Pollinator Gardens

pollinator gardens: Award to Pollinator Gardens: and the award goes to...

Now magazine list of cuts being considered: all horticultural activities

Item 10 for the 2012/13 budget: All horticultural activities 
Now Magazine reports list of cuts being considered

Canada Blooms

While strolling the City of Toronto display I came across this great woodland garden installed by Landscape Design students from the Chang School at Ryerson University. According to Rachel Weston, student and Ecoman employee, this garden was installed by the "Art and Management of Planting Design" students taught by Michelle Reid. Although the pictures do it no justice, this was a great woodland garden. PS While I was admiring this garden I spotted Councillor Mary Fragedakis and her mother strolling through and chatting with City and Park staff.

Canada Blooms

One of the more interesting displays was the pollinator garden conceived by Clement Kent. Although these pictures do it no justice they illustrate a point. Today is March 20th and only the earliest spring ephemerals are flowering in the garden. Most designers at Canada Blooms make use of plants supplied by nurseries that have been forced (tricked into flowering early). According to Clement, the list of available plants only included one native. Therefore Clement took it upon himself to force his own plants for the pollinator garden display. I was particularly impressed at the variety of plants on display as some have very short flowering times (Mertensia for example is a case in point).

Canada Blooms

Alex Zalewski is grandson of the founder of Parklane, a landscaping company that has been around since 1958. According to Alex, Parklane helped to organize Canada Blooms and has been an exhibitor ever since. This years exhibit was really special, they won an award for best use of water, I thought this sculpture/water feature really stood out. I believe this work to be by local artist Floyd Elzinga.
In addition they built this wonderful sand dune complete with vertical timbers and percussionist. The theme for this year at Canada Blooms was rhythm and they really captured the vibe, this scene could easily be from wreck beach in Vancouver.

 

Canada Blooms

This is Reid Snow owner of VRS Masonry, they built this magnificent dry stack stone structure in 3 days with only hammer and chisel! This was one of the highlights for me at Canada Blooms. People with the skill and craftsmanship required to build something like this are few and far between. Master tip from Reid Snow "I use a 2" carbide tip tracer for almost everything"