Exotic Gardening with Rare and Strange Plants

sonchus canariensis

“Summer Time and the living’s easy”

What a beautiful weekend we had here in Victoria; perhaps summer has finally arrived. Gardens are still lush, but thirsty indeed. From greenhouse to garden I live with a hose in hand. I have yet to neglect my duties this season and the garden has rewarded me absolute lushness, ever vigilant do I stand.

Today my girlfriend and I took a stroll about Government House Gardens and what it a treat it was. The sun was shining  and the wind wisped gently, shadows danced creating the perfect lighting for a great photo shoot. Government House is my favorite garden in Victoria, it’s location is perfect and it’s botanical obscurity high. Open from sunrise to sunset Government House is free to the public and a great place to relax and forget about life’s woes. Rolling gardens that surround the main building eventually turn into paths of mixed garden on a lichen covered rock face. After a walk through some of the most exciting exotic gardens in Victoria one can continue their journey to the bottom of the property to check out their preserved Gary Oak ecosystem.  The gardener’s involved in this project have a real flair for horticulture. Their attention to detail is refreshingly immaculate; the diversity of the garden lends well to much exploring. It’s worth a visit at any time of the year; surprises are in store for those who pay attention and visit often. A perfect place for a coffee & stroll.

Ok.. now onto the photos. So many colorful flowers.

Papaver Allegro
I personally don’t care for oriental poppies in my garden, but here they look ablaze and incredible. Papaver ‘Allegro’ back lite by the nodding sun.

eccremocarpus scaber
Spotted an Eccremocarpus scaber (Chilean Glory Vine) growing as happy as can be. Incredibly hardy here in Victoria if placed in the right location, a light mulch in winter and they spring to life post haste. I was excited to see this one doing so well.

eccremocarpus scaber closeup
A close up for identification purposes. Eccremocarpus scaber

exotic plants in victoria
One of my favorite plantings at Government House. An Eryngium agavifolium & Beschorneria sp. (False Yucca) thrive on this exposed rockface looking out at the sea. Lucky plants get the best view in town.

eryngium agavifolium
Eryngium agavifolium blooms

beschorneria blooms
Beschorneria blooms.

Watsonia
South African Watsonia.

Closeup watsonia

echium pininana
I was happy to see the echium pininana are still doing well.

Dying echium
All but this scarlet one of course. Having had a crop of nearly 100 last season I can say with certaintity this one isn’t going to make it this season.

Eschscholzia californica
Eschscholzia californica (California Poppy) in it’s full glorious splendor.

California poppy
Absolutely electric.

agave parryi
Always excited to see Agaves planted out here in Victoria. What a thrill, live on the wild side. Agave parryi is known to be one of the toughest agaves suited for northern gardens. Depending on the cultivar many are adapted to the wet conditions found out here on the west coast.  This one has a couple battle scars from last winter.

Eremurus
Eremurus (Fox Tail Lilies) remind me of fireworks. I really should get a timelapse on these some day, if you sped things up this would almost flicker like a sparkler. Incredible.

Fox tail lily blooms
eremurus flowers
Jewel encrusted.

Dierama
It’s no wonder why Dierama’s common name is fishing rod plant. Watch it dance in the wind, bobbing like a lure.

ID?
A couple ID’s needed pls. This is some cultivar of thistle mithinks.

ID?
Gold Star opportunity to show off your plant knowledge.

delosperma nubigenum
An impressive colony of delosperma nubigenum hanging down a rockface.

delosperma nubigenum delosperma nubigenum

delosperma cooperi
Although all Delosperma originate from Africa most and many are hardy in northern gardens. Provided they have sun and good drainage they’re an easy plant to grow and thrive on neglect. Easily propagated by cutting they come in a wide array of colors and habit. Flowers range from pink to sunset. They’re a fun plant to collect and rarely aggrivated the busy scheduled gardener. Can you say easy? Yes please!

primula bulleyana
primula bulleyanaprimula bulleyana
Primula bulleyana

Cotula
Cotula hispida

Exotic border
What’s that I spotted among this exotic border?

sonchus canariensis
A kin from my crop of Sonchus canariensis. I’m excited to see what it looks like at the end of the summer.

What a wonderful day.

P.S for those who are interested…

Please stop on by for the 6th Annual PLANT HOARDERS plant sale, in the cook st village.

A large variety of hardy & tropical perennials, old standbys and rare and exotic. Seed grown Tree Echiums (echium pininana), large specimen burgmansias, gunnera and other way cool plants. Not your average plant sale, well worth coming out rain or shine. LETS HOPE FOR SUN. Located a cook/fairfield (442 COOK), exceptional quality with fair prices. Indulge the inner plant geek and come down for some really great plants. Need gardening advice? Let me recommend something perfect for your garden.

Well the season’s begun with a shot and bang, 2 weeks of sunshine in mid March will wet gardener’s appetites. We’ve been clearing out greenhouses almost as quickly as we can fill them; our spring annuals seem way ahead of schedule. It’s amazing what a mild spring will do for the garden industry; there’s an excitement in the air. Is it safe for us to go outside again? The chestnut tree in front of my house has swollen buds and will be in leaf within a week methinks.

Greenhouse

Racks of annuals

Greenhouse lettuce crop

Geraniums

Like it or not I’ve been a bit zombified as of late, this whole plant thing has been taking it’s toll. I set out to push this to the next level and looking around I might have accomplished that. Between working more than full-time at the nursery, maintaining a large home collection and trying to start up a side greenhouse project; it’s official my life is ruled by plants. It’s exhausting and it’s not even summer yet. In an attempt to maintain fresh inspiration for documenting I’ve now got so much growing that I barely have time to report. If I have any energy left at all the greenhouse project eats it up, then I get home at 8:00pm, eat, bathe and do it again. It’s pure insanity really, a hobby that borders on addiction that has completely devoured my life. What to do now. . .  Breathe, meditate and do again of course. That’s springtime for you. Some people run marathons, I collect plants.

Wilma's Gold Rosemary

Armeria juniperifolia

Violas

Seriously though I always feel overwhelmed at this time of year. Tis the burden of the nurseryman I suppose. When the salmon are in the bay, you get on that boat and get fishing. I never understood it better until this year but spring is the season to do it all. While you can propagate at anytime of year, there is no better time then now. Plants are actively waking up, releasing turbo charged growth chemicals and want to live today more than any other time of year. Seeds sowed in spring have a whole season to grow up whereas mid summer sown only gets a quick autumn of growth. It’s a good time to divide and it’s a good time to reposition. First and foremost it’s a good time to observe, to enjoy and to pay attention.

IMG_7544
Some of the nicest Lewisia we’ve grown to date, second season. 

Greenhouse treasures
A peak into the back greenhouse.

Spring is such an incredible time of year, the growth in the back is almost unbelievable. For the first time in 2 weeks it rained almost all day. Upon coming home the garden was a different place all together. What would seem like week’s worth of growth seems to have occurred over an afternoon of precipitation. Everything is so lush, so pristine.

Sonchus canariensis
Can’t find a supplier for Sonchus canariensis? Ok, let’s grow some from seed… 10 months later . . . Now what to do with 35 three foot tall Sonchus…

sonchus canariensis
A lovely plant none the less.

Soak it in while you can, plants are a quick reminder to “stop and smell the roses”. What looks great today, will be gone or different tomorrow. Some flowers appear as if in a blink, just a short appearance to grace your eyelids. If you’re not there, too bad for you, there is no PVR for the garden I’m afraid. As I sit outside and listen to the gentle tap of raindrops I take a deep breathe in and try to truly take in the moment. We’ve been doing it for thousands of years but have forgotten this meditation over a quick generation skip. Put down your iphone once in a while and go for a walk in a garden. Crouch and get at eye level with some plants and take a closer look. Get your hands dirty and give them a feel. Crush a few leaves and investigate there exciting new aromas. Lastly appreciate the miraculousness of life and see the perfection that exists within all things. Mother nature is the finest artist. God I sound like a hippy somedays. .  .

Wish me luck ! More photos to follow!

prostanthera rotundifolia
prostanthera rotundifolia

azara lanceolata
azara lanceolata

agapetes serpens
agapetes serpens

agapetes serpens
agapetes serpens

asarum splendens
asarum splendens

podophyllum spotty dotty
Podophyllum ‘Spotty Dotty’

wasabia japonica
wasabia japonica flowers
wasabia japonica

mukdenia rossii
mukdenia rossii
mukdenia rossii

geranium maderense
geranium maderense

epiphyllum
More varieties of epiphyllum than any one man should have. . . 

Crop of echiums
Field of echiums
I think this will be the year I’ll get an echium to flower.

Mr Nat. Gardener, Plant Nerd
Tips and tales about gardening in one of the most mild climates in Canada. Specializing in rare and strange plants from far out destinations, this is the story of an obsessed young gardener in Victoria B.C. Let's create more tropical gardens in the garden city on the southern tip of Vancouver Island.