The wet, cooler weather of these last few days has prompted many folks to bring their summer patio tropicals back inside.
It’s now about time to enhance our fall, winter and spring gardens with some lovable, colourful, perfumed winter pansies, but there is more to it than just popping them in the ground. Done well, they can create magic in our fall gardens and again in late winter and spring when we really need that colour lift.
Each spring, a great many gardeners are upset with withering daffodil and tulip leaves that looked unsightly for such a long period of time. What really worries me, however, are the numerous comments folks have made about not planting bulbs because of their sloppy foliage that can spoil the appearance of an otherwise neat and tidy garden.
The garden giants of spring colour are giving way to their smaller…
Brian Minter owns and operates Minter Gardens just outside of Chilliwack
Move over Hawaii, we have our own beautiful hibiscus to light up our summer gardens. Perhaps one of the most under-used summer flowering shrub is the hardy Hibiscus syriacus althaea or Rose of Sharon.
Hardy Hibiscus is a beautiful under-used flowering shrub.
Plants will bloom in September.
August is the only time of year to plant an easy-to-grow giant crocus that blooms a few weeks later – in September! Fall blooming colchicums go by the name of 'Autumn Crocus', although they are not really a crocus at all.
Brian Minter owns and operates Minter Gardens just outside of Chilliwack
Plants are drought tolerant, and during hot, stressful days, they add fresh new life and colour to any garden.
August is a very important transitional time in our vegetable gardens. Some vegetables are still maturing, but many others have finished completely, leaving gaps here and there that could still produce a few crops.
When late summer arrives, far too many landscapes look a bit tired, tatty and worn out. This is especially true when the summer has been long and hot. By adding some very special late blooming perennials, you can make an enormous difference to the whole look and feel of your late summer garden.
Hydrangeas, next to roses, are perhaps the most common deciduous flowering shrub in West Coast gardens. The ‘macrophylla’ or ‘garden hydrangea’ was introduced to England in 1736, and since then, a whole series of beautiful plants have been developed for the home garden.
A gardening column by Brian Minter
In the heat of summer (should we be so lucky), we normally would be looking to add a little extra punch to our gardens, and there is one family of plants that has so much to offer but really doesn’t get the attention it deserves.
By adding some very special late summer blooming perennials, you can make an enormous difference to the whole look and feel of your garden.
If we can’t go sideways, we can most certainly go up.
If you’re a little late with the colour in your garden this year, consider yourself lucky. The cool wet weather has really held things back and caused more than the usual number of insect and disease problems, but there is still plenty of time for a splendid garden.
Extend your living space with an outdoor room. Master gardener Brian Minter tells you how.
