Phoenix Perennials - E-Newsletter

If the e-newsletter does not appear properly in your email, click here to view it online.

The Phoenix Perennials E-Newsletter
May 2007

This is an exciting time of year. The 25 000 or so pots of plants that we potted up for you through February and March on our production side are now coming ready in great quantities. There are so many coming ready each week that it's hard to get them all moved over for you to the retail side. But bounty is a happy problem and we're working hard.

In this issue you'll find a tour of new and exciting perennial geranium cultivars and announcements related to our catalogue, our Charity Shopping Weekend for the Gogo Grannies, our In-Nursery Design Service, Four Upcoming Workshops at the Nursery, and Upcoming Talks that I'm giving to garden groups. To finish off the newsletter you'll find a new edition of the popular Fabulous at Phoenix column highlighting exciting plants available now at the nursery.

In last month's e-newsletter met the staff of Phoenix Perennials, the Phoenicians, in our Meet the Phoenicians article. Now you can learn more about their favourite plants in a new feature at the nursery -- our Staff Picks. The Phoenicians are keen gardeners and plants people. Every two weeks or so they will each select their new favourite plant of the moment for a special display in our display area at the nursery. Their selection will be accompanied by a description of the plant in their own words! Pause and have a read of their eloquent verse -- not only do we have 10 plant lovers on staff but one of them is also a poet!

Special Plant Sale at the Nursery: On the Victoria Day Weekend (Saturday the 19th and Sunday the 20th) we will host the annual Plant Sale of the Pacific Northwest Palm and Exotic Plant Society. This is a great opportunity to pick up exotic plants at great prices. It will run during our regular hours from 10am to 5pm. Be sure to get to the nursery early to get the best plants!

A whole host of new and exciting hardy geranium cultivars are becoming available of late. These plants represent years of work on the part of breeders who have made often complicated crosses between different species, cultivars and forms to create a plant with the most desirable characteristics possible. Two of the most important breakthroughs in some of these new cultivars is increasing the size of the flowers and lengthening the bloom time from 3 to 4 weeks to months! This is an exciting time to be an afficionado of hardy geraniums. And even if they're not your favourite group, you may be lured to some of these new cultivars due to their superlative qualities. Here I offer a tour through some of these new cultivars.

These are just some of the new cultivars available. Come down to the nursery to see all of our offerings.

Please note: Most of these geraniums are ready or will be ready in the next one to two weeks. 'Rozanne', for instance, is about 2 weeks away.

The Normal Print Edition (without images) of the 2007 New and Notable Catalogue is now available for purchase at the nursery. The price is $4 which is our cost to produce the catalogue. You can also have it mailed to you at a cost of $5. Please fill out and submit the catalogue order form on our website. If you already filled out your order form you will receive your catalogue in the mail soon.

The catalogue highlights approximately 260 different plants for the 2007 season. While the catalogue only represents about 9% of our total offerings it offers a relatively large portion of this year's horticultural excitement.

Remember: You can also download and print the Deluxe Version filled with colour images from the website.

Phoenix Perennials Charity Shopping Weekend
to benefit the
Greater Vancouver
Gogo Grannies
Mothers' Day Weekend
Saturday May 12th and Sunday May 13th, 2007

Welcome to our second Charity Shopping Weekend of the season -- a fun way for Phoenix Perennials to give back to the community and for customers of Phoenix Perennials to support a good cause.

Who are the Gogo Grannies?: The Greater Vancouver Gogo Grannies are a motivated group of concerned Canadian grandmothers who, with 145 other grandmother groups across Canada have come together with the sole purpose of raising money for the Stephen Lewis Foundation's Grandmothers to Grandmothers campaign. This campaign seeks to raise awareness and funds for African grandmothers who are raising orphans of the AIDS pandemic. "Gogo" means grandmother in Zulu. In many parts of Africa much of the young adult generation has been decimated leaving behind their orphaned children and their grieving, aging parents. Into this void, through their grief and in societies that often disenfranchise the voices of women, the grandmothers of Africa are stepping up to raise the next generation with limited resources and support.

Since the launch of the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign, more than 145 groups of Canadian grandmothers have taken up the call to action and together have raised over $800,000 for the campaign. The Stephen Lewis Foundation directs these funds to community-level organizations in 14 sub-Saharan African countries that provide grandmothers with much needed support, such as food, housing grants, school fees for their grandchildren and grief counselling.

A special note to customers of Phoenix Perennials: The stories of the African grandmothers is truly inspirational. I usually wait to receive applications from different groups interested in our Charity Shopping Weekends but in this case I approached the local Gogos to see if they would be interested in participating. They were excited at the opportunity. I know that many of you are mothers and grandmothers (and some of you are fathers and grandfathers) who love your own children and grandchildren and know the importance of raising the next generation of citizens. I hope that this Mothers' Day you'll be inspired to visit the nursery, buy some plants and help the Gogos of Canada help the Gogos of Africa. Cheers!

How it Works: Gardeners who wish to support the Gogo Grannies can come shopping at Phoenix Perennials on Saturday May 12th and Sunday May 13th. When you pay for your plants, tell us that you have come to support the Gogo Grannies and we will donate 25% of the price of your plants to this worthy cause. But remember: you must tell us why you have come to the nursery on that day or we won't know to donate the proceeds from your sale. Other than that, it's pretty simple: all you have to do is shop!

June 16th and 17th: The Richmond Fruit Tree Sharing Project Society who run the local fruit tree project and the Sharing Farm. The produce they grow is donated to the Richmond Food Bank and other charitable agencies. In the past six years they have harvested over 90 000 pounds of produce!

July 7th and 8th: The Vancouver Hospice Society provides compassionate and dignified care to the dying.

September 15th and 16th: Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue is involved in the trapping, spaying and releasing of feral cats, the rescue of orphan kittens, and the education of the public about these issues.

Now Available!
The New In-Nursery Design Service
Are you new to the vast world of perennials? Or just stuck for design ideas?
Do you want to plant a brand new garden bed? Or do you need to spruce up an existing border?

We offer in-nursery consultations with trained design professionals in a new and fun streamlined process that will get you the results you crave at a great value. Our goal is to help you design a garden that reflects you and your tastes. To do this we will work with you at the nursery to develop a design that you'll love filled with plants that you love. We will also strive to help you avoid many of the pitfalls related to plant selection and design that can detract from the success of your garden space. This is a service for the do-it-yourself gardener who wants to plant the garden themselves. Our main focus is on softscaping, that is the selection and artful combination of plants for an existing space.

How it Works
1. Ask about our design service. We will provide you with a questionnaire (or you can download it from the website) with questions about your goals for your space, your taste in design and plants, and details of the size, soil and light conditions in your garden. We would also like you to provide us with some pictures of your space at this time. Part of the questionnaire requires you to list plants that you like. We recommend that you spend a half hour to an hour at the nursery perusing our vast selection of perennials and listing the ones that you find interesting.

2. Hand in your questionnaire and book a time to return to the nursery for your design consultation. We require payment for the first hour of your service at the time of booking. Before you return, your designer will look over the information you've provided and begin thinking about your space.

3. Return to the nursery for your design consultation at the pre-arranged time. Your designer will work with you to select the perfect perennials for your site and goals and then show you how to incorporate them into a beautiful design. If you like, we will send you home with a plant-by-number diagram!

4. Take your plants home and get planting. We would love it if you could send us your before and after pictures!

This service will cost $35 per hour, much less than the average cost of a design consultation. The minimum is one hour. Periods less than an hour will be charged in half hour increments of $17.50 each. When we have done these kinds of consulations in the past we have found that the average time required is usually one to three hours, though some larger projects have required four or more hours.

We are now accepting questionnaires and booking appointments. If you have any questions, please call the nursery at 604-270-4133 or view our website for more information. If you have already left us your contact information, we will be contacting you shortly.

There are four exciting workshops coming up between now and the next e-newsletter. Here they are in summary and below in greater detail.

Both the Structure in the Garden and the Climbers and You workshops will be really good for beginner and intermediate gardeners interested in getting to know great shrubs and small trees and vines, respectively, for their gardens. The Containers to Die For workshop is our most popular workshop. Last year we had to add a second session so this year we are automatically offering this workshop in the morning and the afternoon. This class is a lot of fun and great for anyone who wants to learn how to design a smashing container. The Buzz of Beneficials workshop will offer a wealth of knowledge on natural pest and disease control, something that would benefit any gardener.

Workshop at the Nursery
Structure in the Garden
Shrubs and small trees for urban spaces

Instructor: Jo Turner
Saturday May 12th, 10am | $15 |
Well chosen and positioned shrubs provide an important structural framework for your garden. This workshop will discuss some of the best shrubs for multi-seasonal interest in the urban garden (including flowers, evergreen foliage, berries, and fall colour); selecting the right shrub for your situation; using shrubs in the mixed border; and general care including basic pruning.

Workshop at the Nursery
Containers to Die For
Discover the easy secrets to success with perennial containers

Instructor: Cliff Thorbes
Saturday May 19th, two workshops starting at 10am and 2pm | $20 |
This is a fun hands-on workshop for gardeners of all levels who are interested in learning how to successfully create gorgeous perennial containers. After some practical and design instruction each participant will plant up and take home their own container. Please bring your own large pot (minimum 12-14 inches in diametre) with enough space for at least 3 to 5 one gallon perennials. A large, black, seven gallon plastic pot can be provided at an additional cost of $6. Please order your pot when you book your workshop.

Workshop at the Nursery
Climbers and You
Taking your garden up to the next level

Instructor: Jo Turner
Saturday May 26th, 10am | $15 |
Climbing plants add a vertical element that extends and enhances the appeal of a garden, especially in small spaces. Learn how to select, display and care for vines that will lift your garden to new heights. This workshop will also include a segment on everything you wanted to know about pruning clematis but were afraid to ask.

Workshop at the Nursery
The Buzz of Beneficials
Natural pest and disease control in the garden

Instructor: Diane Brown
Saturday June 2nd, 10am | $15 |
In this workshop you'll learn how to attract and encourage beneficial insects and birds and how to repel slugs, deer and other unwanted critters all through your selection of plants and other tricks.

Spaces are limited. Please call (604-270-4133) or visit the nursery to book your space. Payment is required when booking. Each workshop requires a minimum of 10 people and a maximum of 15-25 depending on the workshop. Workshop participants will receive a 15% discount on any purchases they wish to make the day of their workshop.

The Low Down on Groundcovers: Groundcovers that grow on you | Instructor: Jo Turner | Saturday June 9th, 10am | $15 | Groundcovers fill a wide range of roles. We will "cover" several ways of utilizing them including: groundcovers for naturescaping, scent, flowers, evergreen interest, and edibility. We will also explore the practical and environmentally friendly use of groundcovers as a lawn alternative.

The Essence of Place: Exploring coastal native plants | Instructor: Diane Brown | Saturday June 16th, 10am | $15 | British Columbia has a wealth of beautiful and useful native plants including shrubs, perennials, and groundcovers. In this workshop you'll be introduced to our friendly natives and the reasons why native plant gardening is vital.

Writers in the Garden: A purely personal perusal of some favourite garden scribes | Instructor: Jo Turner | Saturday June 23rd, 10am | $15 | Garden writing is especially enjoyable as a way of vicariously visiting gardens, plants or designs through someone else's perspective. The best garden writing is more than this however, encompassing all the qualities of good literature in any genre; facility with language, a particular voice, and the ability to bring whatever is being expressed alive. Through readings and discussion, Jo will share some of her favourite garden writers from around the world and our own backyard. You'll leave this workshop with a list of writers guaranteed to pique the interest of the plant obsessed.

The Dry Garden: Designing a xeriscape garden that goes easy on the drink | Instructor: Diane Brown | Saturday July 7th, 10am | $25 | A workshop on the principles of designing and planting a bed for a hot, dry, sunny spot. Each participant will have the opportunity to design a xeriscape garden with the help of Diane and her assistant Gary. Come to the workshop with a five foot by five foot area of your garden in mind including measurements and pictures. Maximum: 15 participants.

Grasses that Captivate: The transformative powers of ornamental grasses | Instructor: Jo Turner | Saturday September 15th, 10am | $15 | The popularity of ornamental grasses continues to grow as gardeners discover their many virtues. Don't get it yet? Come to this informative talk and learn what grasses can do for you and your garden. Already enamoured with ornamental grasses? You'll love this workshop too. You'll get tips on using them for best effect in your garden design. As well, you'll be introduced to several cultivars you might not have seen before.

Winter Containers: Plant up a container to create winter interest | Instructor: Cliff Thorbes | Saturday October 6th, two workshops starting at 10am and 2pm | $20 | This is a fun hands-on workshop for gardeners of all levels who are interested in learning how to successfully create gorgeous perennial containers that will provide months of winter interest and an antidote against the dark, cold days of the year. After some practical and design instruction each participant will plant up and take home their own container. Please bring your own large pot (minimum 12-14 inches in diametre) with enough space for at least 3 to 5 one gallon perennials. A large, black, seven gallon plastic pot can be provided at an additional cost of $6. Please order your pot when you book your workshop.

Diane Brown is a graduate of Kwantlen's Landscape Design program and was the coordinator of the Earthwise Garden for many years. She has designed gardens with garden ecosystems in mind and specialized in presenting earth-friendly workshops. She works part time for Phoenix Perennials and does landscape design, garden consultations, and workshops in her spare time.

Cliff Thorbes is a certified horticulturalist, artist and designer. He is passionate about container garden design and integrating original art into the garden to create a unique and personal statement. Cliff returns this year to reprise his popular seminars on design and on the secrets to creating containers that will captivate the senses.

Jo Turner (Dip. Hort. Cap. College) is a Vancouver gardener beginning her second season at Phoenix. She has a passion for gardens, plants, books, and the people who tend them. Her interests have led to several years experience in a variety of horticultural pursuits, usually involving mud.

The Dunbar Garden Club presents
Avoiding the Summer Doldrums
Great Plants for High Summer and Early Fall
with Phoenix Perennials owner Gary Lewis

Does your garden look a little tired through the summer months? Here's a whole raft of plants to get your summer garden sizzling with colour. Gary Lewis will present a stunning, image-rich Power Point presentation to illustrate the many options for the high summer garden.

Tuesday May 22nd, 2007
7:30pm
Dunbar Community Ctr, 4747 Dunbar Street (between 31st and 33rd Avenues), Room 202,

Sponsored by the Dunbar Garden Club.
For more information call Ken at 604-734-4029.

The Richmond Garden Club presents
Weird and Wonderful Plants of the World
Botanically Intriguing Options for Your Garden
with Phoenix Perennials owner Gary Lewis

Join Gary Lewis, owner of Phoenix Perennials, for a whirlwind trip around the world to discover a multitude of weird and wonderful plants to add botanical intrigue to your garden. In this colourful, image-rich and dynamic Power Point presentation you'll discover amazing plants from every continent (except Antarctica!) including Cobra Lilies from Asia, acacias and bottlebrushes from Australia, broadleaf pokers from South Africa, orchids from North America and much more.

Wednesday, May 23rd, 2007
Richmond, BC

For location and time or more information please contact: Jill at 604-649-7428

Fabulous at Phoenix
Gary's Picks of New, Notable and Luscious Plants at the Phoenix Candy Store

Paeonia Itoh Hybrids -- Itoh Peonies -- Itoh Peonies are rare and unusual hybrids between Garden Peonies and Tree Peonies. There are several varieties, all highly sought after by collectors, yet easy to grow and very hardy. They form a tall, upright bush of lush green leaves that emerge red and turn green and stand up well into the autumn. They then die back to the ground in winter. The HUGE flowers are double to semi-double in shades unique in the world of herbaceous peonies. 'Bartzella' once fetched more than $1000 per division and more recently has cost upwards of $250 each. These new tissue cultured plants have brought the price down to within reach of the average gardener. While they are still expensive at $59.99, you won't be disappointed with them in our garden. They are marvels.

Clockwise from top left: 'Bartzella', 'Cora Louise', 'Julia Rose' and 'Kopper Kettle'. We also have 'Going Bananas'.

Clematis Kivistik Collection -- Clematis -- Originating in Estonia the Kivistik clematis have a compact growth habit, copious blooms on the current season's growth, an unusually long bloom period, rich colours, great disease resistance, and hardiness to zone 3. Their compact size and long bloom time make them excellent in containers or in the garden. ‘Marmori’ has large, ruffled, pale pink flowers with deep pink shading in the centres. The prominent creamy stamens have deep pink anthers. Blooms from June through September. 'Minister' has large, six inch, mid-purple flowers with an explosion of yellow and burgundy anthers. Extremely free-flowering, it blooms from early summer through late fall. ‘Piilu’ has large, ruffled, light purplish-pink flowers with bold magenta bars. The heaviest bloomer in the collection, it flowers in May-June as double flowers then later as singles until October. ‘Rahvarinne’ has large, warm purplish, crinkled and ruffled flowers with brown anthers. A late flowering cultivar, it blooms in July, August and September. ‘Sakala’ has lavender blue flowers with a pale pink stripe and creamy pale brown anthers. ‘Silmakivi’ has very plentiful, large, six inch wide, light blue flowers with lighter blue, almost white, centres and yellow stamens from July to September.

Calanthe discolor, tricarinata and Kozu Red -- Calanthe Orchid -- Calanthe discolor is a very durable, cold-hardy orchid species from Japan with showy 10 inch spikes of burgundy and white bicoloured flowers in May. The attractive foliage is heavily pleated and semi-evergreen. Calanthe tricarinata is one of the hardiest calanthes with spikes of yellow-green flowers with a burgundy, red, yellow and white lip in spring. The lip of the flower is elaborately frilled which helps explain the Japanese name "sarumen" calanthe meaning "monkey face." Foliage is evergreen in milder climates but can go dormant in colder areas. Rare but easy to grow. Calanthe Kozu Red are vigorous hybrids of the very hardy C. discolor and the very fragrant C. izu-insularis. Ten inch spikes of highly fragrant flowers in shades of pink, red and purple top the attractive, pleated foliage in spring. Best in humusy, well-drained soil in shade or part shade or as a cold-greenhouse pot plant. One of the best calanthes for the garden. Calanthe tricarinata is one of the hardiest calanthes with spikes of yellow-green flowers with a burgundy, red, yellow and white lip in spring. The lip of the flower is elaborately frilled which helps explain the Japanese name "sarumen" calanthe meaning "monkey face." Foliage is evergreen in milder climates but can go dormant in colder areas. Rare but easy to grow.

Arisaema sikokianum Patterned Selection -- Cobra Lily -- One of the most desirable of all cobra lilies with its incredible burgundy spathe, pure white interior and pure white knobbed spadiz. This selection even has silver-centred foliage! Plant in well-drained soil that is dryish in the winter such as on a slope or near or under evergreen shrubs or trees.

Arisaema kishidae Patterned Selection -- Cobra Lily -- This mid-season species of arisaema from Japan has unusual rusty reddish brown flowers held above the leaves. The green leaves are splashed with silver offering all-summer interest in the shade garden. A rare cultivar.

Hydrangea serrata cultivars -- Japanese Hydrangeas -- We have a number of gorgeous Japanese cultivars of hydrangea including the one pictured, ‘Miyama-yae-Murasaki’, with delicate, soft pink to violet, fully double sterile florets surrounding a large boss of fertile florets. The foliage is elegant and deeply toothed with red petioles. Be sure to check out the other cultivars in shades of white, blue and pink.

Cypripedium formosanum -- Formosa Lady's Slipper Orchid -- This exquisite hardy lady’s slipper is endemic to high altitude regions of Taiwan and blooms in our area in mid spring. The flowers have a large pale pink pouch with white or pale pink petals and sepals spotted with darker pink or red. The rounded, light green leaves are pleated like a fan and provide much interest after the flowers have faded. This species is very easy to cultivate in an average shade garden and a good first introduction to growing hardy ground orchids.

Cypripedium reginae -- Showy Lady's Slipper Orchid -- This rare and exquisite winter-hardy orchid has white flowers with delicate fucshia-pink slippers and rich green foliage. Requires two to three hours of direct sunlight per day from morning or late afternoon sun, with part shade during the hottest part of the day. Best in moist but well-drained soil. From eastern Canada and the US.

Podophyllum 'Kaleidoscope' and 'Spotty Dotty' -- Mayapple -- Two fantastic mayapple hybrids, these two cultivars will provide a lot of WOW factor in the shade garden! Please note: Young plants do not show the intense markings of the adults. Also the depth of markings is strongest in the emerging foliage.

Rheum palmatum 'Tanguticum -- Ornamental Rhubarb -- I’m excited to offer this excellent ornamental rhubarb. The large bold spade-shaped foliage emerges entirely reddish in the spring. While the tops of the leaves fade to green, the reverses remain boldly dark red. With its upright behaviour the leaves continuously show off their burgundy-coloured reverses to great effect. Pale pink flower spikes in summer. Rich, well-drained soil in full to part shade. A great focal point plant.

Delphinium New Millenium Hybrids -- Delphinium -- Selected in New Zealand, the New Millennium Delphinium strains outperform all other tall types and offer some astonishingly rich shades. They produce tall, stately spires of single or double flowers in shades of dark blue, deep purple, mauve, pink, and white. The deeply-cut leaves form a medium-sized bushy mound with superior vigour. Stems may require staking in windy areas.

So many of our new visitors come to us through word of mouth. If you like what we're doing at Phoenix Perennials, please consider telling your gardening friends about us.

Phoenix Perennials and Specialty Plants Ltd.
One of the largest and most exciting selections of perennials in the Lower Mainland
Specializing in distinct perennials, fragrant shrubs, hardy subtropicals and the botanically intriguing

3380 No. 6 Road, Richmond (Between Bridgeport and Cambie)
604-270-4133
www.phoenixperennials.com

Please visit our web page for information on the nursery, driving directions and a map.
We are near the south end of the Knight Street Bridge and very easy to get to from all of the surrounding municipalities and beyond.