Friends of the Central Experimental Farm Summer 2014 Newsletter Volume 26 No. 3 The Explorer Rose Garden is Finished By Sharon Saunders greenhouse. In early May, the irrigation system was reconfigured and buried, and the soil level was brought up to grade using a combination of compost [bottom fill] and triple mix [top dressing]. By mid-May the post and rail fences were installed, creating the two borders separated by a wide path. The whole area was made level so there was no more stepping down into these new beds. The surrounding area was over-seeded with a grass and clover mix; the first cut was three weeks after sowing. The salvaged roses, 13 in all, were transplanted in mid-July into the new borders, flowering for a second time in a year. In October, the final stage of the remake was completed with the elimination of the large rectangular bed, keeping only the three pillar roses. Other roses from this bed were transplanted to the new borders or to the Heritage Rose Garden. The area was f f i l filled in with compost and triple mix, c h c n levelled and over-seeded. In addition, the i H . soil in the beds surrounding the Gazebo was R Explorer Rose Garden, 2013 raised to grade, which should revitalize the roses in that area. The former two signs (English and French) six-year project to re-configure the Explorer Rose Garden describing the collection will be placed in the new beds – one Ais complete – well, at least for now. to a bed, facing each other at the path. In November 2011, we installed a new wooden fence in a Six-year crusade complete this year long border (see photos above and on Page 6) to encompass the Explorers that Dr. Felicitas Svejda developed here at the Farm. This year, another 15 or so roses will be purchased for the We had decided that the former steel frames were too industrial small beds, which will complete the design. and did not convey the bucolic scene that is more in keeping So, this is how the area is now configured: with the Ornamental Gardens . • the long fence border holds Dr. Svejda’s Ottawa roses, Last year’s remake • the borders with the smaller fences that mirror the longer one contain roses developed at other AAFC research stations, Last year, we worked on two smaller borders, with similar • the Gazebo surround has a mix of both, and wooden fences. In April, we potted the roses that remained in the • the three pillar Jens Munk roses remain in place, looking like former beds and placed them in a holding area near the sentinels of the Explorer collection. Continued on Page 3 Page 2 Friends of the Central Experimental Farm • Summer 2014 President's message - Note du président The Changing Scene ll organizations go through changes: Kelsey Cuddihy. changes in places, changes in tools and, • A volunteer orientation session was held in Amost importantly, changes in people May to introduce new volunteers to the moving to meet new challenges. garden teams. People: A recent change at Agriculture and • In addition, the Friends are assisting staff Agri-Food Canada of note to us is the departure with GPS mapping of trees in the of Crispin Wood, whose knowledge of trees Arboretum, leading to future tools that will and communication skills will be sorely missed. add to enjoyment of the Farm. Crispin is leaving his position as lead hand in the Places: Everyone will have noticed the “big Arboretum to take on urban forestry duties in digs” going on around the Farm for the past the Regional Municipality of York, a very large many months. Some holes have been for water area north of Toronto. Fair travels, Crispin! and sewer services, part of a 7-year project to be Recently, the Friends of the Farm have completed in 2015. also had a number of changes. Over the last Other digs have been for fibre optic few months, we’ve added four new people to cabling, now essentially complete. The the Board of Directors: Marsha Gutierrez, old cable network used to occupy the heat treasurer (although many will remember tunnels, no longer required to heat buildings Marsha in her former role as office manager); on the Farm. Kate Harrigan, incoming director of Tools: Our communications outreach has The iconic Sir John Carling building will fundraising; Yvonne Ackerman, director of lengthened considerably with a number of be dismantled by November. Then the re- membership; and Jennifer Ford, director of changes: maining part of the building (the annex) will events. And we have a new staff person, • Farm Notes , an electronic newsletter to be re-purposed and brought back into use. Alisha Rexford. keep all up-to-date with things related to the The Tropical Greenhouse, the octagonal Changes have placed greater demands on Farm, ornamental gardens, urban forests and glass building on Maple Drive, has gone existing volunteers as well. Thanks are due greenspaces. through extensive renovation and is being especially to Polly McColl, Denise Kennedy, • Social media (https://www.facebook. repopulated with plants and will re-open in Donna Pape, Betty-Jean Riordan and Carol com/FCEFOttawa) provides great pictures the fall. This is a welcome return and will add McColgan for their added efforts in keeping and connects with many other people to the many attractions that draw the public the wheels going! interested in the Farm. Many thanks to to the Farm. Un contexte en évolution outes les organisations subissent des personnel. système de location GPS, menant à la changements, que ce soit de lieux, De fait, les changements ont mené à des création prochaine d’outils qui ajouteront de Td’outils, et plus important encore, elles demandes plus élevées auprès des bénévoles l’agrément pour les visiteurs à la Ferme font l’objet d’évolution chez les personnes en en place également. Nous devons des Les lieux : Plusieurs d’entre vous ont pu voir de quête de nouveaux défis. remerciements particuliers à Polly McColl, grandes parties ou tranchées qui avaient été Les personnes : Un changement récent au Denise Kennedy, Donna Pape, creusées un peu partout sur la Ferme au cours sein d’Agriculture et Agroalimentaire Canada Betty-Jean Riordan et Carol McColgan des des derniers mois. Certaines l’ont été pour nous importe avant tout. Il s’agit du départ de efforts supplémentaires qu’elles ont déployés assurer des services d’eau et d’égout, dans le Crispin Wood, dont la connaissance des arbres pour maintenir les rouages en mouvement! cadre d’une initiative qui aura duré sept ans et et les aptitudes en communication vont nous Les outils: Nos communications et nos qui se terminera en 2015 manquer énormément. Crispin quitte son poste relations avec le public se sont accentuées, et Dans d’autres tranchées, ce sont des à titre de chef de groupe de l’Arboretum pour des changements considérables ont été câbles à fibres optiques qui ont été installés, cumuler des fonctions en foresterie urbaine apportés : et les travaux sont pratiquement terminés. dans la municipalité régionale de York, vaste • Farm Notes , un bulletin électronique qui Par contre, les vieux câbles des tunnels région située dans le nord de Toronto. Heureux tient compte de tout ce qui concerne la chauffants ne seront plus utilisés pour le voyages, Crispin! Ferme, les jardins ornementaux, les parcs chauffage des édifices sur la Ferme. Récemment, bon nombre de changements urbains et les espaces verts. Le légendaire édifice Sir John Carling sera sont survenus chez les Amis de la Ferme. Au • Le média social dont le lien paraît ici, démoli d’ici novembre prochain. L’autre cours des derniers mois, quatre nouvelles https://www.facebook.com/FCEFOttawa, partie de l’immeuble, l’annexe, sera dédiée à personnes siègent désormais au conseil présente d’impressionnantes photos et d’autres fonctions et remise en état. d’administration : Marsha Gutierrez, trésorière relient bien d’autres gens qui démontrent un La serre tropicale, immeuble de forme (certains d’entre vous se souviendront sans intérêt pour la Ferme. Nos remercie- octogonale et aux murs vitrés donnant sur la doute de Marsha alors qu’elle était ments sincères vont à Kelsey Cuddihy. promenade Maple, a subi d’importantes gestionnaire de bureau); Kate Harrigan, • Une séance d’information à l’intention des rénovations, et des plantes y seront abritées nouvelle directrice du financement; bénévoles a été tenue en mai pour présenter de nouveau. L’ouverture est prévue à Yvonne Ackerman, directrice du service aux les nouveaux venus aux équipes des jardins. l’automne. Avec ce retour si longuement membres; Jennifer Ford, directrice des • De plus, les Amis ont secondé le personnel anticipé, la serre figurera parmi les nombreux événements. De plus, nous saluons lorsqu’est venu le moment de cartographier atouts qui attirent le public vers la Ferme Alisha Rexford comme nouveau membre du les arbres de l’Arboretum au moyen d’un Eric Jones Friends of the Central Experimental Farm • Summer 2014 Page 3 The Explorer Rose Garden is Finished (continued from Page 1 ) This project has been ongoing for six years. It has been my crusade to remove the metal fence that cut the Gardens in half and to make the area open, as it should be. I thank my team for their hard work and the Friends’ Explorer team for their patience in this long endeavour. In the early 1980s, Sharon Saunders helped tend to Dr Svejda’s seedlings during development of the Explorer roses at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. She is responsible for the Ornamental Gardens, where she has recently produced award-winning beds.