• Gift Certificates Available Now!
• New Member Perk Alert!
• From The Executive Directors Desk
• The Hidden Power of Native Plants: Supporting Life in Your Garden 
• Website Update
• Our Little Free Library
• A Note From Our New Head Gardener
• Weeding Wednesday Update
• 2025 Spring Plant Sale
• The Language of Gardening
• Upcoming Events
• Host Your Event at The Garden
• Crossword
• FBGA Information
• Crossword Answers

 

Hello, Gardeners!

 

We’re not even halfway through 2025 and it has already been such a whirlwind year, that it’s hard to know where to start.  Well, that’s not really true; the starting point is to thank the incredible volunteers who keep our Garden growing, in more ways than one. I’ve worked in leadership roles in the charitable sector since 1988 (with one year off for retirement, which didn’t sit very well with me) and never have I had the privilege of working with a better group of volunteers than here at the Fredericton Botanic Garden.  After two and a half years, it still amazes me that many volunteers thank us for the opportunity to help out!

 

January activities kicked off with two Walking in a Frosted Wonderland interpretive tours through the Garden, led by the legendary Dr. Jim Goltz, with francophone support from Gérard Sirois.  Following the walks, participants returned to the Resource Centre for a Hot Chocolate Social.

 

February was the kick-off to the many Seedy Saturday activities coordinated annually by Steve Stehouwer, with a Seed Cleaning Workshop.  Later in the month, Dr. Kaushal (Kush) Rathnayake hosted a workshop on Planning Your Own Pollinator Garden.  The following week, Steve ran a Starting Plants from Seeds Workshop and we ended that week with Vic Dunphy’s workshop, Building Chickadee Nesting Boxes.  Participants took home two boxes, each.

 

There were two Seed Packaging Parties in March, to prepare for the big event – Seedy Saturday, held on March 15^th.  That was a beautiful, sunny, and busy day at the Garden, as Red Seal Carpenter, Eldon Toner, hosted a work party to construct new cedar potting benches, inside Greenhouse #2.  March also saw three days of Foraged Fibre Workshops, led by Ralph Simpson.  These basket workshops were among the most popular workshops we have ever held. We ended March with a Spring into Watercolours Workshop with well-known artist and teacher, Peggy Holt. Who knew we had so many budding artists in our midst?

 

We took Spring cleaning to a whole new level in April, with a major purge of decades of accumulated clutter from the basement. A few things went to the Auction Centre, but most were sorted into the appropriate recycling pile, or garbage, and Matt Furlotte, owner of MRF Excavating donated his time, truck and trailer to haul everything away.  Meanwhile, a baby shower and luncheon were happening upstairs!  

 

April 7^th was the official start date of our new Head Gardener, Mujin Lee.  Read more about Mujin in the feature article in this edition.  Many, many thanks to Certified Master Gardener, Heather Connors-Dunphy, and retired Landscape Architect, Brian Parker, for joining Erin MacQuarrie and me on the Selection Committee to choose our Head Gardener.  It was a lengthy process, spanning a couple of months, but in the end, we all felt good about our decision.

 

Two days after Mujin started, our first big plant order arrived and the potting up parties started soon thereafter.  That weekend, Sima Usvyatsov, of Sima’s Roots and Fruits hosted a Pruning Workshop, which was as popular as always. The following week, while potting up continued, Dr. Jim and Seedy Steve gave an evening talk on Jardins de Métis.  The next day, our second big plant order arrived and potting up escalated due to the willingness of volunteers to answer our call for assistance.

 

A cool and rainy April 26^th saw Vic Dunphy hosting a Garden Tool Sharpening Workshop in our (newly cleaned) basement.  Participants learned how to clean and sharpen shears and loppers along with the occasional axe and knife.  Apparently, tool sharpening is highly entertaining, as I could hear gales of laughter coming up from the basement.  The following day, the talented Sima was back to run a Grafting Workshop.  Grafting truly is a fascinating process.  Hoping this year’s workshop is as successful as last year’s, when every single graft “took!”

 

Now, May is underway so things will start to get busy!

 

Let’s keep growing,

Linda 

Native plants are far more than just attractive additions to our gardens-they are the foundation that supports entire local ecosystems. Every time you see a Black-capped Chickadee snatch a caterpillar from an oak tree, you’re witnessing a vital energy exchange that’s been refined over millions of years and depends on native plants as the backbone of the food web.

 

At the heart of all life is the movement of energy. Plants, through photosynthesis, capture sunlight and store it as energy in their tissues. This makes them the base of all land-based food chains-they are the primary producers. When a caterpillar eats a leaf, it taps into that stored solar energy, becoming one of the first consumers in the food web. However, the transfer of energy up the food chain is highly inefficient. According to the “10% rule,” only about 10% of the energy at each level is passed on to the next; the rest is lost as heat. This means that by the time energy reaches a bird like the Chickadee, only a tiny fraction of the original solar energy remains. As a result, every calorie stored in plant tissue is precious to wildlife higher up the food chain.

 

Over roughly 350 million years, plants and insects have co-evolved, forming tight relationships. Many insects have become specialists, feeding only on specific native plants. When non-native plants replace these natives, the specialized food web collapses. For example, native oaks can support over 500 species of caterpillars, while non-native ginkgos support just five. This is because most insect herbivores cannot digest the unfamiliar chemical defences of non-native plants. Some native species, known as “keystone plants,” play an outsized role: research shows that just 14% of native plant species support 90% of caterpillar biomass, making them crucial for sustaining wildlife.

 

The Black-capped Chickadee, New Brunswick’s provincial bird, exemplifies the importance of native plants. These birds rely heavily on caterpillars to feed their young-raising a single brood requires 6,000 to 9,000 caterpillars. Chickadees are adept at finding these insects, but only if their habitat contains the native plants those caterpillars depend on. Gardens filled with non-native plants become “food deserts,” making it nearly impossible for birds like the Chickadee to find enough food for their chicks.

 

Native plants are also the backbone of pollinator networks that maintain biodiversity and ecosystem resilience. In Maritime Canada, several pollinators face serious threats, including the endangered Maritime Ringlet butterfly, which relies on salt-meadow cordgrass and sea lavender for its life cycle. Other threatened pollinators include the Rusty-patched Bumble Bee, the Yellow-banded Bumble Bee, and the Monarch butterfly. These species are at risk due to habitat loss, climate change, pesticide use, and the decline of native plants. Studies show that invasive plants attract more generalist pollinators, but specialist pollinators remain dependent on native species. This leads to a less resilient pollination network, unable to support the full diversity of native pollinators.

 

The good news is that by planting native species, gardeners can create vital habitat “steppingstones” for wildlife. Native plants are adapted to local conditions and provide food and shelter for countless insects, birds, and mammals. Some particularly valuable native plants for pollinator-friendly Maritime gardens include:

• Trees and Shrubs: Red Maple, Sugar Maple, Chokecherry, Pussy Willow, Rhodora, Black Chokeberry, Bush Honeysuckle, Wild Red Raspberry, and Lowbush Blueberry.

• Wildflowers and Herbaceous Plants: Swamp Milkweed (essential for Monarchs), Joe-Pye Weed, New York and Calico Asters (important fall forage), Goldenrods, Wild Mint, and Black-Eyed Susan.

By choosing a variety of native plants that bloom from early spring to late fall, gardeners can provide continuous nectar sources for pollinators and meaningfully contribute to biodiversity conservation. Planning for a sequence of blooms ensures that something is always flowering, supporting a range of pollinators, including bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, and hoverflies. Even small gardens matter: North America has lost nearly half its songbird population in recent decades, and over 230 species are at risk of extinction. But if every garden added even a small patch of native plants, it would create a network of habitat steppingstones, helping wildlife navigate fragmented landscapes.

 

Start small-swap in a native shrub, let wildflowers grow, and watch the impact add up. By choosing native plants, you’re not just beautifying your garden-you’re supporting conservation, helping chickadees and endangered pollinators, and rebuilding the ecological foundations of your region. Every garden can become an energy transfer powerhouse, nurturing the web of life right outside your door. For guidance on plant selection, local resources like the Fredericton Botanical Garden can help.

The Fredericton Botanic Garden Association has officially launched its new website! Thanks to a grant from the provincial Department of Tourism, Recreation and Culture, we were able to retain the services of Fredericton’s own Ginger Agency to work with us on this project.

 

Take a moment to explore the new website that features easier navigation and more up to date features!

 

Please feel free to share any feedback you have!

 

If you’ve taken a stroll through the Fredericton Botanic Garden lately, you might have noticed there’s something new tucked just off the path at the Cameron Court entrance—a Little Free Library.

 

Officially registered with the Little Free Library organization, our little library is part of a global movement to share books and build community. But more than that, it’s been a genuinely joyful experience

 

Since it was set up earlier this year, it’s become a popular little stop for garden visitors. Books have been coming and going at a steady pace since we started, in the last month, especially so! 

 

I check on it regularly, and it’s always interesting to see how quickly the contents change. Children’s books are by far the most in-demand—sometimes gone within a day—which means we’re always in need of more. If you’re thinking of donating, children’s or young adult titles are especially appreciated, in any language! 

 

Later this summer, my daughter and I are planning to give the library box a fresh look with some hand-painted flowers—something cheerful to help it blend in with its beautiful surroundings.

 

The Little Free Library is open to everyone, and it only works because people continue to take part—by donating, borrowing, or simply spreading the word. If you find yourself at the garden, stop by and take a look. You might find something new to read or pass along a book you’ve finished. 

 

Also, a big thank you to Vic Dunphy for building and donating the Library, and Eldon Toner for installing it! And to everyone in the community using it, for allowing me to enjoy my dream of being the Librarian of a Little Free Library. 

 

Hello, my name is Mujin Lee, and I’m honored to serve as the new Head Gardener at the Fredericton Botanic Garden.

I discovered my passion for gardening during a time of personal challenge. Regenerative gardening became a grounding force in my life, helping me reconnect with the land and my community. This passion inspired me to launch Mujin’s Gardening Services with the aim of building a career rooted in growing, learning, and sharing knowledge.

Over the years, I’ve developed practical expertise through work with local nurseries such as Liberty Tree Nursery and Sima’s Roots & Fruits. I also contributed to the Hampton High School Food Forest and Greenhouse Team, where I led student-focused educational programs and designed garden workshops for the wider community. Through partnerships with organizations like ACAP Saint John and Saint John YMCA, I’ve facilitated workshops on seed saving, living soil, and other sustainable practices. These experiences have strengthened my commitment to community education and ecological gardening, and I am very excited to bring this dedication to my role at the Fredericton Botanic Garden.

 

Weeding Wednesday got off to a great start this year in the Daylily bed. Co-leaders Gray Miller and Erin MacQuarrie led an enthusiastic team of volunteers in removing last year's lily leaves, taming the invasive quackgrass and creeping bellflower, and trimming back the hydrangea bush. Not only do the daylily beds look better, but great conversations were had and connections were made between volunteers. Think you could lead a Weeding Wednesday? If so, please email info@frederictonbotanicgarden.com.

 

2025 Spring Plant Sale

 

 

The Annual Spring Plant Sale is the Garden’s biggest fundraiser and, thanks to member feedback, this year will feature more native plants, in addition to the many ornamental varieties typically offered.

Perennials, shrubs and trees, herbs, heirloom tomatoes and peppers, and more! Online orders members-only May 20/21; everyone May 22. Pick-up from 3 – 7 PM on May 20, 21, and 22. In-person sale at our Resource Centre May 24 – 25.

 

Offers, questions, or suggestions may be directed to info@frederictonbotanicgarden.com, or (506) 452-9269.  Thank you for your consideration of this request.

 

By Heather Connors-Dunphy, Certified Master Gardener

 

Gardening like most other hobbies has a language of its own.  There are terms related to plant growth and development and garden practices.  There is also the extensive use of Latin to name plants. There are common names for plants; these vary from place to place so Latin provides a common denominator that enables people to understand what plant the other is speaking about. 

 

Hardscape and softscape

 

Hardscaping generally refers to items in the garden that are not alive and have been purposely installed in the space: statuary (like the rhododendron art installation in the Fredericton Botanic Garden), fountains, garden artwork, rock walls, fences, trellises, arbors, and obelisks are examples.  Often these items remain in the garden all year and thus add to the garden picture in late fall and winter when herbaceous material is resting.  Some of the larger hardscape items like retaining walls, walkways, wooden structures, large artwork and fountains will likely be placed before any plant material. In the garden hardscaping provides the “bones” or supporting frame of the garden, it can emphasize garden “rooms” and provide points of interest that lead the eye into the garden spaces.  Planting beds, shrubs, vines and trees form the living or softscape parts of the yard.  These two are the elements of the landscape.  

 

Biennial

 

A biennial plant typically has a two-year lifespan.  The first year the plant starts from seed and produces vegetative growth and organs to store food.  The next year the plant blooms, sets seed and dies.  Examples of biennials include Sweet William, Hollyhock and Canterbury bells.  Garden vegetables like the carrot, beet, and cabbage are also biennials.  

 

Tender perennial

 

In our Zone 4 and 5 gardens, many plants cannot survive winter.  In their ‘home’ zones, though they are perennials.  These are tender perennials.  Most tender perennials are either grown as annuals and discarded or composted in the fall or brought inside to overwinter in cool spaces or in the living space in the home.  Calibrachoa, Million Bells and Diascia, twinspur both popular plants for hanging baskets, are tender perennials.

 

Dioecious

A dioecious species of plant has male flowers on one plant and female flowers on another. Holly and hardy kiwi are examples.  If you want holly berries or fruit produced make sure you purchase both a male and female plant.  There are also hybrids that have a male and a female grafted on the same plant. 

 

Flowering on new wood

These plants produce blooms on the current year’s growth. Since growth takes a little time, these are usually summer and fall-blooming plants. Trim these types of plants in early spring before growth is started.  Examples are Clethra alnifolia, Summersweet, Hydrangea paniculata, Peegee Hydrangea and Potentilla fruticosa, Potentilla.

 

Flowering on old wood 

These plants produce blooms on the last year’s growth and are typically spring bloomers. Trim these just after the flowers are finished. Trimming in late summer or fall will decrease or eliminate next year’s blooms.  Examples are Syringa species, lilacs (seen in the bedding area near the rhodo garden, at the Fredericton Botanic Garden) , Philadelphus species, Mockorange and Forsythia.

 

Own root plants

These are plants that have their own root system as compared to plants where a scion is grafted to the stock and roots of another plant.  Typically apple trees are grafted as are hybrid tea roses and tree peonies.  There are tree peonies in the peony garden, at the FBG.  Many of the best winter-hardy roses are “own root”.  

 

Root bound

This occurs when the plant roots have filled the pot in which they are contained, and can no longer function to their capacity.  The plant needs to be repotted in the next larger-sized pot.  The roots need to be teased or moved apart so that they can push out into the space afforded by the new container.   

 

Ball and Burlap 

Plants are dug from the ground so that the soil surrounding the roots is undisturbed.  The root ball is then wrapped in burlap to keep the soil in place.  Before planting, the wire holding the burlap and as much of the burlap as possible should be removed.   

 

Bare Root

Some plants are sold without soil around the roots. When you purchase material like this, closely follow the instructions sent by the grower.  Often the material should be kept as cool as possible until it can be planted and the roots can benefit from soaking for several hours in water before planting.  Much of the plant material purchased for the FBG Plant Sale is purchased bare root.

 

Heather Connors-Dunphy

Certified Master Gardener

 

Learn Nordic Pole Walking

Join us for an introductory course in Nordic Pole Walking.  Poles are provided and classes are small, so register soon by emailing us at info@frederictonbotanicgarden.com.​

 

Here’s another way to support the FBGA! We’ve partnered with rainbarrel.ca to sell a variety of rain barrels, composters, and accessories. These must be pre-ordered by May 14th and will be available for pickup on Sunday, May 25th (at the Spring Plant Sale) from 12 – 4 PM and Wednesday, May 28th from 5 – 7 PM. Local delivery can be arranged for $10 extra.

Living Willow Fence Workshop

Hosted by Sima Usvyatsov, Andrew Mathis, and friends

 

Join us to learn how to plant, weave, and maintain living willow fences and tunnels. In addition to the planting and weaving, we will also learn about preparing the site for the planting and care for the fence after planting. We will create 20 ft of a living fence, as well as a 5 ft willow tunnel, at the Food Forest site in the Botanic Garden. At lunch, you’ll also have the opportunity to check out the Botanic Garden’s annual plant sale! Please bring your own lunch for the full-day workshop. Please dress for the weather and bring work gloves and sharp pruners if you have them, as well as your own lunch. IMPORTANT: Meet us at the Prospect St entrance to the Garden (695 Prospect St, Fredericton) and we will drive you to the site through the Garden, to avoid the parking congestion at the Resource Center due to the May 24 plant sale.

 

Fees: $100 for members, $110 for non-members, max 25 participants.

May 24 9:00 - 4:30pm 

Hosted by Sian Gwynne Turner

 

This living willow woven tree is a real delight and will become a centerpiece in your garden or on your deck. Using a starter pot, we will weave 36 willow rods diagonally and create a woven trunk. We will tie the top and allow the roots to develop. With some yearly management, the pollarded willow sprouts from the top creating a beautiful canopy. It is then cut yearly (coppiced) to do it all over again. All tools and materials supplied.

$150 for members and $175 for non-members. Max 10 students

May 19 9:00 am - 1:00 pm

Bard in the Barracks is Back!

 

The 2025 Season will feature Macbeth and The Merry Wives of Windsor June 30-July 6 at the Fredericton Botanic Garden!

 

 

 

1. 3. looks after the Garden's money
2. 5. people follow the Garden on Facebook and ___
3. 6. a weekly tradition in gardening season
4. 7. some of these live under the greenhouses
5. 9. this costs $45
6. 10. common additive to soil
7. 13. this is the first year the greenhouses are ______
8. 17. park adjacent to the garden
9. 18. nothing heavenly about this invasive species
10. 20. Winter event we celebrate with a hike and hot chocolate social
11. 21. a favourite snack of our resident deer
12. 22. where you find books at the Garden
13. 23. ______ in residence can be found in the Garden
14. 24. the Garden has free seeds in a _____
15. 25. garden's most regular volunteer
16. 29. what we sold as a new fundraiser

 

Scroll down for crossword answers.

Down

1. 1. flying mammal found in the Garden
2. 2. main building in the Garden
3. 4. hours the Garden is open
4. 8. executive director
5. 11. trees found in the Memorial Grove
6. 12. regular classes offered in Garden
7. 14. seasonal decoration constructed at Garden
8. 15. you can do this for the plant sale online or in person
9. 16. must be kept on a leash in the Garden
10. 19. where you will find a hotel
11. 26. Our new head gardener
12. 27. listing of the plants offered at plant sale
13. 28. We launched a new one in January

The Fredericton Botanic Garden Association Newsletter is published by the Fredericton Botanic Garden Association, Inc. The FBGA is a registered charitable organization. The objectives of the FBGA are to guide the establishment of the Fredericton Botanic Garden and to foster an awareness and appreciation of plants. For information regarding membership and to become involved, please contact us.

 

Email: info@frederictonbotanicgarden.com

Phone: (506) 452-9269

Address: 10 Cameron Court, Fredericton, NB E3B 2R9

Website: frederictonbotanicgarden.com

Charitable registration number: 13881 4876 RR0001 

 

Board of Directors
Chair: Bronwen Cunningham
Vice Chair: Michael Stastny
Secretary: Jay Chapman
Treasurer: Julie Wright
Past Chair: Steve Heard
Joanna Mills
Becca Ireland
Anthony Brooks
Valerie Sensinger
Cynthia Mercer

 

Executive Director: Linda Stephenson
Administrative Assistant: Erin MacQuarrie

1. 3. juliewright
2. 5. instagram 
3. 6. weedingwednesday 
4. 7. salamanders        
5. 9. familymembership 
6. 10. compost            
7. 13. heated
8. 17. odell 
9. 18. woodlandangelica 
10. 20. frostival   
11. 21. hostas  
12. 22. littlefreelibrary 
13. 23. artists 
14. 24. mailbox            
15. 25. jimgoltz 
16. 29. rainbarrels