Garden Communications

UBC Botanical Garden has something for everyone in almost any season; August—high summer—is certainly no exception. Particularly, Hydrangeas are a big part of August’s charm in the Asian Garden, and there are plenty to admire. The western edge of Point Grey where the Botanical Garden is located benefits greatly from ocean breezes in the summer. We like to say that temperatures are always a few degrees cooler in the Garden than in the rest of Vancouver in summer. Our moderate climate not only allows for a wide range of plants to be grown, but cooler summer conditions often prolong both flowering and the longevity of individual flowers.

Following on from a year of weather-related surprises, I am continuing with the theme of cautious weather forecasting. I will refrain from predicting the normal March flowering regime, which would include (at a minimum) magnolias, primulas, rhododendrons and a wide variety of bulbs. Instead, I am falling back on another group of broadleaved evergreens. Better safe than sorry—and anyway, I seldom have occasion to highlight plants that don’t have showy flowers. The bamboos are a group of mostly attractive broad-leaved evergreens with comparatively narrow leaves.