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1370 Wain Road
North Saanich, BC V8L 5V1
250-656-0384
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Nursery News / June 2019
Closed Canada Day July 1st
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We feel very fortunate to have such a beautiful setting here at Russell Nursery and summer is a great time to wander at your leisure and explore our wonderful selection of annuals, perennials, shrubs and more. Our knowledgeable staff are here and happy to answer your plant and gardening questions.
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Closed Stat Holidays
Just a reminder that we will be closed on statutory holidays starting on Canada Day, July 1st. Otherwise we are open from 9am-5pm every day of the week.
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Plants We Love
Hydrangea 'Wedding Gown' - A beautiful hydrangea with lovely white 'modified lacecap' blooms. In fall the blooms age to a dark pink that lasts for many weeks. This plant does best with morning sun or dappled sun throughout the day and likes moisture throughout the summer. It grows 2-3' tall by 3-5' wide.
Fox Valley® River Birch (or River Birch 'Little King')
- Fast growing yet compact, this birch tree is perfect for small gardens, providing shade in the summer and winter interest with its peeling bark. They can be planted close together to create a privacy screen and the small leaves break down quickly to provide a natural mulch in the garden.
Salvia - Salvias provide a long period of bloom in the summer garden and come in tones of purple, blue, pink or red. They are drought tolerant, deer-resistant, and low maintenance. They do best in full sun with well drained soil. While some varieties are tender and will not overwinter in our climate, most varieties are hardy and will come back year after year.
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Male Anna's Hummingbird |
Who doesn't love the hummingbird. Their beauty, tenacious character and seemingly endless energy have inspired humans throughout the ages. While hummingbirds are found throughout North and South America, here on the west coast we typically see two types: the Anna's hummingbird (Calypte anna) and the Rufus hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus). While Anna's hummingbirds can overwinter here the Rufus hummingbird migrates all the way up from Mexico every spring.
Hummingbirds love nectar and sugar water but did you know they are also great hunters? Approximately 80% of their diet consists of insects and spiders which is even more reason to attract them to your garden.
If you'd like to host a hummingbird, or two, make sure to supply them with a year round supply of nectar-producing flowers such as Salvia, Ribes, Fuchsia, Perovskia (Russian Sage), Lobelia cardinalis, Aquilegia (columbine), Monarda, Crocosmia, Arbutus unedo, Mahonia, Weigela, and Penstemon.
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Rufus Hummingbird
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Providing them with sugar water in a feeder is also a great way to supplement their diets. Simply boil water to sterilize and add 1 part white sugar to 4 parts water. Do not use honey, brown sugar, artificial sweeteners or red dye as these are all harmful to hummingbirds. Also, please make sure to keep the feeder clean and free of mold by cleaning and renewing the sugar water once a week.
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A New Bug in Town
If you have Pieris japonica in your garden you may have noticed some changes recently. An introduced pest called the andromeda lace bug (Stephanitis takeyai) is showing up in greater numbers and feeding on Pieris leaves.
The adults and their offspring suck plant juices from the underside of leaves which
creates a yellow-speckled appearance and can cause leaf drop
in very stressed plants
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Pieris sited
in hot sunny spots are more at risk because lace bug predators live in the shade.
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Adult andromeda lace bug
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If this pest has shown up in your garden, don't despair, there is something you can do... In late May or early June, you want to
knock off the pest with a strong stream of water aimed at the underside of leaves
. For
severe infestations
, you may want to spray an
insecticidal soap
such as Safer's Trounce. The Energy Pro 360 Sprayer (available at the nursery) works at any angle and will help you more effectively spray underneath leaves. A second spray 1-2 weeks later (water or insecticidal soap) will help reduce populations even further. It is a good idea to also
keep the area under the plant clean of any Pieris leaf debris
.
If you are ready for a different shrub to
replace your Pieris
there are several options that are also evergreen, of similar size and deer resistant. These include Choisya ternata, Choisya 'Aztec Pearl', Buxus 'Green Mountain', Lonicera nitida, or Nandina 'Gulf Stream'. If you need assistance in making a selection don't hesitate to come by and speak with one of
our staff
who
will help you
find just the right plant for your garden.
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More Invasives...
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Invasive plant: shiny geranium |
On the topic of
invasive species
, have you seen this plant?
Shiny geranium
(
Geranium lucidum
) is a very recent introduction which the province is trying its best to eradicate. This plant has the ability to quickly colonize an area choking out all other growth. It
forms a dense mat, can shoot seeds up to 20 ft away and has 5 generations per year
!
Click here for more info
.
Please report any suspected sighting
s
here
.
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Roald Dahl by David Austin
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Roses 2020
We will be putting in our rose order next month for spring 2020, so
if you are looking for a specific rose variety now is the time to let us know
.
You can call or email with your requests and we will do our best to bring them in.
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Planning & Preparing for a Hot Dry Summer
It's hard not to notice all the dying cedar trees in our area. The summer droughts of the past five summers have taken their toll and now the weather experts are predicting yet another hot and dry summer in BC. While we may not be able to help the cedars there are things we can do in our own gardens to make them more drought resilient.
Water deeply
Plants benefit from deep watering. While every garden is different it is much better to water deeply less frequently rather than shallow watering daily. This encourages plant roots to grow deep enabling them to withstand drought conditions much better. A moisture metre can help determine if a plant is getting enough water. Alternatively dig down with a trowel to see if water is penetrating into the root zone.
Choose plants wisely
Choose plants for the environment they'll be growing in. It's always tempting to buy that beautiful plant that we've seen in our neighbour's garden or the photogenic one we've seen on the internet, but we also need to be realistic. Putting the wrong plant in the wrong space will only lead to grief and struggle for both you and the plant! If you need help with choices, just ask one of our staff.
Establishing phase
Even the most drought resistant plants need time to grow that fantastic root system that will get them through dry periods. The first year after planting is most critical to ensure that plants are regularly and thoroughly watered.
Mulch is your ally
Avoid bare soil. Help the soil retain moisture by mulching or by using appropriate ground covers. An added benefit is less weeding!
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Russell Nursery is the only BC distributor for
Halls English Greenhouses. These quality greenhouses are available in a variety of sizes and models and several are set up at the nursery.
For more information please visit our dedicated
website for Halls greenhouses.
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Halls Greenhouse: Popular 106 |
Not sure which is the right greenhouse for you?
A
Halls Greenhouse Rep will be pleased to visit your property for a free on-site consultation.
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1370 Wain Road, North Saanich BC, V8L 5V1
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