January 6, 2017
Looking back some more, and found some pictures from a fairly recent (2011) botanizing trip to Riske Creek and Farwell Canyon. Local people – most of you will be familiar with the area, but if you aren’t, you might want to plan a day trip. A wonderful array of botanical treasures are to be found in the rolling grasslands of the Chilcotin Plateau.
Grasslands near Riske Creek, July 2011. Image: HFN
Geranium viscosissimum – Sticky Geranium. Riske Creek, B.C., July 2011. Image: HFN
Zigadenus venenosus – Meadow Death Camas. Riske Creek, July 2011. Image: HFN
Astragalus agrestis – Field Milk Vetch. Riske Creek, July 2011. Image: HFN
Gaillardia aristata – Various common names include Brown-Eyed Susan and Blanketflower, though it is usually known quite simply as Gaillardia. Riske Creek, July 2011. Image: HFN
Geum triflorum – Nodding Avens, Prairie Smoke, Old Man’s Whiskers – seed heads. Riske Creek, B.C., July 2011. Image: HFN
Allium cernuum – Nodding Onion. Riske Creek, B.C., July 2011. Image: HFN
Eriogonum heracleoides var. angustifolium – Parsnip-Flowered Buckwheat. Riske Creek, B.C., July 2011. Image: HFN
Eriogonum heracleoides var. angustifolium – Parsnip-Flowered Buckwheat. This pictures shows the arrangement of the flower clusters, radiating from a central point. Riske Creek, B.C., July 2011. Image: HFN
Lomatium macrocarpum – Large-fruited Desert Parsley. Seed cluster. Riske Creek, B.C., July 2011. Image: HFN
Orobanche fasciculata – Clustered Broomrape. This is an interesting plant. Parasitic in nature, if exists alongside its host plants, in most cases Artemisia species. Riske Creek, B.C., July 2011. Image: HFN
Cirsium undulatum – Wavy-Leaved Thistle. Great big beautiful thistles! I have a weakness for thistles of all sorts, for despite their prickliness and their horrible spreadiness which makes them so harmful to agriculture, when viewed from a purely floral point of view they are undeniablylovely. Riske Creek, B.C., July 2011. Image: HFN
Potentilla arguta – White-flowered Cinquefoil. Riske Creek, B.C., July 2011. Image: HFN
Senecio species, most likely S. integerrimus, flowers emerging through alfalfa foliage. Riske Creek, B.C., July 2011. Image: HFN
Weather rolling in over the Farwell Canyon grasslands
Farwell Canyon sand dune 1
Farwell Canyon sand dune 2
Grass in dune 1
Grass in dune 2
Chilcotin River from Farwell Canyon sand dune
Juniper
Silverbush
Clematis ligusticifolia
Unidentified Artemisia and grass – Farwell Canyon dune
Achillea millefolium – Yarrow
Chilcotin River at Farwell Canyon
January 3, 2017
Going through a box of old photos, from the pre-digital age, and found some beautiful things, memories of past forest rambles and garden visits. Here are just a few, from 1990. (I will scan and post more as time allows.)
Platanthera dilatata – White Bog Orchid, White Rein Orchid. This very fragrant white orchid flourishes along roadside cuts, blooming in the boggy ditches and along forest edges. July 1, 1990, near Graham Creek Ranch, Bridge Lake area, Cariboo Region, B.C. Image: HFN
Castilleja sp. – Indian Paintbrush. Usually bright scarlet, the Indian Paintbrushes occasionally show some extreme colour variations, such as this snowy white specimen. In the background are blue lupines. July 1, 1990. Near Graham Creek Ranch, Bridge Lake area, Cariboo Region, B.C. Image: HFN
Menyanthes trifoliata – Bogbean. The first time I saw this I was astonished by the flowers – those intricately cut petals are extremely eyecatching. July 1, 1990, Crystal Lake, Cariboo Region, B.C. Image: HFN
April 20, 2016
We were in Prince George for the day, and we paid a quick visit to the David Douglas Botanical Garden up at UNBC. It had been an extra-early spring throughout the province, and up here in in the cold northern interior of B.C. there was an appreciable amount of colour in the Alice Wolczuk Memorial Garden alpine plantings.
Vitaliana primuliflora ssp. cinerea – From the European Alps and Pyrenees Mountains. Image: HFN
I.D. uncertain, but possibly an Aethionema, one of the many “stone cresses”? Image: HFN
Pulsatilla vulgaris – the European Pasqueflower – with petals looking like they are cut from the silkiest purple velvet. Image: HFN
Dryas octopetala – Mountain Avens. This circumpolar native of North America and Europe is found in Arctic regions and high alpine regions. Image: HFN
Euphorbia myrsinites – Donkeytail Spurge. Native to southeastern Europe and Asia Minor, Italy, the Balkans, Crimea and Turkey. Image: HFN
A foraging ant puts the fascinating floral structure of this Euphorbia into perspective. Image: HFN
Erigeron compositus – Cutleaf Fleabane. Native to much of North America, in Arctic and alpine regions, and occasionally lower down in plains and semi-deserts. The population here in the Alice Wolczuk garden is definitely thriving. Image: HFN
Erigeron compositus. Image: HFN
On the drive home, a stop at lovely Hush Lake just north of Quesnel shows the just-emerging leaves of Yellow Waterlily, Nuphar polysepala. In summer this roadside lake is home to a wonderful display of this native water flower. Image: HFN
Hush Lake, Cariboo District, B.C. Image: HFN
September 9, 2015
A special place in Williams Lake – the lovingly preserved Potato House. We are pleased to see a number of our donated plants flourishing in the permaculture plantings, and we stop by occasionally to admire the vegetables growing in the raised beds of the community garden.This September visit showed the gardens going to seed, in a naturally lovely way.
For the history of this little corner of Cariboo heritage, and to keep in touch with what’s going on there now, check out their website. Also this page on the stellar Vanishing B.C. website of artist and roaming historical documentor Michael Kluckner.
Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) and Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca), herbs with long histories, flourish in their slightly untidy glory in the September garden at Williams Lake’s heritage Potato House. September 9, 2015. All images: HFN
Among the wonderfully fuzzy flowers of Leonurus cardiaca, a white crab spider waits to pounce on an unwary victim.
Behind the Potato House are a number of gently buzzing hives, occupied by honeybees such as this urban forager on the still-blooming nasturtiums.
In the vegetable beds, a purple-blushed tomatillo, Physalis philadelphica.
Surface tension is demonstrated beautifully on a waxy Brassica leaf.
Evening-fragrant pioneer plant Dame’s Rocket, Hesperis matronalis, sometimes shows this variegation.
Goldenroad (Solidago sp.) and the seedhead and few late flowers of Maltese Cross (Lychnis chalcedonica.)
A small agricultural oasis among the shops and parking lots of downtown Williams Lake.
October 13, 2014
A few weeks ago we were fortunate enough to be driving through the beautiful Monashee and Kootenay mountains of southeastern B.C., and we serendipitously happened upon a beautiful Japanese garden in the tiny community of New Denver. Situated on the shore of Slocan Lake, right beside the community park and campground, the Kohan Reflection Garden commemorates the many Japanese-Canadian internees who were held in the area during World War II.
A place of quiet reflection, lovingly planned and beautifully maintained.
The lakeside entrance to the Kohan Reflection Garden, New Denver, B.C.
Hydrangea blossoms nestled among silvery-edged Alchemilla.
Maples just beginning to show fall colour, perfectly setting off the rockwork of path and wall.
Three linked water garden tanks, with different plantings in each. The water lilies are sadly now over – we would have loved to see this in summer.
The ornamental grass plantings are diverse, creative, and quite stunning, especially when viewed against the backdrop of the lake. These photos sadly do not do full justice to the scene.
Slocan Lake provides a stunning backdrop to this peaceful garden.
This plaque at the main garden entrance gives a brief overview of the garden’s origins.
May 24, 2014
Blooming right now! A stone’s throw off Soda Creek Road just past the Comer Hill Trailer Park, we spotted this nice assortment of Cariboo-Chilcotin dryland wild things. Time to go for a hike, and be sure to take your cameras!
Balsamroot, aka Wild Sunflower – Balsamorhiza sagittata. Getting along in their bloom season, but still looking wonderful. May 23, 2014 – Soda Creek Road in the Comer Hill neighbourhood.
Same bit of hillside – Puccoon, aka Gromwell, aka Lemonweed (according to my field guide, though I’ve never heard this last one actually used) – Lithospermum ruderale.
Lovely, lovely larkspur – Delphinium bicolour – as nice this year as I’ve ever seen it – must be all the rain and the cool spring.
And the ubiquitous Pussytoes – Antennaria neglecta – so darned cute!
April 12, 2014
Just back from the coast, where spring is in full bloom. I must confess that, because of our springs completely occupied with the nursery, we have never seen magnolias in bloom before. Absolutely gorgeous, and the high point – well, one of the high points – of our botanical garden visits!
Magnolia at UBC Botanical Garden, April 8, 2014
More magnolias, UBC Botanical Garden, April 8, 2014
June 17, 2013
“You must have a big, fancy greenhouse!”
Well, no, not really.
Here it is, such as it is. Hill Farm’s “centre of operations”. Two wood frame greenhouses and two hoop houses. (And lots and lots of rather weedy garden!)
Hill Farm Nursery – we said “micro-nursery” and we weren’t really joking!
May 14, 2013
The greenhouses are absolutely alive this time of year, seething with life, both vegetative and otherwise. Four humans pass through frequently, as do our personal pets – cats, dogs, the occasional wandering banty hen looking for a secluded place to establish an illicit nest – and full-time residents include insect and arachnid life of all sorts, from the lowliest earthworm to the scuttling centipede to that supreme predator, the spider.
Spiders! We have never had a year with so many, both in number of individuals and in variety. The mild winter has obviously allowed many survivals; the hatch rate appears to be phenomenal. They are everywhere!
Newly hatched orb weaver spiders,
These guys are tiny. That’s the edge of a plant flat to give the scale.
Last week I shared my transplanting space with a super-abundance of these wee creatures, the result, no doubt, of the recent spell of warm weather. As they started to leave their hatching clusters, the greenhouse path was criss-crossed with microscopically fine webbing and bobbing brown spiderlings. All very circle-of-life and eco-friendly and all that jazz, but I soon tired of walking through them and picking up little hitchhikers. It was starting to make my skin crawl. Literally. So I must confess that I took up the broom and swept through the air along the paths and relocated as many of the little creatures as I could to the great outside world.
Good-bye and good luck! Eat lots of bugs, fellows. Somewhere else. (No worries, there are still lots left in the greenhouse.)
This week it’s baby toads…
Ah, spring!
*****
February 14, 2013
My corner of the house dedicated to early seed starting is overflowing with flats full of sprouted seedlings; I’m aiming for getting things out into the little greenhouse this weekend, once I’ve tidied away everything I’ve plunked down on the tables for “temporary storage” since end-of-seed-starting season 2012, and we’ve given the woodstove the once-over before lighting the perpetual fire which will burn endlessly for the next 3 months or so.
Many of you will recognize the firewood guy. We’re taking full advantage of teenage energy and enthusiasm (and muscles) to keep this show on the road! This picture is from a previous year, but everything out there looks much the same right now. The roof of the ancient little greenhouse is sagging a bit more; it was due for replacement in the fall but other projects bumped that one in priority, so I’ll be spending one more seedling season in my patched-together but warm and cozy “second home”.
Here’s what’s up in the seed flats right now. Now, no promises – some of these will not make it to the end – once they’re out in the greenhouse, we always lose some to accident (“Oh, no, I’ve dropped the seed flat!”), damping off, various mysterious plant ailments, and, occasionally, voracious caterpillars and the odd invading mouse. Keep your fingers crossed!
Up In The Flats, February 14, 2013:
- Gypsophila repens rosea ‘Filou Rose’ – Creeping Baby’s Breath
- Lavandula officinalis ‘Munstead’ – Dwarf Lavender
- Lobelia cardinalis ‘Queen Victoria’ – Cardinal Flower
- Miscanthus sinensis – a tall ornamental grass
- Erianthus ravennae – Plume Grass
- Physostegia ‘Rose Crown’ (only a few) & ‘Crystal Peak’ – Obedient Plant
- Monarda didyma, various – Bee Balm
- Achillea filipendulina – Fernleaf Yarrow
- Papaper orientale, various – Oriental Poppy
- Limonium latifolium – Sea Lavender
- Limonium dumosum – German Statice
- Penstemon hirsutus – Pale Purple Penstemon
- Rudbeckia subtomentosa – “Black-Eyed Susan”
- Phyteuma scheuzerii – little purple-flowered alpine
- Oenothera missouriensis – Missouri Evening Primrose
- Oenothera minima – Miniature Evening Primrose
- Verbascum blattaria albiflorum – White Moth Mullein
- Centaurea macrocephala – Giant Yellow Centaurea
- Gypsophila sp. – tall, single, pale pink baby’s breath
- Campanula carpatica – small blue bellflower
- Lychnis chalcedonica – ‘Morgenrote’ Maltese Cross
- Campanula medium – Canterbury Bells
- Platycodon, various – Balloon Flower
- Dianthus deltoides, various – Maiden Pinks
- Polemonium, various – Jacob’s Ladder
- Aster alpinus, a few only – Alpine Aster ‘Goliath’
- Calamagrostic brachytricha – Korean Feather Reed Grass
- Campanula glomerata alba – White Cluster Bellflower
- Campanula americana – pretty blue biennial bellflower
- Dianthus amurensis – Siberian Dianthus
- Lychnis viscaria – Catchfly
- Calceolaria mexicana – Pocketbook Flower
- Telekia speciosa – giant yellow daisy-type flower
- Sedums, various
- Bellis perennis, various – Double English Daisy
- Erigeron glaucus – Alpine Fleabane
- Greek Oregano
- Foxgloves, assorted – ‘Candy Mountain’, ‘Snow Thimble’, others
- Dianthus barbatus – Sweet William, various
- Echinacea pallida
- Delospermum affinus congestum – Ice Plant
- Yucca glauca
- Erigeron linearis – another alpine fleabane
- Heuchera sanguinea – ‘Firefly’ Coral Bells
- Geum ‘Red Dragon’
- Aquilegia – Columbines – too many to list!
- Lupines, various, tall & short
- Achillea millefolium – Red Yarrow ‘Cerise Queen’ & ‘Cassis’
- Achillea ptarmica – Pearly Yarrow ‘Noblessa’ & ‘The Pearl’
- Stachys byzantina – Lamb’s Ears
- Hesperis matronalis – Dame’s Rocket
- Verbascum phoeniceum – Greek Mullein ‘Katie’s Candles’
- Shasta Daisy – giant double white
- Scabiosa, various dwarf
- Gaillardia, various – ‘Goblin’, Arizona Apricot’, Arizona Red’
- Pyrethrum – Painted Daisy – red
- Eryngium planum – Sea Holly – ‘Blue Cap, ‘Blue Hobbit’, ‘White Glitter’
- Armeria maritima – Sea Pinks
- Dianthus plumarius – Cottage Pinks
- Dianthus superbus x – ‘Rainbow Loveliness’ Fringed Dianthus
- ‘Smokey’ Bronze Fennel
There – how’s that to start with?!
Hill Farm Nursery 
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