Squamish Gardeners’ Club

General Meeting

October 15^th, 2007

Following the plant exchange, Carol Robson opened the meeting. It was decided that left-over plants would be left for the Railway Museum. Raffle tickets for the hospital, as well as for the usual garden club raffle were available.

Moira Biggin-Pound moved that the minutes of the previous meeting be accepted, seconded by Eleanor Bowcock, passed by the meeting.

Carol reported that a cheque for $386 had been sent to the Friends of the Library, representing the proceeds of the raffle at the Garden Club Tour, minus expenses.

In the past the Club has given donations to the B.C. Council Scholarship Fund ($100), the Railway Museum ($300), and Lily’s Garden ($200). In addition we donate subscriptions to the library for Fine Gardening and GardenWise ($57.70). Dawn Milne asked whether we would have sufficient funding for speakers if we continued these donations. Carol said that with the increased price of the tickets for the Garden tour (from $10 to $15) we do have enough. Didee asked whether it would be possible to give money to the high school for a bursary. Carol pointed out that the bursaries from the B.C. Council were available to all – we should ensure that the high school is aware of the opportunity. Moira moved, seconded by Beth Fitzgerald, that we increase the donation to the B.C. Council Scholarship Fund to $200; motion carried. Nairn Stewart moved that all the other donations be carried through. This was seconded by Karen Chelswick; motion carried.

The club received an invitation to be represented at the Community Focus groups: (September 24^th and 25^th). As no-one wished to go, we passed on that.

Nairn and Moira will represent the club at the B.C. Council of Garden Clubs Fall Meeting, on Saturday October 27^th. It was moved by Pauline Lawrence and seconded by Dot Diotte that the club cover entry fees and the required gift; motion carried.

Carol requested that membership fees be paid by December. Eleanor moved, seconded by Didee, that fees remain at $15 for an individual and $25 for a family; motion carried.

The club has been approached by the Arts Council to see whether it would be possible to combine some aspect of the Council with next year’s Garden Club Tour (for example, exhibit pictures of gardens). The Garden Tour committee will discuss this.

Dave Colwell said that we currently have both Squamish Garden Centres linked to our website. In return for this advertising, they give members a 10% discount. He suggested that the Club approach a number of businesses around town, offering to have their logo (with a link) on our website, and ask for a donation to the Club in return for the advertising. This could be directed towards the Garden Tour, which might making requests for donations easier, or could be year-round. Dave moved, seconded by Ellen Grant, that this be discussed at a meeting of the Executive: motion carried.

The Club needs nominations for next year’s executive. Carol (President), Carla Halvorson Burke (Vice-President) and Pauline (Secretary) have agreed to stand again. Dorte Froslev (Treasurer) will likely also re-offer. Nairn who has been on the Programme Committee for two years would prefer to stand down, as would Colleen Polowich. Sandra Kilby will stand again. Judy Crowston (Social) is not re-offering. The Garden Tour Committee will consist of Karen, Carla and Ellen.

Christmas wreaths can be ordered up until November 8^th. Ten-inch wreaths will cost $20, and will be available at the December meeting (either the 3^rd or 4^th of December). Contact Carla to order.

The Garden Club will be represented at the Seniors’ Wellness Fair (November 7^th, 9-1) and will share a table with WOW and other outdoor groups.

Dot announced that she had a bougainvillea and a grapefruit tree available to anyone who wanted them.

Nairn said that the speaker from Select Roses was not available for the November 19^th meeting. In his place, Ferdinand Vandruska, from the Upper Cheakamus, will speak on “Biodynamics”, a method of organic gardening and crop cultivation in which certain factors such as planetary and seasonal cycles are considered.

She then introduced the evening’s speaker, Chris Woods, the new director (as of September 2006) of the Van Dusen Botanical Garden. He is originally from England and began his apprenticeship in horticulture at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. He worked at three other gardens in the UK before moving to the US in 1981. There he has worked as Director and Chief Garden Designer of Chanticleer, Vice President for Horticulture and External Operations for the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden, and Executive Director of the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy in Ojai, California. He has been a consultant for a number of other gardens and horticultural projects. He has written numerous articles as well as The Encyclopaedia of Perennials: A Gardener's Guide (1992). In 2003 he was awarded the Professional Citation for significant achievements in public horticulture by the American Public Garden Association.

His illustrated presentation was titled A Passion for Plants.

(Note: it is difficult to describe this presentation satisfactorily, as it was based on wonderful pictures).

He is of the opinion that it is important to look closely at plants and flowers just to see how marvellous they are. He illustrated this with close-up views of plants such as clover, coleus and ferns. One sees the extraordinary mystery of life looking at close-ups of plants. It is also important to pull back and look at plants from a distance. Spring is always a surprise. Some plants direct insects to their reproductive organs by designs on their flower parts. Plants can be architectural, for example, the seed pods of Nigella. He emphasised the exquisite purity of plants.

Garden design is about seeing, and allowing the eye to be curious. One should look at the aesthetics of plant material (he illustrated this point with a picture of a bunch of leeks taken from below).

Plants provide medicines (e.g., aspirin from willow). Many synthesised medicines are based on plant materials. Houses can also be built using plant materials.

The way in which plants are put together is important. He showed illustrations from Chinese 14^th-16^th century garden representations. The aesthetics were paramount. There was a relationship between what we see in nature and what we use in our homes, a relationship between outside and inside. Often the view from inside looking out is so important. Gardens can be framed by a window, for example.

Entrances to and exits from gardens are also important – he showed illustrations of moon gates in China. Often there is a religious or spiritual content in gardens.

Gardens do not necessarily depend on a riot of colour for content, they can be subtle – he showed a moss garden in Kyoto, with shades of green, brown and cinnamon. In Europe the first gardens were walled medicinal gardens, frequently associated with religious organisations. The Italian garden motif has been carried around the world. In the 16^th to 18^th centuries, there was not a great diversity of plants used in gardens. Many were affected by wars, and were simplified to accommodate a smaller number of staff. The garden at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles is a modern version of a traditional Italian museum. He also showed a picture of a modern Italian garden in Thailand.

Versailles is an example of a garden as grand architecture on a grand scale.

In English garden design there is the concept of a formal garden close to the house, which gets wilder with distance from the house, and eventually merges into the landscape. Gardens were seen as the idea of heaven on earth, a celestial sphere. In the post-industrial revolution gardens were idealised and romanticised. The Arts and Craft movement brought in the concept of country living and cottage gardens. In the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries people looked at gardens in a “painterly” way, utilising form, texture and colour. This led to consciously created colour gardens.

Arranging plants in a perennial border is extremely difficult, partly because the plants grow. People tend to overdo combinations of plants.

He showed pictures of the Eden Project, in the UK, that is totally about conservation and sustainable use, an educational garden. However, one can have educational themes and still have a beautiful garden.

He touched on sustainability – we need !¼ planets to support everyone in the world.

He concluded by saying that gardening is about sitting back and dreaming about how beautiful you want your garden to be. Gardening is about the joy of living. It’s about passion; it’s about fertility; it’s about changing styles; it’s about sharing. Jump for joy!