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Canada Blooms Happenings
Plant Procurement for
Canada Blooms 2017
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David Turnbull, Canada Blooms Horticultural Director and your Plant Nut, says he "has been drooling over the latest offerings from Terra Nova Nurseries – here are just a few: Coreopsis ‘Madras Magic’, latest in the Majaraja series with striking 2-toned burgundy flowers with light pink tips…or bold yellow Echinacea ‘Mac N Cheese’…or stunning mixed bright red and yellow flower heads of Echinacea ‘Tomato Soup’…or flamingo pink Echinacea Supreme ‘Flamingo’…or Heucherella ‘Hot Spot’, combining bright pink flowers above lime green foliage with a red center…where do I start and stop as I’m selecting my plant list for 2017…and I’m just getting going!"
So many cultivars of annuals, perennials, flowering shrubs, ornamental trees and evergreens…and then there are vegetables and fruits and let’s not forget our stalwart native plants - the bedrock of nature outside or our subdivisions and townhouses.
He encourages you to pencil into your March calendar a day at the greatest garden festival in Canada. Come celebrate our countries 150th birthday with so many exciting plants coming to a garden centre near you!
~ Picture of University of Guelph's Rodger Tschanz and Horticultural Director David Turnbull
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World Association of Floral Artists
in Barbados in 2017 |
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Floral designers from all over the world will be travelling to Barbados in June 2017 to attend the World Association of Floral Artists. WAFA is a not-for-profit, non-partisan organization of International Floral Art Societies. WAFA holds a show every third year to advance the art of floral design, to educate, and to allow for sharing of ideas. Previous shows have been held in Ireland, Boston, New Zealand, Pakistan, the United Kingdom, Belgium, South Africa and Canada. Several Canadian floral artists will be entering competitions in Barbados.
Many of the International designers who have been invited to enter the international competition at Canada Blooms have also participated in WAFA shows throughout the years. The Toronto Flower Show will be welcoming more International Floral Artists in 2017.Canada Blooms is pleased to showcase the designs  of local, Canadian and International Floral designers, including members of the Garden Club of Toronto who are planning a trip to Barbados.
~ Photos of International Competitors Displays at Canada Blooms 2016, from the Garden Club of Toronto |
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A Red and White Celebration |
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Say “Happy Birthday Canada” with a Red and White Celebration Garden!
Thanks to a collaboration between the Canadian Garden Council and Vesey’s Bulbs of PEI, 150 communities and organizations from coast to coast have been selected to receive a spectacular 150th Celebration Garden.
Each garden consists of 1,000 red and white tulip bulbs to be planted this fall and bloom next spring just in time to say “Happy Birthday to Our Home and Native Land”.
Niagara’s Celebration Garden Promenade
Also thanks to Vesey’s, The Niagara Parks Commission will receive 25,000 red and white tulip bulbs to be planted in Queen Victoria Park adjacent to Niagara Falls, one of Canada’s most significant gateways and iconic destinations for visitors from the US and the rest of the world. The Niagara 150th Celebration Garden Promenade will be a symbolic link to the 150 Celebration Gardens across the country.
You can have a Celebration Garden too
If you’d like your own 150th Celebration Garden, Vesey’s are selling an exclusive, limited number – only 150 in your region – of special Celebration Gardens for the home gardener. The gardens consist of 75 Red Impression and 75 White Hakuun tulips, with each colour packaged separately for your planting convenience. 
Every successful purchaser will receive a full colour certificate from the Canadian Garden Council and Vesey’s Bulbs indicating that they have participated in this special 150th Celebration.
The link below will connect you directly to the Vesey’s ordering site for this offer – but act quickly, deadline for ordering is October 14th. |
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Support Highway of Heroes
Plan A Tulip Fundraiser |
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Help support the Highway of Heroes Living Tribute by organizing a fundraiser in your community! Never organized a fundraiser before? That’s okay. Highway of Heroes has provided a Community Fundraiser Tool kit that you can download which will provide you with useful tips and suggestions to help make the most of your efforts.
STEP 1: Click Here to download the Community Fundraiser Tool Kit
STEP 2: Click Here to download a printable registration form. Please complete and submit to officially register your fundraiser.
For a limited time only – be one of the first to sigh up to organize a fundraiser in your community to receive a special gift!
Be an early participant in Canada’s 150th birthday. Thanks to Home Hardware, we have a limited number of rare and unique Canada 150 tulip bulbs that will be  provided to groups, organizations and companies who pledge support to fundraising for the Highway of Heroes Living Tribute.
100% of all funds raised will go to support the Highway of Heroes Living Tribute with ZERO administration costs.
Apply today to become an approved fundraising partner. The rare tulip bulbs will be available on a first come first served basis. Plant the bulbs between the end of September and November to ensure they bloom this spring! |
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Garden Tips
Plant Now For Spring |
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As we enter into Fall, we should be thinking about our Spring flowering bulbs, especially if you want to announce spring with a burst of colour. You should choose a variety of early, mid and late season bulbs for a long season of colour.
Check the list below of what you should be planting now, you’ll be glad you did.
| Allium |
Anemone |
Crocus |
| Daffodil/Narcissus |
Hyacinth |
Grape Hyacinth |
| Iris |
Bearded Iris |
Lily |
| Muscari |
Snowdrops |
Tulip |
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Tips For Planting Bulbs
• Choose a planting area with good drainage so the bulbs won’t rot.
• Plant larger bulbs (daffodils, tulips and hyacinths) 20 centimetres (eight inches) deep; smaller bulbs such as crocus should be planted 13 centimetres (five inches) deep. Whether small or large, plant in drifts rather than in single rows, spacing bulbs according to package directions.
• Cover bulbs with soil, then water to give the roots a kick-start.
• Plant bulbs as soon as Halloween is over, except for daffodils which can be planted as early as possible in the fall so that they can establish strong root systems before the frost sets in.
• There is no sure fire way to protect the bulbs from marauding creatures, but covering bulbs in the hole with chicken wire seems to be one of the more effective solutions. After the bulbs are planted, clean up the area and tamp down the soil so that critters won’t be able to sniff out the bulbs so easily. Many bulbs, such as Fritillaria and Narcissus, are not tempting to squirrels, rabbits or deer.
• After the bulbs have bloomed in the spring, deadhead them but leave the leaves standing until they turn brown. During this time, the sun will turn oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium into food that will be stored in the bulb for next year’s growth.
~ From the Toronto Botanical Garden Website
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When I think of fall, I can’t help but think of chrysanthemums. This wonderful perennial provides any garden or container with a much needed boost of colour in the late summer and fall. Not only are they a fun flower that comes in a multitude of colours, they also come in many different shapes and sizes.
And no one can think of fall without visions of pumpkins dancing in their heads. So, why not put the two together in a fun project – Mumkins*. They are great indoors and out, as a Thanksgiving centerpieces or front step decoration.
DIY Instructions:
• Look for mums in pots ranging in size from 1.5 quarts to 3 gallons
• Use an awl to poke holes, approximately ½” apart, around the entire pumpkin
• Cut the blooms with 2” to 3” stems off the plants. Strip leaves from the stems. Larger pumpkins will need around 120 blooms to completely cover them, smaller pumpkins about 100 blooms.
• Stick blooms in the holes. The moister from the pumpkin flesh will keep your mumkin looking good for 3 to 4 days.
Note: To make your mumkin last longer you can substitute artificial flowers and a use a glue gun.
~ Found on pinterest.
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Planting A Tree For Tree Day |
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| National Tree Day serves as a celebration for all Canadians to appreciate the great benefits that trees provide us - clean air, wildlife habitat, reducing energy demand and connecting with nature.
To celebrate trees, the House of Commons passed a private members motion on March 2, 2011 declaring the Wednesday of National Forest Week as National Tree Day. At the insistence of Tree Canada, this special day was created to give Canadians the opportunity to learn more about the great benefits of trees while encouraging them to celebrate our country’s forest heritage. Communities across the country explored nature, enjoying its beauty, and also helped nourish it by planting new trees.
The Canada Blooms team also joined in the celebration by planting a red maple near our office. It will be enjoyed for years to come.
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Toronto Botanical Garden's
Aster Awards |
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| Toronto Botanical Garden celebrates three extraordinary individuals who embody the Toronto Botanical Garden’s mission to transform our city by connecting people to plants and the natural world. The Aster Awards recognize the work of these “green stars” – people whose achievements inspire us to cherish and conserve nature.
Date: Thursday, November 17, 2016
Toronto Botanical Garden, Floral Hall
Cocktail Reception: 6:30 p.m.
Awards Ceremony: 7:30 to 9 p.m.
Individual ticket: $150 | Reserved Table of 8: $1500
#TBGAster |
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Fall Mum Show at Allan Gardens |
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The City of Toronto annual chrysanthemum shows are on from October 9 – November 6, at Allan Gardens Conservatory, and Centennial Park Conservatory usually begins around the beginning of November. These fabulous displays of chrysanthemums are grown in-house at High Park and Centennial Park Greenhouses by the City of Toronto growers. Admission is free. |
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As we gear up to Canada's 150th Anniversary of Confederation we thought we would look at a few things that make us different from the rest of the world.
Here are just 8 things suggested by Tammy Burns in her article 15 Things most Canadians don't know about their own country:
 We made the world’s first $1-million coin
In 2007, the Royal Canadian Mint issued the world’s first million-dollar coin (it was also named the world’s largest gold coin by Guinness World Records). To date, five of these coins have been bought by investors.
We eat 55 percent more Kraft Dinner than Americans do
Yes, us northerners really love instant macaroni and cheese—which maybe isn’t so surprising given The Barenaked Ladies even referenced this university dinner staple in their song, “If I Had a Million Dollars.”
We built the world’s first UFO landing pad
St. Paul, Alberta, is home to the world’s first landing pad for alien life. The raised cement pad was built in 1967 and was officially opened by then Minister of National Defense (and open alien conspiracy theorist) Paul Hellyer
We almost shared currency with Iceland
In the aftermath of the country’s economic collapse, Iceland’s government publicly considered adopting Canada’s currency, prompting speculation that Greenland would also consider taking on the loonie.
We’re home to the waterfall capital of the world
The region surrounding the steel town of Hamilton, Ontario, has more than 100 waterfalls, and is dubbed both “The City of Waterfalls” and “The Waterfall Capital of the World.” It may be a self-made claim, but it works for publicity: do a Google search for “waterfall capital” and top spots go to the Hammer.
We harvest icebergs in Newfoundland and Labrador for vodka
Ever seen Iceberg Vodka at your local liquor store? It’s the only vodka in the world made from icebergs, which are harvested from Iceberg Alley, off Newfoundland’s east coast, then processed in St. John’s. Ontario has a hand in there, too—the alcohol part is  triple-distilled from Ontario sweet corn.
We have more doughnut shops per capita than anywhere else in the world
The doughnut may be commonly considered an American sweet, but it turns out we eat more of the deep-fried treat than anywhere else on the planet. Which maybe isn’t so surprising—how many Tim Hortons do you pass on your daily commute?
We supply a third of the world’s French fries
Thanks to the McCain empire, one-third of the world’s French fry supply comes from the small town of Florenceville-Bristol in New Brunswick.
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Canada Blooms was founded by the Garden Club of Toronto and Landscape Ontario
 
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