Newsletter #4 - Autumn 2020 |
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Goldenrod and asters have protein-rich pollen and abundant nectar which fortify pollinators in the fall. |
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Attention Members: our 2020 AGM is Oct. 22! When: Thursday, October 22 from 7 pm to 8 pm Where: online Zoom meeting Blooming Boulevards' 2020 Annual General Meeting Online will showcase a slide show of members' wonderful gardens, our busy volunteers and this eventful year's many activities. Meet and greet our current Board of Directors and cast your vote for 2021! Members' please register to get your meeting agenda and Zoom meeting link. |
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Message from the President Dear BB Members and Supporters, Fall is often a favorite time of year for native plant gardeners. Winter can be dreary, spring is filled with garden chores, and during our hot dry summers we worry about weeds and water. But fall is perfect - in the soft golden light, the garden is in its final burst of beauty, and we can be thankful for our garden's many joys. Blooming Boulevards has an interesting and educational fall workshop program planned. Thinking ahead, we have great plans for spring, and are already accepting early bird applications for 2021 gardens with a goal of doubling the numbers. Let's make it happen! Here’s how you can help:
Sign up for membership for 2021-22.
Apply for a 2021 garden! Start early and plan your very own native wildflower pollinator garden. Encourage your neighbours to put one in, too!
Volunteer to help us collect seeds and grow native plants! Register for a workshop and learn more about gardens and pollinators!
Donate! All amounts will be deeply appreciated and applied directly to keep our garden program going,
Your support means so much during this challenging time. Happy gardening!
Jeanne |
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Our 2020 - 2021 Board of Directors Jeanne McRight, Founding President Ramona da Cunha, Secretary Mary Jean Kucerak, Treasurer Wayne Cardinalli Angela Jordon Murray Moore Tim Oliwiak Jim Judge, Advisor Communications Murray Moore, Newsletter Martha Kantorczyk, Twitter Jeanne McRight, YouTube New Facebook page is coming soon. All photography © 2020 Jeanne McRight unless noted otherwise Thank you! Just a note... If you have a family member or friend who may benefit from the information in our e-newsletter, please share. Our newsletter is posted on our website, and your feedback is always welcome! |
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Garden News It's seed collection time |
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Nature's bounty...If you are growing native plants, you will notice that they are setting seeds and most seeds will mature this month. Plants will self-sow, but you may also gather the seeds and save them for planting yourself later. A third option is to donate your seeds to your favorite local Seedy Saturday event or a nearby seed library. Want more info? attend our Oct. 24 workshop, "Seed Saving 101". |
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During September and October, Blooming Boulevards volunteers went on three supervised field trips to collect local native wildflower and grass seeds.Such fun, and so interesting! It's important to be sustainable when collecting wild seeds. That means only collect from common species - never rare plants. Also, for best genetic diversity, it's important to collect only from clusters of at least 50 to 100 plants. We will use the seeds to grow plants for our 2021 gardens. |
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Some of our native plants are edibleDid you know that there's a gourmet feast awaiting you in your native pollinator garden?Here's a delicious recipe for you to try, compliments of BB garden steward Ramona Da Cunha. |
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Another View of Leaves by Murray Moore |
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If you are one of my neighbours and you wonder, "Why is my yard waste bag of leaves gone from the end of my driveway before garbage day?", I confess. I took your bag of leaves. So far this fall I have “acquired” or I prefer “rescued” three bags, from our neighbour two houses west of us. Also, with the approval of our elderly neighbour on our east side, each fall I rake her leaves from her front yard and back yard and move them to our yard. Effort is necessary. A full bag is heavy. So why do I want bags of leaves? For a bunch of reasons. Leaves are free fertilizer when decompose. Worms tunnel to the surface to eat leaves, aerating the soil. In our backyard composter, leaves are a type of the “brown” that you should mix with your “green” (kitchen waste, weeds). A deep enough layer of leaves above grass or a plant you want to remove might save digging (sadly, does not work on hostas, and vinca |
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To not have weeds between plants you want, put a layer of leaves between the plants you want. Other ideas... - Spread leaves under trees and around bushes, providing both habitat for insects and fertilizer for your trees and bushes, absorbed into your lawn by spring.
- If you have more leaves than you can use on beds and around trees and bushes, on your lawn walk your lawnmower over leaves, cutting them into confetti. The bits will be gone, disintegrated and absorbed into your lawn by spring.
Another view of leaving leaves: http://www.bloomingboulevards.org/put-your-leaves-to-work |
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Want to supply winter habitat for wildlife? Curb the urge for fall garden cleanup and be willing to be a little "messy". Leave hollow and pithy stems (native insects might be inside them) and seed heads (food for non-migrating birds) until weather warms in spring. |
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Common garden pestsMilkweed Aphids by Murray Moore Yellow aphids on your milkweed plants?
You have the non-native oleander aphid or milkweed aphid. This aphid is not a direct threat to monarch caterpillars because they feed only on the milkweed plant. But they indirectly can affect caterpillar health by depleting nutrients in the monarch’s only host plant. Insecticides can do more harm than good: insecticides can kill monarchs in all life stages: egg, larvae, pupae and adult. Although time-consuming, the safest way to remove aphids is manually: squish them between your fingers (use gloves to avoid staining your fingers); then, using a hose, dislodge them from the plant. Always check for monarch eggs and caterpillars before spraying because you could damage or dislodge them. More milkweed info here: https://www.rbg.ca/growing-milkweed-in-ontario/ |
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What you can do: It is best to catch aphids before they become an aphid army, so, even if there are just a few on the plant, remove them immediately. Or, a method recommended by Monarch Watch: a mild solution of dish soap and water will also work.
• 1 part (e.g. 1 oz) Blue Dawn
• 1 part Isopropyl Alcohol
• 1 part white vinegar
• 128 parts (e.g. 1 gal) water Insects must have the mixture applied directly to their bodies.
*Use caution with this method because it also will kill monarch larvae if they come in contact with the solution. Rinse the plant when finished so you do not injure monarch larvae and other beneficial insects. |
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Education & Outreach News Mark your calendar |
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Sign up for a workshop!We share our passion for pollinators, plants and people by offering workshops and presentations by expert horticulturists. * Covid-19 update: We will be conducting our fall workshops as FREE online presentations with a question period afterward. Helpful information sheets are available as handouts, and emailed to you on request. |
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Upcoming fall workshop schedule- Oct. 24- It’s Easy! Seed Saving 101
- Nov. 7 - Build a Bee-utiful Bee Hotel! - **offering this one again, as our first scheduled presentation had a technical glitch.
- Nov. 14 - Growing Native Plants From Seed
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Apprenticeship opportunity- FREE hands-on apprenticeship in native plant propagation - limited to 10 people
- Duration: 3 months, from early March 2021 until end of May 2021.
- Time commitment: average of 30 minutes per day.
Description: Save money and make sure you get the varieties you want - learn how to propagate plants from seed! Working from your home, you will have instruction in every aspect of growing selected native plant species from seed under lights indoors. You will germinate 2 trays of seedlings - about 144 plants in all. All materials and equipment will be provided for the duration of the apprenticeship. ** Note: basic principles learned from this experience are applicable when propagating many kinds of plants, not just natives. Outcome: You'll gain the skills and technical know-how to launch your own seed propagation project, whether it be wildflowers, heritage vegetables, or specialty ornamental varieties. The plants propagated by apprentices will be distributed to Mississauga garden stewards in new 2021 gardens. Each apprentice will have the option to keep 10% of the plants they grow. |
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Learning: - Materials and equipment set up & management
- Seed handling - storage, stratification, special needs per species
- Seed sowing and germination
- Watering and care - best practices
- Thinning
- Repotting
- Hardening off
For more information and the Apprenticeship Application, click here: | | |
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Welcome New Members! We are proud to announce that we now have 120 members, nearly doubling our membership from last year! Be part of our efforts to help Mississauga pollinators by becoming a new member, or if you've forgotten to renew, you can do so here. * Memberships are just $10 (single) or $15 (family) annually. |
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Want a garden? As a Blooming Boulevards member, you are eligible to apply for a boulevard pollinator garden! Garden applications are being accepted now. Deadline for 2021 garden applications: April 1, 2021. Reservations fill up fast, so it's wise to get your application in early. |
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Together we can make a difference! We rely on the generosity of donors who care about pollinators, native plants and the environment. Your donations are important: they keep us growing and make our gardens happen. |
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