My Dad designed a garden that flowers all year long. Vancouver Island, Canada is in the Pacific-Northwest rain forest. These photos are from the end of April.

Rhododendrons

His favourite shrubs were Rhododendrons because they’re evergreen and have masses of bright flowers. When he lived in New Brunswick where winters are brutally cold with huge amounts of snow – he still managed to grow them. He had them together in an area where he could wrap them in burlap to protect them. He had mixed in a great deal of peat moss to make the soil acidic which they like.

All azaleas are Rhododendrons but not all Rhododendrons are azaleas. Azaleas have 5 stamens while rhododendrons (with a small r) have 10 stamens. Azaleas are generally shorter with small leaves. The following is a collection of rhododendrons and azaleas.

The garden was established in 1987.

This island has a Taxus Yew in the middle.

Close up

Next to the pink is the white.

Close up

Bight pink

Pale Pink

close up

Red by window

Red closeup

 

Fuchsia

violet

pink with pattern

large white flowers

Windmill Palm

It has large yellow flower pods hanging from it.

Viburnum

It’s easy to tell because of its striped leaves.

Ilex Auifolium (English Holly) “Sparkler”

Holly close up

The berries show that this is a female holly. There is a male holly Ilex Aquifolium Mesefereae “Blue Angel” (Hybrid) on the far side of the vegetable garden.

Camellia Japonica “Firefall Red”

Blooms February/March so it’s a bit faded now.

Bird’s Nest Spruce

Plant Island by door

Heather

Heathers are related to Rhododendrons. They’re both in the heath family.

Pieris japonica

close up

Tree Peony closeup

Cedrus deodara “Golden Horizon” & Blue Spruce

other side

Close up

Purple Lilac

Purple Lilac close up

White Lilac

White Lilac close up

Sword Fern (You can see the hilt on each leaf where it attaches to the stem.)

A different kind of Fern.

This last one looks like the Ostrich ferns in New Brunswick that get eaten when tightly furled as Fiddleheads.

Japanese Maple

 

Japanese Maple

Deer love to eat Japanese Maples.

Eunonymous

Eunonymous close up

Pink Rosebush

 

Pink Rose close up

Red Rose close up

Deer (in a neighbour’s yard)

Victoria, BC gardeners spend a lot of time finding out about the culinary preferences of the local deer population. Tall wooden fences and deer netting are top sellers here. Deer love to eat Hostas, Sumac, Pyrocantha (despite the long thorns), Japanese Maples, and tulips. They don’t touch daffodils which is what I have along my driveway.

I’ll try to post pictures of the garden in other seasons later this year.