Trees
The distinction between trees and shrubs is not especially clear. Generally, trees are taller than 12 ft at maturity, with a single woody, central stem and a distinct head. By contrast, shrubs tend to be woody perennial plants with multiple stems originating near the soil line. Shrubs are also usually shorter than 12 ft at maturity. You can see why the line between shrubs and trees can be somewhat fluid. On the basis of height, the English Holly listed under Shrubs should belong under Trees, but in its dense, bushy habit it is a shrub, so that’s where I’ve placed it. Below, you’ll find a small listing of trees available. If you’re looking for a specific tree, make sure to check under shrubs as well, and vice versa.
Birch tree
A handsome little tree (multi-branching to about 2 ft) variety unknown. $5. 1 pot.
Chestnut
1 small tree available, variety unknown. $5. 1 pot.
Cotinus coggyria
Also known as Purple Smoke Tree or Bush. A small to medium ornamental with reddish purple foliage and large plumes of feathery pink flowers. The deciduous foliage holds its colour all summer before turning scarlet in the fall. Cotinus is drought tolerant and creates an accent in the garden with its colourful foliage, especially near golden leafed plants. Deer resistant as it matures, although deer have been known to browse on young foliage. 10-15 ft tall and wide at maturity. These are nicely-branched, 2-3 foot plants taken from branches which touched down and rooted. Freshly dug end of April with roots but no root ball. A very good price at $10 to make up for the lack of root ball. Price will go up next year when they’re more established! 3 pots left
Douglas Fir
This is a common tree in our area. Our specimen is relatively small and attractive looking in a 2 gallon pot, although it will in time grow into a large, naturalized tree. The advantage to buying a pot-grown tree is that there is no heavy work digging it up without damaging roots and no transplant shock. A fast-growing tree for sun which prefers acidic soil. Drought tolerant once established. 40-70 ft tall x 12-20 ft wide. $2-3. 3 pots.
Laburnum anagyroides
Also known as Golden Chain Tree. Medium-sized ornamental with bright green, lupine-like foliage and long racemes of golden flowers in spring. Seeds are pea-like and poisonous. Sun to part shade in well-drained soil. Deciduous, hardy tree. Easy care. Do not fertilize. Drought tolerant once established. Our trees are in 2 gallon pots and just reaching flowering size. 15-25 ft tall and wide. $15. 7 pots.
French Pussywillow
Also known as Salix Caprea. Multi-stemmed tree with large, fuzzy catkins in late winter. This medium tree or large shrub works well as a privacy screen due to its upright, dense habit. Full sun to partial shade. Easy care. 12-25 ft tall x 12-15 ft wide. $10. 2 pots left.
Staghorn Sumac
Also known as Rhus typhina. A small tree or open, spreading shrub growing 2-20 ft depending on conditions. Forms dense thickets as it suckers, making it useful as a mass planting but potentially invasive. Beautiful fall colour. The name comes from the velvety red hairs on the branches resembling a stag’s horns. This specimen has not yet shown the striking flowers found on female plants; it may simply be immature or a male specimen. $8. 1 two-gallon pot left.
Tamarisk
Picture is only an approximation. Also known as salt cedar. A deciduous small tree or shrub with scale-like foliage and feathery plumes of pink flowers. Can grow up to 15 ft tall and wide, although these particular plants seem to have a much shorter habit. $5. Not available 2024
Climbers
Climbers add vertical interest to the garden and often have showy flowers. Some are small and self-contained, while others are boisterous in their growth habit. Many are sweetly scented.
With the exception of the annual sweet peas, our climbers come in 1 to 2 gallon pots and range in price from $8 to $25. See below for more details.
Clematises
Among the Clematises, there are two distinct groupings: the large flowered cultivars, which tend to have fewer but very showy flowers, and the small-flowered species. Large flowered clematises are content to take up a limited spot along the fence, while the small-flowered species are exuberant and capable of cloaking the entire fence in their many small blooms. Clematises prefer to have their heads in sun and their roots in shade, so plant a short ground cover or arrange some pottery over their roots.
Lady Betty Balfour
One of the large flowered cultivars, with velvety, violet-blue flowers in late summer to fall. Deciduous. Not available 2024.
Clematis Mandshurica
A sweetly scented small-flowered variety. Starry white autumn flowers on 5-6 ft vines scramble over slopes or up walls with some assistance. Dies back almost to the ground in winter, so mark where you plant. $10. 8 pots left.
Montana Rubens
Small-flowered clematis with fragrant pink blooms. Vigorous and exuberant! This one will take the whole fence if you let it, creating a striking wall of flowers in spring. Deciduous. $15. Sold out 2024.
Ville de Lyon
Another of the large flowered cultivars. Deep magenta flowers in May. Deciduous. $15. Not available 2024.
Honeysuckles
Honeysuckles can be found both among the flowering shrubs and the climbing vines. The two varieties listed here are both sweetly scented climbers. Similarly to clematises, climbing honeysuckles are happiest with their roots in shade and their heads in sun.
Gold Flame
Also known as Lonicera heckrottii. A very showy honeysuckle in pink and orange. $10. Not available 2024.
White-flowering
Another sweetly scented honeysuckle, this one with white flowers, pink in bud. $10. 4 one-gallon pots.
Jasmine
Jasmine nudiflorum
Also known as Winter Jasmine. Buttery golden blooms cover the arching branches in early winter. This extremely vigorous variety can be left as a bushy shrub or allowed to scramble over fences or structures. It can even be used as a ground cover. For vertical growth, side-shoots should be removed when young and the stems tied to supports. Attractive, glossy green leaves. This deciduous vine roots at the nodes and may need pruning to keep it in bounds. Prefers well-drained but moist soil in full sun. The hardiest of the Jasmine family! Alas, Winter Jasmine bears no scent. $12. 2 pots.
Jasmine Stephan Pink
Strongly growing deciduous climber with pale pink flowers. The best location for producing fragrant summer blooms is a warm and sheltered spot in sun. $12. 5 pots.
Climbing Roses
Roses have a reputation for being finicky, high maintenance plants, but the climbing varieties listed here are tough and generally easy-care. Some are also strongly scented.
Blush Pink Climbing Rose
A single, pale pink climbing rose. Medium flowers on very vigorous, low maintenance plants. This is the rootstock from Peggy’s Morning Jewel climbing rose! Although not as showy as larger, double blooms, the single, blush pink flowers have an old-fashioned charm. $15. Sold out 2024.
Climbing Rose Royal Sunset
A beautiful and especially fragrant rose. Large, double apricot blooms on a generally trouble-free climber. Repeat blooming. Try planting below a deck to allow the flowers to drape over the top and add perfume and colour to your outdoor living space! Full sun. 8-15 ft tall x 8-10 ft wide. $15. Sold out 2024.
Sweet Peas
The annual versions of these colourful vines are sweetly scented, while the perennial version, alas, has no scent! Annual sweet peas flower best in spring to early summer. Once the summer heat sets in, they begin to flag.
Perennial Sweet Peas require larger pots and are priced at $4, while the annual sweet peas are priced at $3 and contain 3-4 plants per pot.
Perennial Sweet Pea
These large and vigorous vines are loaded with the typical sweet pea flowers in white, pale pink, or deep pink. They come back year after year and set babies to boot. Unlike their annual cousins, these sweet peas do not flag in summer heat. Unfortunately, they have no scent! Considered invasive because of their free-seeding habit. $4. Not available 2024.
Royal Family
A mix of large annual blooms on sweetly scented 6 ft vines. Peggy’s favourite of the annual sweet peas. Sold out 2024.
Starry Night Mix
A mix of highly scented sweet peas from the Old Spice line. Dark, rich colours include navy blue, scarlet, deep purple, maroon, and white. Vines reach 6 ft in height. Not available 2024.
Bulbs and Tubers
Agapanthus
Also known as Lily of the Nile or African Lily. Blue clusters of starry flowers above strap-like foliage add a tropical element to the garden. This tough heat-lover is drought tolerant as well as deer and rabbit resistant. Unlike other rhizomes, it flowers best under crowded conditions. Height and spread of 2-3 feet x 3 feet. $7. Sold out 2024.
Alstroemeria
Also known as Peruvian Lily. All blooming yellow so far. A strong spreader where happy. Sun to part shade in a sheltered position. They tend to flop, so give them a stake or other support. 2-3 ft tall and wide. $4. Alas, the January cold spell has taken all of our Astroemerias. Look for Alstroemerias again in 2025.
Spanish Bluebells
One of the later blooming spring bulbs. Nodding lavender-blue flowers add an informal country garden flair. These easy-care bulbs naturalize in well-drained soil in woodland settings but also flourish in a range of other growing conditions. They go dormant in early summer, all but disappearing, only to make a reappearance the following spring. Both drought tolerant and deer resistant. 1-2 ft tall x 1 ft wide. $2. Sold out 2024.
Calla Lily
Also known as Zantedeschia. Elegant white blooms for rich, moist, even wet soil beside streams. Prefers sun to partial shade so long as the soil doesn’t dry out. These evergreen rhyzomes have an architectural quality, growing to 3 ft by 3 ft in the garden. They are seldom bothered by deer. $5. Sold out 2024.
Crocosmia Lucifer
Also Known as Montbretia. Lucifer has brilliant red flowers arching over pleated, sword-like foliage. The most desirable of the Crocosmia-Montbretia family. This tall bulbous ornamental reaches a height of 3-4 feet with a spread of 1-2 feet. For full sun in well-draining soil. Drought tolerant as well as deer and rabbit resistant. Attracts hummingbirds and naturalizes well. $4. Alas, the January cold spell has taken all of our Crocosmias.
Purple Crocus
An early spring bulb sporting cup-shaped flowers in a deep purple atop narrow green leaves with prominent white striping. Naturalizes well and is generally left alone by deer. A low grower to 6 inches tall. $2. Not available 2024.
Daffodils
Also known as Narcissus. Spring bulbs which naturalize well in sun. The most common colour is yellow, although two-tones and whites also abound. 1 bunching with cream bonnets and yellow trumpets, and 1 yellow available. Deer resistant. 4-20 inches tall, depending on variety. $2. Damaged by January’s cold; we’ve taken them off the market for now.
Dahlias
Dahlias flower in a wide range of sizes, colours, and shapes. In general, they prefer full sun and well-drained soil. We’ve potted and over-wintered last year’s bare-root tubers,* which are a mix of specialty cultivars that tend to be larger and generally showier than bedding dahlias.
*Some tubers such as dahlias need winter protection in our climate. They can be transferred to pots in a frost-free greenhouse or dug up and overwintered in a cool, dry location such as your garage or basement. (Shake the dirt off, label, and layer the bare root tubers with newspaper or other material. They do not need sun or watering, but should be potted and watered with the growth eyes pointed upward in the spring.) If you live in a warmer micro-climate such as Oak Bay, you may not need to lift your tender tubers for the winter.
Our gallon pots each contain multiple tubers and are priced at $4 per pot.
Dahlia tubers
Picture is only an approximation of flowers. A mix of fancy, potted tubers. $5. We’ve potted the last of the dahlia tubers in gallon pots. Varieties include coral, yellow spider, and yellow-orange.
Double White
White pompom flowers, potted and putting forth new growth, on 2-3 ft tall plants. Sold out 2024.
Daylilies
Also known as Hemerocallis. Daylilies typically flower for just one day. Their flowering season, however, is packed with blooms. Daylilies are not fussy about growing conditions, but they flower best in full sun and well-drained soil. Drought tolerant once established. Deer are fond of daylilies, so plant them where the deer can’t forage.
Our Daylilies come in 1-2 gallon pots and are priced at $5 each.
Bronze Red
Single flowers but lots of them. 5 two-gallon pots left.
Dusty Maroon
Double flowers. A beauty! Sold out 2024
Pink Apricot
Look for a cheerful burst of sunshine tinted with pink in this double flowering variety. Sold out 2024.
Yellow
Cheerful semi-double flowers. Sold out 2024.
Assorted
Colours unknown, but plants are big and healthy. 4 one-gallon pots.
Grape Hyacinths
Also known as Muscari. Choose a spot with well-drained soil in sun for this easy-care spring bulb. Naturalizes well. Just 6-8 inches tall. Both deer resistant and drought tolerant once established. $2. Not available 2024.
Irises
Irises make up a large category, from fleshy tubers to rounded bulbs. All do best in sun, but some prefer well-drained soil while others are happiest in moist or even wet soils. Irises benefit from being divided every three to four years. When you notice reduced flowering, it’s probably time to divide your clumps. Irises tend to grow old and unproductive from the centre out. Cut fleshy tubers apart with a sharp knife, making sure each new planting has at least one fan of leaves and a plump, healthy rhizome and roots. Discard old, withered rhizomes. Give away your excess.
For Siberian Irises, dig up and divide the fibrous root ball with a sharp knife, discarding dead or weak parts. Replant roughly half as much plant mass as removed. Give away your excess Siberian Irises, too.
Irises with a fleshy tuber should be planted at surface level, so that the tuber sits slightly exposed while the roots feed down into the soil. These irises do not flower well when crowded, so give their tubers, or rhizomes, some space to grow. Siberian Irises should be replanted with the roots about an inch below the surface. Irises growing from bulbs should be planted at a depth of about 3 times their bulb size. Plant other irises at the same soil level at which they were initially growing.
Our Irises are in 6 inch to 1 gallon pots. See below for pricing.
Blue Iris
Bearded Iris. Follow the directions for replanting irises with fleshy tubers. Grow in well-drained soil in sun. Drought tolerant as well as deer resistant. $3. 6 pots.
Lavender Iris
Another Bearded Iris. See the section on dividing and replanting irises with fleshy tubers above. Plant in well-drained soil in sun. Both drought tolerant and deer resistant. $3. Not available 2024.
Two toned Purple Iris
Bearded Iris with yellow centre. These beauties have finished flowering for 2024 and are freshly divided and potted for next year. $4. 7 pots.
Blue Siberian Iris
These tall, slender irises don’t resent crowding as much as the bearded irises, but in time they also become less productive and benefit from periodic division. Siberian Irises thrive in sun but will also tolerate partial shade. These irises grow well in cool, even wet conditions. Deer resistant. $5. 2 one-gallon pots left.
Yellow Siberian Iris
A yellow version of the traditional blue Siberian. See above for growing conditions. $3. 14 one-gallon pots.
Violet/White Iris
Another of the bearded irises with a fleshy tuber and striking bi-coloured flowers. See the section on dividing and replanting irises with fleshy tubers above. Plant in well-drained soil in sun. Drought tolerant as well as deer resistant. $3. 1 pot flowering now.
Assorted Irises, colour unknown
These irises have fleshy tubers and are likely bearded. $3. 14 one-gallon pots.
Kaffir Lilies
Also known as Schizostylis or Clivia. Clusters of 10-15 trumpet shaped pink or red flowers bloom on 18 inch stalks in the fall. Foliage dies back to nothing after flowering, so mark where you plant them. Prefers sun in moist but well-drained soil.
1 gallon pots priced at $4 each.
Kaffir Lily
Probably pink, although they may also be red flowering. Alas, the January cold spell has taken all of our Kaffirs.
Red Kaffir Lily
The red version of Kaffir Lily, a bit more striking than the pink and less common. Alas, the January cold spell has taken all of our Kaffirs.
Oxalis
Also known as Shamrock or Wood Sorrel. Clover-like plant with pretty pink flowers for shade and moist soil. Makes a good ground-cover as long as its roots don’t dry out. 12-14 inches high with a wide spreading habit where happy. $3. Not available 2024.
Snow Drops
Also known as Galanthus. These snow-white flowers in winter provide a charming taste of the coming spring. Totally rabbit and deer-proof, easy care bulbs for sun to partial shade. 3-6 inches tall and given to naturalizing where happy. $3. Sold out 2024.
Tiger Lily
Bright orange flowers ornamented with black or deep crimson spots. Showy and prolific, great for naturalizing. Blooms mid to late summer, growing 2-3 ft tall. Prefers sun to part shade in moist but well drained soil. Attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. $3. Sold out 2024.
Yucca
This plant makes an impression. Creamy white flowers grow in a huge stalk above evergreen, sword-like foliage. The entire plant grows to 6 ft or more and puts on a striking display in mid to late summer. For sun and very well-drained soil. Tough. Both drought tolerant and deer resistant. $7. Not available 2024.
