IN THE GARDEN

By Doreen Trudel

Last year at this time I wrote about the record breaking heat wave we experienced in July. This year July brought us a week of rain, at times quite heavy. Most of the garden plants enjoyed and benefited from a good soaking but some of the taller perennials could not stand up to the heavier showers. Once a perennial has flowered most of them respond well to a rejuvenating pruning so feel comfortable cutting back rain damaged plants. If stems are not broken and you want seeds to develop it is best to stake long stems to protect them from further damage.
I would like to send a big thank you to the organizers of the Point Roberts Garden Tour and the featured garden owners for a successful garden tour. A windy morning turned into a pleasant afternoon which ended with music and tea at Trinity Community Church.

Steve Whysall of the Vancouver Sun visited the tour and wrote an article on the gardens of Point Roberts in the Friday, 20 July 2007 edition of the Sun. He and I seemed to agree on the highlights of the tour.

Once again I came away with several ideas to try in my garden. I don’t have space to mention them all but some of the most popular included the new rock and water-conscious garden of Val and Tom Mayer which included a scented garden path of Thymus serpyllum (mother-of-all or creeping thyme) and a gem of a pond with an almost invisible barrier to keep the raccoons from dining on the fish.

Diane and Barry Powell’s garden at the main house demonstrates how the size of a garden can be doubled by careful arrangement of paths and creative plantings.

Another highlight was Brad Weldon’s organic naturescape garden. A few years ago I wrote that Brad is enthusiastic, knowledgeable and willing to share his horticultural expertise and ideas. I cannot think of a more fitting description of this enthusiastic young man. It is also worth repeating that his garden is certified as a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. This is a program sponsored by NWF to encourage gardeners to dedicate at least part of their gardens to attract wildlife including beneficial insects needed for pollination and pest control. For more information about NWF certification go online to www.nwf.org and click on “your yard.”

Because of our cool and wet June the Abrahamson’s hollyhocks were not at their best during the garden tour but I saw the garden later in the month and it was a riot of color. I do not think you will find a more spectacular display of Alcea rosea (hollyhocks).

Carol Fuegi introduced me to a lovely smaller perennial Roscoea. The bloom reminds me of a cross between an Iris and an orchid and the deep green foliage provides a lush background to the purple, yellow or deep pink colors of the many varieties. These tubers need humus-rich soil in partial shade and are hardy in our climate. The different varieties grow between six inches to 22 inches so they would easily fill that small protected empty spot in the garden bed. The leaves are attractive to slugs so be prepared to deal with these leaf destroyers next spring. The flower is so interesting they are worth some extra work.

I have received a number of questions about what to do after Lavandula (lavender) has bloomed. If you do not harvest the flower stems for drying then you do need to prune off spent spikes. The easiest method is to use a pair of hand shears and cut off the spent flowers about an inch or so into the leafy growth. This stimulates side growth for a bushy plant. Lavender does not usually grow from old wood so do not prune below the leaves into the woody stem. Once the centre of a lavender plant opens up, flattens and becomes leggy there is not much you can do to rejuvenate the old plant. It is best to replace the plant with a new start.

I have also been asked to suggest a shrub to use as a small hedge or barrier along a property line between two garages. The soil drains well and it is a mostly sunny spot. A Nandina (heavenly bamboo) would work well in this location. It needs only minimum watering during the dry summer months, grows quickly can be allowed to grow tall but responds well to pruning so it can be kept narrow and will still look good.

August is one of the more relaxing months for gardeners. The basic chores are only watering, dead-heading, a little pruning and light weeding so it is a good time to take cuttings from perennials and shrubs, divide Irises and collect seeds. It is also time to order spring flowering bulbs and roses to be planted later this fall.

The Point Roberts Garden Club meeting will meet on August 9 at 7 p.m. at the community center on Gulf Road. Everyone is invited and I will be leading a discussion on flowers and berries in the fall garden.