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.
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 Fig Tree Garden Room
See the photo album for the Fig Tree 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 Fig Tree Garden Room runs along both sides of the old sidewalk, with about 4 - 5 foot planting beds on either side. Next to the steps up to the old sidewalk there are stepping stones leading from the old sidewalk, past the Rhodos, curving around past the moss/Japanese garden room up to the entry to the water garden area and into the Cutting Garden room. The round stepping stones curve again and run back to the old sidewalk, completing the pathway around the Fig Tree Garden room. See Page 1 of the photo album for the Fig Tree Garden Room, for the stepping stones. See the the changes 2 page for more defination of this Fig Tree Garden Room. A link from the changes 2 Page shows an overview of the back garden on the blog post in 2009. This blog post reviews the renovation to the round stepping stones in 2008.
This blog post shows the stepping stones running into the masonary of the new water garden area that goes past the moss garden room on one side and past the back garden rockery room on the other side and into the cutting garden room. Or the view from the old sidewalk along the round stepping stones and the new stepping stones and masonary going into the water garden room.
The 'feature' in the Fig Tree Garden Room is the white pot full of erodiums that seem to be constantly in bloom. Beside the white pot is the cement rabbit. Behind the white pot is the firethorn with its red berries in the autumn. This little area is next to the entry into the grass area that surrounds the apple tree. Across from this entry way is the holly tree, with its decorative leaves and red berries. Beneath the holly tree there are Autumn crocuses. So this little area makes quite an interesting spot, at the end of old sidewalk, before it curves and goes into the Woodland Garden Room.
The Plants in the Fig Tree Garden Room
ANEMONE - 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 under the Fig Tree that are spreading along the edge of the old sidewalk.
The AUTUMN CROCUS - colchicum autumnale
is at the end of the 4-5 foot garden bed next to the entry to the grass surrounding the apple tree. It is nicely spreading in its spot under the Holly Tree. 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.
CROCUSES
Emerging from bulb-like structures called corms, crocuses are low-growing perennial flowering plants from the iris (Iridaceae) family that come back year after year for at least five years growing from one corm. In many regions, crocus flowers (Crocus spp.) mark the arrival of spring. These early bloomers can often be seen peeking up through the snow well before any other flowers appear in your landscape in January, February, or March, depending on the severity of your winter.Crocuses grow in various conditions including woodlands, coastal gardens, and suburban lawns. Deer usually pass over them, but rodents like squirrels, chipmunks, and mice consider crocuses a tasty snack. Bloom colors on the cup-shaped flowers include mauve, lavender, and yellow. There are over 80 crocus species, but most commercially available corms are hybrid plants derived from carefully cross-breeding selected species. I have a few crocuses blooming under the Fig Tree along with the hyacinths, and wind flowers. I could have more crocuses added to the mix.
Crocus sativus, commonly known as saffron crocus or autumn crocus, is a species of flowering plant in the iris family Iridaceae. A cormous autumn-flowering cultivated perennial, unknown in the wild, it is best known for the culinary use of its floral stigmas as the spice saffron. Human cultivation of saffron crocus and the trade and use of saffron have endured for more than 3,500 years and span different cultures, continents, and civilizations. This crocus does not grow in the Fig Tree Garden, but in the front garden.
Crocus sativus is a perennial herb that grows about 10 to 30 cm high. It develops as an underground corm, which produces leaves, bracts, bracteole, and the flowering stalk. It generally blooms with purple flowers in the autumn. Flowers are sterile, have six petals and three red to orange colored stigmas. Leaves are simple, rosulate in arrangement with entire margins.
AUTUMN CROCUS - The alternative name autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale) is also used for species in the Colchicum genus, which are not closely related but strongly resemble the true crocuses; in particular, the superficially similar species Colchicum autumnale is sometimes even referred to as meadow saffron. However, the true crocuses have three stamens and one style supporting three long stigmas, while colchicums have six stamens and three styles; and belong to a different family, Colchicaceae. Colchicums are also toxic, making it particularly crucial to distinguish them from the saffron crocus. This crocus produces leaves in the spring and in the autumn the flowers appear after the leaves have died down. There is a patch of the Autumn crocus beneath the Holly Tree, next to the entry to the grass that surrounds the apple tree.
COLUMBINES - AQUILEGIA - full sun to partial shade
There are numerous self seeded columbines - dark blue, purple, white, light blue, self seeding in the Fig Tree Garden. See Page 2 of the photo album for the Fig Tree Garden Room, for some of the columbines. The Columbines are much appreciated where ever they appear all over the garden.
BALLOON Flowers - (Platycodon grandiflorus) are clump-forming perennials and members of the easy-to-grow bellflower family of plants although the blooms do not resemble bells. Instead, puffy, balloon-like buds swell up to produce the 2- to 3-inch star-shaped flowers. This easy-grower blooms all summer long with intense blue-violet flowers, but there are also cultivars with white and pink blooms. Balloon flowers are generally planted in the spring after the danger of frost has passed, growing quickly to bloom in the first year. My balloon flower is the blue one. It gets over shadowed by the taller plants around that grow around it. Mature Size: 1– 2 1/2 ft. tall, 1–1 1/2 ft. wide. Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade Soil. Type: Rich, loamy, medium moisture, well-draining. Soil: ph 5.5–7.5 (acidic to slightly alkaline).
Balloon flowers make excellent plants for border gardens or rock gardens and the blooms attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies thanks to their wide-open petals. These perennials will self-sow their seed, though they aren't aggressive spreaders. Overall, balloon flowers are fairly low-maintenance plants and are quite pest- and disease-resistant outside of root rot in areas with large amounts of rainfall.
CAMPANULA persicifolia, the peach-leaved bellflower, is a flowering plant species in the family Campanulaceae. It is an herbaceous perennial growing to 1 m. Its flowers are cup-shaped and can be either lilac-blue or white. Its foliage is narrow and glossy with a bright green appearance. This plant grows in the bed between the old garage and the old sidewalk.
DAFFODILS: There are a few clumps of daffodils in the garden beds on both sides of the old sidewalk.
ERODIUM reichardii
The names Heronsbill, Cranesbill and Storksbill are in reference to the plant's hard, beak-like seed pods. This plant grows best with full sun for most of the day. This plant requires or will tolerate shade during the heat of the day, will tolerate some drought, but benefits from periodic watering, needs a thorough, deep weekly watering, requires boggy or wet conditions. Alpine Geraniums are delicate looking but tough little plants. They are low growing (3"-6" tall) plants that form compact, dense 12" evergreen mounds of tufted, dark green foliage with scalloped edges. From April until October they provide a continuing show of solitary, ½" saucer shaped rose-pink flowers or white flowers with red veins. Erodiums are excellent plants for Rock Gardens
Erodiums should be planted 8"-12" apart in gritty, very well-drained soil, with a slightly alkaline soil pH. Add lime to the soil in the fall if you have acid soil. Erodiums can be divided in the spring.
Basal cuttings can be taken from side shoots taken from the base of the plant as soon as they emerge in late spring. Each cutting should include a small sliver of the parent crown attached at the base!
Erodium seeds should be sown directly into the garden as soon as they are ripe in the fall. The erodiums grow in the white pot at the end of the old sidewalk. There is a large patch of them under the grape vine that grows between the old garage and the old sidewalk next to the steps up to the old sidewalk. An excellent, carefree plant.
COLUMBINES, FOXGLOVES, DAMES ROCKET, HONESTY -
I am letting these plants and any other flowers that want to self seed, and grow in the Fig Tree Garden Room, as well as all around the garden. See the fig tree photo album for some foxgloves, columbines etc. Garden thugs, like perennial bachelor buttons, Japanese anemones, etc. are not allowed.
HESPERIS MATRONALIS (DAME'S ROCKET)
These plants are biennials or short-lived perennials, native to Eurasia and cultivated in many other areas of the world for their attractive, spring-blooming flowers. Hesperis matronalis grows 100 cm or taller, with multiple upright, hairy stems. The plants have showy blooms in early to mid spring. The plentiful, fragrant flowers are produced in large, showy, terminal racemes that can be 30+ cm tall and elongate as the flowers of the inflorescence bloom. Each flower is large (2 cm across), with four petals. Flower coloration varies, with different shades of lavender and purple most common, but white, pink, and even some flowers with mixed colors exist in cultivated forms. A few different double-flowered varieties also exist. Some plants may bloom until August, but warm weather greatly shortens the duration on each flower's blooming. Seeds are oblong, 3–4 mm long and 1–1.5 mm wide. I let these plants self seed all over the garden.
HONESTY
Lunaria annua, commonly called honesty or annual honesty, is a species of flowering plant in the cabbage and mustard family Brassicaceae. It is native to southern Europe, and cultivated throughout the temperate world. It is an annual or biennial growing to 90 cm (35 in) tall by 30 cm (12 in) broad, with large, coarse, pointed oval leaves with marked serrations. The leaves are hairy, the lower ones long-stalked, the upper ones stalkless. In spring and summer it bears terminal racemes of white, pink or violet flowers, followed by showy, green through light brown, translucent, disc-shaped siliques (not true botanical seedpods), sometimes called moonpennies. When a silique is ripe and dry, a valve on each of its sides readily falls off, and its seeds fall off a central membrane which has a silvery sheen, 3–8 cm (1–3 in) in diameter; the membrane can persist on a plant throughout a winter depending on the weather. These siliques are much used in dry floral arrangements. The silver siliques add interest to the winter garden.
HYACINTHS: There are blue and pink hyacinths growing under the fig tree and up to the round stepping stones that meet the old sidewalk. They should probably be divided soon. Wonderfully fragrant plants in bloom in the Spring.
FENNEL
The Anise swallowtail butterfly and the Black swallowtail butterfly are known to feed on fennel, with the Anise swallowtail specifically relying on the plant as a host for its eggs and larvae.
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is a flowering plant species in the carrot family. It is a hardy, perennial herb with yellow flowers and feathery leaves. It is indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean but has become widely naturalized in many parts of the world, especially on dry soils near the sea coast and on riverbanks.
It is a highly flavorful herb used in cooking and, along with the similar-tasting anise, is one of the primary ingredients of absinthe. Florence fennel or finocchio is a selection with a swollen, bulb-like stem base that is used as a vegetable. I have this fennel growing in the fig tree garden room. It grows next to the round stepping stones by the Rhodos, and also by the round stepping stones where they join the oldside walk. It seems to seem around a bit, so perhaps I may be able to use some as a vegetable, someday.
FEVERFEW -
Feverfew, scientifically known as Tanacetum parthenium, is a flowering plant in the daisy family used in traditional medicine, particularly for migraine headaches and potentially for arthritis. Don't be confused by its Latin designation, as it is known by both Tanacetum parthenium or Chrysanthemum parthenium. Looking like a small bush that grows to about 20 inches (50 cm.) high, It has small, white, daisy-like flowers with bright yellow centers. Some gardeners claim the leaves are citrus scented. Once the growing feverfew herb takes hold, it can become invasive. Whether your interest lies in medicinal herbs or simply its decorative qualities, growing feverfew can be a welcome addition to any garden. Feverfew is a perennial, so cut it back to the ground after frost and watch for it to regrow in the spring. It re-seeds fairly easily, so you might find yourself giving away new plants within a couple of years. The feverfew herb blooms between July and October. This plant seems to pop up in my garden in various places. I do not find it invasive, but quite well behaved. It grows under the fig tree, and in the flower bed between the old garage and the old sidewalk.
FIG TREE
The Brown Turkey Fig is a multi-stemmed, woody, deciduous shrub with edible fruit in the mulberry family (Moraceae). This fig cultivar was bred to be more cold hardy than other fig cultivars and quickly grows to a mature size of 10 to 30 feet tall and wide. As indicated, my fig tree produces 2 crops a year. The first crop ripens about a dozen figs. The second crop is huge but does not ripen before the frost in the Autumn.
GRAPE VINE
The grape vine is a green seedless grape. It grows in next to the entry to the old garage and hangs along the eaves on a larger branch of the vine. It is under planted with erodiums and an autumn crocus. In 2024 we had a huge crop of grapes. I froze several packages of seperate grapes.
HOLLY TREE
The holly tree has variegated leaves. See the photo album for the fig tree garden room. The fig tree grows at the end of the 4 - 5 foot strip next to the old sidewalk and across the entry to the grass of the apple tree. At about Christmas time the holly tree and the firethorn are covered with berries. The robins flock (all on the same day) to eat the berries and have them all cleaned up in a few hours. The holly tree is under planted with autumn crocus. It is another part of the "feature" of the white pot in this little area where the old sidewalk takes a curve and goes into the Woodland garden room.
JASMINE: White Jasmine – White jasmine is native to Burma and China and is an evergreen twining climber. Its pinkish flower buds show in late winter to early spring and bloom into white star-like fragrant flowers. White jasmine can grow 20 – 30 feet tall and 7 – 15 feet wide, so you will need ample room for this variety. Sweetly fragrant, Jasminum officinale (Common Jasmine) is a large semi-evergreen or deciduous climbing shrub that is adored by gardeners for its vigorous habit, graceful look and heavenly fragrance.
The Jasmine grows at the corner of the old garage just before the woodland garden. I keep it pruned back to its space. The fragrance is heavenly.
Jasminum nudiflorum, the winter jasmine, is a slender, deciduous shrub native to China. The flower's blossoming peaks right after winter, which is why it is also named Yingchun in Chinese, which means "the flower that welcomes Spring". Winter jasmine is a trailing, vine-like shrub with masses of bright yellow flowers in late winter. This Jasmine grows next to the other one. I keep it pruned back also.
LUPINUS: There is one big Lupine growing under the fig tree. It should probably be moved, as it is too big to be under the fig tree. It is a lovely color of purple/blue.
LYCHNIS: 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!
This plant grows under the fig tree and is supported by a tomatoe cage. It, too is too tall for under the fig tree. It could be moved to the cutting garden.
LILY OF THE NILE - agapanthus
Also known by more common names such as Lily of the Nile and African Lily, agapanthus is a genus of seven species of perennial plants with bell-shaped vibrant flowers. They are native to South Africa and do well in zones 7-10. They tend to bloom for up to six months, from early summer until fall in shades of blue, pink, purple, and white often with a darker center stripe on each petal. Flowers bloom on tall stalks, and leaves spread out wide and long from the base. The leaves can be evergreen or deciduous depending on the variety and dark to light green, gray-green, or blue-green in color. Agapanthus blooms are easy to care for and have a wide array of landscaping uses, from filling garden beds to bordering yards. These plants also attract hummingbirds, are excellent cut flowers and many are deer and rabbit resistant. Agapanthus is toxic for both humans and pets. Mature Size: 3 ft. tall, 2 ft. wide. Bloom Time: June, July, August, September. My Lily of the Nile grows next the Jasmine that is at the corner of the old garage. It is blue and has spread into a few clumps covering about 3 - 4 feet. The blooms are long lasting.
OXALIS
Oxalis Adenophylla Bulbs - Silver Shamrock - Beautiful Unusual Garden Plant - Easy Bulb
They grow and bloom best in full sun, but will tolerate partial shade as well. Oxalis requires very well drained soil, but otherwise they are not overly fussy about soil fertility. Water regularly and thoroughly while growing, but these plants prefer to be dry during winter.
PEONY - I purchased a species peony from the VIRAGS show and sale some years ago. It has single blosoms in pink. It will have to be moved someday, as it is too big to be under the fig tree.
PHLOX subulata 'Early Bird'
Moss Phlox is a cultivar of creeping phlox known for its early, profuse bloom of deep carmine-pink flowers with dark raspberry-red striae, and its vigorous, mat-forming habit. This lovely little phlox hangs over the stone wall by the steps up to the old sidewalk.
SILENE caroliniana
the sticky catchfly or wild pink, is a spring flowering perennial with pink flowers, which is native to the Eastern United States. It is listed as an endangered species by the state of Florida. Silene is a genus of flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae. Containing nearly 900 species, it is the largest genus in the family. Common names include campion and catchfly. Many Silene species are widely distributed, particularly in the northern hemisphere. The sticky catchfly has pink blossoms in the spring. It grows in the garden bed between the old sidewalk and the old garage, next to the campanula.
TULIPS - Over the years I have planted numerous tulips in the fig tree garden room. There are black ones in the bed between the old garage and the old sidewalk. The others, in many colors, are under the fig tree.
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.
