Summer 2011 Newsletter Volume 23 No. 3 Garden Dances From ... · of the year.” A need for...

The Central Experimental Farm andDr. Felicitas Svejda are famous forthe Explorers, that hugely popular

series of hardy, ever-blooming, beautifulroses. The Explorers are just one of thesuccess stories from a long program ofhybridizing ornamental plants at the Farm.

Dr. Svejda achieved much more thanthe Explorer roses. She bred new varietiesof forsythia and mock orange. And, shecreated the Dance series of weigelas thatcontinue to rate highly among varieties ofthat shrub.

“Among the mostbeautiful floweringshrubs in cultivation”

Weigela testing in the Arboretumbegan in 1889. By 1899, there were 275 different varieties on trial. WilliamSaunders, director of the Farm, and W. T. Macoun, horticulturist, reportedthat most species and varieties weretender, with branches killed back eachwinter halfway or more to the ground.

Although the weigela was not entirelyhardy at Ottawa, it was a favourite ofSaunders. He described them as “amongthe most beautiful flowering shrubs incultivation.” In 1894, he included thelarge-flowered variegated weigela in his“choice collection” of 10 hardyornamental shrubs. With its leaves“beautifully margined with white,” thisparticular variegated type “makes a mostattractive object on the lawn at all seasonsof the year.”

A need for hardier,lower-growing varieties

Hardiness continued to be a concernwith weigelas in 1958 when R. W.(Warren) Oliver, assistant horticulturist atthe Farm, wrote in the Ottawa Citizenthat winter kill meant “cutting out thedead wood each spring.” Also, becausethe plants bloom mainly from one-year-oldwood, he said, dieback of the stemsaffected the quality of the blooming.

Finding plants suitable for the urbanlandscape had also become moreimportant in plant breeding. Plants thatcould readily adapt to poor urban soil andpollution were needed, as were low-growing shrubs that would fit into smallpublic spaces, small private gardens andcontainers.

Creating the “dances”

Thus, low-growing, winter-hardy,profusely flowering, shapely shrubs werethe goals of Dr. Svejda’s weigela breedingprogram at the Farm from 1961 to herretirement in 1987.

She was successful using two Weigelaflorida cultivars as parents. Among thefirst shrubs planted in the Arboretum, W.florida has an attractive shape and masses

Continued on Page 3

Friends of theCentral Experimental Farm

Summer 2011 Newsletter Volume 23 No. 3

‘Rumba’ in the Arboretum. This is one of the Dance series of weigelas created at the Central Experimental Farm

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Garden Dances From the Farm

Friends of the Central Experimental Farm • Summer 2011

It is summer and the Friends of the Farm gardening teamsare hard at work, helping to maintain and enhance thebeauty and heritage value of the

collections in the OrnamentalGardens and Arboretum. Volunteershave much to enjoy – the attractionof the workplace, learning fromexpert gardeners, a common interestin contributing to an historic site.

There are five Green Thumbteams, Monday to Friday, with afocus, respectively, on the MacounMemorial Garden, perennials/annuals,day lilies and irises, peonies, heritageroses, and Explorer roses. There are two lilac teams, meeting

Monday and Friday, and a Wednesday hosta team. The MerivaleShelterbelt team meets on Tuesday, the Arboretum and Tree

Plaques teams on Wednesday, andfinally, there is a team recordingbloom times and a volunteerassisting researchers at theHerbarium.

It’s never too late to join in!Some teams have yet to reach a fullcomplement and would welcomenewcomers. Contact Donna [email protected] or call her at 613-230-3276.Enrolment forms are at

www.friendsofthefarm.ca/volunteer.htm.

Volunteers in Action

Ilook forward to the first growingseason as President of the Friends ofthe Farm and to meeting new and

returning gardening volunteers. Althoughspring came much later than last year’sunusually early arrival, it finally appearedin full force.

The ornamental gardens and shrubs arelooking great after all the dedicated andhard work of AAFC staff and the manyFCEF volunteers. There are plans to plantnew trees at the Shelterbelt along MerivaleRoad this year. This follows from thecompletion of the solar powered “silo” inthe centre of the area which will be ableto supply water for the new and existingtrees. There will also be important workthis summer in the Hosta Garden to

replace the deteriorating walls. This willimprove both the appearance and safetyof the garden.

The Friends’ ”Events” volunteers havealready successfully completed the firstCraft and Bake sale for the year, the Rareand Unusual Plant sale, and the historytour of the CEF. By the time you receivethis newsletter, the first garden tours andthe book sale will also be behind us. Iencourage members to participate in themany upcoming activities throughout thesummer and fall. These events along withmembership fees and donations provideus with the funds to continue ourgardening and other activities in supportof the Central Experimental Farm.

Come and enjoy the OrnamentalGardens, Arboretum and Shelterbelt. Ilook forward to seeing you.

Mots du président

Chuck Craddock

President’s Message

C’est avec plaisir que j’entreprendsma première saison printanière entant que président des Amis de la

Ferme. J’ai bien hâte de rencontrer lesnouveaux bénévoles aux jardins ainsi queceux qui nous reviennent. Bien que lanouvelle saison soit arrivée beaucoup plustard que le printemps hâtif de l’annéedernière, elle est finalement ici, avec touteson énergie.

Les Jardins ornementaux et les arbustesont déjà belle allure suite aux importantstravaux des employés d’Agriculture etAgroalimentaire Canada et des nombreuxbénévoles des Amis de la Ferme. Cette

année, nous planterons de nouveauxarbres au Brise-vent, le long du cheminMerivale. Cela est possible suite àl’installation, au centre de l’espace, du «silo » solaire qui fournira l’eau nécessaireaux anciens et aux nouveaux arbres. Cetété, nous ferons aussi d’importantstravaux dans le Jardin d’hostas afin deremplacer les murs détériorés. Nousaméliorerons ainsi l’apparence et lasécurité des jardins.

Les bénévoles responsables desévénements divers ont déjà bien réussi lapremière vente d’artisanat et de pâtisseriesde l’année ainsi que la visite historique de

la Ferme. Alors que vous lisez ce bulletind’information, nous aurons aussi déjà faitnotre première visite des jardins et notrevente de livres. J’encourage les membres àparticiper aux nombreuses activitésprévues durant l’été et l’automne. Cesévénements, ainsi que les frais d’adhésionet les dons reçus, nous permettent decontinuer à faire les travaux de jardinageet plusieurs autres activités en faveur de laFerme expérimentale centrale.

Venez profiter des Jardins orne-mentaux, de l’Arboretum et du Brise-vent. J’ai hâte de vous y rencontrer.


of funnel-shaped flowers. She chose thecultivar ‘Purpurea’ because of its lowstature, and ‘Dropmore Pink’ for itshardiness. The latter originated with theCanadian hybridist F. L. Skinner, whogrew it from W. florida seeds that hebrought in from Manchuria to his nurseryat Dropmore, Manitoba.

After being tested at 20 locations acrossCanada and 4 in bordering Americanstates, representing different planthardiness zones, 5 new weigelas werereleased by Agriculture Canada. Dr. Svejdanamed them for dances – ‘Minuet’,‘Samba’, ‘Rumba’, ‘Tango’ and ‘Polka’.

Features of the danceweigelas

‘Minuet’ was the first to be released(1981) and is the lowest growing of theseries. Described as “a dainty, refinedbeauty,” this best-selling weigela with

two-toned red and pink flowers reachesa height and diameter of just 0.6 m inOttawa (see photo Page 12). Because itis so small, snow cover may protect it.

‘Tango’ features purple leaves. It hasred flowers and is also low growing.‘Rumba’ is medium in height, spreading,with dark red flowers. “It was said to bethe greenest of the Dance series,” saysSharon Saunders, Lead Hand,Ornamental Gardens, AAFC.

‘Samba’ has purple tips and edgesthat persist all season long on its darkgreen leaves, notes Sharon. Testing hasproven this cultivar to be the most coldtolerant of the series. ‘Polka’ is a“sprightly, spirited cultivar … a nice,compact mound of dark green foliageand masses of bright, two-toned, pinkflowers from early summer to autumn. It is one of the best pinks we have evergrown.” (Garden Splendor, Inc.)

See them at the Farmbefore you buy

Specimens from the Dance seriesgrow in an arc-shaped weigela bed atthe northern end of the Arboretum, justsouth of the old magnolia collection.‘Polka’ weigelas grow in a bed outsidethe former Botany Building (#74) nearthe entrance to the Arboretum andthere is a ‘Rumba’ in a bed across theroad from ‘Polka’. There are otherweigelas in the Arboretum near Dow’sLake as well as in the Macoun MemorialGarden border facing the NCCDriveway.

Richard Hinchcliff

(You can find where the weigelas arelocated in the Arboretum using the newLocation Guide at the Friends’ website.See Page 11.)

Garden Dances From the Farm (continued from Page 1)

A Dream Takes Shape

The focus of a proposed botanicgarden in Ottawa is to be on “thescience of climate change,

Canadian landscapes, horticulture, andlearning-based interactive experiences.”

Commissioned by the Ottawa BotanicalGarden Society (OBGS) and prepared bythe Glenn Group landscape architectureand design firm, the business plan waspresented on April 28 to a group ofstakeholders and to the OBGS’s annualgeneral meeting.

Summary information has been madeavailable publicly in the Society’s springnewsletter. At press time, the businessplan report had not been released. It is

to be used to generate interest and raise funds.

The plan includes exhibits designed toattract a wide range of people, not justgardening enthusiasts. There would bestories and displays about the vital agricul-tural and horticultural research of theCentral Experimental Farm. It wouldinclude provincial, territorial, and aboriginalthemed exhibits; and there would be aninternational flavour with embassy orconsulate gardens from around the worldand complementary diplomatic events.The Garden would “embrace technologyas a vehicle for experiential programmingcomplete with digital “avatars” and adigital garden design studio.”

“Using a 2010 operating scenario, $6 million in estimated revenue will beachieved once construction is achieved,by an estimated 340,000 visitations andmembership of 4,900. Upon completionof The Garden, the year-round operationwill be staffed with 48 full-time and 48part-time positions, supported by 300volunteers.”

Located on the 34 acres of the Farm onthe east side of Prince of Wales Drive,south of the Fletcher Wildlife Garden, theGarden’s first phase would be targeted toopen in 2017, the 150th anniversary ofConfederation.

Come and enjoy a talk by LarryHodgson entitled "Gardens ofCanada ... and Beyond." He is the

author of over 30 books and hundreds ofarticles. A full-time freelance writer,lecturer and photographer, he leadsgarden tours around the world and hasvisited gardens in over 30 countries.

A former national director of theGarden Writers Association, Larry isgarden correspondent for Le Soleil deQuébec, radio garden commentator forCBC Radio (Quebec City), and teaches

horticulture to mature students at LavalUniversity.

Larry has been editor-in-chief ofHousePlant Magazine, Fleurs, Planteset Jardins, A Fleur de Pot andHouseplant Forum, and is a regularcontributor to garden magazines in boththe United States and Canada. His bookcredits include The Garden Lover’sGuide to Canada, Perennials for EveryPurpose, Annuals for Every Purpose,and Houseplants for Dummies. Hislatest English-language book is Makingthe Most of Shade.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011, 7 pm (at the Friends of the Farm Annual General Meeting) K. W. Neatby Building, CEF

Larry Hodgson – Garden Loverchaudie

refleurie.c

om


Strawberry Social • July 1, 11:30 am to 2 pm. • Come and enjoy a delicious strawberry treatwhile participating in the CanadaAgriculture Museum’s holiday activities.

• Admission to the museum is free on CanadaDay; the strawberry treat is $6.

• Visit the museum’s website atwww.agriculture.technomuses.ca for moreinformation on the day’s festivities.

• Location: MemoryPark, CanadaAgriculture Museum.Parking and the mainentrance is located offPrince of Wales, south of the traffic circle.

10 Mile Run andCowpattie Relay onthe Farm • Wednesday, July 20, 6:30 pm.• Join the Friends of the Farmand the Run Ottawa Club for a challenging10-mile run through the CentralExperimental Farm, or get together a two-or three-person team and enter the 10 MileCowpattie Relay.

• Location: Morningside Lane, CEF.• Visit www.runottawaclub.com for moreinformation on the race/relay and how toregister.

Victorian Tea • Sunday, August 7, 2to 4 pm.

• Classic tea servedunder the trees ofthe Arboretum.

• Bring a patio chairand listen to live music.

• Enter the best hat contest and don periodcostume (not required).

• Location: Building 72, CEF Arboretum.• Admission and parking free; formal tea $6.

Thousand Islands & TwoCastles Tour • Sunday, September18, 8 am to 8 pm.(see below)

Art on the Farm • Saturday, August 20, 10 am to 4 pm.• Rain date August 21.

• Artists will display and sell their originalworks under the trees of the CentralExperimental Farm.

• Location: NCC Driveway and Maple Drive, CEF.

• Free admission and parking.

Annual General Meeting • Wednesday, September 14, 7 to 10 pm. • Guest speaker Larry Hodgson (see Page 3).

• Location: K.W. Neatby Building, CEF,Carling Ave., west of Maple Drive.

• All are welcome. You do not have to be amember to attend.

• Free admission and parking.

For the Love of the Farm ArtExhibition and Sale • October 8 to 10, 10 am to 4 pm.• A juried exhibition andsale featuring the workof up to eight artists.

• Location: Building 72,Arboretum, CEF.

• Admission and parkingfree.

Upcoming EventsFor more information, visit www.friendsofthefarm.ca or call 613 230-3276.

It really was a beautiful sunny March day when we visitedthe Sucrerie de la Montagne in Rigaud. As you can see bythe photo, we were both entertained and entertaining,

when we played the spoons with the entertainer! A smalldetour to Hudson’s outlet mall was rewarding for bargain-hunters. Thank you all for your participation!

And now we are accepting registrations for the Thousand Island and Two Castle tour in September!

On Sunday, September 18, we will travel to the heart of theThousand Islands for an enchanting boat tour of the islands aswell as visits to Boldt and Singer castles. Because the castles arein U.S. territory, valid passports are required, without exception.The trip includes: transportation from Agriculture Museumparking lot to Rockport and return, hot buffet lunch, and visits totwo castles.

Cost: Before July 31 - FCEF members $135 - Others $143

After July 31 - FCEF members $145 - Others $153

Please call 613-230-3276, Monday to Thursday, 9 am to 3 pm for reservations.

N’oubliez pas le prochain voyage au milles isles! Enregistrezvous avant le 31 juillet afin d’épargner 10$ sur le prix du voyage!Un repas buffet est inclu ainsi que visites aux deux chateauxsitués en territoire américain. Prière d’apporter vos passeports,sans exceptions!

Denise Kennedy

On the Road … and the River

Ted G

ray

Playing the spoons at the sugarbush


Carol MacLeod: Life in the Playforce

Carol MacLeod has a strong sense ofcommunity. And her commitmentto the community – whether the

neighbourhood where she lives or the cityshe calls home – is apparent in the wayshe lives her life. Carol is a “doer.” Whenshe believes in a “cause,” she getsinvolved. So when there was talk of“ditching” at least some part of theOrnamental Gardens and Arboretum inthe late 1980s, Carol decided the best lineof defence was to become a Friend of theFarm. Today, she leads the Friends’ Irisand Daylily Team. Her choice of volunteerwork at the CEF speaks of her love ofgardening and respect for history.

As a child she recalls traipsing after her father, and “whatever he did, I did,”Carol explains, whether it was listening tofootball, helping in his workshop orworking in the garden. She also remembersaccompanying her father on visits to hisboss’s house near Guelph, Ontario andstrolling through his gardens past symmetri-cal rows of peach gladiola and pink dahlias.

Love of gardening, irisesand history

Carol’s love of gardening, fostered inchildhood, grew with her into adulthood.Today, she lovingly maintains a delightfulgarden in her Glebe backyard, a mix of oldperennials and local native wildflowers.For an inner city garden, she maintainsthat “it is not in fashion. It has a bit ofwhatever I can squish into it. It is old-fashioned, full of primary colours. Itbreaks every rule in the book; it is withoutguile or design.”

Irises – especially Siberians – are one ofCarol’s favourite flowers so it was naturalthat she chose to volunteer in the irisgardens at the Farm. Also, Isabella Preston,a horticulturist and the first female planthybridist, who worked at the Farm in the1920s, bred a series of iris named afterCanadian rivers, and as a lifelong student ofhistory, Carol was drawn to the iris bedsbecause of their historical significance. She“would like all the flowers [grown at the

Farm] to reflect its heritage” and believesthat it is important to “look at what was[grown] here [in the past] and have itrepresented.”

“If you live in a community,you contribute to it”

Carol is strong minded and rarely shyto voice her opinions. Those opinions arewell informed by hours of meticulousresearch. Her research skills have provenvaluable in the Glebe CommunityAssociation’s response to theredevelopment of Lansdowne Park. Carolrepresents her area on the Association andis also part of the group advising the Cityof Ottawa on the building of a footbridgeacross the Rideau Canal. “There’s alwayssomething to do,” she says of hercommunity involvement, “if you live in acommunity, you contribute to it.”

Carol lives by those words. Sincejoining “the playforce” (aka retirement), inaddition to the Glebe CommunityAssociation, she belongs to “Grammas toAmbuyas,” part of the Grandmothers toGrandmothers Campaign initiated by theStephen Lewis Foundation to helpgrandmothers and the children in theircare in sub-Saharan Africa. She alsovolunteers in the kindergarten at FirstAvenue Public School, proofreads andcontributes to the Glebe Report and then– the list seems endless – there’s herdaughter and two grandchildren to lavishlove and attention on, and cycling,paddling, cross country skiing, and skatingon the Rideau Canal to keep her in goodphysical shape.

Wednesday mornings from May toOctober, Carol works in the iris/daylilybeds at the Farm and as team leader isresponsible for all the accompanyingpaperwork. She’s a delightful sightarriving by bike (Carol has neither a carnor a TV) often balancing several bags onthe handlebars. She also helps at theFriends’ Victorian Tea, Art on the Farm,and at the “Love of the Farm” fine artvernissage. “They are a wonderful groupof people with such interesting lifestories,” Carol says of the other volunteersshe has encountered. “The Farm drawspeople from all over the city, and Iwouldn’t have met them otherwise.”

Mary Ann Smythe

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Growing Stamps for Canada PostC

anada P

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The flowers you see on Canadian stamps may have beengrown at the Farm. A relationship has developed betweenstaff at the Arboretum and Ornamental Gardens and at

Canada Post.

A few years ago, PierreHuppé and SharonSaunders kept a close eyeon some selected lilacs andcontacted Canada Postwhen they wereapproaching their peakbloom time. Pierre, Sharonand Joan Speirs, theFriends’ lilac advisor, hadrecommended certainCanadian-bred lilacs. Theresult was a set of beautifulstamps featuring lilacs inthe Farm’s collection.Peonies were featured thefollowing year.

At the beginning of lastyear, Canada Post’s StampServices staff went a stepfurther and asked Agriculture staff if they would grow sunflowersfrom seed specifically for a new set of stamps. Pierre and Sharonagreed and got approval from Ron Stanley, Field ResearchSuperintendent, for the use of an area beyond the OrnamentalGardens to create the sunflower bed.

Canada Post supplied large bags of seed of ‘Moulin Rouge’,‘Prado Red’, ‘Ring of Fire’, ‘Soraya’ and ‘Sunbright’. Thesesunflowers had the colours that Canada Post wanted and

were expected to grow well. In the end, the two varieties selectedfor the stamps were ‘Prado Red’ and ‘Sunbright’.

Danielle Trottier,stamp design managerat Canada Post, says theusual approach fortheir flower series ofstamps is to locate theright plant for a design,then wait for bloomtime. This is how it wasdone with the lilacs.“This time, we knewexactly the kind offlowers we’d end upwith because theywere grownspecifically for thestamp. That made iteasier to plan out theentire issue and knowexactly how the twovarieties wouldappear.”

There were some nervous moments at the final stage. “It wasa weird growing season last year,” says Pierre, “with an earlyspring and a hot and dry July. The sunflowers grew faster andmatured earlier than we expected. We weren’t keeping a close eye on that bed and there was a scramble to get theCanada Post photographer in from Montreal to shoot the last fewflowers.” Fortunately, it turned out well and the sunflowerstamps were released on March 3, 2011.

Richard Hinchcliff

Jean-P

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(Left to right) Joy Parks, Post Canada, Danielle Trottier, Post Canada, Pierre Huppé, AAFC, Sharon Saunders, AAFC

Ateam of 16 dedicated volunteers work from Septemberto May each year in the basement of Building 72 toorganize the many thousands of books donated to FCEF

for the annual fundraising Book Sale in June. They work ingroups of three or four, in three hour shifts from Monday toThursday each week, to ensure that shoppers enjoy theirexperience browsing through a well organized selection ofgood quality used books, so that they, hopefully, will buy manybooks and return to future sales.

The sorters’ job entails emptying the boxes and bags inwhich books arrive on FCEF book drop-off days, separating thebooks according to genre, such as history, fiction, reference,etc., resorting them into finer groupings, such as alphabeticallyby author’s last name for all fiction, and packing them intodisplay trays for the sale. Usually, the process flows smoothlywith just enough books to fill the available sales space andprovide a few “extras” to start next year’s sorting.

The drop-off day on February 5, 2011 was overwhelminglysuccessful – three rooms in the basement were filled wall towall with huge stacks of donated books overtaking the sorters’work and storage space. Nevertheless, these amazingvolunteers “stole” back their work space inches at a time andcreated order out of chaos one box at a time. In just threemonths they cleared two rooms of boxes and sortedapproximately 12,000 books to fill the 2011 two-day book saleon June 18 and 19 – and they say they can’t wait to get startedon the third room of boxes for next year’s sale!

This year, the Friends’ book-sorting team comprised: BobBarron, Judy Benner, Izobel Dabrowski, Paul Dick, Leslie Hill,Brenda Lester, Jeannine Lewis, Carole McColgan, Polly McColl,Betty Jean O’Riordan, Dave and Diane Roeske, Joe Slobodian,Mary Ann Smythe, Jo Stanic, and Ali Stout.

Brenda Lester


Book Sorting – From Chaos to Order

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The Tuesday group (left to right): Ali Stout,Mary Ann Smythe, Judy Benner, Jo Stanic

The Monday group (left to right): Bob Barron, CaroleMcColgan and Izobel Dabrowski (missing Jeannine Lewis)

The Thursday group (left to right): Diane Roeske, Paul Dickand Dave Roeske (missing Leslie Hill)

Polly

McC

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Stacks of books on drop-off day

Wide open space, fresh air andanimals, with barns andchicken coops for mischief-

making – “It was a wonderful place togrow up,” says Eleanor McLay of the 14years she lived at the Central ExperimentalFarm as a youngster with her father andmother.

Thomas (Tom) Knox, her father, wasresponsible for the beef cattle herd at theBooth barn, way out at the end of AshLane. In those days, around 1950, it was amuch larger barn complex than it is today.A house across the farm road from thebarns was rented to the Knox family. AsEleanor says, “we lived out in the fields.”

The house1 was divided down the middlefrom front to back, accommodating two families. Eleanor recalls that while herfamily was there, S.B. (Syd) Williams andfamily lived in the other side. Williamswas in animal research at the time, laterbecame superintendent of theExperimental Farm at Nappan, NovaScotia and then, in 1967, deputy ministerof the Department of Agriculture.

From cows to collies tochicken coops

Animals were a feature of life on theFarm, especially cows. They were kept in“loose housing” at the barn, which meantthey had an open-bedded area to move

around in, rather than beingkept in individual pens orstalls. There wereexperiments with varioustypes and quantities of feedat individual feeding stations,and Eleanor remembershelping her father to let thecows out when they hadfinished eating.

In the spring, Tom Knoxwas busy with calves andthen with herding the cattleout to Shirley’s Bay forsummer grazing. The twoborder collies that helped

with this trek were also family pets. Therewere horses, barn cats andducks, the latter of whichEleanor’s mother raised for eggs.“Her duck eggs were prizedingredients in many people’sangel cakes.” Eleanorremembers giving someducklings a swim in the cows’water troughs.

She also recalls that chickencoops were nearby in a largeenclosure. This was before theywere moved to the other (west)side of Merivale Avenue, whichwas part of the Farm at thattime. They were the “cutestlittle houses for chickens,”Eleanor adds, and she wasn’tpopular when, as a practicaljoke, she and a friend locked acousin in an empty coop.

Eleanor wonders if others remember“the cow with a hole in its side” ondisplay in a barn. A hole had been cut inthe side of the cow and covered withclear material to show the animal’sinternal workings.

Many mouths to feed

Her mother was very proud of herflower garden and her father grewvegetables and fruit – Eleanor remembersthe raspberries in particular. There were

many mouths to feed. “My mother beganto take in students from the AgricultureCollege at Kemptville for the summer.Later, other Farm staff stayed with us. Wehad an attic with two rooms and a largeextra bedroom on the second floor, andhad up to five boarders at a time.” Hermother kept house, cooked, baked andprepared lunches for everyone. “It was atraditional farm life,” Eleanor explains, “upat the crack of dawn, a long day.”

The fruit and vegetable test plots in theFarm fields near to their house providedsome excitement. Even though the RCMPpatrolled endlessly, Eleanor recalls, onsome dark evenings people would driveinto Cow Lane off Morningside, turn their

headlights on to the vegetables, quicklypick as much as they could and try toleave before being caught.

Up to mischiefShe and her friends used to sneak in

the back to watch movies at the Auto-SkyDrive-In Theatre, which was acrossBaseline at Fisher Avenue. In the summer,they would bike to the centre of the Farmand get up to more mischief. By lying ontheir bellies, they were able to scoop up


Living on a Farm in the Middle of the City

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Eleanor McLay, at the site of her childhood home at the Farm

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Tom Knox at the Booth barn

Continued on Page 9

1 The house was part of the land and property purchased by the Central Experimental Farm from J. R. Booth in 1929. Sam Desforges, the Farm’s poultry foreman, lived there with his family in the early days.


Living on a Farm in the Middle of the City (continued from Page 8)

William Saunders Retired 100 Years Ago

enough pennies from thepond at the Macoun MemorialGarden to buy themselves asoft drink. They also played inthe Main Dairy Barn, walkingacross the high ceiling beams.

In winter, she remembershanging out at the skatingrink created on the tenniscourts behind the WilliamSaunders Building. “There wasa little hut there with a potbelly stove that was so warmand cosy.” Another favouritetime in winter was Sundayafternoon when, after churchand lunch, she would bedropped off at the Arboretumto go tobogganing.

In the early 1960s, when he begancourting Eleanor Knox, Jim McLaythought Thomas Knox owned the farmaround the house and was veryimpressed. By the time they married,laughs Eleanor, he realized it was partof the Central Experimental Farm. “Hecan’t have been too disappointed,we’ve been together now for 47years.”

Richard Hinchcliff

For more about those who grew up onthe Farm, see Ottawa’s Farm: A History of the Central Experimental Farm byHelen Smith and Mary Bramley. Thebook is available at Friends’ events or atthe office.

In the summer of 1886, there wasn’t much happening at thenewly created Central Experimental Farm. In October of thatyear, William Saunders was appointed director and work

began in earnest to clear, build and plant. The land, said Saunders,“was liberally sprinkled with stumps and stones, and encumberedwith one hundred and forty acres of second-growth timber andforty acres of swamp.”

The land was soon cleared and reclaimed. By 1911, the Farmhad been in business for 25 years and was well established as aresearch institution, a model farm, a learning centre and abeautiful landscape. William Saunders is credited for this earlysuccess, with his energetic, hands-on direction and theexceptional staff he attracted. He retired that year, 100 years ago,at the age of 75.

“Dr. Saunders was a man with vision far ahead of his time...When in 1911 he retired ripe with honours, he had spanned theDominion with a well-knit system of experimental farms andstations, bequeathing not only great foundations and great

accomplishmentsbut a record thatinspires, a traditionthat continues, apersonality thatlives.

“A dominantcharacteristic washis love of thebeautiful, as theornamentalgrounds of theCentralExperimental Farmbear witness. Tothe end of hisdirectorship one of

his chief joys was tospend a few spring days planting flowers and shrubs.”1

W.J

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& A

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William Saunders, 1836-1914

“A record that inspires, a tradition that continues, a personality that lives”

Cour t

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McLay

The Knox home across the road from the Booth barn

1 Fifty Years of Progress, Department of Agriculture, 1936

The Friends of the Central Experimental Farm is a volunteer organization committed to the maintenance and protection of theOrnamental Gardens and the Arboretum of the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Membership in theFriends of the Farm costs $25 per year for an individual and $45 per year for a family, $20 Seniors/Students. Membership feessupport the many projects of the Friends of the Farm.

The Newsletter (ISSN 1702-2762) is published four times a year (winter, spring, summer, fall) by Friends of the CentralExperimental Farm. All members receive the newsletter and it is sent either by regular mail or e-mail. Editor: Richard Hinchcliff.Assistant Editor: Mary Ann Smythe. Design & Printing: Nancy Poirier Printing. Contributors: Edythe Falconer, Denise Kennedy,Brenda Lester. Translator: Rhéal Gauthier.

Friends of the Farm Telephone: (613) 230-3276Building 72, Central Experimental Farm Fax: (613) 230-1238

Ottawa, ON K1A 0C6 E-mail: [email protected]

www.friendsofthefarm.ca

Three years ago, Dr. Vern Burrows,Research Scientist Emeritus,Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada,

registered his naked oat variety ‘AC Gehl’.This special oat is both hull-less andhairless.

Grown in Manitoba, the oats wereinitially marketed as Cavena Nuda, orCanadian Naked Oats (the botanical namefor oats is avena). The crops didremarkably well through some very wetseasons, performing more like rice. Thissparked an idea and Naked Oats began tobe marketed also as “Rice of the Prairies.”

With a pleasant taste and texture, Riceof the Prairies has twice the protein ofwhite rice, 10 times the fibre and 8 timesthe iron. It is gluten-free and is being usedin recipes for all meals of the day.

“Nourish” for food banks,other hunger-relief initiatives

Dr. Burrows relates the story of a visitto Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada by arepresentative of a “small soup company.”The visitor noticed a container of Rice ofthe Prairies and asked for about 50 lbs fortesting. The “small” company wasCampbell’s Soup Canada, which waslooking for ways to be more relevant topeople’s dietary needs.

The testing resulted in a canned soupthat is rich in protein, fibre and minerals,and Campbell’s invited Dr. Burrows to atasting. With naked oats at 10% of totalingredients, he knew it would benutritious, and “it tasted pretty good,” hesays. But then came the big surprise –Campbell’s intended to give the soupaway.

This February, Campbell’s announcedthat “Nourish”was inproduction andthat 100,000cans would bedonated toCanadian foodbanks. It is “ameal in a can,”with a pop-toplid, no water tobe added, andeaten hot orcold. At the

launch, Dr. Burrows learned that after the100,000 cans were distributed, Nourishwould be sold in stores, with profits goingto food banks and hunger-relief initiativesaround the world. The Haiti disaster zone,adds Dr. Burrows, is an excellent example

of where this meal in a can could be used.

“Couldn’t have done it withoutthe oats”

“Research has been helping farmersdevelop, grow and protect crops, and thenaked oat is an excellent example of howthis research is growing new marketopportunities,” says Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Minister Gerry Ritz. “We aredelighted that our innovative variety ispart of Campbell’s new product.”

The President of Campbell’s SoupCanada told Dr. Burrows that therewouldn’t have been enough protein anddietary fibre with wheat, rice or othergrains. “I’m thrilled to hear them say thatthey couldn’t have done it without theoats,” saysDr. Burrows.

Much hashappened inthe threeyears sinceDr. Burrowsregisteredhis newnaked oatvariety. Heknows that12 tons ofRice of thePrairies hasbeenshipped to aU.S. com-pany for further experiments. Bred inOttawa, grown in Manitoba, feeding thehungry – where next for naked oats?

Richard Hinchcliff


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Please make cheque or money order payable to:“Friends of the Farm.” A receipt for income taxpurposes will be issued for all donations of $10or more.

We are located at Building 72 in the Arboretum.You can visit us or mail this part of the form withyour payment to:

FRIENdS OF THE CENTRAL ExPERIMENTAL FARM

Building 72, Central Experimental FarmOttawa, ON K1A 0C6

Telephone: (613) 230-3276

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Email: [email protected]

Website: www.friendsofthefarm.caYES NOq q

NEW MEMBER REGISTRATION FORM TYPE OF MEMBERSHIP

INTEREST IN VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Tackling Hunger With Naked Oats Bred at the Farm In our fall 2009 newsletter, Eileen Reardon gave a glimpse of the work of Dr. Vern Burrows, a researcher at the Central Experimental Farm since 1958.

Dr. Burrows is a world-renowned expert on oat breeding and usage who has developed 28 new varieties, including “naked” oats. The naked oat story continues.

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Dr. Burrows at the launchof Nourish

Cavena Nuda, Rice ofthe Prairies


Atree or shrub is a major purchase for any garden, so it’simportant to choose the right one. A properly plantedand maintained tree can last for a century or more. How

will it look when mature and how big will it get? You don’thave to guess – you can probably see it at the DominionArboretum!

One way to find certain selected trees is to follow the mapsin the Friends’ book For the Love of Trees: A Guide to the Treesof Ottawa’s Central Experimental Farm Arboretum.

Now you can also consult an online tree and shrub LocationGuide, a new website feature at www.friendsofthefarm.ca,under “Collections.” This Location Guide is intended to helpvisitors find all of the Arboretum’s shrubs and trees, some datingback as far as the late 19th century. Trees and shrubs in the

Guide are listed by English and French common names, bybotanical name, and by selected groups. A map is provided for each.

The Arboretum is on the east side of Prince of Wales Driveand is administered by staff at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.It’s a living collection of trees and shrubs, which means newspecimens are planted from time to time and others are lost. Forexample, of the 17 trees around the Farm that were either lostor damaged by the high winds this April, three special trees atthe Arboretum were destroyed. The Location Guide will beupdated periodically.

Eric Jones conceived and created the Location Guide.Richard Hinchcliff prepared the website and contributed thephotographs.

A modest amount ofpruning will keep weigela ingood shape and ready for nextspring’s performance. Oncetheir blossom period is overdon’t wait! Deadhead rightaway and streamline form atthe same time. Deadheadingdirects energy into theirhealth and vigour rather thaninto formation of seed, andworking on form at the sametime will prevent cutting offnext year’s prom attendees.Every two or three years it’s agood idea to remove one ormore old stems to encourageplant rejuvenation.

Weigelas in yourgarden

Because of their steady increase invariety of colour and form, weigelas cannow play a greater number of roles in yourgarden – tall at the back of the border,small at the front, a main feature in a free-standing bed surrounded by complemen-tary companions, small along walkways,and collections of themselves just aboutanywhere.

Choices of complementary companionsare many. Do we want companions thatlook good with weigelas in bloom and/orcompanions that do their thing after theweigelas are finished showing off? Here aresome suggestions either way: hostas,lamium, pulmonaria or similar groundcoverplants, small or medium flowering annuals,

and low- to medium-height sedums. Lady’sMantle and Coral Bells can also be effectiveassociates.

The following weigelas are hardy in ourzone and readily available at most gardeningoutlets. Each is fascinating in its own way.

Weigela florida 'Courtalor' - CarnivalWeigela – 5’ x 4’, leaves good fallcolour, flowers in pinks/whites

Weigela florida 'Elvera' - Midnight WineWeigela – dwarf, burgundy foliage, pinkflowers

Weigela florida 'Minuet' - Minuet Weigela –dwarf, green foliage, reddish pinkflowers

Weigela florida 'Polka' - Polka Weigela – 4’ x 5’, masses of large pink flowers

Weigela florida 'Red Prince' - Red PrinceWeigela – 6’ x 6’, green leaves, brightred flowers

Weigela florida 'Rumba' - Rumba Weigela –3’ x 6’, dark green leaves, dark redflowers

Weigela florida Samba' - Samba Weigela – 3’ x 3’, purple-tipped leaves, pinkflowers

Weigela florida 'Tango' - Tango Weigela – 2-3’ x 2-3’, purple foliage, red flowerswith yellow throats

Weigela florida 'Verwig' - My MonetWeigela – dwarf, variegated leaves ingreen, white and pink, pink flowers

Weigela florida ‘Wine and Roses' - Wineand Roses Weigela – 3’ x 3’, darkburgundy leaves, rich pink flowers.

My advice? For your first weigela, startwith W. florida ‘Verwig’, an exquisitemounded dwarf. After that there’ll be nostopping you.

Edythe Falconer, Master Gardener

Why “Y Gee Las?” (continued from Page 12)

Weigela 'Mme Couturier' in the Arboretum

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How to Find a Tree or Shrub in the Arboretum


Fads and fashions affect all parts of ourlives, including our horticulturalchoices. Plants, too, can wax and

wane in popularity. However, as withmovie stars, if they’re good enough theystay on to survive the whims of publicpreference and ascend to become worthyicons of their “profession.”

A plant’s “profession,” as most humanswould believe, is to please us by beingattractively dressed from wardrobescontaining a thousand changes, easilygrown, excitingly exotic and yet energeticenough to flaunt its beauty for an entireseason. If the plant is edible, even better.On a scale of 1 to 10, I’d give weigela an 8 at least!

Growth of a proudweigela consortium

A native of Asia, where as many as 12 species were once found, weigelatravelled to England in the 1800s where itenjoyed its first great wave of popularity.Victorians loved it! But then it gradually fellout of favour, settling down quietly butproductively as a horticultural back-bencher. In other words, it remained asolid staple on nursery and garden centreinventories. Commercial buyers loved it,and they continued to purchase it by andfor the millions!

While quietly maintaining its reliableeconomic status, weigela busied itselfmaking important contacts with venturegroups in the form of entrepreneurialhybridizers. Aided and abetted by

painstaking propagators, weigela did solidmarket research, enhanced its publicprofile and danced happily through the1900s. So successful was its business planthat it now boasts more than 200 “branchplants,” many of which are readily availableat our local garden centres.

From a mere dozen “grandparent”plants, the Weigela Family has grown into aconsortium of more than 200 cultivars.These proud progeny boast, on the onehand, compact little individuals and, on theother hand, sturdy shrubs that impress withheights up to 12 feet. In the taller weigelas,the arching foliage characteristic of their

forebears remains. Weigela leavesare now available in several shadesof green, many tinged with maroonor darker green, or in dramaticallyvariegated patterns. Fall colour hasimproved, too.

Carefree and longblooming

Product expansion has widenedthe range of blossom colour andform without sacrificing theattractive trumpet shape - one of themost endearing characteristics ofthe species plants. Ask thehummingbirds and the butterflies!

They love them! All this is not enough forthe Weigela Family. It has also extended itshardiness range to include Zones 3 to 8.Better yet, its classical carefree ways havebeen maintained. It is still easy to look afterand is still relatively problem free.

Weigelas are deciduous shrubs thatflower in spring and early summer with anexceptionally long blooming period. Someof today’s cultivars “one-up” thatperformance with a small second bloomlater in the year. They show up at thespring prom at about the same time aslilacs but stay on longer by as much as amonth. The thick clusters of tubularflowers come in every shade from white towine-red, and – surprise – also in yellow!

Planting and pruningPlanting is best done in spring or early

fall. Weigelas are not particular aboutlocation but are more likely to bloom bestin full sunlight. Their taste in soil pH hoverson the line between acidic and alkaline at6.8-7.7 and they benefit from regular topups of compost mixed with well-rottedmanure. Soil with good drainage is a must.

They also like a good deep wateringabout once a week if Nature has notalready obliged. They don’t mind urbanpollution.

Why “Y Gee Las?”

Continued on Page 11

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‘Minuet’ weigela, bred by Dr. F. Svejda at the Central Experimental Farm (see Page 1)

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‘Rosabella’ weigela at the Arboretum

Summer 2011 Newsletter Volume 23 No. 3 Garden Dances From ... · of the year.” A need for...

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Transcript of Summer 2011 Newsletter Volume 23 No. 3 Garden Dances From ... · of the year.” A need for...