Comox Valley Horticultural Society

Hardy Chrysanthemums Care Fall Garden (or Hardy) Mums have hit the garden centres and its tough to not bring one (or five!) home to brighten up a patio or entry waythey come in so many colours and the blooms last for weeks! Most of these Mums are perennials in Zones 5-9 and, with care, can overwinter. You can either keep them in their pots in a protected area or plant them in the ground before the first frost in well drained soil with a heavy layer of mulch. Heres an article with some good information to help these fall beauties keep coming back year after year. https://gardentherapy.ca/guide-to-fall-mums/

The Gardens at Anderson Art Exhibit and Sale Artworks by Larissa McLean will be shown and sold at the Gardens on September 18th & 19th, under tents. Please note that COVID-19 rules are in effect and the number of people on site will be restricted to no more than 50.

The fourth event of our Summer 2020 contest, Favorite Gardening Tool or Ingenious Home-Made Gardening Contraption, is now concluded, and our members have voted! We are delighted to announce our winners: Grand prize winner of a $50 garden centre gift certificate is Linda with Contraption: Pulley System for Compost. Runner up winner of a $25 garden centre gift certificate is Darlene (comoxvalleyberry) with My Two Bare Hands.... The theme for the final event of our Summer 2020 contest is 'Garden Pets'. If you're a forum member/CV Horticultural Society member you can post your entry by following this link: https://forum.comoxvalleyhortsociety.ca//summer-2020-garde You can submit one or more entries from now until 8pm on Saturday, September 12th Congratulations to our winners, and thanks to our members for continuing to make this contest and the forum the place to be for gardening knowledge and fun!

Kids Garden Crafts for the Dog Days of Summer If youve got little ones at home looking for something to do, here are a few ways to entertain them with projects involving nature. Bottle Cap Flowers: Use a hot glue gun to connect all your bottle caps together (lay them upside down on a flat, protected surface and glue from the backif it doesnt feel sturdy, apply glue again). Flip over and paint as desired using outdoor approved paint. Apply a sealer, such a ModPodge. At...tach a wooden skewer or stick for a stem and you have a cute piece of garden art. Sticky Nature Cards: Home made cards are so nice to receive and these are simple to make. You will need some kind of card stock and double-sided tape (the Scrapbook Central store in Courtenay is a fun store to visit and will have these supplies). Have the kids gather flat-ish items like seeds, flower petals, leaves, pods, etc. Apply the double-sided tape to card stock and then the gathered items to the other sticky side. The items can be arranged in a picture or just a random designits all beautiful. Bottle Cap Ladybug Magnet: Paint a bottle cap red and apply the black markings (a black Sharpie works well). Glue googly eyes on the front and a small magnet on the back with a hot glue gun. So cute! Air Dried Play Dough Leaves: Gather up big robust leaves (like big leaf maple leaves). Roll out the play dough (or clay if you have it) to desired thickness. Place the leaf on top and use a rolling pin to impress the leaf veins into the surface of the clay. Using a combination of scissors and/or knives cut around the leaf shape. Put the dough/leaf on top of some crinkled up tin foil for support and shape the foil into a gentle curve so you will have a slight bowl shape when dry. When you are happy with the shape, gently remove the leave from the dough and allow to dry. Once dry, a bit of paint will emphasize the leaf detail. Note that your piece will not be waterproofyou can seal with a coat of varnish if you like. And. finally, for the really young, a rousing game of bug bingo may be in order: https://www.himama.com/daycare-activities/insect-bingo

The third event of our Summer 2020 contest, Garden Edibles, is now concluded, and our members have voted! We are delighted to announce our winners: Norlyn53 wins a $50 garden centre gift certificate with Edibles for Dinner, and the runner up winning a $25 garden centre gift certificate is Connie with Organic Garden Vegetable Bounty! The theme for the next event of our Summer 2020 contest is 'Favorite Gardening Tool or Ingenious Home-Made Gardening Contraption.' CV Horticultural Society members can enter here: https://forum.comoxvalleyhortsociety.ca//summer-2020-favou

CVHS Virtual Open Garden Tour: Gael and Ricks Packed-Full-of-Beauty Garden On August 14, 2020, the CVHS Open Garden Tour video team visited the lovely urban garden of Gael and Rick. The garden fills every square inch of the yard, both front, back and sides with flowers, veg and herbs intermixedand definitely there is a big focus on the grand dame of all flowers, the dahlia. Please enjoy scrolling through these photos and comments about this beautiful, colour filled garden with its amazing plant variety. To see the YouTube video of this tour, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eybsu3QSwl4

We're pleased to announce the winners of our second category event "Container Gardens". In first place winning a $50 garden centre gift certificate is Kelly with 'Succulent Picture", and the runner up is Jessica's "Succulent Strawberry Pot", receiving a $25 garden gift certificate. Our next contest topic is "Garden Edibles'! Open to entries until 8 pm on August 15th!

CVHS Virtual Open Garden Tour: Nina and Roys Bountiful Earth- Friendly Garden On August 5, 2020, the CVHS Open Garden Tour video team visited the gorgeous gardens of Nina and Roy who have created an oasis for birds, bees and butterflies using sustainable and organic gardening practices. They produce an enormous amount of fruit and vegetables for themselves and to share. Native plant species are used throughout their garden to offer habitat and food for local wildlife. Please enjoy scrolling through these photos and note that there are comments you may find interesting along with each of the photos. For the full video tour, please visit our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIOIFLVL4uQ&t=157s

Nasturtiumsnot just another pretty flower This happy colourful plant is a real workhorse in the garden. Not only does it cheer up any area, it is also one of those gems that will flower better in poor soil. Its drought resistant to boot and is an excellent aphid decoy, luring those nasty critters away from your more prized plants, if you so wish (known as a trap crop). Nasturtiums also make an excellent ground cover, helping to crowd out weeds and reduce moisture evapora...tion. Besides being a valuable and easy to grow plant, nasturtiums have many edible uses. Leaves, flowers, buds and seeds are all edible. Some tasty ideas include: Leaves are peppery and taste best when picked young. Add to salads, use in stir fries, roll up with prosciutto, stuff with tuna, or use in place of lettuce in a sandwich. Flowers should be picked the same day they are to be used. They are great in a salad or as a garnish, or you can get fancy and stuff with soft cheese or mince and add to butter or mayonnaise. Infusing vinegar is also quite a common use. Nasturtium buds can be pickled for a product that tastes similar to capers. When gathering, the buds should be fully closed. Here is a recipe: https://www.food.com/recipe/pickled-nasturtium-buds-19858. You can also use to add a spicy kick to potato or pasta salads. Green seeds (harvested before they harden and fall to the ground) can also be pickled (again, they have a similar taste and texture to capers). Experiment by adding dill or coriander. Searching pickled nasturtium seeds on Google will return lots of recipes. Brown seeds can be roasted and then used in a pepper mill (or mortise and pestle). They have a peppery/wasabi-like taste. Once you have a nasturtium patch established, they self seed quite nicely and you will have a perpetual supply of this very versatile and beautiful flower.

Come join us for a virtual wander and tour around Colleen's well established 18 year old garden. Beginning with only a few established trees and shrubs, she has developed an extensive garden with pond, many fabulous perennials, and a lot of driftwood! Thank you Colleen, for opening up your garden to us! Hopefully the first of many CVHS Virtual Open Garden Tours!... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYTnbT9QohA&feature=youtu.be

Congratulations to the first winners of the CVHS Summer 2020 contest on our forums, "Garden Trees or Shrubs". We are delighted to announce first place is Garcia, with the entry of Kiftsgate Rose Rambler. Garcia wins a $50 garden centre gift certificate. Our runner up is Lorna, with the entry "Dreamy Wisteria", winning a $25 garden centre gift certificate. The theme for the next event of our Summer 2020 contest is 'Container Gardens'. CVHS members all welcome to submit an entry! If you aren't a member of the forum yet, and are a CVHS member, just ask to join: https://forum.comoxvalleyhortsociety.ca/

Garlic Storage Tip By all accounts across social media, garlic production this year has been a resounding success. Here's a nifty way to save some of your harvest into convenient, ready-made crushed garlic: Peel cloves, put into food processor and process to desired consistency... Spread onto plastic wrapped pan and freeze (dont spread too thick or it will be difficult to cut) When solidly frozen, remove from freezer, invert, and remove plastic wrap Cut into squares appropriately sized for your style of cooking If garlic has thawed a bit you may want to spread evenly on parchment lined pan and refreeze for a bit so cubes stay separated Store in the freezer and whenever you need crushed garlic it will be available at your fingertips! See more

Did you know that the CV Horticultural Society has a forum where you can ask and/or answer gardening questions, show off your favourite plants, and virtually hang-out with other Comox Valley gardeners? You have to be a member to join, so if you are, why not check it out! There's a great contest on right now and you could potentially win $50 towards local garden shops. https://forum.comoxvalleyhortsociety.ca/

Green Lawns Even in the Dead of Summer (and other benefits of clover) Not that we have to worry right now about green lawns.but the day, hopefully, will come when we will have more sunshine in the Valley! If you dont already have clover in your lawn, adding some may bear consideration. Benefits include: Clover acts as a natural fertilizer... Clover stays green during dry spells Clover brings diversity Clover smells great Clover kills other weeds Heres a great article providing more detailed information and also some planting tips on how to over-seed an existing lawn should you wish to add some clover to your plant palette! https://www.lawnstarter.com//were-thinking-over-why-we-ki/

Plant Sale! - Cumberland Community Forest Society https://m.facebook.com/events/301921767660385?acontext=%7B%22ref%22%3A%223%22%2C%22action_history%22%3A%22null%22%7D&aref=3

Slug Patrol While searching though your garden for these slimey critters is not one of the most enjoyable chores we do in the garden, it IS one where big rewards are returned down the line. One slug picked and disposed of (I fling them over a steep bank) can prevent up to 500 offspring per year. Hunting is most effective if done at twilight or early morning and if done daily at first, you should see a noticeable decline in the population. If you create traps, such as overt...urned flower pots, grapefruit halves or wooden hiding places, your slug picking will be made even easier. Some other management tactics: Water in the morning to allow soil surface to dry out before evening when most feeding occurs Use drip irrigation so less of the soil surface gets wet and your garden is more attractive to slugs Pull any mulch away from the stems of your plants until they are larger and sturdier Copper or zinc mesh surrounding the edges of your planters is believed to be a useful tool (some folks dont think this works). If you do use this method, make sure your bed is free from slugs and slug eggs first! Ferric (iron) phosphate slug baits are available that are pet safe and approved for organic gardening. Rather than ringing your plants with the granules (and attracting the slugs to your plant), sprinkle widely (and not too much) and replace after a heavy rain. The bait works slowly so be patient. If you have beer you want to get rid of (!) you can use the beer trap method to drown them (an Internet search will produce lots of results) Diatomaceous earth works but it also kills beneficial insects Borrow some ducksthey love slugs! There was recently a Facebook post where a desperate Comox Valley gardener organized the loan of some ducks to help with hunting. Unfortunately, it looks like were in for a little more slug-friendly weather so if you are noticing silvery trails or little bites out of your plants, donning a headlamp or taking an few extra minutes before your morning coffee to pick a slug or two may save a green life!

Plants under pressure: how to preserve plants and why (part one) The Invasive Species Council of BC is hosting this free online workshop on July 16 from 6 to 6:30pm. Overview:... Learn how to create your own plant press! By preserving plants, we can help conserve plant biodiversity and expand our plant identification knowledge. During part one of this workshop Torin Kelly, ISCBC Youth Facilitator, will share: Information you need when collecting plants. How to properly store plant clippings. Materials you will need to create a press. How to press plants and several ways that pressed plants can be displayed. Presenter Bio: Torin Kelly is passionate about teaching and helping people gain new skills and tools to make a difference in their community. Torin attended BCIT for forestry and natural areas management, then specialized in invasive species. He has been working for the Invasive Species Council of BC since 2018 and is currently a Youth Facilitator with ISCBC. To register or for more information, click here: https://bcinvasives.ca//plants-under-pressure-how-to-prese

Mexican Feather Grass.... ... has hit our pop up plant stand at 5000 Willis Way. They wont last long! Other goodies there too. All proceeds to your Comox Valley Horticultural Society!

Gardens in Bloom - 2019 Grant Recipients! Gardens in Bloom is a 2-day, self-guided tour showcasing gorgeous private gardens throughout the Comox Valley. Proceeds are returned to the community in support of various gardening endeavours and projects that help develop, share, expand or inspire horticultural activities in the Comox Valley. We are very pleased to announce this years grant recipients. They are: Community Kitchen Garden on Hornby Island has developed a donated g...arden space on the Farris Community Farm to grow food for the local food bank, and for The Kitchen which provides hot meals to those in need. This project is well underway and the timing couldnt be better. Project Watersheds goal is to teach students the benefits of native species and warn of the risk of invasive species, while engaging them in stewardship activities in the Komoks estuary. Unable to do class presentations or field trips at this time, they have updated their online educational resources and have notified teachers that they are available to do online presentations. Anderton Therapeutic Garden Society has plans to re-develop the former Butterfly Garden into a Shade Garden offering visitors a place to sit, relax and enjoy the quiet ambience. While they have recently re-opened to the public, commencement of their project has been postponed. Lake Trail Community Education Society planned to host its free Summer Sprouters program in the Community School Garden. The program provides hands-on gardening experience to children and their parents while also providing community connections and support. With group gatherings in the garden now restricted it is instead pivoting to a forest- based nature program to facilitate physical distancing. MARS Wildlife Rescue Centre is developing a natural landscape using native plants which will also provide a year-round food source for their wildlife patients. Its goals are to enhance the grounds surrounding the new Visitors Centre and to provide information for people interested in creating wildlife habitat on their own property LUSH Valley Food Action Society had plans to offer a series of six workshops at the Share the Harvest Community Garden that would teach and mentor on both the importance of diversity in the garden and participation in our local food systems. While unable to deliver the workshops, LUSH has launched its Good Food Box program which delivers 75 food hampers a day to Comox Valley residents in need. Many thanks to those that attended the 2019 Gardens in Bloom event as well as to our wonderful volunteers and owners of the amazing showcased gardens!! Almost $3000 was disbursed in grant funding. https://www.comoxvalleyrecord.com//comox-valley-horticult/

Floriography Who doesnt need more flower pictures? And what better way to share them than to describe what different flowers meant back in the Victorian era, when it was taboo to express your feelings or desires. Floriography is the use of encoded messages through the arrangement of flowersthere were even dictionaries created for people to quickly thumb though to find the meaning behind a bouquet. Have a look through the following pictures for a little tongue-in-cheek floral essay And next time you send someone flowers, if you want to include a special secret meaning behind the gesture, have a peruse though a floriography dictionary to find the message you want to send. http://www.allflorists.co.uk/advice_flowerMeanings.asp

Some Good Reading Material: BC Farms and Food News, Local Food and Farms in BC Grow a Climate Change Resilient Garden, Seasonal Local Food You Can Eat All Winter, School Gardens: Preparing Kids for Climate Change, Extend the Growing Seasonseason extension techniques for winter gardening, and Plants That Attract Beneficial Insects are just a few of the recent articles in this online magazine about local food and farming in BC. Other topics include recipes, book reviews, and practical skills. They also have an interactive guide to Vancouver Islands farms and local food producers. If you like what you read, you can sign up for their e-newsletter. https://bcfarmsandfood.com/

Tomato Tips in Challenging Times Unfortunately, the current weather forecast is less than ideal for tomato production (lots of rain and night time temperatures have dipped below 10C lately in some areas). Here are a few quick tips to help these tender plants make it through to the warmer weather (fingers crossed!) ahead. Mulch Heavy constant rainfall may saturate the soil and drown the roots if the soil cant dry out. Mulching will help regulate rainfall delivery and a...lso act as a barrier to keep soil borne fungal spores off the lower tomato leaves. And it will help reserve some of that moisture for later use. Feeding and Soil Fertility Too much rain can leach fertility from the soil. If your plants look sickly, try a shot of liquid fertilizer. If the ground is too wet for more liquid to be added, try foliar feeding (spraying diluted fertilizer onto plant leavesliquid fish fertilizer diluted 1:50 works well). Note that this should only be done on overcast days to avoid leaf burn. For more information on this subject see: https://www.growveg.com/gui/foliar-feeding-folly-or-wisdom/ Pruning Good air circulation is important and can be promoted by pruning the lower leaves. Try to minimize any leaf contact with the soil. Watering and Rain Tomatoes dont particularly like to continually have their leaves and flowers wet. When it is time to water them, best to do so at the soil level (or self watering containers work great). The soil should be consistently moistbut overwatering is not good. Overhead Protection If you have your tomatoes in pots and they are movable and you have a spot under an overhang, put them therethey will be much happier. If they are in the ground, this protective tomato greenhouse, available from Lee Valley (second picture), is an easy option to keep plants warmer and dryer. Other tender vegetable plants that could use some protection in a chilly, damp spring include peppers, tomatillos, cucumbers, eggplants, and even squash. If you do suffer a casualty or two, the garden centres still have a good supply of seedlings available.

Create an Edible Bread Garden If you need a special item for your dinner table thats edible too, focaccia bread with garden-inspired art is a real show stopper. Toppings can include: red onions sliced thinly to look like flowers... mini bell peppers sliced vertically look like small flowers or horizontally in strips to make big sunflowers chives or green onions for stems parsley or basil for leaves cherry tomatoes sliced in half for flower centres (dry first with a paper towel) olives make great rocks or flower centres capers seed pods rosemary small plants pepperoni flower centres tomatoes use a sharp knife to make tomato roses Check out this web page for some more ideas and a focaccia recipeits very simple to make and its delicious. https://www.tasteofhome.com//baking-botanical-focaccia-br/

Plants of the DecadeVirtual Chelsea Awards The worlds greatest flower show, which, digitally, took place this past week in Chelsea, London, UK, has revealed its two winners of Plant of the Decade. The first--chosen by the Royal Horticultural Societys President--is Streptocarpus Harlequin Blue, or Cape primrose. It is a houseplant that is closely related to the more common African violet. It grows in similar conditions and can flower for up to eight months of the ye...ar. Its blooms are yellow on the outer petals with a contracting blue on the upper. The second award is the Peoples Choice winner. It is Virburnum plicatum f.tomentosum KILIMANJARO SUNRISE (Jww5), or Japanese snowball Kilimanjaro Sunrise. This plant is a multi-stemmed, upright, compact, slow-growing shrub with white lacey flowers that turn a pale pink as they age on tiered branches. In autumn, the leaves turn orange/gold before they fall. If you are looking for some great internet browsing with lots of beautiful pictures, videos, plant experts and practical gardening advice, the Virtual Chelsea Flower Show site is definitely worth a visit. https://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/virtual-chelsea/

The Study of Phenology--Using Natures Cues to Plan Your Garden The word phenology is derived from the Greek words phaino (to show or appear) and logos (to study) and literally means the science of appearance. In the gardening world, phenology refers to the study and observation of seasonal events and their correlation to plant, insect and animal life. Events in nature, such as plant flowering, leafing, fruiting, bird migration and first animal/bug sightings can be used to ...guide planting times in our gardens. While there are many phenology signs to follow, its best to get recommendations from sources that are as local as possibleor to keep a diary yourself to determine what works best for your situation. Here are a few key events that can be used to start a plan: When crocus are in bloom: Direct sow radish, parsnip and spinach. Prune roses. Fertilize lawns. When grape hyacinth and narcissus are in bloom: Direct sow broad beans, broccoli, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, corn salad, fennel When first dandelions bloom: Plant potatoes When forsythia and dandelions begin to bloom or lilac is in first leaf: Direct sow beets, Brussels sprouts, cabbage family crops, carrots, endive, kohlrabi, leek, lettuce, parsley, peas, onion (sets and seed), Swiss chard, turnip When apple blossoms start to fall: Direct sow corn When redbuds, flowering dogwoods, flowering crabapple are in bloom and lilacs are in full bloom: Direct sow cucumber, melon, pumpkin When lilac blooms just start to fade: Direct sow green beans and squash When peony, black locust and iris are in full bloom and daylilies start to bloom: Set out/transplant eggplants, peppers, sweet potato, tomatillo, tomato, and melons. When mock oranges bloom: Seed fall cabbage and broccoli With weather patterns becoming less and less reliable, perhaps paying less attention to the calendar and more attention to natures clock will help us become better gardeners.

How to Plant Tomato Seedlings Our latest YouTube video is up and running! Darlene shows us some tips and tricks for getting your tomatoes off to the best start. If you're a dog lover, make sure you catch the very cute back rubs at 1:48. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFa-qS-1f28&t=0s

Mason Bee Fun Facts There are over 4000 bee species in North America! One of the most well known is the Mason beeperhaps because of the many different educational programs touting the many benefits of the Mason bee. Here are a few fun facts and some of the reasons for our love affair with these mega pollinators: They are called Mason bees because, rather than using a wax comb as in a honey bee colony, they use mud to partition and seal their egg compartments.... They are solitary beesthey have no colony, queen or worker bees to assist with reproduction. The female mates with a male, lays her eggs and dies about 10 weeks later. They are some of the first bees to emerge in the springthey can tolerate temperatures down to 12C (55F). They do not make honeythey eat pollen and nectar throughout their lives as they forage but do not need to store food supplies because the adult bee dies before the weather gets cold. They are excellent pollinatorsmostly because they gather pollen all over their bodies by crashing into a flower. The pollen is more easily distributed because of this messy gathering/lack of flying finesse. They make their nests about 300 feet from a good selection of flowers and dont forage further afield. Setting up a Mason bee house on your property can give you lots of entertainment as well as your own personal pollinators if you provide them with their basic needs. Basic needs include flowering plants, water, food, moist clay-like soil for their masonry work, and protection. A book highly recommended by Al Morton, our local Mason bee guru, is Pollination with Mason Bees by Dr. Margriet Dogterom.

Plant Sale--Fruits, veggies, perennials, lilies and peonies available! 10% of proceeds to the CVHS! CVHS member and Master Gardener extraordinaire, Joan Wynden, has a lot of baby plants seeking new homes! Perennials, fruits and veggies, lilies and peonies are available for sale with curb side pickup. DONATION OPPORTUNITY: If you mention this ad, Joan will donate 10% to the CVHS! Thank-you Joan! We would love for you to share this post with your gardening friends.... Please see our web site for information on payment, location, how to order and contact information. https://comoxvalleyhortsociety.ca//plant-sale-fruits-vegg/

Rhododendrons 101 Rhododendrons, with their magnificent flowers, are one of the best-loved sights in our Pacific Northwest gardensand many are in their full glory right now. The name rhododendron comes from the Greek words meaning rose tree. With somewhere around 1,000 species, this genus comes in all sizes and shapesfrom creeping ground covers to giants that tower 80 feet or more. Experts caution that rhododendrons (a Zone 6-8 plant) are quite particular about their e...Continue reading

Spring bliss! A spring beauty from member Julie - thank you for sharing! Flowering cherry in the background, Ribes sanguineum (native Red Flowering Currant) in the foreground.

Novice Gardener Tips If you have a new gardener in your life, this is a great article from our friends at CBC on how to plan your first edible garden. Isnt wonderful that everyone seems to be interested in gardening these days!... https://www.cbc.ca//planning-your-first-edible-garden-here

Introducing..Our new logo! After several months of work with designers and the CVHS Logo Team, we have a new design! Our old logo of Lysichiton americanus, also called western skunk cabbage or swamp lantern, has been the symbol of the Comox Valley Horticultural Society for most of the 41 years we have been active. In a 2019 campaign to acquire a new logo, many members questioned giving up the beloved skunk cabbage, so, through modern technology and graphic design, we hav...e remained true to our roots, as stinky as they may be! We hope our new logo, presented below in two styles, will become enduring and recognizable for all things gardening in the Comox Valley! Many thanks to our Logo Team: Gerry, Sylvia, Arianne, Lorna, Marie, Kim, Joanne and Gordon for all your hard work!

Pop up plant stand at 5000 Willis Way, Courtenay open now! This will be in place of our early May plant sale.