I love Spikenard (Aralia racemosa), a big shrub sized perennial. The flowers are not much, small and greenish white, but the bold leaves and dark purple stems are handsome enough throughout the summer. It is in the autumn that the plant shines. The little white flowers develop into red berries that turn black when fully… Continue reading Great Plants for Shade
Tag: pollinator gardens
Returning to Westboro Farmers’ Market
Beaux Arbres will be back at Westboro Farmers’ Market on Saturday, August 10th, bringing some spectacular late-summer wildflowers. Folks sometimes ask: Is it too late to add plants? If you can bring water to your new plants with a hose (or even a bucket from the lake, at the cottage), you can continue to plant… Continue reading Returning to Westboro Farmers’ Market
A Portrait of Sunflowers
We went to hear Kerri Weller, of the Ottawa Society of Botanical Artists, at the Nepean Horticultural Society, last Thursday evening, Ms Weller gave a quick overview of the history of botanical art and illustration in Western art. She pointed out a lovely feature of the classic plant portraits by Maria Sybila Merian from the… Continue reading A Portrait of Sunflowers
An Urban Pollinator Garden
Berit Erickson dropped by last week to pick up some native plant seeds and talk to me about her demonstration pollinator garden, on a busy corner lot in the west end of Ottawa . Working in her yard, Berit realized how interested passers-by were in her flowers. Berit herself had noticed how much more lively… Continue reading An Urban Pollinator Garden
Stocking Stuffers for Gardeners on your List
We have packaged a selection of seeds from some of our showiest flowers in time for holiday gift giving. They will be available for sale at the $100 and Under Sale of the West Carlton Art Society in Carp this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The seeds are sharing a table with Michael’s hand-crafted baskets. If the… Continue reading Stocking Stuffers for Gardeners on your List
Wild Senna Beats the Heat
This tall yellow wildflower loves the heat and seems to laugh at drought. Five or six feet tall on sturdy stems, Wild Senna (Senna hebecarpa) has typical pinnate Pea Family foliage but the individual flowers are more open than typical in the family. Wild Senna belongs to an early-evolved branch of the Pea family tree. The… Continue reading Wild Senna Beats the Heat
Wild Roses
Smooth Rose (Rosa blanda) is in full bloom at Beaux Arbres. We carry three species of wild rose: Smooth Rose, Shining Rose (Rosa nitida) from the Maritimes, and Virginia Pasture Rose (Rosa virginiana). All are beloved by bees.
New Species for the Fletcher Wildlife Garden Sale, June 2
I am almost too busy getting the plants ready for the sale to blog about them but there are a few new species that are too interesting to ignore. Seeded earlier this year and already big enough to plant now, the lovely biennial Swamp Thistle (Cirsium muticum). I know, Swamp and Thistle. Don’t let your… Continue reading New Species for the Fletcher Wildlife Garden Sale, June 2
New Species for sale Sunday
We have always tried to have some genuinely rare and/or unusual plants for the Rare and Unusual Plant Sale . This year we have some new and very special species. We are keeping a close eye on our pots of seed-grown Eastern Shooting Star (Dodecatheon meadia). This species is not locally native; it occurs in Canada… Continue reading New Species for sale Sunday
September is a good time to plant
September is a good time to plant native wildflowers in your garden. It is an especially good time to add spring-blooming natives such as pussy-toes, columbines, and violets, if you want to increase wild-life attractiveness and spring colour for next year. These early bloomers grow well in cool soil so even with cooling night temperatures,… Continue reading September is a good time to plant
Beaux Arbres Plantes Indigènes / Native Plants 