Category Archives: months 10-12: fall

October thru December

months 04-06: spring, months 07-09: summer, months 10-12: fall, natives, perrennials

Vanilla Leaf

06/30/2015 svseekins Leave a comment

Along the forest edging of our campsite at Ralph River grows a pretty carpet. What catches my eye is the unusual leaf configuration. It kind of looks like the footprints of some 3-legged duck.

vanilla leaf, deer foot, Sweet After Death, Deervetch, achlys triphylla, garden Victoria BC Pacific Northwest — photo by SVSeekins

I know to bring my copy of Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast when we go into the wild. It’s always my fastest way to ID native plants.

It turns out this plant is named Deer Foot. Really?

Duck Foot vs Deer Foot. What’s your call?

Its more commonly known as Vanilla Leaf.

The first people’s of the west coast hung dried bunches of vanilla leaf in their homes as an air freshener and insect repellent.

OK, that’s a naming convention I can support.

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attracting birds, months 04-06: spring, months 07-09: summer, months 10-12: fall, natives, perrennials

Bunchberry

06/27/2015 svseekins 2 Comments

Native to the moist Pacific Northwest, bunchberry is at home in the forest shade around Buttle Lake and the Ralph River Campground of Strathcona Park.

It also happens to be comfortable growing at the base of an old stump in PS’ fern garden here in Victoria.

PS has nurtured her garden for 40+ years and is particular in what she grows. I understand why Cornus canadensis (aka dwarf dogwood) makes her list.

Extended Seasonal Interest

late spring: white flowers
mid-summer: edible red berries
autumn: burgundy leaves
winter: darn near evergreen

It’s almost enough to make my list too because it invites wildlife into the garden. The birds like the berries and I’m willing to share. It’s the local deer that I have little faith in. With small juicy plants like this, they’re not likely to leave anything for me to enjoy.

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Tomatoes In December

12/31/2014 svseekins Leave a comment

Two months ago, at the end of October, we harvested the last of the tomatoes before tidying up the bed for the season.

The end of season tomatoes, garden Victoria BC Pacific Northwest — photo by SVSeekins

I found a big fistful of orangey-red tomatoes. They made good snacks, although weren’t as tasty as the sun-warmed-super-red tomatoes we enjoyed in September.

But what impressed me was how many green tomatoes survived on those naked vines through October. (Unfortunately, they taste gross. )

tomatoes ripening under full spectrum lights garden Victoria BC — photo by SVSeekins

What is there to do with 1 pound (600 g) of green tomatoes?

Well C’s mum used to make Green Tomato Mincemeat .(Recipe in November post)

The fruit sat on our counter for a few days as I searched out the recipe… and wouldn’t you know a few more tomatoes turned red!
I ate them 🙂

Soon there weren’t enough green tomatoes to make the recipe…. so I continued with the experiment…

By the end of November & I’d had treats all month. It’s a wonder what those full spectrum fluorescent lights do!

tomatoes ripening under full spectrum lights mid December, garden Victoria BC Pacific Northwest — photo by SVSeekins

I’d decided to hold out to see if the last couple turn color. Can you believe – – They did!! Granted, they were puny & a bit wrinkled – – but they turned red.
🙂

Well, I did eat a couple in mid December, but the last few went on top of the compost pile.

Maybe they’ll volunteer!
Maybe they’ll grow into even more productive tomatoes in the spring.!!
Who knows?
🙂