shade and sun perennials Archives | vandenberglandscapes.com

December 30 2024

The Best Plants For The Lower Mainland

Matt Vandenberg All, Horticulture BC native plants, coastal garden design, deer-resistant plants, drought-tolerant landscaping, evergreen shrubs and trees, Lower Mainland plants, pollinator-friendly gardens, shade and sun perennials

Choosing flowers at a garden center or local nursery can feel overwhelming, especially when there are so many options available (one of the many perks of living in the Lower Mainland!)

Add in all the different conditions our region can throw at it — like dry summers, wet springs, and cold winters — and it can difficult to know how to keep your flowers happy and healthy.

I get it! I’ve worked in the landscaping industry for over ten years. Choosing the right plants for your garden can have a drastic impact on the look and feel of your space. If you’re looking to breathe new life into your outdoors, here are some great options.

1. Native Plants

I always recommend starting with native plants because it allows for biodiversity to thrive and they aren’t invasive. Native plants also tend to be lower maintenance than their exotic counterparts, because they’re meant to flourish in our area.

Native plants allow for pollinators like bees, birds, and butterflies to move the pollen grain from the anther (male part) to the stigma (female part) of a flower, producing seeds and fruits for the next year. Pollinators are important parts of every ecosystem around the world and a substantial portion of our food can’t be grown without them! Huge swathes of the orchards in the Okanagan Valley wouldn’t be able to survive without pollinators.

All that to say… choose native if you can! Here are my top choices:

Pacific Bleeding Hearts — This nectar-rich flower draws the attention of hummingbirds and bees and can add pops of pretty-in-pink colour to your garden. They have a unique locket shape to their petals, light green stems, and fern-like leaves that grow best in shadier conditions and damp soil. If you’re looking for a unique flower, this is the one I’d recommend.
Goatsbeard — Known for its wispy white flowers, Goatsbeard is a particularly low-maintenance plant. They’re incredibly shade and drought-tolerant once established, making them perfect for those spots in the garden that don’t get enough sun or water. Plus, its name is pretty fun.
Sword and Deer Fern — Growing in a variety of different sizes, these ferns prefer moist soil but are perfectly drought-tolerant. Once they’ve put down deep roots (usually within the first year) these ferns require very little maintenance. Both ferns are happiest in cloudy conditions which makes them perfect for the Lower Mainland.
Common Elderberry — This native shrub grows clusters of white blossoms that eventually produce tiny edible blackberries perfect in pies and preservatives. While they thrive in most climates in the Lower Mainland, they love full sun or partial shade best. Elderberry plants only require pruning in the autumn months just to keep them tidy, but they are otherwise low maintenance and make for a great addition to your garden.
Red Twig Dogwood — A personal favourite of mine. This dogwood’s bright branches make for a great focal piece and accent during the winter months.

2. Annuals

If you’re not set on a colour combination or texture, I suggest using annuals. As the name implies, annuals are plants that complete their lifecycle — from germination to the production of seeds — within one year. Annuals allow you to change colours each year, so you can accent your new patio accessories or keep up with current design trends

For our region, here are two great options for your garden:

Impatiens — Affectionately known as the Busy Lizzie, Impatiens are fast-growing flowers that provide lots of colour options for shadier gardens. They attract bees and hummingbirds, and grow best in the summer months, once the soil has warmed up. If you’re looking for a flower that provides pops of pink, red or white, this a great choice!
Nasturtium — Though native to South America, this flower is resilient and able to last well after the first frost. Nasturtium are adaptable in both sunny and shadier conditions, making them perfect for BC gardens. They’ll also add lots of orange and yellows to your greenery. Interestingly, Nasturtium are also edible. If you’re looking for an easy-to-grow flower, this is a good fit.

3. Perennials

Unlike annuals, perennial plants live for longer than two years. Try these three for the lower mainland.

Bunchberry — Native to the Lower Mainland area, Bunchberry plants grow in both sunny and shadier conditions. Known for their showy white flowers and striking red berries, they’re an important food source during fall migration. If you’re an avid birdwatcher, this is a great way to support wildlife.
False Lily-of-the-Valleys — Blooming from mid-April to May, the flowers of this plant appear delicate and white. They attract pollinators and grow red berries in the autumn season. This low-growing plant is perfect for Lower Mainland as they thrive best in moist and shady conditions.
Ocean Spray — This shrub’s long lilac-like cream-coloured flower clusters by midsummer and provides natural shelter for birds and amphibians. Oceanspray grow well in both dry and moist conditions.

4. Trees

In BC, It’s important to select trees that can withstand changing climates and seasons. Here are two I’d consider:

Western Redcedar — The Western Redcedar is the official tree of BC. It’s hard not to see why. It grows up to 60 meters high and thrives in our climate. The Western Redcedar tree provides cover for many species and resting spaces for small animals and birds.
Western Hemlock — The Western Hemlock is a large tree that can grow up to 30–50 meters high. Its soft glossy needle-shaped leaves make it the perfect resting space for many birds. Its seeds are a favourite snack of Pine Siskins and Chickadees and its bark is beloved by the Douglas Squirrel. Looking to encourage more wildlife? I’d recommend this one.
Pacific Dogwood — Evergreens are large and don’t always work in small residential yards. There are many varieties of Pacific Dogwood available that are resistant to anthracnose disease, which has been a growing problem the past few years.

Whether you want to plant your new garden yourself or want to consult with a landscaper, I hope this post gives you a helpful starting point. Want to take a peek at more of the gardens we’ve designed? Browse our featured projects!

December 30 2024

The Best Perennials for the Lower Mainland & the Fraser Valley

Matt Vandenberg All, Horticulture best perennials BC, deer-resistant perennials, drought-tolerant perennials, Fraser Valley landscaping, low-maintenance landscaping plants, Lower Mainland gardening, pollinator-friendly perennial gardens, shade and sun perennials

Perennial plants… the options are nearly endless!

Here in the Fraser Valley and moving towards Vancouver, we’re spoiled when it comes to plant choices. Since we have a more temperate climate than the majority of Canada — we generally stay above 0°C for most of the year — many plants can thrive in our region. This is both a blessing and a curse!

When you get to the garden centre, you might be overwhelmed with all of the choices before you. Below is a guide on what perennials are, how to choose them, and some of my personal favourites as well as some of the best choices for the region.

Enjoy!

What are perennials?

Perennials are exactly what they sound like — plants that keep blooming year after year, which makes them “foundation plants” for every garden.

When chosen correctly, perennials will continue to add beauty to your garden for decades, requiring little more than routine feeding and watering in the summer and mulching for winter protection.

Planting your garden with perennials instead of annuals saves you time and money since you only have to plant them once and they’ll reward you with blooms year after year.

Perennials multiply, so in a few years, they’ll provide a spectacular display while crowding out any weeds. They come in a variety of colours, shapes, sizes and bloom times, so plan carefully and you’ll never have a “dead” section in your garden.

In contrast, annuals are flowers or plants that complete their entire life cycle within a single season. Whether planted in the late spring, summer or fall, annuals are usually exhausted and die off once the frost hits. Then they get replaced the next year!

How should I choose perennials?

There are four factors we look at when determining which perennials to plant on your property.

The existing structure of your garden beds, including what perennials you have and when they’ll be blooming. You should also consider which annuals you plan to plant…
Sun and shade exposure in each of your gardens. Some flowers thrive in the sun, while others need some shade to reach their potential.
The hardiness zone your property is located in. Hardiness zones are geographic areas, divided by climate, that help determine which plants grow best in any given location. These zones determine if a plant can survive the winter in your location. (The Government of Canada has an awesome interactive map of hardiness zones here.)
The availability of flowers from your local nursery or garden centre, of course! In case you didn’t know, (By the way, we’ve opened a nursery and garden centre in Chilliwack at 6130 Chadsey Road where you can pick up annuals, perennials and more!)

What are the best perennials for the Lower Mainland & Fraser Valley?

These are my personal favourite perennials and ones I find myself returning to year after year due to colour, fragrance or just general shape.

Columbine — My favourite variety of these hummingbird-loved flowers are the Origami Mix, which come in a huge range of unique and colourful flowers. Usually these are bicolored in shades of blue, white, pink, red, rose or yellow.
Delphinium — These stately, tall flowers are just gorgeous. My favourite variety is Magic Fountains Dark Blue — beautiful, tall, purple flowers.
Aster — Noticing a theme? Another gorgeous purple flower, the Purple Dome aster will bloom in abundance for years.
Phlox (Violet Pinwheels) —Phlox is a nice, fragrant groundcover with soft purple flowers. Groundcover is what it sounds like — low-growing plants that cover the ground, reducing erosion and preventing weed growth.
Ajuga — This shade-tolerant groundcover stays attractive nearly all year. Particularly the fun-named “Chocolate Chip” which comes in dark, almost chocolatey-looking foliage and purple flowers. Yum!

Here are some other excellent choices for any garden in our region and what I frequently recommend to customers and clients:

Heuchera — Commonly known as “Coral Bells,” these shade-loving perennials are bestsellers for a reason — they fit in just about anywhere and tolerate many different sun, shade and soil conditions. Plus, the wide range of exciting leaf colours adds a bit of drama and interest to all gardens!
Hosta — Also called Plantain Lilies, these are some of the most well-known perennial plants in Canada. Their easygoing, low-maintenance yet resilient nature makes them ideal for nearly all conditions, and they come in loads of exciting colours and textures. There are over 3,000 known varieties of hosta out there and once they’re established, you can share them with friends by dividing them!
Astilbe — Light and graceful, these shade-loving plants come in many delicate hues. They look almost like ferns with their fine leaves — and their bright flowers mean they’re easy to love, year after year.

Where can I get these perennials?

Visit your local nursery and garden centre! Be sure to talk to the staff there about what you’re looking for, they’re often very willing to help and are passionate about plants!

Vandenberg just opened a retail garden centre in Chilliwack at 6130 Chadsey Road. Find out more and check our Instagram account for updates!

shade and sun perennials