What's Growing On - Summer Newsletter

Master Gardeners of Ontario

Serving Ontario for Over 25 Years

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Perennial Border at Les Quatre Vents in Quebec

Canada's Anti Spam Legislation

As of July 1, Canada’s new anti-spam legislation will come into effect. We do not think that this will involve much of a change for us.

Just in case there is an issue that we overlooked, we will be sending email notices of the summer newsletter posting on our website out before the July 1 deadline. 

In this Issue....

Designing for the Future

Edythe Falconer, Ottawa

Some things are meant to be. Our Saskatchewan Farm was “organic” before “organic” achieved a higher profile. Since then I’ve continued to be comfortable with the desirability of food independence, conservation of biological resources, and avoidance of chemical sprays and synthetic amendments. Read more...

Whose Garden is it Anyway – Garden Design Gone to the Dogs

Isabel Belanger - Etobicoke

..... Design takes chaos and gives form and function to a space. 'Form follows function' – and the function of my garden has been to accommodate a succession of dogs over the years, thus dictating the form. Read more...

Deliciously Beautiful Gardens

Mary Beerman, Durham

Gardens serve many purposes. We create gardens to mimic nature; recreating what nature can do but in our own kind. It has been said that we garden to feed our souls.

To truly ‘feed our souls’ we can actually grow plants that nourish our bodies. Read more...

Ecological Design - the Macro and Micro Views

Astrid Muschalla, Etobicoke

main goals - to have the garden invite: shelter (for both humans and wildlife – including insects – think biodiversity); view(s); and rest (think sanctuary/ entertainment). Read more...

Designing the Garden Room

Alexandra Wiens, Prince Edward County

I live in a “barefoot home”. That is, a space where the inside and the outside of the house run together. When I was designing this house I gave a lot of thought to the uses of the interior rooms and that of the adjacent exterior spaces; I wanted to create a harmonious living space. Read more...

Intergrating Native Plants into the Garden Design Makes it Hum

Diane Marchese, Guelph Wellington

It always surprises me when someone finds gardening an act of frustration. Or when they devise a plan for a garden consisting of one type of plant, thinking this will ultimately cut down on their work outside. I had someone once say to me as I stood in my front yard garden, “Image a front yard filled with nothing but hostas.” “What! I proclaimed, that’s asking for trouble.” Are these new landscape aesthetics really working for us? Read more...

Serenety Garden Design

Pam Love, Durham

When you think of a serenity garden, many things come to mind. You might imagine the soft sounds of a wind chime or of a bubbling fountain. You might picture yourself seated comfortably, surrounded by lush plants, sipping a cup of tea. A serenity garden might be a place you go to pray or meditate quietly. Read more...

Planning a Garden

Sandra Goranson, Prince Edward County

John Brookes, who is considered to be one of the most influential garden designers of our times, stated that “ The preservation of our landscapes, of which your garden is part, is vital – and to do this we have to find the essence of our own particular place and work with it.“ The simple version is to work with, rather than challenge, the environment when creating your garden. Look beyond your property to the larger surroundings be they urban or rural, and look at contributing to the whole as well as your own property when designing or redesigning gardens. This does not restrict creativity; rather it asks that creativity will focus on preserving the essence of the place rather than fighting with it. Read more...

President's Message

Jane Beck, President MGOI

In response to our members, local Master Gardener groups across the province, the Ontario Master Gardener Board has established two task forces, one on governance and one on vision for the organization. Representatives, typically Coordinators or past Coordinators from across the province populate these two task forces; our goal will be to have progressive proposals/options to present to our Coordinators at the October 18^th  , 2014 Coordinator’s Conference. These proposals need to support delivery of what the Coordinators told us last fall, was needed. Their focus was on policy, education, communications, partnerships and fundraising, promotion and membership, and events. The goal being that the Board may better serve all its members.

The vision task force is re-writing our vision and establishing the mission and actions to make this vision a reality. The governance task force will be establishing the functions we need at the provincial level as well as a reporting structure(s) for the organization.

The Board and the two task forces have completed a beliefs and assumptions exercise (the question being – are we thinking alike or really quite differently?) and will begin reviewing the functions and hours the Board members spend volunteering their time to the provincial organization. Board members were asked to submit their hours and activities and that report has been summarized and made available to the two task forces.

This is new territory for us, discussions that we’re not used to having and we are moving ahead thoughtfully and with attention to detail.

Insect Art 

Here is a new way of looking at insects in the garden.  Read more...

Master Gardeners in Action

Halton

Proud to be a Master Gardener

Claudette Sims, Halton

Halton Master Gardeners are very fortunate to have Marie Clarke, who is a producer with CBC radio, as a member. Last year, Marie was a driving force behind CBC Radio Hamilton using our Master Gardeners to participate in a one hour online garden chat. When Marie asked me to participate I immediately said yes! Then I said, wait: There’s CBC radio in Hamilton? Then I scrambled to find out what an online chat was! Basically panelists sit at their home computer and sign in to the website at the arranged time; readers join in online; they send in questions and panelists type in the answer. Marie, Halton MG Donna Parker and I, partnered with Carlo Balistrieri, Head of Horticulture at the Royal Botanical Gardens, to frantically reply to the gardening questions sent in via social media.

This year someone had the brainwave to do the online chat concurrently with Ed Lawrence’s popular call in show on CBC Radio’s Ontario Today. Our first chat was scheduled for June 16^th. That morning the phone rang and it was CBC Radio wanting an interview. An audio clip of my interview as well as a blurb about Master Gardeners started off the Ed Lawrence garden call in. I was thrilled to hear Master Gardeners finally getting such great exposure! While Ed was busy answering questions on live radio, Marie and I, along with Jon Peter from the RBG, fielded questions via email, Twitter and the online program. What a success it was. We were overwhelmed with questions and Marie and I answered about 30 questions in 60 minutes. When you consider that you have to read the question, then formulate and type an answer all the while trying to make sure your spelling of Tradescantia or whatever plant your recommending is accurate, we did very well. The pace is exhilarating. Picture a race where you’re carrying 2 buckets of manure tea and have to run without spilling any. That’s kind of what it felt like to me.

This marriage of online chat and live radio call in proved to be such a hit that the CBC asked if we would be willing to do it on a weekly basis. I’m amazed at the exposure it’s given to Master Gardeners. That same evening my neighbour called out to me through the fence to tell me that she’d heard Master Gardeners mentioned on the radio and had said to her husband: Isn’t that the club that Claudette belongs to? When it was followed by my voice on the radio, she was so surprised.

You can actually view the online chat by following the following link:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/news/live-chat-replay-japanese-beetles-emerald-cedars-plant-thieves-1.2679764

Check out the wonderful blurb about Master Gardeners and join us Mondays at 12:30 to 1:30 for ongoing chats this summer.

North Bay

Northbay celebrates their service awards. Here is a photo of the event:

North Bay MGs - Ted Reed, Helen Tripp, Monica McLaren, Pam Hansen,
Vickie Wiemer (Helen McCombie was not present that day)

Toronto

Master Gardeners with Paul Zammit, Nancy Eaton Director of Horticulture
 at the Toronto Botanical Garden, at tree planting June 3rd

On Tuesday, June 3rd, 2014, to commemorate 25 years of community service by the Toronto Master Gardeners, the current, the incoming and two past Executive Coordinators presided at a ceremonial tree planting at the Toronto Botanical Garden.

Several Toronto members took a turn with the spade, backfilling the planting hole in the west lawn south of Lawrence Avenue, where the new Yellowwood tree (Cladrastis kentukea) will eventually reach between 30 and 50 feet in height. This seldom-used tree, which attracts beneficial pollinators, makes a striking specimen, with smooth grey-brown bark and beautiful 30 cm lon sprays of fragrant white blossoms in early summer.

Peterborough

Ontario Volunteer Service Awards were awarded to:

Rachel Burrows – 20 years

Norma Evans – 25 years

Cathy Fraser – 5 years

Karen Hannisse – 10 years

Joan Harding – 5 years

Beryl Harris – 25 years

Milestones

New MGiTs

Halton – Callie Cordoba, Lynn Courtney, Donna Fraser, Justin Godard, Dean Hale, Patty Noonan, Momo Pino, Kate Sault, Bill Sommers, Harold Stahl.

Mississauga – Bev Campeau, Suzanne Moreau

Northumberland – Shelley Fredericks, Brenda Harvey, Jim Henderson, Trisha Whitney

Stratford – Robyn Gallimore, Anu MacIntosh-Murray. Shelly Meyers

New MGs

Haliburton – Marg Chambers

Northumberland – Christa Bisanz, Marg Lee Tolland

Toronto –  Linda Attridge, Anne Avery, Diana Bavington, Joan Bostock, Petra Donnelly, Wendy Halse, Adrienne Hanbidge, Mary LeQuoc, Laurie Manoim, Patty McKnight, Brigitte Richter, Jacqueline Tilford, Paula Wolfson

5 Years

Simcoe County – Louise Jackson, Catherine Waffle

Peterborough – Suzanne Seryck, Cauleen Viscoff

Toronto – Josee Couture, Cathy Kozma, Alan Malcolmson, Christine March, Doryne Peace, Sylvia Sarkus, Sheila Smith

10 Years

Halton – Linda Brentnall, Cathy Kavassalis, Maureen Millar, Claudette Sims,

Haliburton – Winnie Kasepchuk     

North Bay – Pam Hansen, Monica McLaren

Quinte Tweed – Steve Airhart, Peter Hill, Susan Uddenberg

Toronto – Barbara Anderson, Jane Beck, Dawn Bell, Ellen Eyman, Georgie Kennedy

15 Years

Toronto – Catherine Park

20 Years

North Bay – Ted Reed, Helen Tripp

Toronto – Anne Kotyk

25 Years

North Bay – Helen McCombie, Vickie Wiemer

Toronto – Ann Johnson, Anna Leggatt, Alice Wikaruk

Transfers

Peterborough welcomes Emma Murphy who recently transferred from Kitchener.

Moving On

Etobicoke 

Following 10 years of devoted service to Etobicoke Master Gardeners; we wish to thank now Past Coordinator Diane Pettet for her work at the helm of EMG. Diane led our group as it grew to where it is today, an enthusiastic group of individuals, with its Annual Plant Sale, Community activities, many Advice Clinics, not to mention presiding over our monthly meetings at our new, special meeting space at Montgomery's Inn.  As she passes the baton to incoming Coordinator Suzanne Zacharczyk, we can all wish Diane well and hope she enjoys the extra time to spend in her own garden, while she continues to enjoy her participation in the EMGs from a new perspective. Well done, Diane!

Toronto

Elizabeth Stewart has been Communications Coordinator for the Toronto Master Gardeners for close to a decade. She has guided us through new ideas, new projects and made us all the best we can be.  Thank you, Elizabeth.

In Memoriam:  

Kevin Bergevin passed away on May 31, 2104 at the age of 58.  Kevin joined Rideau 1000 Islands Master Gardeners on November 11, 2010.  He enrolled in the Master Gardener course at Guelph University and completed the program in 13 months. In January 2012, while still a Master Gardener in Training, Kevin took on the role of secretary to the group and continued in this role until his illness finally forced him to go on sick leave in mid- March of 2014.  Kevin displayed a vast horticultural knowledge as well as organizational skills, a willingness to support others and an ability to share freely without any sense of superiority. Our friend Kevin was a kind, generous, talented and humble man.  Many of our members have his daylilies in our gardens to remind us of his generosity.  He will be sadly missed by all who came in contact with him.

Events

July 13, 2014, 12:00 – 5:00 p.m.  Rideau 1000 Islands Master Gardeners Garden Tour in Kingston – ‘Gardens to inspire the home gardener’ 12 gardens with unusual designs and inspiring ideas. A Master Gardener will be available at each garden to answer questions.  Tickets $10.00   Check our website www.rideau1000islands.mgoi.ca  for ticket sales locations or call Jeanne Stoness 613-767-7175

July 19 and 20, 2014 – The International Herb Association presents the Herbal event of the decade: ‘Savory Sagas~Herbs for Life’, a two-day, herbalicious conference, at the Eaton Chelsea Hotel in Toronto, with Niagara Herb bus tour July 18th and optional trip to Richters Herbs July 21st.  Join herbalists, gardeners, chefs, cooks, and environmentalists to learn from more than 22 teachers sharing sagas on a wide range of herbal topics and shop for natural products at the free Herbal Marketplace (open to the public).  Register at www.herbsforlife2014.com Conference is open to non-members; one- or two-day options available.  Visit the website for conference fees, speaker and program details and to register. Don’t miss out on this rare chance to learn, share and meet others interested in herbs, natural medicine, natural skin care and gardens.

September 6, 2014 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.  North York Garden Club Annual Flower Show and Café at the Edithvale Community Centre, 131 Finch Ave W, Toronto

October 18, 2014 – 8:30 - 1:00 p.m. at Harmony Centre Owen Sound, 890 4th Avenue East, Owen Sound.  Grey County Master Gardeners will host their annual FREE Fall Gardening Seminars.

Topics and Speakers:

1) "Pollinator-friendly Gardening" - Ursula Karalus, MG

2) "The Secret Life of Plants" - Shannon Wood, Saugeen Conservation Authority

3) " Twiners, Stickers, Clingers, Hookers, and Espaliers" - Brenda Sutherland-Close, Earthbound Gardens.  For more information, or to reserve a seat, please contact the GCMG co-coordinators, Rebecca Baker at  rbmunster@hotmail.com or Margaret-Ann Brennan at  brennanmargaretann@gmail.com

October 19, 2014 - all day Technical Update at Civic Garden Complex, 625 Springbank Drive, London, ON.  Exposed! Dirty Little Secrets and Plant Enemies

Cost: $50.00 for 4 academic speakers, 6 CEUs, lunch, snacks and networking

Contact: questions lonmidmastergardeners@gmail.com  or register on line at www.londonmiddlesexmastergardeners.com 

October 27, 2014 – 8:00 p.m. at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, 3200 Bayview Avenue, Toronto. Forests of the Future: Climate Change and Your Backyard Trees – Alice Casselman - founder of ACER

Designing for the Future

Elderberry

Edythe Falconer, Ottawa

Some things are meant to be. Our Saskatchewan Farm was “organic” before “organic” achieved a higher profile. Since then I’ve continued to be comfortable with the desirability of food independence, conservation of biological resources, and avoidance of chemical sprays and synthetic amendments.

Upon retiring we relocated to a property previously owned by organic growers. We carried on in their tradition from 1995 to 2009. Now back in urban Ottawa, we occupy property with similar heritage. We seem destined to practice conservation in one way or another.

In the past I had come across an article on permaculture that greatly inspired me and continues to influence everything I do in gardens. I don’t pretend to understand the entire science of permaculture. I have cherry-picked parts I feel capable of implementing with reasonable success. My garden design reflects the intents that I want to implement on a year to year basis.

I will:

• Grow plants that have more than one use.
• Support garden needs in more than one way.
• Develop biodiversity to include beneficial insects, birds and plants.
• Incorporate as many native plants as possible.
• Recycle biological resources produced on site.
• Install plant guilds such as beans, squash and corn.
• Glean new ideas from research on pre-Columbian agriculture and horticulture in the Americas.

A favourite example of a multi-use plant is elderberry. Attractive for the entire growing season, it is relatively problem free, attracts birds and produces berries that are edible for humans and offers privacy along property lines. Multiple use plants such as fruit trees, perennial vegetables and berry bushes dot our property.

Our barrel system catches rainwater and our pond helps during dry spells. Four barrels are connected to eave troughs and two more receive syphoned water. We have recourse to city water but for gardening we can usually rely on barrel water. The water supply is further supported through improving soil with regular additions of organic material. Well-fed soil can retain up to 75% of the moisture needed for sustaining plants and for a longer periods.

As for biodiversity, a wide variety of plants have been installed hopefully with the capacity to attract pollinators all season long – mastering continuous bloom. This principle serves both aesthetic and practical purposes. Garden performance is improved greatly with the presence of a multitude of pollinators.

Native plants are regularly combined with cultivars and coexist quite successfully. Currently fifty or more native plants flourish in their “multicultural” setting. Almost all are low-maintenance once established. My favorite multiuse native is Boneset – for its lovely structure and for its ability to attract a slews of pollinators. We may have destroyed much of native natural habitat. We can prevent extinction by introducing them into urban gardens.

We have created five new beds since coming back to town all of which have been built via a modified version of the lasagna method. In the first year they aren’t all that attractive but once the permanent plantings settle in and some proper edging is done they look great. All five beds boast layers of material harvested on site. Currently we have four composters on the go. Two more are just getting started in the form of hugels framed by squares of surplus building materials. I can thank Sally Jean Cunningham for this idea. Eventually the hugels will morph into planters for combinations of edibles and/or ornamentals.

For me a garden is an ongoing process toward an imagined state of perfection. Our mega garden is composed of smaller gardens each with its own label – front, central east, southeast, composter/shed area, vegetable enclosure and external surrounds, apple tree central, apple tree west, and west side. These smaller gardens provide a multitude of edges and each has its own design needs – needs that still need to relate to each other in some form of coherence.

They should relate on two levels – one pertaining to the principles outlined above and the other in terms of what each contributes to the garden as a whole. Therefore in each garden I endeavour to apply as many of the features of permaculture as possible while at the same time paying attention to the principles and elements of good garden design.

As I have previously noted I define “garden” as an ongoing process toward an imagined state of perfection. Amen!

Whose Garden is it Anyway – Garden Design Gone to the Dogs

Isabel's Dog's Garden

Isabel Belanger - Etobicoke

Landscape design is both a subjective and an objective response to the environment. The objective response is based on established, time-honoured rules: design elements and design principles.

Design elements include line, shape (convergence of two lines to create a two dimensional object), mass (the third dimension), form (shape and structure), space, texture, and colour. Design principles are the method used to arrange design elements to achieve a desired effect, and include rhythm, repetition, balance + symmetry, diversity, unity, emphasis, and focal point. ¹

Therefore design is premised on both mathematics and science, and psychology: the psyche's response to the environment, conscious and unconscious. Design takes chaos and

gives form and function to a space. 'Form follows function'² – and the function of my garden has been to accommodate a succession of dogs over the years, thus dictating the form.

For many last year's ice storm gave new meaning to the term garden design, or redesign. Add to the mix a new dog, previous designs geared to the psyches of beloved dogs of the past, an 18' x 50' garden which includes an 18' x 12' wooden deck off the house, a garage at the back, and you have a recipe for design disaster. Then add the focal point (design principle #7): a 20' Japanese maple right in the middle of the (not including the deck) garden. This is the design nightmare of a small yard with full sun in spring and lots of shade by the end of May. Darcy is our new, 16 month old adolescent black-brindle Labrador Retriever mix rescue dog, and we have had him for three months now. He is still fixing the garden to suit himself.

The best plan of attack when designing a small garden around a new dog is to study the line of direct descent into the garden. Darcy is anathema to squirrels, but unlike Morse our previous Borador (Border Collie/Labrador Retriever) who tiptoed through the garden and actually caught one, Darcy has all the stealth of a herd of elephants. It takes him two jumps to get to the cedar tree at the left side of the garage in the back. I have already transplanted the plants from the rear left circle surrounding the Japanese maple. So much for balance; asymmetry is the new balance. I am slowly building a landing pad (aka patio), which, in 27 years here, I had not once contemplated.

1 pp. 53-56. Designing the Landscape: The Horticulturist Certificate. University of Guelph. 2007.

2 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Form_follows_function.   

Deliciously Beautiful Gardens

Roma Tomatoes

Mary Beerman, Durham

Gardens serve many purposes. We create gardens to mimic nature; recreating what nature can do but in our own kind. It has been said that we garden to feed our souls.

To truly ‘feed our souls’ we can actually grow plants that nourish our bodies. Our thoughts about food gardens take us to a completely different type of garden: the vegetable garden, the kitchen garden, the potager. Edible plants include vegetables, fruits and herbs. Growing these plants in a separate garden may make gardening easier however most of us do not have the luxury of space and there is growing scientific evidence to show that growing our ornamental plants and our edible plants together is better. It makes the most of companion planting advantages and therefore requires less energy input by the entire environmental system including ourselves as the nurturers.

To embark on this critical point of redesign, a closer mimic of nature, we need to clearly delineate what our cool and warm season crops are. They perform differently at different times of the growing season. Cool season crops are spring and fall producers like the leafy greens of spinach, kale, mache, arugula, endive and swiss chard. Root vegetables like potatoes, carrots, onions, radishes, beets as well as peas are also cool season plants. Warm season plants come to life in the heat of the summer; plants like beans, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, cucumbers, squash and melons.

A second point to consider is which plants die back after harvest or are completely removed. Some plant will retain their foliage and can remain in the garden landscape perennially. Think of most of the berry plants. Herbs are hardy performers and usually increase exponentially in size when pruned or thinned. Many can over winter and respond well to transplanting indoors during the coldest months. All the leafy greens will re-grow several times after cutting. The trick to incorporating these plants is that eventually, during the hottest months they tend to go to seed quickly or slow in growth leaving a potential hole in your garden landscape. Root vegetables require some careful landscape design consideration since they gain full size each growing season and usually need to be removed at some point, disturbing the earth around them.

A final consideration is the growing habit of the plant. Is it a low grower, mounding, a bush, a vine, a tree? Isn’t this sounding like the design choices you’d make if you were choosing an ornamental plant?

Enjoy the challenge and pleasure of a garden to eat and breath in. Plant edibles!

Ecological Design - the Macro and Micro Views

Mason Bee House

Astrid Muschalla, Etobicoke

MACRO

1. main goals - to have the garden invite: shelter (for both humans and wildlife – including insects – think biodiversity); view(s); and rest (think sanctuary/ entertainment).
2. Many ways to achieve goals – with: plants (think multi-story); hardscaping (think water conservation/collection); structures (growing food vertically, creative composts); berms (windbreak/privacy); lighting; artwork; furniture.
3. Follow general design principles and elements: focal point, balance, scale, harmony, flow/ rhythm, surprise; form, shape, texture, line, colour, space.
4. What style depends on existing elements like: house; trees; location; views; natural resources, how the yard gets used – or would like to be used; how much time to spend on maintenance; resources; personality (what kind of statement do you want to make?). No matter, which style, the goal here is to work with nature – think ecological/sustainable.
5. Start with one area first, and build on from there.

MICRO

1. Follow design principles throughout all the seasons. 
2. Designing a garden bed is easier if you break it down into scenes or  ‘garden vignettes’ using the design elements: that is, a series of well-chosen plant groupings (think ecologically compatible and multi-storey); think like a photographer, composing pleasing scenes with a small group of plants.
3. How to start with a vignette - the art of combining plants effectively - choose a grouping of  5 – 7 plants that are ecologically compatible (not only same growing conditions but exist in nature together). Think of the large and small views, starting with a focal point, which can be a plant/shrub/tree or art, etc.
4. If a plant can fulfill several design roles in a vignette it strengthens the overall design.
5. When adding flowers as colour accents, limit the colours you use and put the emphasis on harmonious combinations while adding a contrasting colour for excitement. i.e. echo a colour in a foliage plant with a colour of the flowering plant. If it’s yellow, you could energize with a contrasting (complimentary) colour like blue.
6. Always leave room for the element of surprise – could be a hidden view as you stroll through the garden or a random gift from nature - a garden vagabond. Garden vagabonds create serendipity – what you lose in control you gain in adventure – you may be surprised by a perfect combo that you never thought of before.

Designing the Garden Room

Garden Room

Alexandra Wiens, Prince Edward County

I live in a “barefoot home”. That is, a space where the inside and the outside of the house run together. When I was designing this house I gave a lot of thought to the uses of the interior rooms and that of the adjacent exterior spaces; I wanted to create a harmonious living space.

Designing a garden follows some of the same principles employed in interior design. The exterior environment should reflect good design guidelines; just we create interior rooms that have functionality, beauty and practicality.

Form follows function:

In any interior space the design of a room follows its use. In the garden, the same rule should hold true. It is important to site things according to how you use the space. A lovely kitchen garden filled with vegetables should be as close as possible to the kitchen. Chances are, if it is too far to be convenient, you will never remember to pick your lettuce before it bolts. Try to site it somewhere where you pass on a daily basis, if only to see what is ready to use. Herbs are far better in containers next to the barbecue, or in a kitchen window box, than if they are tucked away at the bottom of the garden.

Consider the viewpoint:

What can you see from the interior of the house? If you have spent a lot of money on the foundation planting but nothing elsewhere, chances are the view from inside is a bit barren. I have seen many gardens with a lovely Japanese maple or purple ninebark planted in a location where they can only be enjoyed when outside. Considering that these plants show their best color in the fall when we are moving back indoors might convince the gardener to put them somewhere where they can been seen from a window. How about planting a copse of birches where you can hang a birdfeeder in the winter. Sighting it at a distance from a living room window in the winter will reward you with a lovely flash of red cardinal on a white bough in the dullest part of the year.

The rule of three:

In interior design we use the rule of three to guide us when deciding the proportions of things. Cutting a wall exactly in half when installing bead board molding does not make for a pleasing look; rules of proportion call for a 2/3 to 1/3 ratio. In choosing plants the same rule holds true. Mixing heights proportionally makes for a more interesting composition. Avoid bisecting walls and fences exactly in half when choosing plants for height. Symmetrical composition (one shrub on each side of the entrance) is never as interesting as asymmetry: two shrubs of varying sizes on one side, one of another size on the other. Decide to plant perennials in groups of three or five for the best visual effect. When introducing annuals, avoid planting straight lines of salvia or geraniums, for example, that look is better left to public parks, it tends to look unnatural in the home garden.

Embrace the curved line:

It has been often said “there are no straight lines in nature”. This is quite true, even the trunks of trees develop interesting small twists as they grow towards the light. In the garden, the most pleasing line is a curve. Try to create paths that wind naturally from place to place. If it is necessary to have a ramrod straight path to the house, soften the effect with some low growing ground covers that may lap naturally over the edges of the sidewalk. Sometimes the straight line is unavoidable, say in a kitchen or cutting garden when neat rows make the plants easy to tend, but try to limit its use through most of the garden space. Just as we soften the edges of our windows with window treatments we should soften the edges of our garden beds. The most pleasing line is the curved line, which leads our eye naturally from place to place.

Place accents with care:

In the interior we play up our rooms with carefully chosen accent pieces to add interest; these can be seasonal and changed frequently or permanently sited. In the garden the same holds true. Pots changed with the three seasons can be moved from deck to patio and provide an easy burst of color. Seasonal color can also be added in a shady spot by introducing pots of shade annuals. Put garden furniture in areas where some pleasant blooms can be observed during that particular month. Try a garden bench in an area that presents an interesting viewpoint. Planting minor bulbs at the entrance to the house will give you a lift as you go in and out during those wet spring days. Think about minimizing the less attractive (service) areas of the garden with fences or green screens that hide the compost bin or blue box area. Try not to overdo the garden accents. An entire side table of glassware or china pieces ends up looking cluttered. The same holds true in the garden, one piece of statuary well sited in an attractive border is as effective as a whole group of garden gnomes.

Finally, put your own stamp on it. This garden is yours and should reflect your personality, just as your home reflects your lifestyle.

Intergrating Native Plants into the Garden Design Makes it Hum

  Butterfly Weed, Asclepias tuberosa

Diane Marchese, Guelph Wellington

(a version of this article was published in the Puslinch Pioneer Community Newspaper)

It always surprises me when someone finds gardening an act of frustration. Or when they devise a plan for a garden consisting of one type of plant, thinking this will ultimately cut down on their work outside. I had someone once say to me as I stood in my front yard garden, “Image a front yard filled with nothing but hostas.” “What! I proclaimed, that’s asking for trouble.” Are these new landscape aesthetics really working for us?

Before I became a Master Gardener I didn’t think twice about native plants. I probably wouldn’t have been able to name one. But now, I treasure them, the true native plants that flourish in our environment. These native plants have adapted to our land due to the accumulated wisdom they’ve developed over thousands of years and assimilated within their DNA. They are adapted to our climate, soil and weather trends. When not interfered with by chemical-poisoning, fertilizers and the invasive competition of alien plants they will thrive and require less water and very little ongoing long term maintenance.

Native plants also nurture the environment. This year there’s a great deal of attention being paid to the plight of the Monarch butterfly.

http://www.davidsuzuki.org/what-you-can-do/what-you-can-do-to-bring-back-monarch-butterflies/

Studies have revealed that the Monarch butterfly migration is at its lowest in 20 years. Several reasons account for these startling numbers; chiefly severe drought and herbicide use, which are killing the milkweed plants that these butterflies require for laying their eggs and for the caterpillars to feed on. Other necessary wildflowers that offer nectar for the adult butterfly have been severely decimated.

It’s so easy to include a few native plants in your garden beds or even develop an area of your garden for butterflies that are filled with nectar giving plants.

Consider some of these plants in your garden as you organize your plant list of “Must have plants”: remember if you use the Latin name, you are requesting the correct plant by its scientific name and any nursery or greenhouse should be able to access the exact plant for you. Start out with planting:

Beebalm, Monarda didyma 

Black-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia hirtae 

False Sunflower, Heliopsis helianthoides 

New England Aster, Aster novar-angliae 

Pasque flower, Anemone patens 

Purple Coneflower, Echinacea palida 

Wild Bergamot, Monarda fistulosa 

Blazing Star, Liatris spicata 

Joe Pye, Eupatorium maculatum 

Colombine,  Aquilegea

Butterfly Weed, Asclepias tuberosa 

Swamp Milkweed, Asclepias incarnate 

http://www.pollinationguelph.ca/

Developing our gardens with the diversity of native plants will also contribute to our own health. After all a garden is never finished and there’s always something to do. Gardens breathe, grow and are constantly communicating, nurturing interactions with other plants, birds and yes butterflies. A healthy garden makes lots of noise, with birds singing, bees buzzing and insects humming. All that activity insures that, as it grows, your garden can offer shelter and protection to the pollinators who make it grow.

http://www.ontarioinvasiveplants.ca/files/GMI_Booklet_spreads_2011_Final_web.pdf

Serenity Garden Design

Japanese Serenity Garden

Pam Love, Durham

When you think of a serenity garden, many things come to mind. You might imagine the soft sounds of a wind chime or of a bubbling fountain. You might picture yourself seated comfortably, surrounded by lush plants, sipping a cup of tea. A serenity garden might be a place you go to pray or meditate quietly.

Your own serenity garden should be a combination of elements that you find peaceful and soothing, and you should design your serenity garden so that you feel calmed and renewed each time you visit it. There is no right or wrong way. I offer some suggestions.

Get inspired! Search the web, garden shows and centres, review books and magazines.

It's best to have a budget. Can you afford to design your garden all at once or is it something you can break up into several small projects over a number of years? How can you achieve a similar result at less expense? Do not let “spenders guilt” ruin your serenity.

Find a quiet secluded spot. You may need screening, which can be achieved with hedges, and fencing that can also act as a sound buffer

Sitting down in the garden makes you feel a part of it. Find a comfortable chair, bench or my favourite a garden swing for napping. Items made of wood will blend in naturally. Place it so you can admire the entire garden or a specific feature.

If you like certain sounds, include water, wind chimes, or bird feeders. Incorporate pleasing scents as well. Create a shelter from sun and rain using a gazebo, trees, pergola or umbrella. Pick one sculpture, statue, ornament, altar, or rock that inspires calmness in you. Include some specific empty spaces if you have room. Little empty areas can be surprisingly restful.

Remember less is more.

Cool colors such as green, blue , violet are more soothing as are tints or pastels of these shades. Instead of white, use greys and silver.

Avoid large contrasts in other design principles such as heights and textures and use fewer plant types. Plants of a more uniform height are more soothing than big ones next to little ones. Using rounded curves in bed design or pathways gives a calming effect as well as horizontal lines.

Finally choose plants that require the least maintenance. You do not want constant reminders of what has to be done. Instead take the time to be still and enjoy.