Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show 2016: part 1

Spring arrives early in Toronto!

Kind of. Sort of. To me, things don't really start to happen outside until late April after the snow and ice melt away and the soil becomes workable. We've received a good foot of snow since the beginning of March so there's no feeling that spring is anywhere close. It's a bit of a desperate time for Toronto gardeners right about now. Many feverishly look over their seed and bulb catalogues while others have sown their veggie crops in trying to get a head start. I don't bother with grow lights, soil mixes or damp off and prefer to see nice flowers in full bloom right now. The nearby Allan Gardens Conservatory is heaven s(c)ent in that regard.

2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory 
Spring Flower Show 
"Pink Charm" daffodil 

The 2016 Spring Flower Show has just started so I ambled over through the slush and snowbanks to take a quick look. Of course, all the bulbs like the daffodils, hyacinths and tulips have been forced to give us this show but one can easily get over this horticultural artifice and just enjoy the darn flowers.

The initial plantings include some narcissus and hyacinths. Masses of tulips will be planted soon, I'm sure, and I'll be back to show them to you later this month. While the Clivia, Agapanthus and some other plants shown in this post are not typical "spring bloomers", I'm sure you'll appreciate their colour and form at this stage of the year.

So, without further ado, let's go!

2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory 
Spring Flower Show
 "White Lion" daffodil 

Agapanthus (Lily of the Nile)
 2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory 
Spring Flower Show 

Agapanthus (Lily of the Nile) 
Allan Gardens Conservatory 
2016 Spring Flower Show 

Allan Gardens Conservatory 2016 
Spring Flower Show
 "White Lion" daffodils 

Blue and pink hyacinths at 
the 2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory 
Spring Flower Show

Clivia miniata 
Allan Gardens Conservatory 
2016 Spring Flower Show

Kaffir lily (Clivia miniata) 
Allan Gardens Conservatory 
2016 Spring Flower Show 

"Pink Charm" narcissus/daffodils at 
the 2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory 
Spring Flower Show 

"Red and White Windchimes" 
fuchsia blooms at the
 2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory 
Spring Flower Show 

Schizanthus pinnatus (Angel wings) 
2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory
 Spring Flower Show

Schizanthus pinnatus (Angel wings) 
Allan Gardens Conservatory 
2016 Spring Flower Show 

Schizanthus pinnatus (Poor Man's Orchid) 
2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory 
Spring Flower Show 

Matthiola incana "Aida Blue" (Stock)
 2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory 
Spring Flower Show 

Matthiola incana "Aida Blue" (Stocks)
 2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory 
Spring Flower Show 

"White Lion" daffodils  
2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory 
Spring Flower Show 

"White Lion" daffodils/ narcissus 
Allan Gardens Conservatory 
2016 Spring Flower Show 

Yeddo hawthorn (Raphiolepis umbellata) 
Allan Gardens Conservatory 
2016 Spring Flower Show

Fuchsia "Pink Marshmallow"  blooms 
Allan Gardens Conservatory 
2016 Spring Flower Show

2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory 
Spring Flower Show 
"Pink Charm" daffodils/narcissus 

2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory 
Spring Flower Show 
"White Lion" daffodils/ narcissus 

Agapanthus (Lily of the Nile) 
Allan Gardens 2016 Conservatory 
Spring Flower Show

Allan Gardens Conservatory 
2016 Spring Flower Show 
"Pink Charm" daffodils massed 

Blue and pink hyacinths 
2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory 
Spring Flower Show 

Clivia miniata blooms
2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory 
Spring Flower Show

Clivia miniata (Kaffir lily) 
Allan Gardens Conservatory
 2016 Spring Flower Show 

Leda and a spring container at the 
2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory 
Spring Flower Show 

Poor Man's Orchid (Schizanthus pinnatus)  
2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory 
Spring Flower Show

"Red and White Windchimes" Fuchsia flowers 
2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory 
Spring Flower Show 

Schizanthus pinnatus (Angel wings) 
Allan Gardens 2016 Conservatory 
Spring Flower Show 

Schizanthus pinnatus at the 
2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory 
Spring Flower Show

Spring container at the 
2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory 
Spring Flower Show

Matthiola incana "Aida Blue" (Stocks)  
Allan Gardens Conservatory 
2016 Spring Flower Show 

"Pink Marshmallow" Fuchsia blooms 
2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory 
Spring Flower Show

"White Lion" daffodil/narcissus massed 
2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory 
Spring Flower Show 

Yeddo hawthorn (Raphiolepis umbellata) 
 2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory 
Spring Flower Show 

Fuchsia "Pink Marshmallow"  blooms 
2016 Allan Gardens Conservatory 
Spring Flower Show 

Want to see more highlights of the Spring Flower Show from previous years? Here are some convenient links to some of my blog posts from past springs:

• Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show 2015 (part three): Toronto's other Flower Show
• Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show 2014: primulas, cinerarias, grape hyacinths: Toronto blooms (without the distracting home renovation booths)
• Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show 2013: part two. More Toronto blooms under glass
• Allan Gardens Conservatory Spring Flower Show 2013, part 3. Toronto spring blooms to get you through until April

Ecological gardening in Toronto with native plants

Not your typical Toronto garden?

I've been in business as a gardener over the past 12 years and worked in many different types of gardens for as many different types of clients. No two gardens are ever the same just as no two people are identical. (Ok, identical twins excepted. Maybe such gardens belonging to identical twins would be similar?)

We have our strengths, weaknesses, preferences and idiosyncracies. Same with our gardens since they are a reflection of our values. Even having no garden implies a certain set of values.

I work in mainly small to medium-sized gardens in Toronto's central core, more or less, and many sites have similar plantings and designs.The shrubs, trees and perennials are often inherited by the new owners or simply bought at local garden centres. In zone 5 Toronto, I see many common plants like boxwoods, yews, "Emerald" cedars, lilacs, rhodos,  hostas, etc. as I travel to and from job sites I also take care of gardens  which contain these ubiquitous plantings and, not surprisingly,  they are common because such plants are relatively inexpensive, readily available (especially in big box stores during the spring retail rush) and generally easy to maintain. 

Seriously, when was the last time you successfully and willfully killed a hosta?

April is around the corner so likely (hopefully?) I will get a call to return to one garden I've been weeding and watering for several years in Toronto's  Riverdale neighbourhood. I profiled this garden originally in a post titled Another tale of two Toronto gardens A Toronto ecological-based garden: functional or ornamental? Or both? back in August 2014. What I find atypical about this garden, in my limited gardening experiences throughout the city, is the diversity of wildlife I see every visit. The reasons for the presence of birds, insects and other pollinators lie in the type of native plants found here.

Agastache foeniculum (Giant hyssop)
Toronto ecological gardening 

The plants shown in this post are found in and around the clients' rain garden that was built to collect rainwater from the garage and part of the house's main roof. These pictures were taken last August to give you an idea of what is blooming in late summer. There was so much activity going on with the bees, hoverflies, and butterflies feeding everywhere.

(I also looked after two raised beds containing tomatoes, kale, cucumbers and nasturtiums in case you're worried that food production was not involved. I just don't find pictures of staked vegetables particularly beautiful!)

Blazing star (Liatris spicata)
Toronto native plants 

Are there "problems" found in this garden? Sure, if you define some pest and disease damage as problems: the American plum usually gets leaf curl, we had to remove an American cranberry bush (Viburnum trilobum) due to persistent Viburnum leaf beetle damage and the slugs I don't collect chew up the kale. The owners, though, accept this rather low threshold of damage and don't use herbicides.They see the gardens as part of the larger ecosystem that accepts the reality of "pests" (a human definition). There's a high level of resiliency built into the space, partially accomplished by choosing and planting a large number of different native plant species.

I think resilient gardens are part of the future. For me, they require fewer inputs and maintenance needs while still being beautiful and functional. Xeriscapes and rain gardens are examples of resilient gardens that should be more common in Toronto but are property owners open to the idea?

Common fleabane (Erigeron philadelphicus)
Toronto native plants 

Hibiscus moscheutos (Swamp rose mallow)
Toronto native plants 

Impatiens capensis (Spotted Jewelweed)
Toronto native plants

Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal flower)
Toronto ecological gardening 

Rudbeckia laciniata (Great coneflower)
Toronto ecological gardening 

Tall Ironweed (Vernonia gigantea )
Toronto ecological gardening 

White wood aster (Eurybia divaricatus)
Toronto ecological gardening

Blazing star (Liatris spicata)
 Toronto ecological gardening 

Common fleabane (Erigeron philadelphicus)
Toronto ecological gardening 

Hibiscus moscheutos (Swamp rose mallow)
Toronto ecological gardening 

Impatiens capensis (Spotted Jewelweed)
Toronto ecological gardening

Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis)
Toronto ecological gardening 

(Lobelia siphilitica) Great Blue Lobelia
 Toronto ecological gardening 

(Rudbeckia laciniata) Great coneflower
Toronto native plants

Tall Ironweed (Vernonia gigantea)
Toronto native plants 

Evening primrose (Oenothera biennis)
Toronto ecological gardening 

If you're in the Toronto area, the North American Native Plant Society holds a plant sale every May. Details for 2016 haven't been posted on its website yet so check it out later in spring. (The plants shown in this post were bought at the NANPS sale in the past.) 

It might be worth a visit. Who knows? You may think about your garden and the gardening process in a new light afterwards.

Tropical delights at Toronto's Centennial Park Conservatory

Moth orchids, tropical hibiscus and others on display in Etobicoke

Gardening in the dead of a Toronto winter? While others are busy winter sowing or greedily going through seed and bulb catalogues in preparation for spring's arrival, I'm doing a lot of reading and a bit of blogging. The genesis of this post was from a visit to a local Conservatory last winter. I forgot about these pictures and thought they would provide a nice diversion from the current polar conditions currently afflicting us here in zone 5 Toronto. And if you're fortunate and smart enough to live somewhere that's non-glacial at the moment, you can still enjoy these pretty flowers!

White Phalaenopsis (Moth Orchid) 
at the Centennial Park Conservatory 

Growing such beautiful orchids would be a tough task unless you provide the heat and humidity they love. For me, it's much nicer and practical to visit a place that allow these conditions: either warmer and more exotic locales (like Barbados' Orchid World) or a local greenhouse. Luckily, Centennial Park Conservatory can be reached via public transit and I find its orchid collection nicer than the one found at its sister Conservatory at Allan Gardens.


If you're an orchid collector, you'd be a little disappointed with the variety (mainly moth orchids or Phalaenopsis or "Phals") on display but for a winter weary visitor, the orchids and hibiscus and other tropical flowers and plants do lift the spirits. Well, until you have walk outside again and feel the Arctic blasts reminding you that spring here is still far away....

Pink Phalaenopsis (Moth Orchid) 
at the Centennial Park Conservatory

Purple spotted white Phalaenopsis (Moth Orchid) 
at the Centennial Park Conservatory 

White Phalaenopsis (Moth Orchid) 
at the Centennial Park Conservatory 

Pale pink Phalaenopsis (Moth Orchid) 
at the Centennial Park  Conservatory

Pale purple Phalaenopsis (Moth Orchid)
at the Centennial Park Conservatory

Light purple Phalaenopsis (Moth Orchid) 
at the Centennial Park Conservatory 

Light red Phalaenopsis (Moth Orchid) 
at the Centennial Park Conservatory 

Yellow tropical hibiscus ( Hibiscus rosa sinensis ) 
at the Centennial Park Conservatory 

"High Heaven" tropical hibiscus 
( Hibiscus rosa sinensis )
at the Centennial Park Conservatory

"High Heaven" double tropical hibiscus 
( Hibiscus rosa sinensis )
at the Centennial Park Conservatory 

"Blushing Peach" tropical hibiscus 
( Hibiscus rosa sinensis )
at the Centennial Park Conservatory 

Orange Brugmansia (Angel's Trumpet) 
at the Centennial Park Conservatory 

Bromeliad flower (Aechmea fasciata) 
at the Centennial Park Conservatory

Centennial Park Conservatory's
 yellow cactus flowers

"Arnold Promise" witch hazel blooms in my Toronto garden

This Toronto witch hazel just keeps on blooming and blooming and....

Hamamelis x intermedia "Old Faithful". How does that sound for a new witch hazel cultivar? Maybe too sexy for horticultural marketing purposes (I mean, we're not selling a version of that blue pill)  but it does describe the blooming regularity of my "Arnold Promise" witch hazel in our backyard since we first planted it around 15 odd years ago.

The 2015-2016 winter in Toronto, so far, has been extremely mild with very little snowfall. I guess this makes up for the bone-crushing cold and wind chills we experienced the past two previous winters. The "spidery" yellow blooms shown here emerged last December and although we've had some very cold days in the minus 15 Celsius or 5 Fahrenheit range, the cold did not persist. Witch hazel flowers are tough anyway, curling up to protect themselves when temperatures drop.

Hamamelis x intermedia "Arnold Promise"
 witch hazel blooms 

"Arnold Promise" is a hybrid cultivar of witch hazels H. japonica and H. mollis. Other cultivars you might see at your local garden center include "Jelena", "Pallida" and "Diane". Do yourself a favour: instead buying yet another hydrangea, lilac, or rhodo, consider plunking this sad looking shrub in your cart. It won't be flowering in May (and nothing sells faster than a plant that's flowering) but rise above the mundane, common and ubiquitous and buy a witch hazel. 

You can do it!

If you prefer a native, the common witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) blooms reliably in late fall instead.

"Arnold Promise"
 witchhazel buds and blooms 

"Arnold Promise" witch hazel blooms

"Arnold Promise" witch hazel
 in my Toronto garden 

Not a great picture above given the time of year and low-rise apartment to the east of us but hopefully you can make out the witch hazel's outline and small yellow flowers. The size is around 10 feet high and 10 feet wide so it does require a bit of space. There are tree forms if you don't like the vase shape but expect to pay "a bit more" 

Last season's leaves stay on all winter, which is a little unusual. In case you're wondering, the bottom row of dormant grasses is made up of Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa macra). I like staring at this combination in the summer. In winter, not so much.

Arnold Promise witchhazel blooms 

  

Of all the shrubs I've planted since inheriting the backyard, this witch hazel has outperformed them all. It gets morning and noon time full sun, average soil and regular watering. Hardy to zone 5, it has zero pests, excellent autumn foliage and reliable late winter blooms.

Oh, by the way, there's a Fothergilla I want to show you...

Pigface wishes you a Happy Chinese New Year!

Or "The Trouble with common names for plants"

Chinese New Year 2016 edition is just around the corner beginning on February 8 so, firstly, let me wish you all a very lucky and healthy Year of the Monkey! I'm a Snake and apparently we (me and other Snakes) will have a good 2016 with lots of money, romance, and good health. Snakes (under the Chinese zodiac), however, are naturally suspicious and rightly so since it's the same forecast every year!

My wife, Linda, asked me to identify this plant below, whose stalks make up the the "good luck" floral arrangement she received for Chinese New Year and I was completely stumped/stalked.

I've never seen fruits like these before and I first thought they were fake balloons! I then was informed by Mr. Google that they were nipplefruits or Solanum mammosum. 

Solanum mammosum (Nipple fruit)
in a floral arrangement

Leading up to Chinese New Year eve, which varies every year since it's based on the lunar calendar, there's a frenzy of red, gold and orange if you visit your local Chinatown.I find it's a wonderful time, a riot of colour leading up to one of the most important days for many East Asians. I'll never forget the sights, sounds and scents Linda and I experienced in Hong Kong when we made an improbable visit in  January 2000 right before our first daughter was born in August.

You'll see kumquats, Chinese mandarins and pomelos on sale as separate fruits or potted plants in many Chinese grocery stores right about now. We have a few mandarins (always with the green leaves and stalks attached to "ensure" evergreen longevity and over good mojo) ready when we pay respects to our ancestors and whatever gods we're specifically trying to appease/curry favour over the next 12 months. Whether or not we actually have good fortune over the next year isn't too important for me (one still has to work hard) but having the mandarins makes my mom happy. And if she's happy, it's more likely my kids and her other grandsons and grand-daughters will get a bigger lucky money envelope! Seriously, though, it's a time for families to come together and getting lucky money is a small but fun part of the night.

Getting pure gold-coloured fruit plants and arrangements is hard enough so orange is an acceptable replacement; hence, the presence of nipplefruit arrangements at this time of the year. There's further significance with nipplefruit in Chinese households and businesses as the plant's name is written as "Five Generations in Harmony" according to Linda (whose Cantonese is a hell of lot better than mine!) Basically, you're wishing the recipient of your floral arrangement lots and lots of sons, wealth and longevity which is still a big deal, I guess, in China and many other places. Symbolism with plants, especially flowers, crosses cultures, which I always find interesting.

The plant itself is a shrub native to South America, has hairy leaves with spines and purple "nightshade-like" flowers. The fruits are poisonous (no surprise as Solanum mammosum is in the Solanacae family which includes lethal beauties like Brugmansia, Datura and Nicotiana.)

Nipple fruit (Solanum mammosum)

Here's a closeup of said fruits with said nipples. They feel smooth (clean thoughts now) and reminded me of persimmons. Other common names for this plant, besides nipplefruit,  include cow's udder, pigface, zombie apple, titty fruit and, my favourite,  "Apple of Sodom". You can really impress your friends by reciting these facts but please don't come across too much of a plant nerd.

In Japan, it's called "fox face" and "fox eggplant" after being translated into English. I thought being called an eggplant could be problematic if they are ingested in error.

Ah, the perils by using common names!