Category: Gardening News

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Gardening Gardening News Miscellany

2024 Look Ahead

Consider this a “better late than never” post. Here we are more than halfway through the first month of the New Year, but I don’t think it’s too late to tell you about plant and garden fashions to watch in 2024.

National Garden Bureau 2024 Plant Picks

Each year the National Garden Bureau selects one annual, one perennial, one bulb crop, one edible, one houseplant, and one shrub for their top picks. Plants are chosen because they are popular, easy-to-grow, widely adaptable, genetically diverse, and versatile. NBG’s 2024 plant picks include, African violets, squash, the heat tolerant Mexican native Angelonia, lilies, Buddleia and Hosta.

The versatile Hosta is an NBG plant pick for 2023, shown here sharing space with Japanese painted ferns. Photo by R. Last.

Colour of the Year

Last year, it was purple, and red the year before. However, unlike past years, there doesn’t seem to be a consensus on which colours will be fashionable in the garden in 2024. Perhaps that a good thing as we gardeners can be more creative. Garden Media Group identified seven distinct garden personae (Digital, Bold, Enchanting, Eclectic, Elevated, Hopeful, and Punchy) for 2024, with a selection of colours for each. I really like that they highlight “eco-optimism” as a trend.

This Louis Cotton canna has pretty peach flowers – my nod to plant fashion for 2024. Photo by R. Last.

Pantone’s colour of the year is Peach Fuzz (13-1023). Nursery Management magazine notes that many plants come in this colour, including: Peach Blossom Astilbe; Coral Charm Peony; and Proven Winners Primo ‘Peachberry Ice’ Heuchera and At Last Rosa.

Homes & Gardens magazine is among several authoritative sources to call for gardeners to use “bold, punchy and powerful citrus greens” in their plant palette this year. Writer Sarah Wilson cites Katie Dubow at Garden Media Group, who attributes environmental sensibilities to the natural colour palette that inspires designers to select shades of green. Plants in the so-called “cyber lime” colour group include several hydrangeas, Echinacea ‘Coconut Lime’, Nicotiana alata ‘Lime Green’, and of course, the garden classic lady’s mantle (Alchemilla mollis).

Alchemilla mollis’ lime green flowers contrast nicely with the dusky foliage of purple Japanese parsley (Cryptotaenia japonica var. atropurpurea).

EcoGardener identifies six groups of colours as hot trends for 2024. Their selections offer lots of scope for us all to be fashionable, no matter our personal colour preferences! They are: muted blues and purples; vibrant coral and orange; sunny yellows; soft pastels; the classic monochromatic white garden; and berry tones.

What’s your style?

In terms of style, Leanne Potts, writing in Better Homes & Gardens draws on projections from various sources, including Garden Media Group (GMG) and California-based nursery Monrovia, to highlight eight different 2024 garden trends. I was pleased to see the eco-conscious gardener coming in at number one. This trend emphasizes soil health and pollinator-friendly gardens. Houseplant fever is still a very hot trend, with indoor gardeners expected to select more colourful plants for 2024. Gardening for wellness is another trend that is expected to take off in 2024. Wellness gardeners are advised to chose fragrant plants that make us feel happy and calm. I guess this type of wellness is not applicable for folks with pollen allergies! Considering 2023 was the hottest year on record, and climate change is expected to continue exert an influence for years to come, it’s not surprising that designers are recommending heat-tolerant plants. Drive around any new development and chances are you’ll see a lot of big houses with small lots. Increasingly, people are living in high rises without any gardens, so no wonder container gardens are trend #5 on the list. This year is also a big election year. Voters in 64 countries, plus the EU, will be heading to the polls this year. With so much potential change and uncertainty, is it any wonder that garden designers anticipate a resurgence in nostalgic gardens. For example, using classic flowers like peonies and roses can evoke a sense of safer yesteryears. For those who embrace change, like the Gen-Z and Millennials who love science fiction, designers have coined a new trend – “Hortifuturism”, which features a bold, futuristic look with vibrant colours. Caitlin Atkinson’s photo below exemplifies this trend. While the photo is stunning, those turquoise and chartreuse plant combos leave me cold.

Photo by Caitlin Atkinson

The final trend seems to be intended for grown up Goth kids. It calls for “moody, broody plants” in dusky colours, and moss-covered stones in shady spots.

Mossy rock beside the trail at Glen Villa Art Garden, North Hatley, QC. Photo by R. Last.

So, how fashionable will your garden be this year? I expect mine to continue to be a combination of functional eclecticism. Maybe one year, that will be the new, hot garden trend.

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Biodiversity Events Gardening News Trees & Forests

October Gardening News

Like May, October is a busy month for gardeners. October 2023 has certainly proved to be a busy one for me! In addition to all the usual fall gardening jobs, a few speaking engagements, and regular monthly meetings, I managed to squeeze in some travel and attended two incredible educational events.

Fall Colour in Vermont

My husband and I began the month with a trip to Vermont to meet up with my cousin Anne and her husband Steve. They live in Perth, Australia, and this was the closest they would be to Ottawa for a while. I hadn’t seen Anne in about fifteen years, plus, Vermont is famous for its fall colour. So a road trip was in order.

This photo was taken on the drive down, looking across Lake Placid, New York. Photo by R. Last.

The Science of Fall Colour

Autumn leaves don’t really change colour. It’s more a case of the dominant green chlorophyll pigment starting to break down as the tree slows and stops its photosynthesis. This allows other leaf pigments to be seen more easily. Three factors influence autumn leaf color: leaf pigments; length of night; and weather. Day length is the single most important factor that triggers trees to stop photosynthesis.

The brilliance of fall colour is related to weather before and during the time the chlorophyll in the leaves is dwindling. Temperature and moisture are the main influences. A succession of warm, sunny days and cool, crisp but not freezing nights seems to bring about the most spectacular color displays. During these days, lots of sugars are produced in the leaf but the cool nights and the gradual closing of leaf veins prevent these sugars from moving out. Lots of sugar spurs production of the brilliant anthocyanin pigments, which tint reds, purples, and crimson. Because carotenoids are always present in leaves, the yellow and gold colors remain fairly constant from year to year.

With climate change, the difference between day and nighttime temperatures – the thermoperiod – tends to be less, resulting in less brilliant fall colours. Find out more about the science behind fall leaves from USDA’s Forest Service.

Rebecca’s front garden in fall. Photo by R. Last.

Fat Bear Week 2023

Every year Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska marks Fat Bear Week, as a way to celebrate the resilience, adaptability and strength of Katmai’s brown bears. Bears are matched against each other in a tournament style competition and online visitors can vote on which bear is ultimately crowned. Visiting the Fat Bear website (link in title above) allows you to view before and after pics of all the contestants, and read their bios.

And the winner is…

On October 11, the winner was revealed to be (drum roll, please) 128 Grazer, a voluptuous female and defensive mama bear who has successfully raised two litters of cubs and who “often preemptively confronts and attacks much larger bears — even large and dominant adult males,” according to the National Park Service.

128 Grazer was sporting an impressively portly body on September 14, 2023. Photo by F. Jimenez / NPA Photo.

Kew SOTWPF

Held Oct. 11-13, Kew’s 2023 State of the World’s Plants and Fungi symposium was attended by about 250 people in person and about 1,100 online. This event aimed to bring together scientists to explore common interests arising from the publication earlier in 2023 of Kew’s fifth report in their State of the World’s series. During the three days, panel discussions and posters centred on: identifying dark spots, where too little is known about local flora and fungi; discussing strategies and highlighting priorities for conservation; sharing ideas for engaging local communities and citizen scientists; and mapping a way forward for future research. The outcomes of the symposium will be summarized in a statement that will be completed with input from any interested stakeholders.

Image used by Kew to introduce their 2023 SOTWPF program.

Recordings of Day 1, Day 2 and Day3 sessions are available. My main take-aways are:

  • We are in the midst of the world’s 6th great extinction event. Kew reports have shown that two of every five plants globally are threatened with extinction. As many as three quarters of the world’s undescribed plant species are in the same boat. Only 0.4% of fungi have even been described. We cannot protect what we don’t know is there!
  • Hard data from scientists, combined with an engaged public, can push politicians to act effectively. The 2022 Kunming-Montreal Framework for Biodiversity is an example, but also just a beginning.
  • Around the world, citizen scientists are contributing to the big data scientists now use.
  • Gardeners can play an important role in helping to collect data; and sharing science-based information with the general public.

Canadian Geographic Mini-Forest Summit

On October 19, I attended the CGS mini-forest summit, which aimed to develop a national network and framework for planting planting Miyawaki-style mini-forests across Canada. It was an inspiring day in a gorgeous location.

View up the Ottawa River from 50 Sussex Drive, where the mini-forest summit was held. Photo by R. Last.

Morning sessions were focused on the importance of and reasons to plant mini-forests. Joyce Hostyn spoke movingly about the need to consider other-than-human beings, and the joy of making space for them in our cities. Afternoon sessions ventured into practical aspects such as funding, supply chain constraints and more controversial subjects, like assisted tree migration to help species survive climate change. A session on the use of big data for analytics again highlighted the importance of citizen science, suggesting again the important roles that Master Gardeners can play. Diana Beresford-Kroeger summed up the sense of urgency by saying ”Just get the trees in the ground”!

Panel on A Critical Role for Mini Forests with moderator Aran O’Carroll, Diana Beresford-Kroeger, Jenn McCallum, Green Communities Canada, Heather Schibli, Dougan and Associates, and Charlene Williams, Vineland Research and Innovation Centre.

Lorraine Johnson at Ottawa Horticultural Society

It’s not too late to register for Lorraine Johnson’s talk tomorrow night (Tuesday, October 24) at the Ottawa Horticultural Society’s monthly meeting. Lorraine’s presentation Tending the Earth: Gardening for the Future explores gardening as an act of stewardship and earth-tending. Lorraine draws connections between our gardens and the wider world, with a focus on how our gardens can be places of ecological and social change. Using many examples of gardening projects that help communities grow and heal the earth, this talk will inspire you to dig in.

Lorraine is bringing copies of her latest book, A Garden for the Rusty-Patched Bumblebee, with her, and these will be on sale at the meeting.

Image from Lorraine Johnson’s website.
Categories
Trowel Talk

November Trowel Talk Newsletter

The November edition of Trowel Talk opens with an article by Candace Dressler that introduces us to her pet worms and the practice of vermicomposting. We answer your questions on how to safely bring your tender houseplants back inside without also bringing in pests; and how to rid your lawn of creeping Charlie. I wrote an article about seed documentation, which can be a dry topic except for the fascinating glimpses of social history we get from researching a specific type of seed.

Heather Clemenson writes on the fascinating topic on botanical art, including some gorgeous samples of her own work. I love the intertwined parsnips! We offer tips on food sources for Slivery Blue butterfly caterpillars. If you’re looking for gift ideas, Julianne Labreche reviews a wonderful new book called “A Garden for the Rusty-Patched Bumblebee” – a species rescued from near extinction by caring gardeners like us. Gail Labrosse continues her series on invasive species with a profile of Siberian Pea Shrub, and suggests native alternatives. As the gardening season ends, we end this edition with tips on garden tool maintenance.

As usual, we include links to our gardening and veggie growing calendars, and a list of places where you can find us, including giving talks at your local garden club.

Trowel Talk is a collaboration between Master Gardeners of Ottawa-Carleton and Lanark County Master Gardeners, so you get both urban and rural perspectives.

Trowel Talk is a free monthly newsletter of the Master Gardeners of Ottawa-Carleton. You can sign up for it here.

Categories
Events

Fall 2022 – News and Events

There’s a nip in the air and the days are so much shorter now. I’ve harvested the last of my tomatoes and am waiting for the fall radish crop to mature. Winter is coming!

Spring and fall are always the busiest times in my garden, which explains the tardiness of this month’s update. Aside from the usual gardening and science news posts, I have several other exciting developments to report. Firstly, thanks to Caroline Koehler, a wonderful new addition to the team, Master Gardeners of Ottawa-Carleton are launching a spiffy new website. You will find most of our old content, plus exciting new images.

There’s also some news for my loyal readers. I’m now working with a wonderful designer from Nova Scotia to develop a blog, which I hope to launch about New Year’s. At that point, you will have to sign up to get future notifications. Don’t worry, I’ll give you lots of notice.

In view of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, this month’s humorous image is wishful thinking. Thanks to Jon Last for sharing it.

Did you know? 2022 has officially been declared as The Year of the Garden.

Canada’s Garden Route Map: The COVID-19 pandemic restricted travel opportunities for Canadians and also for visitors from around the globe. Canada’s Garden Route is not a ‘route’ per se, but a comprehensive listing of Canadian gardens and garden experiences that eagerly await visits from their surrounding communities and tourists from afar.

On Line Learning, Gardening Events & Resources

Note: All event times are given as Eastern Time (US and Canada).

Ecology Ottawa 2022 Tree Giveaways: Ecology Ottawa has 20,000 trees to give away, including 22 species of native coniferous and deciduous trees—including more fruit, nut, berry, and sap-bearing trees than ever to help address food security in the region. But this Tree Campaign is about more than putting trees in the ground. It’s also about engaging residents and public organizations to help nurture a greener community, a greener Ottawa, and a greener future together. Together, we can help Ottawa become healthier and more resilient! Check out the Tree Giveaway Calendar for more details. 

Starting Monday, September 19:  Canadian Museum of Nature presents Winged Tapestries: Moths at Large. Moths explode in colour and size with the return of large-format photographs by Jim des Rivières. These extraordinary works, which débuted in 2010 and then toured to numerous venues, reveal the diversity and astonishing beauty of moths from the Ottawa region. Visitors will be struck by the detail, patterns and colours in 20 captivating photographs. Included with museum admission.

Wednesday, September 21, 7:00 pm: Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society annual general meeting. Mark your calendars! More information will become available in the months to come.

Tuesday, September 27, 7:30 pm: Ottawa Horticultural Society presents Urban Homesteading: Channelling our Pioneer Ancestors. OHS president Jeff Blackadar, together with Master Gardeners Judith Cox and Rebecca Last will describe their efforts to practice sustainable urban agriculture and living. Jeff will discuss gleaning on greenbelt land and tapping trees to make maple syrup. Judith will introduce us to her “turkey-turned” hügelkultur and “the girls” – chickens Peony, Dahlia and Calendula, who produce multi-coloured eggs. Rebecca will discuss the various ways she uses her small suburban garden to make food, crafts and gifts for friends and family. This event is available in person at St. Mark’s Church Hall, 1606 Fisher Ave, Ottawa, and on line.

Wednesday, October 5, noon to 1:00 pm EDT: Webinar: Arborists Are from Mars; Garden Designers Are from Venus. Working around trees in a landscape is a delicate and careful business that is often overlooked, much to the detriment of the trees over time. It can be hard to spot what gardening practices cause trees harm, as it might be a decade before one unfortunate trench kills a tree. Chris Roddick will explore how Arborist and Garden Designers can work together when designing, developing, and managing gardens and lawns around trees. Registration required.

Thursday, October 6, 6 pm: Carleton University and Canada Museum of Science and Technology present a Geodiversity Symposium: The Foundation for Diverse Ecosystems on a Changing Planet. The symposium is free and can be attended either in person or virtually. However, pre-registration is required.

Tuesday, October 11, 7 pm: Old Ottawa South Garden Club presents “Selecting Trees for Your Property”. Starting with municipal programs and requirements related to trees, this presentation encourages people to look at their property’s environment, as well as their own needs and values in order to select trees to enhance their property for years to come. Meetings are held at the Old Ottawa South Community Centre (The Firehall), 260 Sunnyside Avenue. Membership: $25 per year; $40 for a family; drop-in fee—$7 per meeting. Information: Old Ottawa South Community Centre at 613 247 4946

For more gardening events in the Ottawa area, including a useful selection of virtual events, consult the Gardening Calendar.

Categories
Trowel Talk

Trowel Talk – Sept 2022

Master Gardener’s Trowel Talk Newsletter

  • The September edition of Trowel Talk opens with Andrea Knight’s article on a lovely fall native, the smooth aster. We answer your questions about funny coloured leaves on a maple, rejuvenating soil where tomatoes have grown for years. Lanark MG Dale Odorizzi explores the fascinating and complex life cycle of aphids. You may never look at these pesky critters the same way again! Claire McCaughey shares her tips for late season gardening. Mary Crawford continues her series on weeds with purslaine – another weed with super-food potential. Gail Labrosse continues her series on invasive plants with a look at that fall classic, burning bush or winged Euonymus. We end by publishing a letter from Trish Murphy, proprietor of native plant nursery Beaux Arbres, who suggests a couple of big, bold and beautiful native plants to add to the garden.
  • As usual, we include links to our gardening and veggie growing calendars, and a list of places where you can find us. This year, Master Gardeners is returning to your local farmers’ markets to offer free gardening advice. Stop by and say “hello”.