It’s Still Just Dirt, The Tillsonburg News – September 2016
by Angela Lassam

Although it is still unusually hot for this time of the year all our gardens are showing signs of the shorter days. Early mornings there is mist over the ponds and it is wet underfoot. The canning and freezing of your harvest has slowed down and now is the time to look at your garden and decide what you would like to change for next year.

I prefer to divide perennials or relocate them in the fall. I have found a huge change in a plant when relocating it contrary to growing directions. There are many ways to divide but it does take time to do it successfully. Simply dig up the plant you need to work with and decide which method you should use from looking at the root.

Different types of root needs different tools. Tubers and rhizomes should be cut with a knife. These include Iris, Dahlias and Cannas. Woody crowns should be sliced with a handsaw. Astilbe, Peonies, Solomons Seal and Bears Breeches can be found in this category. A spade or pitchfork is useful for Bee Balm, Aster, Coneflower, Daylies and Garden Phlox.

Of course the easiest method is by hand and amongst those are Columbines, Jacobs Ladder, Sweet Woodruff and Yarrow. Spurge is a plant that produces a sap which is a skin irritant so care should be taken when handling it. Carnations, Delphiniums and Sea Holly are among those that should not be divided. If you are going to do this there is good information on this website http://www.finegardening.com/10-tips-dividing-perennial-plants.

We are all tempted to deadhead and cleanup but according to Paul Zammit, our speaker of the month we should let our landscape change with the seasons and allow the pollinators the space to keep our gardens thriving in the future. We should not make our gardens look manicured rather leave them as nature intended. Due to the decrease in open land and natural vegetation all pollinators are on the decline as their food sources are depleting worldwide.

The Honey Bee is a species which arrived in Canada with the Europeans. Our native bee is called the Mason Bee. Butterflies, moths, flies, spiders, beetles, ants and bats all contribute to pollination but do not forget that the wind plays a natural part. We need open types of flowers instead of the more popular double varieties to allow the bees to transfer pollen (protein) and nectar (honey). Also if you are adding bulbs to your garden this fall consider some early Crocus as the bees will seek them out. We have been told to help by allowing nature to do its job and not try to alter the biodervisity of the world.

Next meeting is on October 4th @7.30 pm in the Seniors Centre Auditorium, Tillsonburg Community Centre. The presentation is about the Royal Botanical Gardens, Toronto and will be given by John Peters RBG Curator and Manager of Plant Records. Non-members welcome. Non-members $2 per meeting so come and enjoy a social evening. Also you can become a member at any meeting and get extra benefits along with friendship and fun.

Members just a reminder it is the Photo Competition this meeting.
For information about the Tillsonburg Horticultural Society visit tillsonburghorticultural.ca.online.

It’s Still Just Dirt, The Tillsonburg News – August 2016
by Angela Lassam

There seems to be a movement away from the artificial idea of decoration and maybe people are getting tired of all the plastic uses which seem to be destroying our natural surroundings. Are they looking for a return to the natural way many things were done in the past?

The use of edible flowers both wild and those commonly found in our garden is not a new idea. As far back as Biblical times feasts were adorned with vines and flowers that we know today. Dishes were prepared using edible plants both for color and extra taste. Today chefs use edible plants for exotic dishes and to re-invent our basic home cooking. Baking done today would include muffins, cookies, jellies, sauces and special occasion cakes.

Among the many flowers we grow Marigold resembles Saffron (called poor man’s saffron) and it can be used in soups, pasta and salads but only the petals. It is also a bug deterrent for the vegetable garden. Carnation (Dianthus) can be used as cake decorations and steeped in wine. Petals of this flower is used in Chartreuse, a French liqueur. Cornflower can be a table/cake decoration but also is a natural dye. Mint flowers and leaves are used in many Mideastern dishes. Lavender is a much used plant for its fragrance, therapeutic value and culinary flavors. Pansies and violets are great as a crystalized decoration for a special occasion cake or as a topper on cream covered muffins at that special shower. Nasturtium are a known addition to salads and have a distinct nutty flavor. You can do something as easy as freezing flowers in ice cubes to make a simple punch look elegant.

Many wild flowers have been used to help with health problems. Teas, salves and oils were common a long time ago when doctors were far away and folk experimented to find relief from ailments. There are many flowers that have therapeutic properties so here are just a few.

• Chrysanthemum steeped in hot water helps fevers, headaches and colds and as a cooled liquid can be used as a compress for tired eyes.
• Honeysuckle can be made into a paste for skin rashes and also as liquid for gargling as an antibacterial mouthwash.
• Sunflower consumed as a brew helps with ulcers and menstrual cramps.
• One can use the flowering tips and leaves of Heather as a tea or add to a bath to help arthritis and gout.
• Of course do not forget the Rose as vitamin C, also the raw petals increase blood circulation and relieves depression.

All herbal flowers and fruit flowers are edible but be careful that none of them have been sprayed. All need to be used in moderation.  If you need to learn more you will find further reading and recipes online http://www.zocalo.ca/edible-flowers  http://whatscookingamerica.net/EdibleFlowers/EdibleFlowersMain.html

Next meeting is on Sept 6^th @7.30 pm in the Seniors Centre Auditorium, Tillsonburg Community Centre. The speaker is Paul Zammit and he will speak about Pollinators. Non-members welcome. Non-members $2 per meeting so come and enjoy a social evening. Also you can become a member at any meeting and get extra benefits along with friendship and fun.

Members just a reminder it is the Flower Competition this meeting.

For information about the Tillsonburg Horticultural Society visit tillsonburghorticultural.ca.online.

It’s Still Just Dirt, The Tillsonburg News –  June 2016
by Angela Lassam

Now that our gardens have started growing well and looking good around come all the pests – a term I use very loosely. Some are beneficial and others not so. Insects are the main pests but there are others that come to mind including rodents and wild animals.

Insects are our biggest nuisance we think but it is not necessarily so. We do not realize that nature has its own way of solving our munchers. Aphids (plant lice) are probably the ones that most people think of first and one of our worst bad insects. They come in various colours but most of the ones that we we see are the bright green ones on the roses. They can be both winged and wingless and work in large groups. Some secrete a sticky substance called honeydew which in turn attracts their natural enemies – ants, bees, flies and wasps.

Soap spray under the leaves as soon as you see them and keep it up especially after rain. Ladybugs (ladybirds to some of us) like aphids especially but will eat any soft bodied insect. The Asian ladybug which varies from mustard yellow to dark red has taken over the Canadian species as it withstands colder winters so hibernates well. Interesting reading can be found on the Canadian Wildlife Federation: Ladybug 101 website.

Spiders work in our gardens (good insects) weaving webs to catch their food. They work at night then scurry back to the dark spots amongst tall plants and wait for any flying insect to get caught.

Mosquitos are a human nuisance for our health but not for our garden. The same can be said for the Tick.

Ants are common but do not seem to do harm. In the garden they run tiny tunnels so naturally aerate the soil. Peonies when in bud attract ants, which crawl around on the flowers, feasting on the sticky sugars they secrete. Once the flower opens fully, and the sucrose has been consumed, the ants depart, whether they are outside or on someone’s dining room table. Those who have had ants leave their centerpiece and march across their dining table tend to take a dim view of peonies as cut flowers.

There is a simple solution for the ant problem, and it’s one that every commercial peony grower practices: Cut the peonies when they are in bud, before the petals unfurl. If there are ants on the buds, wipe them or shake them off. Then put the peonies in water, and let them bloom inside. It is said ants are good for peonies where they appear in large numbers when the flower is in bud.

Frogs and toads are not liked by everyone but are beneficial to gardeners. Toads should be cared for in our gardens as they will eat over a hundred insects in one night. Their diet includes grubs, slugs, worms, caterpillars, cucumber beetles to name a few. They will hide in any dark damp spot. Their eggs are usually laid in any nearby water in long jelly-like strings becoming tadpoles and eventually toads and migrate to land. They have a dark, crusty skin unlike the frog who has a green often striped skin and white underside. Frogs stay in the pond where they were hatched unlike toads keeping the pond clean. Their calls herald spring in the early evening hours and a great sign for gardeners.

Members enjoyed a great day touring gardens in Toronto’s Kingsway area. Toronto Botanical Gardens organized a garden tour called Through the Garden Gate. The area was built in the 1900s with the Tudor architecture and English style gardens and mature tree-lined streets stretching along a ravine section of the Humber River. Many garden tours can be found in your own vicinity. Both Lions and Lioness clubs usually run them so go enjoy a pleasant day.

The Horticultural Society will return to its monthly meeting schedule on September 6 at 7:30 p.m. in the Seniors Wing Tillsonburg Community Complex. Also for members please check the website for the Photo and Flower Competition details. Enjoy the summer!