 Ah, Spring! The most awaited for season. After our long Canadian winters, we look forward to the warmth of the sun, and clear days. We shed our layers, feel active, and light hearted. With Spring comes revival, rejuvenation, romanticism, growth, hope, beauty, colour, and Gardening, at last!
Ah, The Magic of Spring!
What better flower to illustrate this magic and beauty than the very early flowering Hellebore. Hellebores, also known as Lenten roses, are the harbingers of spring. Some will even bloom just above the snow! What a perfect choice for Canada Blooms.
Exciting plans are underway for this year’s festival, which is celebrating 17 amazing years of passionate, and magical gardening. Artistic Director Colomba Fuller invites you to come explore and celebrate this magic in March 2013; be dazzled by landscape designs from Canada's best Landscape builders and architects, be wowed by the splendid creations from Canada’s Professional Florists and Canada’s Largest Floral and Horticulture Competition. |
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 b sq. Design Studio, winner of the 2012 Canada Blooms award for Best Use of Bulbs presented by TradeWinds International, was awarded the Silver Medal at the 2012 Singapore Garden Festival in July for their Canadian themed garden. They were asked to participate after winning the gold medal at the Gardening World Cup in Nagasaki, Japan and a silver medal at the 2010 Singapore Garden Festival. They were the only Canadian firm to by invited to compete against other international teams from the U.K.,  Australia, the U.S., France and New Zealand. The garden celebrated iconic elements from Canada's north including famous Inuit artworks,  a modern take on a traditional igloo and a light display recreating the northern lights. "It was important for us to design a garden that would be a great representation of Canada while celebrating some of the unique aspects of our history and geography" said Alex Bartlett from b. sq Design Studio.
Read the Newspaper Article and Press Release. View 2012 CanadaBlooms Feature Garden Builders.
Picture (Left) b sq at Canada Blooms 2012, (Right) from 2012 Singapore Garden Festival Strait Times Newspaper Article. |
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presented by the Garden Club of Toronto (GCT). Designed by Karen Morgan, the carpet consisted of two sections, each 18 feet long with a Himalayan Birch at each end, making a total length of 52 feet.
Karen used large graph paper so her design could be transferred by some 20 GCT volunteers during two-day work sessions. Flowers were chosen for their longevity and for their harmonious colours with the sets in the Garden Hall.
Predominant colours were off-white, blue/purple, lime green, dark green and yellow. Flowers used included carnations and statice including 3000 stems, mums including spider and button varieties, sea holly, coffee leaves and aspidistra. The flowers were placed in metal pans, which rested on a 3 inch sand bed, and were filled with wet and conditioned floral foam.  About 1/3 of the carpet consisted of 300 potted plants which were placed directly on the floor.
Show visitors were indeed “floored” by the intricate pattern of the colourful carpet and the vibrant, healthy floral and plant material!
Pictures by Trish Symons
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 With record-breaking temperatures this summer, it's been a challenge for gardeners. Here are some cool tips to think about:
- Water conservation should be our number one priority. A rain barrel at the base of all of your downspouts provides a warm and natural water resource for your plants.
- Water plants at their base with dripline irrigation or soaker hoses; overhead sprinklers can waste water.
- Be sure where you water, so you are not trying to make the sidewalk sprout leaves!
- Mulch! Mulch! Mulch! It’s a great way to cut down on watering.
- Move container plants into the shade during hot weather, if you are going away for a few days.
- There are still great plants to be bought at garden centres. Keep them well watered in shade for a few days before planting.
- When planting, create a small moat at the base of the plant to hold water. This was called "puddling in" by Victorian gardeners.
- Think about how you may utilize leftover water from indoor dish sinks, bathtubs, sump pumps and even small amounts from kettles or cooking pots.
- Lawns go through a dormant period during a prolonged drought. Brown will turn back to green
 in the fall.
- Develop a long-term plan to conserve water, including drought-tolerant plants in your garden.
- Utilize a landscape consultant or designer to help you plan a garden.
- And lastly, visit us online at Landscape Ontario for further tips, or in person during our public open house of the 2012 trial gardens at 7856 Fifth Line South, Halton Hills, on Sat., Aug. 18 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. To learn more about the open house featuring plants you won’t see available to the public for until next year or later, go to visit our website.
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