Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’

During winter, devoted gardeners on the Pacific coast learn to find beauty in subtlety.  We enjoy the muted shades of bronze and purple brought out by cold weather on certain rhododendrons and cryptomeria, the icy blue of some cedrus and spruce cultivars and the rustling tan of frost-kissed ornamental grasses.  There are a few plants, however, that shine brightly on leaden coastal winter days and one of the most brilliant is a shrubby dogwood named appropriately, Midwinter Fire.

Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’

Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’ was discovered in a German garden by H. Venhorst in about 1980, but wasn’t named ‘Midwinter Fire’ until 1990. RHS website

This vigorous shrub is hardy to -15 Celsius and tolerant of a range of exposures, but plenty of sunshine produces the most vividly coloured stems.  Just like the other shrubby dogwoods that are grown for winter colour, the stems need renewing regularly or they will become corky and brown with age.  This is easily done by removing several of the oldest stems each year, prompting the plant to continually throw up fresh stems with the vibrancy that youth bestows.  If only that were so for people; I’m feeling rather corky, brown and fissured…

Cornus ‘Midwinter Fire’ and Rhododendron ‘Black Satin’

Last summer I planted a little Midwinter Fire shrub in the new garden we created in the middle of the back yard.  I’d had it in a winter container with some heather, a little conifer and a few mini tulips but when that display was done it needed out, so out it went.  I placed it strategically in the foreground with a rhododendron ‘Black Satin’ behind it (from the vantage point of my house) so that the two will dance together during the winter months.  Black Satin is so named for its foliage, which darkens with cold temperatures.  It’s not much of a show yet as both plants are still fairly small but I’m looking forward to a glorious winter display of orange, scarlet and peachy stems against the rich purple-black rhodo leaves as the two size up in future years. 

New Greenhouse Project

For the past 8 or 10 years I’ve experienced the joy of greenhouse gardening, thanks to an old neighbour.  Well, he wasn’t that old, but he sold his house and moved away so that makes him an old neighbour.  In fact we have moved too, so it was an old neighbour in an old neighborhood who gave me an amazing deal on a 6’ x 8’ single wall polycarbonate greenhouse (the kind you can buy at Canadian Tire).  Being a meticulous sort of fellow, he had built some sturdy, two tiered wooden shelving for it, but when it came to actually using it, he didn’t!

Greenhouses are beautiful, even little ones!

When he sold his house he wasn’t interested in moving the underused greenhouse, but the folks who bought his house weren’t interested in buying it from him and I guess he didn’t want to do them the favour of leaving it there, so he offered it to me for about what it would have cost to buy the two by fours to build the shelving.  Lucky me!

I remember how excited I was on the day that we shifted it from his backyard to ours; we enlisted a crew of about eight people and simply lifted the bloody thing over the six-foot fence between our yards and carried it up to the back of the garden.

How I loved that little greenhouse!  The ability to grow tomatoes that don’t keel over from blight at the end of the season, peppers that actually set and develop a good crop of fruit and a sheltered place to overwinter my tender, potted treasures has been extremely rewarding.

The only thing is, I’m a greedy gardener, and always want more…

When we moved to our new house and I began to design the layout of the backyard, I left space for the greenhouse that I wanted, rather than the one that I already owned.  I imagined a lovely big greenhouse, with a shed at one end and a pergola running along one side, dripping with grapes.

My small greenhouse in the new yard

After building a new house (and going over budget, as every new home construction project I’ve ever heard of does) there was no way I could afford that lovely big greenhouse too!  The pergola, however, was a reachable goal. My husband built the pergola and I snuggled my small greenhouse up to it. It looks rather ridiculous, but what’s a gardener to do?

Almost finished…

Four years (plus) later I’m finally going to achieve my dream!  Just a few days ago I ordered my new greenhouse from BC Greenhouse Builders and I’m eagerly anticipating spending the next several months obsessing over every detail of my new greenhouse project.

There are many things to decide upon and tons of prep work to be accomplished.  First I have to clear off the site, which involves moving the small greenhouse to a new site so that I can continue to use it this season during construction.  I’ve already moved a bunch of soil from the temporary raised bed that I created by dumping an entire bin’s worth of compost on the ground right where the new greenhouse will sit.

I need to remove this garden before excavating for the greenhouse

Then we’ll need to:

• Excavate;
• Bring water and electrical services from the house;
• Pour the cement foundation, and
• Build!

Don’t ask me if those are in the correct order; I’m the grower, not the builder.  Even my very smart and skilled husband admits that the scope of this project is just a bit more than he is comfortable handling alone, so we are enlisting some professional help with the tricky bits.

Making plans!

I’m hip deep in diagrams and research to determine important stuff like:

• How tall the shed will be;
• What sort of permanent beds do I want in the greenhouse;
• Where in the greenhouse to put them;
• What kind of material to side the shed with, and
• About a million other options, choices and decisions to be made!

I hope to find a funky exterior door and window(s) at our local Restore, maybe a big sink for the greenhouse too.

This is going to be SO MUCH FUN!!!!

The pergola is dripping with grapes…

I’m So Excited…

See on Scoop.it – Common Sense Gardening

B.C. Greenhouse Builders offers the largest selection of greenhouses and is the leading manufacturer of quality built hobby greenhouse kits and custom greenhouses.

Janis Cormier‘s insight:

So excited to be on the verge of buying my dream greenhouse from BC Greenhouse Builders!  My little 6′ by 8′ just isn’t cutting it anymore so I’m moving up!

These sturdy, aluminum frame greenhouses come in array of configurations, sizes and materials.  I’m choosing 12′ by 16′ twinwall polycarbonate and plan to build a 12′ by 8′ shed off of one end.  I’ll run a water line and electricity from the house and my family might never see me again!  Just kidding… sort of!

See on www.bcgreenhouses.com

Inspiration in My Mailbox

I almost skipped back across the road after gathering my mail today… because it arrived; the 2013 edition of West Coast Seeds Gardening Guide!  This valuable (and satisfyingly substantial this year) tome serves as their seed catalogue, but it is so much more than that! 

In lieu of a disclaimer, I have to tell you up front that I derive NO benefit from this post.  I wasn’t asked to review the guide; I won’t be receiving a packet of free West Coast Seeds for my trouble or even a link from their website to my blog.  If they should see fit to offer any of these (and I have a list of seeds I need!) I’ll be sure to update you.

This is West Coast Seeds 30^th year in business and they’ve been providing an ever-increasing selection of quality seeds, garden supplies, books and knowledgeable advice that is specific (although not limited) to gardeners here on the Pacific coast since I was, well, a teenager.

Most of those 30 years I have spent in the employ of a couple of different retail garden centres, so I’ve been working with and buying seeds from this company for a long time.  If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know that I like their seed because they offer unique varieties that are acclimated to where I live.  I wouldn’t say that they are the least expensive seeds, but they don’t charge for the gardening guide and I have a rough idea of how many guides they must produce because we reorder cases of them repeatedly throughout the year to keep them in stock at the garden centre.  If you multiply that by all the garden centres they serve and add in all those that they mail out to customers, I wouldn’t want to see their printing bill!

I must admit that I’m guilty of costing them money because when I talk with beginner (or novice!) gardeners who have a billion questions about how to grow in our climate, what grows well here and when to plant what, I hand them a guide and tell them to go home and read it.

For each edible there is an explanation (printed right with the seed selection for that crop) of how to grow it that includes timing, optimal temperature, planting depth, soil and sun requirements, harvest info and often, tips and tricks to help gardeners succeed.

Near the front of the guide is a vegetable planting chart for coastal BC which tells you when to start various seeds indoors, direct-seed them, transplant them and cover them.  I often use this to show people how we can garden pretty much year round, around here.

Near the back of the guide you will find advice to help you understand and control our common pests using physical or low toxicity ‘organic’ methods.

There are also easy to understand explanations of macro and micro nutrients, soil ph, cover crops, beneficial insects and other garden related lore.

So, what you have in this ‘seed catalogue’ is a thorough pacific coastal guide to successful vegetable, herb and flower gardening.  I’ve only done a quick riff through this year’s edition; it looks like they’ve pulled out all the stops in their 30^th year with more varieties, more products and more info than ever…

Yes, I know that I can read all this online at westcoastseeds.com, but I’m old fashioned enough to enjoy the print version.  Also, I don’t want to take my laptop (or my Ipad) out into the garden for quick reference.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get away from my computer, curl up in a comfy chair and devour my favourite gardening guide.

Wow! Are they really blaming gardening shows for some peoples’ poor habits?

See on Scoop.it – Common Sense Gardening

Shows such as Alan Titchmarsh’s Love Your Garden are blamed for the increasing number of allotments left unkempt and decade-long waiting time for tenancies.

Janis Cormier‘s insight:

I’m sure there are many reasons why ones allotment garden goes to wrack and ruin, but I don’t think you can lay blame at the feet of hosts or producers of television gardening shows.  How about if the lazy people who neglect their plots take responsibility for the mess?  If they can’t keep the weeds down (to prevent them spreading to adjoining plots) and maintain basic garden hygiene, there should be a mechanism of warnings followed by the loss of the allotment – it’s pretty simple!  Just basic common sense…

 

I wonder if this is a problem on this side of the pond?  Never having had an allotment garden, I’ve no experience with them.  The ones I’ve passed by have all seemed to be fairly tidy!  All I know about them is that demand has outstripped supply in many communities and I occasionally read about new allotments being established to try and answer the demand.  They are certainly a boon for those with no access to a garden of their own.

See on www.dailymail.co.uk

How to Clean and Maintain Your Tools | bcliving

See on Scoop.it – Common Sense Gardening

By properly cleaning and maintaining your garden tools, you’ll add to their longevity and save money in the long run.

Janis Cormier‘s insight:

Every winter I resolve to do this, yet every spring I’m pulling out rusty tools,  with clumps of last years muck cemented on blades, tines and handles!  Maybe this winter I will find the time to treat my tools properly…

 

On the other hand, good quality tools do bear up well despite my shoddy treatment.  I remember finding a pair of Felco pruners while sifting compost a few years back.  They must have been in there at least a year and were caked in rust, but I managed to remove, well, most of it and today I’m still using those pruners!

 

Maintain your tools if you can, but at least spring for  good quality implements – they last.

See on www.bcliving.ca

Steve Whysall’s year in the garden

See on Scoop.it – Common Sense Gardening

Steve has had trouble with his plumbago.  Mine blooms well, in full sun and contained in a small ceramic pot.

See on blogs.vancouversun.com

What I want for my new greenhouse/shed structure

See on Scoop.it – Hobby and Home-built Greenhouses

When I build my greenhouse I’m planning a storage shed attached to one end (my husband wants his garage back) and I’d really love to install a green roof on the shed.  Here’s a local company that might be able to help me.

See on www.bcgreenroofs.ca

A Good Idea, But…

See on Scoop.it – Common Sense Gardening

 

It sounds like a good idea, but taking photos of invasive plants and expecting someone to come and uproot them seems ridiculous!  If you drive along the freeway near my home you’ll see that there is more Scotch broom growing on the median and  roadsides than anything else.  There’s no way that we could fund the amount of invasive plant removal that’s required; better to take the matter into your own hands as the author describes doing herself.

 

Maybe I’ll go and take a few (thousand) photos of invasive plants and see how long it takes for the cleanup crew to show…

 

Hmmm, when I follow the link to the Invasive Alien Plant Program site, it informs me that my ‘alien plant report’ will be sent to a  provincial Invasive Plant Specialist for my area (wonder if they’re hiring) who “may then share this information with the local Weed Committee Coordinator so that the agency/land owner responsible for the infestation can be notified”.

 

I’m sure the agency or landowner will come rushing out to clean up the blackberries, broom or butterfly bush!  Excuse my cynicism, but I think we would do better to organize local groups of citizens to combat invasive alien plants.  There are folks in my community who host regular ‘broom bashes’

 

I can’t help but think that the funds directed to setting up Report-a-Weed could have been better spent supporting groups that are already doing this work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

See on www.bcliving.ca

Clematis florida ‘Sieboldii’

Clematis florida ‘Sieboldii’

Every year I add new plants to my garden, often a lot of new plants!  One of this year’s acquisitions is a lovely Clematis florida ‘Sieboldii’.  I popped this little beauty into a tall, charcoal grey ceramic pot and it hasn’t yet stopped blooming.

Clematis florida ‘Sieboldii’ – smothered in blooms and buds in July

Clematis florida (as you might guess from the name) isn’t reliably hardy here, so I’ll protect it over the winter.  I’ve already brought it into my little greenhouse and soon it will migrate into the garage, where all my favorite tender plants get to hang out between December and February, just in case old man winter decides to give us a slap or two.

Spectacular!

So why bother growing a clematis that needs coddling when there are umpteen dozen perfectly hardy cultivars?  Well, I thought it was because the flowers of this particular variety are outstanding, intricate and fabulous but now I realize that’s only half the story.

Still going strong in mid-October

If I’d had any clue how floriferous this plant would be I would have counted the blossoms it produced (and continues to produce) since it began flowering in June.  Then I could impress people by saying “it’s had 50, or 500, or 5,000 flowers this season”.  Actually that probably wouldn’t impress very many people, only freaks like me who think that’s cool.

Blooming in the greenhouse in November

Anyhow, I gotta say, I love this clematis!  It’s earned the right to winter in the garage and I’m looking forward to enjoying even more beautiful blossoms next year.  It’s also going straight onto the list of my favourite plants.

November blooms on my Clematis florida ‘Sieboldii’