Help with our zone please.

Discussion in 'Outdoor Gardening in the Pacific Northwest' started by Keith Elliott, May 1, 2021.

  1. Keith Elliott

    Keith Elliott Contributor

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    Have you priced out Allen blocks lately? It's getting to the point of being more than ridiculous. Using this Covid thing as an excuse to jack up the price of everything is getting really old. I bet the prices won't be going back down when the Covid makes its' exit.

    As for the deer, there have been three little ones born right here on the property. One set of twins and a single one. They are definitely cute as a button when they are first born and they are curious right out of the gate, as it were. Not sure if I still have pics of the newborn twins, they may have been on my laptop which succumbed to some sort of internal corrosion and the Apple tech wasn't able to retrieve anything off the hard drive. I keep promising to check on my old desktop to see what's on there,
     
    Last edited: May 7, 2021
  2. Keith Elliott

    Keith Elliott Contributor

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    Yesterday Val noticed that there was more minor damage to just a couple of plants in pots down by the raised beds. She is positive that it must be the deer, but I'm not so sure. There were no calling cards left this time. It could be either Gordie the gopher, or the crows.

    So this afternoon, we added some more heavy duty plastic netting to the lower area. This is apparently what is used between layers of rock when constructing a rock retaining wall. It is very heavy and definitely tough as nails.

    IMG_4511.JPG IMG_4512.JPG

    We noticed that some peonies that are growing were not touched. If this turns out to be the case ongoing, we may well try more next year.

    Does anyone know if the deer care for Azaleas or Rhododendrons? Val would like to add some colour on that strip south of the lawn.
     
  3. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    They love Rhododendron's Keith. In Winter they will munch through so much it's ridiculous. Although the deer are very useful for controlling the invasive types, so they do have their uses.
     
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  4. Keith Elliott

    Keith Elliott Contributor

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    In that case, we will be finding an area on a small deck - south facing - that we can turn into a dedicated area for potted azaleas and smaller Rhodos. I might even put a roof extension with glazing over the top. Don't know yet, but we need to do something to keep these critters at bay.
     
    Last edited: Jun 12, 2021
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  5. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    That sounds delightful Keith. They will also get all the protection they then need.
     
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  6. Keith Elliott

    Keith Elliott Contributor

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    The next time we get one of our frequent breezes here, I will pay careful attention to how much this little deck gets hit. There is a solid screen at the east side, the front is just a picket railing 3 1/2 feet high. But given that the vast majority of winds here arrive from the west, I might need to add something extra.

    The useful area is about 10' by 6 1/2 feet, just enough to make a nice compact display.

    IMG_4525.JPG IMG_4526.JPG IMG_4527.JPG

    I could add a glazed extension to the roof over the office.
     
  7. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    That could create a greenhouse effect Keith, Rhododendron's etc won't enjoy that.
     
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  8. Keith Elliott

    Keith Elliott Contributor

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    You could be right about that, and oddly enough Val has started to take some of the potted plants (no azaleas or rhodos yet) to the deck at the east end of the house. This one would get morning and afternoon sun for the most part, and be in shade likely from around 5 p.m. and on.

    That will save me the trouble of having to design and build something I would really rather not do. There's a lot more room on the east deck.

    IMG_4529.JPG IMG_4528.JPG
     
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  9. Margot

    Margot Renowned Contributor 10 Years

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    Here on the coast, rhodos have nothing to fear from deer - not the leaves and not the flowers. EXCEPT in rutting season; usually about October around here, rhodos are fair game for the male deer to rub their antlers and rip the poor shrubs limb from limb. The trick is to protect them until they are large enough to fight back - ie. withstand the attacks . . . but keep in mind that there are lots of other targets and it's not all rhodos all the time.
     
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  10. Keith Elliott

    Keith Elliott Contributor

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    Margot, many thanks for your reply. For the moment, Val wants to put any new plants out on the east deck. I'm afraid those photos aren't any too good, so on the weekend, I'll get something better. That means potted plants only for now. I'm thinking that over the summer months I will install a wooden fence, that the deer cannot see through, around a small area, perhaps a couple of hundred square feet or so. I would still like to dedicate a small area to a Japanese style garden, not too terribly ornate this time around. Just rhodos, azaleas, Japanese maples and some bamboo. Add a nice rock grouping and dry stream and that will do.

    Val came to the conclusion this afternoon that it is a gopher that has been cleaning off the tops of the tender plants. Hence the move to the side deck. There are no new deer hoof prints or nuggets.

    When I was on Ruxton Island, it was very rare to see any deer there. Maybe once every 6 or 7 years. That swim across the channel from DeCourcey - which had a terrible deer problem - was usually too much for them.
     
  11. Georgia Strait

    Georgia Strait Generous Contributor

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    If you do choose a small Rhodo - and like the pink to peach colour - I recommend « Percy Wiseman » — I don’t know how it would do in Salmon Arm so you’d have to investigate / test

    And for compact purple early bloom - PJM (bred in Maine I think)
     
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  12. Keith Elliott

    Keith Elliott Contributor

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    It so happens that Val has to see the doctor tomorrow about a nasty case of trigger finger. With a little luck, we should be able to find the time to visit the nursery as well.
     
  13. Georgia Strait

    Georgia Strait Generous Contributor

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    Here is Percy Wiseman
    It is just finishing here at coast but looks good (ie it’s not a soggy Kleenex looking flower)
    https://www.rhododendron.org/descriptionH_new.asp?ID=631

    Here is PJM - - link below - because it’s early and dependable and cold hardy fr New England
    I like that it has small leaves for good scale in a small garden composition - and the leaves have a curious yet somewhat appealing scent ... sort of vanilla? I am not sure yet how to ID it

    It looks nice next to muscari (grape hyacinth) and tête à tête daffodil in pots

    Then the flowers are neat and tidy and just dry away without a big dropped mess on your deck or path

    https://www.rhododendron.org/descriptionH_new.asp?ID=643
     
  14. Georgia Strait

    Georgia Strait Generous Contributor

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    Keith - perhaps you and Val would enjoy this thread

    We need some dryside interior BC input of scenic garden photos
    (a lot of coast plus Connecticut and UK too)

    Have a look at photos of @Margot rhodos sort of near Ruxton - beautiful

    A while ago I posted some pix of PJM & more recently Percy Wiseman rhodos

    Virtual Garden Tour
     
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  15. Keith Elliott

    Keith Elliott Contributor

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    Today was taken up with a trip to the Royal Columbian Hospital for Val. Important that we got this done, but nothing too serious. Went through an RCMP Covid19 check on the way back, no problem.

    But we did go and see Cedar Rim Nursery in Langley. Oh, my goodness, if you ever want to see the most spectacular mature Japanese maples, they have them by the dozen, or maybe by the 100. I couldn't find any small ones to get started with, although by the time we got there I was not walking any too well. But we persevered and probably covered about 1/4 of the display they have there. Whatever you want, they probably have it. We did look at some azaleas, of which they have many along with Nandina Domestica, they have all sorts of varieties, and on and on and on. But the dumbest mistake I made...I didn't take any photos! Couldn't believe it!

    But there will be another trip in a few months to the hospital again, and next time I will be clicking away!

    The biggest stumbling block today was that my bank account needs a few more zeros behind it in order to afford those maples.
     
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  16. Margot

    Margot Renowned Contributor 10 Years

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    I have trigger finger too although my problem was brought on by a fall going into a Newfoundland hotel through double doors on a stormy night about 10 years ago. I'm still mad at the hotel. Anyway, I landed on my hand and it's never been the same since. I do hope surgery puts Val's hand right.
     
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  17. Keith Elliott

    Keith Elliott Contributor

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    Thanks Margot. This will be the third such trigger finger surgery for Val. The first two have been successful, and this one should be as well. We aren't sure why she keeps getting these nasty little troubles, but she thinks it's because of all the gardening that she has been doing over the past several months. This one is by far the worst.

    Hopefully by the time we go down to the coast again, we will have had a chance to get an area fixed up where we can place some plants to get a start on a small J garden.

    Incidentally, I did take a peek at your Virtual Garden Tour, absolutely gorgeous. Methinks it might have taken a few years to get those plants looking that nice!
     
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  18. Margot

    Margot Renowned Contributor 10 Years

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    All the best for Val, @keith Elliot. I suspect that, unlike my locked ring finger, hers is also painful. That's no good.

    On the bright side, what a great excuse to visit a well-stocked nursery!
     
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  19. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    They are getting ridiculously expensive these days. I've seen a lot that are in the sevearal thousands of $ recently. Silly money!!
    I hope Val is OK Keith. Even minor procedures are painful and should not be treated lightly. Send her our best from England.

    D
     
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  20. Keith Elliott

    Keith Elliott Contributor

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    Good morning Margot. Sorry I didn't reply further last night, but after our 900+ km drive, I was a tad tired.

    Yes, you wouldn't believe the agony she's in when that finger locks, it's really terrible. I always know when it happens, as she screams at me at the top of lungs for help.

    But, yes indeed, next trip down not only will we visit the nursery, but we will pick up a few of the less expensive items. We were both literally in awe of what was there...overwhelming comes to mind.
     
  21. Keith Elliott

    Keith Elliott Contributor

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    Good morning D, beautiful day in the making here it looks like.

    As for those prices, we were unable to find prices on many of the bigger and better ones, but when one considers just how long they must have been growing and just how truly spectacular they looked I suppose they are justified. Fortunately I won't have the room for the bigger trees in the future J garden, many of them - not just a few - were well over 12' tall. Many in wooden "pots", more like square crates actually, about 3' square, perhaps more.

    The smaller ones started around the $130 mark, the mid sized were around $400 to $500 and the big ones were $900 and up, but they were unbelievably gorgeous. I will positively get LOTS of photos next time.

    The good Dr. will be scheduling an appointment for the surgery at the earliest opportunity, but he expects that not to be any earlier than at least two months away. He's a busy boy.
     
  22. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    At least she's in the queue Keith and only a couple of months to wait, so gentle gardening for a short while.
    Over here atm it's 18 month waiting lists due to Covid. Not good at all.
     
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  23. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    They sound lovely Keith. And if you can't bring one home with you, then a photo will do nicely, lol.
     
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  24. Keith Elliott

    Keith Elliott Contributor

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    It's no different over this side Margot, but she has been a patient of Dr. Y's before. There isn't any opening in two or three months at the present time, but when we showed Dr. Y on the Zoom call what the finger looked like, he got her in very quickly for the Cordizone shot and told her yesterday that he would get her in on the first cancellation for the surgery, hoping for two to three months.

    Anyway, other than that, and possibly on a much brighter note, do you ever shop at the Goat store at Coombs? I used to buy quite a few of my J. maples there , about 20 years ago now I guess, usually priced around $20. No idea what their source was, but they always had quite a few in stock.
     
  25. Keith Elliott

    Keith Elliott Contributor

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    Good morning D! If nothing else, we should have used Val's phone to take photos. Just weren't thinking, we were so overwhelmed with the massive displays they had of everything. Quite the amazing place. I mean to say, when you are walking among row after row of J maples, and you are hidden from sight of anyone else, you just know you are in a real jungle!

    I did notice an Aart's nursery very close to Cedar Rim, basically on the other side of Glover road I suppose. Next trip down to the coast I think we might drop in there as well. We did see several J maples there, so very likely worth a drop in. But with this Covid hanging around, and the new RCMP highway checks to see if you have a legitimate purpose for being on the road ($575 fine if you are caught in the wrong) you can't just hop in the old horse and buggy and go for it.
     
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