The Flowering Cherry

In honor of the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival which runs from March 26 until April 22, I thought I’d remind you of one of the trees that we in the Lower Mainland tend to take for granted – the flowering cherry. 

This tree literally explodes onto the scene with delicate blossoms of whites and varying shades of pink. 

When it does, Vancouverites breathe a sigh of relief – spring is indeed here. 

April showers are followed shortly by ‘Pink Snow’ as the blossoms gently break apart and are carried by the breeze to dot the landscape with blossom confetti.  For a short time, it is pure magic.  It was this absolutely breathtaking beauty that lead to the eventual crash in popularity. 

For a time, the flowering cherry was the municipal street tree of choice.  It was planted everywhere.  It was the ‘bellybutton’ of trees -  everyone had one.   Crowed close to driveways and imprisoned by sidewalks they heaved the concrete when they stretched out their roots.  Hacked into obnoxious ‘lollypop’ shapes by inexperienced pruners, overcrowed and underfed, swimming in poorly drained garden beds they developed a myriad of problems.  

Municipalities began ripping them out and replacing them to stave off further headaches.  People began avoiding them. 

A classic case of the right tree in the wrong place!!

The flowering cherry in the right place is a spectacular tree. 

Give this beauty the room to stretch out, a well drained planting site and an open and airy spot and you will be graciously rewarded. 

To help avoid many cherry problems, rake and bag the leaves in the fall and have your tree pruned by a professional Arborist. 

Rule number one of tree care…it’s better to not prune at all than to prune incorrectly!  

With the cherry, the roots are part of the beauty of the tree.  To see drifts of blue flowered Brunnera and sunshine yellow daffodils nestled into the folds of the powerful looking roots in one of my favorite sections of VanDusen gardens in something I always try to see in the spring. 

After a long wet winter and in between the rain showers you owe it to yourself to drink in as much of this west coast sight as you can – it only lasts for a short time.  If you have the spot, you might like to try one of your own. 

Some of our favourites include:

Kwanzan Flowering Cherry	Mt Fuji Flowering Cherry
Akebono Flowering Cherry	Amanogawa Columnar Flowering Cherry

This year, if you are lucky enough to get to gaze up into the canopy of a Japanese flowering cherry tree, give thanks to our neighbours to the west who gifted us these beauties in the early 30’s .  Our original cherry trees were given to us by the mayors of Kobe and Yokohama to honor those Japanese Canadian soldiers who served in WW1.  

I am grateful for these lovely trees. 

I have been thinking our neighbours in Japan a lot these past weeks and my heart is with you as you try to heal and rebuild.   I shall leave you with a Haiku:

my glasses fog up

I slowly sip my hot tea

rain  pelts the window

This Post Was Written By:

Laurelle O.

Art's Nursery Ltd.

April In Your Garden 2011

At least its April showers not April snow drifts!
Ladies and Gentleman let’s rock and roll!
Spend time in your garden daily, even if it’s only a little bit of time and it’ll make your life a lot easier.

Lawns

When the ground isn’t too soggy, you can mow.  Don’t scalp it.  You know who you are!  Never cut more than one third of the height of the lawn.  If you have any relatives back east phone them while you are mowing.  It’s funny to hear them yell. 

If you haven’t done the lime/aerate/topdress/overseed thing yet, you can when its dry.  You can fertilize towards the end of the month.

Trees and Shrubs

Fertilize with appropriate food towards the end of the month.  Cut tree circles for trees in the lawn and mulch to avoid weedwacker damage.  Spend a bit of time with a cup of coffee sitting near a tree.  It’s interesting to see the birds, our crows especially tearing off twigs and bits of moss for nests.

Still time to shuffle some things around if needed and it’s a fantastic time to plant.  If you are needing some edible landscaping, the bareroot fruit trees are instock for a about another week. (3rd week in april - after that they will be potted)

Perennial beds

Dahlia Flower

Tidy and topdress.  Be careful when you are raking and cleaning that you are not damaging emerging plants.  Fertilize towards the end of the month.  

Still time to shuffle around the garden beds and to divide up perennials. 

You can plant most of the summer bulbs as well as Dahlias towards the end of the month again, as long as the ground isn’t waterlogged.



Crocosmia 'Lucifer'

 Some of the hardier perennial corms and packaged roots like Crocosmia, Liatris and Hostas can be planted any time and are a great value for your dollar. 

If you’re quick and you have the right place for them you can still get some specialty perennials like the lovely Trillium – there is even one with a bit of a chartreuse speckling on the leaves.

If I don’t get to them first, you may also be able to nab one of the packages of Bletilla striata – hardy ground orchid.

Ponds

As it warms up towards the end of this month you can begin planting.  Get your ponds running and feed your fish once they start becoming more active.

Veggie gardening

Plant your onion sets, broccoli, carrots, cabbage and some of your lettuce crop  once it dries out.  If it gets too cold and miserable don’t rush the planting.  Remember what happened last year!!

Rhubarb Plant

Check raspberry posts, add manure to your Rhubarb, lime around your apple trees, sawdust or pine needles around your blueberries and tidy up your herb borders.

Check your seeds and fertilizer situation. 

Tidy out your garage shelves…never know what you might find.

 Make sure you are ready and most of all, make sure you take some time to enjoy this crazy spring.

 

This Post Was Written By:

Laurel O.

Goji Berry - The Tibetan Wonder Food

Lycium barbarum, or more commonly, the Goji Berry, is a large 7-10 foot high shrub grown for its incredibly nutrient rich orange berries. In short, these berries provide a laundry list of health benefits:

• The berries are packed with vitamins B1 and 6 and Vitamin E, which is rare to find in a fruit.
• The berries are also provide more protein than whole wheat and more beta carotene than carrots
• They deliver 500 times more vitamin C by weight than oranges
• A high iron content, 20 times more than than of grapes
• 8-10% of the daily recommended intake (DRI) of calcium per 100mg of the dried fruit
• 24% of the DRI of potassium / 100mg
• 18% of DRI of Zinc / 100mg
• 91% of DRI of Selenium / 100mg
• 100% of DRI for Riboflavin / 100mg
• Loaded with anti-oxidants. 3000 units is considered a good standard for healthy food. The Goji Berry is 25,300 units
• 16% of DRI for dietary fiber per 100mg serving

Goji berry plants have an agressive root system and re quite drought tolerant once established. Full sun is best for growth and berry production. They will tolerate part shade. Goji berries are hardy in zones 2-7 and will tolerate a wide variety of soils, though they prefer higher quality soils with good drainage. Pruning of the plant will keep the plant shorter, thicker and will help increase flower and fruit production. Berries are borne on second year plants with maximum fruit production reached in the 4th and 5th years.

A limited quantity of Goji Berry plants are available at Art's Nursery for the spring 2011 season. Give us a call at 604.882.1201 or drop by to purchase yours today. Please confirm availability before visiting as availability is finite.

More information about Goji Berries can be found on these sites:

• http://www.gojiberriesblog.com/
• http://www.gojiberrieshealthbenefits.com/
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfberry
• http://www.goji-berries.ws/ogranic-goji-berries-where-to-get-it
• http://www.goji-world.com/

This Post Was Written By:

Art's Nursery Ltd.

New Plant: Helleborus Onyx Odyssey

This unique, purple-black hellebore has a fitting name Onyx Odyssey.

 It is a large double flower with a mix of slate, purple and black colours. It is a true delight for the winter garden. Shade tolerant and disease resistant.

Onyx Odyssey is part of the Winter Jewels series are bred by Marietta O'Bryne.
This plant will reach a height of 12 inches and a spread of nearly 2 feet. It is best grown in part shade in moist, but well drained soils.

This Post Was Written By:

Art's Nursery Ltd.

The Garden In Spring

Wow, the garden is starting to look great. The bulbs are up, ephemerals are doing their thing and the trees and shrubs are sprouting into life. 

This season is such a wonderful time, but what plants bloom early like ephemerals or stick around and offer beauty throughout the year?

Rhododendrons, azaleas and other ericaceous plants are the obvious answer, but they are rather old hat and you can only have so many in the yard.  What can we choose that offers variety and structure through the remaining seasons?  Here are just a few ideas…

 

 

Acanthus mollis ‘Tasmanian Angel’

BEAR’S BREECHES – An absolute gem of a perennial with striking leaves boldly mottled and edged in white.  Plants will form large clumps in time and in summer are topped by tall spikes of hooded white flowers that turn bright pink. 

These plants do best in a shaded, well-drained site but are not overly fussy as to the type of soil.  Acanthus may stay evergreen during mild winters. 

Height:  60cm (1.25m in flower)   Spread:  1m+  Zone:  7

 

Brunnera macrophylla var.

BUGBANE – An absolute staple for any shade garden even tolerating dry shade once well established.  Brunnera offer a bold statement with their large heart-shaped leaves and wisps of airy blue (or white) forget-me-not flowers in early spring. 

The new varieties have stronger markings and new foliage colouring to offer a greater selection for any garden or container. 

‘Diane’s Gold’ has golden foliage that fades to chartreuse by summer and can even handle a little more sun if given plenty of moisture. 

‘Emerald Mist’ is an improved form of ‘Langtrees’ with its superior markings of antique silver over the emerald green leaves. 

‘King’s Ransom’ is a showstopper with silver leaves edged in creamy yellow.  There are several other selections as well, so do some hunting and have fun with these rewarding plants. 

Brunnera tend to stay as a bushy clump reaching 60cm high by 60 to 90cm wide and all are extremely hardy (Zone:  3-4).

Daphne x m. ‘Lawrence Crocker’

DAPHNE - Delightful as a rockery specimen this evergreen Daphne forms a tight low mound of narrow dark green leaves. 

Very fragrant deep lavender-pink flowers are produced from May and continue sporadically through fall.  Plants grow best in full sun and must have very well-drained soil. 

Height:  30cm  Spread:  60cm  Zone:  6

 

Daphne x houtteana

DAPHNE - A unique Daphne with foliage that emerges bright green maturing to a leathery, deep purple-black; semi-evergreen. 

Clusters of lightly scented flowers run up the stems like reddish-purple columns in spring.  Requires well-drained soil and does best in full sun. 

Height:  1.25m           Spread:  1.25m  Zone:  6

 

 

Disporum spp.

FAIRY BELLS – Delicate architectural perennial with upright arching stems and creamy bell-like flowers in early spring. 

Disporum are easy to grow and do best in a shaded garden (or container) with rich, well-drained soil, they are vigorous yet not invasive and spread to form a loose clump. 

Some varieties are simply stunning ‘Island Moon’ is a most beautiful selection with broad oval leaves of bright yellow edged in dark green. 

Other must haves include:  ‘Golden Emperor’, ‘Golden Moon’, ‘Red Star’ and ‘Variegata’. 

 

Heucherella spp.

Compact, evergreen foliage plants well-suited for containers, Heucherella are vigorous and offer a colour range rivaling that of Heuchera. 

They do well in our cool, moist clime preferring partial shade and are resistant to powdery mildew and rust. 

Many superb varieties are available:  ‘Berry Fizz’, ‘Brass Lantern’, ‘Burnished Bronze’, ‘Solar Power’, ‘Solar Eclipse’ and ‘Sweet Tea’. 

 

 

Ligularia spp.

LEOPARD PLANT – Old World herbaceous perennials that revel in BC’s cool moist climate and bear tall spires or sprays of yellow to orange flowers in summer.  These bold foliage plants are an excellent addition to the garden as they sprout very early and continue to offer interest well into fall.  Some of the newer forms like ‘Dragon’s Breath’ and ‘Dragon Wings’ have dark stems accented by dark green heavily dissected leaves.  The Osiris series has bold foliage of red and dark purple often with heavily serrated edges. 

x Phylliopsis ‘Coppelia’

A relative of heather this choice broadleaf evergreen forms a tight upright mound of small dark green leaves which turn bronzy in winter.  Abundant lavender-pink bell-shaped flowers in April-May and again in fall, needs a well-drained acidic soil in full sun.  Height:  30cm  Spread:  30cm  Zone:  5

Polygonatum spp.

SOLOMON'S SEAL – Hardy and easy to grow these perennials have tall arching stems that add a textural accent in a shady woodland setting or container. 

Many striking cultivars exist including ‘Dragon’s Scale’ a unique form having dark green leaves with prominent ridges in the center, giving reference to a dragon’s scale. 

Other forms include: ‘Grace Barker’, ‘Fireworks’, ‘Silver Streak’ and ‘White Tiger’.

 

These and many other similar plants are available at Art's Nursery. If you have any questions or would like more information abou them, please feel free to call or visit us in person.

 

 Lyle Courtice, A.H.

 Lyle is a certified Horticultural Technician (Niagara College), Landscape Designer, Nurseryman and the proprietor of HarkAway Botanicals.

 

Since 1980 Lyle has worked in both the retail and wholesale sectors of the horticultural trade; he operates his own wholesale nursery, which focuses on an eclectic mix of rare and choice plant material from Asia, Europe and North America.

 

Lyle has appeared on The Canadian Gardener and is a contributing author to A Grower’s Choice (Raincoast books 2001).  His horticultural expertise makes him sought after as a consultant, lecturer, photographer, instructor and writer.  An industry veteran, Lyle is esteemed within the horticultural community for his passionate and often humorous enthusiasm for plants.

Please Help Support My Fundraising Efforts!

	Please help support my effort to raise money for cancer research. This august, I will join my team in doing a 32km walk for www.endcancer.ca. Please consider donating to support my efforts by clicking on the banner to the right. Rebecca van der Zalm Manager / Owner

This Post Was Written By:

Rebecca van der Zalm

Cool Plant: Tiger Aloe

Tiger Aloe - Aloe variegata

The Tiger Aloe, or Aloe variegata is a tropical plant (zones 9-11), with green leaves and characteristic white spots. Leaves are usually arranges in three ranks of six-eight leaves each. Leaf colour varies from green to dark brown depending on the amount of water available.

Pink to dull red flowers appear on tall stalks from July to September.

Best when planted in full sun in well drained soils. Water infrequently. In our climate, plant in a pot and enjoy indoors during the fall and winter.

Tiger Aloe will grow to a maximum of 12 inches in height and spread.

 

This Post Was Written By:

Art's Nursery Staff