Some Cool Stuff

Marjorie Mason

“Really Cool Plants” was the topic of Marjorie Mason’s presentation at the May meeting of the Tweed and District Horticultural Society. Her power point presentation showed members the “cool” plants for 2014! After this long cold winter, the audience was eager to hear about the newest plants and even more excited to be able to purchase plants that she had brought from the from the Mason House Gardens greenhouses.

Throughout her presentation, Marjorie gave little snipits of information about gardening. The trend now is that foliage is more important than the actual flowers on plants!

Tender plants, like the coleus family need to be acclimatized slowly to the outdoors…especially this year with the very cool or should we say cold spring we have been experiencing.

Did you know that dahlia tubers can be eaten…why not try substituting these tubers in place of zucchini…. instead of zucchini loaf you can bake a dahlia loaf!!!

Impatiens…..SHOULD NOT BE GROWN THIS YEAR!!! Even Mark Cullen has said that growers should not be growing the bedding impatiens (the ones we buy by the flat for instant garden colour). Why?? The only way to get rid of  the Impatiens Downy Mildew disease is to stop growing the plant until this disease has disappeared…the New Guinea impatiens do not carry the disease. Marjorie suggested using begonias, dragon wing begonias and  spider plants in place of the impatiens…and her photos certainly proved that these plants are equally as appealing as the impatiens...if not more so!

Another tip….elephant ears and cana lilies make a dynamite combination together.

For bird lovers…plant Wendy’s Wish salvia that blooms all summer and attracts hummingbirds.

2014 plant of the year….Panicum Northwind… an outstanding grass perennial!

Allium Millennium…blooms in summer (how exciting is that) and the foliage does not turn that sickly yellow (now that IS exciting)!

TIP….always open the soil ball of a plant before planning to ensure that the roots will spread out to get the moisture. This will also cut down on watering!

Audience members shared their concerns about Echinacea and the fact that it does not overwinter well.  Again Marjorie had a tip…..the plant needs to develop a “clumping” at the base of the plant to help with over wintering. To do this, she said that it is best not to have the Echinacea bloom during the first year…groans could be heard throughout the audience….so Marjorie had another suggestion….allow just one bloom, cut it and place it in your favourite vase to admire it and then cut back the main stem on the plant to promote this clumping….the rewards the second year will be well worth the wait!!!!

Marjorie invited the audience to visit her greenhouse at 3520 Regional Rd #1 (Brock Road), RR#4, Uxbridge, ON

905-649-3532  info@masonhousegardens.com

 COMING UP….

May 10…Spring Cleanup of flower beds. Meet at Moira Garden @ 9 am.

May 17…Annual Plant Sale at Tweed Memorial Park @ 8am. All plant material should be at the park by 7 am. Please attach a label with the name of the plant. For more info, please call Joan @ 613-478-6115.

May 23….10:30 am at the Library….Scarecrow making workshop for children. Participants are asked to bring in old clothes, hat and accessories to make their scarecrow. Straw will be supplied.

Please pre-register at the Library for this event.

May 27...Planting town planters and flower beds. Meet at empty lot across from ValuMart @ 5:30 pm.

June 3…Hypertufa Workshop starting at 6:30 @ 240 Uens Rd, Thomasburg. Please dress for both bugs and weather! There will be a small fee for supplies. Please bring your own plastic container or leaves to make your hypertufa container.

GENERAL INTEREST EVENTS…

July 4-6…Tweed Fair. Members are encouraged to bring some of their planters or flowers to set up a Club display on Saturday at the fair. Set-up is 8 am on July 5^th.

July 18-20…OHA Conference in Cornwall.