Category

gardening

Jul 08
2

SOL garden opens at Douglas College

By | Education, Events, gardening | One Comment

The SOL (Sustainable Outreach Learning) garden at Douglas College in Coquitlam is now officially open. The creation of  new gardens is always good news! I attended the June 20, 2016 official opening of the garden. Free refreshments also helped after a long day at work.

 

IMG_4924edit

 

Built one year ago, the garden was officially opened after speeches and grass ribbon cutting. It features research beds and native planting at the entrance and on the edges. How many native plants can you name? I spotted Gaultheria shallon, Rubus spectabilis and Polystichum munitum.

 

IMG_4948edit

This ribbon almost required power shears

 

IMG_4957edit

How many native plants can you name?

 

The key point is emphasis on beneficial insects. I love plants and openly confess to outrageous ignorance when it comes to insects. I know bees are fuzzy with friendly faces; wasps are smooth with mean faces. I have lots to learn. But I know how important pollinators are. They are responsible for pollinating something like 80% of the food we consume. We must therefore care for them by providing food sources and eliminating harmful chemicals.

One interesting research plot is full of nursery cultivars which lack pollen and nectar. The insects are tricked but not for long. They know what the good stuff tastes like and fly off to search for it.

 

IMG_4927edit

Yarrow

 

IMG_4929edit

Study the tags and improve your plant ID

 

IMG_4931

Verbena bonariensis

 

IMG_4926edit

Vegetables

 

IMG_4934edit

Note insect traps

 

IMG_4933edit

Feel free to visit and pick any ripe strawberries. Once local black bears catch on……

 

IMG_4943edit

Delicious dessert, no pollination required

 

The garden is located on the south side of the Douglas College campus in Coquitlam. Feel free to visit. Check for ripe strawberries and study the plants. The college has a gardening club you can join, you can volunteer and, if your pockets are deep, you can donate cash. Cash is required for tables and a storage shed.

I saved the best for last: there are plans for seminars and educational programs which is very exciting. For now, you can pick up handouts on insect and plant identification.

Jun 30
0

European chafer beetle battles: busy June

By | Education, gardening, Lawn Care, Strata Maintenance | No Comments

June is a busy month for the European chafer beetles. I was thinking about it this past weekend as I finessed beds for a client. Instead of grubs, I was uncovering adult beetles. Some were spent and some just played dead, then made a run for it.

 

IMG_5049edit

European chafer beetles on a Hydrangea leaf. Only the top beetle is dead, the other three played dead and then made a run for it!

 

The beetles mature and emerge out of the ground; most likely out of your damaged lawn. Then they fly into nearby  trees to mate and back down to lay eggs. If you’re lucky, they invade your neighbour’s lawn. If you plan to defend your lawn with nematodes, pay attention to the timing.

Nematodes

In late June the beetles lay eggs and by mid-July nematodes should be available. They must be applied to your well-watered lawn, preferably on a rainy day. The recommended nematode species is the “seeker” Nemasys G. Nematodes work but they are not selective. They hunt down beneficial grubs as well. The other problem is that you might have to re-apply the nematodes again next year. Cut your lawn higher and baby it with proper watering and fertilizing.

 

Fabric alternative

But what if you don’t feel like applying nematodes to your lawn? One alternative I have seen is breathable fabric used in agriculture. It makes it difficult for the beetles to stick their bottoms into your lawn and lay eggs. Pin the fabric to your lawn at this critical June stage, store it and re-use it next year. In the example below the fabric cost was around $250.

 

IMG_5002edit

 

IMG_4996edit

 

Seed alternative

Another alternative is using a different seed mix that will make your grass less appetizing. One test I am involved with involves “Chafer-resistant” seed mix with tall fescue grasses and 2% micro-clover. Warning: the micro-clover will produce white flowers and attract insects to your lawn. At $110+ for a big bag, it will also cost you.

 

IMG_4566edit

We are testing this seed mix on one site

 

IMG_4572edit

Spot the micro-clover

The European chafer beetle battles aren’t going away anytime soon but we can fight back with alternatives.

 

Jun 10
0

Creeping jenny: rampant and aggressive!

By | gardening, Landscaping, Plant Species Information | No Comments

Creeping jenny (Lysimachia nummularia) is an attractive perennial groundcover. But first, allow me to begin this  blog with a story. Years ago I used to maintain a Westwood Plateau site in Coquitlam, BC  with a roundabout which had  creeping jenny planted around the edges. One of the managers, a no-nonsense polished business guy, fussed about it almost weekly. Do we need more? Is it flowing over the curb edge too much; not enough? Don’t hurt it with your cultivators. Did the delivery dudes run it over again?

Then one day I got a phone call from my boss saying the manager collapsed in his office and died. He was barely into his 40s. Brain aneurism. That was it. Gone in a flash. Now the nearly indestructible Lysimachia nummularia always reminds me of him.

 

IMG_2575edit

hard to miss yellow flowers coming in summer

Description

Lysimachia nummularia is a low-growing ground hugger, rampant, and evergreen. In summer it produces cup-shaped, bright yellow flowers. That’s when you really notice the plant. Bees will thank you for planting it in your garden. I find yellows very warm, happy colors. I have also seen creeping jenny planted in containers where it nicely spills over the edges. My own salvaged plants are doing fine in pots on the patio. Other uses include hanging baskets and border edging; just watch the spreading habit.

 

IMG_2574edit

weekly mowing doesn’t stop jenny from creeping into the lawn

 

IMG_2573edit

labeled rampant and aggressive and this proves it. Lysimachia invading a lawn from its border location

 

Unlike many other types of groundcovers, it can handle damper soil; it can also handle limited foot traffic. It survived numerous run-ins with delivery trucks in the above-mentioned roundabout.

It prefers full sun or partial shade. Obviously, full sun will give you better looking flowers. If your garden is shady, this will be a colorful groundcover plant. There are no serious diseases or insect problems to report.

 

IMG_2342edit

In combination with yellow-flowered Coreopsis

 

IMG_3817edit

As spiller in a pot

Source: www.finegardening.com

Pictures: Vas Sladek

Jun 03
0

How to design pots without stress

By | gardening, Landscaping, Seasonal, Strata Maintenance, Tips | No Comments

First, a quick flashback to 2014. Late in the day we pulled up at a seniors center and my municipal gardener boss asked us to quickly use up the flowers on the back of the truck. By planting four large pots. No guide, no plan. Go, go, go! I admit I panicked. How do you quickly arrange everything? Which plants go where? Colors? Oh my, I was sweating. Luckily it all turned out fine. I took a picture kneeling by “my” pot but the smile hid a ton of stress.

This event popped up in my head when I opened a recent issue of Landscape Management magazine (February 2016, page 16) and saw an article on pot design. The how to article conveniently divided the planting task into three categories.

  1. The pot should have a thriller in the middle to attract attention.
  2. Spiller plants spill out over the pot edges.
  3. Filler plants are placed in between the thriller and spiller plants.

Clearly this article was published a few years too late. I love the simplicity. Thriller, spiller, filler. Done.

Now for some examples before YOU start to panic.

Thriller plants could be: yuccas, cannas, fountain grasses, Angelonias, and dracaenas. For shade pots you can use ferns, hostas or heucheras.

Spiller plants could be: creeping jennies, vincas, bacopas, calibrachoas, lotuses and scaevolas

Filler plants could be most annuals.

Of course, proper design considers more than plants. Don’t forget other factors like wind, sun, fertilizers, water, upkeep, deadheading and yes, theft.

Now let’s practice:

 

 

IMG_1762

City of Coquitlam iGarden

Thriller: Cornus sericea

Filler and spiller: Skimmia

Spiller: Hyacinth

 

IMG_2456edit

Maple Ridge home owner

Extreme thriller: Ginkgo biloba tree

Spiller: Becopa

Filler: Pansies

 

IMG_8932

City of Coquitlam park event- my kids helped plant this pot.

Thriller: Dracaena

Spiller: Calibrachoa and potato vines

Fillers: many

Don’t stress like me. Design your pots with confidence. Have some fun. Change things up.

Remember the three key elements: Thriller, Spiller, and Filler. Good luck.

May 27
0

Almost a gardener: the anatomy of a great season

By | Education, gardening, Landscaping, Tips | No Comments

My 2014 municipal season has, so far, been my best working year ever. Sadly, when it became clear that there wouldn’t be a repeat in 2015, I was forced to think about the anatomy of my great season. What was it that made it great?

Learning!

Robin Sharma often uses this quote: “If you are the smartest person in the room, find another room.” My gardener-boss was fun, smart, experienced and certified, with killer plant identification skills. I had her all to myself on most days. Apprentice Vas couldn’t ask for more. Progress was guaranteed.

Encouraged by her positive comments, I walked into my Red Seal exam challenge with confidence; and passed! Now I belonged. It also wasn’t just another paper. It was a huge culmination of 16 sweaty, hard seasons outside in the landscape.

Learning is critical.

Embracing change

Everything was new and exciting and I handled the change fairly well. Some people don’t. Change is good. I found out some subtle and not so subtle differences between landscapers and gardeners. For example, we rarely used a backpack blower. Not every leaf was a messy enemy. Free arbor chips didn’t go to green waste; they were made for bed and tree well mulching. Some weeds were tolerated. No cheating with banned chemicals. Trucks drove speed limits and it was OK to park them on sidewalks. Yes, on sidewalks. Road medians aren’t gardens; they should look good at 60 km/hr.

 

IMG_3770edit

Free arbor chips, the best stuff for bed and tree well mulching

.Stretching

Scale. All of a sudden you are planting hundreds, thousands of bulbs, rototilling soil and diligently editing out spent bulbs so they don’t ruin next year’s display. Rocks that pop up stay: think soil pore spaces. Bulb planting depths stay uniform. Watering a hanging basket means soaking it.

Perennials everywhere. My notebook showed about 300 plants that were new to me. It is work in progress so I stretch myself. Weekly.

Planting trees bare-root for the first time was an awesome experience. I paid attention. That was exciting stuff.

You should always aim to be better than you were yesterday.

 

IMG_3834edit

My first-ever bare root planting

 

Facing your fears

On some days I showed up literally scared. It sucked in the moment but it felt great afterwards. Imagine my horror when I was asked to use a front loader for the first time. Luckily, we were the only ones in the yard. My gardener boss patiently waited as I got used to colliding the front loader with piles of mulch.

Then there was bulb removal. Since the bulb arrangements are changed every season, it is critical to remove 100% of the old, spent bulbs. Gold help you if you missed one.

Once, late in the day, I was asked to quickly plant pots with plants on the truck. No guide, no plan. Go! That was stressful. A  future blog on pots will show that there is no reason to feel stress with pots.

Fun

Work should be fun. I can not openly recount here all of the fun incidents but trust me, there was laughter with great people. On days when we installed brand new perennial beds, work didn’t feel like work. Same on the day I got to use a dibbler for planting for the first time. Magic.

One summer day, getting close to completing a new bed install, I had a young girl stop by, admire the new plants and tell me that I must be the world’s best gardener. Well, almost!

What was your best working year like?

 

Vas Sladek - Copy - Copy

 

May 02
0

Free garden and landscape seminar May 11, 2016

By | Education, gardening, Landscaping, Lawn Care, Mulch, Seasonal, Tips | No Comments

Free seminar

A free gardening seminar in Port Moody within walking distance from my place will take place on Wednesday May 11, 2016. It sounds great already! Remember, this is in line with our goal of continuous improvement. Free education is awesome.

Master Gardener Dr. Linda Gilkeson will talk about “Naturally resilient gardens and landscapes.” Come learn how to make your lawns and gardens more resilient to variable weather patterns; and about year-round natural gardening, native plant selection and natural pest management. Also discussed will be gardening methods for drier and warmer summers, water shortages, and other types of extreme weather. This is very topical. I am in. Notebook in hand. Are you?

When: Wednesday May 11, 2016

Where: Inlet Theatre, 100 Newport Drive, Port Moody

Admission: Free!

A Sedum solution

The theme of this seminar reminds me of a recent strata complex case in Langley. The complex boulevard beds are exposed to the sun and the original planting didn’t survive. Planted between Acer campestre trees were Skimmias and Heathers. Many of them didn’t survive the hot summer. The proposed solution is to plant succulents like Sedums between the trees. It will be interesting to see what happens; and if we get another hot summer.

 

IMG_0608

Acer campestre and some surviving Heathers and Skimmias; Sedums will replace the Skimmias and Heathers.