Volunteer Spotlight
We turn our spotlight towards Roman Popadiouk this month and his recommendation to notice conifers in the Arboretum at this time of year.
Roman knows a thing or two about trees. He is a dendrologist who studied trees in nature reserves from the Carpathian to the Ural Mountains in the former USSR. In Canada he has worked on research projects in Nova Scotia, Northern Ontario and British Columbia. He has a particular love for nut trees and if you find one "randomly" growing on public land, it just may have been Roman who propagated it.
Roman leads tree tours for the Friends of the Farm and is a co-author of our most recent publication: Pathways to the Trees at the Central Experimental Farm. This book sets out eight different walks each complete with a map and a detailed description of some of the notable trees found there. The first walk is called the Conifer Walk and features different types of Pines, Larch, Spruce, Fir, Hemlock, Cypress and Redwood. It is located inside the circular drive just as you turn into the Arboretum from the Prince of Wales traffic circle.
March is the perfect month to appreciate the conifers as the deciduous trees are still mostly dormant. Walking in the area gets easier as the snowpack retreats. On a sunny March day, with snow resting on the evergreen branches, a stroll around the conifer walk is not to be missed. You will notice striking structure and a wide variety of textures. Hues range from blue to lime green and various shades of reds and browns are evident in the bark. Some trees will still have some cones hanging on.
Another great place to notice evergreens is in the rock garden area in the Ornamental Gardens. All of these specimens were planted in this location as slow growing dwarf varieties. Over the decades, however, many of them have decided that dwarf is a relative term.
Plan your visit this month and consider bringing along your own copy of Pathways. It is available in our on-line boutique or you may purchase at the Friends of the Farm office.
| 
