Tag: fall gardening

  • Fall chrysanthemum show

    Fall chrysanthemum show

    I went to Centennial Park Conservatory in Etobicoke, Ont. last week to see the mums on display at their annual chrysanthemum show.

    A display of different mums at the Centennial Park Conservatory
    A display of different mums at the Centennial Park Conservatory

    The gardeners at the conservatory get their cuttings of mums from Canadian sources, like the Royal Botanical Gardens and Toronto Botanical Garden. Mum plants will get smaller and less bountiful over the years, so they need to start new plants from cuttings each year. This also ensures that they get the newest varieties — the mums I saw were certainly not like the ones I see at grocery stores every fall.

    It was eye-opening for a new gardener like myself to see the many varieties of mums on display at the show.
    It was eye-opening for a new gardener like myself to see the many varieties of mums on display at the show.

    I had never seen chrysanthemums of this size before, and I learned that it takes a lot of work to get the flowers this big. They usually insert six cuttings per pot, and eventually pinch back growth so three branches grow from each plant. They also remove all side flowers, so the individual blooms get very large. They also train some of the stems up stakes, to get a tall “lollipop” effect.

    Gardeners at Centennial Park Conservatory train the mums to grow on wires and stakes to create interesting shapes like this massive daisy.
    Gardeners at Centennial Park Conservatory train the mums to grow on wires and stakes to create interesting shapes like this massive daisy.

    To shape the mums into what I dub “flower statues,” each branch is trained on a wire, and added with others to create a shape. Of the many varieties, my favourite was ‘Golden Gate’, with flawless, smooth, bright yellow flowers. They had the individual flowers standing tall in rows, with other mums of similar size. I know this might sound silly, but I immediately thought ‘Golden Gate’ looked like it was made of butter.

    This 'Golden Gate' mum was my favourite at the show because of its rich colour and flawless petals. The mums were trained on stakes to stand tall, and side flowers were cut away so one bloom could grow to this large size.
    This ‘Golden Gate’ mum was my favourite at the show because of its rich colour and flawless petals. The mums were trained on stakes to stand tall, and side flowers were cut away so one bloom could grow to this large size.

    The chrysanthemum show has ended at Centennial Park Conservatory, but it will be back next fall. Centennial Park Conservatory and Allan Gardens Conservatory are currently getting ready for their Christmas flower shows, which run from Dec. 2 to Jan. 6. The conservatories are open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and admission is free. Opening events at each conservatory include Victorian carolers, hot cider and cookies, horse and carriage rides, children’s activities and a visit from Father Christmas. Grand opening at Allan Gardens is Sunday, Dec. 2, from noon to 7 p.m., and grand opening at Centennial Park is Sunday, Dec. 9, from noon to 7 p.m.

  • New spirea: the last colourful plant

    New spirea: the last colourful plant

    Double Play Artist, a short spirea introduced by Proven Winners, displays cheerful fall foliage. (Photo by Brendan Zwelling)
    Double Play Artist, a short spirea introduced by Proven Winners, displays cheerful fall foliage. (Photo by Brendan Zwelling)

    The leaves fell from most every plant this week, with the exception of a new spirea that surprised me with its late vivid colour. I had a gift of two small pots of Double Play Artist spirea (Spiraea japonica ‘Galen’, 2 x 2 feet / 60 x 60 cm, Zone 5). I planted them, and as leaves fell, the little plants were concealed. Sweeping leaves around in the beds, I uncovered these now flaming spireas, and they’re the last and brightest leaves in the garden today. The foliage is also red when it emerges in spring, and the shrubs have cerise pink flowers in summer.

    My goodness, but my ‘Marie Boisselot’ clematis has burst its buds and put out leaves! I’m afraid Marie is in for a rude shock later this week. But I’ll be ensconced indoors with seed catalogues that arrived this week from Stokes and Veseys. It’s never too soon to plan for next spring.

     

    Other posts by Judith this week:

    Posts by Judith last week:

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