Very sorry, didn’t see your comment until now. Yes it is an evergreen and will be hardy to Quebec. I am not familiar with nurseries in Quebec. It should not be very hard for garden centres there to order one for you if you request.
Recently moved from Winnipeg and Kenora to Victoria BC and I am just learning about gardening here.
Your garden looks fabulous and I wish I can find out how you grow brunnera with those sun loving echinacea.
You have some terrific evergreens with lovely companion planting and I would like to know what they are and their mature size if I may.
Happy gardening
Sorry, Didn’t see your comment until now. I believe Victoria is in Zone 8 or better; a dream zone for gardeners. We are in Zone 5 where it is a challenge to grow many desirable plants (compared to you). Brunnera is an easy care perennials; just give them some shade and enough moisture. Some varieties like ‘Jack Frost’ can self seed and revert after some years. The pink common species Echinacea are easy going tough perennial; just need plenty of sun. The orange and red cultivars are generally much harder to keep for more than a few years, and are short lived anyway. It is important that when you first buy them, remove the flower buds for the first season to allow the root ball to develop. I have a large selection of conifers (because I am a plant addict); some are very dwarf/compact and some are full size plants. Good luck with your garden adventure.
Your gardens are absolutely stunning! You have a wonderful eye for texture, shape and colour and the beauty would continue through the seasons with your use of evergreens and woody shrubs. Can I ask how large your property is and where are you located? Your mention zone 5 but I see many plants in your pictures that I would consider borderline zone 5. I also love your use of chunky wood chips as much and have been looking for this myself, but with little luck.
I fell in love with gardening over 25 years ago, and refer to it as my “healthy obsession” as my traditional lawn disappeared and the garden beds grew, I gardened every square inch of my 50 x 110 ft Toronto property and then 20+ years later, dug up my favorites and brought 130+ divisions with me when I relocated to Pelham Ontario (Niagara) to a slightly larger property (80 x 150). Three years later, the weed-infested “lawn” is gone and the gardens are “developing “as I design, plant, change my mind yet again .
D
Although Toronto and Pelham are considered the same growing zone, I am having far greater success with zone 6 and 7 plants than previously and everything seems to grow that much faster. I believe much of it has to do with the wonderful sandy loam on my property. I’ve also had some wonderful surprises like when I found the Senecio “Angel Wings” I left in the ground in two separate places (simply because it still looked good in the fall) had survived the winter here … it will be interesting to see what happens next spring! .
Thanks for your encouraging comments.
Although we have about 2 acres, I only garden on a little more than 0.5 acre in Halton. Indeed many of the ornamental plants are, unfortunately, borderline hardy to zone 5, and I killed a lot of plants over the years. It is just part of gardening in challenging conditions.
I brought in a truck load of woodchip each year from tree service companies and let it compose at least one winter before using it.
Sandy loam would be a dream gardening soil for gardener. I believe most of my plants that perished (even after they are well established for many years) is because of the infertile, non-draining solid hard clay soil (even though I bought 10 yards of triple mixed soil every year and painfully planted everything on raised beds without digging too much into the local soil).
I would love to use plants like ‘Angel Wings’ in my ‘Icy River’ beds composition but it is considered hardy to Zone 8.
Sorry I don’t sell any plants at the moment. ‘Mrs. Harvey’ is difficult to get. I got mine from Peter Keeping of ORGHPS (Ontario Rock Garden and Hardy Plants Society) a number of years ago. You can try to contact him via the ORGHPS.
Do you host tour groups? I am with the Swansea Horticultural Society in Toronto’ s west end and we would love to come and visit in June 2019. Your garden is breathtaking!
Hi Marcia,
Thanks for your kind comment on our garden. We had opened our garden for tours on special requests by garden societies in the past few years. Unfortunately, we have decided that after 2018 we will no longer participate in any more garden tours due to unreliable health. We are very sorry to disappoint you and wish you success in organizing your tour next June.
Thanks for your kind comment.
It depended on how bad was the damage by rabbits, voles and winter. I must admit I add more new plant varieties than replacing plants each year, except for a few (conifers, maples, and perennials) that I really like (if I can source those plants again). Plants do die every year regardless of how hardy and well taken care of. I simply move on and make new plant friends.
Hi fellow zone 5 gardener – I am in the Ottawa region (city= Z5b), so I am always on the lookout for experiences of Canadian gardeners in similar zones. Your soil may be different from ours (sandy, well amended), and your garden’s aspect may be different (ours is sunny and south-facing) but I am sure there are common experiences. Wishing you all the best in your blog!
Hi, Always great to hear and learn from fellow gardeners especially in similar zones! My website was senselessly hacked a few months ago. I just started to rebuild from scratch yesterday.
Hello,
I love the yellow tipped conifers such as Maigold….is it an evergreen we can buy in Quebec?
Very sorry, didn’t see your comment until now. Yes it is an evergreen and will be hardy to Quebec. I am not familiar with nurseries in Quebec. It should not be very hard for garden centres there to order one for you if you request.
Recently moved from Winnipeg and Kenora to Victoria BC and I am just learning about gardening here.
Your garden looks fabulous and I wish I can find out how you grow brunnera with those sun loving echinacea.
You have some terrific evergreens with lovely companion planting and I would like to know what they are and their mature size if I may.
Happy gardening
Sorry, Didn’t see your comment until now. I believe Victoria is in Zone 8 or better; a dream zone for gardeners. We are in Zone 5 where it is a challenge to grow many desirable plants (compared to you). Brunnera is an easy care perennials; just give them some shade and enough moisture. Some varieties like ‘Jack Frost’ can self seed and revert after some years. The pink common species Echinacea are easy going tough perennial; just need plenty of sun. The orange and red cultivars are generally much harder to keep for more than a few years, and are short lived anyway. It is important that when you first buy them, remove the flower buds for the first season to allow the root ball to develop. I have a large selection of conifers (because I am a plant addict); some are very dwarf/compact and some are full size plants. Good luck with your garden adventure.
Your gardens are absolutely stunning! You have a wonderful eye for texture, shape and colour and the beauty would continue through the seasons with your use of evergreens and woody shrubs. Can I ask how large your property is and where are you located? Your mention zone 5 but I see many plants in your pictures that I would consider borderline zone 5. I also love your use of chunky wood chips as much and have been looking for this myself, but with little luck.
I fell in love with gardening over 25 years ago, and refer to it as my “healthy obsession” as my traditional lawn disappeared and the garden beds grew, I gardened every square inch of my 50 x 110 ft Toronto property and then 20+ years later, dug up my favorites and brought 130+ divisions with me when I relocated to Pelham Ontario (Niagara) to a slightly larger property (80 x 150). Three years later, the weed-infested “lawn” is gone and the gardens are “developing “as I design, plant, change my mind yet again .
D
Although Toronto and Pelham are considered the same growing zone, I am having far greater success with zone 6 and 7 plants than previously and everything seems to grow that much faster. I believe much of it has to do with the wonderful sandy loam on my property. I’ve also had some wonderful surprises like when I found the Senecio “Angel Wings” I left in the ground in two separate places (simply because it still looked good in the fall) had survived the winter here … it will be interesting to see what happens next spring! .
Thanks for your encouraging comments.
Although we have about 2 acres, I only garden on a little more than 0.5 acre in Halton. Indeed many of the ornamental plants are, unfortunately, borderline hardy to zone 5, and I killed a lot of plants over the years. It is just part of gardening in challenging conditions.
I brought in a truck load of woodchip each year from tree service companies and let it compose at least one winter before using it.
Sandy loam would be a dream gardening soil for gardener. I believe most of my plants that perished (even after they are well established for many years) is because of the infertile, non-draining solid hard clay soil (even though I bought 10 yards of triple mixed soil every year and painfully planted everything on raised beds without digging too much into the local soil).
I would love to use plants like ‘Angel Wings’ in my ‘Icy River’ beds composition but it is considered hardy to Zone 8.
Do you sell ,or refer me to someone who does, Clematis ‘Mrs. Harvey’?
Sorry I don’t sell any plants at the moment. ‘Mrs. Harvey’ is difficult to get. I got mine from Peter Keeping of ORGHPS (Ontario Rock Garden and Hardy Plants Society) a number of years ago. You can try to contact him via the ORGHPS.
Do you host tour groups? I am with the Swansea Horticultural Society in Toronto’ s west end and we would love to come and visit in June 2019. Your garden is breathtaking!
Hi Marcia,
Thanks for your kind comment on our garden. We had opened our garden for tours on special requests by garden societies in the past few years. Unfortunately, we have decided that after 2018 we will no longer participate in any more garden tours due to unreliable health. We are very sorry to disappoint you and wish you success in organizing your tour next June.
Your garden looks AMAZING in the new issue of Fine Gardening magazine.
How many plants do you replace every year?
Thanks for your kind comment.
It depended on how bad was the damage by rabbits, voles and winter. I must admit I add more new plant varieties than replacing plants each year, except for a few (conifers, maples, and perennials) that I really like (if I can source those plants again). Plants do die every year regardless of how hardy and well taken care of. I simply move on and make new plant friends.
Hi fellow zone 5 gardener – I am in the Ottawa region (city= Z5b), so I am always on the lookout for experiences of Canadian gardeners in similar zones. Your soil may be different from ours (sandy, well amended), and your garden’s aspect may be different (ours is sunny and south-facing) but I am sure there are common experiences. Wishing you all the best in your blog!
Hi, Always great to hear and learn from fellow gardeners especially in similar zones! My website was senselessly hacked a few months ago. I just started to rebuild from scratch yesterday.