Dirt Therapy

Vicki Green's garden is one of the neatest and most immaculate gardens I've seen and it is a showcase for beautifully grown plants as well as art objects (she is a glass artist). The property was once wall-to-wall grass and now just a central portion is devoted to the green. A long pathway leads you around the perimeter of the garden adorned with lush plantings. Vicki is a master at pruning and her technique reminds me of the way Michael does it. She has trained many of her "shrubs" into small trees, such at the waxleaf privet and elderberry. A Wax Leaf Privet ( Ligustrum japonicum ) trained into an attractive small tree. I was taken aback by the size of the plants, some of which I grow, and my mind was racing. Driving up, I was immediately wowed by her 'Golden Spirit' Smoke Bush ( Cotinus coggygria ) although now I do recall seeing a very large on 117th St. However, this one is the most beautiful I've seen -   I also was surprised to see how large her ...

A mini-tour of four gardens on the west side of Vancouver took place this past Saturday. I had visited all of the gardens before but it was fun to see them again and with a friend who is new to garden touring. Our first stop was Laura Scott's beautiful garden which is full of color and artful vignettes. I previously saw her garden  two years ago . I am mesmerized by the bark on this tree and the planting around it is perfect. Planted on one side is Rose Campion ( Silene coronaria ) Jerusalem Sage ( Phlomis fruiticosa ) surrounds the back of a fantastic statue. The vegetable garden is so much fun! That is the rose 'Vielchenblau' (or that's my guess) in the back. This is a more wooded area over to the side of the main gardens. An azalea is blooming on the right of the arch. The pink flowering plant on the left is a pink variety of Bowman's Root ( Gillenia trifoliata ), highly coveted by yours truly. And I'm excited to say that I just obtained a piece today from a ...

'Crown Princess Margareta' Who would have thought that our cold, wet spring would result in such healthy roses?  They have been remarkable, and the continuing cool temperatures keep them looking good. I was more ruthless with pruning this year and I'm not sure if it was that factor or the lush rainfalls we got back in May, perhaps a combination of both, but the result has been a significant growth spurt and an abundance of blooms. 'The Impressionist' 'The Impressionist' has been one of my favorites. It has suffered a lot of abuse from my hands, having been moved twice and then its stiff canes forced down horizontally along the front fence. I was seriously considering moving it again but decided to give it one more chance and it listened. 'Lady Emma Hamilton' 'Lady Emma Hamilton', one of the most deliciously scented roses, was wisely planted near the front door along the sidewalk. It isn't a carefree rose and displays an occasional odd mos...