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Celeb gardeners' greatest gardening... Celeb gardeners' greatest gardening...
Celeb gardeners' greatest gardening... of"What has been your greatest gardening challenge?" "What has been your greatest gardening challenge?"Wilf NichollsSt. John’sDirector, Botanical Garden, Memorial University of NewfoundlandTime. My home garden is currently a utilitarian playground for two dogs and a great disappointment to my neighbours, who, given my profession, harboured such high hopes. When I retire many years from now, I promise to dedicate more time to the yard to make my wife and the neighbours proud.Charlie DobbinRichmond Hill, Ont.Owner, Garden Solutions by Charlie DobbinMy super-hot, sunny front yard, which doubles as a basketball court. This combined function has taught me what will survive the acid test of boys and balls. Junipers, roses and geraniums take an amazing amount of abuse, but it’s the spiky yuccas that really take the prize. Alexander RefordGrand-Métis, Que.Director, The Reford GardensKeeping a classic public garden progressive. Our challenge is to continually find new ways to surprise and inspire increasingly more knowledgeable visitors with leading-edge plants, colours, combinations and design.Jim HoleSt. Albert, Alta.Co-owner, Hole’s GreenhousesCompromise. I can’t resist bringing ailing and underperforming plants home from the nursery in order to observe their growth habits. It’s a great learning opportunity, but it certainly makes the aesthetics of our garden go down the tubes. My wife, who would dearly love a pretty garden, is not amused.Des KennedyDenman Island, B.C.AuthorComing to terms with the fact that no matter how long and hard one works, or how dutifully one peruses the manuals, takes courses from the masters and visits great gardens far and wide, one remains little more than a gardening novice with a very, very long way still to go.Guest star: Toller CranstonSan Miguel de Allende, MexicoArtist, author, Olympic medal-winning skaterA freak cold snap early in 1994, which blanketed everything for miles around San Miguel de Allende with a thick coat of ice. It looked fascinating, but completely destroyed my semi-tropical, 1.5-acre garden. Today, in my usual more-is-not-nearly-enough style, I’ve just about finished rebuilding my lush garden paradise.- Credit
- Carol Cowan
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Essentials for no-fail gardening Essentials for no-fail gardening
Essentials for no-fail gardening ofTips for no-fail gardening Right plant, right place: It's not enough just to go for plants you like. For a thriving garden, choose those suited to your growing conditions.• Light levels: Typically, unless surrounded by huge shade trees, your garden will have some areas of full sun, as well as spots shaded by trees or buildings.• Full sun: Many flowering perennials and most roses do best in full sun—at least six hours daily. With only two to three hours of sunlight, sun-lovers will struggle to survive.• Shade or part shade: For a bed that receives sun only part of the day, choose plants that thrive in shade or part shade. Besides astilbes and hostas, try cranesbills (hardy perennial geraniums), bleeding hearts, foxgloves, columbines andcoral bells, to name a few.• Buying plants: Good garden centres group plants according to their sun and shade requirements. Trees and shrubs also have light preferences, so read the plant tags and do some research before choosing. Getting your soil ready for planting Aside from light levels, plants can be picky about soil conditions, so before planting, nourish your soil. Most plants thrive in soil that's moist but well drained – a seeming contradiction that means soil is moisture retentive, but not too wet. The ideal garden soil has the consistency of crumbly chocolate cake and is easy to dig. • The way to improve almost any kind of soil – from sticky clay to porous sandy soil – is the same: add humus (composted manure, compost or leaf mould, or any combination of these materials). In sandy conditions, humus acts like a sponge to hold moisture, while in clay, it breaks up sticky particles to create larger pore spaces that drain more easily and hold the oxygen plant roots need.• Remove grass or other existing vegetation with a flat spade or kill it with a glyphosate herbicide (if permitted in your region). Don't just till a weedy or grassy area and plant directly into it – grass and perennial weeds can re-grow from small pieces of root or stem left in the ground. • With the existing vegetation removed, spread about five to seven centimeters of humus over the garden bed and dig it in. Once you've raked the area smooth, you're ready to plant.Look at your garden regularlyBe sure to stroll through your garden every few days to spot problems before they get out of control and turn into major chores. • Watering new plants: Keep the soil moist around new plants for about six to eight weeks to help them develop good, strong root systems.• Weeding: Remove weeds promptly; it's easier to pull small weeds than larger, deeply rooted ones. Be sure to pull them before they go to seed. Hint: Go out after a rainy day when soil is soft and moist – the weeds will be easier to remove.• Use mulch: A five to 7.5 centimetre layer of mulch applied over bare soil between plants keeps down weeds and helps to keep soil moist. Commonly available mulches are straw (don't use hay, which has too many weed seeds), cocoa bean hulls or shredded bark. Yvonne Cunnington writes a Novice Gardener column for Canadian Gardening. For more gardening information, visit her website at Flower Gardening Made Easy.- Credit
- Yvonne Cunnington
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Digging in Digging in
Digging in ofDigging In If you're new to gardening and have decided this is the spring to sink a spade into your first flower bed, you may be thinking: "Yikes, where do I start?" Well, I'm here to help. I remember my first experience with gardening, almost 15 years ago, poking around the yard of the older home my husband and I had just bought, wondering what was going to come up.Back then, I didn't know a forget-me-not from a columbine. I learned by digging in, as I'd had some practice in my mother's garden while growing up, but I had no grand plan, just raw enthusiasm. In fact, I moved plants around so much that my husband joked my perennials ought to have come with wheels instead of roots.So don't worry if you don't have a solid plan for your garden yet – most gardens evolve. Once you've learned a few horticultural basics and discovered what appeals to you, you'll have a better idea of the sort of garden you want to create.The first big step is choosing the proper gardening tools. In fact, well-made tools can often make the difference between frustration and enjoyment, so invest in quality ones, which are usually carried by specialist suppliers.The basicsSpade and shovel• A spade has a narrow, long, squared-off blade for turning soil and marking planting holes; a rounded shovel with a long handle is ideal for planting trees and shrubs.• Look for forged metal heads and handles that fit securely into the shaft.• Hardwood handles should have a varnished finish, fit comfortable in your hands and not feel too heave.• Optional: a digging fork to break up soil clumps,Hand trowel• A small shovel-like hand tool with a sturdy grip; useful for planting annuals, transplanting vegetables and container gardening.Rakes• A stiff-tined metal one for leveling soil and removing small stones, plus a fan-stlye rake to clean up fall leaves.Running shears, or secateurs• For light pruning and cutting back perennials. Look for a bypass model (which has a curved blade that passes by a fixed base), forged steel blades, a strong spring and comfortable handles.• Lopping pruners have longer handles and bigger blades for cutting more substantial branches.For weeding• A standard hoe is perfect for small weeds.• For mulched beds (where soil is covered with a layer of wood chips or straw), use a weeding knife that you push into the ground close to the weed's stem. This will loosen the soil so you can pull out the weed – roots and all. I swear by the Japanese Farmer's Knife from Lee Valley Tools.For moving stuff around• A wheelbarrow or garden cart will spare your back when hauling soil, pots and plants.For creature comfort• A gardener's kneeling pad is more comfortable than strap-on kneepads.• Lightweight, good-quality gardening gloves.• A gardener's tool belt to hold hand tools and seed packets.• Sunscreen and a wide-brimmed hat.Books for beginners:The Garden Primer by Barbara Damrosch, Workman Publishing Company, 688 pages, softcover, $26.95.What Grows Here by Jim Hole, Hole's, 256 pages, softcover, $19.95.Clueless in the Garden: A Guide for the Horticulturally Helpless by Yvonne Cunnington, Key Porter, 200 pages, softcover, $21.95.Gardening for Canadians for Dummies by Liz Primeau, Mike MacCaskey, Bill Marken, John Wiley & Sons, 456 pages, softcover, $29.99.- Credit
- Yvonne Cunnington
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My desert island plant My desert island plant
My desert island plant ofMy Desert Island Plant If you were allowed just one garden plant, what would it be?Charlie DobbinRichmond Hill, Ont.Owner, Garden Solutions by Charlie DobbinA big tree. It's always 10 degrees cooler under the dense shade of, say, an oak or a maple. And one tree removes 12 kilograms of carbon dioxide from the air, which is equivalent to 18,000 kilometre's worth of car emissions.Jim HoleSt. Albert, Alta.Co-owner, Hole's GreenhousesNothing makes a bolder statement - or evokes more romantic memories of holidays in the sun-than bougainvillea. I keep mine inside in winter and put it outdoors in spring. By early summer, it's covered with some 400 magenta flowers, and blooms until frost.Wilf NichollsSt. John'sDirector, Botanical Garden, Memorial University of NewfoundlandI love alpine pasque flower (Pulsatilla alpina ssp. apiifolia). It nods up with stunning yellow flowers, then leaves behind great big fuzzy knock-your-socks-off seedheads - so don't deadhead it!Des KennedyDenman Island, B.C.Author The noble garlic. Lovely to behold, easy to cultivate, a treasure to taste and spectacularly health-inducing, Allium sativum also has, as old Aristophanes himself testified, the capacity for restoring masculine vigour. When I'm old and possibly in need, I'm sure I'll love it all the more.Robert BatemanSalt Spring Island, B.C.ArtistMoss. I'll do almost anything to encourage its growth. Whether it's on the apple trees in my orchard or old stone walls in Europe, moss lifts my heart. For me, west coast and tropical mossy forests are almost sacred places. Hmm, I hope that's not sacrilegious. Alexander RefordGrand-Métis, Que. Director, The Reford GardensThe Himalayan blue poppy Meconopsis is the most mysterious and exotic non-native plant in our gardens. Yes, it's difficult to grow, but doesn't that add to the adventure? Four weeks of breathtaking glory are worth the trouble.- Credit
- Carol Cowan
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Fall Gardening Tips Fall Gardening Tips
Fall Gardening Tips ofAdvice on Autumn Tasks To some novice gardeners, it may come as news that autumn - with its garden centre sales, moderate temperatures and plentiful rainfall - is a great time to garden. Before you start readying your patch for winter (see “Seasonal Dos and Don'ts), plant perennials in early fall so they'll have time to establish their root systems (bearded and Siberian irises, peonies and lilies do especially well when planted in autumn). However, avoid planting or dividing ornamental grasses; many are warm-season growers that won't establish if planted in fall. Others that also prefer to be planted in the spring include yews, magnolias, katsura (Cercidiphyllum japonicum), mountain ash (Sorbus), dogwood (Cornus), beech (Fagus), tulip trees (Liriodendron tulipifera), Japanese and red maples (Acer palmatum, A. rubrum), and white oaks (Quercus alba). Another fall ritual is planting bulbs such as tulips, daffodils, crocuses and snowdrops (Galanthus), for spring colour. Tuck them into the ground before hard frosts come and choose big bulbs for larger flowers. Plant in well-drained soil at least six weeks before soil freezes; start with smaller ones (such as snowdrops and crocuses), as they don't keep as well, followed by larger species such as daffodils and tulips. Position bulbs pointed end up, three times deeper than their height (for example, plant a 6.5-centimetre daffodil bulb 20 centimetres deep). Those that don't have an obvious pointed end (or ones you're uncertain about) can be planted sideways; they will right themselves as they grow. Seasonal Dos & Don'ts Seasonal Dos & Don'tsDO cut back finished annuals, diseased plants or any that may take over if allowed to self-seed freely.DO cut back peony, iris and hosta foliage, which can harbour pests and diseases.DON'T cut back perennials too early. Leave some standing through winter, as seed heads and coloured foliage can be beautiful, while seeds feed migrating birds.DO rake and remove leaves from the lawn every week; grass needs sunlight in fall for strong growth in spring. DON'T leave flower beds bare-mulch with fallen leaves. If possible, shred leaves first using a lawn mower.DO continue to water if the weather is dry; perennials and woody types-especially newly planted ones and evergreens, including broadleaf types such as euonymus-need moisture to survive winter. DO use winter mulch to help soil maintain a more even temperature. This helps plants survive where alternating periods of freezing and thawing don't provide consistent snow cover. Lay cut up boughs from Christmas trees on beds to trap snow that might otherwise blow away.Resources:For flowering bulb information, visit www.bulb.com; advice on planting and caring for trees: The Tree Doctor by Daniel and Erin Prendergast, Key Porter, 144 pages, softcover, $26.95. More tips on getting ready for winter: Clueless in the Garden: A Guide for the Horticulturally Helpless by Yvonne Cunnington, Key Porter, 200 pages, softcover, $21.95. See chapter 14 for a list of when to do what in the garden.- Credit
- Yvonne Cunnington
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5 easy steps for a weed-free garden 5 easy steps for a weed-free garden
5 easy steps for a weed-free garden of5 steps for a weed-free garden New gardeners can be forgiven for thinking that weeds are unwelcome garden guests invited by nature to drive them crazy. Not quite: nature abhors a vacuum and has an arsenal of opportunistic plants that colonize open soil very quickly. Tough and fast-growing, weeds can easily out-compete desirable plants if you don't take firm control.How to outsmart weeds1 Know your enemy The first step is to distinguish the weeds from the garden plants (for photos of some common weeds, check out www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/facts/ontweeds/weedgal.htm). This can be a challenge, as both may look alike to the novice. However, in spring, weeds tend to grow and green up before many perennials even get started, and most produce tiny flowers that bloom and go to seed quickly. Weedy plants also tend to have a somewhat acrid odour, so breaking off a piece of stem and sniffing it may give you a clue. 2 Turf the turfDo a thorough job of getting rid of lawn or turf grasses and perennial weeds before you plant. Never just rototill an area then plant directly into it because grass and perennial weeds can regrow from small pieces of root or stem left in the ground. It's best to turn over the soil with a digging fork, breaking up any clods and removing any roots you find. As a last resort, gentle herbicides such as Roundup can be used, carefully following package directions (more than one treatment may be required). A non-chemical way to kill off weeds and grass is to cover the ground with commercially available black plastic, but this can take up to a year to be effective. 3 Observe the landWhen you see a weed, remove it immediately. When small, they're easier to pull up or hoe out. Less tugging will be required if the soil is moist. Don't allow weeds to go to seed and multiply, and don't compost them.4 Mow with careBe sure to mow away from your garden beds -- lawn clippings may contain weed seeds. 5 Muchos mulchTo suppress weeds once you've planted, layer about 7.5 centimetres of mulch over bare soil between plants. Commonly available mulches include straw (not hay-too many weed seeds), cocoa bean hulls and shredded cedar bark. Basically, mulch keeps weeds down by blocking out the light they need to germinate. Do you have the latest issue of Canadian Gardening? Click here to buy it now! Weeds 101 and online resources Weeds to the wiseAnnual weeds:• Summer annual (one season) weeds such as lambs'-quarters (Chenopodium album) and ragweed sprout in spring and go to seed in late summer and fall. • Winter annuals such as common chickweed (Stellaria media) sprout in fall and go to seed in spring or early summer. • Annual weeds can grow quickly enough to spawn a couple of generations in a single season if you let them go to seed.Biennial weeds: • Queen Anne's lace (Daucus carota) and burdock (Arctium lappa) form roots and a rosette of leaves the first year, then flower and set seed the second year.Perennial weeds • Dandelions, Canada thistle, quack grass and creeping Charlie are long-lived and have large, vigorous root systems. Many of them spread by both seeds and stolons (horizontal, above-ground shoots), or rhizomatous roots (horizontal, underground stems). They're the toughest weeds to get rid of because of their ability to regrow from tiny pieces of root.ResourcesArticle on weeds:www.devonian.ualberta.ca/getgro7.htmlTips for controlling weeds:www.fernlea.com/weeds/weeds.htmDesign ideas for minimizing undesirable plants:www.bbg.org/gar2/topics/sustainable/1995sp_weeds.htmlMake your garden a playground of local food fare: Click here and learn to create your own Potager.- Credit
- Yvonne Cunnington
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Gardening from the ground up Gardening from the ground up
Gardening from the ground up ofSun vs. shade - benefits and concerns While I was helping a friend pick perennials, she mentioned that though she loved astilbes, they hadn't done well in her garden. “Oh, they like part shade and moist soil,” I advised her. Her response: “Now I know why they did so badly-I planted them in a dry spot in full sun.” It's not enough to pick plants you like: you need to choose plants that like the growing conditions you can provide.Sun vs. Shade Most flowering perennials and roses do best in full sun. If your flower bed doesn't bask in at least six hours a day of full sun, these plants won't deliver as many blooms as you hoped. If they receive only two to three hours of sunlight, they will struggle. So before heading to the nursery, observe light levels in various parts of your garden at different times of the day-and at different times of the year. This is essential because the amount of sun your yard receives will vary throughout the seasons. Keep in mind that if you don't have a lot of shade, the north side of your house will provide some. Some nurseries group plants according to sun and shade requirements. Trees and shrubs also have light preferences, so read the plant tags, do some research and ask lots of questions before deciding. SoilBesides light levels, plants can be picky about soil conditions, so get to know your dirt. (Home soil-testing kits are available at most garden centres.) Many beginner gardeners spend their money on plants, then try to make up for inferior soil by dousing the garden with fertilizer, which creates more problems than it solves. Yes, it does cost more in time and effort to improve your soil, but, in the long run, you and your plants will be glad you did. Most plants thrive in soil that's moist but well drained-a seeming contradiction that means moisture retentive but not too wet. The ideal garden soil has the consistency of crumbly chocolate cake, is easy to dig and is roughly equal parts sand, silt and clay (the basic mineral components of soil). Soil - acidity and organic matter; useful books It should also have about five per cent organic matter or humus-the magic ingredient that enables soil to both hold moisture and drain well. Humus is the decayed remains of once living material, most commonly plant residues and animal manures. You can make it by composting dead plants, kitchen scraps and fall leaves, or you can buy composted manure or compost. In sandy conditions, humus acts like a sponge to hold moisture, while in clay, it breaks up small particles to create larger spaces that drain more easily and hold oxygen for plant roots. Oddly enough, the best way to improve almost any kind of soil is the same: spread about five to seven centimetres of humus over the garden bed, then work it in-it's worth the effort.Useful booksLandscape Planning: Practical Techniques for the Home Gardener by Judith Adam, Firefly Books, 240 pages, softcover, $27.95Perennials for Every Purpose by Larry Hodgson, Rodale, 502 pages, softcover, $29.95Secrets to Great Soil by Elisabeth P. Stell, Storey Publishing, 224 pages, softcover, $29.95 Soil Testing Facilities Testing Your Soil Were your flowers and vegetables as lush and healthy as you'd hoped this year? If not, consider testing your soil for its nutrient content and pH (whether it's alkaline or acidic) to determine if it needs amending. Some experts recommend checking soil every three to five years, since rainfall and plants deplete it. Fall is the best time to test soil; it's after the growing season, but before the ground freezes. Contact a local soil-testing laboratory for more information about what it tests for (some include soil type, such as clay, muck, sand or the ideal, loam), what the analysis costs, if it includes recommendations in view of the results as well as what you want to grow, and how to take a soil sample. Here's a list of provincial and private laboratories found across Canada: Alberta Norwest Labs 7217 Roper Road, Edmonton, Alberta T6B 3J4; (780) 438-5522; Toll Free in Western Canada: (800) 661-7645 ; www.norwestlabs.com British Columbia Griffin Labs Corp. 1875 Spall Rd., Kelowna, BC V1Y 4R2 (250) 765-3399; www.grifflabs.com M&B Research & Development P.O. Box 2103, Sydney, B.C. V8L 3S6 (250) 656-1334; www.mblabs.com Norwest Soilcon Labs 104, 19575-56A Ave. Surrey, BC, V3S 8P8; 604-514-3322 or 800- 889-1433; www.norwestlabs.com Manitoba Norwest Labs 1357 Dugald Road, Winnipeg, Manitoba R2J 0H3; (204) 982-8630; toll Free in Western Canada: (800) 483-3448 ; www.norwestlabs.com New Brunswick NB Agricultural Lab NB Dept. Of Agriculture, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Box 6000, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5H1; 506-453-3495; www.gnb.ca/0179/01790003-E.ASP Newfoundland and Labrador Soil Plant and Feed Laboratory Department of Forest Resources and Agrifoods, Provincial Agriculture Building, Box 8700, Brookfield Road, St. John's, NF, A1B 4J6; 709-729-6638; www.gov.nf.ca/agric Nova Scotia Laboratory Services Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Quality Evaluation Division, Laboratory Services 176 College Road (Harlow Institute), Truro, Nova Scotia B2N 2P3; www.gov.ns.ca/nsaf Ontario A & L Canada Laboratories East, Inc. 2136 Jetstream Rd., London, ON, N5V 3P5 (519) 457-2575 Accutest Laboratories 146 Colonnade Rd., Unit 8, Nepean, ON, K2E 7Y1 (613) 727-5692 Agri-Food Laboratories 503 Imperial Rd., Guelph, ON, N1H 6T9 (519) 837-1600 or 800-265-7175 Soil and Nutrient Laboratory University of Guelph, 95 Stone Rd. W., Guelph, ON N1H 2W1 (519) 767-6226 www.uoguelph.ca/labserv Stratford Agri Analysis Inc. 1131 Erie St., Box 760, Stratford, ON, N5A 6W1 (519) 273-4411 or 800-323-9089 www.stratfordagri.com Prince Edward Island P.E.I. Soil and Feed Testing Lab P.O. Box 1600, Research Station, Charlottetown, PEI C1A 7N3, 902-368-5631; www.gov.pe.ca/af/soilfeed Will give organic results, if requested. Samples may also be left at your nearest District Agricultural Office. Quebec Les Laboratoires A&L du Canada 465 3e Rang Nord, Saint Charles sur Richelieu, Quebec J0H 2G0; (514) 584-2151 www.al-labs-can.com/soil/ser_QCsoil.html Saskatchewan Saskatchewan Soil Testing Lab Department of Soil Science, General Purpose Building, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 0W0 (306) 966-6890 www.gardenline.usask.ca/misc/soil2.html Enviro-Test Laboratories 819-58th St. East, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7K 6X5; (306) 668-8370; (800) 667-7645 ; www.envirotest.com- Credit
- Yvonne Cunnington
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Gardening basics Gardening basics
Gardening basics ofChoosing the proper tools for your gardening needs If you're new to gardening and have decided this is the spring to sink a spade into your first flower bed, you may be thinking: “Yikes, where do I start?” Well, I'm here to help. I remember my first experience with gardening, almost 15 years ago, poking around the yard of the older home my husband and I had just bought, wondering what was going to come up. Back then, I didn't know a forget-me-not from a columbine. I learned by digging in, as I'd had some practice in my mother's garden while growing up, but I had no grand plan, just raw enthusiasm. In fact, I moved plants around so much that my husband joked my perennials ought to have come with wheels instead of roots. So don't worry if you don't have a solid plan for your garden yet—most gardens evolve. Once you've learned a few horticultural basics and discovered what appeals to you, you'll have a better idea of the sort of garden you want to create. The first big step is choosing the proper gardening tools. In fact, well-made tools can often make the difference between frustration and enjoyment, so invest in quality ones, which are usually carried by specialist suppliers. The basics - Spade and shovel:A spade has a narrow, long, squared-off blade for turning soil and making planting holes; a rounded shovel with a long handle is ideal for planting trees and shrubs. Look for forged metal heads and handles that fit securely into the shaft. Hardwood handles should have a varnished finish, fit comfortably in your hands and not feel too heavy. Optional: a digging fork to break up soil clumps.Hand trowel: A small shovel-like hand tool with a sturdy grip; useful for planting annuals, transplanting vegetables and container gardening.Rakes: A stiff-tined metal one for levelling soil and removing small stones, plus a fan-style rake to clean up fall leaves.Pruning shears, or secateurs: For light pruning and cutting back perennials. Look for a bypass model (which has a curved blade that passes by a fixed base), forged steel blades, a strong spring and comfortable handles.Lopping pruners have longer handles and bigger blades for cutting more substantial branches. Ideal tools for weeding, moving stuff around; gardening books for beginners For weeding: A standard hoe is perfect for small weeds. For mulched beds (where soil is covered with a layer of wood chips or straw), use a weeding knife that you push into the ground close to the weed's stem. This will loosen the soil so you can pull out the weed—roots and all. I swear by the Japanese Farmer's Knife from Lee Valley Tools.For moving stuff around: A wheelbarrow or garden cart will spare your back when hauling soil, pots and plants.For creature comfort: A gardener's kneeling pad is more comfortable than strap-on kneepads. Lightweight, good-quality gardening gloves. A gardener's tool belt to hold hand tools and seed packets. Sunscreen and a wide-brimmed hat.Books for beginnersThe Garden Primer by Barbara Damrosch, Workman Publishing Company, 688 pages, softcover, $26.95.What Grows Here by Jim Hole, Hole's, 256 pages, softcover, $19.95.Clueless in the Garden: A Guide for the Horticulturally Helpless by Yvonne Cunnington, Key Porter, 200 pages, softcover, $21.95.Gardening for Canadians for Dummies by Liz Primeau, Mike MacCaskey, Bill Marken, John Wiley & Sons, 456 pages, softcover, $29.99. SourcesLee Valley Tools Ltd.Rittenhouse Since 1914- Credit
- Yvonne Cunnington
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Is feeding for the birds? Is feeding for the birds?
Is feeding for the birds? ofThe pros and cons of birdfeeding As the weather cools and gardens die back, many Canadians hang feeders to help the birds make it through the winter. But some believe feeding is wrong because it encourages birds to stay around for the winter rather than migrate. Others, such as Vivian Patterson of Victoria, British Columbia, say fallen seed is messy and attracts squirrels, rats and raccoons. “And feeding creates a dependency I'm not comfortable with,” says Patterson.But according to David Bird, professor of wildlife biology at Montreal's McGill University, feeders are just fast-food restaurants as far as birds are concerned, and don't create dependency at all. “The birds have plenty of food sources out there,” Bird says, “so [the choice] comes down to whether or not you enjoy it.”Jim Wilson, a birder in Saint John, New Brunswick, says providing seeds is a wonderful way for people to study birds and get to know their habits in a non-intrusive manner. He suggests species that might attempt to overwinter—such as white-throated sparrows—are helped by feeding. Although no data exists to substantiate that, says Bird, two studies have shown that when blue jays and black-capped chickadees were fed through the winter, they were better able to survive and more productive in spring. He adds that feeding also encourages citizen participation in science programs such as the non-profit Project FeederWatch (managed by Bird Studies Canada and the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology), which can provide useful information on bird movement and population levels. As to whether feeding affects migration, he says, “The birds are controlled by a hormonal urge far greater than the urge to eat at a fast-food place.”For years, it's also been thought that providing food for our feathered friends contributes to disease because birds are in close contact at feeders and infections such as conjunctivitis could spread more readily. The professor himself used to wonder about that but says there's no evidence to indicate a relationship between feeding and disease. According to Cornell University experts, he explains, the birds are getting conjunctivitis before they come in contact with feeders.He also disputes the claim that you make birds more vulnerable to cats or hawks. “Don't put the feeder near the bushes or anywhere it might be accessible to cats,” he advises. Platform feeders should be located two to three metres from shrubs to give the birds time to escape.If you live in the city, you can feed sporadically without harm. But if you live in an isolated area and have been feeding steadily for a year, leaving for Florida during a cold snap might be a problem. Wean the birds off the feeders, gradually letting the food supply run out well before you leave. Selecting the right feeder; feeder maintenance; where to get them If you do opt to feed the birds, however, all experts agree that you must keep the feeder clean (see “Coming Clean,” below) and provide fresh drinking water and food. Avoid low-quality mixed feed; otherwise, birds will root through it looking for the good stuff and turf everything else on the ground.Calvor Palmateer, owner of For Wild Birds and Gardeners, in Victoria, has a solution: Put out hulled sunflower seeds, which every bird loves, instead of seed mixes. “If the birds spill a little, just leave the feeder empty for one day until they clean up the ground,” he suggests. Palmateer also recommends hanging a good-quality suet that's high in oily nuts, such as peanuts, sunflower seeds or almonds, and low in cereal grain.Finally, know the habits of birds in your region. As Wilson points out, some birds are extending their range, and feeding can help them survive. For instance, Northern cardinals are venturing northeast to the Maritimes; the Anna's hummingbird now stays year-round in Victoria and parts of the Gulf Islands, the Sunshine Coast and some sections of Vancouver.During particularly brutal winters, a little help from humans might be the one thing that gets these birds through.COMING CLEANWhile most bird books recommend cleaning your feeder weekly, David Bird, professor of wildlife biology at McGill University in Montreal, says it depends on the feeder. Platform models generally require more frequent cleaning than tube feeders. Use common sense and clean as needed. The ideal solution is one part bleach to nine parts water.TO SERVE AND PROTECTNaturalists' groups, birding organizations and knowledgeable retailers can help you select the right feeder for your climate, as well as one that will suit the birds you're trying to attract.Janet Grand, owner of The Bird House Nature Company in Orillia, Ontario, recommends several squirrel- and rodent-proof bird feeders. In her opinion, the best one is the Squirrel Buster, by Brome Bird Care in Quebec. “I can barely keep it in stock,” she says. She also likes the Flipper (which spins if a squirrel tries to climb it), by Droll Yankee Company. And she says the tried-and-true “pole and baffle” method (which blocks squirrels from reaching the feeder) works well, too. Expect to pay $80 and up for a truly rodent-proof feeder.SOURCESProject FeederWatch. Co-ordinator, Bird Studies Canada, Box 160, Port Rowan, ON N0E 1M0; 888/448-2473 or 519/586-3531; pfw@bsc-eoc.org. The Bird House Nature Company. 108 Mississaga St. E., Orillia, ON L3V 1V7; 705/329-3939; birdhouse@thunderstar.net: Squirrel Buster $89.95, Yankee Flipper $159.Brome Bird Care Inc. 331 Knowlton Rd., Knowlton, QC J0E 1V0. For nearest retailer call 800/856-5685; bromebirdcare.com: Squirrel Buster.For Wild Birds and Gardeners. 566 Johnson St., Victoria, BC V8W 1M3; 250/661-7575: Squirrel Buster $89.99, Yankee Flipper $189.Lee Valley Tools Ltd.: Squirrel Buster $82.50.Ritchie's Feeds 'n Needs & Garden Centre: Yankee Flipper $130.Rittenhouse Since 1914: Yankee Flipper $135.- Credit
- Laura Langston
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Garden humour: Glam gardeners Garden humour: Glam gardeners
Garden humour: Glam gardeners ofGlam gardeners Gardening is now a fashionable-even glamorous-activity. Perhaps that's why so many celebrities are suddenly waxing eloquent about the joys of growing their own roses and runner beans.Among them is Bette Midler. I was surprised to read recently that the one-time darling of New York's gay bathhouses has become a gardener. The Garden Writers Association of America even presented her with an award for persuading the Big Apple not to dismantle its community garden system and made her an honorary member. Then there's Mary Tyler Moore. Long gone from our TV screens, good old Mair is now "...gardening and tree pruning and learning the difference between an annual and perennial—all those things that aging actresses are supposed to discover," she told a newspaper reporter happily.Across the Atlantic, celebs are also digging in the dirt like crazy. The British star Helen Mirren wasn't just acting when she recently appeared as a hoity-toity garden writer guru in a film called Greenfingers. She's a gardener in real life, too. "I have learned to love manure in a big way," says Mirren, who was at one time more interested in dallying with hunks such as Liam Neeson than in mucking about in flower beds. Another Brit, Michael Caine, actually moved back to Old Blighty from Los Angeles because, he says, "I got tired of the climate in California. You can't grow roses there." (You can, actually. But possibly not the big, blowsy blooms that a flamboyant actor would fancy.)Back here, it's a similar story. After buying a house in an upscale area of Calgary, Tom Jackson, the aboriginal recording artist and actor who starred in CBC's North of 60, couldn't wait to get out his garden fork. "But I could swear that first day, when I was outside in my coveralls, I heard a neighbour say 'Oh look. Isn't that nice? They've hired an Indian boy to do the garden,'" he recalled recently with a wicked grin.This trendiness of gardening is a good sign. With the rich and famous involved, serious issues, such as protecting the environment and growing organic food, will inevitably get more media attention. But it has a downside: everything's getting more expensive. At one nursery, small perennials that cost me $5.99 apiece last year have suddenly jumped to $8.99. Ouch. Maybe I should put in a call to the Big Apple. "Hey Bette," I'll say, "wanna champion another cause for gardeners?"Our humour columnist Sonia Day doesn't believe in taking gardening too seriously. In her column called Down to Earth, she comments on garden fads, lampoons silly ideas and describes her own adventures.- Credit
- Sonia Day
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