For those who share our interest in gardening... January 2016

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "For those who share our interest in gardening... January 2016"

Shanna Francis
5 years ago
Views:

Master Gardener, Bronze Level. "Gardeners, like everyone else, live second by second and minute by minute.

1 For those who share our interest in gardening... January 2016 Kris Medic, Bartholomew County Extension Educator and Becky Pinto, Master Gardener Newsletter Editor and Advanced Master Gardener, Bronze Level. "Gardeners, like everyone else, live second by second and minute by minute. What we see at one particular moment is then and there before us. But there is a second way of seeing. Seeing with the eye of memory, not the eye of our anatomy, calls up days and seasons past and years gone by." -Allen Lacy, The Gardener s Eye,

On the Way Back Home: Conservation, Botanicals & Sculpture Crawford Lake Conservation Area It was December 27 th. We had reached about an hour south of Toronto on the 401 headed back to Columbus.

There s a lot of rural in Ontario with Toronto and Ottawa being the most populated areas, leaving the rest of the vast territory fair game for more rural (and conservation-minded) pursuits.

2 On the Way Back Home: Conservation, Botanicals & Sculpture Crawford Lake Conservation Area It was December 27 th. We had reached about an hour south of Toronto on the 401 headed back to Columbus. All evidence of city life behind us, we found ourselves in rural Ontario. There s a lot of rural in Ontario with Toronto and Ottawa being the most populated areas, leaving the rest of the vast territory fair game for more rural (and conservation-minded) pursuits. One of them is the Crawford Lake Conservation Area in Halton, Ontario, with 573 acres of hiking/skiing trails, a large meromictic lake and an Iroquoian longhouse to explore. Interestingly, Crawford Lake was labeled meromictic because the lake s basin is deeper than its surface area. The deepest levels of water are very rarely, if ever, disturbed by wind or temperature changes. Studying the preserved layers of sediment at the lake s bottom has revealed and will continue to reveal an accurate record of the human and natural history of the lake and its surroundings. Studies conducted in the 1970 s have revealed agricultural insight into the Iroquoian people in addition to uncovering a pre-contact village. Odette Sculpture Park, Windsor, Ontario Closer to home, the Odette Sculpture Park in Windsor is near the Detroit River and the Ambassador Bridge which borders Canada and the US. 2

Some Winter Reading for the Diligent Gardener Despite challenges and constant setbacks, or perhaps because of them, gardeners are stubborn folks who nurture a dynamic fantasy life.

3 Some Winter Reading for the Diligent Gardener Despite challenges and constant setbacks, or perhaps because of them, gardeners are stubborn folks who nurture a dynamic fantasy life. In our minds, perfection is always within reach and next year s garden is bound to be the best yet. -Marian St. Clair So says this freelance garden writer, speaker, tour coordinator, Master Gardener, and Master Naturalist, who nurtures an earth-friendly landscape on a hillside above the Reedy River in Greenville, South Carolina. She recently wrote an article sharing six titles that she has found useful on her winter reading list. Planting the Dry Shade Garden, by Graham Rice (Timber Press, Inc., 2011) highlights shade plants for the relatively more challenging growing combination of low light and low moisture, including flowering species such as the cranesbill geranium and lush evergreens including hardy gingers and ferns. The New Shade Garden, by Ken Druse (Stewart Tabori & Chang, 2015) delves into the effects of climate change and all aspects of shade gardening. The Living Garden, by Jane Powers (Frances Lincoln Limited, 2011), looks at how to reduce the use of chemicals and other harsh practices and yet still create a beautiful haven for bees, butterflies, and birds. Powers most recent book, The Irish Garden, just won Inspirational Book of the Year at the Garden Media Guild Awards in London. The Garden Source, by Andrea Jones (Rizzoi International Publications, Inc., 2012). This celebrated garden photographer provides hundreds of garden images from around the world, featuring the best projects of many current designers. The Art of Gardening, by R. William Thomas (Timber Press, 2015), features Chanticleer, a pleasure garden near Philadelphia renowned as one of the best in the U.S., plus lessons for re-creating some of the garden s best effects in the home landscape. Great Gardens of London, by Victoria Summerley (Francis Lincoln Limited, 2015) shares the stories of 3

4 people and plants that create an eclectic mix of private and public gardens in one of the world s most beloved cities. St. Clair had the pleasure of chatting with Summerley at last year s Garden Bloggers Fling in Toronto and an earlier book, Secret Gardens of the Cotswolds, is one of her favorites as it highlights Summerly s personal story. For more information, visit y/life/2016/01/05/winter-readingdiligent-gardener/ / Congratulations and Welcome! Awards on 17 February. Jerry Maulin has taken and passed the MG Test! Terri Finney, Connie Anderson, Stephani Steilberg, and Janice Bruner have completed their Intern hours, and are now certified as Master Gardeners! Harvey Taylor, Intern Training Class of 2013, has advanced to Advanced Master Gardener! Please feel free to pick up your new nametag at the office, or we ll mail it to you if you would prefer that. Certificates will be awarded at the MG Awards, 17 February at Bartholomew County Public Library, 6pm. Terri Finney answers questions at the Artisan Foodworks Sunday Market last summer. 4

Royal Botanical Gardens, Hamilton, ONT The 980 hectares (2,422 acres) of nature sanctuary owned by the Royal Botanical Gardens is considered the plant biodiversity hotspot for Canada.

The Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG) is headquartered in Burlington and includes lands in Hamilton, ONT.

5 Royal Botanical Gardens, Hamilton, ONT The 980 hectares (2,422 acres) of nature sanctuary owned by the Royal Botanical Gardens is considered the plant biodiversity hotspot for Canada. Being in Canada, with it s connection to Great Britain, means that public gardens with a royal connection get to have a nifty crests like the one pictured here. Nice touch, eh? The Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG) is headquartered in Burlington and includes lands in Hamilton, ONT. One of the major tourist attractions between Niagara Falls and Toronto, it is a significant local and regional horticultural, education, conservation, and scientific resource. On 31 July 2006, the Royal Botanical Gardens was selected as the National Focal Point for the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC). Help Needed We were just asked this morning for simple, short demonstration topics that would be of interest to clients attending adult day care at Just Friends. Does this appeal to you? Kris has offered to give Seed Starting in March and Flower Power in June. Kris could use an assistant for each of these, which have not been scheduled yet. Maybe you have a topic you would like to suggest to Just Friends. Contact Kris at kmedic@purdue.edu to assist or to offer a topic of your own. Weekdays. Save the Date for the 2016 State Master Gardener Conference 5

6 Hey, Save the Date! Master Gardener Volunteer Fair 17 February BCPL Red Room See p :30 pm MG Awards! Fruit Tree Pruning Workshop 20 February Private Orchard Weather Date 26 March 2-4 pm Bartholomew County Fruit Tree Pruning Workshop 25 February High Point Orchard Weather Date 1 March 2-4 pm Decatur County Lawn Care 16 March BCPL Red Room See p pm Landscape 101 Series begins 29 March BCPL Red Room Four Tuesday nights; one Monday. 7-8 pm Landscape 101 Series 5 April BCPL Red Room 7-8 pm Landscape 101 Series 12 April BCPL Red Room 7-8 pm Landscape 101 Series 18 April BCPL Red Room This is the Monday! 7-8 pm Monarch Butterflies 20 April BCPL Red Room See p. 7 Landscape 101 Series 26 April BCPL Red Room 7-8 pm State Master Gardener June Purdue University Conference Contact Kris Medic, Purdue Extension Educator, kmedic@purdue.edu Or MG newsletter editor, Becky Pinto, bandbpinto@sbcglobal.net 6

7 7

8 8

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP PICKERING

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP PICKERING 2011 Annual Report Environmental Stewardship Pickering is a collaborative community committee that hosts environmental events in the City of Pickering. This annual report