by Mala Gunadasa-Rohling
During May, the last days of spring slowly turn into early summer. This is the time when the last of the perennials appear above ground, and the daffodils and tulips and all their springtime companions fade away. The magnolias are almost over, their unreal goblet-shaped flowers shedding huge pink petals onto the grass, totally overpowering the smaller pink petal snow of the cherries and plums. Now the crabapple and hawthorn trees are covered in their delicate blossoms, ranging from almost white to dark red. I’ve loved these trees ever since I was young and used to play under them in our school playground, collecting the flowers as they fall to the ground. They were also a predominant feature of the hedgerows and verges in our part of the country, and I remember them vividly growing wild in the large open hillside behind our house, leading down to the railway line… One day I am going to plant a large orchard that has these lovely trees growing in a random pattern (I hate orchards with trees in rows!), with long, unmown grass underneath. Of course this meadow will be filled with beautiful wildflowers coming into bloom, replacing the fading bluebells and daffodils, primulas and violets.
I suppose this time of year lends itself readily to dreams like this – right now, the garden just might be perfect this year, since the bugs haven’t really got to anything yet, no fungus or viruses have attacked the delicate emerging foliage or flowers, and drought hasn’t made anything wilt sadly. Now is the time to imagine how gorgeous that lush hosta foliage will be, without a slug-eaten leaf in sight, and the roses might possibly have buds without a single aphid sucking on them. Of course the tomato seedlings sitting safely on the windowsill won’t end up grey and curled with blight like last year, and we will have enough sun to actually ripen some fruit this year!
Enjoy the optimism of this month, it is good and necessary for all gardeners to be dreamers as well as having a solid and practical head and hand. We need to be able to visualise and project, to see in our mind how the border will look when mature as we carefully plan and build with little plants now. All those precious plant sale treasures must be found a home somewhere, and if you are lucky to have bought a small annual or perennial, your troubles are limited as they can be squeezed in just about anywhere. Imagine the task facing someone that just came home with a spectacular species rhododendron or such – now that needs some room in a good spot and may not be so easy to find without taking out some previous treasure! I was sorely tempted recently as I walked around a rhodo plant sale last weekend at the UBC Botanical Garden, put on by the Vancouver Rhododendron Society…I must admit that I think that rhodos and azaleas are greatly overused in the Vancouver area. They have been a staple of gardens here for decades, and now most of them are overgrown for their spots, neglected and quite sickly, with yellowing and thinning foliage and a few sad flowers. Most were planted much to close to the house, probably even under the windows and have been thoughtlessly cut back. The few plants that do well, do really well here since members of the rhodo family like this cool, wet climate and acidic, shallow soil. These lucky plants are gorgeous and almost overpower a garden during their blooming season, but does everyone have to choose a red one when there are so many choices available in all shades of white, pale yellow to bright orange, pinks, mauves to dark maroon? Try one a little different, you won’t regret it!
This rhododendron show also had some spectacular azalea bonsai on display. Until now, I’ve never been a big fan of this particular aspect of horticulture, since it seems to take far too long to achieve a nice looking specimen (I’ve always liked the mature end result though, especially those charming little forests of tiny japanese maples…pure magic). Maybe I’m just getting older and more patient these days, but I might be tempted to start my own bonsai forest one day.
It is hard to watch something grow and evolve that slowly though, especially at this time of year when you can practically watch the paeony shoots grow by inches each day! It is always amazing just how fast perennials emerge and fill in the border – within a matter of weeks bare earth is transformed into a full swathe of plant material. Few annuals can match the rate of growth of an established perennial. Never mind that most perennials only flower for a few weeks each year because so many of them have lovely foliage and possibly interesting seedheads to offer during the rest of the season. It is as important to plan for a harmonious blending of leaf material in your borders as coordinating colours of blooms, but this is a topic all unto itself…
There was a wonderful day last week when I hung out with a friend (Hi Sharon!) as she worked at a local nursery – I watched and listened as she patiently shared her expert advice with the garden tour going around, the eager and slightly anxious customers, and of course, myself. What a treat to get outside and actually see and touch so many unusual plants that I usually only get to read about in books! I even got to get my hands dirty and help with a bit of potting up – so much nicer than working behind a computer all the time. A fascinating lecture presented by a local gardening club that bought in famous plant explorer and nurseryman, Dan Hinkley of Heronswood Nursery rounded out an excellent last week of April. Definately the best way for a beginner to learn about plants and gardening is to talk with, and above all, listen to experienced people like this that are willing to share their knowledge and enthusiasm.
I’m going back outside now to watch my perennials growing, as well as admiring the staying power of a few annuals that survived the mild winter and are now flowering where they left off last November… Time to get those stakes into the ground before the paeony buds open and fall over. Let’s hope it doesn’t rain and cause them to rot before they even have a chance to open…but wait, no bad thoughts allowed yet, it is still springtime!