A couple of months ago Mark Disero, a rose enthusiast and fellow country gardener, who is practically a neighbor, contacted me about a two web sites that he has been developing. I've had a chance to get to know Mark a little bit since then. He was the mastermind behind the first show to focus exclusively on Canadian roses. Sponsored by the Hamilton & Burlington Rose Society, the All-Canadian Rose Show took two years to organize, and showcased 125 Canadian cultivars at Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton/Burlington last June. This show was a tribute to the Canadian rose hybridizers and a celebration of the great Canadian-bred roses.
I'm sure that I disappoint Mark by not growing any roses, but we are inundated by Japanese beetles here (irrigated turf at the neighboring golf course really encourages them), and that's one battle I just don't have the energy to fight.
Anyway, back to the topic at hand. Mark's new sites are now live. One is gardenwriters.ca:
"I hope that gardeners can use my site to access great horticultural information specific to their climate. The information in the blogs is updated regularly from writers from across the country.Mark's second site is gardentoronto.ca. This one is a website directory for everything gardening within the 416 area code, and includes resources and links of interest to Toronto gardeners.
I hope this is an opportunity for garden writers to promote their writing skills, learn from their peers, (not only exchanging horticultural ideas but also ideas about web design and new technology), increase their website traffic, and most importantly sell their books."
It's been fun to get to know Mark, and the other day he called with a tempting offer. It was to grab some lunch and then go garden centre hopping. Unfortunately, it was a garden boot camp day, and I had my helpers here, and couldn't leave. But that's exactly what I need once in awhile: a hort buddy to drag me off the farm to get some relief from May's insane do-to list.
Posts
I've been so busy Yvonne...this is a nice post. I have a few roses here that have been eaten to almost just a couple twigs. Have you thought of getting Guinea Fowl??? Supposedly they will eat those pesky bugs. I've been offered some by the neighbor, but wow, I've got so much to do, coop building is out of the picture right now. Some day!!
ReplyDeleteHi Eve: I don't think I want cute little guineas here because they would be in danger from my dog. He's intolerant of bigger birds. Yesterday, he chased a duck and stole one her eggs. Then there are also the coyotes. It's the wild west here!
ReplyDelete