Kanata-March Horticultural Society |
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October 2008 |
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In This Issue
Molly Wilson Memorial Garden Rededication
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Well fellow gardeners, fall is upon us and the weather has certainly been lovely this past week. The fall colours are shaping up to be a fantastic show this year with lots of yellows and orange and hints of vivid red in the works. This is a great time to clean up the garden before the ground freezes, so divide your perennials to give them space to grow next year. If you have extra please pot up the plants for next year's plant sale. Remember, it's best if the pots are protected from the winter weather by placing them completely in the ground, to protect the plants roots from cycling between freezing and thawing, which will kill the plant.
Molly Wilson Garden Rededication
We are always looking for more helping hands with Park Maintenance, so get out socialize and beautify. Please see Norma Davidson, our Parks Committee chair, to find the garden party.
Photo Competition & Yearbook
Class 1 - Serendipity Surprise
Class 4 - Am I walking in a Dream? Class 7 - Four Seasons Class 8 - Up Close Class 9 - Backyard Wildlife
Class 10 - Container Arrangement Class 12 - The Garden Gate is Open
Once again our 2008/2008 Yearbook and Calendar will feature the winning photo for each class as the feature monthly picture.
We will also be adding advertising to the calendar to help offset printing costs. The bottom of each month where we currently feature the speaker will be one area available and there will also be a number of business card on both the inside front and back cover. If you are interested in having your business our your favourite neighbourhood business featured please contact Elizabeth Stokely for pricing and availability.
We would also welcome any enhancements to improve our next calendar. Please email them to kanatamhs@yahoo.ca
Robert Barta, KMHS President
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Our Meetings
Meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month (except July and August) at the Old Town Hall, March Road, Kanata. Guests are most welcome - $5.00 (can be applied to membership of $15.00 single, $25.00 family) |
Our Next Meeting: Oct 7th, 7:30 pm
Gardening for Winter Colour and Texture with Mary Ann Van Berlow
A topic that will be of interest to us all, as our gardens start to drift into their fall colours. Mary Ann will offer suggestions on planning and planting to provide maximum interest in the garden during our long winters.
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Molly Wilson Memorial Garden Rededication
After a foggy start and the forecast of rain the sun came out for the afternoon…. panic over! Our four local councillors were present along with members of community organizations, KMHS members and Molly Wilson’s family.
The rededication started with a welcome to the over fifty people present from Councillor Marianne Wilkinson. Marianne knew Molly Wilson and had many memories to share with everyone. Next to speak was Sheila King, our OHA director for district 2. Sheila had seen the garden last May when she was the speaker at our monthly meeting. She could not believe the transformation from mud to beautiful gardens. Sheila then introduced Ken Fink who is now President of the OHA. This was his first official engagement since his election and so his first chance to wear the chain of office, which he did with great pride.
The garden was then blessed by Rev. David Clunie and, after closing remarks by Marianne, everyone went into the hall for some refreshments.
In the hall there was a great display set up by Gisele Robertson, our historian.The display showed a photographic history of the garden from start to present day. (For those who could not make it to the rededication, it will be on show at the October meeting.) We also had the digital projector going non stop with the series of photos – now on our web site – that Karen Haddon had put together with background music. Lots to see, enjoy and discuss, while the refreshments were served.
The final task for Brian & Rosemary was to cut a celebration cake.
It was great to see people so interested in the history and sharing their stories with others, some wandering round the garden…..some just sat under the arbour, enjoying the scene.
Norma Davidson, Parks Coordinator
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Down the Garden Path: some notable KMHS achievements
Photographic competition: The first photographic competition of KMHS was held in November 1980. There were seventy-nine entries from six competitors. Tom Toomey from Toomey Photography was the judge for the competition. The Fentiman Trophy was awarded to Chris Temple. The runners up were Molly Wilson, Wally Smith, and Art Fentiman.
Year Book: KHMS published its first Year Book in 1981. All the Society’s activities for the year were presented in a book form. The cost to the members was $2.00 per copy.
International Ploughing Match: In September 1983, members of KMHS scored very high in the Ottawa Rural and Urban Beautification Program sponsored by the International Ploughing Match. There were forty-eight entries in the Urban Homes class, six were from Kanata, Three members of KMHS received first prize, third prize and an honourable mention.
Winning floats: “What a thrill to walk into the stadium at Lansdowne Park and hear the announcer introduce the KMHS “Old Settlers Cabin and Garden Float” as the first prize winner in the non commercial float category in the Ottawa Super Ex parade” wrote Chris Temple in the Kanata Standard in August 1984.
KMHS won first prize in the club and organization category and also the best overall entry in the Richmond Fair parade in September of the same year. Gisèle Robertson, KMHS Historian |
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Fall Garden JobsSeed Collection: as you put your garden to bed for the winter, now is the time to collect some seeds from your favourite plants, so you can try your hand at propagation next year. Don’t forget to label your seeds clearly as soon as you collect them—hoping to remember what they are some months later never works! If you have some to spare, please set them aside for our Seed Exchange early next year. For those of you who haven’t tried this before, some great hints can be found at “The Seed Site”, a UK web site, but the suggestions are applicable here too.
Dividing plants: this month’s Fine Gardening website has an excellent article on dividing plants, with methods, timing, do’s and don’ts and helpful lists of which plants need treating in which way. You can find this though the link on the left. Heather Lee, KMHS Director
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A Visit to Powis Castle, Wales
On a recent visit to the UK, I was fortunate to be able to visit Powis Castle, a medieval castle and garden outside Welshpool, in the Welsh Marches. Now maintained by the National Trust, the gardens are deemed some of the best in Britain, so we knew we were in for a treat. What we had not expected was the sheer scale of the gardens.
Built
on the top of a steep bluff, the castle commands an imposing view over
extensive
Two features of the gardens stood out for me: firstly the gorgeous perennial borders drew us in, full of glorious dahlias and edged with box hedges to hide the clutter and hold up the stragglers. Then the hedges and yews, all clipped to perfection to display their foliage and create strong lines in the garden. We discovered that it took four gardeners three months to trim all the hedges and trees in the garden. Goodness knows how many gardeners were required to do the rest of the maintenance. While we were there, a gardener was trimming an old yew, close by the walls of the castle. I was envious of his machinery – just what I need for my cedar hedge! Seeing this put the finishing touch on a splendid day out. Needless to say, we never made it inside the castle—the garden was just too interesting.
Margaret Turner, KMHS Newsletter Editor
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Pale Swallowwort (a.k.a. Dog-Strangling Vine)
Pale Swallowwort, a highly invasive plant which thrives in shade, sun, and all soil conditions, is now threatening public parks, home gardens and the South March Conservation Area in Kanata. The plant spreads rapidly, reduces or eliminates other plants, and is extremely difficult to control. Complete removal is the most effective way to deal with it. It is important to dig up the entire root crown area as even small pieces of root left in the ground will grow again.
Swallowwort begins as a single-stemmed plant with opposite leaves that are oval, dark green, smooth and shiny. Very quickly it matures into a twining vine growing up to 2 metres in height with small, pinkish to maroon flowers starting to appear in late May to early June. Seed pods, looking like slender green beans, are mature by mid to late July. Each pod produces numerous silky-haired seeds, similar to milkweed seeds, that are blown on the wind in September and October.
Colonies of swallowwort have been seen in or under cedar hedges, for example, along March Road, Teron Road, and Campeau, and it is flourishing in areas along pathways in Beaverbrook. In the most recent report on the South March Highlands Conservation Forest, Pale Swallowwort was one of six invasive non-native plant species that poses a threat to ecosystem stability in the South March Highlands. The plant has no known pests or diseases to control its spread and once established it is extremely difficult to eradicate. The sap of this plant can cause an allergic reaction in some people.
It is important to dispose of Pale Swallowwort properly so that it doesn't propagate in your backyard composter. Extensive information can be found on this invasive species on the Fletcher Wildlife Garden website on the left. This site includes plant description, photos, proper disposal and cautions about wearing gloves when handling for people with skin sensitivities. Authored by Sarah Dehler, Director of Parks and Recreation, Briarbrook Morgan's Grant Community Association, member of the Kanata March Horticultural Society, and volunteer at Fletcher Wildlife Garden; and Barbara Riley, a Glebe resident and volunteer at Fletcher Wildlife Garden.
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Key links
OHS Events
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Upcoming EventsOct 1st 7:00 p.m. The Ottawa Botanical Garden Society and the Ottawa Horticultural Society jointly present: "The Edible Landscape: Growing Food in the City" A talk by Laura Berman Library and Archives of Canada, Wellington St. Free parking.
Oct 11th, 1:30 p.m. Ottawa Valley Rock Garden and Horticultural Society presents Peter, talking about “Using Alpines in the Garden”. Room T117, Building T, Algonquin College, Woodroffe Campus
Oct 28th 7:30 p.m. Planting our Heritage: Native Plants. The Ottawa Horticultural Society presents Ken Parker of Sweet Grass Gardens Nursery (near Brantford, ON) Tom Brown Arena, 141, Bayview Avenue.
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Newsletter InputAll input is due to me, Margaret Turner, by the third Friday of the month. All ideas and articles are most welcome. Please help make this a newsletter for you all. Email me at:Margaret Turner |
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The
dedication was given by Dave Davidson who talked about everyone coming
together to make the garden such a success. The ceremonial planting
followed with Brian & Rosemary, the son and daughter of Molly Wilson
planting a flowering crabapple tree in the garden. This was one of
Molly’s
parklands and gentle rolling Welsh hills. At an early stage in
the castle’s eight century history, an ambitious owner (with lots of labour to
hand) decided to terrace the 500 foot drop from the castle to the park
and, since that time, various owners have added to the gardens, adding
their own touches to the landscape.
Consequently, the garden boasts
ancient yews, over 300 years old, large shrubberies and a series of
perennial borders along some of the terraces. Linking all the terraces
are long flights of old stone steps, although steeply sloping pathways
have now been added to make the entire garden more accessible. A
beautiful formal garden lies at the foot of the slope, with immaculately
shaped old species apple trees, laden with fruit. 