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Becoming Art
It is not often that I get inspiration from a sock.
This is life with a passionate, no, make that obsessive, knitter. My wife Mary and I have a general understanding: she tolerates my obsession with gardening and I tolerate her 'hobby'. Neither one of us will worry that the other is without something to do upon retirement, even though we both vow never to retire, Lord willing. If the day comes that we retire 'to our hobby' we hope that we never have to retire from it.
And so it was her enthusiastic invitation to come over to her knitting chair to feel the quality of a yarn that was so exceptional that, well, she called me over in the first place. When she knits with exceptional wool she usually keeps it to herself until she can e mail our knitting-crazy daughter come business partner Lynn with the news. www.marysyarns.com I am not meant to understand all of this, merely accept it. Both wife and daughter are happy with the arrangement so there is nothing not to like about it from my point of view. They thrive in their world of fiber, I in mine. It is symbiotic.
I ran my hand over the fibres and exclaimed. This is mighty fine stuff!
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March is for summer-flowering bulbs, seeds and Canada Blooms
The dahlias that you picture in your mind's eye this summer are going to bloom to beat the band, especially if this 'global warming' trend that we experienced across Canada this winter continues. Dahlias love the heat and sunshine, so, all things being equal, I predict a record season for their blossoms this year.
To get yours to look as good as you imagine them to be you should really start them in March in large, gallon sized pots. Use quality potting soil like Mark's Choice Container mix and place them in a sunny window to put down roots and sprout before your very eyes.
If you have dahlia tubers stored in the basement from last year's crop then do as my sister Sue does: bring them upstairs, separate the viable/healthy tubers and get potting. What you cannot accommodate in your house you can give to willing recipients in the family or on the street. Start your own Dahlia club like they did in Moncton, New Brunswick and who knows what might come of that. www.greatermonctondahliaclub.ca
Ditto the info above with summer flowering tuberous begonias. Gladiolas will perform much better planted directly in the ground come late April in most parts of the country. Space the plantings apart by about 2 weeks to create a succession of bloom.
There are wedding bells in our future: daughter Heather is marrying Martin early this fall. Heather, being a gardener, wants to get married in our garden. So you know what that means: lots of dahlias!
I had better get to work.
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Canada Blooms
In one foul swoop Canada's largest flower and garden festival has become the largest event of its' kind in North America. This happened as a result of signing a 'co-location' agreement with the National Home Show. Both will take place March 16 to 25 in Toronto at the Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place. www.canadablooms.com
If you have made it a habit to come down to see Canada Blooms in the past (and many people have travelled across the country to do just that) I encourage you to do it again this year. All 36 feature gardens are different from any that you would have seen in past years, including the return of 4 'Juno' Gardens - inspired and created by Juno award nominees in partnership with professional garden designers.
'Blooms also features over 200 hours of garden lectures/demos and entertainment, an enlarged 'Marketplace' where you can buy rare and unusual gardening stuff, the Master Gardeners are on hand to answer your gardening questions, food services have expanded, the Floral Hall features over 12,000 sq. ft. of flower and plant competitions and - well, the best suggestion that I can give you is to go to the website to check out the details. Connect to 3 feature articles that I have written for the Toronto Star by visiting www.markcullen.com beginning March 15th. Click on the 'Toronto Star' hot link.
Note that Denis Flanagan and I 'Open the festival' at 11 am each day on the celebrity stage from opening day (Friday the 16th) to Wednesday, March 21st. We will provide a visual overview of the event so that you can plan your day to get the most out of it. Wear walking shoes and bring a camera!
That is hardly it for March. I am just getting warmed up. More gardening news below including garden events that I am a part of in Markham, Brooklin, Ottawa and more. Please read on.
And have a great month warming up for the gardening season.
Keep your knees dirty,
Mark
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Where is Mark this Month?
Friday, March 2 - Markham Home Show at 4pm. Tips, Tricks and Techniques for a better garden this year! www.markhamhomeshow.com
Friday, March 16 through Wednesday the 21st I will be at Canada Blooms (note the event runs until Sunday, March 25). www.canadablooms.com
Friday, March 23 and Saturday, March 24 - Ottawa Home & Garden Show. www.ottawahomeshow.com
Wednesday, March 28 - Brooklin Horticultural Society. 7pm at Brooklin United Church.
Saturday, March 31 - Burlington Home Show. www.jenkinsshow.com/burlington
Saturday, April 7 - Oakville Home Show. www.jenkinsshow.com/oakville
Saturday, April 14 - Milton Home Show. www.jenkinsshow.com/milton
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In Pursuit of Garlic
An Intimate Look at the Divinely Odorous Bulb
On Saturday, March 24 at 2:00 p.m., bestselling author Liz Primeau will celebrate the publication of her new book, In Pursuit of Garlic: An Intimate Look at the Divinely Odorous Bulb at Canada Blooms with a fascinating presentation, Garlic Reborn, based on the highlights of her book. The location of the talk will be Canada Blooms, Direct Energy Centre, 100 Princes' Blvd., Blooms Garden Solutions, Hall A, Room 105, in Toronto.
The garlic renaissance is here! Over the past few years garlic has become the "it" item for both foodies and gardeners alike. For a bulb that spent the majority of the past century dismissed as vulgar, its time has certainly come. And why not? Garlic is tasty, fragrant, and versatile. It has been used by ancient civilizations as a foodsource, a glue, a cure for disease, and a currency. Today, there is a renewed interest in the medicinal value of garlic - the ancients are being proven right! With its sudden surge in popularity, it comes as no surprise that garlic is finally having its day in the Western world.
Liz Primeau's love affair with garlic began when her teenaged boyfriend took her to an Italian restaurant. In her new book, In Pursuit of Garlic, Liz leads us on a tour of garlic's role in history, art, medicine, and science. She also discusses the many varieties of garlic - from Russian Red to Kettle River Giant - visits garlic fairs in search of France's elusive L'ail Rose, and explores the issue of the ubiquitous Chinese garlic, which has caused international squabble and trade wars. Liz also invites us into her kitchen, where she shares her favourite garlic-centred recipes, tips on growing your own, and the secret of the knife smack.
Packed with fascinating facts, practical advice, recipes, and engaging personal stories, In Pursuit of Garlic tells the story of the vegetable that Liz says has "made an appearance in the life of almost everyone who's ever lived."
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Scarborough Seedy Saturday
When: Saturday, March 17, 12-4pm
Where: Heron Park Recreation Centre, 292 Manse Rd
The Third Annual SCARBOROUGH SEEDY SATURDAY is BIGGER and BETTER than ever!
This day promises to be for gardeners and friends of planet Earth. There will be a chance to exchange seeds with other seed savers, to buy heirloom and organic seeds from vendors and learn more about gardening from Garden Gurus such as the Toronto Master Gardeners. Or attend a workshop and learn about all season growing, seed saving and starting, Balcony Gardening and more!
Tables will include heirloom and organic seed vendors, worm composting, bee products, backyard gardening, local community groups, garden associations and environmental/nature groups such as Rouge Park, the TRCA and the North American Native Plant Society.
Want to learn more about how you can green up your neighbourhood? Then visit the Live Green Toronto booth to learn about projects, resources and grants. Or stop by and meet Environmental organizations with stewardship opportunities in Scarborough!
For more information contact [email protected]
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Renew the World Gala
March 7
One Night. One Reason. Humanity.
50 scientists, 50 celebrities unite at star-studded event.
Renew The World Gala set to launch the Canadian Stem Cell Foundation, mark 50th anniversary of stem cell discovery and I am delighted to have been invited to be there.
In celebration of the launch of the Canadian Stem Cell Foundation, and the breakthrough Canadian discovery of stem cells at the Ontario Cancer Institute 50 years ago, Renew The World Gala is set to make history once again. This once-in-a-lifetime black tie evening, attended by some of Canada's top 50 talent, will give a glimpse into what the next 50 years will hold, as research by the gala's true rock stars, the scientists, continues to uncover new, life-changing possibilities leading to brighter futures, less disease and healthier, longer lives for generations to come. The unprecedented gala takes place Wednesday, March 7 from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Mercedes-Benz Midtown (849 Eglinton Ave.E.).
Guests will witness the awe-inspiring power of this research through patients whose lives have been transformed, and the hope it brings to billions of others around the world. Dr. James Till, one of two Canadian scientists who discovered adult stem cells, as well as 50 prominent stem cell scientists who play a key role in the advancement of stem cell research, will share their research and provide a glimpse into what the next breakthroughs might be.
In addition, 50 Canadian celebrities will lend their voice and support to advancing stem cell research, as they host tables with Canada's most influential business leaders, philanthropists, politicians, and research leaders. Celebrities will come from every field including science, the arts, sport, entertainment, business and media.
To make a donation to the Canadian Stem Cell Foundation, please contact James Price at 613.739.6676 or [email protected].
It's not just about being able to tell your grandchildren you were there. It's about your grandchildren.
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"It's called "Becoming Art" she said. Think about that carefully and your image of the little old lady in the rocking chair, knitting on the front porch melts away. Knitting as 'art' is a high calling that requires imagination, creativity and an accumulation of knowledge that allows the knitter to become so much more than just a knitter. In this scenario one becomes an artist. I have learned this over the past 30 years by living with one, not that I have ever knit a stitch myself. In marriage we learn things by osmosis. 30 years of it has a way of getting to me this way. 
p.s. Congratulations to my friend Jeff Redden, Home Hardware dealer in Windsor, Nova Scotia. The 'Long Pond Classic' event on February 11 was an enormous success. Jeff and his team sold out all 72 playing positions and the gala at King's-Edgehill School. Over $20,000 was raised to support the Canadian Hockey Heritage Museum in Windsor, where the first game of hockey was played over 2 centuries ago. It was a proud moment for me just to be a part of it. Thanks to all of you who came out and supported the event.
p.p.s. The fundraiser in Thunder Bay February 7th with the Soroptimists' was a great success also. We sold out the house (300 plus tickets) and raised several thousand dollars for the TBRHS Foundation and the Sexual Assault Domestic Violence Treatment Centre. Congratulations to Nancy Yarzab and friends.
I discovered the magic of mason bees last summer when I had a mason bee house given to me. Get this: they are native bees, already active in your garden. They are more effective pollinators than honey bees (which are native to Europe) and attracting them is easy. All that you have to do, after you have hung your new Mark's Choice mason bee house on the east or south side of a wall or fence (out of the wind) about 1 � meters above the ground, is to ream the holes out with a 3/8th inch drill bit once a year. 
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