A noun. A verb. A blog.
Sarah and I do gripe and moan and complain about the Norway maples (Acer platanoides) we’re each forced to share our gardens with. In the city’s urban forest, Norway maples represent 26% of Toronto’s street tree population; likely higher in the old city of Toronto (as it was before amalgamation). That’s not counting the volunteer […]
There aren’t many native sugar maples on our street. Most are Norways. So I like to check in with our sugars from time to time, as you would an elderly neighbour. About a week ago, I was horrified to note that the trunk of one across the street, whose rich leaf colours I’d photographed last […]
Walking by Ted Reeve Arena on Gerrard Street East at Main, I spied what looked like dried black leaves persisting on some of the ornamental trees. Turns out, it wasn’t leaves on the branches, but hundreds of thick, black growths; perhaps some kind of fungus. Google came to my aid back at the ranch, and […]
When asked what fruit I grow (in a garden questionnaire the other day), I was about to write, “sadly, none.” Then Sarah reminded me about my serviceberry, Amelanchier. How could I forget! This is one of the best native trees, a hard worker in the garden in almost every season. Lovely grey bark in winter; […]
While we’re (almost) on the subject of overgrown trees, take a look at this little linear forest (shown in two seasons). This was once a hedge. That is, it was a hedge till someone put away their shears. If you pay attention to the city’s garden archeology, you can spot these runaway hedges all over. […]
Now before all the dog lovers get all steamed up, I’m not casting aspersions on man’s, (or woman’s) best friend. I’m merely making an analogy to trees. Little, cute trees turn into big grownup trees. Reeeally big trees. Trees grow, like puppies, and as time passes they often get cast aside. Why? Because those who […]
In Toronto, the blooming of the silver maple, Acer saccharinum, is a true sign of spring. Yet most people don’t even notice the modest little pompom flowers because they’re way up there on some of the city’s tallest street trees. When it’s not in leaf, you can recognize the mature silver maple by its shaggy […]
As I drove back from a meeting today, this little fountain of sunshine rose up from all the mousy brown blanketing the city. Had to double back with my camera. This is the witch hazel, Hamamelis, so valuable for its splash of colour (and, in many cases, perfume!) at one of the most drab and […]
The Toronto Star today contained this article about the sad and coming total demise of the city’s ash tree population over the next ten years. It’s all thanks – or no thanks, depending on your perspective – to the beautiful but deadly emerald ash borer. Through a tree course I took at Ryerson some years […]
It was quite a crowd last Sunday when arborist Todd Irvine and LEAF organizer Susan Gulley got us together to fall in love with trees. I learned plenty about the East Danforth treescape. And now I’m trying to see how it all fits in with my own garden. My own garden, if you’ve read one […]
I’d intended to write on another subject tonight. But, at the moment, my living room is filled to overflowing with the scent from a massive bouquet of lilacs. So guess what is top of mind. Sarah’s little schoolhouse in the country sits in a near-forest of lilacs that bloom later than ours. In two weeks, […]
Talk about time travel. Yesterday while walking around the city, I moved from April to May in a single day. In the morning, I was strolling along in mid-April at the edge of the Bluffs, and arrested by a blanket of blue coming up in one garden. Scilla siberica, bluebells, even the rather nasty-sounding “squills.” […]