Marg Evans
Landscaping in the Cariboo - Water Wise
June 13, 2008
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Marg EvansLandscaping in the Cariboo - Water WiseJune 13, 2008
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Gardens change with time as our lifestyles change - from new family members, pets, time restrictions, and energy limitations as we age. I used to think gardens, once set up, were done! Then things either grew, and grew, until it was obvious something had to be done, or they (oops) died. Over the years I have learned a few things about myself and my garden - I plant similar to the way I live my life - I try new things, and have a rich, colourful varied number of hobbies and activities (sometimes at the cost of my energy supply). So I have learned some very valuable lessons about life in the garden - it is good to be spontaneous, but I no longer buy a dozen new perennials at once and lay them out as I visualize them. All plants need space, water, and room to spread their roots to grow, and if there is a tree nearby, I had better take it's water consumption into consideration! It took several of my lilac bushes over ten years to bloom, and I noticed they were the ones I had planted in amongst the huge Douglas fir trees in our yard. The lilacs doing best (and flowering most profusely) are those planted far away from any trees and better yet, close to the barn roof!
Another change with time is lawns. I used to want huge expanses of that lush green, and I still do admire a well kept lawn, but have decided I would rather have more time to enjoy my garden, than be mowing, raking, weeding and pampering large expanses of grass that use more water than I wish to provide. I now realize these large lawns were definitely something invented before the concern of our global fresh water shortage and most preferential to those who have live-in gardeners. So, in our yard we have a compromise, a little lawn area, when the kids (now teens) still feel like doing summersaults or want to watch the clouds go by, and then other areas to sit and watch the bees, hummingbirds and butterflies select flowers set amongst old growth Fir and Pine, and Saskatoon, Lilac and Choke Cherry bushes. Back in the days when I bought plants two at time, I tried some Azaleas and Northern Rhododendrons. I was fortunate to have placed one of these rhodos in a protected cove at the front of our home, where ample sun and rain from the roof nurtured it, and a Mugo Pine on one side and two sides of the house provided heat and protection from harsh winter winds. This rhododendron is now over seven feet high and ten feet wide, and in spring is a mass of purple flowers.
When planting, be sure to pay attention to the soil. Often we kill plants and even lawns, by over watering them. Often, when they seemed stressed, they actually need air, as well as water, so a good soil is one that allows the water to reach deep, encouraging plant roots to spread deep as they mature, thus allowing them to do well in drier times. A mistake I have made in the past is I have mounded soil on top of my ground and planted. This will work, I have found, only if you dig down into the ground first (about 12 -18 inches) and mix the planting soil with your native soil. This allows the roots of your plants to go deep and again, for such raised beds choose a mixture of native and domestic drought hardy plants - Bearded Iris, Echinacea (Coneflower), Yarrow, and Columbine that come in many varieties and colours. Some of these plants come with beautiful variegated leaves, so once the flowering is over, for example, a variegated Iris with it's spiky green and white leaves, add to the garden well into fall.
We have hardscape - stepping stones, rock walls, stone walkways, rock gardens with natural Kinnikinnick (Bearberry) and Yarrow, scattered with Wooly Thyme and Rock Cress, Violas, wild Violet, Hens & Chicks, and exotic Lewisia. Tough ground covers spread amongst the stones and prevent the invasion of weeds (and more work). I am not a lazy gardener, but as I've found my garden areas expanding - so has my work load and I would much rather spend my time pruning and deadheading, and just sitting and enjoying it, than weeding. Don't forget the native plants, and if you preserve and encourage Kinnikinnick on a side bank, it's pink bell flowers in spring and bright red berries in fall, are complemented by waxy green leaves that are evergreen and hardy in the worst of the Cariboo weather. Hardscape also helps in transition when ground has been disturbed and you wish to take time to decide what to do with it next. Even if it is simply laying down landscape cloth and covering it with rock or mulch until you can have time to develop it, you need to be cautious of the rapidly expanding populations of noxious weeds that once soil is disturbed seem to appear out of thin air.
Ornamental grasses look great in the landscape throughout the winter. Winterscapes, in this land of short growing seasons, are important, and I enjoy our Weeping Carrigana almost more when the first snows cover the ornate hanging branches. The red apples of the ornamental crab hang on the tree branches and feed hungry birds through out winter, as well as provide those brilliant flashes of colour amongst the white landscape.
I often think of landscape design as an art form - full of texture and colour, with many varying types and colours of foliage. Since our yard is full of old Douglas Fir, a few remaining Pine and Aspen, I have learned to give these trees space in my garden, no longer trying to grow much in between. I make use of the area directly around our house, which has no gutters, and plants like Hostas, Bleeding Hearts, Delphinium, and Astobe flourish. In spring my raised flower beds have Tulips which provide colour amongst flowering Forget-me-nots and the pink bubble flowers of Silver Lamium. Farther away from the house where I don't wish to run the hose too often, are native Saskatoon bushes, Sumac with its exotic leaves (a real show piece in the fall when leaves turn colour), Douglas Fir, Lilac, Columbine, Echinacea (cone flower), bearded Iris's, native Aster, and Shrubby Penstemon. Although I have a very 'water wise' garden, I like big leaves too, and find the Hostas, and Rhubarb leaves add a more lush look as the summer advances, and yet are still good drought hardy choices. The Peony and Asiatic Lilies are two flowering plants that have elegance and yet are very hardy. An advantage of having native trees in the landscape is that they provide natural mulch: the mix of needles and cones that cover the ground provide shade to keep moisture in longer, which provides the plants more time to absorb it.
So remember, when planning new gardens or redoing the old, think water wise and cluster plants of like needs (for water, sun and soil types) so you can spend more time enjoying, and less time watering and weeding. For more on water wise plants for the area or xeriscape landscaping, drop by one of the local garden centres and pick up our brochures, or by the CCCS office at Unit 102- 197 2nd Ave N, Williams Lake.
- Marg Evans, Coordinator, Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society
Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society
Unit 201, 197 2nd Ave North Williams Lake, B.C., V2G 1Z5
Phone/Fax: 250 398-7929 • ccentre@ccconserv.org • Coordinator: Marg Evans
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