January Gardening

Well certainly the winter is not the best time to run outside and do some gardening. There are however plenty of gardening ideas to keep you busy in the colder months .

I like to start my search for this springs plantings now using catalogs and also the Internet to check for online nursery catalogs. There is a wealth of information and inspiration in these catalogs . When you are search you can set up a folder on your computer and copy and paste things that you are interested in so that you can research them more. You can even set up sub-folders with in your garden ideas folders to cover different subjects vegetables, annuals, perennials,trees, shrubs,water features almost anything you are interested in. This will garner you a wealth of information and ideas for your gardening efforts. The best part of all is that you will have source information and cost information right at your fingertips so that if you decide on a project you can have an idea of what it will cost you and where you can get it during the planning stage. This is great especially if you are planning major changes or are just on a tight budget.

Another thing that you can be doing in January is to get that lawnmower, rototiller, and other lawn equipment to the repair shop for tuneups and repairs. The repair shops can then have your equipment ready for you long before you need it in the spring and you can get started instead of waiting 2 or 3 weeks for it to get fixed. There is nothing more frustrating then to go to start a piece of equipment and it won’t run no matter how many times you try to start it. It will just mess up a whole days plan and your attitude. Part of the joy in gardening is that you can get some relaxation and exercise and let worries and frustrations be put aside for a while. So to avoid frustration plan ahead and have your equipment repaired before the season starts. Speaking of planning ahead if you get a few days of warm weather it may be a good idea to get the garden shed organized and put all your hand tools, pruners ,trowels, etc.. together and make it easy to find so you are not searching on that first day of gardening.

Don’t Forget A 5 Gallon Bucket It Is The Perfect Container For Holding All Your Hand Tools

I know it is hard to think about organizing things for spring when it is cold and dreary outside but you will really appreciate it latter!

Another source of great ideas is a visit to botanical gardens conservatories or garden shows. A day trip in the middle of winter is often times just the thing you need to boost your spirits. There are lots of different activities for gardeners put on by garden clubs, nurseryman’s association and other groups. You can usually Google the term garden shows for some located in your area.

Spring is only 2 month one week and 3 days away so even though it is far off it is not as far away as Christmas and for the true gardener it is probably more exciting. I know I can not drive past a home improvement store without looking for the garden center section and more than once have diverted from my mission to stop in and just browse the latest arrivals. This is truly better that Christmas and Birthdays to me. So there is something to look forward to. Just Hang In There A Bit Longer.

The Carolinian Forest

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UBC Botanical Garden has completed the development of one of our newest features: the Carolinian Forest. One thousand cubic metres of soil were extracted from a former construction site on South Campus and spread on an expanse of Botanical Garden hillside that has lain dormant since 1972.

Botanical Garden visitors, staff, volunteers, students and faculty have repeatedly expressed interest in eastern North American hardwoods. The late Gerald Straley, a Virginia native and former Curator of Collections at the Botanical Garden, had always advocated for such a collection, arguing that there were few examples of this rich and biologically important floristic assemblage displayed anywhere locally. Significantly, a large number of eastern North American plants have their closest relatives in east Asia, while others have relatives in both Asia and western North America. Amassing Carolinian species here has enabled the garden to link collections of a number of important genera and species groups, such as Liriodendron (tulip poplar), magnolia, Acer (maple) and rhododendron. Beyond biogeographic comparisons, other educational objectives, such as conservation and biodiversity research, are more easily accomplished with the addition of the arboretum. So much of the eastern hardwood forest, including its associated shrubby and herbaceous flora, is significant from an aesthetic point of view. The Carolinian Forest has been enormously popular with all of our visitors.

Most of the seeds which were used for the Carolinian forest were collected in the wild from forests in eastern Canada and the Maritimes to the Carolinas and Georgia. Approximately 300 trees and shrubs, representing more than 100 different species, have been planted. The very first plantings took place in the early spring of 2006.

Another feature of the Carolinian Forest is the Carolinian Garden. It is comprised of 12 individual groves, each named for an early North American plant explorer. The groves exhibit a variety of trees and shrubs, including signature species that have particular significance to the legacies of those explorers. For example, Kalmia latifolia (mountain laurel) was planted in the Kalm Grove. Pehr Kalm (1716-1779) was an explorer-botanist born in Sweden and a student of Carolus Linnaeus who collected in the northernmost parts of the eastern hardwood forest (including Québec). Franklinia alatamaha resides in the Bartram Grove. American John Bartram (1699-1777), who Linnaeus described as the greatest natural botanist in the world, discovered this beautiful camellia relative (named for Bartram’s friend Benjamin Franklin) while collecting plants with his son near the Altamaha River in Georgia in 1770s. Bartram was among the last to see this species in the wild.

The Carolinian Forest’s location on the hillside adjacent to the Garry Oak Meadow and Woodland Garden and overlooking Southwest Marine Drive and Georgia Strait beyond, have made it visible from all areas of the east garden, as well as from the Botanical Garden entrance and the proposed Visitor Centre. We invite you to come explore this exciting development and share in a spectacularly beautiful arboretum.

A woodland garden of global scientific value

Above you are vigorous familiar climbers such as wisteria, roses and clematis as well as many outstanding unusual varieties, scampering through centuries-old cedar, fir and hemlock. The gourd-shaped nests of the common bush-tit hang in the air as squirrels dart across your path.

You have entered the David C. Lam Asian Garden, largest component of the University of British Columbia Botanical Garden. From Tibet, Japan, China, Korea, Manchuria and other regions, some of the most ancient flowering plants, the magnolia, are gathered together in the greatest number on the continent. Here also is one of the continent's largest collection of rhododendrons. Paper-bark, snake-bark and many other examples of Asian maples add vibrant colour, shape and texture.

Shade-loving perennials, rare shrubs and lush ferns nestle within this peaceful forest. Plants previously considered not hardy in Vancouver thrive beneath the immense native canopy which provides shade and protection from northwest winds.

You are surrounded by the results of ongoing expeditions by botanists who have explored and collected in the farthest corners of Asia and the close and long-standing and ongoing association of the UBC Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research with other famed botanical gardens such as Edinburgh, Kew, Nanjing, Hokkaido and the Arnold Aboretum and Harvard.

Visitors are invited to undertake their own personal explorations and discoveries, or to arrange guided tours. There are few spaces between groupings of magnificent plants, but plenty of opportunities to get off main paths where rare plants are scattered and others spring from nurse logs that lay where they have fallen. Towhees, thrushes, robins and song sparrows scratch among the undergrowth.

Living Collections

UBC Botanical Garden started in 1916 with 900 species. By the late 1930s, the Botanical Garden included significant collections of British Columbia natives, willows, alpines, aquatics and medicinal plants, as well as native and exotic trees in the campus arboretum. Unfortunately, much of the old collections were lost or integrated with the campus plantings. The only remnants visible today are some very fine trees in the original arboretum.

Today, the University of British Columbia Botanical Garden collections include those of the main garden, the Botanical Garden Nursery and Nitobe Memorial Garden. Nitobe Memorial Garden is an authentic Japanese tea and stroll garden, but is also a documented collection of Japanese and British Columbia native plants.

Collections policy at UBC Botanical Garden follows a number of important criteria. These include providing plants and plant materials for academic study and research (based primarily on germplasm of documented wild origin), using plants to create attractive public displays, and providing the public with new plants through partnerships with local horticulture industry.

University of British Columbia Botanical Garden houses a number of significant plant group collections, these include: Acer, Clematis, Cornus, Epimedium, hardy Eucalyptus, Hebe, Lardizabalaceae, Lindera, Magnolia, Rhododendron, Sorbus, Styracaceae, BC native flora, alpines and Chinese flora.

Winter Storm Hits The Urban Garden

We are under a winter storm warning here at the urban garden with snow estimates of 10 to 12 inches over the next 24 hours. This is not so much a danger as it is a big inconvience . The trouble is keeping up with the snow. The hospital is open 24 hours a day so we must keep entrances , drive , and parking lots open for ambulances patients and staff. The storm is expected to drop as much as an inch an hour so we need to be prepared to keep going over the same areas until the storm is over and then it will be another two days till the lots are completly cleared because we will need to close down sections at a time to clear snow.

It is usally a long and grueling week when we get a large snow fall. The main thing is to keep paths open and free of snow and ice so that operations are not hindered and roads open so emergency vehicles can get through . If it is a very big storm the city will try and help out but there is only so much they can do while trying to keep main streets and arteries open.

Over all the snow season is definatly the worst time of year at the urban garden. The bright spot is Spring is only 2 months 2 weeks 5 days away!

Weather Break At the Urban Garden Work Resumes

Last week was a long week at the urban garden. The snow took up most of the week as well as the sub freezing temperatures . A Mid – January thaw is expected on Wednesday and Thursday which should see weather in the 40’s In addition above average temps are expected for the next 10 days. This is a welcome relief as it will allow us a chance to get back on schedule with the organization project and also let us take down the rest of the holiday decorations as well. There is a down side to the melting snow though. As the snow melts all the hidden trash and debris will be exposed so there will be a lot more cleanup. This is always a lot of work but it is part of the job.

The really good news is that Spring is just about 10 weeks away. This is a great thing to be looking forward to. That does not mean that winter is winding down by any means . This is Chicago and there is a lot of winter still left to come but a mid season break will be much welcomed.

As the days go by I will be focusing more on the things we will need to be doing as the weather breaks and Spring returns. The more planning I do now the better off we will be when we get a few nice days to work. The best part of all will be when the spring flowering bulbs start to emerge. I always get a thrill when I first see them poking their heads up through the soil.I guess it is the anticipation of the blaze of color after weeks and weeks of dreary drab landscaping. The other thing that is exciting is the longer light hours. There is a lot to be said about how sunlight will improve your spirit.

On a personal note The Woodland Garden is starting to beckon me as well. I can not wait to get a weekend to go out and see how spring is bursting into bloom there. I truly wish that I could live there year round as it is a million miles from no wheres but only an hour from home. I have been collecting some plans for bird houses and some bird feeders and weather permitting I will be putting a few together to take out there the first weekend. It probably would not be the highest priority on the spring to do list except that I so much enjoy watching the birds and hearing their songs as they visit the woodland garden that I want to get those in place early.

Well there will be a lot to do once spring breaks so the next several weeks of planning time will be a good thing. I know it seems early but I have learned as I get older 10 weeks can pass very fast.

Important Reminder For Winter Gardens

In the northern climates it is very difficult for birds to find food especially when there is snow cover. Placing a bird feeder in your garden is not only a very human thing to do for our feathered friends it will provide you with hours of entertainment.

During these cold periods it is hard sometimes to find food and once birds find out that you are providing them some they will come in droves . They will be darting back and forth and hanging off each other to try and get to the feeder. It is great fun to watch and you will be surprised at just how quickly you can recognize returning birds by their markings and personality.

A bird feeder is also a great way to teach children about nature and putting them in charge of filling the bird feeder is a good way of teaching them responsibility as well

Looking Towards Spring

Two Months 29 Days and 16 hours and then Spring will arrive at the urban garden. Seems like a ways off. Well Friday is New Years 2010 what happened to 2009? Time does fly. This past year some of the things which I wanted to accomplish at the urban garden did not get done but because of equipment problems and the construction project etc..

I have been busy the last two weeks in between snow storms getting an inventory list together for irrigation parts, fertilizer, herbicides, and supplies. This is based on what is on hand and what I have used in past years. By placing orders in February I will have the supplies I need in time for each task. This alone saves a lot of time and that is due to the reorganization taking place this winter. They irrigation parts that are used most for repairs nipples, heads,and nozzles are all in a kit form separated by size so now when a repair is needed they parts are right on hand and there where you are working. As the parts are used you can restock before you run out so that you will not be waiting when a repair is needed.

Seed for lawn repair will be on hand as well as starter fertilizer and peat moss so that as soon as weather brakes you can start repairs even if it is only one or two nice days you can get started early and be ahead of the game. This is especially important when you are working with a small crew and need to make each day count.

Along with the irrigation kit I have set up a pull behind garden cart with a sprayer so that weed control will be much more efficient. This cart will hook on to the lawn tractor and also hold the irrigation kit so that when needed it will only take a few minutes to hook up and be out there working. Planning is a key element in getting things done and the more you plan the better off you will be.

Now is a great time for you to start thinking about your own garden and garden projects and planning for them this spring. If you don’t have any project planned yet why not visit our resource page Free Backyard Project Plans and check out some ideas that you can build using the lists of free plans.

(W)intermission

Gail and I need a little more time to gather thoughts before I dive into posts about the decade’s best plants. Because I ventured outside on some of the chilliest days to grab at pictures with my mittens on, I’ll give those to you today instead. You might want to make a cup of tea and put on your thickest sweater before looking…

Even though I’ve never considered this my favorite season, I have realized that I am very grateful to live in a climate that has a true winter. I need a real break from the garden to recharge my brain and body. – And if it was warm enough to work outside I would have trouble staying in.

A month or two ago I couldn’t really imagine having any fresh ideas for these gardens or even my own (which I think about constantly even while I’m at work). I was fried. But after only a couple of weeks of intensive indoor regrouping, I have enough thoughts in my head that if I don’t write them down they’re likely to be pushed off the shelf by the next thing. I definitely need help to kick-start the idea process. Before allowing ourselves even a glance at seed catalogs, Gail and I always take a look through the year’s gardening magazines, which we hadn’t yet given ourselves time to read, and we pull out the ancient back issues too along with our favorite books. – Because everything old is new again. And of course I am catching up on blog reading. Amazingly, it doesn’t take much for the ideas to start germinating. A plant suggestion here, a photo there and I’m already completely jazzed to get back in the garden.

Do you take a winter intermission too? Self or climate imposed? Where do you find the seeds for your ideas?

Important Reminder For Winter Gardens

In the northern climates it is very difficult for birds to find food especially when there is snow cover. Placing a bird feeder in your garden is not only a very human thing to do for our feathered friends it will provide you with hours of entertainment.

During these cold periods it is hard sometimes to find food and once birds find out that you are providing them some they will come in droves . They will be darting back and forth and hanging off each other to try and get to the feeder. It is great fun to watch and you will be surprised at just how quickly you can recognize returning birds by their markings and personality.

A bird feeder is also a great way to teach children about nature and putting them in charge of filling the bird feeder is a good way of teaching them responsibility as well.

Winter Storm Hits The Urban Garden

We are under a winter storm warning here at the urban garden with snow estimates of 10 to 12 inches over the next 24 hours. This is not so much a danger as it is a big inconvience . The trouble is keeping up with the snow. The hospital is open 24 hours a day so we must keep entrances , drive , and parking lots open for ambulances patients and staff. The storm is expected to drop as much as an inch an hour so we need to be prepared to keep going over the same areas until the storm is over and then it will be another two days till the lots are completly cleared because we will need to close down sections at a time to clear snow.

It is usally a long and grueling week when we get a large snow fall. The main thing is to keep paths open and free of snow and ice so that operations are not hindered and roads open so emergency vehicles can get through . If it is a very big storm the city will try and help out but there is only so much they can do while trying to keep main streets and arteries open.

Over all the snow season is definatly the worst time of year at the urban garden. The bright spot is Spring is only 2 months 2 weeks 5 days away!

New Years Day 2010 At The Urban Garden

New Years Day 2010 here at the urban garden. Just like Spring is the start of the new gardening year New Years Day is the start of a new year. I have been thinking about the website for a while now and in general I am pleased with it. I do want to have more relevant content though and more resources for the visitors. Over the last month or so I have been working on a resource called Free Backyard Project Plans which is a collection of lots of different plans on all kinds of projects. Currently there are plans in the following categories:

* Arbor Plans
* Cold Frame
* Free Backyard Project Plans
* Garden Benches
* Garden Bridges
* Greenhouse Plans
* Pergola Plans
* Raised Garden Bed
* Water Falls

There will be many more to come. It is a chance to get some ideas for you landscape and what you can build or make.

I really want to place a question and answer section in as well so those who have gardening questions can come and ask and get some help. I am not sure if it should be as a forum or a Q&A section yet but I am still working on the concept.

I have spent many years in gardening both professionally as well as a hobby. I really have a an interest in all things gardening. It is the old adage about finding a job you love. I truly love what I do for a living and while challenging at times it certainly is not what I think of as work. I think of work as something that is not truly enjoyable and fulfilling and I can not say that about what I do for a living.

Most important of all is that I hope to make this a valuable tool for those who need garden information or advise. Also to be entertaining. If anyone has an ideas or thought please register and leave a comment. I promise you that you will not get bombarded with any emails or communications from me. I just would like your feedback and input. H ave a great day and a very prosperous and happy new year!