I love fall, in case you haven’t noticed. I love fall planting, fallen leaves, Hallowe’en, the changing of seasons, the gradual descent into winter. I even love Proven Winner’s Fall Magic line, a clever bit of marketing that I always fall for (groan). But while fall might be a great time for planting shrubs and […]
Perennials
The best pick-me-up ever
Last week kind of sucked, for no particular reason. By Thursday, I was feeling stressed and depressed, and just wanted to crawl into a hole to hibernate for a while. Then on Friday I received a small package. It was an unexpected gift from Terra Nova Nurseries. Wow. What excitement. I opened it as carefully […]
God save the Queen
I was supposed to post this yesterday, but Movable Type was giving me grief. Here it is anyway, one day late. It’s Victoria Day here in Canada, heralding the end of the May long weekend. And, while I’m no monarchist, the holiday gives me a chance to mention one of my favourite perennials, Lobelia cardinalis […]
Container water gardens
There are three – count ’em – three ponds where I live now (mind you, it’s a half-acre property). I love the ponds. I love the sound of the waterfalls, I love the waterlilies that bloom in the summer, and I really love the koi. Kids get such a kick out of feeding them; some […]
Thanks, Snowberry!
When I was a kid, snowberries, (Symphoricarpos albus) grew wild all over our heavily-wooded property, along with other BC natives like ferns, Mahonia nervosa (Oregon grape) and Rubus spectabilis (salmonberries). I called snowberries “pop berries” because they made a delicious popping noise when you crushed them underfoot. I think my fascination with them terrified my […]
Still blooming
Despite my complaints about the rain, ain’t it grand to live in zone eight? I must remind myself, I could be digging out from a snowstorm, like the folks in Calgary. Instead, I wander around the garden and capture its last hurrahs. Passiflora caerulea Eupatorium rugosum ‘Chocolate’ Rosa ‘Bonica’ Pernettya mucronata
Peanut butter plant
Melianthus major (peanut butter plant) is a dramatic evergreen shrub with large, serrated leaves typically grown for its striking foliage. And yes, it really smells like peanut butter.
Chocolate-scented plants
Chocolate. Plants. Put ’em together and you’ve got one of the hottest trends in gardening. If it weren’t enough that there are a number of plants with “chocolate” in their name, (Heuchera ‘Chocolate Ruffles’ and Eupatorium rugosa ‘Chocolate,’ for example), there are several plants that smell like chocolate as well. Here are a few of […]