Dear Helen: Our vegetable garden is fully fenced to keep out rabbits and deer. I听returned last month from a long weekend away to find my large purple sprouting broccoli plants with their tops off. Below, the leaves were stripped to skeletons. Could raccoons have done this?
W.S.
Dear W.S.: I have a much-used raccoon trail across the top of my vegetable garden, and the sprouting broccoli planted there has not been molested. I think the most likely culprit is the larvae of the large yellow underwing moth. The larvae (caterpillars) are big, robust climbing cutworms that are fond of leafy greens and are very damaging to winter vegetable crops. Because of their size the caterpillars are able to eat large amounts of the greens.
Check the plants with a flashlight at night and pick the larvae off. There may be only a few. Each one can do enormous damage to a plant.
I have a friend with a very adorable but rambunctious and voracious dog who bit off and ate almost all her prized and much anticipated over-wintered cauliflower heads. Just a thought.
听
Dear Helen: Because of illness our garden suffered a period of neglect. Now, I find that wild blackberry canes are growing up through and around some of the azaleas and rhododendrons. How can I get rid of them without destroying the shrubs?
E.D.
If the azaleas and rhododendrons are well established, they will withstand slight, carefully placed disturbance. Where the canes are emerging immediately beside the base growth of the shrubs, cut them (the canes) down at or just below soil level. Keep cutting down any followup growth from these points until the blackberry roots are depleted and produce no more green growth.
Where the blackberries arise away from the bases of the shrubs, use a narrow-bladed digging tool, preferably long-handled, to insert into the soil next to the blackberry cane. Lever the roots upward and loosen them enough to make pulling them up easy.
There is a woodland corner in my back garden that I鈥檝e not tended carefully in recent years. In the past few weeks, as I鈥檝e cleaned through the area, I听encountered enormous blackberry canes reaching far up into a hemlock tree. I听cut them down and then addressed the roots with a听narrow-bladed shovel, which levered the roots cleanly out of the ground. This is most easily done now, while the soil is still soft and damp.
听
Dear Helen: Is it true that if听you pick the flowers of Erythronium oregonum (wild fawn lily, dog-tooth violet, wild Easter lily), the听plant will die?
A.F.
I don鈥檛 think that is true, but the caution does alert potential pickers to the vulnerabilities of this native flower.
Colonies of the plants depend on seeds dropped from the flowers for their survival and continued thriving.
GARDEN EVENTS
Lily meeting. The Victoria Lily Society meets tonight at 7:30 in听the Salvation Army Citadel, Douglas at McKenzie. Lois Blackmore will present on rhododendrons. Visitors are welcome.
Floral art. The Mid Island Floral Art Club meets Thursday at听1:45 p.m. in St. Stephens United Church Hall, 150 Village Way in听Qualicum Beach. Details at 250-757-8969.
Orchid show. The Central Vancouver Island Orchid Society is holding a Show and Sale Friday to Sunday, during mall hours at Nanaimo North Town Centre, 201-4750 Rutherford Rd. The show will feature many species and hybrid orchids, a sales table, members available for information, and a potting demonstration on Saturday. www.cvios.com.
Spring show. View Royal Garden Club hosts its annual Spring Show of flowers, vegetables and fruits on Saturday,听1 to 3 p.m. at Shoreline Community School, 2750 Shoreline Dr. Admission of $5 includes door prize tickets. Refreshments will be served from 1 to 2:45. Baked goods and garden items will be for sale.
Cowichan plant sale. The Cowichan Valley Garden Club holds a Plant Sale on Saturday, 10听a.m. to 1 p.m. in St. John鈥檚 Church Hall, 486 Jubilee St. (corner or Jubilee and First) in听Duncan. The event will feature common and special plants, a听garden bric-a-brac boutique, refreshments, door prize, and demonstrations at 11 and 11:30 on how to plant a low maintenance hanging basket. Admission cost is $2.
