Home » Plants & Animals » Virtual Garden Tour » Joan Russell's Country Garden in British Columbia

Joan Russell's Country Garden in British Columbia

© Carol Wallace

When we first moved to this one acre property, there was only tall grass, slugs and grasshoppers. There was a total of 3 birds that came to drink from the birdbath and then flew to the neighbor's trees. The neighbor said I was stealing her birds! We have encouraged birds (and beneficial insects) with bird feeders and plants that have edible berries and cover. We planted many different kinds of trees for ourselves and the birds. Now there are about 30 different species of birds living and/or feeding here.

We garden organically here. The birds keep the insect population at bay as we have no insect problems to speak of although then we needed to screen the cherry trees, the blueberries, raspberries and strawberries to have any fruit left for ourselves! Our orchard includes cherries, nectarines, pears, apricot, oriental pear, plums and 6 different varieties of apples. The peaches, nectarines, apricot, pears, and cherries have a fiberglass roof over them to keep out the rain, and the early frost. We don't have to spray for peach leaf curl, and the cherries (especially the Bings) don't split in the rain. We also grow raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, cranberries, 3 different varieties of grapes and blackberries.

We have a large vegetable garden with a dozen 40 ft. raised beds. We use poly and reemay tunnels to grow early crops, and later in the year we use the reemay for insect control on the broccolli and carrots. My husband and I both pick and process the harvests and we try to raise enough vegetables for the year. We grow tomatoes and green peppers in the greenhouse in the summer and winter lettuce, brocolli and mesclun in 4 cold frames inside the unheated greenhouse in the winter.

I love to grow old-fashioned perennials, the wonderfully shaped and scented old garden roses, herbs and clematis in particular. I grow over 100 varieties of roses ( I use the rose petals for potpourri, rosewater, rose vinegar, and for herbal tea, and the rose hips I add to favorite herb tea blends and to feed the birds in winter).

I also grow over 250 varieties of herbs ( which I dry for tea, make tinctures, vinegars, infused oils, dried culinary blends, and use fresh in season) . Some could be considered 'weeds' but not in my garden! The red clover, stinging nettle, dandelion, chickweed, plantain and more are all welcome here.

...and a Changing Rooms AFTER room

Rose arbor balcony

General Sikorski clematis

The copyright of the article Joan Russell's Country Garden in British Columbia in Virtual Garden Tour is owned by . Permission to republish Joan Russell's Country Garden in British Columbia in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.