(The Communicator, December 1997)
As another gardening season comes to an end it's a good time to reflect on the many successes and possibly a few disappointments that you had in your own garden. Time and experience are often the best teachers and you will learn more from trying things yourself (and visiting your Botanical Garden) than from reading a gardening column or watching TV. Try keeping a journal of what you did in your garden and when. Things such as when you pruned your shrubs or when and how you fertilized the perennial bed, and the ensuing results, good or bad, are all learning experiences. If recorded, these experiences will help you if the future if only to remind you to never to it that way again.
Take a walk around and take some notes on what plants did well and what needs to be divided or moved to a new location. Often a plant that is doing poorly will benefit from being moved to a spot that is more suited to its growing requirements. Dates of your first and last blooms are also handy to know and will help you plan your garden during those long winter nights that are sure to be upon us soon.
You may have to stop gardening but you don't have to stop being a gardener. Planning next year's work is a good way to stay close to your garden. A fun winter exercise is to design a garden that you never intend (or can afford) to build. Get out the seed catalogues (Park's and Stokes are good ones) and gardening books and plan a fantasy garden where you can have as many different plants and features as you want. After all, fantasies are free, and it's a great way to get to know new plants and techniques.
At the Botanical Garden we had a good year and many new projects are under way. The vegetable garden will be twice as big next year and a new shade garden is in the works. Our first Open House was a rousing success with 1,000 people visiting and taking part in the many events. Look for this again next summer and be sure to join in the fun. We broke our pumpkin record by 12 pounds with a 30 pounder, but the alas, the onion record of 4 ½ lbs. was reached but not broken.
Your Botanical Garden is not "just a pretty place" and while it isn't the largest and doesn't offer as many programs as some of the other gardens in Canada, it is unique among Botanical Gardens. Our "naturalistic" approach to display plantings along with our large natural area of walking trails, combine to make the garden a pleasing place for all our visitors. The many different themes of our display beds offer something for everyone, regardless of horticultural knowledge and level of interest.
Older visitors enjoy the heritage garden, which is filled with plants that have been grown in Newfoundland for at least 60 years. People who "grow their own" take notes on our vegetable garden and greenhouse display. Birdwatchers along the 3 km. of nature trails have many "close encounters" with the many species of birds that have been recorded in the Garden. Photographers use the trail system to get "close up and personal" with the over 100 native species of plants that line the walkways. The building of an osprey platform has resulted in a pair of these "fish hawks" returning yearly to the garden. Visitors from all over the world have watched with fascination as the adult birds feed their young with trout caught in the pond. Habitat enhancement has encouraged the seasonal stay of several species of ducks on Oxen Pond, and we have found that even the most uninterested children love to feed the ducks. Local artists can often be found with their easels set up along the garden paths and many display their work in the Field Centre.
Our small and very busy staff will always stop to answer visitors questions and we pride ourselves on being a very user friendly facility. So plan to visit us next season and don't forget about your own garden over the winter. Remember, it's not dead, it's only asleep.
Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New year from all the staff at your Botanical Garden.
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