By Faye  Onions are alliums, chives are alliums and leeks are alliums. Alliums are among the oldest cultivated plants in the world, adding much to nearly every global cuisine. Ornamental alliums however, are relatively new to the landscape, being developed in Holland around the middle of the 19th century. Many new varieties have been introduced

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When I first saw photos of Dutch garden designer Jacqueline van der Kloet bulb gardens, I was struck not only by how beautiful they were, but also by how well they would work in our relaxed West Coast gardens.  She leans towards soft colours punctuated with splashes of bright ones and plants in a loose

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By Laurie Ferns are emotive plants that can conjure up visions of other places and times. Ferns give a garden a sense of permanence, timelessness, of always having been there; which is no wonder, as they have been around for over 300 million years! Ferns don’t seduce us with flowers, but instead offer exquisite fiddleheads

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By Faye I’m sitting in the Narita airport, having spent some time here in Tokyo visiting my son and his family. Before me sits my traditional parting meal at the airport: Onigiri, which are delicious balls of rice with assorted fillings, wrapped in Nori (seaweed). Beverage of choice is Asahi beer, just the thing to

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Do you find that there are times of year when your garden fades, when there is nothing stellar to notice and you have to say to guests “wait until fall (spring, winter or summer); my garden really looks good THEN!”
The secret to having a year-round beautiful landscape lies in planning ahead, cultivating plants which will

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by Faye The great Canadian lawn. Is it an oasis upon which to rest and rejuvenate your spirit, or is it a monstrous thirsty fraud? The pros and cons of keeping or killing turfgrass have become hot button issues for gardeners of all shades of green. Historically, the lawn signified the emergence of the middle

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(Plant lists at bottom of page) Hedges, in one form or another, have existed since our ancestors gave up their foraging life style and settled down in permanent residences. Over the centuries loosely piled brush, stacked rocks, iron railings and rows of shrubs have been used to keep livestock safe and to clearly mark the

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National Tree Day was September 25, and it seems fitting to acknowledge this by paying tribute to the elders of our plant world, the lofty and noble tree.  We as a species simply could not exist on Earth without trees. Most people know that trees absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. But it’s way more

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Autumn in Japan may not have the caché of a springtime visit in cherry blossom time, but to a gardener it evokes every bit as much awe and delight.  And we have our own cherry blossom time right here in Victoria, don’t we? Visiting family in Tokyo, I’ve had the pleasure of living the Japanese

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by Faye Last fall I wrote an article, Turf The Turf, about getting rid of lawns, and have been pondering this possibility ever since. My front lawn wasn’t huge, nor was it golf course perfect. It was passable, and along with the quack grass-infested beds that surrounded it, it was a source of stress in my otherwise

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