Mary-Jane DeJonge, Dylan Mcleod, Kayla Teves

November 1-3, 2013

Friday November 1st 2013

Today we all met downtown London for our practical at the corner of York and Richmond. We were installing a green roof for Youth Opportunities Unlimited (Y.O.U.). We began our day with a safety briefing inside the Cornerstone building café. We were then split into three groups to make the work more efficient. Every hour we rotated potions so that everyone may have the opportunity to be involved in the whole project. While one group carried the materials up the stairs and elevators another group prepared the site by cutting and measuring materials. While all this was being done the third group was in charge of installing and constructing the site. After lunch we were instructed to drive to veteran’s memorial (London Life Location) to correct repair and re tie all improperly staked trees. There were more improperly staked trees than expected so by the time we were finished it was time to go home.

Saturday November 2nd 2013

It was a cold, blustery, rainy day at the A.M Cuddy Gardens. We began our day by raking and collecting all the fallen apples and leaves off the flagstone pathway, located underneath the apple tree. From there, we started to prepare a garden bed for transplanting; we cultivated, weeded, and raked away debris. The plants that we dived and transplanted into their new home were called Geum triflorum, and Epimedium. We were given free rein to create the pattern in which they’d be laid out. As our creative juices started flowing, together we came up with a beautifully laid out design that takes the viewer’s breath away! Next, we planted a Spirea shrub as well as two Hypericums near the iris garden. From there, we continued dividing the Epimedium plants in order to fill in voids in the existing bed. We concluded our day by cleaning and putting away our garden tools and locked up for the evening.

 

Sunday November 3rd 2013

With sunshine on the forecast, we were ready to begin work! We began our day by completing the Epimedium garden bed. We finished dividing all the plants, and then transplanted them in a nice sequence throughout the bed. This took up majority of our morning. After lunch, we did a lot of fall cleanup. We cleaned out the rock garden of debris, leaves in various places around the grounds, as well as blew off all pathways on the property with the leaf blower. We were also instructed to tidy up all the walnuts that had fallen off the tree. Lastly, we took down the curtains that were left behind from the CLT testing and tidied and put away all of our tools. It’s now home time, goodbye.

 

Plant Profile: Asimina triloba (Common Pawpaw or Custard Apple)

Botanical Information:

Family: Annonaceae

Genus: Asimina
Species: triloba
Type:  Woody Deciduous shrub or small tree

 

Details:

 

USDA Hardiness: 5-8
Height: 12m
Spread: 5m

 

Description and growing Information:

 

Propagation: By seed.

 

Habitat: Grows in moist forests and stream sides in Southern Ontario. It grows best in full sun but with some protection from wind.

 

Growth: Medium sized pyramidal tree with dense, drooping foliage.

 

Pests: Few known pests, the worst being Talponia plummeriana, the pawpaw peduncle borer (small moth larvae).

 

Notable Specimens: A.M Cuddy Gardens, Strathroy Ontario.

 

ID Characteristics: Ripe paw paws have a pronounced aroma that is fruity and floral. The flavor is sweet, fragrant and complex. Fruit production usually begins when the tree reaches 2m (usually after 5 to 7 years. The inner bark was made into cordage by twisting it into string and strong rope.

 

Flower: green flowers have 3 sepals that turn dark purple and 6 petals that curl backward.

 

Leaf: Drooping, pear-shaped alternate 10-30cm long that smell like bell peppers when crushed. The leaves are also pointed at the tip, have smooth margins, and are coated with fine hairs.

 

Fruit: Edible and tastes somewhat like a papaya. The fruit is large (7-16 cm long) as well as yellowish green or brown. They are mango-shaped.

 

Medicinal/ Edible Qualities:

 

Largest edible fruit native to North America and contains a high amount of amino acids. Traditionally, it was mashed and made into small cakes, eaten raw, cooked into sauces or dried for storage. The seeds bark and leaves were traditionally applied directly to abscesses. Twigs, leaves and seeds contain insecticidal compounds, and powdered seeds were used to treat head lice. The fruit has laxative qualities.

 

Conservation Status:

 

In Canada; Level 3, meaning vulnerable. It is vulnerable in the province because of a restricted range, relatively few populations 980 or less), recent and widespread declines or other factors making it vulnerable to extirpation.

 

Sources:

 

"Canada Plants." • Asimina Triloba (Common Pawpaw or Custard Apple). N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Nov. 2013.

 

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/ho-220.pdf

 

Book: Edible and Medicinal Plants of Canada