I met Hartley and Anne-Marie (above) at the farmer’s market last year, because, well, they were selling plants – need I say more? Early in the spring, there are always more vendors selling plants than fresh produce. Mostly it’s pretty basic: pots of herbs, annuals and a few cottagey perennials. But there’s also Otto with […]
Shrubs & Trees
Maple leaf love
What I’m loving this week: “Leaf walks”: long walks in search of the best, driest, most-kickable leaves. Something comes over me when I spy a nice thick stretch of colourful leaves. I am compelled to run through them, doing a series of low, straight-legged kicks that send the leaves flying and which cannot fail to make me […]
Spring shopping spree
It’s amazing how quickly you can drop $150 at the nursery. But I got a lot of bang for my buck (see above), and I did it in less than half an hour, all during a business call my husband had to take on our Easter Monday holiday. I apologize for the infrequency of posts […]
Nice (ahem) hedge
Cedar hedges are so ubiquitous in Vancouver they rarely merit a second glance. But in the tony neighbourhood of Point Grey, there’s one particular hedge that makes me giggle every time I pass it. And I actually go out of my way to check on it; I keep thinking that sooner or later, it’s going […]
Coral garden
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 […]
Humble Viburnum
This little guy was one of my first perennial purchases. At the time, I didn’t know much about gardening, so I asked the lady at the nursery for suggestions. My requirements: must do well in a container and in shade, look good most of the year, and not require too much work. She suggested the […]
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 […]
Pyramidal European Hornbeam
The garden in our new townhouse comes “fully landscaped;” I tried to see if they’d just leave it unplanted, but apparently it’s not an option they’ve ever heard of. Anyway, the tree that the landscape designer chose for our yard is a Pyramidal European Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus ‘Fastigiata’). It wouldn’t be my first choice of […]