Newsletter #20 - May/June 2023 |
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Help protect pollinators in Mississauga - share this newsletter with friends and family! |
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Above: May gardens delight us! Watch for nectar-sipping Black Swallowtails (Papilio polyxenes) when their caterpillar host plant, native Golden Alexanders, (Zizia aurea) blooms this month. Photo:Janet Allen |
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Message from the President Dear BB Members and Supporters, Connecting people with nature is what makes Blooming Boulevards tick. It's such a wonderfully rewarding job. With the help of many volunteers, we were able to grow over 7,000 native plants from local seed. Half will be distributed to our new habitat gardens throughout the city. The remainder will be used in project collaborations with community partners or sold in our Plant Sale to raise funds for next year's gardens. On May 31st we celebrate our 4th birthday, launch our 5th year, and applaud the completion of our Community Greenhouse Feasibility Study. The accomplishments of our pivotal 2022-2023 year are the direct result of our generous supporters and hard-working volunteers, every step of the way. Thank you all! Hope to see you at our 4th Annual Native Plant Sale on June 10 & 11! Cheers, Jeanne |
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Sustainability is no longer about doing less harm. It’s about doing more good. - Jochen Zeitz Do more good — join our efforts to provide food and nesting sites for our threatened bees, butterflies and other pollinators: |
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Coming up in May & June Special Webinar! May 11 - 12:30 pm -Bee City Canada: Spotlight on MIssissauga - Join us for an upcoming Bee City Spotlight webinar that will feature pollinator initiatives in Mississauga, ON. In this webinar, Felicia Radassao, acting Natural Heritage Coordinator at the City of Mississauga, will discuss city-led pollinator habitat projects and management approaches, including prescribed/controlled burns. Jeanne McRight, the founder of the non-profit Blooming Boulevards, will then discuss the important role that Blooming Boulevards plays connecting Mississauga neighbourhoods to nature through a wide range of initiatives, including habitat creation, and outreach and engagement efforts, such as workshops and presentations. This webinar will be hosted on Zoom at 12:30 EST on Thursday, May 11th, 2023. Info/register here>>
Look for Blooming Boulevards booths at these festive events: Special event! Upcoming Zoom Webinars: May 25 - Webinar Pollinator-Friendly Container Gardens, hosted by BB - . Register here>> June 24 - Webinar Create a Woodland Garden with Native Plants, hosted by BB . Register here>>
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Love native wildflowers? Yes? Then mark your calendar - you are invited to our 4th Annual Native Plant Sale!When: Sat. & Sun. JUNE 10* & 11, 9am - 3pm * members only: 9 - 10 am on June 10 Where: 1295 Mineola Gardens, Mississauga Over 40 species of native plants, lovingly raised by our volunteer propagators from locally sourced seeds or divisions. We emphasize species indigenous to the Credit watershed but most are hardy to at least Zone 5a. Most plants will be priced at $3 each. Some special plants will be priced higher according to their size and/or propagation complexity. * Please see our plant gallery for an idea of what may be in the plant sale. This event is our major fundraiser - please come and support our good work. BYOB - Bring your own boxes. Cash, cheques, and e-transfers accepted. Please park on opposite side of the street.
More info here>> |
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Heads up! Native boulevard garden application deadline is May 15 |
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Last call for accepting applications for this year's new gardens. Garden applicants must be current members of Blooming Boulevards. We will assess your site, and after your application is accepted, we will provide you with up to 50 FREE native plants so you can create a low maintenance boulevard pollinator garden.
So much better than grass, supports endangered bees and butterflies! - what’s not to love? |
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BB Garden BuzzNative garden to-do list: May/June Do a "Chelsea chop" in June to control height of some asters and goldenrods such as New England aster and stiff goldenrod. Both can grow quite tall, and pruning will keep them shorter and bushier. See Angela's article below, and Read more>> Pull out weeds before they get big - careful not to pull your native babies! Expand your garden with self-sown native babies, or give them to your friends and neighbours. Top-dress around young plants with rotted leaves or compost. Keep this away from tender stems. Trim plants if they overhang sidewalks or street. Water young plants during drought. New plants need water if lower than top inch of soil feels dry. Protect plants against hungry nibblers - rabbits love tender young seedlings! Long-lasting, non-toxic spray repellents (such as Bobbex or Plantskydd) can be effective, as well as wire cages around tasty favorites. Learn all about the pollinators in your garden: read Pollinators of Native Plants by Heather Holm. Watch for bumble bees and become a citizen scientist. Record sightings here >> Get the iNaturalist app for your smartphone to help identify and report sightings of wild fauna and flora.
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Garden Watch Black swallowtails, masters of deception by Jeanne McRight |
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Do you have Golden Alexanders growing in your pollinator garden, or are carrot family plants (such as carrots, celery, parsnip, chervil, coriander, dill, fennel, parsley) included in your veggie patch? Yes? Then you are lucky! These plants are hosts for Papilio polyxenes – black swallowtail – caterpillars, and the butterflies will be busy with egg-laying in late spring. |
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Watch for these gorgeous butterflies but also keep a sharp eye out for their beautiful and interesting caterpillars. Black swallowtails have ingenious defenses against predators. Here's what to watch for...Read more>> |
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Above: As the caterpillars grow and develop through their instar stages, larger caterpillars are able to scare off predators with truly frightening forked foul-smelling orange osmeterium that they exhibit when they are provoked and alarmedJust imagine getting ready to bite into a nice plump hot dog and suddenly it sprouted angry red horns! Surely you'd drop it and run! |
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Citizen Science Garden Sleuth: Searching for bumblebee nests by Pamela Sleightholm Ontario is home to a diversity of bumblebee species, known for their important roles as pollinators. These fuzzy insects live in colonies, with the queen bee responsible for establishing a nest and laying the eggs that will grow into worker bees. Did you know . . . • Bumblebee nesting season starts in spring and ends in autumn, only queens survive over winter - they hibernate in the soil. • Bumblebees are not aggressive, only females can sting (and only do so if they feel threatened). |
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Above: Bumble bee nests can be found in a variety of locations, including underground burrows, abandoned rodent holes, or even above ground in dense vegetation. The nests are constructed from a mixture of wax and plant fibers, providing a safe and warm environment for the developing eggs and larvae. Photo: Phelyan Sanjoin, CC, Wikimedia Commons Read more>> |
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Biodiversity Buzz Jumping worms are wriggling their way closer by Heather Raithby Doyle |
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There is a relatively new and wiggly threat to our local ecosystem. Jumping worms (Amynthas agrestis), also called crazy worms, Jersey jumper, Asian jumping worm, or snake worms, have been spotted in Toronto, Hamilton and Windsor. For gardeners, it’s worth being aware these invasive worms, and their poppy seed sized eggs, can hitch a ride in soil, mulch or compost. For this reason, it’s safer to buy plants grown from seed in trusted soil sources (such as from the Blooming Boulevards plant sale). Beware of gardeners offering plants dug from their gardens or wild spaces in infested areas. Moving a plant from your home to a cottage, for example, is also not recommended. Landscapers, bait companies, and traces of soil from tires and boot treads can also be responsible for the worms’ spread...Read more>> |
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Before and after invasion by jumping worms. The impact on soil health is why jumping worms are causing concern. Jumping worms live only in the top few inches of the soil. Above left to right: Abundant leaf litter on natural forest floor; bare soil in forests invaded by jumping worms; castings (feces) of jumping worms resemble coffee grounds, giving the soil a grainier texture. Photos: New England Forests, Michael McTavish |
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Call for Volunteers Fun volunteer opportunities coming up! We are looking for people to help with this busy season's garden and outreach committee activities. It's an exciting time to get involved in our growing organization! |
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Above: A volunteer team who helped sort plants for our new garden stewards' pick up last year! |
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Can you help with this upcoming activity? This is a rewarding teamwork activity spent connecting with others who share your interest in native plants and pollinators. Come help for a morning or afternoon and join the fun! Plant Pick Up Day volunteer! When: Sat May 27 - Sun May 28, AM and PM shifts Where: at Blooming Boulevards HQ - 1295 Mineola Gdns What: Getting plants ready and helping new stewards when they pick up their plants
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We are looking for new Board of Directors members We are entering into an exciting period of growth and want to add new members to our Board of Directors. We encourage expressions of interest from our membership. Please contact Jeanne at info@bloomingboulevards.org for more information. |
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Attention BB garden stewardsYou're invited to join our garden steward Facebook group! This is a group just for you! Now all Blooming Boulevards' garden stewards, BB volunteers and member native plant growers can connect with each other. Share photos, observations, tips and questions and learn together in this private members-only group! Join the Blooming Boulevards Garden Stewards Facebook Group here>> |
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| | Become a member Annual memberships are just $15. Members get early-bird privileges at our annual plant sale, opportunities to volunteer, eligibility to apply for a garden. Join us/renew today! | | |
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| | Donate We deeply appreciate your generous contributions and put them to good use - they go straight into expanding our garden and education programs. Thank you! | | |
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Thank you! Blooming Boulevards is thrilled to have the support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the City of Mississauga, the Riverwood Conservancy, the Mississauga Master Gardeners and the Cloverleaf Garden Club. A huge thanks to all our members, volunteers, supporters and donors who continue to help us provide habitat to pollinators and protect the wild plants and animals that share our urban neighbourhoods. We can't do this without you!
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Our 2021 - 2022 Board of Directors Jeanne McRight, Founding President Jacqueline McKernan, Secretary Archna Gupta, Treasurer Wayne Cardinalli Murray Moore Pamela Sleightholm Strategic Advisor Douglas Markoff Communications Jeanne McRight Pamela Sleightholm Heather Raithby Doyle Photography (unless otherwise noted) Jeanne McRight |
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Blooming Boulevards is an incorporated Ontario not-for-profit organization and a thankful recipient of funding from the City of Mississauga and the Ontario Trillium Foundation. |
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