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May 1, 2014
Vol 3, Issue 5
Down The 
Garden Path

with Joanne Shaw
path with shed
Joanne Shaw
May is finally here and hopefully the long awaited gardening season is here to stay.  If you valued last month's tips on what NOT to do in your gardens or if your gardens are still pretty wet, you might want to revisit last month's tips before heading out into your yard.

I heard from a number of people who politely declined lawn aeration on their very wet grass that went on to receive even more moisture in the form of rain or even snow.

I was able to be a part of the Peterborough Garden Show this past month and I cannot say enough about how nice of a show it was. It is definitely worth the drive (for me an hour) and I was happily surprised how far many attendees travelled to get there. Many people I talked to came a good distance.  Some were from a cottage country bus trip, some from Etobicoke and even more from Toronto, all enjoying that the whole show was garden related... like Canada Blooms of the past. It was a volunteer run local garden show coordinated by the Peterborough Horticultural Society, the Peterborough and Area Master Gardeners, and the Northumberland Master Gardeners. Well done! Please plan on attending next year, I know I am.

Since I have mentioned the Peterborough Horticultural Society, I hope you enjoy my main article where I write more about these great community organizations that work hard in all of our communities.

I also want to touch on honey bees, the short story is - they need our help!  If everyone could
plant a bee friendly plant or 2 this season it will go a long way to helping these important hardworking species. I have listed a few photos of my favourite, bee friendly, low maintenance plants.

Happy May everyone! 

  

  

Joanne


Joanne Shaw
Landscape Designer
Down2Earth Landscape Design



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HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?
FEATURE ARTICLE
A LOOK THROUGH THE GARDEN GATE
TIP
Essential Garden Maintenance This May 

 

1. If you have large trees in your yard please contact an arborist to make sure they are pruned properly

 

2. If you have winter damage on your boxwood or yews as shown below, cut back the tips of the damaged branches just above a green living leaf. Use sharp pruning shears so that you can get a good clean cut. Do this before new growth appears. New growth will fill in the bare spots quite quickly.*  

 

boxwood damage
boxwood damage

 

3. Dig up and divide most perennials, especially hostas and ornamental grasses.

4. If lawn is dry, now is the time to rake and fertilize with a slow release fertilizer.  Helpful hint:  Pour fertilizer into spreader on the driveway NOT on the lawn.

 

5. Since plants seem to be about 2 weeks late this year, you can still thin out large non-flowering shrubs.  Flowering shrubs can wait until after they bloom.


 * Boxwood tips courtesy of
Ledan Seja 



For more gardening tips and informative articles, visit my Newsletter Archives page!

FEATUREARTICLE
Little Known Facts About Horticultural Societies - And Why They Matter

I have spoken about or mentioned how I ended up becoming a Landscape Designer a number of times in a number of ways; my website, speaking engagements or one on one with my clients. But until a recent chat at my local Pickering Horticultural Society meeting did I realize the importance that the society played in how I ended up doing what I love for a living.

After trying to figure things out in my own new garden and realizing that I loved doing it, I started to attend the Pickering Horticultural Society meetings. I enjoyed their annual plant sale, the speakers and meeting knowledgeable people who helped me along the way. No one more than Christine Male.  At the time an executive on the committee and Assistant Manager at Weall & Cullen back in 2002. I approached Christine for a part time job as I was very interested in learning more about the industry and excited to help others with their gardens and with a 7 year old and a 5 year old boy at home I decided to venture out of the house a little bit now that they were in school. My short stint at Weall & Cullen turned into a longer stay at Sheridan Nurseries.  While still wanting to learn more, I ended up taking the Landscape Design Certificate at Ryerson and the rest, as they say, is history...

But enough about me, I really wanted to write and inform you about the great and often unpublicized work by our local and provincial horticultural societies. Whether you have heard about them or not they have been around a long time.

To quote the Ontario Horticultural Website:

"It is a Tree with many branches. Since 1906, the Ontario Horticultural Association (OHA) has led Ontarians in all things horticultural. Our organization is an integral part of this province's cultural fabric. OHA was created by the Province of Ontario in 1906. It is a well-rooted tree with many branches (19 Districts); twigs (270 autonomous local societies) and leaves (over 30,000 members)!"

Here is a list of all the societies in my area (Durham Region), which is district 17.

I have to confess I have only been a member off and on because as my boys have grown, their extracurricular activities kept interfering with mine! But I am really hoping to change that.

As a member you have the opportunity to:
  • socialize with people who have a common interest
  • participate in or just enjoy viewing flower and floral design shows which are judged by professional judges
  • receive discounts at select local garden centers
  • gain hands-on experience by participating in the maintenance of public flower beds
  • listen to and interact with knowledgeable guest speakers at all meetings
I really enjoy the talks from the different speakers monthly and I am always learning something new. For instance April's speaker was Cathy Kozma on The Importance of Bee-ing. I was aware of some of the issues with bees and the impact that our environment is having on them but I didn't realize the scale nor did I realize the financial impact the bee industry has on our Canadian economy.  Not just from their honey production but also the propagation business they affect.

As you drive around Durham many of the 'public' gardens or entrances to neighborhood gardens that look good all season are maintained by members of the Horticultural Societies.

From issues with the environment, like the wacky weather, the devastation of bees and other pollinators and horticultural issues like Organic and GMO labeling in the news every day, I think it is important to not only support your local organization but to be a part of it. This will help us learn more about what is going on around us, like I did with last month's talk on bees.

Pickering Horticultural Society is having their Annual Plant Sale on Sat May 10th. Come early to shop or if you have plants to give to a new home, pot them up and bring them for the sale.

More details will be on my Facebook page.

I hope you have learned something new in this article.  If you have any questions about an organization near you, their website will have information on speakers and meeting times and they would love to have you drop in for a meeting.

GardenGate
A look through the garden gate...


6 Low Maintenance Plants That Will Help You Help Bees


I think we can all do our part in helping the bees. There are many low maintenance plants that we can add to our gardens to attract this important pollinator.


PERENNIALS


Purple Coneflower
Purple Coneflower
Catmint
Catmint
Blanketflower
Blanketflower

Russian Sage
Russian Sage


HERBS

A low maintenance solution and can even be kept in a pot on the deck

Chives
Chives

Thyme
Thyme


 
NEW_SERVICE


I will now be using color to enhance my landscape drawings!  This is to help my customers better visualize their new yard.


landscape concept colour

 

 

Joanne Shaw is the owner and operator of Down2Earth Landscape Design. A graduate of Ryerson University in Landscape Design, Joanne has 15 years experience in designing gardens and a decade in landscape and related business, both for her own clientele and established local nurseries.

CONTACT
Joanne Shaw
Landscape Designer
Down2Earth Landscape Design
[email protected]
www.down2earth.ca
905.839.1597
905.903.2597