Christmas Trees

Christmas Trees

Urban Oasis is pleased to offer fresh cut Christmas trees from our friends at Wintergreen tree farms in Mill bay. The last two cool wet springs have grown the best trees in twenty years. We have a size to suit any home, and all your favourite varieties.

This year a portion of each Christmas tree sale is being donated to the Salvation Army Children’s fund

Urban Oasis Garden Centre 4085 Quadra St
479-6868
www.urbanoasisgardening.net

November Interest

November in the garden, is full of magic. We love autumn leaf colors, like a gorgeous sunset, we are moved by anew by the hues of the turning leaves each fall.

Fall is turning leaves, but there is something special about the flowers and berries that take the stage after the summer show closes.

Chocolate Joe Pye Weed, Eupatorium rugosum 'Chocolate' is in full bloom this month. It's summer job as a chocolaty backdrop for my orange geraniums done, it breaks into bloom.

Pyracantha is a versatile plantthat provides brilliant fall color, late season bird food and shelter.

Crinodendron is a lovely fall addition. It's blooms exactly match the brilliant fall leaves of the Burning bush Euonymus alatus , and the blooms of the fall flowering perennial Schizostylis .

I love to surprise guests, by enticing them to try my Wintergreen, Gaultheria procumbens berries. They really do taste just like wintergreen lifesavers, and the big red berries look great for Christmas.

Viburnum davidii, is another plant that shines in the fall, glossy leaves, mahogany stems, and those metallic blue berries never cease to amaze.

One of my favorite plants is Viburnum tinus, I use the lower growing Gwenallin for foundation plantings, and Spring bouquet as a hedging or specimen plant. This plant always looks good, and often displays, buds, flowers, and berries simultaneously. It is very prolific, so I steal it's flowers for wreath-making and holiday decorating.

Pansies are the hands down winner for winter bedding out plants. If well established they will bloom most of the winter, and hold the show till the summer annuals can be safely put out.

Cotoneaster, another fabulous berry plant, that comes in a variety of forms from ground cover to large shrub. I have the damerii variety covering a rocky outcrop in my back garden where little else would grow.It has been one of the most rewarding plants, always looks healthy, and has received absolutely no help from me.

I love the groundcover, Cerastigma plumbaginoides, it's late season blue flowers and beautiful red leaves are a must see.

Bellis is a nostalgic flower for me, it always brings back memories of making daisy chains from the naturalised flowers blooming through our lawn.

Callicarpa has a very unusual berry color that create a lot of attention.

My fuchsias are still blooming like mad. I have several varieties of this plant in my garden. In our mild climate I have had good luck with some of the non hardy varieties. I have Hummingbirds living year round in my garden, so I bring home the un-sold fuchsia baskets from the store for them to enjoy. If the plant survives the winter I will plant it in the spring.

Winter flowering Heathers are an old stand by for obvious reasons. The Doris Page winter garden in Victoria is a the place to see what the local Heather Society has collected over the years.

Another of my favorites, this one is Cyclamen hederifolium, the fall blooming cyclamen. You often see it naturalised through peoples lawns.

Another favorite, seems I have a large collection of favorites that bloom in the fall. Schizostylis has this tropical look, but it blooms in the late summer through fall. I have had mine throw out blooms in January. It has an amazingly long bloom period, and is very cold tolerant.

Pampas grass is one of those love it or hate it plants. I have to admit I have been somewhat of a hater, sour grapes from being cut up by it while trying to steal it's blooms from the neighbours yard as a kid perhaps? I will say, I have admired it of late, and must agree it makes a real show this time of year.

More Schizostylis, couldn't resist one more pic.

Nerines or naked ladies must be the most exotic of the fall bloomers. They are in leaf during summer, die back in fall, and bloom from the naked earth this time of year. My patch has diminished as the light changed from sunny to shady where I grew them. I often hear how easy they are to grow, hmmmfff, I wish I had the same luck.

Fall Home and Garden Show

I always enjoy the relaxed pace of the fall Home and Garden show. It's a slow season at the store, our fall booth is less grandiose, with the lack of pressure there is time to socialize. I enjoyed catching up with old friends, and chatting with the exhibitioners.


The Bartlett booth was very informative, they had some great props showing tree damages, and diseases, and well educated staff answering tree questions. They kindly let me take pictures, so I could post their examples, showing the effects of topping, planting root bound trees, girdling, and diseases.

Integral Design was there with examples of their work. I have worked a couple projects with this firm, and they are a pleasure to deal with.

I met the friendly owners of Earthworks, this hardworking duo and company already have completed an impressive portfolio of work. I look forward to seeing their company grow and expand.

Our booth was next to the Greater Victoria Compost Education Centers booth. This group is very active in local outreach. They have the best compost pamphlets, website, interpretive demonstration centre, and knowledgable volunteers. They are definately the "go to" folks for composting, and diverting organic materials from the landfill.

Last but not least here is our little booth. I partnered up with Gardenscapes, you can see "big" John in the pic. I colaborate on John's projects on a regular basis. He says, he does the heavy lifting, and I make it pretty. John has great vision,and is very talented at seeing the potential of a landscape. You can check out pics posted on his web site, from his extensive portfolio of projects.

I introduced next seasons fun Face Pots pottery collection. I grabbed the demo examples from the Canwest Horticultural Show this fall, and will receive a full shipment for the store in early Spring.

Roots in Perimeter Drains

I was walking to work the other day and came across a property where the perimeter drains were being replaced. The old drain pipes lay on the front lawn, where you could see how the cedar hedges roots had completely filled them. It was a classic demonstration of the problem, so I couldn't resist coming back with my camera.


It is not so much that the roots are on a seek and destroy mission as they are opportunistic. Roots flourish where there is moisture, and you can see how well they did when the drains provided it. If you plant a big tree close to your drains they will take advantage of leaks, and wet spots. Cedars are thirsty plants, you can't blame them, it's a case where hedging was a bad option. If your property line is close to the house sometimes a fence is your best privacy option.

In our area, houses can be as close as 5 ' off the property line, now that is very close, but resist the urge to plant a hedge along this side of your property. In the case of the Western cedars you will have the added problem of plant side. This tree wants to be BIG, even with regular shearing it will encroach on your walkway. We have seen what happens underground, it's not much better above, and you may have created the same problem for your neighbour.

Cedars are beautiful hedge plants, fast and easy to grow, but often a terrible choice for the urban lot. When you choose a hedging material always consider maintenance, size of mature plants, and things like other plantings, and hardscaping. You may find the area at the foot of a hedge very hard to plant, leave ample room for beds. The foot of a cedar hedge will be dense with roots, and very dry without irrigation. They may also need to be pruned 2-3 times a year to keep them in check. You can save yourself a lot of money and heartache choosing the right planting .

Ask the Coach

Ask the Coach

Urban Oasis will be at BC Women's home show and sale, where Sandra Nelson will answer your gardening questions.

October 4th & 5th

Pearkes Recreation Centre

3100 Tillicum Rd

Victoria, BC