Club Activities
Oshawa's First Jane's Walks
14/05/12 09:53 PM
from Sally Grande, Greenleaf Editor
On May 5th, 2012, Oshawa hosted a series of Jane’s Walks at several locations. OGC's President, Debi Foster, organized the OVBG walk and partnered with Dave Marlowe and Sally Grande to walk with Oshawa’s Mayor, John Henry. At the same time, Debi’s son helped out at the Jane’s Walk at Camp Samac, which had 15 participants. Debi guided us through the OVBG gardens while Dave provided a history of the area, complete with historic photos and maps. Sally summarized the life and work of urban innovator and activist, Jane Jacobs (1916-2006). Jane would have loved the OVBG since she believed that a city’s “walkability” was its greatest strength. George McCormack and Linda Wylie provided additional input while Debi also took photos.
OGC Annual Plant Sale
07/05/12 10:24 PM
from Garry Lucas
Open to all on Saturday, June 2 from 9 AM to 3 PM. The sale will be held at the Northview Seniors Centre on Beatrice St. in Oshawa (see map). The sale will be in the upper parking lot, just follow the signs if you have never been there. In addition to member supplied plants there will be a wide selection of clematis available from a local expert. Many of these are not commonly available at nurseries.
The sale is later this year as some of you did not have time last year to divide large perennials due to the weather. There should be no problem with late cold weather this year. If you need a hand dividing or potting plants to donate or just for plant pickup, then contact us. We will come with a trailer of potting soil, pots, and willing workers to assist you. Of course, any plants you pot can be picked up or delivered the day of the sale.
This is the major fundraiser for your club and helps minimize dues increases. Donating plants or time are essential for a healthy club. Volunteers are needed to help with many tasks other than potting such as: labelling, phoning, selling, cashier, organizing, transporting, storing. Every little bit helps so, if you can assist on sale day or any day prior to that, let us know as above. I am potting and dividing most any afternoon the weather is clear. If you have an unused driveway or part of a backyard we need a place to store plants until the sale day.
Please note that we especially need plants that are not commonly grown or that are expensive at the nursery. Consider taking a small division or two off that special plant or rooting a piece of your shrubs so others can enjoy them, too. Excess seedlings are also welcomed and are popular when available.
The sale is later this year as some of you did not have time last year to divide large perennials due to the weather. There should be no problem with late cold weather this year. If you need a hand dividing or potting plants to donate or just for plant pickup, then contact us. We will come with a trailer of potting soil, pots, and willing workers to assist you. Of course, any plants you pot can be picked up or delivered the day of the sale.
This is the major fundraiser for your club and helps minimize dues increases. Donating plants or time are essential for a healthy club. Volunteers are needed to help with many tasks other than potting such as: labelling, phoning, selling, cashier, organizing, transporting, storing. Every little bit helps so, if you can assist on sale day or any day prior to that, let us know as above. I am potting and dividing most any afternoon the weather is clear. If you have an unused driveway or part of a backyard we need a place to store plants until the sale day.
Please note that we especially need plants that are not commonly grown or that are expensive at the nursery. Consider taking a small division or two off that special plant or rooting a piece of your shrubs so others can enjoy them, too. Excess seedlings are also welcomed and are popular when available.
Tree Plantings: OGC 80th Anniversary and Queen's Diamond Jubilee
05/05/12 08:42 AM
The second piece of news is that each district of the Ontario Horticultural Association is to be provided with a Bur Oak as an anniversary planting for the Queen's Jubilee. The announcement was made at the last District President's Meeting, and it was decided that any club interested in being eligible for the tree was to submit their club's name. The draw took place at the District AGM on April 28th and I am pleased to announce that the Oshawa Garden Club was chosen. The tree is to be planted on September 26th (Tree Planting Day) with a plaque installation at a location to be chosen by the City of Oshawa, somewhere along the Oshawa Creek Trail system.
From Ontario's Tree Atlas:
Tulip Tree
The tulip is tall, second in North American only to the Giant Sequoia. Tulips often reach 150 feet with diameters up to 8 feet; they can live 300 years. (Compare the sequoia: 300', 30' diameter, and 3,000 years). What distinguishes the tulip is good posture. It's a very straight tree. The up-reaching branches have elbow-like bends and the bottom branches may be as high as 80' from the ground. The gray-brown bark has deep, vertical furrows like an elm. These features could also describe some lindens and nut trees, so crane your neck and check the branch tips. The tulip holds on to its seed cones all winter. Tulip have lovely flowers in spring, water lily-shaped and greenish with orange stripes. However, they're 'way, 'way up there, so look for a fallen one or bring the binoculars. Over the summer, the flowers mature into light brown cones that split open in the fall, shedding winged seeds (samaras) until spring. The leaves have four points, two on each side, like a webbed duck foot that's missing the forward pointing toe. The leaves turn a lovely yellow in the fall. In the wild, tulips have a wide natural range, from Northern Florida and Louisiana, to Michigan, Southern Ontario, and Southern New England. The best ones, they say, are in the Ohio Valley. Tulips like deep rich soil with adequate moisture and good drainage. It's said that they languish in soil that's too wet or too dry. Tulips are good urban trees for large, open spaces. They're resistant to pests and they "play well with others"; the trees are tall enough that they don't shade out the competition. Tulip trees are know as "honey trees" -- a single teenage tree (e.g. 25 years old) is said to produce something like 8 pounds of nectar, which must be a lot the way the experts talk about it. The seeds are also food for the songbirds, squirrels, mice and rabbits. Curiously, tulips are one of the fastest growing hardwoods. (Note, that "fast" is a relative term when talking about trees.) This makes tulips commercially attractive for lumber. Tulips have fine-grained wood that's soft enough to be easily worked but hard enough to take a high polish. The Native American once made the giant, straight trunks into canoes; today tulip lumber is used for toys, furniture, paneling, veneer, crates and pulp.
read more
Bur Oak
The bur oak can survive forest fires because it has very thick bark. It can also tolerate drought because its roots grow deep into the ground. The bur oak is a medium to large tree, growing up to 30 metres in height. It is the most common oak in Ontario. The bur oak’s large leaves are 15 to 25 centimetres long, and are shiny green on top, and pale and hairy underneath. Its acorns, which are 1.5 to 3 centimetres long, have a deep cup covering 2/3 of the acorn. This cup has a bristle fringe around the upper edge. Depending on where it grows, the bur oak can be different shapes. It’s usually tall with a straight trunk but if grown in shallow soil, it can be smaller with a twisted trunk and gnarled branches.
Size: 15 to 30 metres tall, trunk 60 to 120 centimetres in diameter
Moisture: Tolerates a wide variety of moisture conditions
Shade: Prefers full sun, but can tolerate moderate shade
Soil: Can grow in a variety of soils
Planting tip: The bur oak’s roots grow deep into the soil, so plant it where there aren’t underground pipes. The bur oak can survive being transplanted and it grows well in cities.
read more
Jane's Walk at OVBG
15/04/12 01:14 PM
Jane’s Walk at the Oshawa Valley Botanical Gardens map
Saturday May 5th: 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm (possibly 3 pm)
Meet at the Children's Arena parking lot off Arena Street.
Take a leisurely stroll through a botanical jewel in the heart of Oshawa. Community groups have worked together with the City of Oshawa in planning and developing this amazing space along the Oshawa Creek Trail system. A variety of gardens will be visited including the Peony Garden and the Memory Garden. Two stunning architectural elements in recognition of the 100th Anniversary of Rotary International and the 75th Anniversary of the Oshawa Garden Club are also noted as key features of the botanical garden. Come and see the many facets of this unique space.
Saturday May 5th: 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm (possibly 3 pm)
Meet at the Children's Arena parking lot off Arena Street.
Take a leisurely stroll through a botanical jewel in the heart of Oshawa. Community groups have worked together with the City of Oshawa in planning and developing this amazing space along the Oshawa Creek Trail system. A variety of gardens will be visited including the Peony Garden and the Memory Garden. Two stunning architectural elements in recognition of the 100th Anniversary of Rotary International and the 75th Anniversary of the Oshawa Garden Club are also noted as key features of the botanical garden. Come and see the many facets of this unique space.
Volunteers Needed: Jane's Walks
14/04/12 04:17 PM
Jane’s Walks Come to Oshawa - May 5 & 6, 2012
If you’re interested in helping with a guided walk (1 to 2 hours in length) of the OVBG, please contact .
If you’re interested in helping with a guided walk (1 to 2 hours in length) of the OVBG, please contact .
We Want You to be a Showoff!
14/04/12 10:13 AM
Part of the OHA District 17 Annual General Meetings is devoted to judged exhibitions of horticultural specimens, photography, art work and floral designs.
The Oshawa Garden Club does not have regular flower shows as do most clubs. The planning committee for the 2013 District 17 AGM would like to encourage members to show flowers, bulbs, branches etc. from their gardens and learn what is expected so that there will be entries from OGC members submitted at our “home” show on April 20, 2013.
Each month, beginning in May, we will provide the criteria for showing different seasonal cuttings so that members can develop the confidence to enter the various competitions.
For the May 14, 2012 meeting we are asking members to submit the following:
Note:
Containers for display must be clear glass only so that the stem is visible.
Definition of terms:
Stem or Stalk: A main plant structure which supports flower, buds, leaves or fruit.
Scape: A leafless flower stem arising from the ground, each scape carries a number of flower buds depending on the cultivar, e.g. Hemerocallis (Daylily), Narcissus.
Source: Ontario Judging and Exhibiting Standards for Horticulture and Floral Design, 2003
The Oshawa Garden Club does not have regular flower shows as do most clubs. The planning committee for the 2013 District 17 AGM would like to encourage members to show flowers, bulbs, branches etc. from their gardens and learn what is expected so that there will be entries from OGC members submitted at our “home” show on April 20, 2013.
Each month, beginning in May, we will provide the criteria for showing different seasonal cuttings so that members can develop the confidence to enter the various competitions.
For the May 14, 2012 meeting we are asking members to submit the following:
- Iris: any cultivar, any colour: 1 stalk
- Narcissus: any type, any colour: 1 scape
- Cutting from any bulb, any colour: 3 blooms or stems
Note:
Containers for display must be clear glass only so that the stem is visible.
Definition of terms:
Stem or Stalk: A main plant structure which supports flower, buds, leaves or fruit.
Scape: A leafless flower stem arising from the ground, each scape carries a number of flower buds depending on the cultivar, e.g. Hemerocallis (Daylily), Narcissus.
Source: Ontario Judging and Exhibiting Standards for Horticulture and Floral Design, 2003
OGC Plant Sale
31/03/12 10:37 AM
from member Garry Lucas
I know it is an early reminder, but the Oshawa Garden Club will hold its Annual Plant Sale on Saturday, June 2, 2012.
This is three weeks later than previous years to allow more time to divide and pot your excess plants. If you need a hand dividing and potting to donate plants, please mark your calendar in May to contact us. Donating plants or your time, even for any small task ( i.e. organizing, labelling, potting, selling, cashier, phoning, publicity) is welcomed. You even get to socialize with other gardeners.
If you wish to help, please contact us.
I know it is an early reminder, but the Oshawa Garden Club will hold its Annual Plant Sale on Saturday, June 2, 2012.
This is three weeks later than previous years to allow more time to divide and pot your excess plants. If you need a hand dividing and potting to donate plants, please mark your calendar in May to contact us. Donating plants or your time, even for any small task ( i.e. organizing, labelling, potting, selling, cashier, phoning, publicity) is welcomed. You even get to socialize with other gardeners.
If you wish to help, please contact us.
2011 Annual Peony Festival Brings International Crowds
12/06/11 09:17 PM
June 11, 12, 2011
Hundreds of visitors crowded into OVBG's peony gardens June 11-12, even in the pouring rain, to stroll and photograph Oshawa's collection of over 300 peonies. Visitors came from China, the United States and throughout southern Ontario to view the collection.
Hundreds of visitors crowded into OVBG's peony gardens June 11-12, even in the pouring rain, to stroll and photograph Oshawa's collection of over 300 peonies. Visitors came from China, the United States and throughout southern Ontario to view the collection.
2011 Plant Sale a Success
14/05/11 09:19 PM
May 14, 2011
The OGC Plant Sale provides funding for a whole year of great activities! There was much more to do at this year's plant sale...even with the rain.
The OGC Plant Sale provides funding for a whole year of great activities! There was much more to do at this year's plant sale...even with the rain.
Visitors browsed and purchased garden magazines as well as plants.
Ontario Volunteer Service Awards Presented to OGC Members
19/04/11 11:38 PM
19 April, 2011
OGC Volunteers Honoured Each Year: Volunteer Service Awards are presented by the Government of Ontario to those nominated by their organizations. On April 19, 2011, a reception was held at the General Sikorski Hall in Oshawa where six OGC members received a certificate and commemorative pin in appreciation for their continuous volunteer service to our club. The 5-year award was received by Nadia B., Sally G. and Mary M. (absent from the ceremony). The 10-year award was given to Shirley F. and the 15-year award to Irma D. and Janey D. Congratulations and thank you to these members who so generously volunteer their time year after year. Photo above (from left to right): Sally, Janey, Irma, Nadia, Shirley.
OGC Volunteers Honoured Each Year: Volunteer Service Awards are presented by the Government of Ontario to those nominated by their organizations. On April 19, 2011, a reception was held at the General Sikorski Hall in Oshawa where six OGC members received a certificate and commemorative pin in appreciation for their continuous volunteer service to our club. The 5-year award was received by Nadia B., Sally G. and Mary M. (absent from the ceremony). The 10-year award was given to Shirley F. and the 15-year award to Irma D. and Janey D. Congratulations and thank you to these members who so generously volunteer their time year after year. Photo above (from left to right): Sally, Janey, Irma, Nadia, Shirley.