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raehelen

What plants can I share from my Vancouver garden?

raehelen
12 years ago

Hi All,

First time visiting this forum...though I grew up in Edmonton, I have lived most of my adult life just outside of Vancouver- and have forgotten what it's like to garden in Edmonton. My son has just bought a home there, and I'd like to propagate/divide many of my perennials to help him get started.

Can anyone suggest a good website/blog that lists perennials and shrubs that will do well there? I have gone to the Millcreek Nursery site, but it seems like most of the plants I click on say 'borderline hardy'/need protection/high maintenance, etc. He's just 25, and though an eager beginner, I don't want to discourage him by growing plants that need to be babied.

Also, any groups/clubs that have plant swaps/exchanges/sales?

Thanks for any help that you can give...

I'm pretty sure Hostas will do fine, what about Hellebores?



Comments (11)

  • nutsaboutflowers
    12 years ago

    raehelen

    How about giving us a list of what you'd like to share with your son, and then any of us who grow a particular plant can confirm it's survival in Zone 3. =:)

    I'm pretty sure when we lived on the West Coast that I was familiar with Lois Hole's gardening books. You could possibly quickly look through a book or two to locate your plants.

    Hostas definitely grow in Zone 3 =:)

  • Ginny McLean_Petite_Garden
    12 years ago

    Many, many, many perennials can be grown n Edmonton. Zone pushing is not too difficult either since we are more like a zone 4 in the city.Not sure what you can share from your garden but I can tell you what I grow.

    Peonies
    Bearded Iris
    Heucheras
    Yarrow
    Echinecia
    Poppies
    Malva
    Asiatic lilies
    Daylilies
    Tiger lilies
    Conifers of all kinds
    Hollyhock will sometimes overwinter and self seed readily
    Lavender
    Hostas of course
    Phlox (hardy perennial)
    Brunnera
    Foxglove
    Delphiniums
    Joe Pye Weed
    Astilbe
    Lambs Ear
    Wormwood
    Clematis
    Virginia Creeper
    Asters
    Columbine
    Bergenia
    Campanula
    Daisys
    Lily of the Valley
    Bleeding Heart
    Meadowsweet

    These are some that I grow and have gardened in Edmotnon for many years. Check out Greenland garden site link here and click on Products then Plant Listings. There are many. :)

    http://www.greenlandgarden.com/

  • raehelen
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    nutsaboutflowers... I am an avid gardener and have my own home-based nursery--I honestly have hundreds if not thousands of plants...too numerous to list...LOL I am sure a large proportion would not survive in Edmonton, but then again I haven't lived there for over 25 years, and I think it is milder now than when I grew up there... I think I have a copy of one of Lois Hole's books around somewhere...

    honalee, that list was very useful...I will look up greenlandgarden too.

    Has anyone grown Purple sensation allium or Allium gigancticum, Allium cernum? I have bulbs I could divide, but don't want to waste them if they won't grow there.

    I have lots of Hellebores too. Lady's Mantle(alchemilla mollis)--I looked up the Devonian garden site, and they list Trilliums, I could share some of those- has anyone grown them successfully?

    My son may be flying home to supervise his move in the next couple of weeks- would he be able to heel some plants in now and transplant them next spring? I do a fair bit of fall planting here, not sure if you can do it in Edmonton?

  • valleyrimgirl
    12 years ago

    Purple Sensation allium will be just fine in Edmonton.

    Hellebores...some varieties are listed as zone 4. I picked up one at Fraser's Thimble Farms this summer and am hoping that it will overwinter here for me in my zone 2b garden as I can grow other zone 4 perennials here.

    Lady's Mantle should also be fine in his Edmonton garden.

    Trilliums...I don't know as I don't grow them.

    If you can send as much soil as possible with each plant so that the plant's roots will not realize that it is transplanted that would be best.... as freeze up will happen in the next month to two months. I also do a fair bit of fall planting here, but the plants have been established in their pots all summer, in most cases.

    Hope that this helps.

    Brenda

  • Ginny McLean_Petite_Garden
    12 years ago

    Ditto what Brenda said. Lady's Mantle, yes, as well as sedum of all kinds. They bloom well into the fall.

    Ginny Garden

  • marciaz3 Tropical 3 Northwestern Ontario
    12 years ago

    I had hellebores overwinter once but that was it. Trilliums grow in gardens around here so they should be okay in Edmonton - possible they would need protection, though.

  • Pudge 2b
    12 years ago

    I grow Allium cernuum with no trouble, it's actually a little weedy for me if I don't remember to deadhead.

    Here's a fairly good list for the region...

    Here is a link that might be useful: perennials for Edmonton area

  • nutsaboutflowers
    12 years ago

    Pudge, what an awesome website.

    I've bookmarked it as important reading =:)

    raehelen - A home based nursery in Vancouver. Heaven compared to Edmonton, for sure.

  • raehelen
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thanks so much for all the feedback- it is very helpful!
    Pudge, funny thing is, My Mom and two sisters all live very close to that nursery (my Mom is the only one I would call a real gardener), I'll have to tell her about Dunvegan gardens.

    Brenda, good point about the soil. The military is moving him, will have to get him to ask if they will move plants in pots-otherwise I was thinking of sending them back with him on the plane-I've gotten pretty good at cramming/I mean packing lots of plants into boxes to send back with visiting relatives over the years! LOL

    Obviously, he would be limited to what he can take back on the plane, but am already thinking of what I could send bare root in the spring- my only problem is when they're dormant here, it's too early to plant there. Guess I could store them in peat moss in my root cellar...

    This becomes question part two...
    Which perennials would survive being dug up and sent bare root?
    I'm thinking....
    Daylily
    Hostas
    Lily of the Valley
    Iris
    Peony
    Astilbe
    Geranium
    Aruncus

  • marciaz3 Tropical 3 Northwestern Ontario
    12 years ago

    I've received most of those in the mail, bare root (not sure about the peony, but probably), and all have survived.

  • Ginny McLean_Petite_Garden
    12 years ago

    Send bare root peonies now or next fall for best results, IMO :)

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