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A4 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday September 6, 2000 A c tio n s o f s q u ir r e ls in d ic a te a h a r d w in te r The annuals are at their peak and the cool weather lengthens the bloom period easing up the dead heading. It has also brought out fall bloom in the roses that are holding their colours and perfume. Cosmos, impatiens, salvia, begonia are colouring the town, and they are backed up by the white and pink hydrangeas which have lasted a long time in the cool weather. The white flowered hosta, `Royal Standard' and `Fragrant Bouquet' are now flowering and are quite fragrant. Rudbeckias are the big yellow show in the garden backed by the perennial sun flowers. Impatiens is the main border plant in the shade with petunia taking over in sunny areas. The hospital roof garden has been enlarged and a watering system added. The amount of foil is small for the num ber of plants, so it dries out quickly. The morning glories planted last month are climbing the fence and have a good chance of blooming before the first frost and we're planting some wild grape and English ivy climbers to permanently hide the iron fence. We had a goldfinch visit us last week, so the wild garden sec tion is doing its job. The fall catalogues are now arriving. Gardenimport is known for their rare, hard-to-find and new varieties. Fragrance is becoming important to gar deners and is emphasized in their cata logues. Some plants listed are clematis, perennial geraniums, daylilies, iris, peonies and poppies, along with the new spring flowering bulbs. These special plants are interesting to use as speci mens, season extenders or to increase diversity in the garden. Some new vari eties listed are: a white forsythia (Abeliophyllum, distitchum) which is a single species from Korea. The white flowers are similar to those of true for sythia and are borne on bare stems at the same time or a little earlier. The, bush is four to five feet in length and width and may be planted in front of or with for- JOHN SIMKINS In Your Garden sythia to increase interest in the planting. There is a good selection of iris, daylilies and peonies with fragrant varieties noted on the photos as are the new varieties. Interesting peonies are two rare species, P. emodi and P. mascula. This is good news for the species collectors whose ranks are expanding faster than the availability of plants. A really differ ent selection is `Peppermint Stick' a white semi-double with a large yellow centre and ruffled, twisted petals with red edges and tips. These are not for those who prefer neat and tidy flowers. They are intermediate between the clas sic peony form and a new group intro duced by Song Sparrow Perennial Farm, called cactus dahlia-style peonies. The latter are really twisted and ruffled, some have gaps between the petals. I have two plants with peculiar flowers obtained from crossing tree peonies with herba ceous peonies. The petals are flat but oddly serrated which destroys the sym metry of the flower. I may have a sale for them yet Gardenimport also offer `Vanilla Twist,' a member of the new cactus-style group. A rather conservative type but its tousled flare of fluted petals sets it apart from the ordinary peony. It is a real bar gain compared to the price from Song Sparrow. Another peony is `Thumbellina' idea for the rock or patio garden. It is a dwarf red peony, 15" tall with a neat rounded growth habit. The colours of the new oriental pop pies are far more sophisticated than the old red and orange varieties. `Karine,' a Royal Horticultural Society award win ner, is the height of elegance with multi layered petals of clear soft pink with a cherry blob at the base -- quite a sight. The Gardenimport catalogue is a `must have' for a gardener. A $5 sub scription is required for two years (four catalogues) with $5 credit issued to use on your first order. The catalogue is also on the internet at www.gardenimport.com. Phone 1-800339-8314 or P.O. Box 760, Thornhill, ON L3T4A5. The activity of the squirrels gathering food suggests a hard winter. I was under the white pine checking on some hostas when suddenly flakes came down from the sky interrupted by large objects which later proved to be pine cones. I looked up to see a little red squirrel chomping the layers from the cone, tak ing the seeds, pitting out the seed covers and dropping the centre down. The squirrels have buried all the horse chest nuts in the garden but still have another pine tree to do. m ZKm&z k> I4VsSfml fM* "T i ip · '%a f §&* > m g i ., m g r * * * + * > im p .. I '; a si STORE HOURS: MON.-FRI. 9 :30-9:00, SAT. 9:30-6:00, SUN. 11:00-6:00. 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