c'est la pivoine choisie pour la ville de québec LA PERLE

Compostage

voici c'est lemps de faire du compost avec nos feuilles de déchets de jardin
je suis porte-parole pour la région et notre objectif est 100 klg par foyer s,v,p faites un effort

martinus

INFOSuroit.com a publié un nouvel article, 'Les pivoines à l'honneur avec
> Martinus Mooijekind'
>
> (Jonathan Archambault) - Le directeur de la Société québécoise de la
> pivoine, Martinus Mooijekind, tiendra un atelier-conférence sur le thème de la
> division de la pivoine ce lundi (24 octobre) au pavillon du site historique
> national de la Bataille-de la-Châteauguay, à Howick dans le
> Haut-Saint-Laurent.

Roger-Van den Hende Botanic Garden

mercredi le 19 octoobre les membres du FESTIVAL  DE LA PIVOINE 2012 ont participés à la plantation de 60 plants de pivoines au JARDIN BOTANIQUE VAN DEN HENDE

à QUÉBEC    ,   BLAINE MARCHAND président de la société c'est d^placé pour la plantation

les 15 hybrides QUÉBÉCOISES ont été payé par la société DES CAISSES POPULAIRE , SERGE FAFFARD DES JARDINS OSIRIS as contribué avec 20 plants de pivoines offert au JARDIN BOTANIQUE et moi j'ai offert 15 plants,

SERGE FAFFARD,  HÉLÈNE CORRIVEAU, CLAUDE QUIRION , NORMAND POULIN, FRANCINE LORTIE,
             CHRISTINE BOIS,  BLAINE MARCHAND,  MARTINUS MOOIJEKIND

 

submitted by:  Martinus Mooijekind

Peony Seeds: A Fair Exchange

The Seed Exchange Program is keenly interested in seed from members' common and  uncommon peonies.  So, before you dead-head your plants, consider letting a few go to seed.  Here are a few tips to help you help us.

Collecting Seed:
Seed pods (carpels) should usually be left on the plant to ripen at least to the point where the pod starts to split.  At that point it can either be left on the plant until the pod opens completely, or the stems can be cut with a bit of leaf attached and set in a jar of water set in a tray.  The tray should be wide enough to catch any seed falling from the carpels.
People prefer to know the name of the plant from which the seed is collected, so if possible please keep track of this information.  If you don't know the name of the plant a brief description is always useful.

When the carpels are nearly fully open, collect the seed.  Set it in an open paper (not plastic) container (envelope or small bag) to dry or a week or so; if you don't do this the seed may get mouldy when it gets wrapped for mailing.

Finally, put the seeds into small labelled envelopes, which may now be sealed, and if possible wrap the bundle of envelopes you will be sending to the seed exchange in some kind of bubble wrap before placing them in a mailing envelopes.

Send your seeds to:
Canadian Peony Society Seeds
c/o Bill Wegman
5441 Hilltop Dr
Manotick, ON K4M 1G6

To receive a confirmation that we have received your seeds, please include your email address.

Please forward your seeds as soon as possible and before 1 November, 2011

Bill Wegman

What Secrets Lurk in Peony DNA?

Last year we had the opportunity to start a project conserving peony (Paeonia L.) genetic resources in the National Plant Germplasm System.  We received approval from the the US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, National Program Leaders, to begin obtaining and managing peonies at the Arctic and Subarctic Plant Gene Bank in Palmer, Alaska and the National Clonal Germplasm Repository in Corvallils, Oregon.

This project is in its infancy and its financial continuation is subject to the federal budget.  Despite these difficult times, collections of peonies were begun at both locations.

In concert with the establishment of the US peony gene back, a group of about 55 scientists, from across the United States, banded together and submitted a proposal for US Specialty Crop Research  initiative 2011 funding to research Peony as a Model for Cut-Flower Production.  This proposal was quite extensive, requesting $6.7 million, to study everything from tunnel production, plant nutrition, and clean stock program development, to genetic analysis.  Unfortunately, our proposal was not chosen to be funded, but the reviewers encouraged us to revise and resubmit in 2012.  We scientists suppressed our dismay and retreated to our drawing boards to consider resubmission.

One of the projects within the proposed research plan included examining peony DNA for identity and diversity determination.  We couldn't just let this project sit idly by, so with the limited resources we had on hand, we began this study.

Have you ever picked up a dormant peony root with a few  buds on it and wondered, "What is this cultivar?"  Have you planted some area with peonies, had them bloom a year or two later and realized that they were not the cultivar that you thought you ordered?  Have you ever received a hybrid peony and wondered "What cross is this?  Who's your daddy?"  The DNA analysis protocols that we are developing could answer these types of questions.

The kinds of techniques we are using are similar to laboratory forensics used in police work or paternity testing. First we extract DNA from the peony plant.  The standard way to get the DNA from plants is to grind up young, rapidly expanding leaves.  But because it was winter, all we had were dormant roots and no leaves.

We were very happy to find that we could easily extract large quantities of DNA from dormant peony buds.

We thought that this would be of great use to nursery folks who wanted to identify dormant material when asking for roots prior to shipping.  We also tried dormant buds from 11 other plants (pear, quince, blueberry, service berry and others).  Peony yielded the highest amounts of excellent quality DNA, more than any dormant buds of the 11 other plants.  We are in the process of publishing this information.  If anyone is interested in knowing more about our protocols we would be happy to discuss our approach with them.

We began our analyses by looking up publications from laboratories who had been working on DNA analysis in peonies.  We found two laboratories in China had begun using DNA from leaves of tree peonies.  These reports were moderately successful using what is called simple sequence repeats (SSR).  This is the kind of analysis that we also wanted to do.  But we realized that we would need more SSR options than what the folks in China were using, so we could examine DNA form each of the different peony species.

In April 2011, the Center for Genome Research and Bio-computing at Oregon State University requested samples to test using their new DNA sequencing equipment.  They offered to sequence our peonies' DNA for  a much lower than usual rate to test their instrument operation.  Of course, we accepted.  We had them analyse DNA from herbaceous peonies, tree peonies, hybrid peonies, and P. brownii.  As a result we were provided with a wealth of DNA sequencing information.  We can now design 8,000 SSRs (way more than we need!), which will help us find additional SSR markers.

In late May 2011, we obtained some plant material of diverse peonies generously provided by Jim and Carol Adelman, of Adelman Peony Gardens, Brooks, Oregon.  We visited their peony fields and collected young leaf samples from 94 cultivars (herbaceous, intersectional, and tree) and two breeding lines.  These two lines were from Dr. Don Smith's (West Newton, Massachusetts) breeding program.  Dr. Smith was very interested in our work and had some specific questions on parentage that he was hoping we would be able to resolve.  So we took the young leaves, extracted the DNA and started screening our SSRs with this material.

So far we have screened 16 peonies with 250 SSRs.  This will give us preliminary data to choose which markers will be most successful for genetic fingerprinting.  We will also identify SSRs that are specific for different species.  That will present allow us to distinguish species present in a hybrid plant's genetic background.  Another of our goals is to develop a phylogenic map (like an evolutionary family history) that would show the ancestry and relatedness of peony species.

Our research is in the early phase. We anticipate that these molecular markers will be as useful to peony nurseries and growers for identification of cultivars as they are to those working with berry and fruit crops.

We are very happy working with the peony community in continuing to research this royal plant, the queen of the garden.  We greatly appreciate the generosity of information and plant material from the American Peony Society, the Wisonsin Peony Society, Minnesota Peony Society, the Pacific Northwest Peony Society, the Alaska Peony Growers Association, Dr. Patricia Holloway of the Georgeson Botanical Garden, Hidden Springs Nursery, Kennicott Brothers Company, Adelman Peony Gardens, and Oregon Perennial Company.


Who knows what secrets lay within peony DNA? Hopefully within a year we will have some answers.

Barbara Gilmore, USDA ARS Arctic and Subartic Plant Gene Bank, Alaska., 
Nahla Bassil, and Kim Hummer, USDA ARS National Clonal Germplasm Repository,

John Elisha Simkins (May 13, 1919 - September 18, 2011)

After a long and wonderful life, John Elisha Simkins died peacefully on September 18, 2011 at his home in Oakville at the age of 92.

John was the beloved husband of Violet for 65 years, father of Jon, Jennifer (King), and Janice (Thomson, deceased), and the grandfather of Rachel, Heather, and Miki. He is survived by brother Ted and sister Peggy (Martin) and predeceased by his twin brother Ernie.
John was born in Measham, England in 1919 and moved to Hamilton, Ontario in 1927 where he attended Delta High School. During World War II, he served with the Royal Canadian Infantry in Europe, rising to the rank of Major. In 1949, he and Violet wed in Hamilton. Soon after, John graduated with honours from McMaster University and was employed by Shell Oil Canada as a chemist in Montreal. In 1961, the now growing family moved to Oakville.
John was a passionate gardener and was world-renowned as an author, speaker, and hybridizer of peonies. He was a member of the Garden Writers Association of America, served as president of the American Peony Society, and founded the Canadian Peony Society. He also wrote regular articles for many horticultural publications, including a column for the local paper. He served on the board of the Royal Botanical Gardens and held many roles in the Oakville and Ontario Horticultural associations. He was also recognized as an outstanding volunteer in the community and a life-long and active member of St. Jude's Anglican Church.
Visitation will be held at the Kopriva Taylor Community Funeral Home on Wednesday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9. The funeral service will be held Thursday September 22 at 11:00am, St. Jude's Anglican Church, 160 William St., Oakville.


From coast to coast, the members of the Canadian Peony Society join in offering their sincerest condolences to the family of John Simkins. John was a pioneer in the peony field, as a hybridizer, an organizer, a spokesperson and an authority. The founder of our Society and a former President of the American Peony Society, his work is recognized and celebrated by peony lovers across North America. John remains an inspiration to us as we carry on his legacy and his passion for peonies. We, his horticultural family, share the deep loss that his own family, feel at this time.

Blaine Marchand
President
CPS

June Brett July 3, 1938 - August 9, 2011

BRETT, (Bette) June (nee Sellar) July 3, 1938 - August 9, 2011 June died Tuesday evening of lung cancer. She was at home, cared for by her family as we all wished. We will remember her as a loving partner, good companion and engaged friend. From her early life, June had two sons, Kevin and Duncan, a daughter Heather, and grandchildren Ethan, Jesse and Alexis. For the last 31 years, she shared her life in Guelph with Mary Ann. Following cremation, Family will receive at St. Matthias Anglican Church, 171 Kortright Road West, Guelph, N1G 4WZ on Friday from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. A Funeral Service will be held Saturday, August 13th at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift to the Owl Foundation of Ontario or St. Matthias. GOODBYE, MY GIRL 


 From Hazel Cook
Long time CPS member June Brett sadly passed away on August 9, 2011 of lung cancer.  A stalwart supporter of the Society, of peonies, and of all things horticultural, June was, as her obituary said, a loving partner, good companion and engaged friend.  Our condolences go out to CPS Vice-President, Mary Ann Robinson, with whom she shared her life for 31 years and to June's children, Kevin, Duncan and Heather, and to her grandcholden.

Joe and I first met June Brett and Mary Ann Robinson in our garden for an Ontario Delphinium Club field day in 1999.  We would bump into one another very occasionally, always around a gardening theme.  We also found common clubs such as the Ontario Rock Garden Society, which met in Toronto, conveniently a halfway point.

A real turning point was when we jointly purchased the Gilbert Collection of peonies.  An entire week of digging and dividing roots - 'The Big Dig' - was centered at June and Mary Ann's home in Guelph with many friends and family.  By this time, Joe and June had discovered a mutual fondness for a 'Sleemans' beer.

June's sunny disposition and organizational skills were always present.  We learned much about the world through their extensive travels and also our excursions together, many of these included gardening, especially peonies at CPS events in Ottawa, Montreal, Hamilton and at Reford Gardens.  We were always amazed at June's driving skills.

Gardening consumed our visits, but we did gradually learn bits and pieces about their families and past.  Many items in their home showed their love of antiques, collectables, figure skating, birds, especially owls, and treasures from June's childhood, raised as an only child out west.  It was, however, not until her funeral that we discovered that June had won a city wide yo-you championship as a child.  How we wished we had witnessed her many tricks.  Her determination and love of competition also finally won her the Court of Honour for her entry of 'Raspberry Sundae' in Oshawa at the 2010 CPS Convention.

June always smiled even through tough times such as her hip replacement and several battles with cancer,  making it so much easier to visit and care for her.  We definately miss June Brett but also can hear an echo of her voice telling us to 'suck it up, Buttercup`.

Collecting Bloom Data from the Oshawa Peony Garden

            For more than a decade, I have organized the bloom date project. The project collects data on the date on which a cultivar first blooms. The project provides new more precise data about when particular cultivars bloom. This helps the home garden to plan. Details of the project can be found at

                                    http://peonybloomdate.com

            This Spring was the first time that I have collected bloom data from the Oshawa Garden. Each day I went to the garden and marked which cultivars had bloomed for the first time. Blooming began on May 21^st with Early Windflower and Nosegay. The latter is one of my five favourite peonies and I would recommend it to everyone. Early Windflower is a tall and stately plant with a very long period of bloom. Only about fifteen cultivars bloom in May but these are very beautiful. These include the tenufolia hybrids such as Laddie, Early Scout and Smoothii. There are also important and lovely Saunders hybrids such as Audrey, Rose Crystal and Roselette. Gardeners should grow some of these early blooming peonies to extend their blooming season.

            In recent years, Oshawa has increased the number of tree peonies and this will continue for the next few years. There are about forty tree peonies and these bloom in the last week of May and the first week in June. A visit in the first week in June will provide many gorgeous tree  and herbaceous peonies. I did not collect data on the individual tree peonies.

            In the first week in June, more of the herbaceous hybrid peonies bloom. This includes Red Charm, Jewel, Nathalie, Chocolate Soldier and Illini Belle. There are many rarer peonies that may interest you. Some will be difficult to find. By coming in this week one can see both tree peonies and exquisite herbaceous ones. At the end of the week, none of the lactifloras have bloomed. All of the blooms have been hybrids or tree peonies. This implies that doubles have been rare and that no Japanese have bloomed.

            Almost one-half of the cultivars open in the second week in June. This is a grand week. The hybrids are still blooming and the lactifloras are rushing into blossom. There are too many lovely cultivars to list here.

            Almost one-third of the plants do not bloom until the third week in June. The hybrids with their vibrant colours are gone but the lactifloras are booming. This is the time for many peonies with a Japanese flower form.     

            My last garden trip was on June 22. I could not find any peonies that had not opened. The blooms were everywhere and some blooms would last until at least June 27^th. Among the last to open were Elsa Sass, Ann Cousins and Myra MacRae.

            I collected bloom dates on about 250 cultivars. A few plants did not bloom this year and a few were missed as I walked the gardens. By visiting the garden many times, I appreciate many plants that I had not noticed in earlier years.

Submitted by Michael Denny

Oshawa Valley Botanical Garden & CPS Flower Show

 The Flower Show Crew,

Margaret, Gordon, Ken, Mary Ellen, Lana, Tom, Judi and Brian taking the picture

 Our Judges

Ken Brown & GordonWick

 Judi & Bill Slute, Oshawa Parks

 Our audience the young and the young at heart enjoyed an array of peony blooms during this years show.

and in this years Winners Circle

Best In Show - Itoh Hybrid

Hazel Cook  'Golden Era'

 Best In Show - Japanese

Hazel Cook - 'Black Swan'

Best Novice Specimen

Brenda Campbell

Best Single

Hazel Cook - 'White Pico'

Best Tree Peony

Hazel Cook - 'Boreas'

Submitted by Judi Denny

OVBG & Ontario Peony Show Day 2

We arrived early and collected the required necessities for the CPS booth outside.  It was a windy day so everything outside needed a paperweight or someone to hold them down during big gusts.
We had 3 buckets of cut blooms from the flower show to start with and a few from the Denny's garden. Blooms were being sold for $2 each.  We also had seeds from yesterday which were being sold for $2 a packet.

Before being completely set up people were already going through the gardens and stopping by the booth to ask questions or buy seeds.

There were 100's of people visiting today and we were so busy that we had to eat and talk at the same time, several times Brian and I alternated taking bites of a sandwich and talking.  We had a few people who had been watching us and gave us a few moments to finish our lunch. (which we ate at 1:30pm)  The day was pleasant the weather at times required a light jacket and the people were fantastic.

Brian was asking the men who were walking buy "When was the last time you bought your wife/girlfriend a flower" and this sold a few of the cut blooms and it also had a few men wincing and walking away.  At the end of the day we had two buckets of blooms left and almost sold out of seeds.  We were also excited to have 3 new members sign up on the spot.

We enjoy being apart of this show very much and would recommend volunteering for a few hours or if your not up for that pop in, say hi and see the blooms, they really are a treat to behold. 

7th Annual Peony Festival and CPS Ontario Peony Show

It was a cloudy day before heading out, but, a quick check of the weather promised to stave off any rain until early evening. (Let's hope)
We hope to make this an every year event.  So mark it on the calendar and get those blooms in for the competition.  It could be the biggest show of the year with your support.
Traffic was light heading from Brampton to Oshawa and we made it with 10 minutes to spare.  Brian and I went into the arena and were given our instructions for the clerking and recording.  We beat the judges (barely) so we had a few moments to orient ourselves.  The judge was fun, entertaining and informative.  We had a few classes that had to be rejudged in the beginning due to added entries but everything went smoothly and we were ready for the Councillor when the main event happened at 11:00am.

The Grand Champion winner this year was Rena Preston for her 'Miss America' entry.

We had a silent auction on the far side of the arena and this was slow to start but as the day progressed each peony offered (5= 2 potted, 3 bare root) had bids.  Brian and I were to go outside and volunteer at the booth on the grounds but the inside booth had no one so we were placed here for the day.  Mid afternoon the skies opened up and we had a heavy downpour and strong winds.  Everyone outside came inside and we were bombarded with people and questions and seed selling.  We had a fantastic time talking with like minded enthusiastic individuals and were glad to help out so many.


Our day ended at 4pm and during a conversation with Judi about the event found out that we had few if any volunteers for Sunday .  Brian offered our services and so we will be back tomorrow.

Ontario Region Peony Show

Oshawa Valley Botanical Gardens

7^th Annual

PEONY

FESTIVAL

June 11 & 12, 2011

Canadian Peony Society

Ontario Region Peony Show

Show Schedule

Open to the Public

All entries are welcome!

155 Arena Street

Oshawa

For info, call 905.263.4765

Email:  Judi Denny

mjdenny@sympatico.ca

Join in the Festivities

of the

Peony Festival

 Free Admission, Visit the Gardens,

  Peony Flower Show, Peony Advice

 Artists in the Garden

 Silent Auction for Peonies

Peony Show

Show will be held in the Children's Arena

155 Arena, St. Oshawa

Entries accepted Friday, June 10 3:00 to 6:00 pm

&

Saturday, June 11 7:00 - 9:00 am

Show will be judged

 9:00 to 11:00 am

Show open to the public for viewing

11:00 am to 4:00 pm Sat.

10:00 am to 3:00 pm Sun.

SHOW SCHEDULE

1.    The show is open to any member of general gardening public.

2.    All entries must be in place by 9:00 am Saturday, June 11^th, 2011.  (See above for entry times & place).

3.    Containers for entries will be provided.  

4.  In each class you may place any number of different cultivars.

5.    Each entry must have an entry tag, giving your name & address or phone number. Entry tags will be supplied by CPS or you may provide your own.

6.    All plant material must be grown by the Exhibitor. For this Show, please show Peonies with stems 12-14” with the top leaves only. Special Exhibits are excepted

7.    The decision of the Judges shall be final. The Judges may withhold an award if, in their opinion, the exhibit is not worthy.

8.    Ribbons will be awarded for 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd place. A “Best In Show” ribbon will also be awarded.

9.   The Canadian Peony Society, the Oshawa Valley Botanical Gardens and the City of Oshawa assume no responsibility for loss or damage.

10. To read about cutting and storing Peony flowers, go to the Canadian Peony Society’s website & click on Articles:  www.peony.ca

  or check out blog features at top of page.

SPECIMEN CLASSES

SINGLE

1.   Peony, single, red, 1 bloom

2.   Peony, single, dark red, 1 bloom

3.   Peony, single, white, 1 bloom

4.   Peony, single, light pink, 1 bloom

5.   Peony, single, med. pink, 1 bloom

6.   Peony, single, dark pink, 1 bloom

7.   Peony, single, any other colour,1 bloom

8.   Peony, single, any colour, same variety, one container, 3 blooms

DOUBLE/SEMI-DOUBLE

9.   Peony, D/SD, red, 1 bloom

10. Peony, D/SD, dark red, 1 bloom

11. Peony, D/SD, rosy red, 1 bloom

12. Peony, D/SD,       white, 1 bloom

13. Peony, D/SD, light pink, 1 bloom

14. Peony, D/SD, med pink, 1 bloom

15. Peony, D/SD , dark pink, 1 bloom

16. Peony, D/SD, red, same variety,one container, 3 blooms

17. Peony, D/SD, white, same variety,one container, 3 blooms

18. Peony, D/SD, pink, same variety,one container, 3 blooms

JAPANESE/ANEMONE

19. Peony, Japanese or Anemone,red, 1 bloom

20. Peony, Japanese or Anemone,white, 1 bloom

21. Peony, Japanese or Anemone,pink, 1 bloom

22. Peony, Japanese or Anemone,any colour, same variety, one container, 3 blooms

INTERSECTIONAL (ITOH HYBRID)

23. Peony, Intersectional (Itoh hybrid), yellow, 1 bloom

24. Peony, Intersectional (Itoh hybrid), any other colour, 1 bloom

TREE PEONY

25.       Tree Peony, single, any colour,1 bloom

26.       Tree Peony, double or semi-double,any colour, 1 bloom

SPECIAL EXHIBITS - DISPLAYS

Displays are exhibited for artistic effect as well as cultural perfection. Peony foliage is allowed and size of stem is up to exhibitor.

Different types/varieties can be used.

Container(s) of choice.

27. Display of 3 white peony blooms          

28. Display of 3 pink peony blooms          

29. Display of 3 red peony blooms          

30.   Display of 3 peony blooms,any other colour

31. Display of 1 peony bloom,Any colour

32. Display of 3 peony blooms,different colours

33. Display of 5 peony blooms,any colour(s)

"A Taste of RBG"

We had a lovely day full of sunshine and expected to see few people because of the weather. When we arrived at the Royal Botanical Garden it was a flurry of activity. A rain barrel vendor was in the parking lot setting up an outdoor booth.

Inside several Societies and clubs (Daylily, Bonsai, Orchid, Water Garden & Horticultural Society, Ontario Rock Garden & Hardy Plant Society, Rose Society &
the RBG Auxilary)were setting up in a beautiful Atrium area. Plenty of sunshine beaming in and doors to open at both ends giving us instant air conditioning the moment one was opened.

Many visitors stopped at the Canadian Peony Society booth with many questions about peonies. Several seeds were sold and pamphlets and brochures handed out. We had many one time visitors to RBG arriving through a bus tour from Holland. Several of these visitors did not speak English but stopped to admire the photos just the same.

There were also a couple of Brides and their wedding parties that came through the Atrium on there way outside to take photo's which brought a couple of people following who stopped to take a look.

The event went from 11am to 4pm. We had a great day making a few new friends and reacquainting with some old ones. We stopped to say thank you to the Head of Horticulture for inviting the CPS to the event and shook his hand. They hope to have another next year.

le premier c'est un atelier à la JARDINERIE DENIS BRISSON les membres de la société ont participés à un atelier de fabrication de boites à fleurs ,préparation
par une employée de DENIS BRISSON

iième c'est l'affiche du FESTIVAL DE LA PIVOINE DE LACHUTE le 11 et 12 juin, à cet occasion un prix et concours du GOUVERNEMENT DU QUÉBEC seras mis en place
pour 2012 et pour la première occasion atribué au FESTIVAL DE LA PIVOINE DE QUEBEC

Sent in by: Martinus Mooijekind

Royal Botanical Gardens "A Taste of RBG"

Sat, 30 Apr, 2011 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM Royal Botanical Gardens Hamilton, ON
Join us for activities, speakers and hands-on demonstrations. Our horticulturalists share their expertise and provide tips for your own home gardens; our ecologists help you understand what’s happening in our natural lands and the impacts of invasive species; and our researchers reveal what happens behind the scenes at RBG, and show off our 60,000-specimen-rich herbarium collection and our latest research findings.
For information go to www.rbg.ca 
CPS will have a booth at this event.
Jardins botaniques royaux "A Taste of RBG"
Sat, 30 Apr, 2011 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM Royal Botanical Gardens de Hamilton, ON Rejoignez-nous pour des activities, des conferenciers et des demonstrations pratiques.  Nos horticulteurs partager leur expertise et des conseils pour vos jardins propre maison, nos ecologistes vous aider a comprendre ce qui se passe dans les coulisses de RBG, et montrer 60,000 notre - herbier echantillon riche et nos derniers resultats de recherche.
Pour plus d'informations aller a www.rbg.ca
CPS aura un stand lors de cet evenement.

CPS booth at the Peterborough Garden Show

The Show was a huge success. We were kept very busy Friday night and all day Saturday and Sunday answering questions about Peonies & had fun promoting the Peony Festival with the CPS Ontario Region Show at the Oshawa Valley Botanical Garden on June 11-12, 2011. They had over 8,000 visitors last year and attendance was up this year.

Mary Ellen Simerson and Elaine Davidson are in the photos along with me. We also had Terry & Dorene Kelsey helping out on Saturday

Root Sale 2010 Update

The selection of roots donated in 2010  were outstanding allowing for an array of choices for our members to choose from.
We would like to thank all those who purchased roots making our primary source of funding the success it has been and will continue to be with your continued support.

This year we would like to thank the following nursery friends:
Blossom Hill Nursery:  Joe, Hazel & Amy Cook,  Driedger Nurseries Ltd: Ed Driedger, Dutch Girl Peonies: Adriana Work, Ferncliff Gardens: David & Sheila Jack, La Pivoinerie D'Aoust: Lindsay D'Aoust, Peonies from The Field: Lana Taylor-Mills, Pivoines Capano: Mano Capano, Parkland Perennials: Bob Yaremko, Peonygarden.com: Terrie & Mike Clare, Planteck Biotechnologies: Richard Labbe, Select Plus: Frank Moro
and our members:
Angie Andruss, Barbara Baker, Carlos Beca, Robert Burtch, Nathalie Chaley, Chris Chirhin, Ann Finlayson, Wayne Lang, Alice Macaulay, Blaine Marchand, Eva Mitravitz, Brian Porter, Mary Pratte, Mary Ellen Simerson, Bill Wegman for their generous donations and making this years sale possible.


Every year our donors manage to offer roots that were just not available the year before.  Enticing many members to eagerly snap them up.  As always demand was high and supplies did not keep up.  We had 78 varieties of roots to choose from and a total of 153 roots available for purchase.  We had 46 members request 147 roots.

Our top 10 requests this year were:  Adrienne Clarkson (4), Bride's Dream (4), Coral Sunset (8), Diana Parks (3), Garden Peace (4), George Vorauer (6), Going Banana's (4), Prairie Moon (5), Raggady Ann (4), Red Charm (5)

Gross revenue from the 2010 Root Sale was $3,322.50.  Our donors spent $598.02 to ship the roots.  After expenses our net profit was $2,706.75.  This was down from 2009 totals but we hope with your continued support to make 2011 a prosperous year.

Please think of the Canadian Peony Society Root Sale when rearranging or digging up your beloved peonies and donate for 2011.  We look forward to seeing the selections that will be compiled.

GROWING PEONIES

Native to China, peonies are well known and well loved perennials. Easy to grow, with glorious single or double blooms, ranging from white through yellow, pink, coral, reds and lavenders, they can remain in the garden for many decades.
Herbaceous peonies, hardy to zone 2, die down in winter; the leaves should be cut, not pulled, off

around Halloween and put into the garbage to avoid disease problems. Tree peonies are woody-branched with beautiful leaves. Hardy to zone 4, no pruning is needed except to remove dead or frost damaged parts. Intersectional or Itoh peonies combine the features of both tree and herbaceous peonies. Many unusual colours have been produced in the Itoh group.
Plant peonies in the middle of a sunny border where their handsome leaves will form a backdrop for later flowering plants. Soil should be enriched with organic material, compost or manure and two tablespoons of bulb fertilizer, mixing well into an 8" to 9" deep hole which is then back filled, the peony roots should be covered by only 2" of soil. Failure to produce flowers is usually caused by planting too deep! Peonies should be fertilized with a low nitrogen fertilizer when the reddish shoots emerge in spring. This is the time to place supports or peony rings, to protect the brittle new shoots and to avoid the heartache when a spring storm flattens the blooms. Repeat fertilizing after blooming.
To produce larger flowers, disbudding may be done when the side buds are the size of peas, this process adds strength to young plants and reduces the weight on the stem. Deadheads should be removed to encourage plant growth.
Peonies are generally disease free but can be affected by botrytis, a fungal disease which blackens the leaves. Cut off and dispose of affected leaves. Sulphur can be used in severe cases.
With good soil preparation and a little patience these hardy plants will reward you with fabulous flowers for years to come.

Article: J.E. Wingate
Richmond Hill Garden and Horticultural Society

Get A Jump on Spring

From Judi Denny/Marvin Belfour

Photo submitted by Judi Denny
Unfortunately, we were in the middle of the room with no place to put a banner, so it was not exactly a picturesque situation.

Very nice atmosphere! The weather was pretty lousy in the AM but it was fairly well attended.

Mary Ellen Simerson and Judi Denny made it despite a foot and a half of snow in their area plus the wind. Also in attendance were Marvin Belfour, Joe & Hazel Cook, and Mary Ann Robinson.

CPS brought in enough money to cover the cost of the table, selling two DVDs and lots of peony seeds, two of the old booklets but no memberships.
We also advertised the Ontario Region Peony Show (Oshawa June 11&12) along with the Peony Festival.

Overall, it was a fun day to reconnect with gardening friends from the different societies.

Get A Jump On Spring 2011

Take a break from winter and start planning for this year's growing season!

Gardeners  who are  counting the weeks until Spring arrives can look forward  to one of the earliest harbingers of the season at the Toronto Botanical Garden's Annual event, Get the Jump on Spring, on Saturday, February 19, 2011 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is FREE, but  a $2 donation to the TBG will give visitors chances at great, garden-themed hourly prizes!

Put on in partnership with the Ontario Horticultural Association, District 5 and the Toronto Master Gardeners, the event  offers a chance to find out more about horticultural societies, garden clubs and environmental organizations from across Ontario. Master gardeners will be on hand to answer questions and there are fascinating  hourly lectures and demonstrations, a popular floral design competition and  a marketplace with spring flowers and  many garden-themed products for sale. Indulge in a delectable treat at the Jump Cafe.

PRESENTATIONS AND DEMONSTRATIONS

Every hour, starting at 10:30 a.m. well-known gardening experts and members of the Toronto Master Gardeners will give free 45-minute presentations and demonstrations on subjects ranging from Bee Keeping in the City and Balcony Gardening  to  tips on cooking with and preserving herbs.

FLORAL DESIGN COMPETITION

Enjoy the creative efforts of local clubs and societies with this year's theme Signs of Spring with four classes including a water-viewing design, growing and cut flowers in a basket, miniature landscapes in a dish garden and a design in an eggshell.

MARKETPLACE

Shop for gorgeous flowering bulb basket arrangements and  great garden-related products from a variety of interesting vendors.

Location: Toronto Botanical Garden, 777 Lawrence Avenue East (at Leslie) Toronto. Free parking.
For more information call 416-397-1341 or visit www.torontobotanicalgarden.ca 

Want to get rid of the winter blahs, get involved and volunteer for a couple of hours at this event with the Canadian Peony Society.  Contact Marvin Belfour @  mbelfour2007@rogers.com