Advice from an Outstanding Gardener

Yarmouth County resident Ralph Burrill was selected by six clubs in District 7 (Western) to receive one of these awards. Others who collected the award are: Annette Purcell from District 1 (Cape Breton) and Brenda Hiltz from District 6 (South Shore).

There were no awards presented for Districts 2 (Eastern), District 3 (Central), District 4 (Halifax) or District 5 (Valley).

Burrill is well known for his rhododendrons (close to 400 of them) and the several hundred daylilies that he grows. Strolling his property is an adventure in new varieties - with many rare types of ornamental grasses, hostas, trees and shrubs.

The 78-year-old is dedicated to his gardens and spends many hours, daily, cutting grass, weeding, edging and dead-heading daylilies.

During peak bloom period he collects three to four buckets of withered blooms every morning, which he dumps in his garden and turns under.

“If left on the plant there are usually so many buds that the spent flowers would drop down onto the largest buds and interfere with their opening,” he explains.

He says he likes the tetraploid daylilies for their large, heavier textured flowers. They also have stronger stems that stand up to weather conditions.

Burrill has used 6.12.12 or 10.10.10 granular fertilizer in the past but says he is leaning more towards just compost now, buying it by the truckload because he requires so much.

When asked what the best three pieces of advice he could provide to novice gardeners were, he responded:

“You have to have a passion for one particular plant. My passion is rhododendrons. After I got a lot of them I realized that’s just a few months of bloom in the spring and early summer, so then I got onto daylilies and went overboard on them, but between the two things they give me many weeks of colour.”

He suggests choosing plants that you know will grow well in your area. For example, don’t try to grow hybrid teas if you have a northerly exposure, because they need sun.

Lastly, pay attention to what your plants are telling you.

“If you observe them closely, you’ll know when they’re hungry, you’ll know when they’re thirsty. If you find that the plants are not growing well, they are being deprived of nutrients and water, or there could be some other problem.”