For some people collecting and growing plants is more than a hobby, it's an obsession. I should probably count myself in the latter group as I am always on the hunt for new plants.
September is the start of the fall planting season and I'll be out looking for more plants. When I hunt for plants I look for specimens that are hardy in our climate, generally not susceptible to pests or disease and, most importantly, I look for plants that exhibit an outstanding aesthetic virtue.
I am not interested in buying a plant just because it's new. That's just soda pop for the uniformed masses. As a matter of fact, new plants are often the worst choice to buy until they have been proven to be able to survive in our climate. A case in point, the heuchera species craze of the last ten years has yielded more than a dozen new heuchera varieties, but none of them have stood the test of time in our climate. The reason: They are all inbred or over-hybridized prima donnas that survive poorly in local garden conditions. I've tried a few of the new heuchera and all of them have become compost in my garden.
Sourcing plants can be difficult. I use a wide range of sources including plant collectors, garden clubs, and specialist societies like the Vancouver Rhododendron Society or the Alpine Garden Club. Mail order is useful for plants that can be shipped bare root. And I still grow certain specialty plants from seed because no other source is available.
Gardening friends can also be good sources for plants you may be searching for, especially where perennials are concerned.
Plant hunting is also a matter of social and economic responsibility, so I exercise my choice to support our B.C. wholesale nursery industry. A friend of mine recently told me that a focus group study in the 1980s sponsored by the B.C. wholesale nursery industry revealed hat more than 80 per cent of the participants thought plants sold at garden centres were grown in the United States, a tragic revelation considering that the B.C nursery industry is among the best in the world.
Our B.C. nursery growers have done a poor job of promoting the "buy local" mantra to consumers and local nurseries need to do a better job of self promotion, starting with branding of their product lines. It is very important to support B.C. nursery growers when buying plants if we want to enjoy great selection, locally adapted plants and foster B.C. business.
All garden centres buy their plants from local or international wholesale nurseries and now more than ever foreign nurseries are occupying more shelf space in local garden centres. When I'm plant hunting I look for B.C. grown plants so my money goes to local growers instead of another country's nursery industry. I avoid buying plants grown out of country where possible, unless there is no local source.
One of my favourite local growers sells plants under their Heritage Perennials brand name. You've probably seen their deep blue pots in the local garden centres. Heritage Perennials is owned by Valleybrook Gardens in Abbotsford and sells a wide range of quality perennial plants.
Another great local grower of premium quality plants is called Erica Enterprises. I recently visited Erica's nursery to buy plants for one of my clients. Without question their nursery is one of the cleanest nurseries I have visited. And their plants are robust and uniform. You'll never know if you are buying their plants because they have not put their name on pots or branded their product line.
While I was visiting Erica Enterprises I found one of the plants that I have been hunting for a long time. It is called Bouteloua gracilis "Blonde Ambition," also known as Blue Grama or Mosquito Grass. This charming little grass has blue-green leaves, grows about 60-95 cm tall and wide. Its real virtue comes from the tall seed heads that follow the creamy yellow flowers. The tan coloured seed heads look like eyebrows or little insects held horizontally against the upright flower stems, giving the grass a mesmerizing effect in the wind. Drought tolerant, low maintenance and full of charm, this little grass is one of my favourites and it now grows in my garden.
Please remember to buy grown in B.C. plants or at least buy Canadian when you go to the garden centres. Ask your local garden centre if the plants are grown in B.C. Tell them you want to support local growers. Ask them why they are buying so many plants from the U.S. instead of B.C. Ultimately it's consumers who really control what gets sold. So exercise your right to choose when buying, and support grown in B.C. plants. Happy plant hunting!
Todd Major is a journeyman horticulturist, garden designer and builder, teacher and organic advocate. For advice contact him at stmajor@shaw. ca.
