It’s Still Just Dirt – May 2015, The Tillsonburg News
by Penny Esseltine

We’re coming up on May 24 this week and that date speaks to gardeners. It’s time to check out annual flower displays that abound at not just professional nurseries and flower shops but also at hardware stores, grocery stores and even convenience stores. Annuals can add instant colour, lovely smells and huge variety to your garden. Here, with comments from some Horticultural Society members, is some timely advice about annuals.

May 24 is traditionally the date to begin planting annuals in your garden. Jan Torrell says, “This is only a guide. It depends on the weather.” You can run the risk of loosing your annuals to a late spring frost if you plant too soon. That being said, many of us feel the time has come for some get-your-hands-in-the-dirt gardening activity.

Annuals (as opposed to perennials that last years, decades, or seemingly forever) go through their whole life cycle in one growing season. They sprout from a seed, grow leaves and roots, produce flowers, create seeds and then die. They are popular with gardeners because, with reasonable care, they bloom their heads off all season long.

Annuals allow you to change the look of your garden from year to year. A garden with a backbone of perennial plants can get interest from different annual accents each year. Christine Nagy says, “Adding annuals is also a nice way to tie your container gardens to your landscape gardens with excellent results.”

Some gardeners choose the same kinds of annuals year after year. They may be sentimental favourites or reliable growers in special garden conditions. Judi Misener says, “Marigolds are really hardy, brightly coloured in various shades of yellow and orange and they keep bugs away.”

Catherine Burke says hot pink geraniums are her favourite. “They are low maintenance, brightly coloured, and they last the whole season long.” Speaking of geraniums, Matt Fenn told horticultural members that when he opened Tillsonburg Garden Gate a few years ago red geraniums were, by far, Tillsonburg’s best loved and best selling annual.

My daughter likes zinnias. They come in short and tall sizes, bloom for a long time, and are drought resistant. But most of all their multiple mixed colours are gorgeous.You can buy them as bedding plants or start them from seed right in your garden.

For gardeners looking for new annuals Landscape Ontario publishes a first look at new cultivars coming to Canadian garden centres this spring in its Garden Inspiration magazine. Sometimes they can be new colours of old favourites. Last year I tried a lovely pink petunia with a bright green edge on the flowers. I think it was called Pretty Much Picasso or possibly Picasso in Pink.

This year there’s Supertina Limoncello described as a vigorous annual petunia hybrid bred to keep blooming in a hot sunny spot. Limoncello has soft yellow flowers with darker yellow centres. Landscape Ontario recommends the medium to large size flowers for filler or spiller in containers, but also in landscapes near the front of the garden.

Sunpatiens impatiens introduced several years ago are a great alternative to traditional impatiens as they are somewhat resistant to impatiens downy mildew. They will grow in sun or shade, rain or shine, and provide non-stop colour from spring until frost. Sunpatiens is available in several new colours including pink, magenta, scarlet, and white.

As well you could choose Jurassic Rex begonias described as ideal for gardens and containers in deep shade environments. The foliage comes in bold colours and patterns that will stand out in the landscape. Jurassic begonias can grow up to 16“ tall and 12” wide. They flower late in the season.

Take your pick from forever favourites or new beauties, or you can even choose one of everything that looks good. Annuals are pretty much guaranteed to get your garden growing and glowing. Enjoy! May 24 has come.

The Tillsonburg Horticultural Society meets at 7:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month in the Senior Centre Auditorium at the Tillsonburg Community Centre. For additional information check us out at tillsonburghorticultural.ca.

It’s Still Just Dirt – April 2015, The Tillsonburg News
by Penny Esseltine

It’s important to warm up and stretch your muscles before and after gardening to help prevent injuries. Occupational Therapist Brenda Fields, speaking to garden enthusiasts at the annual general meeting of District 10 of the Ontario Horticultural Association says some simple preparation can help you garden longer and garden stronger.

“Gardening takes us through a wide range of different movements,” Brenda says, “like squatting, bending, gripping and lifting.” This can result in common gardening injuries like back strain and wrist or knee pain.

When you bend over to do a job like lifting a bag of garden soil you add 100 per cent more load to your back. Brenda says if you twist as well when you bend over and lift you can increase the load by as much as 600 per cent. “The maximum load an average-sized woman should lift is 28 pounds, and for a man it’s 68 pounds.” A 30 litre bag of triple mix weighs in at 28 pounds. There’s a lot of lifting to be done and most gardeners will move a number of bags at one time. Brenda suggests we pace ourselves. “Vary the jobs that you are doing so that you’re using different muscle groups. Do the heavy jobs when you have the most energy.”

“Practice safe lifting techniques,” Brenda says. “Your feet should be shoulder width apart and lift with your legs. Your nose and toes should stay in a straight line. Keep your back straight, and your shoulders back.”

Some additional strategies for safer gardening include:

• Get help if you have an awkward or large load.
• Use a wheel barrow.
• Use tools with handles that have a comfortable grip. The more you squeeze something small the more your muscles will fatigue.
• Wear knee pads or use a kneeling stool.
• Keep tools sharp. It takes less energy to dig or cut with sharper tools.

Before you start to garden warm up by walking briskly around the yard or around the block. Get the blood flowing. Perform gentle stretches and hold each for five to 10 seconds. You can find an outline of good before-you-garden stretches from the Ontario Physiotherapy Association online at opa.on.ca/pdfs/smartgardening.

Looking Ahead

9th Annual Garden Auction
The Horticultural Society’s Annual Garden Auction is set for Tuesday, May 19 in the Lions Auditorium at the Tillsonburg Community Centre. In addition to decorative pots of colourful annuals, masses of amazing perennials, and a variety of largely native shrubs and trees, the auction features a miscellany of bags of gardening soils, seeds and fertilizers, and an enticing selection of garden art and artifacts.

Also for sale in the auditorium you’ll find yummy edibles, gardening books and magazines, herbs and vegetable plants and lots of home-grown and divided perennials. Each year the garden auction raises thousands of dollars that the society uses to support members’ gardening efforts in public spaces.

Keep Tillsonburg Beautiful Day
On Saturday, May 9 environmentalists of all ages will gather to take part in Keep Tillsonburg Beautiful Day. After meeting at the Annandale Baseball Diamonds (Concession Street east of Maple Lane) at 9:00 a.m. volunteers will plant about 1,000 seedlings, the beginnings of a forest for the future in an area separating the baseball diamonds from the railway track to the North. Be sure to bring a shovel. As well as planting trees, volunteers will get to work cleaning up local parks, trails and natural areas.

Lastly, the Tillsonburg Horticultural Society meets at 7:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month in the Senior Centre Auditorium at the Tillsonburg Community Centre. For additional information check us out at tillsonburghorticultural.ca.

The Evolution of a Garden
It’s Still Just Dirt, March 2015 – The Tillsonburg News
by Penny Esseltine

Master Gardener Sean James, speaking at the Stratford Garden Festival, says, “You need to be patient with a garden and think long term. Some of us take a wad of money on the 24th of May weekend and buy what looks good to plant in the garden and that’s it for the season.” Sean is president of Fern Ridge Landscaping, Eco-Consulting, Design, Installation and Maintenance in Milton and he says he fell into landscaping and has since spent much of his life doing what he loves. So here, well in advance of the 24th of May, are some of Sean’s guiding principles for planning your garden.

Sean says to do only as much as you can look after in terms of the size and sophistication of your garden. Start with a plan and it will evolve. “Figure out where things will work best. Modern wisdom is to match plants to soil type whether it is clay or sand.” There’s a huge list of plants for each type of soil.

If it’s hardscaping (walls, patios, ponds, stairs, gates) you’re thinking about it’s important to use proper construction methods for everything. “Do what you can afford to do,” Sean says, “but do it right. Phase things in.”

Gardeners aren’t good at being ruthless Sean says. Think about the problems you have in the garden. Perhaps there’s a tree affected by bronze birch borer or a black pine with brown tips. Think about what will work better in that particular space. “For trees in distress, add six to eight inches of pine mulch from just about the edge of the trunk out to the drip line. This will do more for the health of the tree than any other thing.”

Ten of Sean’s gardening tips

• For energy efficient landscaping plant in the southeast and southwest sections of your property. These garden spaces will help to keep your house cooler in the summer.
• Columnar trees are good for screening but they can get wider than you think. Be sure to allow space. Pick the right plant for the right place.
• Native trees attract all kinds of little critters that will feed on garden pests.
• Avoid invasive plants like English ivy, goutweed and periwinkle. Search for grow me instead information at growmeinsteadontario.ca.
• Planting just one kind of plant in a large area will give it power. Large drifts have visual impact.
• Some of the best plants for shade are solomon’s seal, big root geranium, and flowering raspberry.
• If you are moving a perennial plant be sure to divide it first and plant it in several places.
• Slowly replace sod with more garden by edging your gardens bigger every year.
• Overgrown junipers can be salvaged by pseudo bonsai-ing to downsize them and show their form.
• Using loppers, cut multi-stemmed deciduous shrubs or trees down to ground level in late winter. This is called coppicing. Clear the detritus. Many plants will make new growth from the stump or roots. You can rejuvenate many different shrubs and trees like dogwood, smoke bush, willow and birch using this technique.

Now, back to that big wad of 24th of May cash. Sean recommends dividing it into six parts. Then visit your garden centre each month from May through October and buy the plants that are blooming then. If you plant these in your garden you will have added interest in your gardens all growing season long.

The Tillsonburg Horticultural Society meets on the first Tuesday of each month in the Senior Centre Auditorium at the Tillsonburg Community Centre. For additional information check us out at tillsonburghorticultural.ca.

It’s Still Just Dirt, The Tillsonburg News – February 2015
by Penny Esseltine

Garden festival season is coming up in our part of Ontario. First off the block is the Stratford Garden Festival which runs from March 5 to March 8. Last year it was named the 2014 Festival of the Year by the Canadian Garden Tourism Council so of course it’s a must see for local gardeners. The theme this year is Blooming Beautiful and that is what you will experience with their display gardens created by area landscape businesses. The event takes place at the Stratford Rotary Complex and you can find directions online at stratfordgardenfestival.com.

Among the speakers lined up for Stratford are local favourites Brenda Sutherland and Judy Larkin (Lilies and Daylilies: Eye Candy for Your Garden), Beckie Fox (New Garden? What to do First) and David Hobson (Great Plants: Great Gardens).

David will also speak at the Tillsonburg Horticultural Society’s March 3 meeting and his presentation there is titled Plants to Impress Your Neighbours. Another must see! That’s Tuesday, March 3, starting at 7:30 p.m. in the Senior Centre Auditorium at the Tillsonburg Community Centre. All welcome.

Culture Tillsonburg is celebrating spring with a bus tour to Canada Blooms on Friday, March 20 (the first day of spring). The cost for a ticket is $60 plus HST and for Cultural Improvement Alliance members (which includes Historical Society and Horticultural Society members) the cost is $50 plus HST. This includes a ticket for the show plus the coach ride.

Started in 1997, Canada Blooms is Canada’s premiere garden festival and altogether it runs from March 13 through March 22 this year at the Direct Energy Centre at Exhibition Place in Toronto. Let’s Play is the focus for Canada Blooms and among the feature garden designs competing for space at the show are ones with themes like Pollinator Playground, Backyard Sanctuary, Tic-Tac-Toe, Outdoor Exercise Garden, and Fairy Frolic.

Well-known gardening speakers at the show include Mark Cullen, Denis Flanagan, and Frank Ferragine (aka Frankie Flowers). Speaker presentations are scheduled most days between 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. and for a complete schedule visit canadablooms.com.

In London on April 18 there’s a Carolinian Canada event called Go Wild Grow Wild with workshops, speakers and special exhibits for those who consider themselves native plant gardeners or birders, adventurers, backyard gardeners, seed savers – things like that. It’s at the Agriplex Arena in the Western Fair District. Workshop and speaker information is still being confirmed but for additional information you can visit gowildgrowwild.ca.

I’m writing this column on a day when snow is all around – filling backyards, front yards, sidewalks, and roadways. Temperatures (with the windchill factor) are expected to sink to minus 35 degrees. It’s hard to imagine that on the other side of winter, spring waits. Then we will be able to take our personal garden festival experiences and put them to work in our own gardening spaces. Hurrah!

The Tillsonburg Horticultural Society meets the first Tuesday of the month at 7:30 p.m. in the Senior Centre Auditorium at the Tillsonburg Community Centre. An annual membership in our group costs $15 and comes with a number of great benefits (like a $10 discount on the Culture Tillsonburg Canada Blooms bus excursion). Check us out on line at tillsonburghorticultural.ca.

Weather means more when you are a gardener
It’s Still Just Dirt, The Tillsonburg News – January 2015
by Penny Esseltine

Right out of the gate, early in January, CFPL TV’s former star meteorologist Jay Campbell came to talk to the Tillsonburg Horticultural Society about weather. Weather can be a preoccupation for area residents especially during the winter months, but for gardeners, it’s of year-round interest.

Jay says weather is what happens daily and is measured every hour. You can retrieve extensive information about weather in newspapers, on radio, and on TV, or on line at the Weather Network. There’s an easy link to that from the Tillsonburg Horticultural Society website tillsonburghorticultural.ca.

“Climate,” on the other hand Jay says, “is based on a 30 year average of parameters and is updated every 10 years. The global temperature has been increasing .5 degrees centigrade every year since 1973,” Jay says. “We are getting significantly warmer.”

Some people use folklore to forecast the weather. Things like if the cows are laying down in the field it’s going to rain. There’s red sky at night, sailor’s delight.  Ring around the moon, rain will come soon, is another. Jay says if you count the number of stars inside the ring that will tell you the number of days before rain will come. “I have always been fascinated by folklore,” Jay says. “I have thousands of them.”

Meteorologists on the other hand use any number of instruments including thermometers and barometers. A hygrometer measures humidity and an anemometer measures wind speed. Weather balloons measure weather higher up in the atmosphere and weather satellites track large-scale air movements.

Many factors affect the weather. Extraterrestrial forces is the big one, Jay says. Others include volcanoes, ocean currents and lunar activity, acid rain, ozone depletion, the orbit of the earth, comets and asteroids and greenhouse gases.

For weather specifics we can look to publications like the 2015 Farmers Almanac which gets its information from Environment Canada’s Climate Services. The almanac says that the growing season length in nearby London is 151 days. The last frost of the spring is expected on May 9 and the first frost of the fall on October 8. Unfortunately this information has not been updated in many years. It’s based on 1951-1980 norms.

Similarly, the Canadian Plant Hardiness Zone Map was revised in 2000 using weather data from 1961-1990. This map places Tillsonburg in hardiness zone 6A. Zone 6A plants will tolerate temperatures as low as -17 to -23 degrees celsius. Often  gardeners in our area use zone 5 as our guideline. Perennials from zone 6 will likely be sold as annuals here since they aren’t guaranteed to last the winter. Seed packets and catalogues usually indicate zones for trees, shrubs and flowers.

Looking ahead through 2015 Jay predicts that spring temperatures in March, April, and May will be near normal, possibly slightly higher than normal, but precipitation is expected to be lower than normal. This can result in dryness in the soil. He says he expects June, July, and August temperatures to be above normal.

Jay says Grandma Campbell got him interested in forecasting weather. “I still look at it everyday and I’m always optimistic about the weather. I have four favourite seasons. There’s always something good,” he says.

For gardeners for whom weather is always of interest too, we can listen to the forecasts, use weather instruments of our own, and rely on climate statistics. As well, coming up on February 2, we can watch for Wiarton Willie (the albino, weather-prognosticating groundhog) and his forecast for spring this year.

The Tillsonburg Horticultural Society meets the first Tuesday of the month at 7:30 p.m. in the Senior Centre Auditorium at the Tillsonburg Community Centre. An annual membership in our group cost $15 and comes with a number of really excellent benefits. Check us out on line at tillsonburghorticultural.ca.