The Front Entry Garden Room
The photo album for The Front Entry Garden Room
The Magnolia Tree Garden Room where the Trilliums grow.
The photo album The Magnolia Tree Garden Room where the Trilliums grow.
The Inner Garden Room, including The Sun Dial Circle, Thyme Circle and Center Garden
The photo album for The Inner Garden Room, including The Sun Dial Circle, Thyme Circle and Center Garden
The Smoke Tree Garden Room that is part of the Inner Garden Room
The photo album for the The Smoke Tree Garden Room that is part of the Inner Garden Room
The Front Garden Rock and Alpines
The photo album for The Front Garden Rock and Alpines
The Boulevard Garden
The photo album for The Boulevard Garden
The Strip between the Driveways
The photo album for The Strip between the Driveways
The Woodland Garden Room
The photo album for The Woodland Garden
The Fig Tree Bed, including the bed next to the old sidewalk, in the back garden
The photo album for The Fig Tree Bed, including the bed next to the old sidewalk, in the back garden
The Japanese and Moss Garden Room
The Japanese and Moss Garden photo album
The pond and surrounds Garden Room
The photo album of the The pond and surrounds Garden Room
The plants in the pond Room (note: This is a list page for the plants in the pond)
The photo album for The plants in the pond Room
Water gardening list page for the Larix Landscaping pond. (note: I had Larix Landscaping rebuild the waterfall, pond and surrounds after the pond sprang a leak in November and December of 2024. This newly lined pond includes a new Aquascape Ultra 1500 Water pump.
The photo album for the Larix Landscaping rebuild of the waterfall, pond surrounds and the pond in January 2025.
The Back Garden Rock and Alpines
The photo album for The Back Garden Rock and Alpines
The Cutting Garden including vegetables, herbs
The Cutting Garden Room photo album
The deck and patio plants, including some of the plants also listed in the Moss and Water Garden Room
The photo album for The deck and patio plants, including some of the plants also listed in the Moss and Water Garden Room
The Fish Pond Note: this is a new water page, not a list page
Pond Plants Note: this is the list page for the Plants in the Pond and the deck tub.
The photo album for the Pond Plants
The Light garden and Orchids
The photo album for The Light garden and Orchids
B. C. INVASIVE PLANTS list.
Perennial Pruning
A good look at how to prune a few perennials
Not only do perennials make a statement, they’re also relatively low-maintenance and give you a bang for your buck with their yearly return.
However, some perennials don’t thrive when pruned in the cold weather and others don’t thrive if they’re pruned too early in the season. So, which perennials are best to cut back in the fall and which ones are good to keep until the spring? Read on to find out.
Perennials to cut back in the fall
YARROW (Achillea)
This long-blooming perennial is often used in butterfly and rock gardens as an edging plant. They come in a variety of colours and are known for their vibrant, feathery foliage.
Yarrow doesn’t thrive in cold or wet soil and often stops actively growing in the fall. This is a great time to cut back its lowest leaves to give the plant enough time for its new growth to emerge in the spring.
Tall Garden PHLOX
Tall garden phlox is another perennial that adds a pop of colour to any garden. They often grow in tall clumps and are known for their cluster of blooms at the top of their stalks.
Unfortunately, phlox is prone to powdery mildew so cutting the stems and foliage back in the fall can prevent the plant from getting infected. This can also help the plant increase airflow and prevent disease.
PEONY
Peony is a magnificent addition to any garden space. They are captivating, have large, full blooms and come in over 30 different species. With this plant also comes careful handling and care in order for them to thrive in your garden.
Similar to phlox, peonies are prone to mildew which is why cutting them back in the fall is important. This will also give your peonies enough time to set buds for the spring season.
Tall BEARDED IRIS
Tall Bearded iris is an easy and stunning plant to grow. Their sword-like leaves offer a unique display to your outdoor space, and come in a variety of solid and bi-colours.
As the foliage of this plant begins to flop early in the growing season, it may become prone to pests and fungal diseases. As soon as the plant is done blooming in the fall, cut the flower stalk and remove any damaged or diseased leaves.
DAYLILY
If you’re looking to create a pollinator habitat in your garden, daylilies are an attractive plant to butterflies, bees and hummingbirds.
Removing spent flower stalks of daylilies in the fall can encourage new flowers in the spring and save you garden cleanup time during the spring season. Removing diseased parts of the plant can also protect the plant from getting infected.
GAILLARDIA
Gaillardia is a perennial that is often compared to daisies due to their shape and rich coloured-flowers. They’re relatively easy to grow, and their red and yellow shades are guaranteed to make a showy display during the warmer months.
Pruning these perennials in the fall can result in a fuller, healthier plant and steady blooming.
Perennials to prune in spring
LAVENDER
Lavender is a fragrant garden favourite for many reasons including its attractive display, aroma and versatile uses.
A lot of areas struggle with over-wintering due to moisture and the cold, however, they can benefit from pruning winter dieback after new growth has appeared in the spring as new growth can be sensitive to the cold.
GAYFEATHER (Liatris spicata)
Gay feather, also known as blazing star, is known for their signature grass-like leaves and reddish-purple colour varieties. Rather than being sensitive to cold weather, they are more sensitive to cold, wet soil.
During the winter, their flower heads can be left in place for winter-feeding birds. Any garden debris in the spring is important to clean before new growth begins.
MUMS (Chrysanthemum)
Mums are great, vibrant plants for potted plants and garden use. They come in several colour varieties perfect for creating an enchanting arrangement when placed together in any garden.
Mums are a perennial that can benefit from keeping their foliage over the winter in order to protect their root crowns.
LAMBS EARS
Lamb’s ears are known for their silvery foliage and are extremely drought-tolerant. They love the sun and work well in rock gardens or dry spots in garden beds.
With these perennials, it is best to leave them as-is for the winter as their foliage can protect the crowns of their plants. In the spring, garden cleanup will be relatively simple while you’ll only have to rake loose foliage.
SAGE (Salvia yangii)
Sage is another perennial that is low-maintenance and drought-tolerant. Similar to lavender, sage doesn’t benefit from cutting back in the fall as its growth is sensitive to cold weather.
In the spring once new growth of this plant appears, it is best to cut back to about 6 to 8 inches to allow their growth buds to resprout.
CORAL BELLS (Heuchera)
If there’s one perennial that is the epitome of fall, it’s coral bells, also known as heuchera. They have show-stopping foliage and new varieties of this plant are introduced every year.
These perennials are best to keep until spring as they are adept at protecting themselves during the fall and winter. Leaving the foliage of coral bells intact during the fall can help mulch the plants through the winter season, making it best to prune in the spring season.
The Cutting Garden Room
See the photo album for the Cutting garden room photo album
See the photo album for the fruits and vegetables that have been grown all around the garden. Such as the plum tree (now in the boulevard garden room, the grapes and fig tree now in the Fig Tree garden room, the strawberries in the Cut garden room, the rhubarb that now grows in the Woodland garden room.
The photo album for the garden paths and art helps define each of the garden rooms. Also shows some of the renovations to the previously existing garden rooms. The Cutting garden room is surrounded by two 9 foot railroad ties on each side; being an 18 x 18 food square. Features in the Cutting Garden Room are a chair, a bin for garden debris. The strawberry patch is part of the Cutting Garden Room. See the the changes 2 page for more defination of this Cutting Garden Room. An excerpt from the changes 2 Page: I have planted more cedar hedging along the back of the vegetable patch. I now clip the bottom of this cedar hedge back to the cement pavers path, as high as I can reach with the hedge trimmer. I have to water by hand under the 'roof' of cedars over about 4 feet of this side of the cutting garden. There is a wisteria in the north east corner. This wisteria has disappeared at the property line and goes along the cedar hedge and up into the trees where it makes the cedars bloom. Along the east side in a 3 foot strip there is chives, tall bearded irises, an English Oak tree, a French lilac, an autumn crocus, and at the bottom of this area I have planted a few yews that screen the pond from the vegetable patch. There is also a low globe cedar and a bay laurel along the bottom of this area. By 2012 I found that the vegetable patch had become too shaded and the tree roots used up all the nutrients. I am now using half of the vegetable patch as a cutting garden/butterfly garden. The other side of the veggie patch is in strawberries. The rhubarb has been moved to the Woodland Garden Room. There are cement pavers that create the paths. The list of plants in the Cutting Garden is constantly changing as I have some successes and some losses. The above noted plants are more permanent. The newly made cutting garden plants will change over time, no doubt. I will start the list below with the current plants (2024) and will be able to change this list if I have any significant changes. Also, in 2024 I did a major clean up of the Cutting Garden, picking up all the twigs and weeds and adding mulch from the dried leaves and other stuff from under the cedar hedge and yew hedge.
On the west side of the veggie patch I have created a little rockery. There are a few special plants in the little rockery.
The Plants in the Cutting Garden Room
The TREES:
The ENGLISH OAK - Quercus robur
Bought this tree at a Seedy Saturday, many years ago. The little seedling was called a Garry Oak. An Aborist, who takes care of a special protected English Oak, told me it is an English Oak. To be designated as a protected tree in Saanich I think it needs to have a diamenter of about 24 inches, and other requirements. I measured the circumference at 48 inches. Divide it by 3.14 to get the diameter of 15.2866. A quick glance through these requirements seems to allow my tree to be protected after it puts on about 14 more inches to its diameter. (that seems excessive to me -- I must have read it wrong) I would need a lot of help to get this set up, which may not happen at my age. See below for more about this tree, that is not a garry oak. It grows in the 3 foot wide strip along the neighbours property.
The FRENCH LILAC - FRENCH LILAC -
I no longer know which cultivar it is. It does not get suckers. It helps to prune it by about 1/3 of the canopy when it gets too scraggily. It grows next to the oak tree in the same 3 foot strip. And near one of the entries to the pond area.
The YEW hedge
grows between the water garden and the cutting garden. Easy care hedge of 7 trees.
A Globe cedar grows beside the yew hedge. It seldom needs pruning and is about 3 feet high and wide. It allows a glimpse into the cutting garden from up on the deck. This is a 'thuga'.
The whole Cedrus genus contains just four "true cedar" species: Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica), Cyprus cedar (Cedrus brevifolia), deodar cedar (Cedrus deodara), and Lebanon cedar (Cedrus libani).
The BAY LAUREL
grows next to the globe cedar. It is fragrant, especially in bloom. The leaves are used in cooking. On the other side of the Bay Laural is an entry into the strawberry patch and the end of this side of the Cutting Garden room. It is bordered by the little rock garden all along this side.
The WISTERIA vine
was planted at the opposite corner of the 3 foot strip from the yew hedge, and next to the hedging cedars along the other neighbour's property. This vine has been cut back where it comes out of the ground, but has sent out long branches into the cedar hedge and on into the 2 western red cedars. It climbs the cedar trees and makes them bloom. Now, that's rather unique. The wisteria belongs to the legume family of plants.
The tall HEDGING CEDARS
grow along the opposite side of the cutting garden from the Yew hedge. These trees are 'arborvitae'. I have started pruning these trees back off the cement paver path, as high as I can reach with the hedge trimmer. The rest of the height of the hedge forms a 'roof' over the cement paver path along this side of the Cutting Garden room.
Next to these hedging cedars there is another entry past the little rockery. Beside this entry is a Irish heather with and iberis growing with it, under the 2 WESTERN RED CEDARS that continue on this side of the property to the Woodland garden room. These trees are thuga plicata. I prune them back lightly. These are the cedars that bloom. They are more than house high.
THE HERBS:
The ROSEMARY grows near the Wisteria vine in the 3 foot strip along the nefarious neighbours property. It has become a small hedge on of its own. It is about 3.5 feet high, 2 feet wide and deep. Nice and fragrant. Its blossoms are blue.
There is OREGANO at the edge of the pavers, under the clipped cedar hedge. Very good fresh out of the garden in cooking.
There is SAGE growing next to the Oregano, under the clipped cedar hedge.
There are self seeding CHIVES, along the 3 foot strip and in a pot that sits next to the chair that is on its own cement pavers and tied to the oak tree to keep it from blowing over on to the flowers when the wind blows. I have found that the blossoms of chives are delicious and very good in salads.
I hope to get another plant of the rosemary, oregano, and sage established along the other end of the 3 foot strip where they will get more sunshine.
The AUTUMN CROCUS - colchicum autumnale
is at the end of the 3 foot strip next to the entry to the water garden. It is nicely spreading in its spot. It has green leaves during the growing season and blooms in Autumn. I didn't know that it is a toxic plant and not to be confused with the real saffron crocus.
The TALL BEARDED IRISES
grows at the other end of the 3 foot strip and looks good in bloom. I think the variety that is growing here might be 'Indian Hills'. (purple/gold)
The CLEMATIS
grows next to the Wisteria and the Irises and climbs up the edge of the clipped cedars, and over the sage. I think this variety might be 'Nelly Moser'.
There is a green bin behind the chair for easy access to deposit weeds and clippings into from the Cutting Garden. The cement pavers path divides this 3 foot wide strip from the rest of the Cutting Garden Room. This completes the plants and features in this busy area of this garden room. I have added an old, used ladder from the back of the motor home along the property edge to act as a fence. It is behind the autumn crocus and goes almost to the green bin. I had several tomato cages put at the other end of the 3 foot strip to act as a fence, also. These tomato cages have walked themselves over into the nefarious neighbours garden, just within the last couple of days. (July 24, 2024) So, the petty larceny continues.
FOXGLOVES, COLUMBINES, LUPINES, YARROW, MALVAS
I am letting these plants and any other flowers that want to self seed, grow around the Cutting Garden. Garden thugs, like perennial bachelor buttons, Japanese anemones, etc. are not allowed.
ANEMONE - Poppy Anemone (A. coronaria) has one large poppy-like blossom on each stalk, which is 15-40 cm high, with ferny leaves just under the flower. Dark blue De Caen ones in this garden room.
- Wind Flowers - Anemone blanda, common names Balkan anemone, Grecian windflower or winter windflower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae, native to southeastern Europe, Turkey, Lebanon, and Syria. An herbaceous tuberous perennial, it grows to 15 cm tall and broad. They spread nicely around by seed I think. There are white ones and blue ones along the path between the Cutting garden and the Strawberries.
AQUILEGIA - Columbine (2) 'Nora Barlow' columbine full sun to partial shade Cutting garden
Aquilegia Black Barlow(2) cutting garden. I will need to replace this one I think it got trampled.
There are numerous self seeded columbines - dark blue, purple, white, light blue.
ASCLEPIAS - Milkweed Asclepias incarnata 'Ice Ballet' - white flowers, fragrant, clumping perennial upright stems, long seed pods release black seeds with silky tails. Blooms summer and fall. Moist well drained soil, low to moderate water once established. Butterflies like it - in the cutting garden added lots of leaf compost, from the old compost bin. Dig a deep hole and fill it with compost. keep it well watered this summer.
- Asclepias incarnata 'soulmate' - swamp milkweed - pink, full sun, 40 inches x 12'' spread. Do not allow soil to dry out. Cutting garden. Same as above.
- Asclepias tuberosa. Butterfly weed. Orange flowers. Established a few years ago from a nursery plant.
ASCLEPIAS Curasseavica
Tropical Milkweed
Asclepias curassavica is sometimes used in butterfly gardens (see above for concerns for monarchs) or as a cut flower. However, when the stems or leaves are broken, a poisonous milky sap exudes which can cause eye injury. The whole plant is poisonous. Therefore it is not good as a cut flower. It is evergreen. The tropical milkweed does not go dormant in the winter causing non-migratory groups of butterflies to form. Planting Asclepias curassavica in nonnative regions therefore remains controversial and criticized. I bought it at HCP. They should be aware of these things. Too bad I have it planted, and will see if it goes dormant and dies which would be the best outcome since I cannot seem to kill it myself.
CARDAMINE pentaphyllos (syn. Dentaria pentaphyllos), five-leaflet bitter-cress or showy toothwort, is a flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae, native to Western and Central Europe in Slovenia and Croatia. It is an herbaceous perennial, growing to 30–50 cm (12–20 in), with palmate leaves and racemes of purple, pink or white flowers in late Spring and early Summer. There are also hardy annuals of this plant too. The Latin specific epithet pentaphyllos means "with five-lobed leaves". Mine is pink and kind of floppy.
CROCUSES - dark blue, next to the path by the cedar hedge.
TULIPS - 20 pack of Rainbow mix colors tulips. Planted randomly throughout the cutting garden area.
DWARF IRIS - 10 J.S. Dyt - planted along the cement pavers between the strawberry patch and the Cutting Garden room.
RANUNCULUS I have planted one of these corms somewhere in the cutting garden. I hope to see it again in the Spring.
COREOPSIS Pink thread leaf coreopsis 'American Dream' - June - Sept. thread leaf coreopsis, 12 - 18 in. tall and wide. Soil moist, full sun. 1 cutting garden, 1 in pot with Verbascum and pink Veronica. The one in the pot survives. I have lost the one in the cutting garden. It might be difficult to keep it from naturalizing, so I won't put one in the cutting garden. The flowers are too small to be used in boquets.
GYPSOPHILA - 'Pink Fairy' paniculata, double large pink flowers, good cut flower, fresh or dried, 1 - 18 in x 24 - 36 Average well drained, full sun.
LUPINUS Gallery Blue - this lupine is a lovely color. The lupines take up a lot of space. They probably would not work very well as a cut flower, either. I will keep this one, for now though.
LYCHNIS chalcedonica - 'maltese cross' - Maltese Cross has masses of beautiful clusters of scarlet star-shaped flowers at the ends of the stems in early summer, which are most effective when planted in groupings. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its pointy leaves remain dark green in colour throughout the season.
This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Maltese Cross will grow to be about 28 inches tall at maturity extending to 4 feet tall with the flowers, with a spread of 24 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 18 inches apart. It tends to be leggy, with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and should be underplanted with lower-growing perennials. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 15 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!
OMPHALODES (navelwort) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae. It includes eleven species native to Europe and western Asia. In spring they produce blue or white flowers similar to forget-me-nots.
Both the Greek Omphalodes (navel-like) and the English "navelwort" refer to the shape of the seeds.
O. verna - Omphalodes verna, the creeping navelwort or blue-eyed-Mary, is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant in the genus Omphalodes belonging to the family Boraginaceae.
and cultivars of O. cappadocica - are grown in gardens for their blue flowers which in spring appear above the leaves in loose sprays. They are woodland plants, preferring some shade. Omphalodes cappadocica, commonly known as Cappadocian navelwort, Cappadocian navelseed, or creeping-forget-me-not, is a bushy, evergreen, tufted perennial of the borage family that typically grows to 6-10” tall spreading by creeping rhizomes to 16” wide. It is native to Turkey. Slightly hairy, long-petioled, heart-shaped, ovate to lanceolate leaves (3-4” long) form a basal foliage clump from which rise flowering stalks in spring to 10” tall topped by loose terminal racemes of forget-me-not-like, 5-petaled, 1/3” diameter flowers which are blue to purple-blue with white eyes. Flowers have veining that radiates outward from the center giving the corolla a star-like appearance. Smaller stem leaves are alternate and nearly sessile.
These 2 omphalodes have totally different leaves. I have the linfolia and the cappadocia ones. I am not sure if either of them survived in 2024. I will watch for them after the recent cleaning up of the cutting garden room. (July 2024)
PHLOX paniculata 'Laura' pink.
Phlox paniculata 'Laura' pink is fragrant and will be an excellent plant for the cutting garden.
SCABIOSA Perennial pincushion (Scabiosa caucasica)
- Perennial scabiosa plants are most often found in shades of blue or white, though pink varieties are available as well. Flowers are also larger, up to 2 ½ to 3 inches (7-8 cm.) and will normally bloom from late spring/early summer until the first frost. Unlike the annual type, their foliage remains green year-round and will return each year. Mine is blue. I do not know if I still have it. It too may have been trampled. I will put it on my plants to add list.
This easy-care plant works well nearly anywhere, and its interesting flowers are a stunning sight to behold. They are especially attractive to butterflies. This plant is suitable for bed and border plantings or in containers. The long stems and flowering season also make it ideal for use in cutting gardens.
RED VALERINE Jupiter's Beard
Red Valerian features showy cymes of fragrant pink star-shaped flowers with red overtones held atop the stems in late spring, which emerge from distinctive crimson flower buds. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its attractive pointy leaves remain grayish green in colour throughout the season.
How to grow Jupiter's beard: Red valerian is not fussy, needing only well-drained soil in full sun, although they will tolerate slight shade. Alkaline soil promotes the best growth. Plants do not grow well if the soil is overly rich. Flowering stems should be cut down to promote new flowers. If flowering stops due to hot summer weather, shear plants back by one-half to one-third to promote another round of bloom in late summer. Valerian self-sows readily and seedlings pop up all over the garden. If this is not desirable, simply hoe or pull out unwanted plants or remove old flowers before they can form seeds.
Uses for Jupiter's beard: This plant is best when massed and is often naturalized along old walls and rock outcrops. It makes a long-lasting cut flower and is a good plant to supply butterflies with nectar.
This plant was trampled and will be added to my list of plants to put in the gravely soil in sun.
Jupiter's beard related varieties: Centranthus ruber var. alba has white flowers; C. ruber var. coccineus has deep red flowers; and C. ruber var. roseus bears rose-colored flowers.
VERBASCUM phoeniceum 'violetta' - Violetta Mullein beautiful cut flower, spikes of deep purple violet flowers self seeding perennial, blooms all summer if dead headed, 3 feet tall. well drained soil, full sun cutting garden.
VERONICA spicata - sun, part shade, 12" high and 12"wide, keep well watered 'red fox', pink spikes. I have seen a blue Veronica in the cutting garden. I will have to watch for the pink one. Perhaps try and get a taller Veronica.
YARROW Achilles millefolium Rainbow Tri-color.
Yarrow rainbow tricolor
Rainbow Tricolor Yarrow is blanketed in stunning yellow flat-top flowers with pink overtones and red edges at the ends of the stems from late spring to late summer. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its attractive tomentose ferny leaves remain grayish green in colour throughout the season. The HCP had this flower called Red Velvet, plus they were confusing the milkweeds and the yarrow plants. So, I still want to get a red yarrow for the cutting garden. This website has a 'Red Velvet' variety listed. I should be able to find a red one and the big solid gold one at a local nursery for the cutting garden room.
ANNUALS: I have added Marigolds, and Cosmos in 2024. The annuals will vary over the years, no doubt.
HERBS I would like to add: Sage and Oregano at the entry to the water garden area of the 3 foot strip next to the Lilac.
PERENNIALS to add: Yarrow, taller Veronicas, Scabiosa and any other good cutting garden flowers I may find. The cutting garden room is a work in progress.
THE STRAWBERRY PATCH is the other side of the Cutting Garden area. A cement pavers path divides them. The entry to the Strawberry patch area is past the little rock garden along cement pavers that run along under the hedging cedars. There is another entry from the field stone path that leads into the water garden area and past the rock garden and the Bay Laurel Tree.
My English oak does not have turf grass around it. I once had a vegetable garden next to it, where I would plant a green manure crop and dig it under in the Spring. I now grow flowers that I am attempting to grow as a cut flower garden. And half of the area that was the vegetable garden now has strawberries growing in it. In July to September, 2024, I removed weeds and the twigs from the tree and the whole garden area. I have added a layer of crunched up leaves and soil from under these leaves that has earthworm castings in it, around the current flowers and the strawberries. I have reduced the size of the strawberry patch. I might try to grow some swiss chard in the new empty area in the Spring. I will try and keep up this effort to improve the soil. I am keeping this newly mulched area watered. In October 2024 I removed the old cedar trough and put more bricks along this edge between the strawberry patch and the little rock garden. I think it looks much better now.
Composting Garry Oak or any other Leaves
My English Oak tree began its life in my garden as a small seedling from a vendor at a Seedy Saturday sale many years ago. It was called a garry oak when I purchased it. I later had it identified as an English Oak by an Arborist who was caring for a special protected English oak some where in greater Victoria. (I have lost his name and the location of the tree.)
Victoria and the southern Gulf Islands are the only places in Canada where Garry Oaks are found. But you can help bring them back through a few simple activities!
Key principles of caring for Garry Oaks are rebuild the soil, and control invasive weeds. This will encourage native plants and improve the health of the oak trees. Then you can enjoy your beautiful, low-maintenance native wildflower meadow! Use the Lasagna Gardening technique if you are trying to replace your current turf grass with a beautiful meadow. My English oak does not have turf grass around it. I once had a vegetable garden next to it, where I would plant a green manure crop and dig it under in the Spring. I now grow flowers that I am attempting to grow as a cut flower garden. And half of the area that was the vegetable garden now has strawberries growing in it. In July to September, 2024, I removed weeds and the twigs from the tree and the whole garden area. I have added a layer of crunched up leaves and soil from under these leaves that has earthworm castings in it, around the current flowers and the strawberries. I have reduced the size of the strawberry patch. I might try to grow some swiss chard in the new empty area in the Spring. I will try and keep up this effort to improve the soil. I am keeping this newly mulched area watered. In October 2024 I removed the old cedar trough and put more bricks along this edge between the strawberry patch and the little rock garden. I think it looks much better now.
STEP 1: Building Soil
The soil surrounding our remaining oaks is usually poor and compacted. By rebuilding healthy soil, you are returning nutrients, improving moisture retention, and creating the right germination sites for native plants.
Leave those leaves! Oak leaves are natural mulch that restores and builds soil. Simply let your oak leaves lie where they fall, or place them in a deep layer around your oak trees and throughout your meadow.
Pile those leaves deeply around your trees. A thick layer – even up to 30 cm (12 inches) thick – will decompose quickly and, over time, become healthy soil. It will also smother out invasive weeds like orchard grass and blackberry.
To speed up decomposition of the oak leaves, make sure they’re slightly moist. You can also pile them in a wire cage and keep moist. Oak seedlings will sprout in the pile. I have had oak seedlings sprouting up around the garden, but have not tried to keep them growing. I must see if a nursery or Saanich parks would be interested in them. (Because it is an English oak and not a garry oak they might not be interested.) I have a piece of wire that I could make into a cage for the leaves, right on a shaded spot in the 'cut garden'. I do collect the leaves from the front garden tree in the Fall and have put them around the garden where I need to suppress weeds; as well as put them in a compost bin.
As the soil improves and weeds decline, your native flowers will thrive! Reduced competition from turf grass will improve the health of your oak trees, too. Camas, Fawn Lilies, and other native bulbs will have no problem sprouting up through the mulch layer!
STEP 2: Eliminating Weeds
Invasive weeds are a severe threat to Garry Oak ecosystems. Scotch broom, blackberries, and introduced grasses smother out native flowers and shrubs in open, sunny areas. English ivy climbs up the trees, killing them with the weight and competition for light. I have noticed an ivy coming up in one spot, but make sure it does not get out of hand, by digging it out everytime I see it. The obnoxious blackberries often show up also.
Weed-whack that blackberry, pull that broom! By removing invasive weeds, you’ll be creating space for native plants and improving habitat for birds and other wildlife. Always remove young or solitary weed plants, before they grow into serious infestations.
Remove ivy now! Work first at eliminating ivy that is already on your trees. Cut the ivy stems as close to the ground as you can. Then, cut them again about 1 m higher. Remove all of the stems clinging to the trunk, working your way around the tree to make sure you’ve created a gap. This gap will help you to see, and remove, new ivy shoots spreading up the tree. After you’ve cut all the stems around the trunk, leave the climbing ivy branches that are wrapped higher around the tree. They will die and dry out. Once they start to rot you can easily pull them down without damaging the oak tree. It may take a year or two for the ivy to die if it has become established in the tree’s upper branches.
Leaf a Legacy!
Protecting Garry Oaks for the future will take more than nurturing the trees we have – we also have to ensure there are young trees to replace the magnificent mature ones that remain. To be designated as a protected tree in Saanich I think it needs to have a diamenter of about 24 inches, and other requirements. A quick glance through these requirements seems to allow my tree to be protected. I would need a lot of help to get this set up, which may not happen at my age. I measured the circumference of the English Oak tree at 48 inches, divide by 3.14 to get the diameter of apx. 16 inches. So, the tree still needs more circumference growth to become a protected tree, if my observations are correct.
When you pile your oak leaves, you’ll notice dozens of acorns sprouting into seedlings. Leaving one or a few oak seedlings to grow and flourish will help ensure your children and grandchildren can enjoy our region’s unique natural heritage, Garry Oak meadows.
Annual Gardening pages
January - we occasionally get snow.
February - more rain, and some
bulbs up
March - first spring bulbs
blooming
April - rock plants blooming,
grass needs mowing, fruit trees blooming
May - the garden is in full
swing
June - lovely warm days of
medium temperatures and roses in bloom
July - we need to water a lot
in the summer as we do not often get rain.
August - the Fall perennials
starting to bloom and fruit is ripening
September - harvest time in the
vegetable garden and time to plant the winter garden
October - glorious fall colors
and sunsets, fruit ripening and rains begin again
November - sometimes a lovely
month with the Fall colors and warm rains
December - more rain, the garden
is mostly greens and browns, very peaceful.
Annual Journal Notes - This is the first page of the annual Journal Notes excerpts beginning in 2012 when I began to keep my garden notes on my computer. See the bottom of this first page to go to the Journal Notes for the next year.
Annual Journal Notes 2013 - This is the page of the annual Journal Notes excerpts beginning in 2013 from my garden journal . See the bottom of this page to go to the Journal Notes for the next year.
Annual Journal Notes 2014 - This is the page of the annual Journal Notes excerpts beginning in 2014 from my garden journal . See the bottom of this page to go to the Journal Notes for the next year.
Annual Journal Notes 2015 - This is the page of the annual Journal Notes excerpts beginning in 2015 from my garden journal . See the bottom of this page to go to the Journal Notes for the next year.
Annual Journal Notes 2016 - This is the page of the annual Journal Notes excerpts beginning in 2016 from my garden journal . See the bottom of this page to go to the Journal Notes for the next year.
Annual Journal Notes 2017 - This is the page of the annual Journal Notes excerpts beginning in 2017 from my garden journal . See the bottom of this page to go to the Journal Notes for the next year.
Annual Journal Notes 2018 - This is the page of the annual Journal Notes excerpts beginning in 2018 from my garden journal . See the bottom of this page to go to the Journal Notes for the next year.
Annual Journal Notes 2019 - This is the page of the annual Journal Notes excerpts beginning in 2019 from my garden journal . See the bottom of this page to go to the Journal Notes for the next year.
Annual Journal Notes 2020 - This is the page of the annual Journal Notes excerpts beginning in 2020 from my garden journal . See the bottom of this page to go to the Journal Notes for the next year.
Annual Journal Notes 2021 - This is the page of the annual Journal Notes excerpts beginning in 2021 from my garden journal . See the bottom of this page to go to the Journal Notes for the next year.
Annual Journal Notes 2022 - This is the page of the annual Journal Notes excerpts beginning in 2022 from my garden journal . See the bottom of this page to go to the Journal Notes for the next year.
Annual Journal Notes 2023 - This is the page of the annual Journal Notes excerpts beginning in 2023 from my garden journal. See the bottom of this page to go to the Journal Notes for the next year.
Annual Journal Notes 2024 - This is the page of the annual Journal Notes excerpts beginning in 2024 from my garden journal. See the bottom of this page to go to the Journal Notes for the next year.
Annual Journal Notes 2025 - This is the page of the annual Journal Notes excerpts beginning in 2025 from my garden journal. See the bottom of this page to go to the Journal Notes for the next year.
Annual Journal Notes 2026 - This is the page of the annual Journal Notes excerpts beginning in 2026 from my garden journal. See the bottom of this page to go to the Journal Notes for the next year.
Outline of the garden changes - This is the first page of a series of three giving a tour of the my garden.
A description of the garden rooms - This is the second page of a series of three giving a tour of the my garden, and showing the creation of the garden rooms as well as some of the renovations over the years.
Annual Garden changes photo albums The third page of the series will be annual photo albums of the changes in the garden for the year, beginning in 2009.
