Horticulture Committee

Susan Read
Jean Rutherford
Mary Warnock
Joslyn McDowell
Lisa Burwell
Jacqueline Lamarre
VACANT
Council Representative - Councillor Sandy Talbot
Staff Support - Bryan Anderson, Manager of Parks, Recreation and Facility Services

Committee Terms of Reference

• Maintenance and seasonal decorating of garden at the Municipal Office.
• Flower plantings in colourful bikes
• Planting the Official Flower for the Municipality - The 'Night Beacon' Daylily in all Municipal gardens.
• Planting of Tay Friendship garden at Martyr's Shrine Administration Building
• Updating and promotion of the Adopt-A-Garden Program

The term deadheading, in gardening circles, means to remove spent flowers from your annuals, perennials, and even some shrubs. There are several reasons to do this.
The first is because it makes your garden look tended and cared for. No matter how wonderful it looks in full bloom, It will lose attractiveness with bare tulip stems, dried iris heads or peonies that have lost their petals or even worse been flattened to the ground in a heavy rain.
The second and perhaps most important reason for deadheading, is to prolong bloom time. Plants have one main purpose and that is to reproduce. As a seed head develops, all the strength and energy from the plant is directed at producing seeds instead of flowers. If we interrupt the process by removing the seed head, we encourage the plant to produce more flowers.
While not every plant reacts this way, you should always deadhead coreopsis, gaillardia, daisy rudbeckia, roses, monarda daylily, phlox, salvia, veronica, petunia and geraniums. The list is too long to list them all here, but you get the idea. I have even had delphiniums bloom a second time when cut back.

The nicest reason for deadheading is that it encourages you to make a habit of strolling through your garden every day and, actually  look at each plant as you go; maybe with a coffee in the morning, or a glass of wine later in the day. Get up close and personal with your plants. They bring such beauty and joy to your life

Let’s think about your spring hanging basket! It is May, and lovely colourful baskets show up at every grocery store and street corner in time for Mother’s Day. You may purchase your own, or have one given to you; here are a couple of suggestions to get the most out of this collection.

Somewhere a grower has worked very hard to bring this pot full of blooms to its glorious best for mid May. It has been carefully groomed and force fed in a greenhouse for the last six or eight weeks, so you will be tempted to take it home and love it.

Here are some suggestions that may help you. First, do not take it home and hang it immediately in the sun and wind; the collection needs a little time to become accustomed to the outside elements. Place it in a protected area, well watered, and out of full sun for just a couple of days.

If you hang your basket, try to have it at nose or eye level. You don’t want to be looking at the bottom of the pot hung over your head. If necessary, add a section of chain to the hook to lower the flowers so that you can see when it needs attention. You will need to water and fertilize regularly, and remember to deadhead!
Next month we will talk at little more about deadheading.

There is only one proper way to put a plant in the ground. Dig a hole, fill it with water, let the water drain away and place the plant in the center of the hole and fill in the sides with soil.It may sound time consuming, but you will be glad you took the extra time. Especially with annuals, which are known to require more watering.What happens is, the roots at the bottom of the hole will automatically head straight down and follow the water. If you simply stick the plant in a dry hole, cover it with soil and sprinkle water on the top of the soil, you are inviting the roots to turn up to the surface where they find moisture. You are teaching them, day one, to look for moisture on the surface.

I assure you, if you follow this process, you will water less often.

DIG A HOLE, FILL IT WITH WATER, LET THE WATER DRAIN AWAY.