Each ecosystem rich in native plants worth knowing, treasuring, and conserving
It’s summer, a time for holidays and relaxing outdoor pursuits. Currently, it’s also a time of uncertainties that are concerning enough to deter individuals and families from embarking on ventures far from home and to point them toward exploring the beauties of their more immediate surroundings.
Those of us who live in the rain shadow or “dry belt” created by Vancouver Island and Olympic Peninsula mountains are fortunate to have close at hand many and varied ecosystems, each rich in native plants worth knowing, treasuring, and conserving. A timely new book, by an ecologist and a photographer, is an attractive, user-friendly guide to these plants.
Native Plants of British Columbia’s Coastal Dry Beltby Hans Roemer and Mary Sanseverino (Harbour Publishing, paperback, 272 pages, $29.95) explores ecosystems in parts of the mainland coast, along Vancouver Island’s eastern edge south of Comox down to the Victoria area, and on the Southern Gulf Islands.
Each ecosystem explored presents an overview of its native plants, with colour photographs, detailed descriptions, and commentaries. Major categories like forest areas and Garry oak ecosystems are highlighted, but wetlands , marshes, beaches, shoreline bluffs and more areas and described as well.
The first ecosystem explored, “Douglas-fir Forests,” is like a walk through my large, once-forested back garden where many native plants remain. There are Douglas fir and western red cedar trees, majestic sword ferns, red huckleberry shrubs with their bright red buds in early spring and jewel-like coral berries in summer, patches of charming little starflowers in May, orange honeysuckle, and fragrant vanilla leaf.
Though Garry oak plant communities occupy only a small portion of the coastal dry belt, they include the largest aggregation of attractive native plants including many colourful wildflowers such as camas lilies, satinflower, Blue-eyed Mary, chocolate lily, shootingstar and wild strawberry.
Among the Garry oak ecosystem plants is miner’s lettuce, a small leafy plant that I value as a juicy green snackable item in my garden.
Giant lilies on display.Abkhazi Garden, 1964 Fairfield Rd. in Victoria, is spreading the word that their two Himalayan Lily (Cardiocrinum giganteum) plants are entering their bloom period. The plants produce flowers only every few years. For information, type “Himalayan lily at Abkhazi Garden” into a search engine.
VHS summer gathering.The Victoria Horticultural Society will gather for their annual Summer Garden Party on Tuesday, July 8, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Horticultural Centre of the Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd. in Saanich. The evening will include three 20-minute talks on grasses with Mike Rogers, Herbs by Janice Novotil, and Mixed Borders with Kerry Seifried and Debbie Guedes, as well as time to stroll through and enjoy the gardens. Car pooling is recommended.vichortsociety.org.
Dahlia meeting.Because membership in the Victoria Dahlia Society is growing, both dates and location have changed. The next meeting will be on Wednesday, July 9, at 7 p.m. in the Prospect Lake Community Hall, 5358 Sparton Rd. Following meetings will be on every second Wednesday of the month. This month’s meeting will feature the expert advice of floral designers demonstrating the art of adding dahlias to floral creations. Visitors are welcome.
Lily show and symposium.The Victoria Lily Society is hosting the 75th International North American Lily Society Show and Symposium July 9 to 13 at the Mary Winspear Centre in Sidney. The lily show, guest speaker presentations, and plant sales are open to the public at these times: Lily show on Friday, July 11, 1 to 5 p.m.; Saturday, July 12, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, July 13, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is by donation. Plant sale of potted lilies and other plants from local specialty growers will be on Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. On Sunday at 3:15 p.m. a limited number of cut lily stems from the show will be for sale. Details on three speaker presentations on Friday and Saturday under Schedule of Events atnals2025.lilies.org.
Government House plant sales.The Nursery at Government House, 1401 Rockland Ave., is holding sales of perennial plants on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., every week through to Sept. 30. The Nursery is located across from the Tea House.
[email protected]