It's a Winter Wonder-What!?!

I can hardly believe my eyes.  The entire golf course has been blanketed in the white stuff and it's absolutely blizzard conditions out right now.  It's honestly the most perfect consistency for a bruiser of a snowball.   My damp Westcoast heart absolutely warms up at the very sight of snow falling.  This morning has been a pretty euphoric sight around here.  I've asked to use some of Josh's photographs of the golf course if you didn't get a chance to see it with your own eyes.

Dan and Kevin have spent the morning clearing the parking lot and walkways for clubhouse guests.

As you can imagine, the golf course is closed. Although, if you're a sucker for punishment you could ask the Pro Shop if you could play the most annoying game of "Where's my golf ball?".  Another past time that is just about as absurd as golfing in the snow is weeding in the snow. Fortunately, I have projects around the shop to contend with.  I'm currently warming up from my excursion of helping Josh claim his workman vehicle out of a particularly soft area of turf.

I hope you are all enjoying a similar snowscape outside your own windows!  Happy Holidays!

Turn your Trash into Treasure

We got a new addition to the Turf Care Centre.  I'll give you a hint...It's 6' x 6' and smells like wet leaves. Yep, you guessed it (or not)...it's a shiny new leaf compost bin.  I found an easy design off the internet and with a little help from my friends installed it in just a day.  Mike C and I cleared and flattened out the area in preparation. Ryan and I put down a subgrade of compost, pounded four 4" x 4" posts into the ground at 6' apart and installed a small retaining wall along the back to eliminate the bank behind it from eroding. I later used chicken wire to house the unit and installed a pathway around the compost bin to discourage weeds from weaving there way in. Our departments Resident Artist, Chris, beautified the project by decorating the back retaining wall with felled birch limbs. Yeah Team!!!

I was shocked at how many loads of leaves we brought in without even visibly filling it up.  I think we fit almost 20 yards in this bin and there is still room. And each time it rains, it compacts even further.  I can't wait to see the results in the Spring and topdress the beds and tree wells with the mulch.

You might be wondering why we would go to the trouble of corraling the properties leaves into this bin. Well, those papery leaves rattling against your doorways and throughout your yard can be a nuisance, but they are  also incredibly valuable.  Leaves help build up the structure of the soil, aerate clay soils, and provide an immense amount of nutrients back to the earth, for free even.  A healthy substrate layer is quite a complex system of minerals, water and live and dead insects. Unfortunately, this system can become quite anemic with improper stewardship.  If beds are to be raked repeatedly clean of leaves and natural debris, and replaced with nothing in return, then your soil will have very little in the way of nutrients to provide back to the plants.  Quite simply, leaves fall from the trees to feed the soil. Why not take advantage of this gift?  I understand that leaves in garden beds can be perceived as unsightly.  In this case, leaves can be raked up and used in a leaf compost bin, like ours, to be re-applied back to the beds in 6 months time when they have decayed to a humus rich material.  Any mulch is valuable to a garden bed, but leaf mulch is King. After doing a little research, I found out that leaves, pound for pound, contain twice as many nutrients as manure. That's quite the power-packed meal.

  

Inspired by Piet Oudolf

   

The long term goals for the gardens around Quilchena are wide open prairie landscapes inspired by Dutch Designer, Piet Oudolf. This design style makes sense when looking out at the wide expanse of green turf that resembles the flatland's of the prairies.  I've spent some time thinking about the farming past of Richmond and enjoying some inspired walks through beautiful neighboring Terra Nova Rural Park.  The beauty of Piet Oudolf's design would translate perfectly to the landscapes of this area of Richmond which was once a rural farming and fishing community.

I'm a huge fan of Piet Oudolf's gardening career. Perhaps, it's because the holistic approach of his garden design celebrates the connection of nature and people with big wide open arms.  Plants are chosen for their unique properties and are are allowed to mature and die, in fact Piet's garden design celebrates the cycle of life.  With the backbone of some neatly clipped conifers and flowering deciduous shrubs, the remainder of the garden bed is ornamental grasses and mass planted prairie perennials.

The garden shifts and changes throughout the growing season. In the Spring time, bright blooming oriental poppy and Astilbe plumes light up the landscape. In the Summer, the happy faces of black eyed susan and  the purple coneflower steal the show. The fall is highlighted with the movement of maidenhair grasses and late blooming perennial Lobelia.  By Winter, perennial seed-heads and grass forms are crystallized in the frosty air to haunt the landscape.  It's four season interest that is void of perfection.
In fact, it's the imperfections and serendipitous nature of the landscapes that provide the visual interest.  Birds feed off the dried flower heads and beneficial insects pollinate the brightly coloured blooms. Piet Oudolf's landscapes are open, inviting and relaxed and always alive with nature.

Plants in these gardens are not fussed over and the herbaceous perennials and ornamental perennials are only cut back in early Spring to allow for a burst of fresh new growth.   In nature these plants would naturally shed their framework from the year before and dress the ground with this natural mulch as the Spring bulbs start to lift from the ground.  When used in a more formal setting, cut and dispose of the perennial debris and apply a thin layer of mulch or soil to freshen up the garden beds.

Rocky Project

You might see me in a miserable state over the next week. I'll be hunched over the river rock bordering the parking lot removing the stones, piece by piece.  It might seem like a ridiculous sight. But, there is a purpose to this sadness.  I am doing a little upgrade to that area.  It might not look that visibly different immediately after the fact. But, it will mean a world of difference to me during the weedy Summer months and to the appearance of that area.  The stones will be lifted by hand and unearthed from the sand layer underneath.  They will be thoroughly cleaned to clear the sand and soil from them.  The sand layer will later be removed and replaced with a weed free gravel layer, then landscape fabric and finally the cleaned river rock will be placed on top.  Removing the subgrade from underneath the river rock greatly reduces the potential for weed growth.  In the future, please avoid pouring out your sand and seed containers or cleaning your grass covered shoes in the river rock.  That consideration will greatly reduce the weed accumulation and in exchange you'll have a very happy Horticulturalist!  And please watch your step in this area because there will be a slight grade difference.  Thank you!

Turning Winter Blahs into Christmas Cheer

Coral Bells in different shades

When the weather starts to change from the blue sky's of September to different shades of grey you know that Winter is approaching quickly.  It's a fine time to toss tired Summer annuals and refresh existing planters with textural Winter greens. I've been perking up planters around the clubhouse...one pot at a time.  Plus, upcycling a few of the Summer's hanging baskets near the kiosk.  Fresh seasonal perennials were planted into the center of the Summer baskets while sprigs of cedar boughs were pierced into the moss liners for quick Winter hanging baskets.  The planters leading through the parking lot have been planted with Spring bulbs and will be left bare until then.

Heavenly Bamboo

Generally, people don't associate Winter with gardening, but there are certainly ways to introduce seasonal plant material to your containers and replenish your hanging baskets. This will bring a little cheer to entrance ways and spruce up focal areas. Winter gardening displays are very elegant and reserved, much like the season itself.  The main focus is on foliage through colour and texture. The additions of seasonal  flowers, berries and treasures from the yard will complete your Winter displays. Browse your local nursery and  you will find that there are plenty of evergreen shrubs, ornamental grasses, ferns and hardy perennials to chose from.

The Coral bell (Heuchera) is an excellent addition to any Winter container.  Vibrant marmalade, citrusCarex oshimensis 'Evergold' or the Carex comans in bronze form. Tasteful rounded evergreen shrubs like Skimmia japonica or Sarcococca can be the backbone to most Wintertime planters.  Their glossy green foliage, modest blooms and berries will be sure to appeal during those grey months. Or how about a Leucothoe or Heavenly Bamboo (Nandina domestica) shrub for red variegated foliage?

Skimmia

Burgundy shades will complement any glossy green counterpart. Sedge grasses create excellent texture and movement to a container. My personal favourites are the the green and gold variegated.

Leucothoe

Carex 'Evergold'

Of course, Winter blooming heather and Winter pansies create a beautiful pop of colour in any container.  From my experience though, pansies don't fully show up to the party with bright big blooms until the Spring bulbs start to burst from the ground, so I tend to opt for more immediate impact.  There are so many interesting cultivars of heathers (Eric carnea) at nurseries these days with bolder coloured blooms and foliage in shades of reds, silvers, and citrus.  Take advantage of the most interesting varieties to maximize your Winter interest.  Christmas rose (Helleborus) is a staple in most Winter planters, also one of the priciest.  Christmas Rose cultivar varieties are exponentially expanding every year, with a huge range of colours and bloom styles. The Christmas Rose has become quite the collectors item among plant lovers. I understand the hype because these beauties are absolutely spectacular when planted among Pasque flower (Pulsatilla), daffodil bulbs and ferns in early Spring. Plant one in a Winter planter for floral interest.

Christmas Rose

Winter blooming heather

Put on some rubber boots and wander through a local park or in your yard to gather and collect--just like the shrewd squirrel.  Collect pine cones, nuts and fallen twigs.  Character branches aged with lichen will add a lot of visual interest to your basket. Clip evergreen branches and brightly coloured cuttings from dogwood shrubs and any branch rich with berries.  These clippings can be strategically added to any container for filler and interest.  Moss is such a beautiful addition to a Winter basket as well.  Create your own birds nest and fill it with found treasures.
 

Here are some of my favourite plants for Winter interest;

Berries; Skimmia, Cotoneaster, Sarcococca, Beauty berry (Callicarpa)
Foliage Interest; Carex grasses, Heavenly bamboo (Nandina domestica), Leucothoe, Euonymus, Coral bells (Heuchera), Dwarf Conifers, privet, ferns, Rhododendron, Ajuga, Ivy, Pachysandra
Floral Interest; Heather (Erica carnea), Christmas Rose (Helleborus), pansies,

Viva Dogwood Shrubs!

Yellow twigged

Red Twigged 

Okay, I'm a big fan of dogwood shrubs. Let's get that out in the open... red twigged, yellow twigged, variegated foliage-- I love them all!  Since I've started at Quilchena these shrubs have inevitably started popping up around the joint.  A previous gardener must have shared my love of these plants because some red twigged varieties decorate the parking lot.  I've also added the red twigged variety to the putting green bed and yellow twigged variety to the front bank bed near the gazebo. Perhaps one may have slipped into the bed at #10 as well.

My passion for these twiggy gems lies in the versatility of these plants.  First things first, during the bleak Winter months, few plants add as much colour or interest to our landscapes as the dogwood shrubs.  The ruby toned ('Cardinal') or golden stems ('Flaviramea') of Cornus sericea lifting through the landscape are the few examples of Winter cheer in the long dark months of December through to February.  They also add a wonderful contrast to the Winter hardy evergreens that are showing life at this time of the year.

Variegated Dogwood

When I refer to Dogwood shrubs, I am not referring to our provincial tree ( Cornus nuttallii) or the bright pink blooms of the Korean Dogwood tree (Cornus kousa).  Although I love those too.  Those are very large trees. I am in fact referring to the twiggy, North American native shrub species of Cornus sericea or Osier Dogwood. These shrubs are moisture loving deciduous shrubs that lose their leaves in the fall to expose brightly coloured multi-stems. They have open, vase shaped habits.

During the growing season they have a reasonable white flower that mature to white berries.  This is excellent bird food. Plus, their branch structure provides desirable perching areas for birds.  They have outstanding naturalizing qualities because they also help against soil erosion.  The height of Cornus sericea is a great asset to any garden bed.  They have a slow growing mature height of about 7', but can be coppiced (cut to the base) every year in early Spring to rejuvenate those fresh stems and keep the size compact. A very generous shrub that has all-season interest, ecological properties and is incredibly adaptable to soil conditions and sun exposure.  That concludes my love letter to Cornus sericea.

Blue and Yellow Harmony in the Parking Lot

Sundance Mexican Mock Orange

California Lilac

Something is a buzz in the parking lot.  We recently removed the overgrown mugo pine hedge bordering the parking lot and replaced it with a border of jeuvenille California Lilac (Ceanothus thyrsiflorus 'Victoria') and Sundance Mexican Mock Orange (Choisya ternata 'Sundance') shrubs.

California Lilac is a sun loving evergreen shrub that derives from coastal California and Oregon.  This shrub has masses of fragrant blue flowers in late Spring and early Summer. It's matures to a maximum height of 6' and spread is around 5'.  The goal is to eventually shear it to create a nice evergreen hedge with seasonal interest.  

Sundance Mexican Mock Orange is a rounded evergreen shrub that originated from Southern America through to Mexico.  It has waxy aromatic leaves and fragrant  white flowers that bloom several times a year.  The Sundance cultivar is quite spectacular because it has bright yellow foliage that will add light to the part shade corner of the parking lot.  This Mock Orange shrub is quite adaptable to full sun and part shade exposure and different soil conditions.  Fortunately, the Mock Orange will mature to a similar size to the California Lilac which will create unity in that border.  Also, a nice contrast will be created with the citrus yellow foliage of the Mock Orange and the bright blue blooms of the California Lilac.    

Since these shrubs are young and growing, we ask that you please respect their space. Please, don't park your vehicles resting against them or walk into the garden bed where they're growing.  We want to avoid damaging their limbs and compacting their soil.  Thank you!