Trellis Magazine - Winter 2023-24 by Toronto Botanical Garden

Winter 2023 • Vol 53

Bees are Back | Garden Travel | Chelsea Trends

S O U T H E R N O N TA R I O O R C H I D S O C I E T Y

ORCHID SHOW & SALE To r o n t o

B o t a n i c a l

G a r d e n

FEBRUARY 10 & 11, 2024 SATURDAY - NOON TO 5 PM

•

SUNDAY - 11 AM TO 4 PM

EARLY BIRD SHOPPERS’ HOUR

Enanthleya Exotic SeaShell by Cathy Dunn

$30 tickets sold online only (limit of 100) Saturday 11am to noon

General Admission: $10.00

Tickets available online or at the door Supervised children under 12 are free NO large backpacks or tripods permitted Hand-held cameras only

PHOTOGRAPHERS ONLY

Tripods permitted $20 tickets sold online only (limit of 50) Sunday 9:00 - 11:00 am

Toronto Botanical Garden

777 Lawrence Avenue East Toronto, Ontario M3C 1P2 (905) 640-5643

SOOS is a not-for-profit organization;

proceeds support conservation

inside inside

Fa l l 2 0 2 2 - 2 0 2 3 • V o l 5 0 Winter 2023/24 • Vol 53

Snowy Owl

Photo: Snowy Owl by Sasan Beni

[4] FROM THE Garden

Think “and” rather than “or” about garden styles [5] INVEST IN THE TBG Donate to Hearts and Flowers [6] PROTECTING THE LEGACY Moriyama pavilion roof to be restored [8] MORIYAMA TRIANGLE Reflections on architect’s buildings [9] GROWTH THROUGH GRANTS [10] CONNECTING PEOPLE & PLANTS TBG Shop & Library partner with First Nations firms

[12] WINTER PLANNING

Start planning your 2024 garden [13] AUTHOR TALK Meet Matthew Biggs on Zoom at TBG [13] ADULT PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT Make a Birch Glass Plate [14] TBG HONEYBEES ARE BACK! [20] NEW FACES AT THE TBG [21] TBG HOLIDAY MARKET [22] HISTORY OF GARDENING Grass is Always Greener

[24] REFLECTING &

PLANNING How seasonal horticulturist spends winter [28] WEEDS, DEAD WOOD & EDIMENTALS Trends from Chelsea Flower Show [34] GARDEN TRAVEL Inspiration, new friends, memories [41] WINTER BULBS Bring your garden indoors [42] COSTA RICA Nature Lover’s Paradise [48] CHAOS GARDENING For Gen Z, Romanticism is Dead: Sustainability is Alive

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Winter 2023/2024

[50] DNA BARCODING Cataloguing plants and animals [52] BOOK SHELF [54] HOLIDAY TREATS [55] PUZZLE PIECES PROFILE Philodendron ‘Florida Ghost’ [56] GOOD THINGS ARE HAPPENING Goings on at the TBG [59] HOUSEPLANT [60] DIY LATHER UP [62] What’s On 2023-24 Cover Photo: Amaryllis courtesy of Van Norton Bulbs. Look for Amaryllis bulbs at the TBG Garden Shop.

fro m

Consider “and” rather than “or” when it comes to garden styles and changing ideas about what a garden is, should or could be For years I have been following the rhythms of a garden from one season to another, from one gardening trend to the next. I have been curious about what draws people to plantbased spaces. While I have developed some keen observations, I am also deeply curious about the spectrum of styles, likes and dislikes that become the focus of attention. As we collectively work toward the vision of TBG becoming “A garden for all; a diverse community that recognizes the life-giving role of nature, working together for a more sustainable world” I anticipate that we will have abundant opportunities to explore a wide range of styles and trends. Around the Trellis magazine editorial table, we regularly have healthy debates about what to feature in the member publication. When one of our contributors suggested an article on Gen Z gardening trends – Chaos Gardening – a mixture of curiosity and debate stirred. The resounding sentiment surfaced that if we are a garden for all, then we also have the incredible opportunity to highlight and explore a variety of gardening trends. Quite honestly, I am not sure what Chaos Gardening looks like, but I am leaning in to understand more about these emerging trends. Lean in with me by reading the article on page 48.

Throughout my career leading public gardens, I have regularly found myself in threads of this conversation, appreciating nature-inspired landscapes in different ways. A design that works for one person may be a challenge for someone else. I often hear the rhetorical inquiry of how can we attract diverse audiences and membership to gardens, plant societies and clubs, or even how to invite more people to the simple act of regularly spending time in nature. The emerging awareness is the need for curiosity, along with respect for a variety of aesthetics and ways to bring people and plants together. I invite you to consider “and” rather than ”or” when it comes to garden styles and changing ideas about what a garden is, should or could be. Looking back at this past year, the TBG community has embraced many moments to be curious and explore. A notable moment was with the inaugural Nuit Blanche at TBG. More than 3,000 people visited TBG in the 12 hours from dusk to dawn to see something with new eyes, curiosity and wonder. And to be guided by our two artists Radha Chaddah and Grace Grothaus, who highlighted the power of plants at the intersection of humans and nature coming together; exploring the boundary of aesthetics and conversations in which TBG can engage our community. Whether you were one of the thousands of people to experience Nuit Blanche at TBG or you are curious to see more check out the article on page 56. With the return of the Urban Ravine Symposium in November our community listened with open hearts and minds as we explored the opportunities and challenges to fostering inclusivity, engagement and scientific inquiry across Toronto’s Ravine System. The Symposium brought together Toronto leaders and passionate ravine champions and collectively continued to map a better way forward closing the day with key actions we can all take. As we look to the coming year, TBG will continue to be a place where you can nurture your personal connection to gardening and nature while also being curious about what sparks the human and nature connection for others in our community. In the meantime, stay curious and continuing leaning in! Be well.

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Stephanie Jutila Executive Director

Winter 2023/2024

Photo: Arthur Mola

t h e Ga r de n

Invest in the TBG Donate to the Hearts and Flowers Campaign As the year draws to a close, there's

no better time to embrace the spirit of giving than by donating to the Garden you love through our Hearts and Flowers Campaign. In 2022, we planted over 2,000 new flora and expanded our organization’s capacity to connect people with nature through art, culture and learning. Now, in 2023, it’s time to renew your support. Invest in the Garden and help us reach our goal of $175,000. Thank you to those who have already made an investment to help our Garden connect people to plants and offer lifelong learning opportunities. “My family and I are excited to be a part of a growing community hub. This year, we increased our gift because we see how the Garden is thriving and needed by the community. We invite you to increase your gift by December 31 to help TBG deliver year-round programs and beauty.” — Stephanie Jutila, Executive Director Together we are building the future of our shared urban green space. Your donation will shape sustainable communities and help to build a peaceful place of respite for those who do not have their own personal backyards or green spaces. Invest in positive change in our communities. Help us embrace being a garden for all and extend the benefit of time spent in nature for everybody. Without plants, there would be no life on earth. Your investment in our beloved Garden will foster a peaceful escape from the concrete jungle, inspiring people through natural beauty. Your support matters now more than ever. By investing in our Hearts and Flowers Campaign, you help ensure that this urban oasis remains a vibrant haven for generations to come. Your donation will enable the garden to continue its vital work in environmental education, sustainable practices and community engagement.

https://torontobotanicalgarden.ca/donate-today/

Protecting The Legacy

“The pavilion is a City asset but it is also important to the history and future of the Toronto Botanical Garden.” Stephanie Jutila, TBG Executive Director

Moriyama pavilion roof to be restored through a heritage lens By Lorraine Hunter Trellis Editor

Photo: Lorraine Hunter. Illustration: June Anderson

ost people know that the late, renowned Canadian architect Raymond Moriyama designed such well-known buildings as the Ontario Science Centre, the Toronto Reference Library, the Canadian War Museum and the Bata Shoe Museum. But did you know that he also designed the original Toronto Botanical Garden building (originally called the Civic Garden Centre) and the pavilion in Edwards Gardens? Moriyama, who died last September at the age of 93, designed both structures in 1964. The pavilion, which won an Ontario Association of Architects 25 Year Award in 1991, needs a new roof. But simply replacing the old one is not as easy as you might think. Because the building was designated as a heritage property in 1997 its structural integrity and the fine details that distinguish the structure must be ensured. “The need for timely and intentional care for such an integral structure

in the landscape quickly caught my attention,” said Executive Director Stephanie Jutila, who joined the TBG in January 2022. “I asked a lot of questions and through steady advocacy and inviting others who had reached the same awareness, partnership has emerged.” The restored roof will be achieved “through a heritage lens,” she said. “The cooperation between the City and the TBG has elevated the process and now that Raymond Moriyama has passed away, we need to protect his legacy,” said Jutila. “The pavilion is a City asset but it is also important to the history and future of the Toronto Botanical Garden.” The City engaged Archaeologist Services Inc. (ASI) to review the heritage features on site during the Master Plan process from 2016 to 2018. “This report highlighted the heritage value of the pavilion and the City is keen to preserve it, as is TBG,” said Ruthanne Henry, Senior Project Manager, Capital Projects, City of Toronto. “The current contract TBG has with project lead (for the Expansion) PMA Landscape Architects Ltd. and heritage subconsultant ERA Architects, Inc. is an excellent example of the synergy of the partnership as ERA will prepare the conservation documents that the City can use to tender the roof to specialized heritage trade roofing contractors. This will ensure that the roof is rebuilt following the same design details as the original construction,” said Henry. “ERA requires 3D computerized models and computer drafted details of the existing conditions to complete their conservation plan and the City has recently procured these to advance the ERA work,” she said. “To protect the structure from impacts while the conservation plan is in process, we have requested support from Parks

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Operations. We hope to do the roof reconstruction in 2024 following the conservation plan.” Key heritage elements of the pavilion’s architecture, according to the Architectural Conservancy of Toronto’s website, include: • Deep hip roof with wood slate, which is a Japanese architecture feature; • Japanese wood joinery of the structure of the roof; • Skylight panels which are Modern architecture features; • Stone walls that have the same aesthetics of the surviving stone patio; and wood screens of wall opening, with ornamental patterns achieved with Japanese wood craftsmanship. The pavilion, used for weddings and other events, sits on the crest of a hill close to Lawrence Ave. on the site of the Milne family home, which was destroyed by fire in 1962. The Milne family originally owned and farmed on the property which was sold to Rupert Edwards in 1944. Edwards turned it into a magnificent garden which he subsequently sold to the city in 1955 for it to become a public park. In the book Process Architecture, produced by Moriyama Teshima Architects, they write “An exercise in thriftiness, the pavilion was built from one sheet of construction drawings, making use of the foundation and stone patio of the original house which was destroyed by fire, and cost only $19,000 Cdn.” (Paid for by part of the fire insurance money.) Updating the pavilion will be part of larger conservation plans in accordance with the Master Plan for the future of Edwards Gardens and Toronto Botanical Garden.

Winter 2023/2024

Moriyama Triangle grew up just west of Milneford Mills where the Milnes built their spectacular, state of the art three story mill in 1878. Unfortunately, I never laid eyes on it as it was demolished in 1946 for its bricks to be used in post-war construction projects. A special outing for my mother, brother and me was to go to Edwards Gardens to run free and for my brother to fall into Wilket Creek. I date the timing of these visits from the date the Civic Garden Centre was built in 1965. As a small child I fell in love with the building itself. It was so unique and more importantly, calming. Designed by Raymond Moriyama, Companion of the Order of Canada, it was a departure from anything else one would see on the streets of North York. A little girl wakes up to the power of great architecture. Fast forward to the 1970s or 1980s? I

don’t even know. Another trip with my mother, but this time to the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre for an Orchid show. Forget about the orchids. Look at the building. Magical, stunning, beautiful, spectacular, unique, calming. It wasn’t until this year, preparing to lead a tour of the Aga Khan Park that all the puzzle pieces finally fell into place. Moriyama Teshima was the architect of record for the 6.8-hectare park, museum and Ismaili Centre. The three actual architects were licensed outside of Canada and Moriyama Teshima was responsible to ensure all provincial and municipal safety requirements and bylaws were incorporated into the construction. Now I start my tours with a geography/architecture tour. If you could stand on top of the Aga Khan Museum and look east, you would be looking at the former Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre on

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Wynford Dr., designed by Raymond Moriyama in 1964, still glorious despite the neglect. Then take a 3 km drive and arrive at the original building known as the Civic Garden Centre and now as the Toronto Botanical Garden. Again, designed by Raymond Moriyama, in 1965. It needs a little work, and I am confident it will be returned to its original glory. Finally, take a walk through the Wilket Creek Ravine and find yourself at the Ontario Science Centre, built in 1969, may she live forever. The Moriyama Triangle. Let’s protect our beautiful cultural heritage by protecting these buildings so they don’t end up like the Milne Mill. Honour Mr. Moriyama, the greatest Canadian architect of the 20th and 21st centuries, and a little girl’s hero. Dianne Azzarello is a Toronto Master Gardener and a member of the TBG Board of Directors.

Winter 2023/2024

Photo: xxxxx xxxxxxx

TBG Board member reflects on what famous Canadian architect’s buildings mean to her By Dianne Azzarello

Growth Through Grants

A Year in Review By Aleeshia Carman

Volunteers work in the Pollinator Garden.

With the support of our grantors, the Toronto Botanical Garden connected more people to plants, developed lifelong learning programs and strengthened our community impact over the past year. Thank you to the Stanley Smith Horticulture Trust, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, PollinateTO, TD Friends of the Environment and Experience Ontario for propelling us forward in furthering our mission. Let’s review how these generous grantors helped TBG expand our ability to inspire, educate and enhance the visitor experience at our urban green space. ◗ We received $55,913 from

◗ We received $149,700 from

◗ We received $5,000 from

Experience Ontario in support of Winter Blooms. This grant supports the execution of Winter Blooms, a one-of-a-kind event that offers a unique shopping experience, engaging educational activities, and a magical winter wonderland for visitors of all ages. (p.s. It continues until December 17).

the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Resilient Communities Fund for various activities across the organization. In 2023, we wrapped up this grant, which was instrumental in supporting the Toronto Botanical Garden’s events and fundraising efforts. This contribution helped us upgrade technology in the Garden and Floral Halls and improve our website for greater engagement and outreach.

PollinateTO to upgrade our Pollinator Garden. With these funds, we revitalized our Pollinator Garden by planting more native flora, welcoming more pollinators to the Garden and increasing knowledge with the implementation of interpretive signage.

◗ We received $25,000 from the Stanley Smith Horticulture Trust to purchase a utility vehicle. This donation enabled us to acquire a much-needed utility vehicle, which has been instrumental in maintaining our beautiful gardens and improving efficiency.

TD Friends of the Environment to enhance learning in the Teaching Garden. Thanks to the generous support of the TDFEF, TBG re-established many programs offered in the Teaching Garden including summer camp, spring and fall school visits and free community events. RCF Grant audio equipment.

Re-established Teaching Garden Programs. Photo: xxxxx xxxxxxx

◗ We received $10,000 from

Utility vehicle from Stanley Smith Horticulture Trust Grant

TBG Garden Shop and Weston Family Library form partnerships with First Nations companies By Rosie Agro, Assistant Retail Manager Robin Rakowsky, Manager of Library Services

Connecting

People & Plants

Toronto Botanical Garden’s goal is to connect

people and plants. Here at the Garden, we want to foster sustainable practices and learn from communities that are already living this way. On the first floor, the Garden Shop and the Weston Family Library are creating partnerships with First Nations companies to widen the viewpoint of our Garden in order to learn and grow in new and diverse ways. The shop has started a partnership with Mother Earth Essentials - a Canadian, Indigenous-owned company that uses natural ingredients, along with the founders’ traditional recipes, to create luxurious bath and beauty products. Mother Earth Essentials was founded by Carrie Belcourt-Armstrong, and elder Francis Whiskeyjack (Cree, Saddlelake FN), in order to share the nature-inspired teachings rooted in the sacred plants of the Medicine Wheel. Armstrong explains that in Native American spirituality, the Medicine Wheel represents balance and connection. Armstrong was inspired by her greatgrandmother, who she describes as a medicine woman who intimately knew plants at a physical and spiritual level and who passed those teachings down to her children and community. These teachings were almost lost. Armstrong’s grandmother and her children were victims of residential schools, which led her grandmother to live in fear of celebrating her Indigenous upbringing. But Armstrong remembers the woman she was in private. Her grandmother was a different, happier woman as she felt safe being herself. Her grandmother created beautiful beadwork, would make healing teas and feed her grandchildren bannock and dried meat. That is why the very first products created by this brand were based on these teachings, to carry this knowledge on to future generations. Mother Earth Essentials works with many natural ingredients including sweetgrass, sage, cedar, and tobacco as

These books include the following reads by First Nations authors.

◗ Plants have so much

they each hold importance within the Medicine Wheel, and the teachings that are shared. Stroll across the TBG lobby to learn more about Indigenous plants and teachings. The library is continuing to learn and grow in providing respectful First Nations resources and collections through the partnership with GoodMinds.com. “GoodMinds.com is pleased to partner with the Toronto Botanical Garden (TBG) in sharing and promoting the gifts we receive from Mother Earth. A number of Indigenous authors, illustrators and publishers have produced, and are producing, a wide variety of books about the trees, the grasses, the mosses and the shrubs that together, provide us with this life. From Mashkiki (Medicine), to the materials for our homes, to the flowers that brighten our homes, to the food we eat, the plants that grow provide us with all that we need. We support our authors and illustrators who share the wisdom of our ancestors, as well as encourage all of us to be thankful for the gifts the land provides. On behalf of the staff of GoodMinds.com.”

to give us, all we have to do is ask: Anishinaabe Botanical Teachings by Mary Siisip Geniusz ◗ Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teaching of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer (the first young adult book in the Weston Family Library!) ◗ We Give Our Thanks by Sara General ◗ Walking Together by Elder Albert D. Marshall and Louise Zimanyi ◗ Mashkiki Road: The Seven Grandfather Teachings by Elizabeth S. Barrett ◗ A Land Not Forgotten: Indigenous Food Security & Land-Based Practices in Northern Ontario edited by Michael A. Robidoux and Courtney W. Mason

Come in and visit the shop and the library. Join us in celebration and support of First Nations authors, publishers, artists, creators and illustrators.

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Winter 2023/2024

Learn TBG News

Winter Planning It’s not too early to start planning your 2024 garden Natalie Harder Director of Learning

ell, it’s winter, the perfect time to start planning for your garden in spring. Going into garden centres well armed with a plan can prevent that feeling of being overwhelmed or unabashed spending. Researching next year’s garden plans is also a great excuse to spend the winter thumbing through beautiful garden books. It is important work and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. First things first – don’t forget last year! It can feel like a step backward but its so important to planning. And learning from your past mistakes is also emotionally healing. Be sure to make notes on what went well and what didn’t. What pests did you encounter? Any locations in your garden that didn’t perform as expected? Now is the time to dive in and try to figure out why. Then you can get into planning. You will need a sketch of your garden with measurements. This is always a painful

task that I ignore and have paid for it. Do you have someone in your life that would do it for you? A child or grandchild who would like to make a few dollars and practice their math skills? Engage them to get through this task. Then you get to the fun part. Grab some great books, lay out your sketchpad and start planning. I suggest using a pencil. You will change your mind. Go to the library and spend some time making your plan for the year. Your vision for your garden will determine your next steps from checking in on your soil health to creating a garden calendar, starting seeds indoors or planning garden infrastructure if you are feeling especially ambitious. Your garden design can even help prevent flooding in your home. Rain Gardens are specialized gardens that can help prevent water from entering your home (bad) or excess water overwhelming your stormwater system (also bad). Join the Toronto Botanical Garden and Toronto Region Conservation Authority for Rain Gardens 101 on January 23rd at 6 p.m. for an online program exploring how to create a beautiful rain garden that also absorbs excess rainwater and filters it as it returns to the soil. This lecture will focus on inspiring, beautiful rain gardens that do a lot of good work under the surface. If you would like to further your learning, George Brown College offers two excellent certificate programs. The Home Gardening Program is a perfect way to work with horticultural professionals to learn foundational skills for your home garden. They feature classes on Gardening in Small Spaces and Growing Food in Small Spaces. Further learning can be done through the Garden Design Program which includes more in-depth courses on Garden Design. See – winter isn’t so bad. Grab a cup of tea, sharpen your pencil and get out your library card or your TBG membership card and visit our Weston Family Library. Your future garden will thank you.

• From the Weston Family Library •

How to Create your Garden by Adam Frost

New Naturalism by Kelly D. Norris

Gardentopia by Jan Johnsen

Garden Wonders: A Guidebook for Little Green Thumbs by Sarah Grindler

Author Talk Meet Matthew Biggs on Zoom at the TBG Join us at the TBG, on Sunday, December 17 from 1 to 2:30 pm, for a talk via Zoom with Matthew Biggs, author of Garden: Exploring the Horticultural World. Based in the UK, Matthew is a graduate of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and is a well-known British gardener, broadcaster, and author of 15 gardening and plant related books. He is a panel member on BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time and author of the children’s book, A Home for Every Plant. Garden takes readers on a journey across continents and cultures to discover the

endless ways artists and image-makers have found inspiration in gardens and horticulture throughout history. It is a richly illustrated survey celebrating humankind’s enduring relationship with the garden, explored throughout art, science, history, and culture (Phaidon Press, 2023). Attendees will enjoy holiday refreshments, and will have the chance to purchase Garden, with signed book plate, for themselves or as the perfect holiday gift! Don’t miss out on this exciting event!

Adult Program Spotlight Make a Birch Glass Plate in January 20 workshop • About the Program

Millean Kung

• Meet your Instructor

Photo: Rachel Warne (Matthew Biggs)

orn and raised in Toronto, Millean Kung is a retired educator turned artist with a passion for working with pottery and glass. Inspired by the natural world and art, Millean incorporates frit, pot melts, mica and stringers to create her glass pieces. If you want to find out what those terms mean, strike up a conversation with Millean either at the TBG Shop where she has been a dedicated volunteer since 2008 or in one of her classes. In September, we had the first sold-out workshop where participants learned how to paint birch trees on glass. Since we have a waiting list for this class, we’re happy to let you know Millean has agreed to another lesson in January.

Betula papyrifera (aka paper birch, white birch, and canoe birch) is native to North America. One of Canada’s most beautiful trees, it is characterized by papery, peeling trunks with distinct horizontal banding. Suitable for absolute beginners, this class will teach participants how to create a glass plate with this iconic design. The piece is fired off site and ready for participants to pick up a couple of weeks later. Samples of birch glass plates can be found in TBG’s Garden Shop and other pieces are available for purchase.

• Participant learns new craft

Ujala Bhatia has been at TBG just over one year, as Executive Assistant to TBG Executive Director Stephanie Jutila, and just celebrated her first anniversary of living in Canada. Ujala loved the plate Millean had made as a sample and despite “not having much sense of creativity,” she was excited to try her hand at this new craft. Ujala had a great experience taking her first adult TBG program. “It was a breeze,” she said, and “Millean made me an artist.” Ujala Bhatia

Finished Birch Plate

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Discover other adult programs at our website, https:// torontobotanicalgarden.ca

Winter 2023/2024

Smoker

TBG Honeybees Are Back!

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Winter 2023/2024

Moving the beehives at 5 a.m.

Photos: Aruna Panday

Urban beekeeping program to recommence in 2024 By Aruna Panday

Adult and Family Programs Supervisor

’m not an entomologist. In fact, tiny moving things usually make me a bit uncomfortable. To ease my discomfort, I read. Enlightening favourites have included dystopic science fiction The History of Bees by Maja Lunde and Bumble Bees of North America by Paul Williams et al. which is a beautifully illustrated identification guide. The Incomparable Honeybee & the Economics of Pollination (Reese Halter) is rich with the work that bees do, the potency of their creations, and considerations of their fate. The Honeybee Man (text by Lela Nargi illustrations by Kyrsten Brooker) is the cutest story about a Brooklyn apiarist, and the David Suzuki Foundation’s A Guide to Toronto’s Pollinators is a tiny trove— did you know we have over 350 species of native bees in the GTA?

However, intellectual knowledge and experiential knowledge can be quite different. The first time I peered into a hive was this past May at the invitation of Cathy Kozma, one of our two apiarists. Oliver Couto (The Sacred Bee, a film) is our second. Both Cathy and Oliver are former chairs of the Toronto Beekeepers Collective and since 2014 have been caring for TBG bees and leading students in learning about the habits and lives of honeybees. By May 10 daytime temperatures were forecast to remain above 10°C and with that warming, it was time to unwrap the hives from their winter duvets. Cathy invited me to put on a beekeeping suit to help her out and have a peek inside the mysterious world. I’d read The Bees by Laline Paull, an anthropomorphic recount of life in a honeybee hive, so I imagined I’d identify the waggle and other dances and that the queen would be so obvious. Not at all. The bees appeared homogenous, and their fast pace seemed random. Nevertheless, the experience of that first day and of the past months was incredible. It is incredible. Surrounded by smoke, the scent of honey and the vibrations of the buzzing, apiary work is incredibly soothing. I understand the attraction of managing hives and why beekeepers live longer than the general population. After a few rough pandemic years and an essential shutdown of TBG, the hives were not doing well. Meanwhile, the beekeeping certificate program stopped in 2020 during the first lockdown and by spring 2023 we faced two main challenges: moving the bees and a few hives. The bee yard needed to move. The original pollinator garden/bee yard, accessed through the library, was in desperate need of both horticultural and structural repair,

“

The TBG bees’ honey is among the best I have ever tasted. I’m buzzing with anticipation for the 2024 crop.

”

Cathy Kosma, TBG Beekeeper

New site for the TBG Honeybees

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Winter 2023/2024

Photos: Cathy Kosma, above; Aruna Panday, below.

Aruna learning how to do a hive check.

Top left: Thymovar treatment. Top right: Cathy Kozma unwrapping the hives. Lower left: Introducing the new queen. Lower right: Honey on the bottom, capped brood above

Photos: Aruna Panday

• If only our world functioned more like a beehive • As a beekeeper of 20 years, I believe few hobbies benefit the hobbyist AND our existence as much as beekeeping. What could be better for you than days spent in the fresh air and sunshine, being active and continually challenged mentally, all with the zen of the bees buzzing in the background? We learn so much from the bees, including: organizing an efficient social structure, one where every bee matters; that communication is paramount; that each has their special place in the

hive; and all the work to support one’s existence needs to gets done without complaint, and thus does. If only our world functioned more like a beehive! Bees give us so much, and our job as beekeepers is to support them in their vital work, as the underpinnings of our ecosystem. Ah, and yes, the delicious honey … the TBG bees’ honey is among the best I have ever tasted. Honeybees generally produce much more than they need to subsist, and the responsible and ethical beekeeper

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takes only the excess. They needed it this past season as the new colonies built up, so we chose to forgo harvesting any honey to share. But, I’m buzzing with anticipation for the 2024 crop. It has been my great pleasure and privilege, as your beekeeper and Instructor, to share my love of and experience with bees over these past 10 years. I look forward to classes recommencing this coming season. Bee well, Cathy Kozma, TBG Beekeeper

Winter 2023/2024

Coreopsis

Prunus virginiana

Monarda

• Some Bee Friendly Native Plants •

which would not have been possible while keeping the Terminology of the Hives bees in situ. After much consideration, it was decided to Apiarist—beekeeper, from the Latin apis ‘bee’ move the yard to the south-west corner of the building, Queen—large female bee with a fully developed some 15 metres east of their original location. Roger reproductive system, her job is to lay eggs Gettig, our Director of Horticulture and his team Drone—male honeybee, their primary role is prepped the area by removing plant material, leveling the to fertilize the queen and perform a droning space, installing wooden and chain/bamboo fencing, and sound that stimulates the queen to lay eggs planting pollinator-friendly plants and shrubs that would Workers—female bees who do all the work both protect and offer forage to the bees. In mid-July, of the colony except lay eggs with a start time of 5 a.m., before the bees could leave Swarm—the act of hive reproduction, where the hive to begin foraging and be annoyed by the relocalarge number of bees leave the parent colony tion, we successfully moved the colonies to the new site. to establish a new colony Two of five hives from 2022 had survived the winSmoker—a device where materials burn slowly ter. According to Cathy, this ratio was not abnormal to produce cool smoke used to calm the bees throughout the province, where unseasonably warm Hive tool—a metal tool used to open hives, pry and irregular temperatures wreaked havoc on smaller frames apart, to scrape away wax and propolis hives. One of the hives was in good shape. The second Burr comb—wax build on part of the hive not was infected with chalk brood, a fungal disease that connected to the frame affects the queen. The hive also had high levels of the Brood—immature bees not yet emerged from Varroa mite, which Oliver treated with Thymovar, an their cells (e.g. eggs, larvae, or pupae) organic product, for roughly three weeks, until the Brood Chamber—the hive box where the external temperature became too warm to continue brood is reared treatment. This did help in diminishing the mite load. Nuc—a small nucleus hive (four to five frames) When the hive had sufficiently regained its health the used to start a new colony next step to address the chalkbrood was to re-queen the Super—a box used for storing surplus honey, hive. With few hives, we decided to invest in four addikept above the brood chamber tional ‘nucs’ (nucleus hives or new mini hives) containing Frame—equipment made of wood or a queen and a few frames of worker brood. These new plastic to hold the honeycomb and bees hives have grown strong and sufficiently robust to overWinter Cluster—a ball like arrangement winter successfully, ready for the class of ’24. of adult bees in the hive during winter We didn’t have formal classes this year. Instead, TBG staff and volunteers participated in informal training We are grateful and deepened our experience of the honeybees. In to Joan and Jerry 2024 our introductory Urban Beekeeping program Lazinski who have will recommence, and details are live on the financially supported TBG site. If you sign up for this popular class, the bees and the you’ll have a blast and learn so much with our beekeeping program passionate and generous instructors. for many years.

Photos: Unsplash, Pexels

Coreopsis grandiflora • Fothergilla gardenii Liatris ligulistylis • Monarda • Prunus virginiana

Ode to the honeybee The honeybee is a creature of love…. She helps Nature to make love. With her pollen pen she writes beautiful words in Nature’s living book, that perfume, beautifies, renders fruitful and abundant the pages of this amazing bestseller of life that we move, live and journey through. While science at times can be dubious about the status of nature’s intelligence, poets know that everything is alive and the honeybee’s poesy improves dramatically the quality of life by rendering our Earth paradisical through her pollination services. The resulting honeybee-pollinated fruits, vegetables, nuts and berries, are large, well-formed, tasty, abundant, with good colour and seed set. Love gives the taste to life and the honeybees’ sweet ripened honey that does not rot, putrefy or spoil, symbolically, can correspond to the Venusian or Neptunian (Neptune represents the higher octave of Venus) superior degrees of love that touch the eternal or immortal. The love of the soul some say is the region her beautiful bisou represents, where poets and poetry blossom. So, when you take your promenade through the TBG gardens, pause to admire and smell the delicious flowers. There you can say hello and witness nature’s lovers as they snuggle in to French kiss their floral calligraphy, all done without harming their poetic bouquet, so as to improve the quality, beauty and poetry of life on our planet. Oliver Couto, TBG Beekeeper

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New Faces at the TBG Martin Ship

Ritu Saini

Michael Erdman

◗ Ritu Saini, the new TBG Program Coordinator is a recent graduate of TMU having specialized in Politics and Governance. She is passionate about education, film, and plants–in her circles she’s the go-to for designing floral arrangements! Ritu has over five years’ experience working in the education and development sector and will be the newest addition to the

Learning team. She will support in-person and online adult programming, family programs and public events.

New Board Members

◗ Michael Erdman, Ex Officio, Milne House Garden Club, has co-authored books on perennial and indoor gardening, and was president of the Beach Garden Society. His Beach garden has been

featured in local garden tours, and the media. A certified horticultural and floral design judge, Michael’s floral designs have won many awards at major shows including Canada Blooms and the CNE. Currently President of Milne House Garden Club, he is also a member of the Garden Club of Toronto, and President of the Greater Toronto Bulb Society.

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Recently retired, Michael was a marketing consultant, focusing on advertising and communications related to corporate branding, tourism and public policy. He helped develop an awarded, peer-reviewed methodology for measuring advertising/ marketing effectiveness and ROI, which has been used to evaluate ad campaigns around the world. ◗ Martin Ship is a communications and public affairs executive. Retired after a 30-year career with the Ontario Public Service he held senior roles at the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finance, Cabinet Office and Office of the Premier, most recently as Director, Corporate Policy and Public Affairs at the Financial Services Commission of Ontario (Ontario’s financial services regulator). Martin has served on Boards of Directors for several not-for-profit organizations. He was Board Chair of Davenport Perth Neighborhood and Community Health Centre, on the Board of Public Affairs Committee of the Ontario Arts Council and currently serves on the Board of Directors for Theatre Museum Canada and the Palmerston Area Residents Association. Martin is an active urban gardener and volunteer with Scadding Court Urban Agriculture Program in Alexandria Park. Passionate about architecture, theatre and gardening, Martin believes strongly in investing in the public realm to promote and expand access to nature.

TBG Holiday Market Has something for everyone!

More than 100 local vendors showcased their planet-friendly products at the first weekend of this year’s Holiday Market. With something for everyone including crafts, jewelry, plants, birdhouses, honey and so much more, the market returns for a second three-day weekend with all new vendors from Friday, December 15 to Sunday, December 17.

All part of Winter Blooms at the TBG. Don’t miss it.

The Great Lawn at the Palace of Versailles

Historyof Gardening

The Grass is Always Greener By Lee Robbins

he passionate devotion to the cultivation and care of lawns is integral to most yards and gardens throughout North America and much of the world. In Toronto, many households hire a professional lawn service; yard and garden services have become a big business. The history of lawns and their development stretches back centuries. Some of the earliest lawns were the grasslands around medieval castles in France and Britain. Grass parterres, labyrinths and mazes could be found in many medieval gardens. During the Renaissance, by the 16th Century, lawns were deliberately cultivated by the wealthy in both France and England. Closely shorn grass lawns first emerged in the 17th Century at the large estates of wealthy landowners in England. At first, grazing sheep on these large estates kept

the lawn in check but increasingly landowners depended on human labour to tend the grass closest to their homes. A Mark of Wealth

efore lawnmowers, only the very rich could afford to hire the many skilled hands needed to scythe and weed the grass; it was incredibly hard, labourintensive work. An immaculate and uniform lawn was seen as a mark of wealth and status. The use of green, expansive spaces began to appear in formal landscape designs. The epitome of this is the Great Lawn, also known as the ‘Royal Walk’, which was installed at the Palace of Versailles. By the 18th Century, the trend in England inclined toward more open landscapes with fewer fences and hedges. Capability Brown’s (1716-1783) landscape designs popularised the English Landscape style: formal

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gardens gave way to naturalistic parklands with trees, expanses of water and vast sprawling green lawns. The emergence of the middle class and the increasing wealth within the British Empire during the Industrial Revolution led to a surge in the popularity of landscaped gardens. However, vast, well-maintained lawns remained a symbol of affluence, as only the privileged few could afford to dedicate valuable land and resources exclusively for aesthetic purposes. Lawnmower Changed Everything

t was the invention of the lawnmower by Edwin Beard Budding (1796-1846) that changed all that. Now a manicured lawn was in reach not just of the nobility and landed gentry but the growing middle class as well. Budding’s mower was designed primarily to cut the expansive lawns as a superior alternative to the scythe. Budding got his idea for a mower while working at a textile factory where they used a machine that shaved the fabric to give it a smooth finish. His patent of 1830 described “a new combination and application of machinery for the purpose of cropping or shearing the vegetable surfaces of lawns, grass-plants and pleasure grounds. Country gentlemen may find in using my machine themselves an amusing, useful and healthy exercise.” These early machines needed to be pulled from the front and guided from the rear. By 1858, more than 7,000 machines had been sold. Alexander Shanks (1801-1845) registered a pony-pulled mower that cleared the clippings in 1841. To avoid the hooves leaving indentations in the lawn, soft brown leather shoes were strapped around the horse’s feet. The London Zoo even employed camels to pull the lawnmowers as they had naturally soft flat feet. Grass edgers started showing up

in the 1880s. By the end of the 19th Century, thanks to mass production, these machines were a fixture of many gardens. A related development was the introduction of elaborate ‘lawn fountains’, or sprinklers made of wrought iron which enhanced the beautification of lawns and gardens to showcase the new exotic plants brought back by plant hunters to England from abroad. Lawns are ubiquitous in our modern world; showcasing where we live, where we work and where we play. Lawn care has entered the information age, with robotic self-propelled lawnmowers and green roofs maintained by hydroponics. An awareness of the possible negative environmental impact that providing these pristine green spaces is growing and some gardeners are choosing to let their lawns go wild to boost biodiversity. However, many people would still make an aesthetic choice with their lawns and gardens rather than an environmental one.

From the Library

“Country gentlemen may find in using my machine themselves an amusing, useful and healthy exercise,” Edwin Beard Budding, investor of the lawnmower in 1830.

The following books from the Weston Family Library will provide more indepth information about the history of lawns. 1. The Story of Gardening by Penelope Hobhouse SB470 .5 .Hob 2002 2. The History of Landscape Design in 100 Gardens by Linda A. Chisholm SB472 .45 .C453 2018 3. The Grass is Greener: Our Love Affair with the Lawn by Tom Fort SB433.17.G7 For 2000

Reflecting & Planning How does a seasonal horticulturist spend the off season? By Sasan Beni Seasonal Horticulturist

Great Horned Owl

eople ask me all sorts of questions about my work, usually plant-related. It goes with the territory. Working as a horticulturist in a public garden—particularly, an educational hub like TBG—means that visitors will often resort to us as a reference; they approach us with snapshots of their own gardens, with questions about plant identification and care, landscape design tips, where and how to acquire the different plants on their wish-lists. And some people are simply curious about our occupation; inspired by it, perhaps. They want to know how we got into this line of work; when was the first time we dug

our hands into the earth, and more importantly, what is it that we do in the winter? How does a seasonal horticulturist spend the off-season? Perhaps they think that I go dormant, retreat to my roots in the cold ground–a bare, frost-kissed skeleton, or bouquet of hollow stems awaiting the thaw... this is only partly true. From March to November, my colleagues and I spend so much time immersed in nature, that it’s hard to believe this connection would somehow come to a halt December through February. Although, it is true: while the garden is sleeping, the gardeners rest, too. The muscles that worked

our shovels and forks will get their reprieve, while we commence the season of reflection and planning. As an avid birdwatcher and amateur wildlife photographer, I’ve learned lots from our wild friends about the winter months. It is a time of great scarcity and change–one leads to the other–and the species that are unable to alter their behaviour will take to the skies before the frost or prepare to sleep-off the shortened days and frigid temperatures. The others that remain will often group together, they change their songs and their diets and leave the comfort of their territories. The American robin is a prime example of this seasonal behavioural

Photos: Sasan Beni

American Robin

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Tufted Titmouse

change. In the spring and summer robins are everywhere. We all see them foraging in our yards and gardens, digging up worms and turning over leaf litter. There is a common misconception that robins are migratory birds. I’ve heard many people say: “Ah, two robins have returned to my garden. It must be spring!” The truth is, they never left. During the mating season, robins live in pairs and are widely dispersed and territorial as they nest and raise their young. However, in the fall and winter, these mated pairs disperse and join with other robins to form nomadic flocks, sometimes, a hundred robins deep. Together, they’ll hunker down where there are fruiting shrubs and trees and make their way through

the harsh winter landscape as a collective unit. This inspires me to look in on my friends, to come together with neighbours, so that maybe the frozen solitude of winter may become more bearable. This behaviour isn’t unique to robins. Many of our year-round resident birds, like black-capped chickadees, nuthatches and woodpeckers are often found near each other in the winter. There is safety in numbers, and more opportunities to find food. As gardeners, we know that much of our work involves creating habitat, providing food sources for pollinators and wildlife. We know the significance of dried skeletal seed pods left standing in the winter garden. We know that leaf-litter is crucial to both

those sleeping and those awake. Even though we are out of the garden for two to three months of the year, we know that biodiversity isn’t on hold. While many of our colourful songbirds have flown south to warmer climates, our friends in the north have left the rough waters and desolate tundra of the Arctic to spend the season with us. Winter is a great time to observe many species of Arctic ducks like buffleheads, goldeneyes and long-tailed ducks. Many owl species also expand their territory during the winter months and become easier to find. I look forward to their arrival every year. What I do in the winter? I remain connected to nature as best I can.

Swan with Redhead Ducks

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Northern Saw-whet Owl

Weeds Dead Wood & Edimentals Trends from the Chelsea Flower Show By Veronica Sliva

amateurs and professionals alike, annually flock to London, England in late May to be inspired by the show gardens at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show. Like fashion and interior design, trends come and go. Garden design is no different, and it is at Chelsea that gardening design trends emerge. Weeds or Wildflowers?

At this year’s Chelsea, the shift from orderly, traditional plantings to looser, informal and somewhat untidy spaces continued. Plants that we once called “weeds” were in many of the show gardens. And it was no accident. Dandelions (Taraxacum officinale), common knapweed (Centaurea torontobotanicalgarden.ca

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Photos: Veronica Sliva

een garden enthusiasts from all over the world,

Straight edges and paths were replaced with plants tumbling all over.

nigra), oxeye daisies (Leucanthemum vulgare), buttercups (Ranunculus bulbosus), brambles, nettles and other so-called weeds were featured in most of the show gardens. In the crowd I overheard someone say, “I used to find those plants in the ditch and fields, now I have to go to the garden centre and pay for them!” It is well known that native plants support a wide variety of pollinators and insects and this is so important for biodiversity. Hence, the trend to develop gardens that attract a variety of insects is going to continue to be important. British gardeners who want to create a wildflower garden can buy wildflower turf in rolls. The product (which won

the RHS Chelsea Sustainable Gardening Product of the Year 2023) is by Lindum Wildflower Turf https://turf. co.uk/wildflower. Pre-planted turf rolls contain a mixture of 27 species of wildflowers, perennials and herbs, all native to the UK, including oxeye daisy, lady’s bedstraw (Gallium verum), cat’s ear (Hypochaeris radicata), yellow chamomile (Cota tinctoria), wild marjoram (Origanum vulgare), Vipers bugloss, common thyme, yarrow, rough hawkbit (Leontodon hispidus), Carthusian pink (Dianthus carthusianorum) and red campion (Silene dioica). In the show gardens, the familiar look of borders with straight, well-trimmed edges was replaced with plants

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Stumps, fallen branches and dead wood sculptures are some of the natural materials featured.

tumbling all over the place. There were plants tucked in between cracks in pavers and along path edges that looked as though they were left there as nature intended. Some would say the look is romantic, others might say “messy”. Wild and wonderful or the look of neglect? It’s in the eye of the beholder now. Inviting Nature into the Garden

Attracting pollinators and insects into the garden with wildflowers and wildlife-friendly features, such as bird nesting boxes, bug hotels and water features were prevalent in many show gardens. Insect Habitats

Some visitors were surprised to find a lot of dead wood in some show gardens. Stumps and fallen branches of silver birch trees featured in the Centrepoint Garden along with a sculptural arrangement of huge slices of dead wood. The garden’s designer Tom Massey explained, “Insects are key species in our ecosystems. As gardeners, we have a vital role to play in their recovery and survival through the choices we make, particularly when it comes to hard landscaping, and dead wood is essential for many species.”

Sustainable Landscaping

Continuing with a view to more sustainability in garden design, many show gardens reduced hard-scaping elements and made use of natural materials such as willow to make arches, fences and raised beds. Much of the hard landscaping in the show gardens featured low-carbon methods of building. For example, cement-free concrete was used to reduce the carbon footprint of the structures and many gardens featured reclaimed or salvaged materials to provide a hard surface that is porous so water “run-off” is reduced. Garden Designer Sarah Price said, “The most pragmatic approach is to source locally, reuse and repair.” Features in her Nurture Landscapes Garden were crafted from waste materials such as old brick, ash, glass, recycled plastic, oyster shells, feathers and wood. Edimentals

Perhaps because of the increased cost of living or the “grow your own” movement that took off during the pandemic, one of the most noticeable trends this year was the use of edibles and ornamental plants mingling together. The newest buzzword for plants that are both

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Wild marjoram is included in the new product, wild flower turf.

Natural wood swing fits into the natural and repurposed material trend.

Colour palette trends include muted shades of olive, ochre and terracotta with hints of purple as in the beaded irises. Below: Aeonium ‘Zwartkop’

edible and ornamental is ‘edimental’, whether they are annuals, perennials, shrubs or trees. Edimental style is about planting with purpose and combining edibles with ornamentals to create a beautiful but productive space. In the Food Matters Garden, 80 per cent of the planting was edible including edible perennials such as rhubarb, artichokes, asparagus, fennel and other herbs as well as fruit trees. The garden included lesser-known edibles such as asphodeline. The Eastern Eye Unity Garden’s attractive edimentals included pineapple, guava, fennel, oregano, thyme, cardoons and society garlic. In the Savill Garden designed by Mark Gregory, the “plot to plate” theme is brought to life. Gregory says, “I wanted to create a garden that is a vision to the eye as well as being a feast for the palate.” In the Savill Garden, vegetables were grown in raised beds. There was even an example of ‘stepover’ apples. Stepovers are low, horizontally trained trees, ideal for bordering a pathway. Pruned annually to keep them in shape, they’re a space-saving and attractive way to grow apples and pears. Also, there were containers of unusual edibles such as samphire (a sea vegetable abundant along the English coastline). This approach to growing edibles is not new. For example, a feature of French-style potagers is edible and ornamental

plants growing together, allowing gardeners to make the most of their space, growing a crop they can harvest and also enjoying the beautiful flowers. Coordinating Colour Palettes

Unlike changing your wardrobe it is not so easy to switch your garden’s colour palette on a whim. But when the colour palette in a show garden at Chelsea stands out everyone takes notice. Sarah Price’s design for Nurture Landscapes Garden stands out because she chose a colour combo that linked the plants with the hard landscaping. The stars of this garden were bearded irises from the old-fashioned ‘Benton’ series, first bred in 1949 by artist and plantsman Cedric Morris. Their muted shades of olive, ochre and terracotta with just a hint of plum were echoed in the surrounding bricks and the richly coloured straw-and-cob garden walls. The garden’s palette also included Sicilian honey garlic and succulents such as Aeonium ‘Zwartkop’ in deep shades of plum. Will this muted colour palette become a new garden trend? We’ll need a few years to find out.

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Photo: xxxxx xxxxxxx

Edimental is the buzzword for plants both edible and ornamental.

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garden travel

Pruned conifers echo architectural elements at Wollerton Old Hall, England

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Inspiration, new friends and great memories By Paul Zammit

Photo: xxxxx xxxxxxx

Professor of Horticulture, Niagara College

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Gateway to another garden room.

By Marjorie Mason

Even after many years of planning tours, no two are the same. Experience doesn’t matter. Just as you don’t have to be a great artist to appreciate an art gallery, you don’t need to be a seasoned gardener to enjoy a garden. Those who feel they cannot travel alone. Consider travelling with a group that has a common interest. They can quickly become great travelling companions.

Bring your spouse! Even if your spouse is just the lawn mower and hole digger, strolling through beautiful gardens can have an awesome effect. Many spouses have become gardeners after tours, over the years. Travel with well-seasoned hosts. One thing that can make a tour great, is travelling with a host who can give you inside info about the gardens, identify plants along the way and explain horticultural practices that you may experience along the trip. Meet great gardeners. One huge benefit of going on a well-planned garden tour is getting the chance to meet the garden owner or head gardener. The insight, ideas and passion they share for their gardens is inspiring.

hat a feeling

it is to start traveling again, especially when it includes visiting gardens. Even more special when you are traveling with dear friends: two of my favourite people in horticulture, Marjorie and Jeff Mason. Marjorie was one of the first public speakers I listened to over 30 years ago and I found myself buying my first fancy leaf Pelargoniums from her (which I still collect). I also had the pleasure of meeting her son Jeff, who continues to amaze me with his encyclopedic plant and gardening knowledge. In 2018, Marjorie, Jeff and I decided to combine our passions for travel, people and gardens with our first joint tour to England in 2019. Marjorie and Jeff had been leading tours for many years prior (my wife and I attended a few). In fact, Marjorie led her first tour to Europe in 1985 and has guided one to three a year ever since, other than during the pandemic. I have been fortunate to visit many local and international, public and private gardens. In addition to walking through the spaces I had only read about, I get excited about how these spaces might further inspire me. Allow me to take you on a tour and share some of the lessons and ideas I recently brought home. Rethinking Beauty

One cannot help but wonder what Vita Sackville-West and her husband Sir Harold George Nicolson imagined when they created the world famous Sissinghurst Castle Garden in Kent, England. While walking the many pathways, through the garden rooms and along the formal hedges, questions come to mind and I wonder how each of these visionaries might have responded. This garden takes visitors on a journey of surprise and discovery around every corner. This was also beautifully executed at Ardán Garden, in Dublin, Ireland https:// www.dublingardengroup.com/ardan/ What makes Marjorie’s trips special is visits to private gardens where we often get to meet the creators and caretakers of breathtaking spaces. For example, Nuala Doherty and Conall O’Caoimh welcomed our group and explained how they created their present-day Ardán Garden, which was started in 2003. While the property occupies only half an acre, a walk through the garden

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Photos: Paul Zammit

Thoughts on Garden Touring

European peacock butterfly.

Delphiniums with willow branch support.

Patthana Garden in Wicklow, Ireland

Vibrant blue patio furniture at Kiftsgate Court Gardens, England, adds an unexpected punch of colour.

offers an eye-catching mix of formal and informal styles, incredible colour combinations and a reminder that this garden was a place for the creators to express their artistic talents, allowing them to do their part in supporting local biodiversity. With infectious enthusiasm, Conall explained how soon after building a pond, they discovered newts had taken up residence. A local university professor confirmed through a DNA sample, that they were the native species that depend on ditches, threatened wetlands and ‘ponds’ to survive. Proof that if you build it, they will come. It has been exciting to watch more and more gardens devote space to wildlife by adjusting past maintenance practices and posting signage to inform visitors. While the unmown turf with a woodpile for habitat at Patthana Garden in Wicklow, Ireland, might appear messy to some, gardens can offer a wonderful balance. Artist and creator T. J. Maher took us on an incredible tour of that property filled with rich and diversely-planted

gardens mixed with annuals, bulbs, perennials, tropicals, trees and shrubs plus spaces left a little more wild. Stop and have a closer look

Take time to stop, really stop, and look closely at what is in a garden. You know it is going to be a great visit when you are preparing to take a picture and you discover an added surprise in the image such as in my photo of the Japanese Anemone (Anemone x hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert’). Take a closer look at the potential of a garden. Gardens offer an important sanctuary for biodiversity. Fergus Garrett, Chief Executive of the Great Dixter Charitable Trust, shared a meal with us and told us about a recent biodiversity audit that revealed how through careful management, gardens and wildlife can coexist and thrive. I highly recommend reading it at https://www.greatdixter.co.uk /great-dixter-biodiversity-audit

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Take time to stop, really stop, and look closely at what is in the garden, like the hover fly on the dahlia above or the white anemone with a spider, left.

I came home from the most recent tours with a new appreciation and many ideas of how to better support perennials and/or create plant supports using natural elements such as a fallen tree at Kilmacurragh Botanic Gardens in Ireland. Mixing Formal and Informal Plantings

Personally, I have never been a fan of highly pruned and shaped plant material. (I often describe this as “plant bondage” to my students.) But last summer’s tours gave me a new appreciation for mixing the two styles. Wollerton Old Hall in England was a new garden to me. It was a real WOW experience. We had the entire garden to ourselves apart from a Gardeners’ World film crew. Precisely pruned evergreens (Taxus and Buxus) echo architectural elements such as fence toppers, ornaments, sheds, patterns in benches, windows, on the house, etc. Less formal plants such as lady’s mantle (Alchemilla mollis)

and mullein (Verbascum) both soften and make the hard edges even more pronounced. Surprise pops of colour in the garden

Touring gardens has taught me that colour does not need to always come from plant material. Added elements such as garden architecture, containers and furniture can provide unexpected punches of echoing hues and each piece often has its own story. Gardens evolve and change with time

I always enjoy revisiting a garden to see how the space (and the plants) have evolved. Our friends across the pond have not been spared the many pests and disease that currently plague boxwood (Buxus spp.) It was interesting to see changes made at Bourton House Garden in England, after the decision was made to remove many of the formally pruned boxwood hedges. In one place many were replaced with a wildflower planting.

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Visit gardens with like-minded people

Paul could not resist the purchase of another handmade clay pot for his personal collection.

You will bring home more than memories

During one of Marjorie’s early presentations, she referenced Potscaping, the use of container-grown plants in beautiful pots to create imaginative and changeable vistas. (Thank you, Marjorie.) Imagine how happy I was to learn that she planned a stop at Whichford Pottery, a nursery dedicated to the making of frost-proof terra cotta pots. While we cannot bring plants across international borders without the proper phytosanitary certificates (commercially packaged seeds, however, are allowed), there are no rules against terra cotta pots and other keepsake treasures. Well, that is as long as they can fit in your suitcase or carry-on luggage. I could not resist the purchase of another handmade Fritillaria pot for my personal collection. Every time I plant up a beautiful piece of garden art, I will recall the many great memories and incredible new friends made on recent tours. I can hardly wait for what new lessons, inspiring ideas and memories the 2024 tours will provide. Note: 2024 tours include England in May (including the Chelsea Flower Show) and the Highlands of Scotland in August. For more information visit http://www.masonhousegardens.ca

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On a walk through the garden on a warm September morning, I strolled past a patch of marigold ‘Cinnabar’. This stunning three-foot (1m) tall variety with masses of warm-orange to spicyred flowers was discovered at Great Dixter, nurtured by Christopher Lloyd, and I bought the seed from the Great Dixter garden shop. A lovely flower, it instantly takes me back to my first visit to Great Dixter in 2016. I had read most of Christopher Lloyd’s books and seen innumerable articles about the garden, but the chance to stand in the middle of it brought all those books, articles and photos to life. I got that same sense at Sissinghurst, Hidcote, Bressingham and Beth Chatto’s Gardens. I had only known from the writings and photos of the creators were there before me. Not only were these people great gardeners but they were wonderful writers as well. Often, when I tell people I’m going to England, Scotland or Ireland, I’m sure their thoughts turn to castles and museums. When I say we’re going to see gardens, I get either “Huh? Gardens?” Or, if the person is a gardener, or simply enjoys gardens, the outdoors and nature, their eyes light up. “You take garden tours?” Crisscrossing a country looking at its gardens you definitely get a feel for the landscape, the villages, the way of life outside the big cities. Many of the gardens we visit are well off the beaten path, even the famous ones. Now, travelling around these countries is certainly possible on your own, but how much more fun it is to be on a coach, where you can see the countryside over the hedges, and get to know other garden lovers along the way. Gardening can be a solitary hobby, so it’s great to spend time with people with similar interests. I have seen long-term friendships start on these tours. The other huge treat of travelling with a well-organized group, is the chance to spend time with the gardens’ creator or head gardener, and learn some of the thinking that went into the gardens’ designs. It really is a great treat to have the gardener share their garden with you. Walking by that marigold brings back a flood of memories of great gardens and the great people with whom we were able to share them.

Winter 2023/2024

Photo: Paul Zammit

By Jeff Mason

Bring your gardening indoors this season By Rosie Agro Assistant Retail Manager

Winter Bulbs

As winter has finally settled in and the frost has completely covered our gardens, our green thumbs start to crave some planting. One way we can bring nature and colour back into our homes this winter season is by growing winter bulbs inside. Both paperwhites and hyacinths are not only easy to grow indoors but beautiful plants to add to your seasonal decor. When thinking of holiday decor and the plants that go with it, paperwhites are always at the top of the list. These flowers are loved for their pretty white petals that bloom for a week or two and their gorgeous green foliage that lasts even longer. Paperwhites can easily be grown in compost, soil or placed over rocks in shallow bowls. Hyacinths are another great flower to grow inside this winter as they not only require minimal care but also add beautiful colour to the home. These flowers, like the paperwhites, bloom from a bulb with the root tips just touching the water they need. These two plants will be perfect additions to your own home and also make lovely presents this gifting season for the gardeners in your life. The Garden Shop is carrying beautiful sets that come with not only the bulbs but a beautiful glass or ceramic container that can be reused season after season. If you want to try out these flowers this winter but aren’t sure about how green your thumb is, no worry at all as we have enlisted Megan from the Toronto Botanical Gardens team of horticulturalists to give you a quick lesson on planting these bulbs in your own home. Click here.

Nature lover’s paradise welcomes winter-weary souls By Gail M. Murray

Heliconia

Costa Rica is a nature and garden lover’s paradise. In this warm, moist environment over 900,000 species of plants thrive. Many of our houseplants originate here at three times the size, of course. Ornamental plants such as orchids, rubber trees, cacao (chocolate), peace lilies, birds of paradise, pothos, dracaena and dieffenbachia are listed among major exports of Costa Rica. Rainforests are the most biodiverse and species-rich places on earth. Wisely, 26 per cent of this Central American country’s surface is government-protected forest in national parks and wildlife refuges. My first encounter on a recent trip was at La Paz Waterfall Gardens, a 70-acre eco-park and animal sanctuary a 90-minute drive north of the capital, San Jose. Here we discover capuchin monkeys, leopards, scarlet torontobotanicalgarden.ca

Winter 2023/2024

Photos: Gail M. Murray

Costa Rica

surrounded by palm trees

Bougainvillea ‘Firecracker Red’

macaws, toucans, brilliant blue morpho butterflies and tiny brightly coloured tree frogs. Myriad free-flying iridescent hummingbirds, resembling dancers in sequined ball gowns, feed by waterfalls surrounded by palm trees and the ubiquitous fuchsia bougainvillea. Some sip from the bracts of brilliant orange heliconia plants. Wandering through each pavilion (Birds, Reptiles, Mammals) we hear the soft rush of waterfalls on the La Paz River. Concrete railings resemble grey weathered wood – actual wood would quickly rot given the amount of rainfall. It’s a gradual descent but my knees tell me this is not for the mobility-challenged. After a long drive through mountainous rural areas with cattle grazing in the fields, we reach the town of La Fortuna. The mighty Arenal Volcano looms ahead. Though it hasn’t erupted since 2010, it is considered active. On my first visit in 1996, I’d heard booming sounds like cannons and marveled as smoke filled the midnight sky and molten redhot lava flowed down the side. Today it stands majestic, free of fog and cloud cover. As we approach our hotel Kioro Suites, I’m drawn to the blue hydrangea and red dracaena growing on either side of the private driveway. Manicured grounds support palms and deep pink ginger lilies. An inviting floral display in the lobby delights with birds of paradise and ginger lilies. Not to be missed are the Mistico Hanging Bridges where the forest floor is rife with leaf-cutter ants and is home to delicate ferns and other shade plants. Tall plants such as the lacey Broccoli Tree reach skyward to the forest canopy. Near the entrance there is a small bush with tiny white blossoms – Arabica coffee, considered the best. As we hike the 3 km trail, we peer through a scope to discover that black blob 90 feet (27 m) up is a black Howler Monkey. We can see the colour and feather pattern of the Motmot birds. To truly appreciate the beauty of the forest, go with a licensed guide. Epiphytes or air plants such as orchids, moss and bromeliads grow on trees in the canopy without harming them, taking moisture and nourishment from the air. Bromeliads are ‘little worlds of life’ providing a drink for canopy creatures. Lianas or vines descend the trunks while huge buttress roots anchor the trees. Most tours start at 7:30 or 8 a.m., the coolest and driest part of the day. It is the dry season yet with global warming the area is getting more rain. A light drizzle falls adding to the ethereal forest energy. In our group of eight, we stop to listen to the forest. After our hike, we return to our hotel to soak in the silky waters of Titokú Hot Springs – a series of pools increasing in temperature; the name means ‘water from the gods’. They are tapped into a vent from the volcano and remind me of ‘garden rooms’ as each pool cascades into the next. Curtains of colourful tropical plants provide privacy. The long drive south from mountainous Arenal to Manuel Antonio National Park on the Pacific, skirts hairpin turns, torontobotanicalgarden.ca

curtains of colourful tropical plants Ixora

Winter 2023/2024

Photo: xxxxx xxxxxxx

Green Shell Ginger

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Bird of Paradise

Winter 2023/2024

Sky vine (Thunbergia grandiflora)

Scarlet Star Bromeliad

revealing verdant pastures, horses, cattle and small tin-roofed houses with gardens of brilliant scarlet hibiscus and fuchsia bougainvillea. Arriving at Hotel Parador, I ask about booking a tour for Manuel Antonio National Park for the next day. “Already full,” says our receptionist. “You mean the guided tour?” I ask. “Yes, and the park. They only permit 2,000 visitors daily and they’ve reached capacity,” she responds. Mass tourism has reached Costa Rica. When I first visited the park in 1996, there were no direct flights, few large hotels and our guide, my companion and I had the beach to ourselves as we hand-fed tentative white-faced capuchins. Now, rangers check bags at the gate, confiscating treats; no feeding the monkeys. It feels like Yonge and Bloor at rush hour as guides line up the best spots for their scopes. It’s only 7:30 a.m. and I can feel the body heat emanating from fellow travellers. It’s 30° but the humidity makes it feel like 35°C. We follow the gravel paths. With less rain, it’s not as lush as Arenal and Monteverde Cloud Forest. There are huge almond and manzanilla trees, rubber plants, ginger lilies, a tiny nesting hummingbird, fer-de-lance snakes, bats, Jesus Christ lizards and a grey iguana sunning in the branches. At the beach, we plunge into inviting warm waters. Many hotels are located amid former rainforests or selva verde and wise architects have left much of the forest intact. Near the pool a two-toed sloth reclines upside down in a Cecropia tree – a favourite of sloths for its tasty large lobed leaves allowing for more room between the branches. En route to the Monkey Trail we are delighted to see a mother sloth with a young baby. Manicured grounds sport hibiscus, trumpet umbrella plants, purple sky vine and statues of Greek goddesses. Everywhere is stunning, lush foliage, warm breezes, layers of green and blue welcome winter-weary souls. torontobotanicalgarden.ca

Red Dracaena and Ginger Lily

Winter 2023/2024

Blue Hydrangea

stunning, lush foliage and warm breezes

Ayia Lindquist with harvest from her garden.

chaos Sensory garden at Ayia’s local library.

For Generation Z, Romanticism is Dead: Sustainability is Alive By Aleeshia Carman

gardening When it comes to gardening and the outdoors, there’s one thing

for sure: a new generation of young plant enthusiasts is leading the way in prioritizing sustainability. Generation Z, born from the mid 1990s to early 2010s, is the first generation born with immediate access to the internet. Also known as Zoomers, they often get their gardening information from social media. Take Ayia Lindquist (@ayiayaya on TikTok and Instagram), who is on a mission to transform how people interact with the natural environment.“I have seen harsh and predictable weather conditions from the impact of climate change since I was three years old.” For Ayia, it’s personal. She emphasizes that “the only way we can achieve community-scale healing is by connecting people with nature—especially for Black and Brown communities, who often do not have equitable access to green spaces.”

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winter 2023/2024

Photos: Ayia Lindquist, Seth Larson, Megan Blacquiere

Grant Writer & Development Coordinator

Megan Blacquiere turns small containers into terrariums.

“We must care for the environment if we want a future,” says Ayia.

In her post-grad gig, Ayia joined forces with an environmental nonprofit, Plantation Park Heights, to promote urban gardening and provide free food boxes to the community. “We got our hands dirty, spending long summer days setting up irrigation,” she says. “It was a lot of sweat equity, but it was worth it.” Ayia didn’t stop there. She realized that, “we must care for the environment if we want a future.” So, guess what she did? Ayia founded a nonprofit called Gardens for Connection and planted her first sensory garden at a local library, complete with native plants and signage. “There are elements of the garden that impact smell, taste, hearing, sight and

touch,” she says. “Our senses help ground people in nature.” Young people are all about reducing waste and doing what they want. Consider chaos gardening, a practice of chucking out perfection and welcoming a little disorganization. Ayia thought, “Let’s throw seeds in the ground and see what sticks”. Now, her backyard can only be described as a “food jungle”. However, chaos gardening is only the start. Survival gardener Seth Larsen (@SageSmokeSurvival on Instagram and TikTok) is shaking up today’s gardening scape and reviving the oldest forms of food production— regenerative gardening. In 2022, he grew 300 pounds of potatoes

Survival gardener Seth Larson practices Regeneration Gardening covering 300 potato plants with hay and mulching other vegetables with cut up native plants. torontobotanicalgarden.ca

by covering sprouted spuds with six inches of hay and regular watering. He advocates for “slash mulching,” which involves replacing soil with a layer of cut-up native plants. “The microbes in the soil break down the nutrients in the soil,” he says in a TikTok video. Bonus: Forget about pesky weeds because there’s no exposed soil. For those lacking outdoor space, no worries! Megan Blacquiere, TBG Seasonal Horticulturist, uses small spaces to her advantage by making terrariums. “My interest in terrarium building was born from curiosity and a query,” she says. “Could I turn my crystal head vodka bottle into a terrarium?” The answer is, of course, yes! Megan says, “From there, it blossomed into the wonder and magic of creating a miniature world behind glass.” The trend aligns perfectly with Ayia’s observations. She predicts that young people will continue to be captivated by repurposing and filling empty spaces. Unlike older generations who may prefer romantic and minimalist designs, Ayia says that younger generations embrace maximalism, focusing less on achieving perfect aesthetics and pristine lines; instead, they are inspired by the beauty found in chaos. “Anti-perfectionism will be the goal in 2024—a recipe for making nature and sustainability accessible for everyone.”

winter 2023/2024

Japanese painted fern vascular plant is one of the more than 137,000 plants that have been barcoded.

Photo: xxxxx xxxxxxx

B a r c o d i n g

Canadian geneticist spearheads project to catalogue all plants and animals By Carol Gardner

Photo: University of Guelph

hink of the barcode on a tin of soup in the grocery store. The numbers and parallel lines identify a number of qualities of the product. Now, imagine a barcode stamped on your forehead – okay, maybe not on your forehead, but in a big library in the sky. That way, everyone who consulted the library would know a lot of things about you, including your DNA. Twenty years ago, at the University of Guelph, geneticist Dr. Paul Hebert, had an amazing idea. He wanted to catalogue all life on the planet, starting with cataloguing 500,000 animal and plant specimens. He called his proposal ‘DNA Barcoding’. Basically, DNA sequences are taken from a piece of tissue from specimens — protists (single-celled organisms), fungi, flowering plants and animals — and analyzed. His first goal was to catalogue 500,000 specimens. Clearly, this couldn’t be accomplished by just one team, so he recruited 20 other nations to join in their research. By 2015, the scientists had reached their goal of 500,000. However, the research was taking too long and costing too much, so the scientists spent some time figuring out how to do it faster, better and cheaper. The initial research had been done with DNA sequencing called ‘Sanger sequencers’ which could do 96 samples at a time, but a switch to something called ‘Sequel II’ could allow them to load 96 plates of 96 samples, or 9,216 samples at a time. This change also allowed them to study the relationship between

species, information that can now be used by ecologists to learn more about unseen relationships between living organisms. Those with a science bent can read the paper on this entitled ‘A Sequel to Sanger’ online at https:// bmcgenomics.biomedcentral.com/ articles/10.1186/s12864-018-4611-3 Numbers Grow Daily

Dr. Kevin Kerr, Research Director, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics at the University of Guelph, says they now have 347,264 named species of which 136,997 are plants. Naturally, the number grows daily. Ninety-six percent of vascular plants (plants that have a specialized system for carrying fluids such as ferns) have been categorized and 43 countries are participating. “Barcodes,” says Kerr, “yield insight into the evolution of plant species and plant communities, and help survey for threatened species. The most common request the lab receives is to assist with the identification of Butternut or Red Mulberry. Each of these native Ontario species is threat-

more than 30 countries found that 36 per cent were mislabeled.) • Forensic applications such as identifying birds involved in ‘air strikes’ with planes. • Identifying insect pests that are alien species in a new environment, which would allow scientists to address these species before they become established. At the moment, they are focusing on the dreaded Emerald Ash Borer in order to identify the potential pathogens and parasites that could impact them. Alas, they haven’t yet worked on my own pet peeve – the dreaded Japanese Beatle. No doubt, that’s on the agenda. • Monitoring the origin of imported wood (type and place of origin). What’s next?

Dr. Kerr says that the next step is to embark on a planetary biodiversity mission and bring a global biodiversity surveillance system into action. The hope is that the IBOL (International Barcoding of Life) community will grow to include more than

DNA for the Japanese Painted Fern.

ened, but can also be mistaken for invasive introduced species: Japanese Walnut and White Mulberry, respectively. Barcoding is useful for accurately detecting these species, which is important for land management”. Many Practical Uses

The practical uses of this research are pretty awesome, covering a broad base of concerns, including: • Detecting food fraud (In 2021, A Guardian Seascape analysis of 44 recent studies of more than 9,000 seafood samples from restaurants, fishmongers and supermarkets in

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50 nations. Wow – when they set goals, they don’t mess around! Life being what it is, Dr. Hebert and his colleagues have to spend a lot of their time fundraising for the many millions the research is costing, but they do so with both enthusiasm and humility. How Canadian, eh?

Winter 2023/2024

Book shelf

The Flower Hunter

Creating a floral love story inspired by the landscape

Reviewed by Veronica Sliva

uthor Lucy Hunter is a landscape designer and floral designer, a photographer and an artist. Her book The Flower Hunter is a seasonal journey through a year in her garden and artist’s studio set among the mountains of North Wales. On opening the book I was immediately struck by the inside cover, a lovely watercolour of abstract flowers with petals washed in yummy shades of dusty rose, seafoam green and aqua. These are not colours found in nature, but give you a hint that this book is written by a creative soul. The author takes us through the seasons of her world in four chapters, each one focusing on a type of landscape – The Countryside and Meadows, The Coast, The Cities and Towns and The Forest and Mountains. Each chapter includes a section called ‘Hidden Stories in the Landscape’. With luscious photography, Lucy Hunter takes us along revealing her experiences and memories…and her floral designs. The book is filled with beautiful images of her designs and how to create them. If you love to make things each chapter includes a project with step-by-step instructions to encourage your creativity. Hunter loves plants in all stages of development including plants and blooms that are faded and finished as they die off or go to seed. One of her projects called a ‘hanging sculptural cloud’, is an arrangement composed of parchment-coloured dried leaves and blooms and then suspended from a ceiling. For the holidays, she suggests considering the creation as an alternative to the evergreen boughs with which we usually adorn our homes. Other step-by-step instructions for projects include pressing flowers, how to make ink for drawing and more. This book is for anyone with a creative streak who loves plants and flowers, but it is also simply beautiful to look at and would make a wonderful coffee table book for anyone to browse through. The Flower Hunter – Creating a floral love story inspired by the landscape by Lucy Hunter (Ryland and Peters) Follow Lucy on Instagram at @lucytheflowerhunter torontobotanicalgarden.ca

Winter 2023/2024

Holiday Treats Hot Chocolate TBG Style Here is a recipe for the perfect cold weather treat - French Hot Chocolate TBG Style. And what could be nicer than drinking it from a distinctive holiday mug with a handcrafted sweet from Ma’s Kitchen, both for sale at the TBG Garden Shop. Perfect to pour over coffee, or if you are looking for extra presents this year, serve it over milk for Santa and enjoy with the little ones. I like to top with sweetened whipped cream and enjoy this decadent treat all winter long.

Christmas mugs, handcrafted sweets and a recipe for hot chocolate from the TBG Garden Shop By Rosie Agro Assistant Retail Manager

What you’ll need

• 4 cups whole milk • 12 oz. dark (or bittersweet) chocolate, finely chopped • Pinch kosher salt TBG recommends some twists on the classic by adding; • 1/4 cup brown sugar • Hot coffee • Sweetened whipped cream

Ma’s Kitchen

It’s not the Holidays without some sweet treats! Ma’s Kitchen is a small business created by two local Markham women who wanted to share the delicious recipes of their grandmother, who they called Ma, with the world. These handcrafted sweets, made with the finest of ingredients and the greatest of care, taste just like the holidays. Pick up some Ma’s Kitchen Chocolate and Bark in the Garden Shop for a beautiful gift or treat for yourself. torontobotanicalgarden.ca

• Heat milk in a large saucepan over medium heat just until bubbles appear. • Add in the chocolate and salt. • Cook, whisking constantly, until it's nice and thick, which will take another 4-6 minutes. • Once the chocolate has melted into the milk creating a thick river of melted chocolate you can remove it from the heat and stir in the brown sugar. •TIP Cut your chocolate into small pieces before adding it to your boiling milk it will melt faster and save your arm some whisking.

Winter 2023/2024

Photos: Rosie Agro

Here’s How

Puzzle Pieces

Vogue Dream Wedding

Reviewed by Walter Sliva

his picture was created for the cover of Vogue magazine’s April 1919 Brides’ Issue, depicting a fantasy bride dressed in a lovely white, billowing dress, with flowers and a dove-adorned headdress. She is more mythical than glamorous, as she elegantly emerges from a wall of forested draperies. I particularly enjoyed working with the vast array of shapes and sizes that made up this 1,000-piece puzzle by George Wolfe Plank. Most puzzles use pieces in varying forms of square or rectangular shapes, with often minute differences between them. The Dream Wedding is surprisingly complex, with hardly any pieces similar in shape or size. You have to rely on rather discrete differences in textile pattern design and shades of colour to group the pieces, then twist and turn their complex shapes to fit them together.

London

Reviewed by Lila Yorke

A It’s the sort of picture that almost anyone can enjoy working with, and the puzzle is a real challenge. It requires patience and discipline to find those minute differences that bring the composition together, but super-satisfying when it is finally complete.

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nother puzzle painting by Michael Storrings, London starts with Piccadilly Circus and lots of people, buses, taxis, lights and theatre all mixed together to provide a whirlwind of energy and excitement. This 1,000-piece puzzle was fairly easy to put together because of the number of different buildings, words and colours. After separating the flat edges of the sides, the different coloured pieces and the pieces with parts of letters, the billboard in the centre was a good starting place. The most challenging part was the foreground with all the people and buses. Overall, however, this was a fun puzzle to put together.

Winter 2023/2024

Director of Learning Natalie Harder & friend

Harvest Day was a huge success with free family and youth centred activities welcoming over 500 visitors on Sunday, October 1. Visitors were encouraged to explore the gardens and ravine by visiting a series of activity stations.

Good Things Are Happening

Suspended Landscape: Ode to a Prairie

Don’t miss this exhibition on now until March 2024. With this site-specific installation Canadian stitch artist Amanda McCavour reimagines the Toronto Botanical Garden’s soaring second floor mezzanine as a field of floating flowers, blending fantasy and document, imagination and observation. The installation shifts the perspective of a traditional prairie, inviting viewers to walk underneath— rather than through—a floating field of flowers. Based on the Wisconsin prairie, this work explores plants as markers of memory and place. Indigenous species that she references include goldenrod and milkweed. In Ode to a Prairie, small plants are rendered monumental, creating a dream-like environment. The exhibition is part of Winter Blooms supported by Experience Ontario. The artist would like to acknowledge the support of the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts.

Farmers Market a Big Hit

TBG Farmers Market hosted in partnership with Appletree Markets wrapped up on Thursday, October 5 after a successful relaunch of a 22-week season. Visitors were tempted by fresh produce, artisan products and unique food items from farmers and local small businesses.

Jenny Rhodenizer wins Award

Jenny Rhodenizer, TBG Director of Jenny Rhodenizer, TBG Director of Marketing and Marketing and Audience Audience Engagement, is the 2023 winner of the Garden Tourism Media Person of the Year. The award and Engagement, is flanked by Alexander was presented at the International Garden Tourism Reford, Director Conference in Victoria, BC, on November 2. of Reford Gardens Former TBG Executive Director Harry Jongerden received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the event. in Grand-Metis, Quebec, and Michel The Garden Tourism Awards are presented to organizations and individuals who have distinguished Gauthier, Director of the Canadian Garden themselves in the development and promotion of Council at Butchart garden experiences as tourism attractions and motivators. The awards are organized by the Canadian Gardens, Victoria, BC. Garden Council with recipients being selected by a jury and sponsored by Enterprise Canada. torontobotanicalgarden.ca

Winter 2023/2024

Nuit Blanche at the Garden A remarkable turnout of more than 3,000 visitors, including a new and younger audience, attended the TBG’s first participation in Nuit Blanche overnight on Saturday, September 23. The two installations, IAM by Radha Chaddah and SunEaters by Grace Grothaus, were well received by attendees who also enjoyed visiting the Garden Shop and TBG Bloom Café, that both stayed open until midnight. Thanks to the 16 hardy and cheerful souls who contributed 59 hours of volunteer assistance alongside TBG staff to ensure this first for the TBG ran smoothly.

Unravelling the Question of How?

More than 200 people including researchers, volunteers, professionals, advocates and community members attended the TBG’s daylong Ravine Symposium on November 3 to learn and connect over Toronto’s incredible ravine network and contemplate the question of How? Look for an in-depth report on the event in the Spring 2024 issue of Trellis.

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Garden Obelisks Make use of vertical space in your garden with a 4 or 6-foot obelisk. Made in Toronto exclusively for the Toronto Botanical Garden, these obelisks are superb structures for showcasing and supporting vines and vegetables. Black, powder-coated steel ensures that these towers remain rust-resistant and durable for many years to come. Available throughout the year at the Garden Shop. Available in two sizes: 4 ft $99.99; 6 ft $124.99.

Houseplant Profile Characteristics

The Philodendron ‘Florida Ghost’ possesses characteristics of both its parents. It has inherited the squamiferums unique, hairy and bright red petioles and the leaf shape and colour of both the squamiferum and pedatum. This rare specimen stands out with its shiny, deeply lobed leaves that are ghost-like in shape and colour. Maturing leaves darken to a deep green, striking in contrast to the immature near-white foliage. Some white leaves will even present with green variegation, referred to as ‘Florida Ghost Mint’. This plant can reach up to 0.6 to 1.5 m (2 to 5 feet) tall at maturity. Care

Philodendron ‘Florida Ghost’ likes bright, indirect light By Megan Blacquiere Seasonal Horticulturist

First bred in the 1950s by a Florida botanist named Robert McColley, this stunning plant is a ‘sport’ (a genetic mutation) of the hybrid P. ‘Florida’, a cross between P. squamiferum and P. pedatum. Following McColley’s first hybridization attempt, he went on to produce many others such as P. ‘Black Cardinal’ and P. ‘Royal King’.

This tropical beauty is relatively slow growing and requires bright, indirect light, even soil moisture and high humidity. The ‘Florida Ghost’ parents are found below the canopy in rainforests of Central and South America and use their ability to climb to capture filtered sunlight. In our homes it is best to place the ghost near a window but not in the direct path of the sun. Provide a consistent humidity of 70 per cent through a pebble tray, humidifier, or glass cabinet. This Philodendron will be happiest in temperatures above 10°. Having moderate watering needs means overwatering is of concern more than underwatering. It is best to provide soil with a balanced amount of organic material and good drainage. The Philodendron ‘Florida Ghost’ will form a deep root system to help stabilize it for climbing. It will benefit more from a deep rather than a wider pot and a climbing structure such as a trellis or moss pole. Keep fertilization to once a month in the growing season (spring and summer). Stop fertilizing during the fall and winter months.

Photo: Megan Blacquiere

Common Name: Philodendron ‘Florida Ghost’; Botanical Name: Philodendron squamiferum x pedatum ‘Florida Ghost’ The parents were chosen for their distinct contrasts. Philodendron squamiferum was selected for its stunning appearance: hairy red petioles and dark green foliage, but not for its inability to withstand cold or slow growing nature. Philodendron pedatum was chosen for its resilience to colder temperatures and resistance to many pests and diseases, though not so much for its dull colour. Both parents are a part of the section Schizophyllum of the genus Philodendron and share qualities such as long internodes for climbing, three to five lobed leaves, and prominent inter-primary veins. torontobotanicalgarden.ca

Winter 2023/2024

Diy Lather Up Natural loofah soap makes a great gift By Jenny Rhodenizer Director of Marketing and Audience Engagement

Using a natural loofah in your soap helps exfoliate dry skin and replenish moisture during the winter months. A loofah is a fruit that has fully ripened and been hung to dry. Flattened loofah can be rehydrated and shaped by dipping it in water and drying it again. What you’ll need

• 1 lb natural loofah (purchase or grow your own) • Melt and pour soap base. You can use goat’s milk, shea, avocado or glycerin soap base. (If you want to see the loofah, use glycerin.) • Dried rose petals • Essential oils (rose, eucalyptus, rosemary, lavender or tea tree are relaxing choices.)

Sliced loofah pieces

Loofah mould

Cubed soap base

torontobotanicalgarden.ca

Winter 2023/2024

1. Cut the natural loofah into ½ to 1-inch slices 2. Sprinkle the bottom of the mould with dried rose petals. 3. Cube soap base and melt in a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup: stirring every 30 seconds until melted. 4. Once melted, stir in 15 to 20 drops of essential oil. 5. Fill mould halfway with melted soap. 6. Press the loofah into the soap mould and top with melted soap if space allows. 7. Store and set in a cool, dry place for two to three hours or overnight. 8. Remove from mould and lather up!

Photos: Jenny Rhodenizer

How to make them

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Gordon Ashworth, Board Chair Barb Anie, Dianne Azzarello, Adeline Cheng, Doris Chee, Michele Chandler, Ben Cullen, Tony DiGiovanni, Lisa Ellis, Susan Grundy, Abdullah Hamidi, Margareth Lobo Gault, Haig Seferian, Martin Ship, Janice Winton