Garden Communications
Endangered Maples in Southern Japan March 2024
Endangered Maples in Southern Japan – March 14 – March 28, 2024 The trip participants were Dan Crowley (Westonbirt Arboretum, UK, and BGCI), Ikuyo Saeki (University of Tsukuba, Japan), Ryo Sugiyama (Nitobe Memorial Garden) and Douglas Justice (UBC Botanical Garden). Ikuyo joined us on Day 2, on our way to the Ryukyu Islands, and left […]
Importance of Native Bee Diversity: How to Help Save the ‘Right’ Bees
About the author: Terrell Roulston is a community ecologist, and pollinator expert. He recently completed his Masters of Science in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at UBC, where he worked on untangling how honey bees (Apis mellifera) change the functioning of plant and pollinator communities using pollination networks. Terrell joined UBC Botanical Garden’s […]
8 Thoughtful Gifts for Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day is the perfect opportunity to honour the incredible mothers who have shaped our lives with their love, wisdom, and unwavering support. Show your appreciation with gestures that truly reflect the depth of our gratitude and affection. Here are 8 thoughtful gift ideas for Mother’s Day, from heartfelt gifts that speak to her unique […]
iNaturalist – Plant Phenology
We have created a project called Flowers of UBC Botanical Garden to understand patterns in the phenology of our plant collections. We encourage the public to participate in our project by capturing at least one photograph (ideally three) of easily accessible plants in our collections. Please remember to stay on the paths and do not trespass areas […]
May in the Garden 2024
Although April is the peak of rhododendron bloom in the David C. Lam Asian Garden, there are plenty more to come in May. The Azalea Glade, which is reached off of Henry and Fortune Trails, east of Upper Asian Way, holds a few treasures in this regard. At least two forms of Rhododendron campylogynum should […]
April in the Garden 2024
2024 will go down as an exceptional year for ornamental cherries, but one of the least predictable for timing. For example, the flowering schedule outlined in the handbook Ornamental Cherries in Vancouver, published in 2014 after several years of careful phenological observations, has been mostly turned on its head. Early cherries, like Prunus ‘Accolade’, are […]
March in the Garden 2024
In the March 2017 blog, I wrote about spring-flowering rhododendrons. I hope you’ll forgive me for returning to this subject, but I’ve seldom seen as extensive a bud-set on rhododendrons as they are providing us this year. Most visitors know that UBC Botanical Garden has an excellent collection of rhododendrons; at last count there […]
Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy’s Patagonian Tour with Laura Caddy
This January I was very fortunate to be included in Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy’s Patagonian Tour. This was an excellent educational opportunity to join a small group of 12 botanists, horticulturists and plant enthusiasts, led by renowned expert and botanist Marcela Ferreyra. The itinerary focused on observing alpine flora, as January is the best time […]
February in the Garden 2024
January was a bit of a sock in the jaw, wasn’t it? Every single flower that was open on January 10th (and there were plenty) was frozen solid by suppertime on the 11th. Let’s hope February doesn’t give us a repeat performance. Not to worry, though—UBC Botanical Garden has plenty of cold-hardy broad-leaved evergreens that […]
Auspicious Plants Information Lunar New Year 2025
Anthurium Anthurium andraeanum Anthuriums are considered auspicious during Lunar New Year celebrations for their vibrant and heart-shaped flowers, which symbolize love, passion, and happiness. The bright red color of many anthurium varieties is particularly significant during this festive time, as red is traditionally associated with prosperity and positive energy in Chinese culture. Offering or displaying […]