Gardening Life articles from November 2004

Gardening Life archives from November 2004

For years, I've been inexorably drawn to any nursery sign reading.(editor's note)
November 1, 2004... FOR YEARS, I'VE BEEN INEXORABLY DRAWN TO ANY NURSERY SIGN READING "rare and unusual," only gradually coming to the realization that what "rare and unusual" really means is "fussy and difficult." Still, when it comes to plants, this fatal...

Light fantastic.(Green talk: essential info for Canadian gardeners)
November 1, 2004... Space too tight for a traditional tree? Tired of dry little needles embedded in your carpet for months? This year, look to your houseplants for Yuletide inspiration and release the seasonal stars within. A cactus bedecked with white lights in...

Marjorie's match-up.(Green talk: essential info for Canadian gardeners)
November 1, 2004... Here's a perfect partnership of two textures and two tones. The flowers of white snakeroot (Eupatorium rugosum) burst onto the autumn scene just in time to complement the creamy stripes of the manna grass (Glyceria maxima 'Variegata'). Both...

How to repot an orchid.(Green talk: essential info for Canadian gardeners)
November 1, 2004... Orchids may be exotic, but they aren't that difficult to care for. Repotting is advisable if your orchid has outgrown its pot; leaving the plant in the same pot too long will result in poor flowering and even death. If the growing...

Core appeal.(whant's new)
November 1, 2004... There's something in the air these days--the sweet smell of green apple, a core ingredient in two of this season's headiest new scents. From DKNY comes Be Delicious, a delightfully fruity perfume that's distinguished by its apple-shaped...

It's a small world.(people)
November 1, 2004... From comedy to curling, Canadians do seem to excel in the most esoteric pursuits, to which we can now add botanical miniatures. Since 1991, Toronto artist BARB PLEVAN has garnered an international following in the field, crafting exquisitely...

Down east, a cut above.(shop watch)
November 1, 2004... Before they opened TOPIARY in Halifax's trendy Hydrostone area in May, Greg Morris was a local TV producer and Toronto-raised D'Arcy Poultney was a set-and-costume designer and theatre professor. But the entrepreneurial pair clearly had a...

Definition.(shop watch)
November 1, 2004... definition hilling up: the mounding of soil around the base of plants, especially roses, to protect the crown of the plant over winter.

Hot stuff scooped!(shop watch)
November 1, 2004... Dreading a white Christmas? Snowmaster's racy orange SNOWSCOOP is designed to clear piles of the white stuff in record time and save your back to boot. Made of high density polyethylene, the 56-inch/142-cm-long Snowscoop is the brainchild of...

Good books.(new at the nursery)
November 1, 2004... Hoping to visit some public gardens next summer? Get a head start with two new books that celebrate a pair Canada's finest. ELSIE'S PARADISE: THE REFORD GARDENS (Les Editions de l'Homme, $29.95) explores the legendary gardener's glorious...

Tubular belles.(new at the nursery)
November 1, 2004... Warm up your windowsill this winter with the torrid hues of LACHENALIA. These bulbs from South Africa--they're sometimes called Cape cowslip--send out 12-inch (30-cm) stems bearing clusters of tubular flowers in bright gold, flame orange,...

Name that plant.(new at the nursery)
November 1, 2004... A late bloomer with double flowers on six-inch (15-cm) stems, this pink beauty plays a bit of a name game with references to two other totally different flowers. Hardy to Zone 4, it likes fertile soil in full sun. Mail or fax your answer to:...

Rove beetles (Staphylinidae family).(new at the nursery)
November 1, 2004... PROFILE; Extremely quick and agile, many rove beetles are important soil-dwelling predators. Rarely seen because they are active at night, adults of most species are dark-coloured and elongated (one-tenth to three-quarters of an inch/three to...

Crimson tidings: turn ho-hum potted poinsettias into holidays stars with a few snips and a touch of imagination.(cutting edge)(Cover Story)
November 1, 2004... hangin' around Wreaths take on a luxurious air when adorned with freshly cut poinsettias. For this 20 inch (51-cm) grapevine wreath, we clipped a pair of velvety red blooms, leaving stems of about four inches (10 cm). The sealed stems...

Firestarters.(high & low)
November 1, 2004... COPPER FIRE BOWLS $165 Copper fire bowl cast-iron stand and grate. Includes mesh fire screen and handle/poker. At Canadian Tire. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] $195 Hand-spun recycled-copper Turkish grill with wrought-iron stand and...

West.(hands on GL's cross-country checklist)
November 1, 2004... Plan ahead. This is the time of year to visit parks and public gardens, writing down the names of trees, shrubs, berries and barks that interest you. Two noteworthy ones are beautyberry (Callicarpa bodinieri var giraldii 'Profusion'), with...

Prairies.(hands on GL's cross-country checklist)
November 1, 2004... Pot leftover bulbs for forcing this winter. Pre-chilled hyacinths are the easiest--just set them into a bulb-forcing vase and place in the fridge until roots sprout. (Hyacinths left in a warm place for a month or more may need to be chilled...

Central.(hands on GL's cross-country checklist)
November 1, 2004... Add fall leaves to the green garden waste in your composter (shred slow-to-decompose leaves such as oak and beech with your lawnmower to help them break down faster). If you don't have a composter, now is a good time to build one--even just a...

Atlantic.(hands on GL's cross-country checklist)
November 1, 2004... Group potted evergreens near entrances to squeeze out a few more weeks of autumn. Conifers can often be found for sale in late fall --look for different shapes and sizes to create interest and variety. A few hard frosts won't hurt the plants...

Feeding time: bird feeders aren't strictly for the birds, says Ted Johnston--everyone can enjoy the vibrant life they bring to a garden.(toolshed)
November 1, 2004... UNLIKE MOST WILDLIFE, birds allow us a glimpse into their lives. We can watch them finding mates, building homes, raising their young, drinking and eating--much like ourselves. Offering food is a sure way to attract a variety of birds to your...

Grade a design.(toolshed)
November 1, 2004... Now here's a feeder to shell out for. Featuring a spun aluminum base and perches, this glossy handmade ceramic ovoid by U.S. designer Jim Schatz is 8 1/2 inches (21 cm) high and holds eight cups (1.9 L) of food. According to Schatz, it's both...

Holly: with brilliant berries and fab foliage, this shrub brings good looks as well as good luck.(plant this)
November 1, 2004... A RITUAL SYMBOL since the Druids danced, holly was also traditionally a sign of welcome, planted near houses for good luck. Settlers arriving in North America's eastern forests in the 17th century found the native holly (Ilex opaca) a...

... And the winners are! GL's third annual garden contest drew entries from green thumbs gardening on every size and scale.(garden contest)
November 1, 2004... "THERE'S SUCH A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT in making something ugly beautiful!" These words by entrant Jane Dykstra of Clarksburg, Ont. could apply to every entry GL received in its third annual garden contest. Via dozens of submissions, you...

Poinsettias.(delivering holiday drama)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2004... During the holiday season, these festively hued flowering plants are in evidence absolutely everywhere--in grocery stores, at your dentist's office, on your desk at work and in your home. This year, tear off their customary wrapping (usually...

The cold and the beautiful.
November 1, 2004... Here in the Great White North, winter is a fact of gardening life, so why not revel in it instead of revile it? After all, its pleasures are many, from towering pines in a sea of white to beauteous bulbs on a sunny windowsill. Let's not...

Changing scene: a Toronto couple finds it takes both respect and courage to keep a mature garden looking fresh.(sanctuary)
November 1, 2004... a mature garden emanates a sense of eternity--everything settled and in its place, seemingly forever. But as experienced gardeners like Vivienne and Michael Wiggan well know, this is an illusion. Things do change, whether by accident or...

Season's greetings even when the weather is frightful, winter gardens offer a wealth of decorative raw materials, from twigs and sprigs to berries and boughs.(inspiration)
November 1, 2004... the colour and fragrance of seasonal greenery does much to enliven a wintertime setting, especially when the land is blanketed with snow and the trees are bare. And as the indoor and outdoor projects shown here reveal, it couldn't be easier...

Inside job: in this contemporary Toronto home, life literally revolves around the garden--a lush, green interior oasis.(design)
November 1, 2004... UPON FIRST SIGHT, THE INTERIOR GARDEN of this Toronto home registers as a serene paradox. It's a living, breathing green oasis at the core of a sleek, modernist structure a glass roofed ecosystem in which pine coexists with fruit yielding...

All the best.(gift guide)
November 1, 2004... From the little black dress of fashion to the Barcelona chair in furniture design, every discipline has its icons--and gardening is no exception. This year, delight the green thumb on your gift list with a horticultural classic, either...

Ginger's spice: fresh, dried, candied or pickled, this aromatic rhizome has become a canadian favourite, adding zip and depth to both sweet and savoury dishes.(food)
November 1, 2004... in the dozen years that have passed since I moved from working in a restaurant kitchen to the magazine world, I've watched the popularity of fresh ginger expand to the point where it has become a favourite flavour with Canadian cooks. Until...

Raise the bar: elevate your holiday entertaining.(Advertisement)
November 1, 2004... Festively decorated food and drink stations set the right mood for special occasions this season. Make one area within your home the focus of the festivities, decorate lavishly using some of the tips and ideas in the following pages and offer...

What's on: a national roundup of events, lectures and garden tours.(Calendar)
November 1, 2004... western NOVEMBER 6 & 7, BURNABY, BC Visit the Point Grey Chrysanthemum Association's Late Varieties Show. Mandeville Garden Centre, Saturday, noon to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free admission. For more info, call Elaine...

Indoor oasis.(how to get the look)
November 1, 2004... This indoor garden is a grand one, but you needn't go to such extravagant lengths to create your own interior oasis. With the prevalence of sunrooms and skylights in many houses and condos, it's possible to provide such spaces with the...

Pierre Berton.(Back talk: dishing the dirt with Canada's gardeners)
November 1, 2004... As the man who penned such best-selling classics of Canadian history as The Last Spike, Klondike and Niagara, 84 year old Pierre Berton is as much a national icon as many of his subjects. Born and raised in the Yukon, the prolific journalist,...