This Evening S Speaker Is Stephanie Morris

Cuttings Barrie’s Garden Club http://www.barriegardenclub.com March 2009

Open Meeting Tuesday, March 03/09

This evening’s speaker is Stephanie Morris. A14. These woods when burning or smoking can add harmful tar & resins to food She works as a landscape designer for Connon Nurseries in Waterdown. She will take us on a journey A15. Hardwoods such a oak, pecan, maple, hickory, to re-design an existing, mature garden or start a new cherry, apple or mesquite garden from scratch. Start time is 7:15 pm A16. Almost 400 pounds of beans are required Answers to the tree trivia quiz A17. Generally it takes 5 years before the trees begin to bear fruit A1. Leonardo da Vinci. He also discovered that the width between the rings indicates annual moisture. A18. Christmas trees grown in the wild have sparser tranches & are known as ‘Charlie Brown’ trees A2. Sequoia

A19. True A3. About 700,000 (I have no idea who counted all of them to come up with this number!!) A20. 8,000 – the seeds are ¼ inch long (again, I have no idea who counted all of them to come up with this A4. Willow bark, which provides salicylic acid number!!) A5. Haws In Other News...... A6. Pagans believed that spirits lived in trees. By knocking on the wood of a tree while making some sort The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of District 16 is of bold statement, the speaker could prevent the spirit being hosted by the Bond Head Horticultural Society from hearing him. and will be held in Bradford.

A7. James Markham obtained a patent for a peach WHEN: Wednesday, 22 April 09 (Earth Day) tree in 1932 WHERE: Holy Martyrs of Japan Church, 167 Essa A8. The California redwood Street, Bradford, Ontario

A9. A bristlecone Pine in the White Mountains of HOW MUCH: $25.00 California HOW LONG: 8:30 am – 3:00 pm A10. The dried bark of an evergreen tree native to South America WHO’S SPEAKING: Anna Leggatt – Rock Gardens & Heinke Thiessen – Garden Landscape Simplified A11. A small tree which grows in Taiwan LOGISTICS: Jean Varep can provide you with tickets A12. Approximately 2,000 pounds of beans to the event. Make your cheque out to Barrie Garden Club & give to any of the Board Members at the Open A13. At least 50 years or older Meeting (save yourself the postage) OR mail the cheque to Jean’s home address: 117 Collingwood Street, Barrie, Ontario L4M 1J2. Don’t miss this fun day. Change in Policy Annual Gardening Seminar Saturday, April 18, 2009 Due to the Barrie Garden Club’s changed relationship 8:30 am – 3:30 pm with the City of Barrie, all non-members attending the Tanglecreek Golf Club Open Meetings will be charged $5.00, effective this 4730 25th Sideroad March Open Meeting. Members will be asked to show a (off Hwy 27, near Mapleview) Membership Card or a name tag. Thornton, Ontario

This newsletter is talking to the converted, but if you Featuring do have friends interested in gardening, it would be an Liz Primeau opportunity for them to sign on for a membership – Sean James because if they attend four meetings they will have Trish Symons paid that much in entrance fees anyway!! It’s a deal. Tickets $40 members $45 non-members Canada Blooms Bus Tour ON SALE AT MARCH OPEN MEETING There has been wonderful response to the bus trip going to Canada Blooms on Thursday, 19 March, 09.

For those of you who have reserved seats, the bus is More on the Seminar...... leaving from the Kozlov Street side of the Kozlov mall. In addition to the three interesting speakers and a delicious lunch, there will be fabulous door prizes, The bus will depart at 8:30 am SHARP!! vendors, and a raffle for Club membership and Garden tour tickets. Get your tickets early – this seminar is You may wish to bring your own coffee/snack for the very popular and sells out rapidly!! trip down. NAME THAT TOUR”

WE ARE HAVING A CONTEST!!!

The Barrie Garden Club is looking for Don’t Leave Home Without It...... a name for our annual “Garden Tour”. We are looking for a catchy name we I’m talking about the Humber Nurseries 30% off can use every year – something that coupon. They are available at the Open Meeting from Catherine Waffle. It’s not hard to find something to will give us “instant recognition”. spend it on. Surely something has died in your garden You may enter more than one name. over the winter. Some retail therapy is required!! The winner will receive 2 free tickets value $40 - $50 for the Garden Tour. Deadline for entries – March 10TH, 2009 Email entries to [email protected] OR Call Gail Barr at 733-5081 Equinox Walk in the Labyrinth Join Beth Fryer, Labyrinth Facilitator, at the Dorian Parker Centre in Sunnidale Park on Saturday, 21 March from 2 – 3 pm for an introduction to labyrinths and a walk to celebrate the Spring Equinox. If you require additional information, contact Beth directly by telephone: 792-6866 or e-mail [email protected]

What is the difference between a maze It’s a Wonderful World & a labyrinth? Vines are terrific plants to fill that vertical space that Labyrinths are unicursal – that is, they have one well may be underutilized. But did you know that their defined path which leads to the centre & out again. climbing patterns are not random – the direction in Unlike a maze, there are no dead-ends, cul-de-sacs, which a plant twines is genetically predetermined. This intersecting paths or other tricks. So, it is the ability to grow in a spiral pattern, known as unicursal path which sets the labyrinth apart from its circumnutation, is a trait present in certain plants, cousin, the maze. Some mazes even have multiple particularly vines. Depending on species, the plant will entrances & exits. They challenge our logic, rather either twine clockwise or counter-clockwise. Clockwise than open our inner wisdom. Labyrinths are a method climbers include bittersweet, & hops, but honeysuckle & of walking meditation – a metaphor for each individual’s morning glory grow in the opposite direction. Then journey through life. It offers an opportunity to quiet there’s wisteria, which goes both ways: Japanese the mind, seek insight & healing & connect with self. wisteria grows clockwise while Chinese wisteria grows You could say the labyrinth experience is right brained, counter-clockwise. while the maze is left brained – female/male, yang/yin. Question: would they grow in the opposite direction if growing in the Southern Hemisphere??

A Bit of History Gardening Myth Debunked The earliest recognizable labyrinth dates back some 5000 years or so. Larger labyrinths, which can be Myth: Organic pesticides are less toxic than synthetic walked, seem to have emerged during the Classical ones. times of the ancient world. The great labyrinth at Knossos, Crete is perhaps the best known of the ancient Truth: Misused pesticides can be harmful, regardless labyrinths. The oldest surviving labyrinth is found in a of whether they are considered natural or synthetic. rock carving at Luzzanas in Sardinia, dating from 2500- Pyrethrum, for example, is made from chrysanthemums 2000 BCE. but is still toxic to people and pets when handled Today, labyrinths are experiencing a comeback. They improperly. can be considered as a metaphor for life. When walking Whenever possible, it’s best to select the least a labyrinth, clear your mind, as much as possible, of the toxic control option available because, even if not humdrum of daily life. Contemplate the steps you are lethal, many of these pesticides can cause serious taking. Be guided by whatever comes to mind. Often a health complications. wonderful sense of peace envelops the walker. Safe storage of these products can help prevent any Whatever comes to you is right. There is no right or harmful accidents. wrong way to walk a labyrinth. Each trip is as individual Read and follow all label directions exactly. Remember, as you are. that these products are tools, not miracle workers or silver bullets. Pesticides cannot correct mistakes made in plant selection, installation, or maintenance. Solivitur ambulando...... It is solved by walking Saint Augustine In this case, ‘more is not better’ – follow the application directions precisely.