Photo submitted

TULIPS, and many other spring-flowering bulbs, bring vibrant color to the garden at the
beginning of the season. To bring these bulb flowers into bloom they should be planted in the
autumn before the first hard frost of winter.

VanDusen Gardens holds planning session

CHANGES ARE planned
at VanDusen Gardens for
its development and long-
term operations.

Everyone is invited to meet with
the consultants undertaking a
Strategic plan on Monday, Nov.
23 at 7:30 p.m. in the Floral Hall,
$251 Oak St., corner of 37th
Avenue and Oak Street.

The consulting firm of Tourbier
and Walmsley of New York will
make a presentation on the op-
tions being considered.

Interested participants will then
be welcome to ask questions and
make comments on WanDusen’s
role in the community.

The Vancouver Parks Board
and the Vancouver Botanical
Gardens Association in support of
the garden have jointly embarked

on a strategic planning process to
guide the future of VanDusen

Gardens.

This 55-acre garden is a major
facility in the Vancouver park
system. It is now considered one
of the premier gardens in the
world and is held in high esteem
for its beautiful design and com-
prehensive ornamental plant col-
lection.

Mail order seed
catalogues great
for new varieties

NOW that you have
simost finished with this
year’s gardening chores, I
can get you started on next
year’s,

Now is the time to start order-
ing your mail-order seed cata-
logues.

A good read of the latest and
greatest offerings from the seed
companies is just what Dr.
Deciduous ordered for the damp
and dreary days ahead.

Their pages are not only full of
new and interesting plants, but
also wild, wacky and sometimes
very useful gardening accessories.

As | have said many times be-
fore, off-the-rack is one thing but
only the mail-order companies
can offer you a good suppiy of
the newest in award-winning
varieties.

1 thought I might get in a little
pre-emptive strike and tell you
about the Ail America Award
Winners for 1993.

In the flower category, we have
two fine examples of creative
hybridization: Nierembergia
““Mont Blanc’? and Verbena
speciosa ‘‘Imagination,’”’

N. Mont Blanc is the first
white-flowered nierembergia to be
developed from growing from
seed.

This plant has a mounding
habit, spreading 12 inches and
reaching only four to five inches
in height.

The overall look is neat and
tidy due to its derse, finely cut
foliage.

The flowers may appear
sporadically at first, but by mid-
summer the pure white,  star-
shaped flowers will be almost
completely covering the plants.

They will continue flowering
through until the appearance of
the first frost.

This plant is exceptional when
used as a massed border in front
of taller, less uniform plants such

Geof
Tebiasson

OVER THE GARDEN GATE

as bright pink geraniums or dark
blue petunias.

The low, spreading nature
makes this a great candidate for
the rock garden.

Nierembergias prefer hot, sunny
locations and are quite drought-
tolerant (where were they when we
needed them?) and can also en-
dure surprising amounts of cold,
wet weather.

The one thing to avoid is poor
draining soil; they hate wet feet.
Me too!

For best and earliest results sow

See Young page 18

Manufacturers
of CAST
ALUMINUM
filigree work

e Rust free
low maintenance

6 Verandah poles

e Lace, & corner
brackets

e Lamp Posts

® Benches, tables

e Umbrella stands

>
Fi © Foot scrapers, etc.

a COTTAGE
- CASTINGS 3 eC

234 McKay Rd., NY.
(behind Cap Mall) gree

1-985- 636646) ae