List of Plants in each Garden Room
The lists of Plants in each Garden Room are under construction. I hope to have some information on the names and how to grow and maintain each plant. The lists may include some surrounding area; such as hedges, roses, pathways, garden art, apple tree, etc.
In December of 2024 my pond sprang a leak. I hired Larix Landscaping to rebuild the Pond. In this process the Surrounding area of the pond and Plants in the pond have changed. The waterfall is higher and totally different. I have finished the renovations to the drystream, the viewing platform, the entries to under the deck and the sitting area under the deck. I am attempting to re-establish the plants from the pond and adding some of the old ones to the Pond surrounds. I will be making up the pages for the RENOVATIONS as soon as possible.
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 Photo Album 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 List Page for the Larix Landscaping rebuild of the waterfall, pond surrounds and the pond in January 2025.
Water gardening list page for the RENOVATION of the viewing platform, the drystream, etc. (note: I had Larix Landscaping rebuild the waterfall, pond and surrounds after the pond sprang a leak in November and December of 2024. So the surrounding area needed renovation.)
The photo album for the renovations to viewing platform, drystream and surrounding area of the new water garden.
the new page about the creation of the new water garden built by Larix Landscaping. It is a continuation of the Old Water Garden page information. This page incorporations the above pages about the recreation of the pond and surrounds. It will continue as the DAILY additions to the pond, to the plants and to the fish. It may duplicate some of the information on the Water 2020 page, the Fish Pond page, and the Larix landscaping pages.
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
The new Water Garden Page Note: this is a new water 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
The LAST water garden page where I keep track of any additions to the new water garden.
B. C. INVASIVE PLANTS
Plant Lists Page containing purchases, annual plant pages, etc.
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 Front Entry Garden Room
See the photo album for the Front Entry garden room photo album
See theBlog post of June 26, 2009 describing the grass 'frame' around the front garden.
The front garden is surrounded by 5 feet of grass on all sides. The top frame curves and is outlined by the boxwood hedges. The steps up to the front entry and the entry way itself have a low railing around them. There is a white rose by the door and a pink rose (This rose died in 2025 and needs to be replaced) at the other end of the 'frame' by the neighbours' property. There are views along this grass path and the autumn leaves for decoration or the snow in winter. Our front window overlooks this part of the garden. We see the sweet gum tree in all its different seasonal aspects; framed by the boxwood hedges and grass path. The steps and one side of the railing have the pink peony tree surrounded by the wall flower, the low cedar clipped to resemble a bowl that holds the peony. See the Blog post of October 2016 describing the renovation of the area of the Entryway next to the steps, with the removal of an old evergreen. This space is now filled with the wallflower, the blue geranium, the hyacinth and snowdrops. Next to these plants is the bowl shaped cedar holding the pink peony tree. Across this part of the grass path there is a cement vase filled with pink blooming flowers, and above this vase is the magnolia tree. All of these plants and the magnolia tree are pink and bloom at the same time. In the early spring there are snowdrops and a fragrant blue hyacinth. We have humming birds and butterflies visit the wall flower. We have birds nesting in or near the hedge and the occasional quail or other bird almost knocking on the door. The Magnolia Tree garden room photo album shows more of the plants across from the tree peony and the cement vase beneath the blooming magnolia tree. The
The Plants in the Front Entry Garden Room
The BOXWOOD hedging
I have 2 boxwood hedges seperated by a 5 foot wide grass path. The top hedge, next to the house, is about 4 or 5 feet tall. It is as high as the railing around the entry way. The one along the edge of the Inner Garden is now (2025) 18 to 24 inches high. I use my hedge trimmer to clip back and trim the hedges once or twice a year. I keep the top hedge at its present height and will let the lower hedge get to 2.5 feet or 3 feet. This should preserve the look of the hedges to how I want them to remain. At some point in time I planted an Asian boxwood of some kind into the top hedge. I will try and replace these plants with cuttings from the original plants. Boxwood plants are easy to start by putting cuttings directly in the ground where needed.
The GLOBE CEDAR
The globe cedar grows next to the railing along steps to the entryway. I keep it the same height as the railing and the top boxwood hedge. I clip its front into a rounded shape to resemble a round green vase to hold the peony tree. I no longer know which globe cedar it is.
The PINK PEONY TREE
The pink Peony Tree grows and blooms in pink out of its green bowl. It blooms at the same time as the Magnolia Tree across the grass path, also blooming in pink. Its blossoms are 2 to 3 feet above its cedar bowl. There is a cement vase just under the Magnolia Tree also in bloom at the same time, with pink plants. This creates a lovely, welcoming entry to our home.
The WALLFLOWER
The wall flower grows between the cement driveway and the round bowl cedar. It seems to be constantly in bloom if I keep it deadheaded. It attracts humming birds and butterflies. It is quite bushy and gets to be about 2 to 3 feet tall. It, also blooms in a pink. I some times have to replace it, so it may be a biannual. I see I can take cuttings of it. I will try that next year and try to have them growing all around the garden where they can get suficient sun and drainage.
The BLUE GERANIUM
The blue geranium grows in front of the wall flower, next to the driveway. It is probably Johnson's Blue' although it does not have many flowers. I like it for its very nice bumpy foliage. It is easy care and is another plant I could have more of around the garden.
The HYACINTH
This hyacinth is a lovely purple color and very fragrant when in bloom in the spring time. It grows in the same area as the wall flower by the driveway. It is usually dying back by the time the wallflower and geranium start growing and blooming.
The SNOWDROP
The snowdrop grows by the hyacinth and blooms a bit earlier than the hyacinth. Galanthus nivalis 'Flore Pleno' is a hardy, double-flowered snowdrop that is a great choice for early spring gardens, naturalizing well in woodlands or borders. It's low-maintenance, deer-resistant, and thrives in full sun to partial shade, making it a good option for a wide range of gardeners.
The ROSES
In the corner by the door there is an Iceberg - white floribunda rose, that blooms from spring on into December. The iceberg rose grows over the railing towards the door and needs to be cut back. This provides some roses for bouquets in the house.
At the other end of the grass path there is a Simplicity - pink floribunda rose, just behind the boxwood hedge. This rose also blooms Spring to on into December. It slightly shields the neferious neighbours view of the entry way to our home; and slightly shields our view of their garbage bins. In the summer of 2025 the Simplicity rose just dried up and died when it had been in full bloom. None of the other plants around it were affected. I have a tendancy to blame the neferious neighbours as they have been known to cause all sorts of damage to my garden. I cut it way back, but think it will not grow again. It will need replacing.
These roses and all the roses in the garden need to be dead headed and they continue to bloom late in the year. The iceberg now has blooms and more buds on November 4th. I call it my Christmas Rose as there are often blossoms at Christmas time.
The GRASS
My grass path is not the best example of a lawn grass. It has not had top dressing or any good attention for quite a few years. The neferious neighbour uses his weedeater under the edges of the hedges to take the grass totally off, half way down the grass path towards my house. I think a need a solid fence between the properties and a surveyor's certificate to show where the property line really lies.
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, 2024, I have removed weeds and the twigs from the tree. 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 will try and keep up this effort to improve the soil. I am keeping this newly mulched area watered.
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.
