{"id":1820,"date":"2015-05-19T08:53:06","date_gmt":"2015-05-19T12:53:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/oakvillehort.org\/wp\/?page_id=1820"},"modified":"2018-02-16T21:25:45","modified_gmt":"2018-02-17T02:25:45","slug":"fields-of-spring","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/oakvillehort.org\/wp\/?page_id=1820","title":{"rendered":"Fields of Spring"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"margaret_postridge_fieldsofspring\"<\/a>Lovely naturalized daffodil fields will now greet us each spring at the park beside the Colborne Seniors Centre and in\u00a0Postridge Park in northeast Oakville.\u00a0This project was the brainchild of Oakville Horticultural Society\u00a0(OHS) member Margaret Jeffery. Under her guidance, dozens of volunteers from\u00a0both the Oakville and Bronte Horticultural Societies planted well over 4000 daffodil\u00a0bulbs at two specially selected sites early in the fall of 2014. This work was done with the\u00a0assistance of Horticulture Supervisor, Steve Wiersma, and a hard working Town of\u00a0Oakville\u00a0crew who prepared the sites for planting. After the ground was raked and\u00a0rolled, several pounds of Ecolawn were sewn. We can now look forward to seeing a\u00a0breathtaking display in the month of May or April if the spring is warm.<\/p>\n

In undertaking this project, OHS hopes to help beautify the community while\u00a0promoting environmental protection. These two goals are among the objectives\u00a0mandated for Horticultural Societies under the\u00a0Ontario Agricultural and\u00a0Horticultural Organizations Act.\u00a0 We further hope that this project inspires others to\u00a0enhance their own gardens with spring bulbs and to consider alternatives to lawns. \u00a0Ecological lawns should require no fertilizer, no additional water and minimal or no care with\u00a0power\u00a0mowers and blowers. They can reduce\u00a0water and air pollution\u00a0as well as\u00a0tree damage from weed whackers quite prevalent on public lands.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0two sites selected have very different soil types, sand by the lake\u00a0and clay in the north. This distinction, along with other climatic factors, will allow us to see how\u00a0the chosen daffodil varieties and particular blend of fine fescues behave under different conditions.<\/p>\n

The particular grasses used in the EcoLawn blend chosen include cultivars of Blue\u00a0Fescue (F. glauca<\/em>), Hard Fescue (F. longifolia<\/em>), Creeping Red Fescue, (Festuca rubra<\/em>),\u00a0Chewings Fescue (F. rubra<\/em>\u00a0subsp.\u00a0commutata<\/em>) and Slender Fescue (F. trachyphylla<\/em>).\u00a0Using a blend of grasses provides the best opportunity for success. It is expected\u00a0that the two sites will develop differently as the conditions will favour a distinct\u00a0species mix. By observing the plants overtime, blends can be tailored for future\u00a0sites.<\/p>\n

As for the daffodils, choosing which of the 25,000 registered cultivars to use was no\u00a0easy task. Margaret Jeffery selected blends of top performing daffodils. For both\u00a0sites strong golden tones will come from a blend of three daffodil cultivars: the two\u00a0trumpet daffodils,\u00a0Narcissus<\/em>\u00a0\u2018King Alfred\u2019 and \u2018Dutch Master\u2019 along with the large-cupped variety called \u2018Camelot.\u2019 But the sites are unique and so too are the designs.\u00a0Since the Lakeshore site was to be viewed by those passing along the road as well as\u00a0those\u00a0visiting the Centre, the display was designed to both be looked down upon and\u00a0viewed from a distance. The way the sunlight moves over the site dictated to\u00a0Margaret that white daffodils should flow through the yellows. White highlights\u00a0were added with the creamy white trumpet daffodil \u2018Mount Hood\u2019 and the large-cupped elegant \u2018Ice Follies\u2019 that has a beautifully ruffled creamy yellow corona that\u00a0matures to white.<\/p>\n

Postridge Park is a totally different site. The garden area slopes upwards from\u00a0Postridge Drive and can be viewed from those passing by car or by those enjoying\u00a0the Park\u2019s children\u2019s play area or enjoying some sport or just walking by the park.\u00a0 It\u00a0can be seen looking down, up or sideways, which is interesting. The place has an\u00a0energy that called out for vibrant orange and flashes of white. The vivid orange\u00a0colour for this site is provided by the large-cupped \u2018Fortissimo\u2019 – a midseason\u00a0bloomer with yellow petals and a long ruffled orange center, a similar but earlier\u00a0blooming cultivar called \u2018Missouri\u2019 with a shorter more scarlet orange corona and\u00a0ending the season with the fragrant and vivacious \u2018Red Devon\u2019. White highlights are\u00a0delivered by the dynamic \u2018Ice Follies.\u2019<\/p>\n

Over time, the daffodil bulbs will multiply and spread extending the display in both\u00a0park settings. Again site conditions will favour some cultivars over others and the\u00a0design will continually evolve. Since both sites have many differences there is a lot\u00a0to be learned over the next few years as we see results come together.\u00a0Volunteers will be needed to dead head the daffodils in June and keep the weeds at\u00a0bay for the first couple of years until the grasses establish. Once the fescues have\u00a0become well rooted, they should outcompete typical broadleaved weeds \u2026 or so we\u00a0hope. This trial is an experiment and a learning experience for all involved. The\u00a0success or failure of the plants chosen will inform future plantings and help us to\u00a0create a more sustainable, beautiful and healthy community.<\/p>\n

We encourage you to visit the sites and watch their progress.<\/p>\n

We are very grateful to the following for their assistance and guidance in helping us\u00a0realize our dream:<\/p>\n

Project Supporters:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Town of Oakville,<\/p>\n