Tag Archives: rocky crevices

garden chores, months 01-03: winter, natives

Don’t Pick The Flowers

02/15/2016 svseekins Leave a comment

How many treasures disappear over winter & re-appear in spring?

unusually early crocus in January, garden Victoria, Vancouver Island, BC Pacific Northwest — photo by SVSeekins

It’s magic.

How many are then weeded out by mistake?

Tragic!!

Some treasures, like crocus, send out blooms straight away, so they’re safe.

Others, like cyclamen, have really distinctive leaves, so they’re safe too.

cyclamen leaf bud in January, garden Victoria BC Pacific Northwest — photo by SVSeekins

But there are so many others…

The wee Blue Eyed Iris is one treasure I’ve weeded out. (I mistook it for grass…. turns out its also called Blue Eyed GRASS! Go figure. )

Shooting Star is another victim. (I mistake the young leaves for dandelion.)

From these tragedies, I’ve become a little more cautious.

young sea blush Plectritis congesta in leaf garden Victoria BC Pacific Northwest — photo by SVSeekins

The other day I was crawling around on our mountain (rocky outcropping), looking closely at plants growing in the moss.

So what is this – – Treasure ? Weed??

My twitchy fingers pluck out those blades of grass, but cautiously hold off on the other little plants.

young sea blush in flower, native plant, garden Victoria BC Pacific Northwest — photo by SVSeekins

Today I rejoice! They’ve proven themselves to be the native annual: Sea Blush. (I can recognize the flower.)

Yippee!
Caution pays off.

Thank goodness they’ve thrown a couple early blooms. I don’t know how long I’d have held off from weeding them. Now I’ll carefully tidy any competition around these gems & look forward to the moss blushing a lovely pink this April.

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drought tolerant, evergreens, months 07-09: summer, perrennials, urban deer

Blooming Roosters

07/22/2013 svseekins 3 Comments

Now here’s a special photo of hens & chicks. KS’ mum grows them at her place a couple of km away from ours. In summer the roosters came to visit her flock too. Then they bloomed!!

hens and chicks and roosters in bloom — photo by E C Jewsbury

Aren’t they pretty? I’m so glad to see what their true potential is.

Unfortunately deer came to dinner soon after…. no more blooms. At least the hens & chicks ‘coexist’ with deer. Not so much for the Roosters. Pity.

Previous post in series:
Hens and Chicks – – & Roosters
Roosters On The Chopping Block

drought tolerant, evergreens, months 07-09: summer, perrennials, urban deer

Roosters on the Chopping Block

07/18/2013 svseekins 2 Comments

Yes, I said it. “Hens & Chicks get along fine with Deer. ” I said. “They co-exists.” I said. Well that was a cocky thing to say. I’m sorry. I spoke too soon.

hens and chicks - sans rooster heads — photo by SVSeekins

CF called me up this evening to invite me to see her flock after today’s visit from a deer…. Doesn’t that just make you FLINCH ?

As it turns out, when the Roosters fully develop they flower on top. Who knew? Those on our mountain never seem to get that far.

nibbled hens and chicks in bloom — photo by SVSeekins

It’s nice to see a few blooms left on CF’s plants. Isn’t it amazing how carefully the deer can select a bloom, but leave the adjacent buds for another day? How do they do that?

It’s a good thing that hens & chicks can propagate (via off-sets) without the roosters going to seed. Even so, these poor roosters… isn’t it a kick in the balls?

Other post in series:
Hens and Chicks – – & Roosters
Blooming Roosters