Lovely Lavenders @ Chelsea

Plant breeders, florists, and nurseries exhibit in the Great Pavilion. This is the place to see new plants and often some stunning displays and plant combinations.


I saw some spectacular lavenders. Apparently there's a lot of breeding happening. Are these gorgeous??

Nice Digs @ Chelsea

For those who haven't been to the show, it's been held since 1913 in the grounds of the Chelsea Royal Hospital, which provides a "fitting home and community for ageing and infirm veteran soliders to whom the nation owes a debt of gratitute". When built, the so-called Long Wards, which house the Chelsea pensioners, were lined with individual rooms that measured just 6 feet square. They were designed by Sir Christopher Wren, who was a little more generous when it came to his own bedroom.


The show is usually sold out and ticket 'touts' (scalpers) offer tickets just outside Sloane Square. Tickets are also on sale on Craigslist and eBay.

The main attraction in the show is probably the Show Gardens, which are fiercely competitive and judged for RHS medals. The winner of 'Best in Show' is guaranteed enormous amounts of publicity and, I guess, plenty of wealthy clients for life.



One of my overall impressions was that I saw a lot of plantings in this naturalistic style. There always seems to be one plant that appears in almost every garden. This year it was Mexican feather grass (Nassella tenuissima).


Can you spot some feather grass in here?

Best Rose Ever

Is there anything to change about this rose? A David Austin rose, Abraham Darby. Vigorous, apricot-pink and yellow colours. Fragrant with a fresh, tropical fruit, ever-so-slightly citrus scent. I love it, that's all there is to say.

Daffs Have Come and Gone

And now lilacs. My favourite? Perhaps. Something old ladyish about the scent. And yet lovely.

Shell Art

I spent my first day at the 2007 Chelsea Flower Show on a gorgeous sunny day in London.


A grotto!

My Award-winning Book

The Sunset Western Landscaping Book, for which I was Managing Editor, has won a Silver Award from the
Garden Writers' Association of America (GWAA).



What is that, you ask? Not as prestigious as a Webby (or even the cake-decorating prize at the school fete--
which I did NOT win), perhaps, but still.

You can buy the book on www.amazon.com and many other outlets.

From the GWAA website: For over 25 years, the GWA has conducted an annual awards program for talent and products published or aired in the field of garden communications. The purpose of the program is to provide recognition for the vast talents of the GWA membership in the area of writing, photography, graphic design, illustration and electronic media such as radio, television and Internet programming. It is a means of showcasing the many exceptional works created and/or published every year. From 272 awards entries, 41 works were recognized for individual or collective achievement in 2006. Working in category teams (writing, photography, etc.), judges reviewed every entry based upon an objective point system evaluating information accuracy, content, organization, style and originality. Entries placing in the top 10% of this non-competitive scoring receive the Silver Award of Achievement and become semi-finalists for the Gold Awards for Best Talent or Best Product. The Gold Awards for Best Talent and Best Product of the Year will be announced at the Annual Awards Banquet to be held October 1, 2007, at the 59th Annual GWA Symposium in Oklahoma City, OK.

The book features hundreds of gorgeous photos (chosen from the thousands we reviewed), including one here in Victoria. Noted garden photographer Alan Mandell shot this little but lush property around the corner from my house in James Bay.

Click for a pdf.

Kindness of Strangers?

A nice woman knocked on my door the other day. She asked if she could help me with my garden. Apparently she just moved to Victoria from Ontario and no longer has a garden, so she cast her eye about for someone who obviously needs help. I wasn't sure whether to be grateful or put out. Yes, it's true that my garden is a weedy mess.


Look at the wisteria and not the weeds.

But the fact is, it's my garden. And I get precious little enough time to spend in it. So I thanked the nice lady and said I would think about it.

That wisteria, by the way, is a hundred years' old. I have a photo of the house dated 1912 and the vine was already quite well established by then. Julian recently said that it was called 'mysterious', which is actually a rather good name (and one used by a friend's little boy, as well).


Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis).

Hapless Herons

At the end of my street in Beacon Hill Park is Vancouver Island's largest heron colony. Each year, dozens and sometimes over a hundred herons come to this stand of Douglas firs to nest from February through June.


Julian at the entrance to the heronry.

It's quite a spectacle. The birds build their nests high in the trees and can be seen on flying material-gathering trips all around the park and the neighborhood. But it's not all, so to speak, ducks and bunnies. If you believe in reincarnation I suggest you pray not to come back to life as a heron. For many, babyhood is nasty, brutish, and short.


Another egg on the ground.

The eggs are attacked by other birds and the ground is littered with their broken blue shells. As I write this, I see from my window a bald eagle circling just south of the colony. When the babies hatch, the eagle shows up at least once a day for a snack. In an effort to protect their young, the herons rise up and circle around, crying out in alarm. The scene is extraordinary and resembles a flight of pterodactyls. Many of the babies who survive the eagle are summarily pushed out of the nests by their siblings. The results are quite grim.

It's not all bad, though. One heron apparently survived such a descent some years ago. He has never joined the other herons but lives full-time in the park, often standing by the bus stop and posing for pictures (really!). Park employees christened him Henry. It's pretty amazing to see this annual pageant of birth and death playing out in the center of our city.


Henry in a contemplative mood gazing out over the duck pond.

You can see the colony on the heroncam

Garden Fundraiser

On Friday I worked at a fundraiser for the fabulous Abkhazi Garden here in Victoria. Among other things, Winchester Cellars provided the wine, Maeve and her friends were busgirls, and we invented a new drink.


Three lovely ladies toasting with Flaming Azaleas.

The 'Flaming Azalea' (shown above beside an azalea, naturally) consists of a secret recipe that contains the brand new Eau de Viognier from Winchester Cellars. (Look for more on this in the next few weeks). The cocktail was enjoyed by all, the food was very yummy, and Lana poured her Ortega/Bacchus blend along with Winchester Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir. In addition, 7 magnums of Pinot Noir were offered at auction with very special labels commissioned from well-known local artists.


Music was provided amid the fallen camellia petals by Max Murray (pictured with friend Emily) and others.

People with hats looked on as the sun set.

Visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/fionagilsenan/ for more photos of the event.