From a gardener’s point of view, the early November weather was a gift, its clear and comfortably cool conditions ideal for addressing big issues in the landscape.
It was just before the scheduled beginning of a municipal pickup-for-chipping program in my neighbourhood when I toured the garden looking for the most congested area to begin clearing.
The site was not hard to spot. An opening from the main back garden into a clearing behind the garden shed had become almost overgrown with a sprawling old climbing hydrangea on a fallen-over snake fence. Salal, brambles and Oregon grape were mixed up in the general mess, along with deep-rooted, self-sown sweet cicely plants.
I hand-sawed the vine down (fret not, other climbing hydrangeas grow nearby) and cut the thick branches into lengths for trundling to the boulevard for pickup and chipping. Then I pulled apart the short, crumbling lengths of fence to remove from the scene.
With the ground cleared and the path widened for easy passage from clearing to garden, what emerged was a freshly unveiled, bright and airy space. Hard work. Well worth it.
Useable outdoor days in November are bonus times, ideal for small and major renovation projects that help to keep the body attuned to outdoor work, while paving the way for a more easily managed, pleasurable garden.
First catalogue. As usual, the first catalogue to arrive in the mail, on Nov. 2, was from Plant world Seeds (PWS) in Devon. I was introduced to this seed source one summer by a grower who began bringing the most unusual and lovely seed-grown hardy geranium plants to my local farmers’ market. PWS was her seed source.
Hardy geraniums are one of the PWS specialties, with 27 Geranium listings in the 2019 catalogue. Others are primrose (Primula) with 15 listings, columbine (Aquilegia) with 13, foxglove (Digitalis) with 12.
I’ve grown a number of hardy geraniums from seed using this source. ‘Purple Haze’ has dark ornamental foliage and flowers in shades of blue and purple. Geranium psilostemon has impressive black-centred magenta blooms.
G. sanguineum (bloody cranesbill) is an excellent ground cover, producing purple-pink flowers in early summer. Cutting the plants back in July produces fresh leaves and more bloom.
Three varieties of G. macrorrhizum (bigroot geranium) are listed, giving a choice of bright pink, magenta purple, or white flowers. This is a nearly indestructible, grow-anywhere ground cover geranium that forms a low, dense carpet of soft, hairy, aromatic leaves.
Among the PWS climbers I have my eye on are two sweet peas: Charlie’s Angel, an award-winning variety with pale blue, “exceptionally” fragrant flowers, and Blue Danube, with ruffled mid-blue, highly scented blooms.
New this year are wallflowers (Erysimum, previously called Cheiranthus) developed by PWS. ‘Jumbo Orange’ is a “long-lived, evergreen shrubby plant” with fragrant, bright orange flowers from late winter to early summer. ‘Plant World Rainbows’ combines a range of flower colours.
Another PWS specialty is tomatoes. Among their 48 listings are heirlooms and historically interesting tomatoes such as ‘Couilles de Taureau,’ a large beefsteak tomato originating in Spain and brought into France during the Spanish Civil War. I’ll refrain from translating the name. This is a family newspaper. Japanese Black Trifele was the most richly flavoured tomato of the 15 varieties I grew this year.
There are numerous unusuals in a separate section of vegetables. An introductory page highlights flower seed collections of varieties grouped by colour, size, fragrance and foliage interest.
The PWS catalogue is a small, 72-page publication in photo-gallery style with small colour pictures alongside each plant description. Their online catalogue is a treat. It’s easy to navigate, and has large colour photos that give potential customers a clearer view of each plant than in the print catalogue.
Garden events
Wreaths and centrepieces. Russell Nursery, 1370 Wain Rd. in North Saanich, is offering the following workshops. To register, phone 250-656-0384 or email [email protected]. Please provide your phone number when registering.
• Wreath making. Nine classes remain, with places available, between Dec. 2 and 15. Visit russellnursery.com/classes for times. Create a one-of-a-kind holiday wreath from an array of greens and decorative berries. Cost of $50 plus GST includes all materials. Bring your own pruners.
• Table arrangements, Sunday, Dec. 16, at 10 a.m. or 1 p.m. and Monday, Dec. 17, at 10 a.m. Create a long-lasting centrepiece for your holiday table. Cost of $50 includes materials. Bring pruners.
