October speaker Egan Davis is always a favourite. His topic was ‘Changing patterns in a changing climate’.
Egan suggested that by disturbing soil less around perennial plantings gardeners could save themselves a great deal of work. It is a good idea to adapt lessons from nature allow one to garden using much less water. In the last 10 years there have been some very dry episodes. The amount of rain is the same but the patterns have changed.
Egan showed examples of more natural plantings along pathways which included flowers along with grasses. These only need cutting twice a year.
- Favourites for natural plantings include Camissia, Daffodils, and Alliums.
- Flower seeds are also spread to provide summer colour.
- Lupins work well as do Monarda and Aster.
- Some flowers such as yellow rattle are particularly helpful as they reduce the vigour of grasses.
Home gardeners will be very envious to hear that UBC has a special machine can plant 50 thousand bulbs in 4 hours! Richmond uses robot mowers in some grassy areas that are smart enough to avoid paths, trees and hopefully people! The mowers have their own special sheds with charging capacity, and can mow very lightly everyday.
Street plantings: trees
Egan discussed the street plantings in Richmond. He told members about some of the problems encountered with street trees which include the wrong variety in the wrong place and root holes that are much too small. Efforts are being made to plant varieties of street trees that are extra hardy.
Some Miyawaki mini forests are also being installed with the help of volunteers. In these a small area is planted very densely and it is a case of ‘survival of the fittest’. This method also discourages weeds. Initially they do not look particularly attractive but in a few years the trees are taller and things look better.
Richmond is well known for its floral planters especially in road medians. These are labour and water intensive and are under study to see if more perennials can be used to reduce labour costs. Sometimes an urban setting will allow for unusual and striking plantings such as tree ferns in an hotel entrance. Egan showed photographs of efforts being made in Richmond to beautify the areas under raised Skytrain lines.
Further affield, he showed photographs of natural grassy areas in various parts of the world that are beautified with flowers and mentioned that poor soil will encourage diversity and more flowers. He gave examples of flowering plants that grow in hostile environments, in an area covered with huge rocks. Plants themselves will also alter their environments.
In an inspirational way Egan encouraged members to think about how their gardening style could be adapted to a changing climate.
Reportback submitted by Lois Woolley
About Eagan
Egan Davis has a lifelong passion for horticulture. Currently, he is the Parks Operations Manager for the City of Richmond. As a horticulture instructor, Egan has taught the Horticulture Education Program at UBC Botanical Garden, in the UBC Urban Forestry Program and through VanDusen Botanical Garden’s Adult Education Program.
As a horticulture practitioner, Egan has had leadership roles at VanDusen Botanical Garden, Park & Tilford Gardens, and in the private landscape horticulture industry. He is active in the industry on various committees and boards and has participated in local and international projects. Egan’s practical background and rich understanding of the plant world inform a unique and innovative perspective on the horticulture industry.