What's blooming now in Vancouver - April 25 pt 2

Polygonatum

Here is one of my favourite shade plants:  Solomon's Seal or Polygonatum.  I love the delicate weep of the single stalk, covered with tiny scented white bells hanging like earrings from the stalk.  

We had a site with hundreds of Polygonatum lining the top of a steep slope.  Imagine our delight when one morning we spied a hummingbird flitting from one tantalizing white flower to the next!

Polygonatum grow in deep shade, but I like to provide staking so the single stalks do not fall over.  This photo shows my staking device forming a fence around the Solomon's Seal in the direction I know the plants will fall without staking.  If the stakes are placed early enough, the stalks of Solomon's Seal will grow over and hide the stakes.

Solomon's Seal will increase in number each year, which is terrific because it looks best in a large group.  Just make sure you have allowed enough room for a great showing.  Solomon's Seal is also easy to divide and transplant.

Plant Solomon's Seal with Hostas and Ferns, and other woodland plants.  There is also a variegated leaf variety of Solomon's Seal.

Brunnera: another great shade plant

Brunnera macrophylla flowers tucked in amongst the dafs

Brunnera is another terrific shade plant.  The first sign of Brunnera macrophylla in the spring is the Forget-Me-Not like blue flowers rising from the earth.  If the Brunnera is planted with bulbs, like the photo to the left, the delicate blue flowers provide a lovely contrast to large Daffodil heads.

Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost'

Once the flowers have emerged, heart shaped leaves develop and grow.  The more recent varieties of Brunnera have interesting variegation in the leaves, from lightly variegated, to the entire leaf being white or silver.  I prefer the contrast of green veins, so I stick with B.c. 'Jack   Frost.'

Brunnera can tolerate full shade and part shade, but don't let them dry out.  Their leaves will be margined with brown, which does not complement the silver.

Pig's Squeak! Blooming Now!

Bergenia cordifolia

Pig's Squeak, or Bergenia cordifolia, is a fun plant for the garden.  Its big, leathery leaves provide a wonderful contrast to almost every other foliage in the garden.  If you are going for a tropical look, these leaves have a tropical look, yet the plants are super tough.

Bergenia can be grown in any type of soil, from full sun to part shade, and under most any water conditions. Does it get any better?

Why, yes.  Bergenia are also evergreen.  For another bonus, the leaves of Bergenia cordifolia 'Bressingham Ruby' turn burgundy in autumn.


In spring, long lasting stalks of flowers pop up above the leaves.  The flowers are usually a shade of pink, but there are some varieties with white flowers.

Bergenia divide easily, and will spread by root without being a pest.

If you want to know how Bergenia got its common name, rub one of the leaves between your finger and thumb.

Beautifully scented Lonicera pileata

Lonicera pileata berries

Lonicera pileata flowers

The Lonicera pileata hedge that stopped me

Today I was walking through a commercial parking lot, past a low maintenance, uninspired garden.  What stopped me was a beautiful scent wafting through the air, above the smell of traffic on the busy arterial road.  Below the walkway where I was standing was a Lonicera pileata hedge, emitting a beautiful, citrusy fragrance.  The fragrance is not heavy, but light and fresh.

Lonicera pileata has many advantages.  It is a tough plant that can tolerate little water, and full sun to dappled shade.  This Lonicera is evergreen in Vancouver, and its branches grow in long, straight formations.  Branches near the ground will root, making the Lonicera pileata a great erosion control plant.

Although the flowers are insignificant to look at--only about 3mm long--they release a lovely scent.  These flowers give way to an iridescent purple berry in summer.

Lonicera pileata is not a specimen shrub, but creates a good backdrop for other plants, and fills a spot year round with green.  It can be pruned to shape, and usually grows to 2'.

What's blooming now in Vancouver? pt 3

Daffodils

Vancouver is alive with Daffodils of white and yellow right now.  Daffodils are so cheerful, they can make the grumpiest person smile.

Another advantage to Daffodils, or Narcissi, is the bulbs are poisonous to eat.  I am always so disappointed with Tulips because squirrels and raccoons find them delicious, and come spring, many of the Tulips are gone.  Rodents do not eat Daffodils.

Some Daffodils can also tolerate partial shade and shade.  Most Daffodils naturalize in the ground, meaning they come back year after year.  Look for "Naturalizing" on the label of bulb bags and tags.

Heather

Heather, or Erica carnea, is a resilient early bloomer.   E. carnea comes in shades of red, pink, purple and white.  In full sun, the entire small shrub is a mound of tiny flowers.  

These come from the moors, so think rocky, inhospitable soil and sun.

Cut the branches back after blooming to maintain a full shape.  With no pruning, E. carnea get leggy and the centres look dead.

Camellia

Camellias are beautiful in spring.  They do tolerate some shade, but bloom profusely in sun.  Find a variety that does not rust, which is the look when flowers look rusty after a rain.  This is especially important in rainy Vancouver.

Camellias are prone to many little bugs, and subsequently, sooty mold or aphid honeydew, the black that can coat leaves.

Camellias are also evergreen shrubs, so they provide some winter greenery.

What looks good now in Vancouver? pt 2

As I mentioned before, there are not many flowers blooming now in Vancouver, so we have to think of other ways to make the garden interesting.  Here are two trees, suitable for a residential garden, that have interesting bark.  

This first photograph shows an Acer griseum, or Paper Bark Maple.  A. griseum has a beautiful, rich brown, peeling bark.  The warmth of the bark colour contrasts well with our cold grey days.  The way the bark peels gives an extra interesting texture to the garden.

The leaves of the A. griseum are atypical for a maple tree, and they produce a wonderful autumn colour, before dropping to unveil the bark for the winter.

The Stewartia pseudocamellia, or Japanese Stewartia, also has a colourful bark for winter interest.  It, too, is suitable for a residential garden.  The S. pseudocamellia bark peels in patches, resembling camouflage like colouring.

In summer, white flowers appear that resemble the flowers of a Camellia, hence the species name, "pseudocamellia."  

What's blooming now in Vancouver? pt 1

Spring is officially here so I thought I would post some photographs of plants blooming in a Vancouver garden at the start of spring.

Oemleria cerasiformis flowers

Oemleria cerasiformis

Oemleria cerasiformis berries

The first three photos show Oemleria cerasiformis, or Indian Plum, a Vancouver native deciduous shrub.  Oemleria are one of the first blooming plants of the year.  This shrub is an understorey shrub.  Being an understorey shrub means it likes to grow under taller trees, which in turn means it does not like to be exposed to full sun.  Masses of Oemleria grow wild along 4th Ave, by Jericho Park.  The pretty white flowers become plum shaped berries.

Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis

The fourth photo shows Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis, or Dwarf Sweet Box,  behind a Heuchera.  Sarcococca are low, evergreen shrubs with tiny white, but heavily scented flowers.  Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis, Sarcococca confusa and Sarcococca ruscifolia are all varieties of the same genus plant.  S. hookeriana var. humilis is smaller and tidier than the other two varieties so I prefer this one.  

All Sarcococca grow in shade to part shade, and their roots sucker.  Their leaves are glossy dark green and lance shaped.   These shrubs are not remarkable enough to be a specimen plant, but form an attractive background to other plants.  They are also useful fillers for dark corners.  Don't let them dry out.

Sarcococca flowers are insignificant, but strongly scented in February/March.  For this reason, Sarcococca are a lovely addition to a garden in Vancouver come the bleak, grey, rainy days of February and March.  Place them somewhere along the path most used in winter.  Their scent easily travels 10 feet, and is a pleasant surprise in the winter.