The Blue Orchard Mason Bee

The Orchard Mason bee is the common name of a nonsocial native bee (Osmia lignaria) that pollinates fruit trees, flowers, and vegetables. It is found throughout most of North America, particularly in wooded areas, but often around homes in towns and cities. With the declining feral or wild bee population, the Orchard Mason bee can be easily attracted to pollinate crop plants.  It is especially good at pollinating fruit trees such as apple, pear and cherry and fruit bushes like blueberry. 

It is a gentle, shiny blue-black metallic bee, and slightly smaller than a honeybee. They are non-aggressive and won’t sting unless they are squeezed in your hand.  Males are smaller than females and have longer antennae and an additional tuft of light colored hairs on the face. Females have hairs on the underside of the abdomen adapted for carrying pollen. This bee does not live in a hive. In nature, it nests within hollow stems, woodpecker drillings, and insect holes found in trees or wood. Sometimes, there may be dense collections of individual nest holes, but these bees neither connect or share nests, nor help provision or protect each others' young.

They make excellent pollinating insects, but do not produce honey. A number of species of Orchard Mason Bees are native to North America. They occur in different climatic environments but are particularly well adapted in the northern ranges of blooming fruit trees. The common Blue Orchard Mason Bee, Osmia lignaria, is found in the B.C.’s southern Interior and coastal areas. It goes under various names including Blue Orchard Bee, Orchard Mason Bee, Orchard Bee, and Osmia Bee.

The Orchard Mason Bee belongs to the family Megachilidae which is comprised of a large number of solitary pollinators. The species is gregarious in that they nest close together. This behavior offers several advantages such as lower predation pressures, increased mating opportunity, and optimized genetic variability through cross breeding. It is this gregarious behavior that has offered the opportunity to “domesticate” the Orchard Mason Bee.  Also, because of this behavior it is possible to create Orchard Mason Bee ‘Houses’ that you can hang on an exterior wall of your home, garage or shed.  The Natural Gardener carries two types of locally designed and made Mason Bee Lodges.

Blue Orchard Bee or Mason Bee

Diervilla 'Cool Splash'

I am always on the look out for shrubs that will do well in part shade and Diervilla’s are one such shrub that you don’t hear too much about.  Originally from the Eastern United States they are pretty tough shrubs adaptable to a variety of conditions.  It works well in mass plantings and as a small hedge.   Diervilla ‘Cool Splash’ is the first variegated bush honeysuckle.  It is a real stunner that will stop gardeners in their tracks.  Its white-edged, green foliage holds its colour well and is perfect for illuminating partially shaded spots.  In June and into early July ‘Cool Splash’ has panicles of yellow flowers that cover the variegated foliage.  It will reach an eventual height of 3 feet and a width of 3 feet.  It is an easy shrub to look after and will tolerate a bit of drought if it has to.  Prune it to shape in late winter.  Give this exciting new shrub a try in your part shade garden.

Zone: 4
Light: Full sun to part shade
Soil: Moist, well-drained.  Drought tolerant once established
Height: 3 feet
Spread: 3 feet

Hamamelis intermedia 'Diane'

A couple of weeks ago I was walking on the sea wall by Granville Island with a friend and we saw a stunning sight. A witch hazel (Hamamelis) in full, glorious bloom. Its yellow flowers were like miniature suns scattered all over it's branches. Hamamelis intermedia or Witch Hazels as they are commonly known are an excellent shrub for your garden because they bloom when we most need it: Winter.  Witch Hazels are easy to grow, relatively pest free and they are all fragrant although some are more fragrant than others.  They thrive in rich-well drained soil, but will tolerate sand and clay if the drainage is good.  Provide them with a location that is in full sun to light shade.  Watering them regularly during dry weather will ensure good flowering but well established plants are somewhat drought tolerant.  Witch Hazels tend to be spreaders so keep that in mind when selecting where best to plant yours.

Most people will recognize the yellow flowering form of Witch Hazel but there are several coppery-red flowering forms.  Hamamelis 'Diane' is one of these.   While not as fragrant as the yellow flowering forms the colour is exquisite and gives your garden a touch of real beauty when it is most appreciated.  Besides the colour of the flowers the other characteristic I like about 'Diane' is that it has a more compact, vase-like form.  This makes it a great candidate for the smaller, urban garden.  As an added bonus, in the fall the leaves turn a lovely yellowy orange colour.  Diane will reach a height of around 10 feet and a spread of 10 feet after 10 years and is a zone 6 tree.  

Hamamelis 'Diane'  Photo courtesy of Great Plant Picks

Erodium chrysanthum

Erodium chrysanthum is a new plant for The Natural Gardener and we are excited to be carrying such a lovely perennial. This native of Greece and close relative of Geraniums is a small, evergreen perennial with lovely, lemon scented, creamy white flowers and ferny, silvery leaves that give it a very soft appearance. It is an excellent plant for the front of the border or edging a path and it is especially nice in the rock garden. I often get asked what plants will grow under the eaves of houses and if you have a south facing location this is the plant for you. It does best in full sun and very well drained soil and south facing eave locations are ideal for it. Erodium flowers best in leaner soils so no additional fertilizing is needed once it is established. The flowers start appearing in late spring and continue right into the fall. It is fully drought tolerant and will require no additional watering once it has become established which is usually after the first year of planting. This is a wonderful plant to include with your plantings of salvias, dwarf hebes and small euphorbias. I also think it would be the perfect perennial to plant on the Gulf Islands especially since it is deer resistant. Erodium is a zone 7 perennial, reaches a height of 6 inches, a spread of about 11/2 feet and likes lots of sun. 

Photo courtesy of Richie Steffen/Great Plant Picks

Phlox paniculata ‘David’s Lavender’

Phlox is one of those old fashioned garden plants that are always in demand and it’s understandable why.  They are tough, reliable plants that cover themselves in blooms from mid to late summer.  The one problem they can have is powdery mildew.  However that problem seemed to be rectified by the cultivar ‘David’.  It is a white flowering phlox with great disease resistance especially to powdery mildew.  What’s so exciting about ‘David’s Lavender’ is that it is a sport of Phlox ‘David’ and has maintained the disease resistance and hardiness.  The bonus is that it has large heads of lavender flowers.  In addition the bright green foliage and its hardiness make it a beautiful plant in the garden even when it is not in bloom.  David’s Lavender grows well in full sun to part shade and in moist but well drained soil.  Once it is established it is also quite drought tolerant.  Keep an eye out here at the nursery for Phlox ‘David’s Lavender’.  It should be arriving around April.

Helleborus niger "Double Fashion"

In the last few years Hellebores have become immensely popular for the winter/early spring garden and quite rightly so.  Who couldn’t appreciate the attractive foliage and the stunning flowers.  The flowers appear in a wide range of colours from almost black to pink to red to spotted to white.  They also appear as singles, anemone flowered or, and this is the one I like best, double flowering.  Just a few years ago double flowered hellebores would cost up to $50.00 for a small pot of them but now, thanks to selective breeding and tissue culture, the cost for them is much more affordable.  Helleborus niger “Double Fashion” is one of the newest and most attractive of the white, double flowering hellebores.  This is a new introduction from Holland that forms a sturdy clump of leathery, evergreen leaves and reddish stems that hold fluffy, double, pure white flowers with striking yellow stamens.  The flowers will appear in mid winter to early spring sometimes even appearing around Christmas.  Like all hellebores it does well in part shade although it will do fine in full sun as long as it isn’t too dry.  It prefers well-drained but moist soil and like all hellebores resent being moved or re-potted so make sure you plant it in an area where you want it to stay.  We will be carrying Helleborus niger “Double Fashion” in January and the cost will be $19.00 each, much better than the $50.00 double flowered hellebores used to be.

Zone: 4
Light: Shade to part shade but will take sun if it isn’t too dry.
Soil: Moist, well-drained
Height: 16 inches (40cm)
Spread: 16 inches (40cm)

Growing Poinsettia

The Poinsettia, which belongs to the Euphorbia family, has become almost synonymous with Christmas and brings colour and joy to households all over Canada.  It was first introduced to North America by the American ambassador to Mexico, Robert Poinsett. 

The poinsettia does well in an indoor environment and if a few simple guidelines are followed will bloom well into Spring.

Watering is one of the most important factors in maintaining a healthy poinsettia.  Check the soil daily and when the surface starts to feel dry its time to water.  Water until it runs freely out of the drainage hole.  Never let water remain in the saucer, as the poinsettia does not tolerate sitting in water. 

Poinsettias like lots of light so placing it near a south window is the best place for it. Lacking that option an east or west window will do.  Never allow the leaves to touch the glass, as the cold will damage them.

One of the reasons Poinsettia’s do so well inside is that they like the same kind of temperatures we do.  So during the day a temperature of 20 – 22 degrees Celsius is ideal and in the evening a temperature a couple of degrees cooler is preferable.

Every year after Christmas I am determined to keep my Poinsettia over the year and have it bloom beautifully just in time for Christmas.  And every year it doesn’t happen.  Well, this year I think I’ve finally found the right formula to produce a beautiful plant for next Christmas.  You can too just by following these simple ( well, not too hard) guidelines:
•    Continue watering normally until April 1st then let it dry out gradually.  Note that you don’t want it to dry out so much that the stems shrivel.  After drying keep in a cool room until the middle of May.
•    In the middle of May prune the poinsettia back to about 4 inches above the soil and re-pot in a new pot 1 – 2 inches bigger than the old pot.  Put it in a sunny window and water when the soil starts to feel dry.  As the new growth starts you can begin fertilizing every two weeks.
•    In early June you can move it outside in a lightly shaded area.  Continue to water and fertilize while it is outside.
•    In early July pinch out 1 inch of the terminal stems.
•    Between the middle of August and September 1st prune the plant back so that each stem has three or four leaves on it, bring it back inside and place in a sunny location.
•    From the beginning of October until the last week in November keep the plant in total darkness from 5PM until 8AM.  This is the important part.  There has to be total darkness.  Any stray light will delay the blooming cycle.  During the day it still needs to be in a sunny window and don’t forget to water and fertilize regularly.
If you follow these guidelines you should have a beautiful Poinsettia blooming just in time for Christmas.

Just a note.  For years various reports have led the general public to believe poinsettias are toxic to humans; however, this has not been authenticated. Research conducted at The Ohio State University and other institutions has proved the old wives' tale that poinsettias are poisonous to be false.

Amaryllis 'Minerva'