Coastal BC Plants: Purple Dead Nettle

Purple Dead Nettle

I love spring! Wild flowers are in bloom. Here are some roadside posies I found down near the Shinglemill dock.

This one is called Purple Dead Nettle (lamium purpureum). It's a member of the mint family. When I first saw it as a young green plant I thought it was mint. It is listed as a invasive tenacious weed that originated in Europe. It is supposed to be edible and has herbal properties.  Of course, don't eat anything wild that you cannot positively identify as safe. -- Margy

RESCUE! W.H.Y Wasp Trap

The RESCUE! W.H.Y Trap is designed to attract and trap Wasps (W), Hornets (H) and Yellowjackets (Y). Last year we had three wasp nests at the cabin. One was easily dealt with because it was exposed. The other two were more problematic because they were hidden in the wall and under the deck, so we had to tiptoe lightly every time we went around the back of the cabin.

This year I decided to take a proactive rather than reactive stance. I got a W.H.Y trap at Canadian Tire because it advertised that it used a special liquid attractant that could entice early emerging queens to enter the trap. And to top it off, I got it free with my Canadian Tire Money. That took a lot of "sting" out of my purchase.

The trap is “baited” with the liquid attractant in three spots, on the bottom in a felt pad, on the top in a small vial, and in the main chamber in a cup of water.

The sturdy plastic trap is designed to last for years, and refill packages are available. That’s the good news. The bad news is that the attractant only lasts for two week and refills cost about $5.00 each. But if I can prevent a nest under our float deck or in the cabin wall it’s well worth it.

I put the trap up on March 15. We are having early spring weather, so I don’t want to miss the queens. If they start nest building, I could be trying to catch workers all summer long. And that isn’t a pleasant thought! I’ve been stung before and it hurts like hell. Fortunately, I’m not allergic. For some people it’s deadly! -- Margy

Spring Up the Lake

We are having a amazing spring here in Coastal BC. Up on Powell Lake, the weather was sunny, warm, and so calm that you could see a reflection in every direction you looked.

The barge hardly ripples the water as we head up the lake.

Very little snow in the high country for early April.

We love to go out on the lake on days like this. And we were the only ones, we didn't have to share it with any one else. Amazing! -- Margy

Firby Reborn

Last winter I lost a fir tree that I've been nurturing in a deck pot for three years. Storm winds whisked it away pot and all, leaving only a few decorative rocks behind. It was a really sad day.

I love using native plants in my landscaping. They grow better than non-native species. 

Wayne and I went out and found a replacement for our fir tree. Like many of our things around the cabin, he got a name, Firby.  I tucked Firby into a large barrel of soil to wait out the cold months.

The new two year old Firby "chained" to the deck.

Then, when I transplanted my cedar trees, I used a nice pot to give my new little two year old fir a first home. If all goes well, next year he'll graduate to a larger one just like his big brothers. I just hope he sticks around long enough for that to happen. -- Margy

Coastal BC Plants: Methuselah's Beard Lichen

Methuselah's Beard Lichen

In our moist climate, mosses and lichens grow in profusion. You see many trees encased and draped with these non-vascular plants. One impressive lichen is called Methuselah's Beard (Usnea longissima). As with all lichens, it is a composite organism with both plant and fungus characteristics.

It hangs from trees in long masses that make you think of the Old Testament patriarch who was reported in the bible to have lived 969 years. These beards aren't that old, but look like they've grown for a very long time.

Methuselah's Beard (click here for a fact sheet) used to have a much wider distribution around the world, but it has been declining due to habitat and environmental changes. It is still common along the Pacific region from Northern California to Alaska. Even where it remains, it has a spotty distribution, possibly related to its asexual reproduction through fragmentation of the thallus base.

It's most frequently found on old growth and mature conifer and hardwood trees in forests with high humidity such as coastal ranges. As these trees are harvested, the habitat is reduced.

The colour ranges from pale green to a yellowish-silver tint. This closeup with flash made it turn white.

First Nations people and herbalists have used it for purported antiseptic and antibiotic properties, but because of its tenuous status, harvesting or damage should be avoided. -- Margy

Transplanting Cedar Trees

My five year old cedar in its new pot.

We have small trees in pots on the front deck. We start with plant two year old seedlings. It's either the water, sun, fertilizer, or tender loving care that makes them outgrow their containers in just a few years.

Two cedar trees have been sharing my rectangular pots with flowers from spring to fall. Now the trees make too much shade, and their roots have taken over the limited soil.

I got two larger pots free with Canadian Tire money. They are pottery coloured, but made of plastic. We need to limit weight on the deck.

I waited until spring to transplant so the trees would start their new growth in their new homes. The alternative was in the fall, but I didn't want to disturb my remaining flowers.

You can see that the scale-like cedar leaves are still sporting their winter brown. That's a hint that it's a good time for transplanting. The tree is still dormant.

To help keep the soil light in the pot, I purchase a bag of Vigoro Perlite to combine with potting soil. The Perlite reduces weight, but it also provides for soil aeration, helps prevent soil compaction, and foster root growth, just what I am looking for.

Wayne drilled holes in the bottom of my pot and I placed a few rocks in the bottom. This will help keep the soil from blocking the drain holes. It will also help keep the weight at the bottom, hopefully helping to keep the pot from blowing off the deck.

I put a layer of potting soil over the rocks, a layer of Perlite, and more potting mix. I mixed them together and made a hole for the roots.

The hardest part was getting the trees out of their former pots. They were root bound.

Once the tree were in place, I filled in with potting soil. I staked the trees, and surrounded the trunks with more rocks. The rocks look good, add weight, and keep the soil from drying out.

My other cedar tree with its driftwood windbreak.

What happened to the flower pots? Of course, I went out and found two more two year old cedars to start the process all over again.
Do you have trees in pots? How often do you have to transplant them? -- Margy

Coastal BC Plants: Large-leaved Lupine

Large-leaved Lupine

In the front and back of our cabin we have Large-leaved Lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus) growing on floating stumps. I love the way beautiful stalks of purple flowers and bright green palmate leaves reflect on the lake's surface on a calm day. When that happens, it doubles our viewing pleasure.

You will find this Lupine growing predominately from Northern California through Southern British Columbia. It is much larger than the Lupine I was familiar with when I lived in Southern California. This variety can grow up to 1.5 metres tall.

Several tall sturdy stems rise from a cluster of basal leaves. Additional leaves continue up the stems in an alternating fashion. At the top, blue to purple pea-like flowers bloom. The flowers open from the bottom up, making the blooming season last a long time. When the season has passed, curved hairy pods form. As they age, they become dark and split, releasing the seeds.

This decorative log has been producing a garden of Lupine for several years now. Doesn't that make an attractive floating flower box? And it's self watering, with the roots growing down to capture the lake water on their own. -- Margy