Category Archives: boulevard garden

growing outside the fence

boulevard garden, months 04-06: spring, months 07-09: summer, natives, urban deer

California Poppy

06/28/2012 svseekins 5 Comments

I like the saturated orange of the California Poppy bloom. It’s bright and happy.

Even more, I like that the plant survives well on roadsides & rocky areas. A plant that doesn’t need nurturing – bonus!

California Poppy at Snake Rock, garden Victoria BC — photo by SVSeekins

This little patch of poppies lives just down the street at Snake Rock. It blooms in mid-spring & continues well into the dry summer.

Of course, the thought occurred to me, “We NEED that in our garden!” Can’t you imagine how lovely a wave of bright orange would be in the shrub border?

California poppy - seed pod, garden Victoria BC — photo by SVSeekins

Even C is encouraging. He really likes the bright orange blooms, too. So, for the past 5 years, I’ve gathered seed from the roadside, then spread it through our gardens.

There’s been the occasional reward, but mostly I’ve had little success.

The California Poppy has a long tap-root, so where ever it pops up, that’s where it has to stay. It does not like being moved. And it doesn’t seem to like being watered either. Nor fed. Nor coddled in any way.

The shrub border had a fair amount of fertilizer, mulch & water over the past few years, as the plants were all so new & getting established. Maybe that’s been too much attention for the poppy.

The most successful patch is on our rocky hillside. It’s a well-drained site and bakes in the sun. The California Poppy will grow in the soil, but seems even happier in the gravel of the pathway! Go figure.

California Poppy in gravel path, garden Victoria BC — photo by SVSeekins

So far, I’m resisting the urge to weed it out of the path. I’ve decided that it’s ‘whimsical’ growing there.

I’m happy about growing a local wildflower. I’m also delighted that the deer, who spend their afternoons on our little mountain, leave the California Poppy alone.

My plan is to keep spreading seed in the rest of the garden & be happy with whatever we get. That’s the true definition of ‘low maintenance,’ isn’t it?

-30-

Subscribe to Blog via Email

boulevard garden, months 04-06: spring, months 10-12: fall

Chestnut Trees

06/01/2012 svseekins 5 Comments

Horse Chestnuts
photo by SVSeekins

Every spring, I pause to appreciate this blossom lined street. Granted, it’s not as wonderful as the earlier spring cherry blossoms, but I still think it’s awesome.

In the autumn, the chestnuts are pretty awesome, too. That’s when the nuts drop. On a street like this, can you imagine how often the car alarms go off?

Chestnut in seed pods, garden Victoria BC — photo by SVSeekins

That’s not the only fun. The nuts have a thick, fleshy cover – – and that’s covered in spikes! They’re called conkers. They remind me of some Ninja weapons seen in video games. It would be awful to step on one, much less be hit by it.

There’s an old story out there that chestnuts ward off spiders. One year I scattered nuts in corners & closets but didn’t notice any difference. I did feel a bit foolish cleaning house but leaving the nuts behind the couch. Perhaps it’s the spiked conker that spiders don’t like? I’m not about to leave any of those rolling around the house.

There are 2 common kinds of chestnuts used as decorative trees in Victoria. I’m told one is the kind we hear about ‘roasting on an open fire.’ The other is a horse-chestnut, which I’m assuming is for using the nuts as horse feed? Perhaps it’s like corn: some kinds are good eating, others are better for feeding stock.

Anyway, spring is the best time of year for me to tell them apart. One blooms a lovely reddish, the other a soft creamy colour.

As for which is for ‘roasting’ & which is for ‘horses,’ I just don’t know. Can you help out with that?

-30-

Here’s a little tidbit I was more recently told about identifying
Horse Chestnuts

boulevard garden, months 01-03: winter, perrennials, projects

Flower Count – day 6 – euphorbia

03/07/2012 svseekins 17 Comments

Euphorbia is a new plant for me. I dipped my toe in that pool a couple of years ago, but had little success. Then I began noticing more & different euphorbia in other gardens & those looked great.

Deciding I hadn’t tried hard enough, last summer I stuck my whole foot into the euphorbia pool. I moved the past year’s trial plant to a new site (in hopes it would perk up), and I bought a different cultivar at the garden shop. That made 2.

Then I admired the euphorbia at SK’s garden. She says they grow like crazy & promptly dug some up for me.

Cousin SM also gave me a gift from her garden.

When I admired some euphorbia a drought tolerant landscape down the street, the resident assured me they’re tough as nails, and immediately offered to share some of her extras. Wow.

Now I have 5 test patches going.

This winter it’s already paying off. The transplant from down the street has survived – – and doesn’t this look suspiciously like blooms on the ends of the branches?

It’s called Euphorbia ‘myrsinites’. The easier common name is Donkey Tail Spurge. I think it’s pretty funky looking.

It lives at the base of a boulevard tree that sticks out into the street corner. I figure this might be a good place for it, since this spurge won’t grow too high to impede the view of any drivers trying to pull into traffic. I also have my fingers crossed that it’ll survive with far less water than it had last summer (transplants need watering until they’re established).

The garden shop cultivar is also looking encouraging. The bright tips look like flowers to me. Even if they’re really something else, I’m going to count them as flowers anyway. It’s called Euphorbia ‘purpurea’, or more commonly Purple Wood Spurge.

euphorbia - gift from SK — photo by SVSeekins

The gifts from SK have something groovy dangling on their tips also. I don’t know if it’s a flower – but I like it.

Does it sound like I’m getting desperate to find blooms for Victoria’s Flower Count? Maybe. But just getting outside at this time of year has given me a boost, and a fresh perspective. These hen’s & chicks look so decorative, I’m half way to declaring them in bloom, too. 🙂

winter Hens & Chicks — photo by SVSeekins

Yet I digress – Sorry.

I have my fingers crossed for the euphorbia Cousin SM gave me. She warned me that it would look like it died off completely, so I’m not too worried.

The 5th sample of euphorbia is alive, but looking dormant. It’s still early in the year, so I thrilled to have anything happening in the garden at all.

An internet search told me that poinsettia, rubber trees & cactus looking plants are actually euphorbia too. I’d thought I was just stepping into a pool of plants called euphorbia. Now I realize it’s a sea! The range is a bit mind-boggling

check out the rest of the articles on
Flower Count