On the Cowichan Garden Tour last month I spoke with a gardener who has successfully protected a group of hostas and a prized clematis from deer browsing by planting garlic at the two sites. Three garlic plants in among the hostas and one or two beside a clematis that had previously been eaten have proven to be effective deterrents for several years now.
When he began speaking of his deer-foiling strategy I听was skeptical. Often, such aromatic plantings don鈥檛 fool the deer for long. Still, you have to be glad for gardeners who find success in such benign and simple protection methods.
I鈥檝e noticed that the 鈥淒eer Resistant Plants鈥� lists I鈥檝e picked up most recently at garden centres begin with rather lengthy disclaimers conveying the truth that deer will eat almost everything if they are hungry and thirsty enough. Another gardener at the Cowichan tour has had euphorbia plants mowed down, and a local grower I know has even lost his (poisonous) rhubarb leaves to deer browsing. My neighbour鈥檚 English ivy ground cover is routinely kept mowed down by passing deer.
All that can be done is to grow plants that are minimally palatable to deer, spray with repellent, or invest in fencing.
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Wash tub blooms. The first container I plant with summer flowers in the spring is an old metal wash tub situated beside the entry into the back garden. On an April foray into a garden centre I听chose for this planter two marguerite daisies, a yellow and a deep rose, and Sanguna Burgundy trailing petunia plants for the front.
The results have been pleasing, and not just visually. Especially in early morning and during the evening, the large, velvety petunias exude a rich, exotic perfume.
Though it seems as though the season has been with us for months already, it鈥檚 still early summer, with time to put together fresh container plantings 鈥� thanks to our local garden centres.
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Berry surprise. Like many other gardeners, I鈥檇 just about given up on strawberries. Too irksome battling with birds, wood bugs and mould. Even so, on a whim late in the summer of 2013 I moved a few young plants to a small plot beside a row of compost enclosures on the opposite, hot and sunny side of the garden.
By this spring the planting had expanded considerably and as robust clusters of berries began forming hope sprang to life.
I hurriedly spread handfuls of clean wood shavings under the plants, dropped small amounts of diatomaceous earth around and in the planting, and bought netting to cover the area. The patch has yielded substantial pickings of clean berries minimally touched by wood bugs (sowbugs, pillbugs). Any imperfect berries have been tossed on a nearby compost heap for the (otherwise) disappointed birds.
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GARDEN EVENTS
VHS meeting. The Victoria Horticultural Society will meet on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in the Garth Homer Centre, 813 Darwin Ave. Landscape designer and horticulturist Manon Tremblay will present An Introduction to Vertical Garden Design. The talk will focus on plants that are suitable for vertical gardens, simple models you can build yourself, and creative uses and functions of vertical plantings in the landscape. The pre-meeting workshop at 6:30 will feature Nancy Bissonnette, basket weaver and gardener, sharing the art and technique of creating woven jewelry using plant meterials from the garden. She will share ideas also for bird houses, bird feeders and baskets. vichortsociety.org.
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Summer garden fete. The North Saanich Farm Market will hold its fourth annual Summer Garden Fete in the historic Deep Cove property of Phoebe Noble Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. Now maintained by Phoebe鈥檚 daughter Sandra, this hidden gem lies between Wain Rd. and Madrona Dr. on the edge of Saanich Inlet. There will be entertainment, and artists set up in garden alcoves. Tickets at $25, $20 for seniors, students, and North Saanich Food for the Future Society members are available at Russell Nursery and Dig This in Sidney.
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Water garden tour. For the Love of Africa Society is hosting its ninth Annual Water Garden Tour on Saturday, July 11, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The self-guided tour of听11 gorgeous Greater Victoria water gardens will also feature musicians playing at most sites and a light refreshment stop at one of the gardens. Ticket cost is $25. For a list of ticket vendors visit watergardentour.ca or call 250-891-0762. Proceeds of the tour go directly to the construction of a trade school in Tanzania.
