Upon arriving at work this morning, I was incensed to see the landscapers ripping out the annuals from the beds at the main entrance. Those hapless marigolds. Those wretched salvia. Snuffed out in their (late) prime. “Totally unprovoked,” I cried. “I mean, we haven’t even had our first frost!” My carpool buddy was, at this […]
Archives for October 2005
Guernsey Lily
Phoenix Perennials, a Vancouver nursery specializing in “Distinct Perennials, Fragrant Shrubs, Hardy Subtropicals and the Botanically Intriguing” sent this grey-day-defying Nerine bowdenii (Guernsey Lily) to my inbox. According to their e-newsletter, Nerine bowdenii is perhaps one of the most colourful flowers for the late September and October garden. Nerine bowdenii is the only semi-hardy variety […]
Fall container no. 2
It’s not as exciting as the other planter I made up at the same time, but I like the simplicity of this one (also with 50% off perennials from David Hunter Garden Centre ). Clockwise from left: Hebe glaucophylla ‘Variegata,’ Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Hameln’ (Dwarf Fountain Grass), Chrysanthemum Showmaker™ grandiflora amor, Brassica oleracea acephala (ornamental kale), […]
Zoned out
The Canadian Forest Service has initiated something called Going Beyond the Zones, a new look at the old plant hardiness zone maps. Their website states: It should be apparent to anyone who digs into the matter that both the old, and new, zone maps have limits and have not been calibrated to the wide number […]
Master Gardener course
So, I’m thinking about studying to become a Master Gardener. There’s an information session this coming Monday, October 17, at Van Dusen Botanical Garden, during which I will have to complete “a multiple-choice test on general gardening situations.” Alternatively, I could apply to the UBC garden design program for significantly more money. Thoughts? Advice? Anyone […]
Thomas Hobbs’ garden
Arguably Vancouver’s most famous gardener and garden personality, Thomas Hobbs owns Southlands Nursery and has published two books; The Jewel Box Garden and Shocking Beauty. I was lucky enough to visit his garden this summer on a Vancouver Hardy Plant Group tour and saw first hand the “jewels” that his latest book describes. His is […]
Vegetables that are pretty enough to hold their own
Scarlet Runner Beans An edible landscape, simply put, is one that provides value visually and on the table. There are hundreds of good-looking edible plants that you can easily tuck into your perennial borders, containers, or even as a stand-alone potage. And just think of being able to pick and eat vegetables that you’ve grown […]
More reasons to RIP OUT your lawn
The lawns in the United States consume around 270 billion gallons of water a week – enough to water 81 million acres of organic vegetables, all summer long. Food Not Lawns is an organization dedicated to encouraging and supporting people in replacing their lawns with edible flowers, fruits, vegetables, and other useful plants. “Or,” they […]