Garden Story Index
July 11, 2025: Josephine and Her Roses - Empress, Napoleon, Malmaison
July 3, 2025: The Maple Leaf - Canadian flag, Acer
June 27, 2025: Our Amazing Maze
June 20, 2025: Orchids in the Garden - hardy Madeira orchid, Dactylorhiza foliosa
June 13, 2025: Symbols of Vancouver - flag, coat of arms, city flower, city bird, rose, hummingbird
June 6, 2025: Gnomes and Shawnikins - Shaughnikins, Thelma Kennedy
May 30, 2025: All about Peonies - Paeonia
May 23, 2025: Bunchberries - Cornus canadensis
May 16, 2025: Sennas - Scorpion senna, Hippocrepis emerus, Colutea, bladder
May 9, 2025: Solomon Seals - Polygonatum biflorum, Maianthemum, false solomon seal
May 2, 2025: What's in a Name? Azalea? Rhododendron?
April 25, 2025: One More Thing about Magnolias - big leaf, cucumber, pickle, Magnolia macrophylla
April 18, 2025: Canada's Native Magnolia, cucumber, pickle, Magnolia acuminata
April 11, 2025: Magnolia Stories - leaf, leaves, art
April 4, 2025: Harbinger of Spring - Trachystemon, Abraham-Issac-Jacob
March 28, 2025: New Camellia on the Winter Walk - Camellia x williamsii 'Freedom Bell', Donation, Brigadoon
March 21, 2025: Japanese Camellias in Bloom - Camellia japonica
March 14, 2025: New Kid on the Block - Cephalotaxus fortunei, Fern Dell, Chinese plum yew
March 7, 2025: Voice from the Past: Sino-Himalayan Garden construction.
February 28, 2025: Hellebores in Bloom - Helleborus argutifolius, foetidus, stinking, Corsican
February 21, 2025: Searching for Daffodils - Narcissus, RHS
February 14, 2025: Snowdrops for Valentine's Day? Galanthus, rose, red
February 7, 2025: Winter Fireworks - Hamamelis mollis, witch hazel, scent, odour
January 31, 2025: Voice from the Past - Camellia Collection, C. oleifera, C. sasanqua 'Setsugekka', Roy Forster
January 24, 2025: "Fireproof Arbutus" - Arbutus menziesii
January 17, 2025: Garden Colour of the Year - blue, teal
January 10, 2025: Voice from the Past - Monkey Puzzles - Araucaria araucana, Roy Forster
December 20, 2024: Festival of Lights
December 13, 2024: Before the Shaughnessy Golf Club
December 6, 2024: History Lesson - Shaughnessy Golf Club
November 29, 2024: RIP Ponderosa Pine? - Pinus ponderosa
November 22, 2024: More Oak Stories - Holm oak, Quercus robur, Notre Dame
November 15, 2024: Remembrance Day Oaks - Quercus ilex, holly oak, evergreen oak, holm oak, acorn
November 1, 2024: Conifers and Fall Colour - dawn redwood, Metasequoia glyptostroboides, bald cypress, Taxodium distichum, American larches (Larix laricina), golden larch (Pseudolarix amabilis)
October 25, 2024: All About Aspens - Populus tremuloides
October 18, 2024: Dawn Redwoods - Metasequoia glyptostroboides
October 11, 2024: Bird Watch - kingfisher, saw-whet owl
October 4, 2024: Quince Mania - Cydonia, Chaenomeles
September 27, 2024: Horse chestnuts? Buckeyes? Aesculus, conker
September 20, 2024: Echinacea Stories - coneflower
September 13, 2024: A Blackberry Among the Roses - Iris domestica
September 6, 2024: A Pricklish Story - cucumber, eggplant, rose thorn
August 23, 2024: Strawberry Trees Help Pollinators - Arbutus unedo, bumblebees, parasite, nectar
August 16, 2024: "Peanut Butter Cup" Combo - Melianthus major, Chocolate cosmos, honey bush
August 9, 2024: Sunflower Stories - Helianthus annuus
August 2, 2024: Cottage Garden Plants- Nigella, Michauxia, Dianthus
July 26, 2024: 'Artists' in the Garden: roses, Emily Carr, Félix Leclerc, heritage
July 19, 2024: Heat Waves and Botanical Gardens
July 12, 2024: New Seasonal Plants from Asia: sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera), Betel leaf or paan (Piper betle), Pandan leaf or biriani leaf (Pandanus amaryllifolius)
July 5, 2024: Sculpture in the Garden
June 28, 2024: Lilies Tall and Small - giant Himalayan lily (Cardiocrinum giganteum), Formosa lily
June 21, 2024: Poppies Galore - Eschscholzia, Meconopsis, Papaver, Romneya, Stylophorum, Chelidonium,celandine
June 14, 2024: Bee Aware: Hidden Poisons in Rhododendrons - honey, grayanotoxin, honey bees, bumble bees, army
June 7, 2024: The Sweet Taste of Damask Roses - Rosa x damascena, jam, jelly, syrup
May 31, 2024: The Perfume of Old Roses - Rosa x Centifolia, 'Cristata'
May 24, 2024: Happy Birthday, Carl Linnaeus
May 17, 2024: Jade Stories - nephrite
May 10, 2024: Camas Stories - Camassia
May 3, 2024: The Meaning of Moss
April 26, 2024: Crown Imperials - Fritillaria
April 19, 2024: Monday is Earth Day
April 12, 2024: Wise Old Owls?
April 5, 2024: Mad about Magnolias - Beetles, Billie Holida
March 29, 2024: Ambassadors for the Biosphere - bee, honeybee, pollinator, pollination
March 22, 2024: Crown Shynesss - tree top, Pinus contorta, lodgepole pine, Larix kaempferi, Japanese larch
March 15, 2024: Predicting When Cherries Will Bloom & Fruit - Prunus, cherry, competition, blossom, flower
March 8, 2024: Beating the Late-Winter Blues - Petrichor, forest bathing, phytoncide, eco therapy, nature therapy
March 1, 2024: Gods and Goddesses in the Garden - Narcissus, Anemone, Daphne, Daffodil, Asphodel, Crocus, Iris
February 23, 2024: Pine Trees Are Nature's Drugstore - Pinus, ponderosa, tea, syrup, cough,
February 16, 2024: Hocus Crocus - species, sativa, hangover, spice, expensive
February 9, 2024: Croconuts - E. A. Bowles, Andrew Parker Bowles, crocus
February 2, 2024: Galanthophilia - snowdrop, Galanthus, Bowles,
January 26, 2024: Tree for Robbie Burns - Pinus sylvestris, Scots pine, Scotch pine, Scotland
January 19, 2024: Blobs in Trees: Witches' broom
January 12, 2024: Blobs in Trees: Bushtit nest, bird
January 5, 2024: Apples in midwinter - ghost apple, hummingbird
December 22, 2023: 'Tis the Season to be Jolly (But Hold the Holly): Ilex
December 15, 2023: Holiday Tree News - Christmas tree, grand fir, lowland fir, Abies grandis
December 8, 2023: Pinecones and Weather - Pinus, cone
December 1, 2023: Mellow Yellow Mahonia - 'Charity', Berberis, barberry, Oregon grape, Bernard McMahon
November 24, 2023: Our Pacific Temperate Rainforest
November 17, 2023: Hydrangeas in Autumn
November 10, 2023: Witch Hazel Season off to a Good Start - Hamamelis
November 3, 2023: Ginkgos, A Unique Species
October 27, 2023: Trick or Treat - Dead Man's Fingers, Decaisnea insignis
October 20, 2023: Underwater Bald Cypress Forest, Taxodium distichum
October 13, 2023: Foraging along Livingstone Lake: pear, Bollwyller, medlar, chokecherry, crabapple
October 6, 2023: Drought and Fall Colour? Acer, Japanese maple, autumn
September 29, 2023: The Colours of Autumn - Purple and Gold, Asters, Callicarpa, Solidago, beautyberry, goldenrod
September 22, 2023: The Fascinating (and Prickly) Monkey Puzzle Tree, Araucaria araucana
September 15, 2023: Spotting a Statuesque Heron is Always a Treat
September 8, 2023: Apple Stories - heritage orchard, Ambrosia
September 1, 2023: Bill Livingstone
August 25, 2023: Waiting for the Emmenopterys
August 18, 2023: Chastity in the Garden - Vitex agnus casta, monk's pepper
August 11, 2023: Heirlooms in the Garden - beets, Beta, Blue Jay bean seeds
August 4, 2023: Beautiful Beets - Chioggia, chard
July 28, 2023: Scintillating Senecios
July 21, 2023: Golden Fireworks - Koelreuteria paniculata, gold rain
July 14, 2023: What's for Dessert? Shepherdia canadensis, buffalo berry, ice cream, root beer, Sassafras albidum
July 7, 2023: Fire and Plants
June 30, 2023: Fireworks Flowers - Astrantia
June 23, 2023: Singing the ‘June Blues’ - Meconopsis betonicifolia, Tsuga mertensiana
une 16, 2023: Voodoo-Hoodoo in the Garden - Dranunculus, Amorphophallus, Typhonium
June 9, 2023: The Holy Rose - Rosa x richardii, rosa sancta
June 2, 2023: History of Rhodos - Greig, Whittall, Bedford, Mitford, augustinii, forrestii
May 26, 2023: Doves, Hankies, Ghosts - Davidia, handkerchief, bract, white
May 19, 2023: Through the Eyes of a Newbie, Julia, Thuja plicata, Cedrus, cedar
May 12, 2023: Royal Wrap-up - Charles, George, Edward, Ribes, Rhododendron
May 5, 2023: Maienschein & May Trees - Crataegus, hawthorn
April 28, 2023: Skeletons with Umbrella - Diphylleia grayi
April 21, 2023: 'Chocolate' Lilies - Fritillaria uva-vulpis, camschatcensis, rice, fox
April 14, 2023: Conversations and Concerts with Plants - cavitation
April 7, 2023: Cherry Blossom Tour - Sakura, Festival, Miharu, kamikaze
March 24, 2023: Ahchoo! Cryptomeria japonica, Chamaecyparis obtusa, allergy, pollen, hay fever, Japan
March 17, 2023: Ogham and Ashes - European ash, Fraxinus excelsior, Irish, Ireland
March 10, 2023: Vocabulary Lesson: Marcescence - oak, beech, witch hazel, leaf
March 3, 2023: Amazing Grace - Grace McCarthy
February 24, 2023: Piqtoukun - David Ruben, Inuit, stone sculpture, Observing Your Society
February 17, 2023: Crazy about Catkins - willow, Salix caprea, gracilistyla 'Melanostachys', udensis 'Sekka', anemophily, wind-pollinated
February 10, 2023: Evolutionary Ghost Trees - Dawn Redwood, Metasequoia
February 3, 2023: Ecological Anachronisms - pawpaw, Asmina, coffee, Gymnocladus, avocado, Persina
January 27, 2023: Edgeworthia
January 20, 2023: David Douglas - death, son, Douglas-fir
January 13, 2023: Wintergreen - Gaultheria, mint, oil
January 6, 2023: Yellow-Cedar - Xanthocyparis nootkenensis, Nootka, Bill Reid, Raven
December 23, 2022: Salal Stories - Gaultheria shallon
December 16, 2022: 'Appeeling' Trees, Part 4 - Betula, birch, canoe
December 9, 2022: 'Appeeling' Trees, Part 3 - Stewartia, Stuartia
December 2, 2022: 'Appeeling' Trees, Part 2 - Prunus serrula, peelbark cherry, Tibetan cherry
November 24, 2022: 'Appeeling' Trees, Part 1 - Acer griseum, paperbark maple
November 18, 2022: Beautiful 'Berries' in the Garden - pome, sorbus, rowan, mountain ash
November 11, 2022: A Walk Around Cypress Pond - Roy Forster, bald cypress, Taxodium
November 4, 2022: When Harry Met Camilla - Queen, Garry Oak, Quercus garryana, seed bank
October 28, 2022: Giant Pumpkins - Howard Dill
October 21, 2022: Sugar Maples, More Than a Sweet Taste - Acer saccharum, guitar, whiskey, Jack Daniels, Comfort
October 14, 2022: Colchicum autumnale, a Plant of Many Names - crocus, saffron
October 7, 2022: Seven Son Flower - Heptacodium miconiodes
September 30, 2022: The Owl Whisperer - barred owl
September 23, 2022: Berries, Drupes, Pomes, Hips and Haws.
September 16, 2022: Erica Dunn
September 9, 2022: School Supplies: Calocedrus decurrens, incense cedar, pencil
September 2, 2022: Starships, Cardinals, and Devil’s Tobacco: Lobelia
August 26, 2022: Tropical Plants in a Temperate Climate: Hibiscus moscheutos, mallow
August 19, 2022: Tomato Madness
August 12, 2022: Butchart vs. VanDusen
August 5, 2022: Urban Legends of the Vegetable Kingdom: Carrot, Orange, Dutch, Swiss Chard, Brussel Sprouts
July 29, 2022: Queens for a Day - Hemerocallis, daylily, daylilies
July 22, 2022: Monster Roses, Part 2: Rosa multiflora, R. 'Ghislaine de Féligonde', R. 'Albertine', R. Dublin Bay ('Macdub'), R. Cape Diamond ('DARpellerin')
July 15, 2022: Two Monster White Roses - Rosa mulliganii, Rosa filipes 'Kiftsgate'
July 1, 2022: Fireworks in the Garden - Astrantia, Eremurus, Delphinium, Cotinus, Holodiscus discolor, Allium christophii, ocean spray, smokebush
June 24, 2022: Rose updates…and a little history - Rosa x centifolia 'Cristata', moss, crested, chapeau, hat, Napoleon
June 17, 2022: Eat a Tree - Picea, spruce tips, beer
June 10, 2022: Rhodos that Pack a Walloper - Rhododendron 'Walloper Group', Halfdem Lem
June 3, 2022: A Stunning Lilac - Syringa meyeri 'Palibin', dwarf Korean lilac, Frank Meyer
May 27, 2022: Bluebell Madness - Hyacinthoides hispanica, Spanish bluebells, English bluebells, bluebell wood
May 13, 2022: Great Camas - Camassia leichtlinii
May 6, 2022: Visitor Centre Certification - Living building, Petals, LEED
April 29, 2022: Better Homes in the Garden for Bees - Mason bees, Leaf-cutter bees, gazebo, lathhouse, orchard fence
April 22, 2022: Bloom Time Roulette - Daphne mezereum, flowering cherries
April 15, 2022: All about Wood Anemones - Anemone nemorosa
April 8, 2022: Cherry Ingram and the Great White Cherry - Japanese flowering cherries, Prunus 'Tai-haku',
April 1, 2022: An April Food Joke for Insects - Sarracenia, pitcher plants
March 25, 2022: Primroses: Prumulus veris, P. elatior, P. vulgaris
March 18, 2022: 'Sugar' Maples - Acer saccharum, A. saccharinum, A. macrophyllum
March 11, 2022: What's in a Name? John Torrey, Torreya grandis
March 4, 2022: One Door Shuts, Another Opens...Torreya grandis, Chinese nutmeg yew
February 25, 2022: Which Bloomed First? Galanthus, snowdrop, Eranthis hyemalis, winter aconite
February 18, 2022: What's in a Name? Snakebark, snake bark, stripebark, striped bark, maple
February 11, 2022: The Beauty of Bark - Arbutus, Acer, Stewartia
February 4, 2022: R.I.P. - Pinus wallichiana, Cedrus deodara, Robininia pseudoacacia, storm damage
January 28, 2022: Tall Trees, Australia Day and Extreme Weather - Eucalyptus
January 21, 2022: Earl Muldoe, a First Nations Renaissance Man - Mosquito story pole
January 14, 2022: Searching for Spring - Cyclamen coum
January 7, 2022: Anna and the Cold Snap - Anna's Hummingbird
December 31, 2021: Happy Families - Jack Harman, Busts, Sculpture, Family, Menzies, Douglas, Linnaeus,
December 17, 2021: Christmas Roses - Rosa "Mutabilis', Rosa Thérèse Bugnet, Helleborus niger
December 10, 2021: Golden Arches - Salix alba var vitellina, Golden Willow, Fedge, Waterfall, Sunflower
December 3, 2021: The Healing Tree - Platanus orientalis, Oriental plane, Hippocrates, St. Paul's
November 23, 2021: Happy Fibonacci Day
November 19, 2021: Lichen Lore - Cladonia, Litmus Paper, Dye, Tweed
November 12, 2021: Before and After - New Hydrangea Bed
November 5, 2021: A Walk Among the Leaves - Fagus grandifolia, Nyssa sylvatica, Magnolia macrophylla, Prunus serotina, Aesculus parviflora
October 29, 2021: Halloween and Banes - Fleabane, Dogbane, Baneberry, Wolfbane, Doll's Eye
October 15, 2021: Scarlet Oak Mystery Solved! - J.D. Raulston, Calycanthus raulstonii 'Hartlage Wine'
October 8, 2021: Missing Magnolias - Magnolia grandiflora, Magnolia macrophylla
October 1, 2021: 'Windthrow' - Windstorms, Populus tremuloides (Aspen)
September 24, 2021: Summer Drought and Fall Storms - Pinus heldreichii 'Compact Gem' (Bosnian Pine), Urban Tree List
September 17, 2021: 'Hairy Balls' in the Garden - Gomphocarpus physocarpus
September 10, 2021: Harvesting Quinoa - Chenopodium quinoa
September 3, 2021; The Colour Purple in the Garden - Rosa spinosissima (Burnet or Scots Rose), Phytolacca (Pokeweed), Sambucus (Elderberry)
August 27, 2021: The Mystery of the Scarlet Oak - Quercus coccinea, Anniversary
August 20, 2021: An Allium Mystery
August 13, 2021: 'Mediterranean' Lower Mainland - Lavender & Lavandula
August 6, 2021: Sunflower Garden: History and Heliotropism
July 30, 2021: Gardener Walk with Miguel - Vegetables, Alma VanDusen, Sunflowers, Maze, Stone Garden
July 23, 2021: The Genus Silene - Rose Campion, Donkeys
July 16, 2021: Bad Hair Day in the Garden - Monarda 'Jacob Cline', Astrantia 'Shaggy', Leonotis 'Savannah Sunset
July 9, 2021: Salmonberries and Salmon Runs - Rubus spectabilis
June 18, 2021: Father Goose in the Garden - Canada Geese, Ducks, 'Gang Brood'
June 11, 2021: Very 'Old' Roses - Rosa nutkana (Nootka Rose), R. woodsii (Wood's Rose), R. acicularis, (Prickly Rose)
June 4, 2021: Georges Bugnet and His Roses - Rosa 'Thérèse Bugnet
May 28, 2021: Real-Deal Wasabi - Wasabia japonica
May 14, 2021: Suzanne Simard and Birches - Betula papyrifera, Betula nana, dwarf birch, paperbark birch
May 7, 2021: Every Day is Mother's Day in the Forest - Suzanne Simard, Douglas-fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii
April 30, 2021: Happy May(apple) Day - Podophyllum peltatum, Mayapple
April 23, 2021: 'Hot' Magnolias - Thermogenesis
April 9, 2021: Flowering Cherries - Prunus, David Lam
April 2, 2021: Hellebore Hybrids, A Brief History - Helleborus
March 26, 2021: Garden in March-Mellow Yellow
March 19, 2021: Rhododendron Indiana Jones? - George Forrest
March 12, 2021: Happy St. Patrick's Day - Brian Boru oak, Ogham writing system
March 5, 2021: A Quiet Winter Bloomer - Parrottia persica
February 26, 2021: Temperate Rainforests 101 - Blechnum spicant, Polystichum munitum, ferns
February 19, 2021: Flowering Rhodos in Mid-winter?! - Rhododendron rirei, Ernest 'Chinese' Wilson
February 12, 2021: Kissing Cousins of the Tree World - Inosculation, Fagus sylvatica 'Pendula'
February 5, 2021: Plantswoman Close to Home - Else Frye, Tsuga mertensiana 'Elizabeth'
January 29, 2021: A Winter Visit with Jelena and Diane - Hamamelis x intermedia
January 22, 2021: Wintersweet Aromatherapy - Chimonanthus praecox
January 15, 2021: Benjamin Franklin's Plant Legacy - Franklinia alatamaha
January 8, 2021: Murder and Mayhem in the Garden - x Cupressocyparis leylandii
January 1, 2021: And a Very Berry New Year! - Photinia niitakayamensis, Ophiopogon planiscapus 'BarrNigrescens', Sorbus hupehensis ‘Pink Pagoda’
December 18, 2020: Down Under, Another 'Noble' Holiday Tree? Wollemia nobilis, Wollemi pine, Australia
December 11, 2020: Lightening Strike #2 - Pseudotsuga menziesii, Douglas-fir, Doug-fir
December 4, 2020: A Noble Tree for Christmas - Acer nobilis, Acer procera, Noble fir.
November 27, 2020: Burls and Birdseyes - Acer saccharum, Sugar Maple, Sequoia sempervirens, Sitka spruce
November 20, 2020: Leonardo's Rule of Trees
November 13, 2020: Owls in the Garden - Barred Owls
November 6, 2020: Fall Colour Sampler
October 30, 2020: Plants and Witchcraft in the Modern Age
October 23, 2020: Giants in the Garden - Sequoia, Sequoiadendron giganteum
October 16, 2020: Funguses Among Us
October 9, 2020: New Canadian Heritage Apple Orchard
October 2, 2020: How to Preserve Medlars - Mespilus germanica
September 25, 2020: What's in a Name? - Joe Pye Weed, Eupatorium, Eutrochium
September 18, 2020: Blackberry Jam - Rubus
September 11, 2020: A 'Jam-Packed' Garden
September 5, 2020: COVID and Waterlilies - Nymphaea, Nymphoides
August 28, 2020: Ceremonial Catalpa - Opening Day, Anniversary
August 21, 2020: Vegetables and Velcro - Actium lappa, burdock
August 14, 2020: Vegetable Garden Stories - Cardoon, Carrot, Tomato
August 7, 2020: Hydrangea Heists
July 31, 2020: Survivor Trees - Ginkgo, Muku, Catalpa
July 24, 2020: Madame Butterfly, The Botanic Version - von Siebold
July 17, 2020: Ellen Willmott, Isabella Preston, Lady Gaga
July 10, 2020: One Trellis and Two Roses - Formal Rose Garden, R. 'Dublin Bay', R. 'Ghislaine de Féligonde'
July 2, 2020: No Sex Please, We're Canadian - Amelanchier canadensis
June 26, 2020: A Birthday Bollwyller - Pear, x Sorbopyrus auricularia
June 16, 2020: Ants on Peony Buds, an Enduring Myth
June 12, 2020: Epiphylly - Helwingia chinensis
June 5, 2020: Rhododendron 'Cynthia' - Ladysmith
July 3, 2025: The Maple Leaf - Canadian flag, Acer
June 27, 2025: Our Amazing Maze
June 20, 2025: Orchids in the Garden - hardy Madeira orchid, Dactylorhiza foliosa
June 13, 2025: Symbols of Vancouver - flag, coat of arms, city flower, city bird, rose, hummingbird
June 6, 2025: Gnomes and Shawnikins - Shaughnikins, Thelma Kennedy
May 30, 2025: All about Peonies - Paeonia
May 23, 2025: Bunchberries - Cornus canadensis
May 16, 2025: Sennas - Scorpion senna, Hippocrepis emerus, Colutea, bladder
May 9, 2025: Solomon Seals - Polygonatum biflorum, Maianthemum, false solomon seal
May 2, 2025: What's in a Name? Azalea? Rhododendron?
April 25, 2025: One More Thing about Magnolias - big leaf, cucumber, pickle, Magnolia macrophylla
April 18, 2025: Canada's Native Magnolia, cucumber, pickle, Magnolia acuminata
April 11, 2025: Magnolia Stories - leaf, leaves, art
April 4, 2025: Harbinger of Spring - Trachystemon, Abraham-Issac-Jacob
March 28, 2025: New Camellia on the Winter Walk - Camellia x williamsii 'Freedom Bell', Donation, Brigadoon
March 21, 2025: Japanese Camellias in Bloom - Camellia japonica
March 14, 2025: New Kid on the Block - Cephalotaxus fortunei, Fern Dell, Chinese plum yew
March 7, 2025: Voice from the Past: Sino-Himalayan Garden construction.
February 28, 2025: Hellebores in Bloom - Helleborus argutifolius, foetidus, stinking, Corsican
February 21, 2025: Searching for Daffodils - Narcissus, RHS
February 14, 2025: Snowdrops for Valentine's Day? Galanthus, rose, red
February 7, 2025: Winter Fireworks - Hamamelis mollis, witch hazel, scent, odour
January 31, 2025: Voice from the Past - Camellia Collection, C. oleifera, C. sasanqua 'Setsugekka', Roy Forster
January 24, 2025: "Fireproof Arbutus" - Arbutus menziesii
January 17, 2025: Garden Colour of the Year - blue, teal
January 10, 2025: Voice from the Past - Monkey Puzzles - Araucaria araucana, Roy Forster
December 20, 2024: Festival of Lights
December 13, 2024: Before the Shaughnessy Golf Club
December 6, 2024: History Lesson - Shaughnessy Golf Club
November 29, 2024: RIP Ponderosa Pine? - Pinus ponderosa
November 22, 2024: More Oak Stories - Holm oak, Quercus robur, Notre Dame
November 15, 2024: Remembrance Day Oaks - Quercus ilex, holly oak, evergreen oak, holm oak, acorn
November 1, 2024: Conifers and Fall Colour - dawn redwood, Metasequoia glyptostroboides, bald cypress, Taxodium distichum, American larches (Larix laricina), golden larch (Pseudolarix amabilis)
October 25, 2024: All About Aspens - Populus tremuloides
October 18, 2024: Dawn Redwoods - Metasequoia glyptostroboides
October 11, 2024: Bird Watch - kingfisher, saw-whet owl
October 4, 2024: Quince Mania - Cydonia, Chaenomeles
September 27, 2024: Horse chestnuts? Buckeyes? Aesculus, conker
September 20, 2024: Echinacea Stories - coneflower
September 13, 2024: A Blackberry Among the Roses - Iris domestica
September 6, 2024: A Pricklish Story - cucumber, eggplant, rose thorn
August 23, 2024: Strawberry Trees Help Pollinators - Arbutus unedo, bumblebees, parasite, nectar
August 16, 2024: "Peanut Butter Cup" Combo - Melianthus major, Chocolate cosmos, honey bush
August 9, 2024: Sunflower Stories - Helianthus annuus
August 2, 2024: Cottage Garden Plants- Nigella, Michauxia, Dianthus
July 26, 2024: 'Artists' in the Garden: roses, Emily Carr, Félix Leclerc, heritage
July 19, 2024: Heat Waves and Botanical Gardens
July 12, 2024: New Seasonal Plants from Asia: sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera), Betel leaf or paan (Piper betle), Pandan leaf or biriani leaf (Pandanus amaryllifolius)
July 5, 2024: Sculpture in the Garden
June 28, 2024: Lilies Tall and Small - giant Himalayan lily (Cardiocrinum giganteum), Formosa lily
June 21, 2024: Poppies Galore - Eschscholzia, Meconopsis, Papaver, Romneya, Stylophorum, Chelidonium,celandine
June 14, 2024: Bee Aware: Hidden Poisons in Rhododendrons - honey, grayanotoxin, honey bees, bumble bees, army
June 7, 2024: The Sweet Taste of Damask Roses - Rosa x damascena, jam, jelly, syrup
May 31, 2024: The Perfume of Old Roses - Rosa x Centifolia, 'Cristata'
May 24, 2024: Happy Birthday, Carl Linnaeus
May 17, 2024: Jade Stories - nephrite
May 10, 2024: Camas Stories - Camassia
May 3, 2024: The Meaning of Moss
April 26, 2024: Crown Imperials - Fritillaria
April 19, 2024: Monday is Earth Day
April 12, 2024: Wise Old Owls?
April 5, 2024: Mad about Magnolias - Beetles, Billie Holida
March 29, 2024: Ambassadors for the Biosphere - bee, honeybee, pollinator, pollination
March 22, 2024: Crown Shynesss - tree top, Pinus contorta, lodgepole pine, Larix kaempferi, Japanese larch
March 15, 2024: Predicting When Cherries Will Bloom & Fruit - Prunus, cherry, competition, blossom, flower
March 8, 2024: Beating the Late-Winter Blues - Petrichor, forest bathing, phytoncide, eco therapy, nature therapy
March 1, 2024: Gods and Goddesses in the Garden - Narcissus, Anemone, Daphne, Daffodil, Asphodel, Crocus, Iris
February 23, 2024: Pine Trees Are Nature's Drugstore - Pinus, ponderosa, tea, syrup, cough,
February 16, 2024: Hocus Crocus - species, sativa, hangover, spice, expensive
February 9, 2024: Croconuts - E. A. Bowles, Andrew Parker Bowles, crocus
February 2, 2024: Galanthophilia - snowdrop, Galanthus, Bowles,
January 26, 2024: Tree for Robbie Burns - Pinus sylvestris, Scots pine, Scotch pine, Scotland
January 19, 2024: Blobs in Trees: Witches' broom
January 12, 2024: Blobs in Trees: Bushtit nest, bird
January 5, 2024: Apples in midwinter - ghost apple, hummingbird
December 22, 2023: 'Tis the Season to be Jolly (But Hold the Holly): Ilex
December 15, 2023: Holiday Tree News - Christmas tree, grand fir, lowland fir, Abies grandis
December 8, 2023: Pinecones and Weather - Pinus, cone
December 1, 2023: Mellow Yellow Mahonia - 'Charity', Berberis, barberry, Oregon grape, Bernard McMahon
November 24, 2023: Our Pacific Temperate Rainforest
November 17, 2023: Hydrangeas in Autumn
November 10, 2023: Witch Hazel Season off to a Good Start - Hamamelis
November 3, 2023: Ginkgos, A Unique Species
October 27, 2023: Trick or Treat - Dead Man's Fingers, Decaisnea insignis
October 20, 2023: Underwater Bald Cypress Forest, Taxodium distichum
October 13, 2023: Foraging along Livingstone Lake: pear, Bollwyller, medlar, chokecherry, crabapple
October 6, 2023: Drought and Fall Colour? Acer, Japanese maple, autumn
September 29, 2023: The Colours of Autumn - Purple and Gold, Asters, Callicarpa, Solidago, beautyberry, goldenrod
September 22, 2023: The Fascinating (and Prickly) Monkey Puzzle Tree, Araucaria araucana
September 15, 2023: Spotting a Statuesque Heron is Always a Treat
September 8, 2023: Apple Stories - heritage orchard, Ambrosia
September 1, 2023: Bill Livingstone
August 25, 2023: Waiting for the Emmenopterys
August 18, 2023: Chastity in the Garden - Vitex agnus casta, monk's pepper
August 11, 2023: Heirlooms in the Garden - beets, Beta, Blue Jay bean seeds
August 4, 2023: Beautiful Beets - Chioggia, chard
July 28, 2023: Scintillating Senecios
July 21, 2023: Golden Fireworks - Koelreuteria paniculata, gold rain
July 14, 2023: What's for Dessert? Shepherdia canadensis, buffalo berry, ice cream, root beer, Sassafras albidum
July 7, 2023: Fire and Plants
June 30, 2023: Fireworks Flowers - Astrantia
June 23, 2023: Singing the ‘June Blues’ - Meconopsis betonicifolia, Tsuga mertensiana
une 16, 2023: Voodoo-Hoodoo in the Garden - Dranunculus, Amorphophallus, Typhonium
June 9, 2023: The Holy Rose - Rosa x richardii, rosa sancta
June 2, 2023: History of Rhodos - Greig, Whittall, Bedford, Mitford, augustinii, forrestii
May 26, 2023: Doves, Hankies, Ghosts - Davidia, handkerchief, bract, white
May 19, 2023: Through the Eyes of a Newbie, Julia, Thuja plicata, Cedrus, cedar
May 12, 2023: Royal Wrap-up - Charles, George, Edward, Ribes, Rhododendron
May 5, 2023: Maienschein & May Trees - Crataegus, hawthorn
April 28, 2023: Skeletons with Umbrella - Diphylleia grayi
April 21, 2023: 'Chocolate' Lilies - Fritillaria uva-vulpis, camschatcensis, rice, fox
April 14, 2023: Conversations and Concerts with Plants - cavitation
April 7, 2023: Cherry Blossom Tour - Sakura, Festival, Miharu, kamikaze
March 24, 2023: Ahchoo! Cryptomeria japonica, Chamaecyparis obtusa, allergy, pollen, hay fever, Japan
March 17, 2023: Ogham and Ashes - European ash, Fraxinus excelsior, Irish, Ireland
March 10, 2023: Vocabulary Lesson: Marcescence - oak, beech, witch hazel, leaf
March 3, 2023: Amazing Grace - Grace McCarthy
February 24, 2023: Piqtoukun - David Ruben, Inuit, stone sculpture, Observing Your Society
February 17, 2023: Crazy about Catkins - willow, Salix caprea, gracilistyla 'Melanostachys', udensis 'Sekka', anemophily, wind-pollinated
February 10, 2023: Evolutionary Ghost Trees - Dawn Redwood, Metasequoia
February 3, 2023: Ecological Anachronisms - pawpaw, Asmina, coffee, Gymnocladus, avocado, Persina
January 27, 2023: Edgeworthia
January 20, 2023: David Douglas - death, son, Douglas-fir
January 13, 2023: Wintergreen - Gaultheria, mint, oil
January 6, 2023: Yellow-Cedar - Xanthocyparis nootkenensis, Nootka, Bill Reid, Raven
December 23, 2022: Salal Stories - Gaultheria shallon
December 16, 2022: 'Appeeling' Trees, Part 4 - Betula, birch, canoe
December 9, 2022: 'Appeeling' Trees, Part 3 - Stewartia, Stuartia
December 2, 2022: 'Appeeling' Trees, Part 2 - Prunus serrula, peelbark cherry, Tibetan cherry
November 24, 2022: 'Appeeling' Trees, Part 1 - Acer griseum, paperbark maple
November 18, 2022: Beautiful 'Berries' in the Garden - pome, sorbus, rowan, mountain ash
November 11, 2022: A Walk Around Cypress Pond - Roy Forster, bald cypress, Taxodium
November 4, 2022: When Harry Met Camilla - Queen, Garry Oak, Quercus garryana, seed bank
October 28, 2022: Giant Pumpkins - Howard Dill
October 21, 2022: Sugar Maples, More Than a Sweet Taste - Acer saccharum, guitar, whiskey, Jack Daniels, Comfort
October 14, 2022: Colchicum autumnale, a Plant of Many Names - crocus, saffron
October 7, 2022: Seven Son Flower - Heptacodium miconiodes
September 30, 2022: The Owl Whisperer - barred owl
September 23, 2022: Berries, Drupes, Pomes, Hips and Haws.
September 16, 2022: Erica Dunn
September 9, 2022: School Supplies: Calocedrus decurrens, incense cedar, pencil
September 2, 2022: Starships, Cardinals, and Devil’s Tobacco: Lobelia
August 26, 2022: Tropical Plants in a Temperate Climate: Hibiscus moscheutos, mallow
August 19, 2022: Tomato Madness
August 12, 2022: Butchart vs. VanDusen
August 5, 2022: Urban Legends of the Vegetable Kingdom: Carrot, Orange, Dutch, Swiss Chard, Brussel Sprouts
July 29, 2022: Queens for a Day - Hemerocallis, daylily, daylilies
July 22, 2022: Monster Roses, Part 2: Rosa multiflora, R. 'Ghislaine de Féligonde', R. 'Albertine', R. Dublin Bay ('Macdub'), R. Cape Diamond ('DARpellerin')
July 15, 2022: Two Monster White Roses - Rosa mulliganii, Rosa filipes 'Kiftsgate'
July 1, 2022: Fireworks in the Garden - Astrantia, Eremurus, Delphinium, Cotinus, Holodiscus discolor, Allium christophii, ocean spray, smokebush
June 24, 2022: Rose updates…and a little history - Rosa x centifolia 'Cristata', moss, crested, chapeau, hat, Napoleon
June 17, 2022: Eat a Tree - Picea, spruce tips, beer
June 10, 2022: Rhodos that Pack a Walloper - Rhododendron 'Walloper Group', Halfdem Lem
June 3, 2022: A Stunning Lilac - Syringa meyeri 'Palibin', dwarf Korean lilac, Frank Meyer
May 27, 2022: Bluebell Madness - Hyacinthoides hispanica, Spanish bluebells, English bluebells, bluebell wood
May 13, 2022: Great Camas - Camassia leichtlinii
May 6, 2022: Visitor Centre Certification - Living building, Petals, LEED
April 29, 2022: Better Homes in the Garden for Bees - Mason bees, Leaf-cutter bees, gazebo, lathhouse, orchard fence
April 22, 2022: Bloom Time Roulette - Daphne mezereum, flowering cherries
April 15, 2022: All about Wood Anemones - Anemone nemorosa
April 8, 2022: Cherry Ingram and the Great White Cherry - Japanese flowering cherries, Prunus 'Tai-haku',
April 1, 2022: An April Food Joke for Insects - Sarracenia, pitcher plants
March 25, 2022: Primroses: Prumulus veris, P. elatior, P. vulgaris
March 18, 2022: 'Sugar' Maples - Acer saccharum, A. saccharinum, A. macrophyllum
March 11, 2022: What's in a Name? John Torrey, Torreya grandis
March 4, 2022: One Door Shuts, Another Opens...Torreya grandis, Chinese nutmeg yew
February 25, 2022: Which Bloomed First? Galanthus, snowdrop, Eranthis hyemalis, winter aconite
February 18, 2022: What's in a Name? Snakebark, snake bark, stripebark, striped bark, maple
February 11, 2022: The Beauty of Bark - Arbutus, Acer, Stewartia
February 4, 2022: R.I.P. - Pinus wallichiana, Cedrus deodara, Robininia pseudoacacia, storm damage
January 28, 2022: Tall Trees, Australia Day and Extreme Weather - Eucalyptus
January 21, 2022: Earl Muldoe, a First Nations Renaissance Man - Mosquito story pole
January 14, 2022: Searching for Spring - Cyclamen coum
January 7, 2022: Anna and the Cold Snap - Anna's Hummingbird
December 31, 2021: Happy Families - Jack Harman, Busts, Sculpture, Family, Menzies, Douglas, Linnaeus,
December 17, 2021: Christmas Roses - Rosa "Mutabilis', Rosa Thérèse Bugnet, Helleborus niger
December 10, 2021: Golden Arches - Salix alba var vitellina, Golden Willow, Fedge, Waterfall, Sunflower
December 3, 2021: The Healing Tree - Platanus orientalis, Oriental plane, Hippocrates, St. Paul's
November 23, 2021: Happy Fibonacci Day
November 19, 2021: Lichen Lore - Cladonia, Litmus Paper, Dye, Tweed
November 12, 2021: Before and After - New Hydrangea Bed
November 5, 2021: A Walk Among the Leaves - Fagus grandifolia, Nyssa sylvatica, Magnolia macrophylla, Prunus serotina, Aesculus parviflora
October 29, 2021: Halloween and Banes - Fleabane, Dogbane, Baneberry, Wolfbane, Doll's Eye
October 15, 2021: Scarlet Oak Mystery Solved! - J.D. Raulston, Calycanthus raulstonii 'Hartlage Wine'
October 8, 2021: Missing Magnolias - Magnolia grandiflora, Magnolia macrophylla
October 1, 2021: 'Windthrow' - Windstorms, Populus tremuloides (Aspen)
September 24, 2021: Summer Drought and Fall Storms - Pinus heldreichii 'Compact Gem' (Bosnian Pine), Urban Tree List
September 17, 2021: 'Hairy Balls' in the Garden - Gomphocarpus physocarpus
September 10, 2021: Harvesting Quinoa - Chenopodium quinoa
September 3, 2021; The Colour Purple in the Garden - Rosa spinosissima (Burnet or Scots Rose), Phytolacca (Pokeweed), Sambucus (Elderberry)
August 27, 2021: The Mystery of the Scarlet Oak - Quercus coccinea, Anniversary
August 20, 2021: An Allium Mystery
August 13, 2021: 'Mediterranean' Lower Mainland - Lavender & Lavandula
August 6, 2021: Sunflower Garden: History and Heliotropism
July 30, 2021: Gardener Walk with Miguel - Vegetables, Alma VanDusen, Sunflowers, Maze, Stone Garden
July 23, 2021: The Genus Silene - Rose Campion, Donkeys
July 16, 2021: Bad Hair Day in the Garden - Monarda 'Jacob Cline', Astrantia 'Shaggy', Leonotis 'Savannah Sunset
July 9, 2021: Salmonberries and Salmon Runs - Rubus spectabilis
June 18, 2021: Father Goose in the Garden - Canada Geese, Ducks, 'Gang Brood'
June 11, 2021: Very 'Old' Roses - Rosa nutkana (Nootka Rose), R. woodsii (Wood's Rose), R. acicularis, (Prickly Rose)
June 4, 2021: Georges Bugnet and His Roses - Rosa 'Thérèse Bugnet
May 28, 2021: Real-Deal Wasabi - Wasabia japonica
May 14, 2021: Suzanne Simard and Birches - Betula papyrifera, Betula nana, dwarf birch, paperbark birch
May 7, 2021: Every Day is Mother's Day in the Forest - Suzanne Simard, Douglas-fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii
April 30, 2021: Happy May(apple) Day - Podophyllum peltatum, Mayapple
April 23, 2021: 'Hot' Magnolias - Thermogenesis
April 9, 2021: Flowering Cherries - Prunus, David Lam
April 2, 2021: Hellebore Hybrids, A Brief History - Helleborus
March 26, 2021: Garden in March-Mellow Yellow
March 19, 2021: Rhododendron Indiana Jones? - George Forrest
March 12, 2021: Happy St. Patrick's Day - Brian Boru oak, Ogham writing system
March 5, 2021: A Quiet Winter Bloomer - Parrottia persica
February 26, 2021: Temperate Rainforests 101 - Blechnum spicant, Polystichum munitum, ferns
February 19, 2021: Flowering Rhodos in Mid-winter?! - Rhododendron rirei, Ernest 'Chinese' Wilson
February 12, 2021: Kissing Cousins of the Tree World - Inosculation, Fagus sylvatica 'Pendula'
February 5, 2021: Plantswoman Close to Home - Else Frye, Tsuga mertensiana 'Elizabeth'
January 29, 2021: A Winter Visit with Jelena and Diane - Hamamelis x intermedia
January 22, 2021: Wintersweet Aromatherapy - Chimonanthus praecox
January 15, 2021: Benjamin Franklin's Plant Legacy - Franklinia alatamaha
January 8, 2021: Murder and Mayhem in the Garden - x Cupressocyparis leylandii
January 1, 2021: And a Very Berry New Year! - Photinia niitakayamensis, Ophiopogon planiscapus 'BarrNigrescens', Sorbus hupehensis ‘Pink Pagoda’
December 18, 2020: Down Under, Another 'Noble' Holiday Tree? Wollemia nobilis, Wollemi pine, Australia
December 11, 2020: Lightening Strike #2 - Pseudotsuga menziesii, Douglas-fir, Doug-fir
December 4, 2020: A Noble Tree for Christmas - Acer nobilis, Acer procera, Noble fir.
November 27, 2020: Burls and Birdseyes - Acer saccharum, Sugar Maple, Sequoia sempervirens, Sitka spruce
November 20, 2020: Leonardo's Rule of Trees
November 13, 2020: Owls in the Garden - Barred Owls
November 6, 2020: Fall Colour Sampler
October 30, 2020: Plants and Witchcraft in the Modern Age
October 23, 2020: Giants in the Garden - Sequoia, Sequoiadendron giganteum
October 16, 2020: Funguses Among Us
October 9, 2020: New Canadian Heritage Apple Orchard
October 2, 2020: How to Preserve Medlars - Mespilus germanica
September 25, 2020: What's in a Name? - Joe Pye Weed, Eupatorium, Eutrochium
September 18, 2020: Blackberry Jam - Rubus
September 11, 2020: A 'Jam-Packed' Garden
September 5, 2020: COVID and Waterlilies - Nymphaea, Nymphoides
August 28, 2020: Ceremonial Catalpa - Opening Day, Anniversary
August 21, 2020: Vegetables and Velcro - Actium lappa, burdock
August 14, 2020: Vegetable Garden Stories - Cardoon, Carrot, Tomato
August 7, 2020: Hydrangea Heists
July 31, 2020: Survivor Trees - Ginkgo, Muku, Catalpa
July 24, 2020: Madame Butterfly, The Botanic Version - von Siebold
July 17, 2020: Ellen Willmott, Isabella Preston, Lady Gaga
July 10, 2020: One Trellis and Two Roses - Formal Rose Garden, R. 'Dublin Bay', R. 'Ghislaine de Féligonde'
July 2, 2020: No Sex Please, We're Canadian - Amelanchier canadensis
June 26, 2020: A Birthday Bollwyller - Pear, x Sorbopyrus auricularia
June 16, 2020: Ants on Peony Buds, an Enduring Myth
June 12, 2020: Epiphylly - Helwingia chinensis
June 5, 2020: Rhododendron 'Cynthia' - Ladysmith