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Wild about mushrooms
Wild about mushrooms ofHarvesting mushrooms It’s a cool, rain-soaked Saturday in October. Instead of sitting by the fire, I’m bundled up in rain gear tramping through the overgrown forest of the Cowichan Valley (about an hour north of Victoria) with 19 other similarly clad adventurers. Led by French-trained chef and mycologist Bill Jones, we’re foraging for the first wild mushrooms of fall: chanterelles, cauliflower and lobster mushrooms.While some, such as morels, are more plentiful in spring, it’s the wet, cool fall weather that produces the most abundant crops. Mushrooms are found throughout Canada—from Newfoundland and Labrador’s parks to the coastal forests of British Columbia—in grasslands, on trees and stumps, in bogs and marshes, on burnt ground, even on other fungi. The history of picking your own wild mushroomsMushroom foraging has a long history in Europe, where it’s regulated and government agents are frequently on hand to help identify different varieties. In Canada, there are few regulations. You can’t forage in a national park, on private property or in some provincial parks. (The rules vary; check to be sure.) However, picking is allowed on Crown land—although there are no government officials to identify mushrooms; responsibility rests with the individual. That, coupled with some old myths, may leave people wary.“We’ve been raised on stories of toadstools and poisonous mushrooms, and that’s what comes to mind when people think of [foraging],” explains Jones, author of The Savoury Mushroom.True, a small percentage of varieties are poisonous and some can be difficult to distinguish from their benign counterparts. But, by following certain rules (see “Code of Conduct,” page 66) and by being extra cautious, foraging is a great way to partake of nature’s bounty.Avoid small, emerging mushrooms, as well as large, rotting specimens; pluck (or cut off at ground level) only healthy, mature ones. Gently wipe away dirt and examine the plucked end for small, brown wormholes or lines. Keep only insect-free mushrooms. Growing Your Own Because mushrooms don’t contain chlorophyll, cultivating them is a little different from what’s required for green plants. The fastest and easiest method is to buy an indoor grow block or kit—usually about $30.Kits are available for a limited variety of mushrooms, sold individually because each type needs a specially formulated growing medium, called a substrate. But no matter which species you order, indoor growing requirements are basically the same. The blocks—which weigh about 3.5 kilograms and are a compact 15 by 22 centimetres—need to be placed in a humid area (somewhere between 80 and 95 per cent relative humidity) with a temperature range between 12 and 20˚C; so avoid the main part of your home or greenhouse.“The average house is usually too dry in winter,” says Bill Wylie, president of Wylie Mycologicals in Wiarton, Ontario, “while greenhouses get too much light and tend to be too warm in spring and summer.” Instead, he recommends a damp basement or garage. Since mushrooms grow naturally in wooded areas, he suggests people mimic those conditions by giving the fungi dappled light for part of the day. Strong, direct light can produce deformed specimens.Also, avoid watering. “If you water, you risk introducing bacteria and contaminating the block,” explains Wylie. Instead, maintain constant levels of humidity in the room. If that’s a problem, boost the moisture level with occasional misting, or tent a plastic dry cleaner’s bag punched with holes over the kit—just make sure the plastic doesn’t touch the grow block.A few days after starting, dot-sized growths will form on the surface of the block; a week later, you’ll be harvesting mushrooms. An average block, which yields more than one harvest, will produce about one kilogram in total.Growing outsideMushrooms can also be grown outside in the garden. “They’re incredibly beautiful and highly underrated garden plants,” says Roseanne Van Ee, an interpretive naturalist who runs fall mushroom “safaris” through Outdoor Discoveries in Vernon, B.C. “There’s a whole range that people can introduce to the garden and enjoy as accent plants or prized edibles.” But be patient; it may take a year or more for mushrooms to fruit.It’s also possible to order mushroom spawn (ready-to-grow fungal spores—sometimes included with a soil medium and manure—used as a starter) or logs plugged with spawn to place in the garden. As a rule, spawn is best spread in spring, but when to spread it or lay logs and how to care for outdoor mushrooms depends on region and microclimate. The logs must remain undisturbed while the spawn grows, which can take up to two years. When ordering them, ask if the logs are ready to fruit or whether they need a period of rest.If they are ready for fruiting, you can “shock” the logs by soaking them in cold water for 48 hours before putting them in the garden (in 60 to 80 per cent shade). Or put the logs out dry and let nature do the work. Wet, warm spring weather is usually enough to encourage fruiting; light watering may be necessary, however, during prolonged dry spells.Outdoor growing, though, isn’t for everyone. “You’re faced with lots of contaminant problems and animals—insects, slugs, deer—and you’re always fighting the elements,” says Wylie.In that sense at least, growing mushrooms is like gambling on anything else in the garden—only with a bit of luck, this gamble may pay off in delicious dividends. Preserving your bounty Mushrooms begin deteriorating as soon as they’re picked. Washing them speeds up the process (and causes them to retain water and lose flavour). To clean, gently wipe the cap and stem with a paper or cloth towel, or use a mushroom brush.Refrigerate small quantities in a paper bag. Larger hauls should also be refrigerated but placed in a well-ventilated basket lined with dry paper towel and covered with a damp cloth or more paper towel.Depending on the type of mushroom, drying, freezing and even canning are options for longer preservation. Freezing suits meaty, fibrous mushrooms such as buttons, boletes and chanterelles. Drying also suits these varieties, as well as morel, oyster, hedgehog and pine.For more information on preserving and cooking with mushrooms, refer to The Savoury Mushroom by Bill Jones (Raincoast Books) or check out MykoWeb.Code of conductFollow these tips on foraging to get the most from your outdoor adventure:Forage only with an experienced guide. Find one through local mycological societies, which may host trips.Use a reputable field resource (one specific to your region), but don’t rely absolutely on pictures; differences between fungi can be subtle. When in doubt, always leave it behind. Avoid foraging on industrialized farms, roadsides or lawns where commercial fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides might be used. “Mushrooms absorb toxins and pollutants,” explains mycologist Bill Jones. “They’re an excellent indicator of environmental health.”Do not trespass on private property.Bring a sharp knife for cutting, and baskets or bags (paper or cloth) for collecting. Plastic causes mushrooms to sweat and rot.Keep different mushroom types apart (one poisonous mushroom can ruin the batch, so bring plenty of containers).Bring a cloth or soft brush for cleaning as you go. Mushroom hunting Left: Chanterelle e.g., yellow chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius); winter chanterelle (C. tubaeformis). Where to look: Mossy locations with mature stands of trees; often in groups. Its distinctive-looking cap makes it easy to identify. Large family with many types.Right: Bolete e.g., king bolete a.k.a. porcini or cepe (Boletus edulis). Where to look: Near oak or pine trees.The non-toxic king bolete has a distinctive swollen appearance. Some species are poisonous: e.g., devil’s bolete a.k.a. Satan’s mushroom (B. satanas). Never eat boletes that have red or orange pores.Left: Morel (a.k.a. pinecone, sponge or brain) e.g., common morel (Morchella esculenta); black morel (M. elata). Where to look: Forests, orchards, gardens; or near stream banks, often after fires. Generally grows in spring. Distinctive sponge-like head and pale, hollow body. Raw mushrooms can cause mild allergic reaction when consumed with alcohol.Right: Puffball (Lycoperdon spp. and Calvatia spp.). Where to look: Open woodlands, pastures, barren areas, lawns. Edible when young; toxic when mature. Cut in half to ensure inside is completely white and uniform. Can be confused with poisonous death angel, or destroying angel (Amanita virosa).Left: Oyster (Pleurotus ostreatus). Where to look: On dead trees—standing or fallen. Large clusters of white to light grey, fan-shaped, overlapping caps. Relatively safe to collect; not easily confused with poisonous mushrooms.Right: Pine a.k.a. champignon du pin, matsutake (Tricholoma). Where to look: At higher altitudes in stands of Douglas fir, as well as pine forests. Fresh mushrooms have a cinnamon-like scent. Can be mistaken for the poisonous Amanita smithiana, which does not have a spicy odour.Left: Wood blewit (Clitocybe nuda syn. Lepista nuda). Where to find: Among or under fallen tree needles or wood chips; sometimes hidden in fallen leaves. Bluish purple when young; matures to dull brown. Some species, including ivory funnel (C. dealbata), are poisonous. Wood blewit can be confused with the toxic Cortinarius species (silver-violet with brown spores that eventually darken the gills).Right: Honey fungus a.k.a. bootlace fungus (Armillaria mellea). Where to find:Base of living or dead trees or stumps. Found in massive bunches. Cyclical: some years they are plentiful, other years, scarce. Raw mushroom is toxic; cook well. Some people have allergic reactions.Left: Shaggy mane a.k.a. lawyer’s wig (Coprinus comatus). Where to find: On grass, soil or wood chips. Tall, with a columnar-shaped cap that’s white with a brown central disc and scale-like skin; delicate. Black spores released as they mature can discolour other mushrooms. May be confused with the alcohol inky cap, a.k.a. common inkcap (Coprinus atramentarius), which is toxic when consumed with alcohol. Photo by Anneli Salo.Right: Hedgehog (Hydnum repandum). Where to find: Most grow under conifers or hardwood trees; others grow as shelves on standing trees. Resembles a large chanterelle; has firm, dense flesh. Late bloomers, often appearing after other mushrooms have fruited.- Credit
- Laura Langston
Wild about mushrooms
How to forage for mushrooms in the fall more
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Video: Planting tips for spring bulbs
Video: Planting tips for spring bulbs ofPlanting tips for spring bulbs- Credit
- Stephen Westcott-Gratton
Video: Planting tips for spring bulbs
Learn how to create the perfect growing environment for spring blooms more
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Autumn gardening essentials
Autumn gardening essentials ofEverything you need to know for fall Fall in the gardenVines and creepers for fall interestRound out the season with a colourful flourish of groundcovers and climbersA harvest of huesGreat plants for late-season colour in the fall gardenBittersweet berries for fallProperly sited, this exuberant vine brings privacy, shade and welcome fall colour to the gardenKids and fall leavesHave fun with autumn's colourful treasures and these activitiesKids and bulbsPlant in fall for a spectacular spring showTips on growing tulipsTo get the best from your tulips, follow these easy guidelinesVideo: Planting tips for spring bulbsLearn how to create the perfect growing environment for spring bloomsHow to deter freeloading squirrelsKeep critters from eating your bulbs with these handy tips and tricksDecorating for the seasonA lush, fall centrepieceDress up berried and textured foliage with a touch of flowersVegetable vasesCelebrate Thanksgiving with these easy autumn arrangementsTools of the tradeGarden wheelbarrows reviewedOur intrepid testers put gardening pickups to the testHis and hers rakesOur intrepid testers discover that 'right rake, right gardener' is the maxim to followFall gardening tasksPrep pots for winterTips and tricks to ensure your pots survive the cold winds of winterCollecting flower seedsHow to make more plants for less moneyTips for overwintering container plantsHow to save your plants for next seasonFall gardening tipsAdvice on autumn tasks and weathering winter16 essential fall garden tasksHere are some fall dos and don'ts, plus tips to help your garden get a jump-start on springGarden resourcesDo you have fall gardening questions? Ask them here!Fall gardening eventsSee what’s going on across the countryFall gardening checklistGet through your important autumn to-dos with this handy guideFood for fallYummy pumpkin recipes Family secret tomato sauceTurn your tomato harvest into a rich sauce that will last throughout winterPunch up your menu with the bold taste of rapiniWhen planted as a fall crop, this member of the cabbage family adds new flavours to your autumn mealsHoney recipesFollow our recipes for bee-utiful baking- Credit
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Autumn gardening essentials
Everything you need to know about fall, from putting the garden to bed to tools of the trade to harvesting delicious autumn delicacies for eating more
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Fall gardening checklist Fall gardening checklist
Fall gardening checklist ofFall gardening checklist Checklist design by Alexandra IshigakiIt’s that time of year again—time to pack up your tools and prepare your garden for the winter that lies ahead. Print this handy checklist so you can cross out the important things you need to do in your garden. But be sure to enjoy those last days of autumn and the vibrant blooms that still remain. Here’s how to download your checklist:Instructions for downloading:1. Click on the link below—it will open in a new window.• Fall gardening checklist2. Wait for the picture to load, then...For Windows users, right click on the image and click on "Save As" to save to your computer. Then open and print!For Mac users, control click on the image and save to your Pictures folder or wherever else you usually store images. Then open and print!- Credit
- Lorraine Flanigan
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Yummy pumpkin recipes Yummy pumpkin recipes
Yummy pumpkin recipes ofYummy pumpkin recipes Farmer’s markets and grocery stores abound this time of year with pumpkins in all shapes and sizes. The fleshy fruit and scrumptious seeds can be whipped up into endless sweet and salty possibilities. Just be sure to save one for a jack-o’-lantern!Try these tasty recipes from CanadianLiving.com:Jack-Be-Spicy Pumpkin SeedsHoney pumpkin pieWhite Chocolate Pumpkin Mousse TartSteamed Pumpkin PuddingPumpkin WafflesCinderella StewClick here for growing tips and advice.- Credit
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Maple leaves forever Maple leaves forever
Maple leaves forever ofHistory of the maple Maples are an arboreal fixation for Canadians. Never has a tree been loved by so many, for so long. We have abiding tolerance for the maple's ways and means of spreading progeny, and obligingly allow maple keys to root into every nook and cranny. Several years down the road, when shade begins to spread over the garden, we are still reluctant to remove saplings. Uprooting these aggressive youngsters is about as acceptable as ruining a sunset. After all, the profile of the maple leaf is firmly affixed to our flag, our national character, and our lapels when we travel abroad.You are likely to see a maple tree from the vantage point of any Canadian doorstep. In fact, you may see several of your own and enough of your neighbour's to make a small forest. Maples are an arboreal fixation for Canadians. Never has a tree been loved by so many, for so long. In the Victorian language of flowers, maples symbolize reserve, a characteristic that reflects Canadian heritage and values, and is associated with the strengths necessary to build a nation in the North. But before the maple was an image of national pride, it was a tangible asset. We were quick to realize the usefulness of the maple forests, using the wood for axles and spokes, fabricating Windsor chairs, inlaying mahogany, and as a major component in the production of potash fertilizer (maple ash is high in this mineral). The profits from the sugar maple (Acer saccharum) also included the manufacture of good molasses and excellent vinegar after the sweet sap was finished.THE HISTORYMany of the maples lining our streets and country lanes are old and weathered relics of a time when big trees were the only choices. The garden naturalist William Robinson (The English Flower Garden, 1883) thought the big maples, Norway maple and silver maple (A. platanoides and A. saccharinum), were "of the highest value," and wrote, "It is doubtful if there is any finer tree than this when old," a point contemporary gardeners might dispute after encountering maple roots in the dahlia bed. The simple logic of placing large plants in large spaces seems to have eluded city fathers in many munici-palities and has greatly increased the ranks of dry shade gardeners on small city lots. Under ideal growing conditions, big maples can reach 36 metres and live for up to 200 years on your front lawn. But no tree lives forever, and moderately sized maples can be big assets in smaller gardens. Growing maples Challenging experiences with large trees shouldn't obscure the valuable features of the maple family, and most importantly, the desirable smaller species that are readily available. First, here are some considerations about growing trees in a cold climate. Most gardening books calculate mature growth statistics for hardwood plants on optimum growing conditions in the geographic centre of North America--and that could be a field in Zone 7. The growing season in Canada is considerably shorter, with fewer days of warm growing temperatures. We do have a healthy growing environment and can produce lovely trees, but they will almost always be smaller at maturity than gardening book figures for height and width suggest. (The exceptions to this are the true northern forest trees such as spruce, pine and hemlock.) Keeping that in mind, there are several desirable, small maples suitable for garden use; hybridzers have scaled down some of the large maples with similar reductions in root mass.Bigness is not a bad attribute in a plant, but there must be space for the bigness without consuming all in its shadow. The Norway maple, A. platanoides, would be happy in a meadow but makes a terrible obstruction when set down next to a house. Plant hybridizers have solved this problem (perhaps spurred by personal experience) and given us a columnar maple, A. platanoides 'Columnare', with a possible height of 12 metres and spread of four metres. (Sizes in this article are based on Zone 6.) The shape of 'Columnare' is compact and upright, with branches extending up rather than out. This is a reasonable size for a specimen lawn tree, or a string of trees set along a fence at least six metres apart. It would also find good use in the corner of a lot to block out sight of a telephone pole. Red trees are useful for bringing colour to a green background in the warm months. 'Crimson Sentry' maple (A. platanoides 'Crimson Sentry') has deep purple foliage on a frame growing eight metres in height and five metres in width; it's hardy to Zone 4. Its pyramidal form is suitable for lawn placement or at the corner of a house. Both the 'Columnare' and 'Crimson Sentry' maples are generally lower-branched than other maples and this is always a plus in a specimen tree, preventing a hollow blank space under the limbs where grass won't grow. Nurseries sometimes mistakenly limb them up when very young, so search for one that has lower branches intact down to about one metre from the ground. Another scaled-down tree with lots of ornamental appeal is the variegated harlequin maple, A. platanoides 'Drummondii,' with light green leaves, each with a white margin. The harlequin maple makes a showy lawn specimen, growing to 11 metres with a spread of eight metres. All of the Acer platanoides hybrids are hardy to Zones 4 or 5.If you've got a bit more space on a country property but don't want a full- size maple, 'Silver Queen' maple (A. saccharinum 'Silver Queen', hardy to Zone 3) is a more refined version of silver maple, growing to 16 metres with a width of 13 metres, still smaller than its species parent, which can grow to 18 metres high and 15 metres wide. The same can be said for 'Endowment' sugar maple (A. saccharum 'Endowment', hardy to Zone 4, which has a similar height of 17 metres and a narrower spread of six metres. 'Silver Queen' turns golden in autumn, while 'Endowment' turns orange-red. Maple varieties Two mid-size maples perfect for suburban and city properties are the shantung or purpleblow maple and the paperbark maple. The shantung maple (A. truncatum) is hardy to Zone 5 and grows about six metres high and five metres wide. Its delicate lobed leaves are scaled down in size compared with larger maples, and slightly wavy with a lustrous sheen; it will provide dappled shade over a patio or seating area. Leaves are deeply reddish-purple as they open in spring, and yellow-orange-red in fall. This tree isn't often offered for sale in Canadian garden centres, but only because it isn't well known; asking for it will stimulate the market. Much easier to acquire is the paperbark maple, A. griseum, hardy to Zone 6 and one of the most admired ornamental trees. Its shiny, peeling bark is a warm cinnamon or red-brown colour. This is a good tree to have close to a front door where the bark can be appreciated all year, particularly in snow when it is most beautiful. With a manageable height of seven metres and spread of five metres, it takes on dignity with age. Young paperbark maples show differing degrees of exfoliating bark, and the amount they peel when young is consistent as they age. A young tree with minimal peeling will continue that way as it ages, so be sure to select one with a strong peeling characteristic to ensure it will continue to do so in the future.THE VARIETIESA tree we are seeing more of is the very serviceable 'Bloodgood' Japanese maple (A. palmatum 'Bloodgood', hardy to Zone 5, and an ornamental workhorse in the garden. Delicate in structure, 'Bloodgood' reaches six metres in height and five metres in width, thickly clothed with deepest purple foliage. In a sunny location this colour holds all season, and in shade it is slightly suffused with green. In autumn and early spring it is beautiful when hung with raindrops, and presents a fine, dark profile against snow. Two 'Bloodgood' Japanese maples make a lovely frame for a front door, set three metres from both sides of the steps and two to three metres out from the house wall. Two low and shrubby A. palmatum hybrids worth having for vertical accent in a perennial border are 'Butterfly' and 'Seiryu', both hardy to Zone 6. 'Butterfly' is an unusual variegated plant with slightly twisted and curled leaves coloured grey-green, white and pink. It has a stiff, shrubby form with upright branches to two metres that are set off and softened by the exquisite foliage. 'Seiryu' is an upright Japanese maple reaching three metres, with thin twigs and lacy green foliage, deeply incised and filigreed, that turns orange-red in autumn. Both plants will grow well in light shade to part sun, but in brighter light will require more water to prevent their fine leaves from scorching. Japanese maples have less fibrous, and therefore less invasive, roots. Pair them with white or pink bleeding hearts in spring and Japanese anemones 'September Charm' and 'Honorine Jobert' in late summer. Ornamental maples The fullmoon maple,A. japonicum (hardy to Zone 6), is a lovely tree for a little corner out of the winter wind. Its intriguing, moon-like leaves are chartreuse green turning to rich yellow and crimson in autumn and have wavy edges as though trimmed with pinking shears. Occasionally its fancy-leafed hybrid, A. japonicum 'Aconitifolium' can be found. It is quite different from the fullmoon parent and possibly the most flamboyant of all Japanese maples, with sharply incised leaves that turn to deepest crimson, earning it the prideful Japanese name of Mai kujaku or dancing peacock. These maples are both highly ornamental and just the thing to have near a seating area or to one side of an entrance, where their fine details will be noticed. They will grow well in light shade to full sun, but require more water in stronger light.Finally, for colder regions, two small, ornamental maples: the striped snake bark maple (A. pensylvanicum, hardy to Zone 3), and the amur maple (A. ginnala 'Flame', hardy to Zone 2). The striped snake bark maple has a maximum height of eight metres and spread of six metres, and prefers cool, moist soil in partial shade. In spring, its yellow, pendulous flowers glow against the vividly striped bark and young reddish stems. The tree's golden autumn colour is exceptional. The amur maple 'Flame' is a large shrub or small tree reaching seven metres high and wide, useful to anchor a long cottage garden border at one end or stand at the foot of a country driveway. It has stylized leaves of three lobes compressed into a narrow shape. If grown in strong sunlight, it comes alive in autumn with deep scarlet colour. Amur maple is the toughest of the small maples and will tolerate a dry site and wind, still producing its red display at season's end.- Credit
- Judith Adam
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How to stratify seeds How to stratify seeds
How to stratify seeds ofMethod Seeds from plants native to temper-ate zones possess a remarkable survival mechanism: they require a cold period to germinate, a tactic that occurs naturally in the garden during our winters. This makes evolutionary sense; otherwise, fresh seed would germinate in the autumn, and the young seedlings would succumb to icy blasts. By imitating nature, gardeners can get a jump-start on the season at any time of the year by artificially chilling seeds—a process known as stratification. By spring, gardeners who had germinated seeds indoors will have good-sized transplants rather than a patch of naturally germinated, smaller seedlings. Most commercially available seeds have already been stratified, but those you’ve collected yourself or obtained through seed exchanges will need this pre-treatment before they will germinate indoors in pots.MethodSeveral soilless mixes are suitable for stratifying seeds. Peat moss works especially well for small seeds, but sift it first and use only the fine particles. Once sifted, dampen the moss and add one part horticultural sand or vermiculite to four parts peat moss to improve aeration; for larger seeds, use a mix of half horticultural sand and half vermiculite.Place a handful of the soilless mix in a small bowl. Make a wide depression in the centre and add as many seeds as desired. Cover with a little more mix, then remove the seeds and mixture from the bowl and gently squeeze out any excess water, but do not compact.Place the mound into a resealable plastic bag, label with the species’ name and the date and leave it in a warm place (the top of a refrigerator, for instance) for three days to allow the seeds to take up water and swell. They’re now ready for chilling.Place the bag in your refrigerator’s meat drawer, which is usually the coldest area (about 4 to 5°C is ideal), but make sure the seeds don’t freeze. Shake the bag once or twice a week to keep them aerated.After the required chilling period (see “The big chill”), remove the bag from the refrigerator. Large seeds can be removed and sown five millimetres deep in pots filled with growing medium; cover with seed-starting mix. Leave small seeds in the soilless compound and sow directly into containers filled with commercial seed-starting mix. Move the pots or flats to a warm, sunny window until ready to be transplanted outdoors in the spring. The big chill Different species need varying periods of stratification, ranging from one week to several months. Here are typical requirements for some common garden plants.NAME and CHILLING PERIODFir (Abies spp.) 1 to 3 monthsMaple (Acer spp.) 2 to 4 monthsMonkshood (Aconitum spp.) 3 weeksFlowering onion (Allium spp.) 4 weeksServiceberry (Amelanchier spp.) 3 to 4 monthsSnapdragon (Antirrhinum majus) 1 weekColumbine (Aquilegia spp.) 3 weeksRedbud (Cercis canadensis) 3 monthsSpecies clematis (Clematis spp.) 2 to 3 monthsDogwood (Cornus spp.) 3 to 4 monthsBleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis) 6 weeksShooting star (Dodecatheon meadia) 3 weeksPurple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) 4 weeksForsythia (Forsythia spp.) 1 to 2 monthsHellebore (Helleborus spp.) 4 weeksDaylily (Hemerocallis spp.) 6 weeksHardy lobelia (Lobelia spp.) 12 weeksHoneysuckle (Lonicera spp.) 1 to 3 monthsMagnolia (Magnolia spp.) 3 to 6 monthsVirginia bluebells (Mertensia pulmonarioides) 6 weeksPhlox (Phlox paniculata) 4 weeksSpruce (Picea spp.) 1 to 3 monthsPrimrose, most (Primula spp.) 4 weeksSpecies roses (Rosa spp.) 4 to 6 monthsElderberry(Sambucus canadensis) 3 to 5 monthsLilac (Syringa spp.) 1 to 3 monthsHemlock (Tsuga spp.) 2 to 4 monthsPansy, viola (Viola spp.) 1 week- Credit
- Stephen Westcott-Gratton
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A garden of succulent treasures A garden of succulent treasures
A garden of succulent treasures ofEssential ingredient of life For Thomas Hobbs and Brent Beattie, owners of Vancouver’s renowned Southlands Nursery, rich, vibrant colour is one of life’s essential ingredients. It’s also the hallmark of their dramatic, 1933, Spanish-style home overlooking the city’s English Bay. A three-walled house on a triangular lot, it was named Casa Triangulo by its original owner, a Californian who’d come north during the Depression looking for work.In the two decades they’ve owned the house, Thomas and Brent have completely restored it. They began by painting over the white exterior in a rich, terracotta colour. “I wanted it to look more like a Los Angeles house,” says Thomas. The pair added stucco garden walls in the same colour, thereby creating a unified backdrop for a series of enchanting—and much photographed—gardens, which also provide Thomas with material for his weekly television spot on Global News and inspired his bestselling books, Shocking Beauty and The Jewel Box Garden.“The stucco colour was a big factor in choosing a plant palette,” explains Thomas, who steers clear of pink, red and yellow flowers but splashes peach-, salmon- and orange-coloured blossoms throughout the gardens. The jewel box garden He puts a great deal of thought into the colour scheme; finding exactly the right shade for plants is key. “If they’re wrong,” he says, “I just pull them out in full bloom; otherwise they wreck the whole design.” Favourite plants include flowering maples (Abutilon spp.), diascias, bearded irises and ginger lilies (Hedychium spp.), as well as peach-toned daylilies he’s hybridized himself. Apart from a framework of rich foliage, Thomas relies on acid-green flowers as effective foils for his orange-toned palette, from the towering blooms of Euphorbia characias to the massed, fragrant flowers of tobacco plant (Nicotiana langsdorffii).Set among the gardens are paths, terraces, an ornamental pool and a hot tub, all featuring Brent’s exquisite slate tile designs. The grey, blue, green and lavender slate, in turn, forms the perfect colour backdrop for the crux of Thomas’s garden design—his signature containers of succulents, often accessorized with chunks of slag glass, seashells or coral. In The Jewel Box Garden, Thomas calls succulents “the epicentre of a new botanical quake of creativity.” He writes about creating “echeveria pizzas” in low terracotta dishes and saucers, incorporating colourful cultivars of this tender Mexican succulent, some with the typical blue-grey rosette form of Echeveria glauca, others with frilly or blistered leaves in rose or black. Though hardy perennials are left in their pots year-round, he and Brent move tender succulents into a greenhouse for winter. “I like to mix hardy succulents like hens and chicks (Sempervivum) and stonecrop (Sedum) with tender ones such as echeveria, haworthia, kalanchoe and aeonium so my pots aren’t empty all winter,” says Thomas. Most are common, easy-to-find varieties (including some he discovers languishing in big-box stores), but “you have to have a few jewels that you lug in for the winter, coddle and use again year after year.” (See the next page for Thomas’s favourites.)When asked to describe his design philosophy, Thomas answers simply: “Put beauty everywhere.” From the succulent treasures in elegant clay pots to the textural grasses, New Zealand flax (Phormium spp.) and cannas framing the view of the city’s skyline, the gardens at Casa Triangulo are merely the philosopher’s proof. Thomas's tips, tricks and picks Favourite succulentsAnnuals Aeonium arboreum ‘Zwartkop’ (black); Echeveria ‘Afterglow’ (pinkish grey with dark pink margins), E. ‘Black Prince’; E. ‘Mauna Loa’ (frilly, red edges); E. ‘Paul Bunyan’ (silver-blue with blistery warts); Kalanchoe thyrsiflora (rosy, paddle-shaped leaves); donkey’s tail (Sedum morganianum); blue chalksticks (Senecio mandraliscae) Hardy succulents Sedum ‘Vera Jameson’ (dark red, Zone 3); S. rupestre ‘Angelina’ (chartreuse, Zone 3)Design tips from Thomas Invest in well-made hardscaping (e.g., pots, pavers).Provide a good backdrop—it’s important for showing off plants—whether it’s a stucco wall or wood that’s been stained and striated to look old. If a plant’s colour doesn’t work in your design, take the advice of the late British plantswoman Rosemary Verey: “Off with its head!” Success with succulentsUse a fast-draining, cactus soil mix amended with extra-chunky perlite.Design with succulents as though you’re making plant pizzas: combine them tightly in shallow containers with drainage holes to create a variety of heights, colours, forms and textures.Mulch with biscuit-coloured pea gravel to enhance the plant colours.Though highly drought-tolerant, succulents appreciate regular watering and feeding with a soluble 20-20-20 fertilizer. They’ll respond by growing nice and plump.- Credit
- Janet Davis
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How to deter freeloading squirrels How to deter freeloading squirrels
How to deter freeloading squirrels ofCritter-resistant bulbs Nothing frustrates gardeners more than spending a Sunday afternoon planting tulip bulbs, only to discover the next day that squirrels have dug them up. Worse yet is watching deer, rabbits and squirrels foraging for the tasty flower buds and blooms of tulips and crocuses that successfully emerged after a long winter.There are lots of minimally effective concoctions to repel these critters, such as human hair, soap, garlic oil, blood meal, cayenne pepper—even coyote or wolf urine—but perhaps the best way is to just plant bulbs that don’t appeal to unwanted guests. For example, narcissi and daffodils are unappetizing because of their foul taste, while the pungent scent of allium or fritillary bulbs is also a turnoff. Other tips that might help discourage furry freeloaders include cleaning up bulb debris at planting time so the scent is not a draw, or putting an extra layer of strong-smelling mulch (such as cedar, compost or pine bark) over the planted area. A novel approach is to feed squirrels peanuts or corn in feeders during bulb-planting time in the hope that this easily accessible food source dissuades them from digging through your garden. Also consider planting bulbs deeper than normal (25 to 50 per cent deeper), then firming the soil well. Securing a barrier, such as chicken wire, over the soil can be effective, too.Critter-resitant bulbs to try:Muscari ArmeniacumFritillaria PersicaEranthis hyemalisNarcissus ‘Tête-à-tête’ Allium ‘Globemaster’ Galanthus NivalisFritillaria MeleagrisNectaroscordum siculum Iris Danfordiae Fritillaria imperialis Narcissus ‘Ice Follies’ Leucojum aestivumScilla sibericaCrocus tommasinianus (note: squirrels love other types of crocuses). Watch a video of bulb-planting tips.- Credit
- Anne Marie Van Nest
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October 17 - 19, 2008
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