We were cycling along, minding our own business, when I just had to laugh out loud.
It’s a Hedge Monster consuming a street sign. Caught in the act! 🙂
It’s a funky neighbourhood place marker. Do little kids use it to help them find their way home from school? How big was it when it was first planted? How long has it been this big? So many questions…
photo by SVSeekins
The foliage density impresses me… as does the tidiness of clipping inside the shrub itself — around the street sign.
The stains on the sidewalk & driveway tell me the hedge sometimes overwhelms its allowed space.
It could easily impede
driveway access.
mower access on the neighbour’s lawn.
pedestrian access along the sidewalk.
How often does the gardener sheer this shrub to keep it tidy?
I giggle to myself & cycle away, on the lookout for more fun.
The first glimpse was a flash of yellow along the trail’s edge. Mid-March can be so grey — but this was bright & happy. 🙂
photo by SVSeekins
Anything blooming at this time of year makes me smile. Western Skunk Cabbage is no exception. With a name like that, perhaps you’ll think yourself fortunate to see it in a photo rather than in person… but I’ve never noticed a foul odour around this plant. Some say the smell comes when leaves are bruised. Others contend it’s the flowers trying to attract pollinating flies & beetles.
photo by SVSeekins
Lysichiton americanus is also called the Swamp Lantern. To my mind, this name is more suited. The flower spike is like the candle flame & it’s cupped by a protective spathe that glows & reflects the light– just like a lantern. A more fitting name, right? Even still, I often revert to the first name I learned & struggle to remember this one. Perhaps I just need to concentrate more.
In early spring, the flowers emerge in wet areas all along the Pacific Northwest. This spring is no exception. The low laying wetlands bordering Esquimalt Lagoon are prime habitat for this west coast native.
photo by SVSeekins
I’ve seen lots of Swamp Lantern before, but just around the corner the patch swells into the largest. The southern trails at Royal Roads University are a prime pick-me up for my March blues.
The leaves follow the bloom, unfurling in a rosette around the flower. At first they’re small, but they grow quickly in the rich, moist soil.
photo by SVSeekins
By May, the plants are large & lush. Here’s a patch just off McKenzie Beach near Tofino.
Through the summer they grow even bigger. At peak, a single leaf can be 2 feet wide & twice as long! Dramatic, eh?
It’s no wonder folks in the UK were impressed when it was introduced as an ornamental in the early 1900’s. It became very popular. It received an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society.
photo by SVSeekins
The conditions in England are so similar to Vancouver Island it thrived. Within 50 years Lysichiton americanus escaped the British garden & was gradually naturalizing along streams & wetlands. That’s a little too much drama. Now, the RHS advises against its cultivation.
I’m glad to see Swamp Lantern here, where it grows naturally. It warms my heart. I’m relieved it hasn’t been threatened by more competitive introduced species like many of our wildflowers have been. Its a reminder of how delicate an ecosystem can be.
In the first week of February, I cycled past this lovely front yard. Basking in the winter sunshine are some very early flowers. I know about snowdrops blooming in January & snow crocus flowering by Valentine’s Day… but iris? These aren’t the dwarf iris reticulata we have in our garden. These are different.
photo by SVSeekins
These are Iris unguicularis… aka Algerian iris or winter iris. This evergreen is native to dry Mediterranean regions. We have a very similar climate in the Pacific Northwest, so it can grow here, too. It might be set back by the occasional snowstorm, but it pulls through.
Blossoms start opening as early as November & continue until spring. An unusual feature is that the flowers nestle, protected, near the base of the leaves. Look closely: in this yard, the gardener trims the leaves to the same height the flowers bloom at. Better to see the blooms.
It’s a tough call – trim back the leaves or not? Letting them grow natural is not as showy but probably better for overwintering insects. I reckon I can put up with messy if it means the beneficials are snug & warm, and I’m still seeing flowers in January.
photo by SVSeekins
Here’s the same clump 5 weeks later. The winter aconites are almost done. The Hellebores are blooming like mad. The narcissi are opening. And the winter iris is still blooming. 🙂
That’s enough to prove to me Algerian iris is a keeper. But there are even more reasons why I’m a fan:
photo by SVSeekins
The flowers are fragrant.
It’s deer & rabbit resistant (probably because it’s poisonous).
It’s happy in part shade under deciduous trees – or the sunny base of evergreens.
It survives our summer drought.
Wouldn’t it make sense that every garden in Victoria would have some Algerian iris? I suppose most nurseries don’t carry it because most shoppers don’t show up in winter to purchase plants. By the time we show up in April & May, this iris looks inconspicuous amongst the jewels of spring. My bad. I want to find some anyway. It’s my new mission.
Garden Variety Life 