IN THE GARDEN

By Doreen Trudel

We have been so busy in the garden during the previous months it is easy to wonder if the work will ever end. The same characteristic which sometimes makes gardening appear over-whelming also provides the reason why gardening is so rewarding, a garden is never finished. A garden is a work in progress. It can be changed, rearranged, added to, fussed over passionately or given minimal guidance and allowed to follow its own path.

As summer begins the heavy garden work is over and unless you are altering the garden or adding hardscape summer is the time to enjoy the fruits of your labor. With beds already prepared even the planting that we can still accomplish in June seems easier, more relaxed, and more fun than work. It is time to plant annuals and herbs. Perennials and shrubs can still be planted but we are entering our dry season so these young plants, even the drought tolerant ones, will need watering. It is not too late to plant many of the most popular vegetable crops such as beets, carrots, onions and Swiss chard.

If you are tired of watering and mowing the lawn consider replacing the grass with other groundcovers. Even eliminating a section of the lawn will reduce your work. Lawn alternatives work well in areas that have little foot traffic.

There are too many potential groundcovers to list them all but the Sunset Western Garden Book has an extensive section on lawn alternatives with clearly noted cultural requirements. I have had great success with pacific northwest natives Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (kinnikinnick) and Gaultheria shallon (salal). Cornus Canadensis needs a shady moist location but the Gaultheria shallon and kinnikinnick grow well in full sun to light shade in well draining soil.

Although not natives I have also had success with Pachysandra which prefers shade and is moderately slow growing. The evergreen foliage and the carpet of tiny white flowers in spring make it worth the wait. One of the prettiest spring flowering ground covers is Corydalis flexuosa. It has stunning blue flowers, grows to twelve inches high and usually likes light shade and moist soil. There is a thriving example at Bloomer’s Nursery in the perennial bed. Sedum acre aurea is not evergreen but the leaves turn red in fall and it is drought tolerant. Phlox subulata ‘Tamanonagalei’ (Phlox ‘candy stripe’) is semi-evergreen and drought tolerant than other species. Potentilla neumanniana (cinquefoil) has light yellow flowers in spring to summer and responds well to an annual mowing before new growth appears in spring. I admit that nothing replaces a lawn as an inviting and friendly play surface but you may find that there is a place for some interesting groundcovers in your garden.

When choosing a groundcover we look for vigorous, fast growing plants but these same characteristics describe invasive plants in our area. The Invasive Plant Council of BC has published a list of invasive plants which they ask gardeners not to plant. The list includes some very popular plants including Cytisus scoparius (Scotch broom), Chrysanthemum leucanthemum (Oxeye daisy), Daucus carota (Queen Anne’s Lace), Gysophila paniculata (baby’s breath), Daphne laureola, Linaria genistifolia ssp. Dalmatica (Dalmatian toadflax), Lamium galeobdolon (yellow Lamium), Humulus lupulus (common hops) and Fallopia japonica (Japanese knotweed). One of the worst offenders is Hedera helix (English Ivy). The council recommends Rubus calycinoides (crinkle leaf creeper), Microbiota decussate (Siberian cypress) or Euonymous x fortunei (wintercreeper) as alternatives to English Ivy in the garden. Even the very common Buddleia davidii (butterfly bush) is invasive in some environments.

For further information or the complete list of invasive species visit the council’s website at www.invasiveplantcouncilbc.ca.

The Point Roberts Garden Club meeting is June 14 at 7 p.m. at the community center on Gulf Road. The program will be on making a wildlife friendly garden. Don’t forget the Point Roberts Garden Tour on Sunday July 8. Tickets are available at Nielson’s Building Center, C. G. Bloomer’s Nursery in Point Roberts and Harris Nursery in Tsawwassen and Ladner.
Continue sending your gardening questions and comments to editor@allpointbulletin.com.

I leave you with these garden thoughts from Iris Murdoch; “People from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy the whole time to have such things about us” and to all of the gardener dads, Happy Father’s Day!