For both ecological and economic reasons we no longer print and mail a seasonal program listing our workshops and special events. The information is now distributed via this e-newsletter and is always available on our website. We do appreciate your past and future support of our workshops; the income supports other Arboretum educational endeavours such as brochures, signs, booklets, tours and our website.

If you know of people who may be interested in our workshops who do not receive this e-newsletter we would appreciate if you would pass this information on to them. To subscribe to the newsletter simply send an e-mail to [log in to unmask] with “subscribe to newsletter” in the subject line and include your e-mail address and first and last name in the text of the e-mail.

If you have a spot in your community or at your workplace where you can display our workshop posters, please send us an e-mail at [log in to unmask] and we will be happy to send them to you.

Below is a list of upcoming workshops at The Arboretum. Please forward this e-mail to your friends and colleagues! The more participants we have, the more programs we can offer.

We now offer an on-line registration process which allows you to register for our programs 24/7 as they say, not just during our regular business hours. A secure link is provided for this easy registration process. Click here for the link.

It is time for a close-up quiz - can you identify these summer Arboretum inhabitants? The answers are at the bottom of the newsletter.

by Ric Jordan

As I prepare to leave on vacation, the calendar has turned to August and I think where has summer gone? Somehow it doesn’t feel as if we have had summer yet. No 30+ days or days on end without rain, mind you I haven’t regretted the cool nights for sleeping. The plants have enjoyed the weather as well and the crew has been relieved of the extensive watering of newly planted specimens that we have dealt with in recent years. With luck this will continue into September with the only downside for us being the grass will continue to grow and need to be cut on a regular basis, a small price to pay for a green August.

I had hoped to include a picture of the newly installed arbor at the Gosling Gardens but scheduling conflicts precluded the completion by now. The footings are in and we are allowing them to cure so it is planned for completion the week of August 18 after a weeklong Focus on Nature day camp concludes at the Taylor Centre. Some of you who visit the grounds regularly will have noticed many piles of brush accumulating throughout the collections and we apologize for the somewhat messy appearance however a safety component on our wood chipper failed and we are still awaiting its repair. The latest word is the part has arrived and we should be soon producing mulch for our beds once again.

Auxiliary members and staff are gearing up for our plant sale (see Sean’s article below) which is approaching fast, Saturday September 13. We have also formed a new auxiliary working group for Friday mornings working with Polly in some of the horticultural collections. At present they are tackling the Dwarf Conifers so if you would like to join this group please call Ranee at 519-824-4120 x52358.

slainte

Ric

by Sean Fox

The annual Arboretum Auxiliary Plant Sale is fast approaching, and our volunteers and staff have been busy tending to plants in preparation for the big day. Hundreds of choices will be available to take home, whether it be stately trees, native shrubs, ornamental perennials, culinary herbs or something to help green-up the inside of your home.

Amongst the trees available this year, the producer of Canada’s largest native fruit, pawpaw (Asimina triloba), is an ever-popular choice. Durable and pest-tolerant shade trees that thrive in Guelph’s soil include chinquapin oak (Quercus muehlenbergii), basswood (Tilia americana) and blue ash (Fraxinus quadrangulata). And, beautiful specimens for the garden such as yellowwood (Cladrastis kentuckea), ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) and Allegheny serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis) will also be available.

On the smaller side, the selection of shrubs include difficult-to-find native gems such as leatherwood (Dirca palustris) and buffaloberry (Shepherdia canadensis), southern standouts such as American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) and bottlebrush buckeye (Aesculus parviflora), and edible fruit-bearing plants such as low juneberry (Amelanchier humilus), goji berry (Lycium barbarum) and black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis).

In total, over 100 taxa of woody plants will be available for sale, including 70 native to Ontario.

On the herbaceous side, there is a huge selection of classic garden favourites such as hosta, sedum, delphinium and iris, in addition to beautiful natives such as tall coreopsis (Coreopsis tripteris), Virginia mountain-mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum) and Culver’s root (Veronicastrum virginicum). Shade lovers include sharp-lobed hepatica (Hepatica acutiloba), maidenhair fern (Adiatum pedatum) and thimbleweed (Anemone cylindrica), while drought-tolerant plants include rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium) and pearly everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea). Grass-like texture is provided by little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) and palm sedge (Carex muskingumensis), amongst many others. Showy and prolific bloomers include red-hot poker (Kniphofia 'Nancy's Red') and blue mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum). Also, while some goldenrod species can be aggressive spreaders, others are much better behaved in the garden, and all are significantly supportive to local biodiversity (https://www.flickr.com/photos/52649814@N05/9680987978/in/set-72157635390694535). Species available this year include early goldenrod (Solidago juncea), zigzag goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis), white goldenrod (Solidago bicolor) stiff goldenrod (Solidago rigida) and upland white aster (Solidago ptarmicoides). And, remember, while goldenrods are often blamed for allergies while blooming in the autumn, they are actually insect-pollinated, and it is pollen drifts from the wind-pollinated ragweed that is the main culprit for sneezes!

In addition to the cold-hardy choices already mentioned, we`ll also be offering a selection of plants that are better suited for growing indoors over the winter months. These include elephant-ear kalanchoe (Kalanchoe beharensis), night-blooming orchid cactus (Epiphyllum oxypetallum), hedgehog sedum (Sinocrassula yunnanensis) and Cherimoya (Annona cherimola). Look for these and many other indoor plants on the day of the sale.

This year’s sale falls on Saturday, September 13th at The Arboretum’s RJ Hilton Centre, 384 College Avenue East. The event runs from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m., but be sure to arrive early for best selection, as some plants sell out quickly. A full listing of available plants will be available shortly, so please keep an eye on our website for further details: www.uoguelph.ca/arboretum

Hope to see you there!

Sean Fox
Assistant Arboretum Manager & Head Horticulturist

Our Wednesday Evening Walks are winding down for the year. Join us for our last two Wednesday Night Walks at The Arboretum. The cost is only $2 with children under 5 FREE! Walks take place Wednesday evening from 7 - 8:30 p.m., beginning at the J.C. Taylor Nature Centre.

For more information please contact The Arboretum at 519-824-4120 ext. 52363 or go to our website.

August 20 - Be a Bat Detective
Have you ever heard a bat? Chances are, unless you have super human hearing, the answer is no. But, with a little help from technology we can detect and listen to the clicks and screeches of bats as they make their way through The Arboretum in search of food. Bats are responsible for controlling pests and even pollinating plants! Let’s learn more about these amazing creatures and find out how we can help them thrive in Ontario. (We may go later than 8:30 for this one).

August 27- End of Summer Science Fair!
What do you want to learn about? Make your own poster, display or just share your knowledge with your fellow Wednesday Night Walkers. Whether you’ve been attending Wednesday Night Walks all summer, or you’ve just decided to join us, pick a topic and share how amazing nature can be! (You are also just welcome to come and hear what the others have to say!).

Christina with a Wednesday Night Walk Group
Photo by Ethan Lewis

The Annual Wall Custance Memorial Forest Dedication Service is on Sunday, September 21, 2014 at 2:30 p.m. For further information please contact the Wall Custance Funeral Home at 519-822-0051 or www.wallcustance.com.

Wall Custance Memorial Dedication Service

Although it definitely doesn't look or feel like Christmas outside, it is time to think about booking your company's Christmas Party. The Arboretum is a perfect location for your Christmas party. We can accommodate up to 150 people for lunches or dinners with a picturesque view of The Arboretum grounds. We still have some good dates available … book soon before they are gone. For further information please contact Barb Watson – Ash, Marketing and Bookings Co-ordinator at extension 54110, [log in to unmask] or check out our website. All catering is provided by Hospitality Services, University of Guelph. For further information on the catering please call extension 53350 or e-mail [log in to unmask].

Christmas Party in Auditorium

Does your organization book meetings at off site locations? Do you have a special occasion such as a wedding, anniversary, birthday, retirement or other event coming up? The Arboretum has three meeting rooms available for rental, all with ground to ceiling windows and spectacular views of the gorgeous Arboretum grounds. The Auditorium seats 150 people at round tables or 225 lecture style. The Boardroom seats 20 people and the Sun Room seats 14 people. The Arboretum's location gives you the feeling of a tranquil country setting with the convenience of being within the City of Guelph. Catering is provided by Hospitality Services, University of Guelph. For further information on booking The Arboretum please contact Barb Watson - Ash at [log in to unmask] or ext. 54110.

 
West Lawn                                           Auditorium

This summer has been a good season for new butterflies so far. We added Silvery Blue to the list early in the summer and I have found out recently that a photo I took of another "Blue" butterfly (see https://www.flickr.com/photos/52649814@N05/14250973388/in/photostream/) is also a new species. This one, called a Cherry Gall Azure, is an interesting species because the caterpillars eat cherry mite galls - very strange. As well, I found a butterfly wing in our Rotary Tree Grove collection that ended up being from a Tawny Emperor, a Carolinian species that eats hackberry (which was the tree the wing was under). This species has a restricted range in Ontario and this record is the first one in Wellington County in at least 15 years. Also on the Lepidoptera (Butterfly and Moth Order) front, we now have over 700 species of moths on our moth list! Special thanks to Candice Talbot and Andrew Bendall for their hard work!

  
Cherry Gall Azure                                Tawney Emporor Wing

                         Golden-spotted Ghost Moth

Be a part of the BetterPlanet Project by donating on-line:

Your donation can be directed to The Arboretum online through the secure University of Guelph donation page: http://uofg.convio.net/arboretum

If you prefer not to make an online donation, there are several other ways to provide your financial support. You can choose to donate by telephone, mail, fax, or in person:

UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH Attention Alumni Affairs 50 Stone Road East Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1 Tel: 1-888-266-3108 ext. 56934 Tel: 519-824-4120 ext. 56934 Fax: 519-822-2670 Email: [log in to unmask]

If you would like information on bequests and planned giving to The Arboretum please contact:

Ross Butler
Director, Gift Planning
at (519) 824-4120 ext. 56196 or by e-mail at [log in to unmask]