blooming. They flower on old wood, and if you wait too long before pruning, you’ll cut off next year’s flowers.

Make the right cuts

Stay on Jim’s good side — don’t leave a stub. Select a bud or branchlet pointing in the direction you want the branch to grow. Then hand-prune the branch about half a centimetre above and parallel to it, on a 45-degree angle.

Wasn’t that easy? (Longer stubs will die back, which is unsightly and opens the branch to disease.)

Know when to call the pros

Safety first. Always call the experts for large limbs requiring a ladder or if hydro lines are involved. Call the utility or your city or municipality, or find a certified arborist through the International

gardens by design • special issue 2012

PHOTOS (THIS PAGE): DLERICK/iSTOCKphoto (OPPOSITE): BAILEY NURSERIES

It’s hard to rile a sweet guy like Jim Lounsbery. But he can get peeved about pruning. Jim’s an arborist who has specialized in small trees and shrubs for 30 years at his Vineland Nurseries in Beamsville, Ontario. He knows his ash from his elbow. But, with these tips, avoiding Jim’s ire couldn’t be easier.

Society of Arboriculture (isa-arbor.com) or Landscape Ontario (landscapeontario. com). Do ask for references.

Best of all, don’t prune

That’s right. Constantly fighting Mother Nature can be frustrating and hard work. Remember: right plant, right place. Unless you have patience, avoid high-maintenance divas like weeping mulberry. For small gardens, think small. Vineland Nurseries, for example, specializes in dwarf forms of popular trees and shrubs.

Helen Battersby is a Master Gardener who lives, gardens and, occasionally, prunes in Toronto. Visit her blog at torontogardens.blogspot.com

When to prune Late winter For any deciduous tree or shrub, winter is ideal for spotting defects in the plant structure. After the worst of winter, but before buds begin to swell (late dormancy), is the best time to prune ornamental crabapple (Malus spp.). It’s also one of the better times (late summer is the other) to prune Japanese maples (Acer palmatum), which tend to bleed when pruned.

Early spring For plants flowering on this season’s growth: bluebeard (Caryopteris), honeysuckle (Lonicera), ninebark

(Physocarpus), potentilla (Potentilla), flowering quince (Chaenomeles), spirea (Spirea), tamarisk (Tamarix) and weigela (Weigela). Red-osier dogwood (Cornus sericea) produces its best colouration on young branches, so prune out some old wood each year to keep it vibrant.

Late spring/early summer Or immediately after flowering — that’s when to prune plants that set next year’s flower buds after this season’s flowers: forsythia (Forsythia), lilacs (Syringa), azaleas and rhododendrons (Rhododendron).

Pruning Hydrangeas

More popular and diverse than ever, hydrangeas can flower on new wood, on old wood, or on both, depending on the species.

Regardless of cultivar, remove dead stems at any time.

Botanical name

Cultivar

Flowers on…

When/How to prune

Hydrangea arborescens

‘Annabelle’ or Invincibelle Spirit

New wood

Hydrangea paniculata

Old-fashioned PeeGee (H.p. grandiflora), or newer cultivars such as ‘Limelight’, Pinky Winky, Quick Fire or Vanilla Strawberry

New wood

Late winter/early spring, before leaf buds open, prune to above a set of fat buds, either to the base or leaving taller stems for greater height or sturdiness. These forgive mis-timing, however, as long as flower buds have not yet formed. Prune back hard to encourage fewer, larger flowers. Leave unpruned to produce more numerous though smaller flowers.

Hydrangea quercifolia

Oak-leaf hydrangea

Old wood

Little pruning required. No later than August, or as flowers fade, deadhead spent blooms (or leave on to enjoy).

For an established shrub, remove 25 per cent of the oldest stems to the ground each year to keep it vigorous.

Hydrangea macrophylla

Non-rebloomers such as ‘Nikko Blue’

Old wood

These often die back in regions colder than Zone 6. Remove dead stems down to the first set of live buds in spring once growth is evident.

Hydrangea macrophylla

Reblooming cultivars such as Endless Summer Series, including ‘Blushing Bride’

Can flower twice in a season, on new wood and old wood

Little pruning required. In late summer as first round of flowers fades, deadhead just above the top leaves to stimulate more blooms. Treat established shrubs by removing older stems, as for oakleaf hydrangea. Do not deadhead overwintered flowers in spring.

goTo hydrangeashydrangeas.com for more information about growing and pruning hydrangeas. torontobotanicalgarden.ca

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gardens by design • special issue 2012

how-to Donning chunky brown hippie sandals, Tena van Andel offers tips for dealing with pests and disease in an era of organic gardening.

dealing with pests we’ve come a long way, Bugsy

Illustration: beastfromeast/istockphoto

I’ll admit it; the thought of becoming an organic gardener has always set me to fretting. Organic gardening seemed too complicated and too time-consuming, and I really hated the way those chunky brown hippie sandals made my feet look. But, as wise Anonymous once said, “if nothing ever changed, there’d be no butterflies.” Since Earth Day 2009 the Ontario cosmetic pesticide ban has changed us into organic gardeners, whether we want to be or not. But fear not, I’ve been where you’re at, and I’ve got some tips on how to change you chemically dependent caterpillars into certified organic butterflies!

Tip 1: Joan Rivers, Helen Mirren and garden pornography

Just like in fashion, gardening magazines capture perfect moments. Voluptuous lush lawns, dew-kissed roses and blemish-free gardens are flaunted on every page. At best, it’s inspiring and informative. At worst, it’s pornography. Wake up and smell the manure folks, this isn’t reality. Believing that chemical fertilizers and pesticides will give you a pictureperfect garden is like Joan Rivers thinking that plastic surgery will keep her young and attractive. View your garden with realistic expectations. Think of your garden as Helen Mirren: attractive, well cared for and with a few interesting wrinkles for character. Gardens are vibrant living things with bad weed days and good weed days — live with it.

Tip 2: Fit as a fiddlehead

A healthy garden is a resistant one. Follow these guidelines for growing hale and hearty plants.

• If grass doesn’t grow on your hot clay-baked front yard, plant something else. Old-fashioned creeping thyme (Thymus praecox or T. serpyllum) is tough enough to take the heat — and the heavy clay soil (other types need better drainage). It makes an early summer carpet of flowers and smells heavenly when walked on.

• Roots follow water. Deep roots are strong roots, which resist weed invasions, so water deeply.

• Wet foliage is a prime target for bacterial and fungal infections. Use a soaker hose, which delivers moisture at the root zone, but if you can’t resist the fun of fashioning fountains, water in the morning to give the foliage a chance to dry off before nightfall.

Tip 3: We shall fight from the land, from the air and we shall never surrender!

Before the pesticide ban, we used weapons of mass destruction. We poisoned the soil and water and killed allies along with enemies. Luckily for our future, we’ve refined our weapons and come to know our friends from our foes.

• Try hand-to-hand combat. For every enemy insect you squish, stomp on or drown in a bucket of soapy water, and for every weed you yank out by the roots and before it goes to seed, you stop the reproduction of multitudes.

• Lure the enemy into a trap. Before bed, lay down a dampened newspaper in a slug- or earwig-infested area. Come morning, these nocturnal pests will have crept into the trap as happily as checking into a five-star resort. Then, don’t even look, just stomp.

Caution: beware of the boomerang booby trap. Hanging a pheromone trap for Japanese beetles is like turning your garden into Amsterdam’s Red Light District. Lots of tourists flock to the neighbourhood, but very few step over the threshold. In the same way, thousands of beetles can be lured to your garden, but most will enjoy munching on your plants and never enter the trap.

• Use your hose as a weapon. A regular blast of water along the stem and on and under the leaves is the easiest way to knock off aphids, mites and whiteflies. torontobotanicalgarden.ca

29

• Boiling water works like a charm when poured on weeds that invade soil between patio stones.

• Cardinals, starlings, robins, toads, even raccoons eat thousands of insects. Welcome these allies into your garden, give them water and shelter and enjoy watching their land and air battles.

• In underground trenches, worms and other organisms — right down to microscopic bacteria and fungi — are working to change rotting matter into plant nutrients. Whenever possible, do not disturb the soil but leave them to their peaceful task. Digging destroys beneficial organisms and brings dormant weed seeds to the surface where they can germinate.

Tip 4: Bugz ’n the ’hood

Sometimes a gang of destructive pests moves in and takes over a garden. When this happens, invite over a rival gang of natural predators to even the odds. Take the Nematodes versus the Lawn Grubs. There are three types of grubs that invade Ontario lawns, and each has a slightly different M.O., but all hatch into voracious, root-eating, lawn-killing grubs. Nematodes are microscopic worms that infect these grubs, killing them. Although nematodes occur naturally in healthy soil, it’s possible to increase their populations with mercenaries bought at the garden centre. August is the best time to incite a rumble. First, water the lawn; then add the nematodes to the water in your trusty watering can and soak the affected areas. Keep the soil moist for a couple of weeks and soon the nematodes will take care of your “problem”, no questions asked.

As our focus changes from chemical pesticides to biological controls we begin to discover more and more natural predators effectively controlling gang populations. Ladybugs, Bacillus thuringiensis and parasitic wasps are available at garden centres ready for drive-by decimation of the enemy. Although it may not be as satisfying as squishing them, University of Rhode Island researchers are studying a European parasitic wasp that attacks the dreaded lily leaf beetle. Now there’s a bug we want to encourage to move into our ’hood!

Tip 5: Constant vigilance and a glass of wine

Once a day, patrol your garden. Taking a mere ten minutes while enjoying a glass of wine at the end of a stressful day will prevent many a tiny problem from becoming insurmountable. Squish a few bad bugs, yank out a clump of crab grass and pick up that first leaf with black spot. Constant vigilance is good for your garden — and good for you.

Welcome to the wonderful world of organic gardening. Go ahead, try on those hippie brown sandals; you might find they don’t look half bad!

Tena van Andel is a Master Gardener who enjoys writing and speaking to audiences about anything horticultural. Her stash of garden porn is kept in the closet, right beside her groovy brown sandals.

gardens by design • special issue 2012

how-to

Derek Mason’s succulent planters

Growing tropicals and tender perennials such as bananas (Musa), elephant ears (Colocasia), African lily (Agapanthus) and coleus (Solenostemon) in containers makes the move indoors for winter an easy task. This method is particularly successful for tender bulbs such as amaryllis (Hippeastrum), dahlias (Dahlia) and pineapple plant (Eucomis).

I leave them in their pots so as not to disturb the roots.

The ability of succulents to withstand drought — and neglect — makes them ideal for young people whose attention can be drawn away quite easily.

Jeff Mason’s exotic containers

All in the

Mason Family

For generations, says Jeff Mason, gardening has been an important family tradition, and container gardening is their most recent passion.

M

y grandfather ran a market garden, and my mother Marjorie, with whom I started Mason House Gardens, coaxed me into joining the Ajax Junior Gardeners at age 9. And now, my youngest son, Derek, is showing an interest in the garden. As our garden beds mature, space has become limited, so containers provide more room to grow and the ability to change the look of the garden from year to year.

Jeff, Marjorie and Derek

torontobotanicalgarden.ca

PHOTOS: COURTESY JEFF MASON

A spring salad of lettuce, chard, mustard and violas can be harvested starting in mid-April. These cool-weather lovers will thrive into late May and early June, when the containers can be replanted with heat lovers such as tomatoes, peppers, squash and cucumbers while nasturtiums can replace the violas.

Marjorie Mason’s Veggie pots

30

gardens by design • special issue 2012

“

Containers provide more room to grow and the ability to change the look of the garden.

”

• Marjorie Mason’s

veggie pots

Over the years, my mother’s container plantings have run the gamut, but with aging knees and back, her vegetable gardens have evolved into raised beds and pots to make access easier. With the resurgence of vegetable gardening, a wide range of varieties with compact habits is available. It’s now possible for her to grow a full range of edibles in a few containers. Moving into containers and raised beds allows her to keep gardening — and provides most of the vegetables she needs.

• Jeff Mason’s

exotic containers

For me, gardening has been the lure of the newest, rare and unusual plants. When it comes to learning how to grow them, containers are the way to go. I grow new perennials in pots for the first season before transferring them to the garden in September. This lets me observe their growth habit and flower colour, and it allows them to mature enough to withstand the rigours of the garden.

• Derek Mason’s

succulent planters

My son Derek, now 17, started collecting plants like I did, becoming interested in cacti and succulents.

Their interesting sculptural shapes and colours, along with the ease of care, are a real draw to young gardeners. He enjoys combining different varieties in dish gardens, troughs or hanging baskets.

Jeff Mason owns Mason House Gardens in Uxbridge and teaches at George Brown College.

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