Fun with Photoshop Elements 7

Oriental Poppy "Patty's Plum"

Snow Queen Iris

Autumn at York Downs

As the gardening season of 2009 is winding down, I find myself extremely busy wrapping up all kinds of odds and ends. While cleaning up leaves and garden plants, I've been thinking about all of the photos that I would have liked to have posted this summer. During the winter months I will definitely be sharing my favourite shots.

Here are a few pictures of the autumn season.

Stephanie Osborne

Gardener
York Downs Golf and Country Club

Repeat Blooming Iris

Iris in October???

Most people would say that one downfall of perennial gardening is that there are some beautiful plants which have their specific bloom period and are then finished for the year. Iris' are one of those plants which people love to see but are disappointed when they fade out. This is why when shopping for Iris', I try to find as many varieties that are considered "repeat bloomers". A few repeat blooming iris varieties to look for would be:

• Immortality


• Again and Again (shown above, growing near the Starter Hut)


• Clarence


• Chanpagne Elegance


• Leprechaun's Delight

Hardy Hibiscus

Top: Lord Baltimore

Middle: Plum Crazy

Bottom: Peppermint Schnapps

It's nearing the end of September and the fall perennials have bloomed and are looking nice. There is plenty to appreciate, such as the Sedum Spectabile "Autumn Joy", Rudbeckia Goldstrum and the Chelone Obliqua to name a few.

The most talked about garden plant at the moment is the Hardy Hibiscus which (thankfully) can withstand our harsh winters. We have three colour varieties in our gardens at York Downs, and all are absolutely stunning from late summer into fall.

The only care required is cutting back all of last seasons growth and waiting patiently for it to start again. This is the hardest part as it is one of the latest to emerge. Don't get discouraged and dig it up! In late June it will be to your benefit to snip the tops off of all the branches. Doing this encourages side shoots and you will have more blooms later on (this isn't mandatory but it is advisable to do so.)

If you have a sunny garden and want to jazz it up, the Hardy Hibiscus is a very good choice. In fact I will be looking for a few more colour varieties next spring!

Stephanie Osborne

York Downs Golf and Country Club

Gardener

'Mezoo- Trailing Red'

The trailing annual in this arrangement is a beautiful alternative to vines in a planter.
It's botanical name is Dorotheanthus and it is commonly known as "Mezoo". I found it at Sheridan Nurseries early in the season.

Sunrise

Golf course workers are amongst the earliest to rise. Most days we even beat the sun.

Stephanie Osborne

York Downs Golf and Country Club

Gardener

Garden Photos

Please enjoy this collection of colourful perennials.

Plant Identification

As the perennials go in and out of their bloom cycle, we are often asked what their names are. To help, I've decided to use plant tags. If you see something particularly beautiful chances are there will be an aluminum tag at its base.

Shown above is a stunning ornamental variety of Oregano called "Kent Beauty". New growth is muted green and as the plant ages throughout the season, it turns a lovely shade of rose.

Stephanie Osborne

York Downs Golf and Country Club

Gardener

Sea Holly

Sapphire Blue Sea Holly which is botanically known as “Eryngium” is a very understated garden perennial. Its metallic blue colour gives it a phantom-like appearance and can easily go un-noticed in a mixed border. Probably the most startling attribute of Sea Holly is the way it feels when you touch it! It is very spiky but if you’re careful you will realize that the leaves are extremely rigid.

Sea Holly does not transplant well, so be sure to plant it exactly where you want it to stay. I have had success with moving them, but they did take a few years to recover from the shock of moving it.

These perennials are very striking and they do well in our climate in a sunny bed, but something to remember is that they do show best when planted in large numbers or five or more.

Stephanie Osborne
York Downs Golf and Country Club
Gardener

Wildlife on the Course

So far this season we have had the opportunity to have several interesting wildlife sightings.

A few weeks ago, a fawn was seen in the long grass near 8 South. After some research online we quickly learned that during the first week of a deer’s life, the mother will tuck the fawn away in a safe place during the day while she forages for food.

We were lucky to have seen this beautiful swan, as it was with us very briefly.

This snapping turtle was walking across the fairway at 2 West on it’s way to scout out a place to lay it’s eggs.

The most unusual and adorable sighting was our coyote pup last week. It was displaced from it’s family and was seen in several places throughout the day. Once it was nightfall and the rest of the pack was roaming the course, it was most certainly reunited with it’s family.

We are very fortunate to have the variety of wildlife that we do, we just have to remember to keep our distance and let nature take care of itself.

Stephanie Osborne

York Downs Golf and Country Club

Gardener

Wildflowers- Dame's Rocket

I've been asked by a number of people lately what the beautiful purple, pink and white wildflowers are called that we have growing in natural areas on the golf course. After some research online I've found the answer to be "Dame's-Rocket" (or botanically "Hesperis Matronalis".)

According to OntarioWeeds.com, they are "an ornamental that was introduced from Europe and escaped from cultivation." The seeds are their main form of propogation, and they are now, in mid June, starting to form on the plants.

Wildflowers are vast in form and colour, but I have to admit the Dame's-rocket are by far in my opinion, the most beautiful I know of. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Stephanie Osborne

York Downs Golf and Country Club

Gardener

Spring Scenes

For those of you who spent a bit longer in their winter vacation homes, or were put off by the cool weather we've had this spring, I have compiled a few pictures of the golf club.

Stephanie Osborne

York Downs Golf and Country Club

Gardener

Forget Me Not

While driving behind One North last spring, Carleigh and I spotted 2 or 3 forget me not plants in bloom. They were so pretty we couldn’t leave them stranded in a field! We dug them up and placed them carefully in a prominent spot beneath some newly planted peonies and were pleased to see they survived the transplant.

Well, you can imagine how thrilled we are this spring to see they have seeded themselves into a nice healthy crop! This year we will certainly deadhead most of them so that they don’t produce too many more seeds. They are a lovely plant for spring gardens, but can become invasive if care is not taken to control their population.

In the meantime, we will enjoy the cute blossoms and hope that the peonies will bloom soon so they become perfect companions.

Stephanie Osborne

York Downs Golf and Country Club

Gardener

Anticipation

The anticipation of summer is heightened when I see perennials emerging from the ground. These ferns and hostas are really interesting even as they unfurl!

Stephanie Osborne

Gardener

York Downs Golf and Country Club

New Garden on the Patio

There are a lot of pictures I've taken in the past few weeks that I have wanted to post but Carleigh and I have been very busy dividing and moving perennials.

One major renovation I'd like to share is on our patio. It was a group effort with help from Mike Jackson last fall, using the skid steer to pull out the less than desirable shrubs. Mike Olizarevitch helped with the sod lifter and the stone cutter to even out the interlock. I removed remaining roots, amended the soil and placed stones along the edge to hold in the soil. Carleigh and I chose some beautiful plants that I'm sure will look great throughout the season. Heuchera "Dolce Blackcurrant" is a relatively new cultivar and the three hydrangea serrata "Fujinotaki's" are sure to be knock outs!

It's projects like this that make me so happy because it is a beautiful improvement on an otherwise dull corner of the patio.

Stephanie Osborne

Gardener
York Downs Golf and Country Club

Daffodils

Daffodils and tulips are the most well known flowers to ring in the spring. Although tulips always seem to have won the popularity race (due to their wide range of colours), I believe daffodils are becoming much more stylish.

Not too long ago, daffodils were only available in their natural colour of yellow. Due to some clever cultivation, they are now available in many forms, colours and sizes. I’ve snipped a few daffodils which are growing in our gardens to show how beautiful they can be. What do you think?

Stephanie Osborne
Gardener
York Downs Golf and Country Club

Iris Reticulata "Joyce"

WOW. When I planted these in the fall, I was hopeful that they would be pretty. Did I ever under-estimate them!!! I love these! They are blooming right now, alongside crocuses in mid April. I’m sure they started blooming over the Easter weekend.

This is a dwarf iris of only 8”, which comes in a bulb form, and must be planted in the fall at the same time as tulips and daffodils. The name “Reticulated” or Netted Iris refers to the appearance of the bulb before planting. They are a perfect candidate for a rock garden or along the front of any sunny garden. They do require a dry bed for the summer months, so planting in a bed with trees or shrubs will do them well.

Last spring, Carleigh and I transformed the round island garden near the Starter Hut into what we now call “Iris Island”. The Iris Reticulata “Joyce” are the first of many iris’ to bloom here. Definitely a garden to keep an eye on!

Stephanie Osborne

Gardener

York Downs Golf and Country Club

Pretty Crocuses

The crocuses are still in bloom, but it won’t be for much longer.
Here are a few that are so pretty, I simply had to take a picture of them!

Stephanie Osborne
Gardener
York Downs Golf and Country Club

Crocus in snow

Crocuses are amongst the earliest spring blooming flowers. They are known to bloom while there is still snow on the ground and will even tolerate a snowfall after the blooms have appeared.

It's important to plant them where you will see them (near a front entrance or in view from a window) as they will likely be in bloom before you will be doing any yard work.

Avoid overwatering. Crocuses do best when they're planted in a sunny bed with well drained soil. The crocuses that have been consistantly doing well at York Downs are planted amongst trees and shrubs. These complex root systems take the bulk of the rain water and ensure that the crocus bulbs are dry throughout the summer.

The greatest threat to crocus bulbs are squirrels. All you can do is plant them at their maximum depth of 6" along with some bone meal and dog hair if you have access to it. For extra insurance, secure some chicken wire over the planting area.

Although spring is here and there is a fresh layer of snow on the ground, we can count on these flowers to give us hope that warmer weather is around the corner!

Stephanie Osborne
Gardener
York Downs Golf and Country Club

Pruning Hydrangeas

Pruning Hydrangeas

Spring is the best time to prune hydrangea shrubs. Their dried flower heads have provided us with something interesting to look at over the winter months and it’s now time to clean them up.

They bloom on old and new wood so if it’s in good shape and you want to leave it alone, this is fine. In order to keep it compact and fresh looking, I cut them down to 12”-18” (cutting just above a leaf node).

Pruning them in this fashion strengthens the base and provides support for the often heavy blossoms. Using a tomato basket or peony ring for reinforcement will also help during the summer months.

Hydrangeas are a lovely specimen plant in any garden. I encourage you to go to the garden centre and see what interesting varieties are available. You won’t be disappointed!

Stephanie Osborne

York Downs Golf and Country Club

Gardener

Blue Oat Grass in Spring

If you’re familiar with perennial gardening, you know that each plant has its own maintenance regime. I am often asked about the different varieties of ornamental grasses at York Downs Golf Course and how to look after them.

Today I took care of the blue oat grass, botanically known as Helictotrichon sempervirens. The best thing to do is cut the old grass down using sheers or hand pruners. This eliminates blades of grass continually falling off during the growing season. Before too long the grasses will be full and lush again!

Stephanie Osborne

York Downs Golf and Country Club

Gardener

Foggy Mornings

There’s something magical about foggy mornings. It’s a great time to take your camera outdoors.

While driving out to the gardens, I encountered this masterpiece of nature! The moisture droplets left behind on this spider web, truly made it a sight to behold.

Stephanie Osborne

York Downs Golf and Country Club

Gardener

Unexpected Beauty

Sometimes upon closer inspection, one can find unexpected beauty in a garden. When we stumbled upon this handsome butterfly feeding on the nectar of an Asiatic lily, we almost passed it by!

This was found in the garden we call “The Double Garden”, in which there are two symmetrical gardens on either side of the walkway into the Clubhouse.

The butterfly is called a Clouded Sulphur or Colias Philodice, and is common in Southern Ontario during the summer months.

Stephanie Osborne
York Downs Golf and Country Club

Gardener

Welcome!

It’s the beginning of a new year and I thought it would be fun to start a casual journal. With all of the beautiful perennials and their different bloom times, I’d like to photograph and write about the notables. We have a relatively short growing season in southern Ontario, and we must take advantage of each day we’re given.

As I look back at the pictures I have taken in the past few years, it’s hard to pick a favourite. The planting that I was (and still am) the most excited about is the Rock Garden. Situated at the entrance to the ramps, it’s in a very prominent spot. Hens and Chicks are probably my favourite plants because they are just so adorable!

They come in many colours and sizes, and the “Hen” propagates by creating baby “Chicks” that nestle so close that they really do seem maternal. Their Latin name is Sempervivum Tectorum and have a really interesting place in European folklore. The word Sempervivum means “always live” and Tectorum “on roofs”. They were planted on thatched roofs and it was believed that they would prevent a lightning strike from burning the house!

Above is a photo of some hens and chicks, ready to be planted into our newly reclaimed Rock Garden. It's a very interesting garden which is worth taking notice of. We are always excited to work in this garden, to see which ones are multiplying the quickest.

As I look outside and see mountains of snow everywhere, I look forward to the coming year, especially the spring blooms....but I'll save that for another time.

Stephanie Osborne

York Downs Golf & Country Club

Gardener