Native Species

The Municipality of North Cowichan published a handy list of native plants to consider adding to your garden. They have split them into categories so you can find the right plants for any growing conditions:
Species Planting Recommendations - Native Plants PDF

E-Flora BC has a list of vascular plants for the Sunshine Coast

The David Suzuki Foundation’s website hosts a list of pollinator-friendly plants native to Western Canada

INVASIVE SPECIES

The Halfmoon Bay Environmental Society is doing incredible work managing invasive species in Halfmoon Bay. Visit their website for more information on the three main species to eradicate:

Never propagate these species, and remove and destroy them if you encounter them on your property. Do not add these to your compost, and DO NOT bring them to the green waste depot. Please burn responsibly or bring to the landfill.

Have Scotch Broom? Cut the broom while in bloom, and contact the BroomBusters to arrange for pick up.

SMART GARDENING

Gardeners have experienced a number of challenges these past few years, thanks to droughts, heat domes, and uncharacteristically cold winters. Our climate is changing, and so should our gardens.

WATER
The #1 thing gardeners should do is install a rain water catchment system for outdoor water use. Depending on the size of your garden, you may not need a huge cistern. One 1,000L water tote was plenty for my veggie garden and dahlias to survive the 2022 drought and ensuing stage 4 water restrictions, and I found that I barely had to water thanks to the high compost content of my raised beds.

We have rain barrels at two corners of our house, and we use a pump (purchased on Amazon for about $100) to transfer the water from the barrels to the tote. We use that same pump in the summer to push the water through our irrigation system.

For flower beds, opt for drought-resistant native plants like grasses, sedum, yarrow, kinnikinnick and mahonia. Once established, these plants need little attention and are more resilient to drought. See ‘Native Species’ below for more information.

SOIL
Soil is where it all begins! Healthy soil means healthy plants, so make sure you start with a good foundation. If your soil has a high sand content, water will go right through it, without giving the plants much of a chance to absorb and store water. Add organic matter (compost) to your soil to increase water retention, and avoid disturbing it by tilling or turning.

Mulching your plants with straw, compost or landscape fabric will help keep the soil cool and moist, and reduce time spent weeding!

In the winter, cut back your annual plants and leave the roots in—not only will they help hold the soil, they are also an important food source for all sorts of good bugs. Add the cuttings to your compost pile, or simply leave them on the beds as mulch and let nature take care of them.

Cover crops are an excellent way to build your soil and prevent erosion during the winter months. Find a cover crop that fits your garden’s needs and priorities, and make sure you time your planting correctly! West Coast Seeds offers a variety of cover crops, you can find more information here.

Pollinator Gardens

Pollinators make the world go ‘round! Make sure you keep them in mind when planning your
garden. From my observations, here are the plants that are always covered in pollinators in
my garden and at The O Farm:

  • Poppies (papaver somniferum) are always full of honey bees! Sometimes up to 5 on one flower.

  • Borage and Comfrey are bumblebee central. They can’t get enough.

  • Sunflowers are just about the best annual flower you can plant. Super easy to seed and quick to germinate, the sunflower is like a beacon for bees. Let the flower go to seed, and watch the birds feast in the fall. The dried out stems are pretty sturdy and can be used as training poles for climbing peas and beans in the spring.

  • Asparagus: honeybees love the subtle green bell-shaped flowers of the asparagus plant. You can hear the patch buzzing when it is in bloom.

  • Mint, catmint (nepeta) and catnip are an absolute magnet for all kinds of bees. Plant mint in a container though, as it spreads like crazy.

  • Cosmos are gorgeous, come in all kinds of size and colours, are drought-resistant, pollinator-friendly and the seeds are loved by birds!

  • Nasturtium and sweet peas are great additions to your veggie garden. They are loved by bees and hummingbirds.

The David Suzuki Foundation’s Butterflyway Project page offers lots of resources for gardeners wanting to create pollinator gardens

West Coast Seeds has a nice Wildflower seeds collection.

Salt Spring Seeds has a Bee Plants seeds collection