Sounds like you have much better weather than me. We got a huge dump of snow here (around 45 cm) and it's impossible to walk around the garden! With the wind drifts and hedges, I have about 3 feet of snow in most areas. Also, it is very ice outside - I wish it was summer.

There are winter plants here for cool conditions, frost resistance or saturated winter soils. Most gardeners here quit around November and let winter rhodos or winter jasmine do their thing with little care. They may let calendulas spread. Like others, I continue and plant in every month of the year. I've had a brug defoliate due to frost a few days ago. I dig the tender brugs and pot them. I then store them in a cool dark place. I've planted evergreen rainforest ferns from a logging road during Nov and Dec. They like late fall moves (moist). I also plant winter veggies. Some have quite the winter veggie garden and I take advice from them. So many Victorians are ex-Ontario residents. I spotted a small star magnolia in flower last night in Victoria. Aside from winter flora, some shrub or trees will flower at times that make you wonder. The gardeners here count their garden flowers in February (annual flower count), the month were most start spring gardening. If it is an El Nino year, gardeners are more active in the yard. Prunus trees might be in a hurry and flower in late Jan which could cause flower loss should a frost hit. English gardening plants among other non-native trees might be confused especially if they are from zone 7 or lower.

For some reason, someone in Ontario will always resist the idea that their are laurels, sequoia specimens, palms, mature "dracaena spikes" (I found out that these "plants" are actually trees). I bring over arbutus, sequoia, laurel, palm foliage, loquat & holly samples among other things. Real estate agents use gardening on this coast as a sales pitch.

I've noticed that the longest gardening season in eastern Canada is from Halifax down to Yarmouth. More interesting gardening that I've seen in the east has been in NS. I'm not sure how confined gardening zones may be in NS. Out here, USDA zones are confined and intricate. Gardening close to the ocean makes a difference. If I get cold, I drive away from the water to colder areas (and uphill) to see what impact it has on things that are warm temperate, mediterranean or subtropical. There are so many factors that a book should be written on the topic of "Vancouver Island for Dummies". I bet that some native plants on this coast would do well on yours. Here is a garden photo with late flowers from this December.

Cheers

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden lavateria in December 2005

Allo

Many can accept this fact but you're actually at a more southerly location than mine. You have a bit more winter daylight and a bit less summer daylight time than I do in Victoria. I've had a sunnier but cooler late fall and I've had frost before the first day of winter. I wonder if the pattern out east is colder than normal for this Dec. We are usually opposites. If I'm colder than usual, then you are warmer than average or vice-versa. I'm getting a rush of Pacific air that warmed the air during the night so that may mean cold leaving the prairies heading to ON and QC. We are linked by the actions of the Jet Stream but I often get shielded by the Rockies and the Coast Mountains. They help hold continental air to the east side of the mountains. If they did not exist, I would not be able to garden with hardy winter plants. It is amazing how some plants will take dark, cool and saturated conditions. We have weeds that can set in winter. Some of the nastiest, tenacious and largest weeds in Canada are actually seen here. The most interesting trees here are broadleaf evergreens that have a dormant period but do not defoliate. I think that I've had a solid minus 1C already but there are many plants like hardy roses that have not yet quit. I've noticed that Dec or Jan roses are pink or yellow. So roses can be very hardy. Gravellia sounds like a tender shrub but it may flower during a winter month. And some rhodos will flower thru consecutive frosts in full winter. I've walked around Victoria on outflow mornings with frost on the lawns but winter pansies, primulas and jasmine flower as if to dismiss winter. I had a brother visit from Ottawa in Feb of 2001. He was surprised to walk in pale winter grass that was 6 in tall. He said that it was therapy from winter in Ottawa. Hardy prunus trees were turning pink. I used to tease Victorians that they were sensitive to cold but I'm becoming like them. I tell local-born folks here that holiday snow is very fun but logistical. After Dec or Jan most are tired with winter weather. A reason why I opted for Victoria. Spring is very early and so long (probably the largest season) so this place is very good for folks like me who like spring conditions.

Cheers

Here is a link that might be useful: Winter jasmine

First line on the previous post sould read "Many cannot accept this fact" instead of "Many can accept this fact". One word can really change things.

Salut

Well Den Vic, sounds like you are enjoying the weather out there. I am just hoping that we don't have another storm until after Christmas as we are heading west to Toronto to visit family.

I am very aware that Victoria and Vancouver are north of Montreal. We are on the 45th parallel while you are on the 49th (I think?). But the proximity to the ocean plays a big role in weather patterns and I believe that the both coasts have significantly warmer weather than Quebec and Ontario.

OOOOH ! I have found the most yummy stash of seaweed (eel grass, irish moss, kelp and rockweed within a mile or so from my house ! I can park 6 feet from it and that's where you'll find this gal everyday above zero from now til my garden begs for mercy! I wish I had room for that hot compost thing (I envy you Tiffy) and as for zone envy...... guess who went sailing yesterday???? M

Mary,

I saw your snowfall on the news the other night, and since I have relatives in Montreal, my heart went out to all of you. I guess it was a record snowfall, and best wishes for safe travels and no more pummeling snow - at least during the holidays.

You are right, we do have warmer winters than most of Quebec and Ontario, but it's rather sporadic. Those January thaws can be too wicked and send any gardener into a worrying frenzy. And we usually don't get any really cold (-20C) weather until mid-January to mid-March. So far this December, things have been very consistant - a bit of snow every now and then, and -5C to +5C for most days. I enjoy it!

Sorry Den, but I still like the changing of the seasons and my lovely snow! LOL!! Actually, the snow melts and keeps feeding water to the compost pile. No watering required!

Mora... Did you say eel grass???? Now that's a treasure! My ancestors - Acadians - used it exclusively in their gardens and on their farmlands in the valley after building the dykes. Great stuff!! I like seaweed because it provides our gardens with potassium and much needed micronutrients which aren't found anywhere else. And it keeps the slug population down - espacially if you don't rinse it. Good stuff!! Don't tell me where your stash is...

Ahhh Tiffy, there is tons of it, come on down! M

We're buried under snow, and I expect (hope!) it will remain until spring. But we have trellises to build, benches to make, lots and lots of things to build. Tomorrow, I will go to the field and make a huge bonfire of a patch of burdock I have found, which I don't want to spread. Soon, I will start seeding perennials, and there will be no time at all. I like the snow. I'm glad to get the rest. Otherwise, I would be a bitter and angry woman, jealous of Den's Victoria garden, and Morra's stash of sea mulch.
Okay, I'm jealous, but neither bitter nor angry. Happy gardening, all.

Thanks for your sympathy Nicole. Our winter weather is quite harsh and after living in Montreal for over 25 years, I have still not adjusted to all that snow! It's quite cold here this morning (-11 C) but we are scheduled to have warmer weather for the weekend (with 60% to 90% chance of snow!!!).

Yes, Vancouver is on the 49th and Victoria on the 48th. The US border cuts around the lower portion of Vancouver Island.

Not everyone enjoying it like moi:

Some miss a full four season year but I get spring, summer and a fall. Winter is like a rather wet fall, late fall in southern Ontario, or springlike. Not much fall colour but some really late colours. The snow can be found in the "hills". I'm content because the climate is easier on driving and every day life during winter months. Snow is fun but after the holidays, folks can get tired real fast. But having said that, Victoria sucks for children who enjoy snow. My winter nights are longer than places like Toronto so winter flora helps prevent winter blues. During sunny breaks at temps just over 10C today, I took a walk and enjoyed winter hebe and late roses in flower with my gf. It felt springlike. Live garden flora helps combat the blues of long winter nights. Some move to Victoria for the winter greenery. It's a great time of year to check out holly specimens as there are different cultivars. I've seen some folks from Quebec bored with a Victoria winter since there are no nearby ski-doo trails. No ice fishing either. But most of the retired folks rather keep the snow on the hills.

Snow is good if I'm going to get outflow under 0C. Snow has good insulation properties. But it can put a bad load on broadleaf evergreens. I was removing wet snow off palm foliage last winter as vistors to Victoria found the combination of snow and palms the most surprising mix they've ever seen. Well it happens the odd winter in the Mediterranean, Florida, southern Japan, coastal China or California. It is not something unique to BC. Some people may use snow to protect a tiny palm or a live plant they wish to protect. Dry, dead leaves are best. Cloacking foliage for too long in not good. It may destroy the specimen. But something like some hardy ornamental bananas introduced to the coast can be covered from Nov until March-April with zero light and the canes resume in spring once unwrapped.

Odd facts:

Everyone in southern Ontario lives in more southerly locations than Nanaimo but that city can make use of "hardy subtopicals". Imagine Magnolia grandiflora gowing in Timmins, Ontario, palm trees in Gander, Newfoundland, Eucalyptus in Lac Saint-Jean, Quebec, Monkey puzzle trees in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It sounds like gardening fiction but these specimens are found in the gardens of Nanaimo.

Here is a link that might be useful: Nanaimo, BC: 49 deg N

It's interesting to see the observations of other ex-Ontario residents. I'm sure that he has moved to this coast for the gardening.

Here is a link that might be useful: Art Drysdale: Nanaimo article

I envy you on all that stuff you collect on the beach. Here in the east end of Toronto all I can collect until the end of November are bags of leaves my neighbours bring to the curb to be taken away. I also get wood chips. But none of this can compare to what you get from the sea. I'm not fat from lake Ontario but believe me the lake does not yield anything as good as what you get. Sometimes I may see a dead fish but I wouldn't dare bring that home. Imagine racoons and stench! As for compost I can't keep it hot in the winter, there are people who do. I often wonder what's missing in mine.

Go Outside if I don't have to? Willingly? Hahahaha.... No! I've been stacking bags of compost by my back door, because I don't want to walk the 15 feet to the compost bin. I'll go out to do the necessary errands, and shovel the front steps, so I don't kill myself while going outside to do those necessary errands. But anything else requires a supreme amount of motivation on my part. I still have to shovel all that big snowfall onto my plants for insulation, I still have to bring in a bunch of empty terra cotta pots (they're safe enough for now, but they'll eventually get snow or ice in them),I still have to shovel that 15 feet to the compost bin...

It's funny how many things other than latitude can give you a mild winter. My brother lives in Basel, Switzerland. Latitude is about the same as St. John's NFLD, it's almost 1000 ft up the side of a mountain, far away from any large moderating body of water. Yet a really cold winter day for him is only -10C. The gulf stream gives the UK some winter weather that lets them keep some tropicals outside, and warms up the whole continent of Europe (lucky stiffs!).

Nova Scotia winters are definitely milder than our Montreal winters, but they're still pretty bad. Even though it doesn't go down below -20C in NS except for on the rare occasion, it's much damper, and close to the shore, there's a heck of a lot of wind at times! And at least when it snows here in Montreal, it is just snow. A good half the snowstorms from Halifax on south turn into wet slushy crap, and no boots in the world will keep you both warm enough and dry enough if you have to walk anywhere!

We get much hotter, longer summers here in Montreal, and our spring is shorter and warms up to a good planting temperature earlier.

After living here in Montreal for 15 years, and growing up in Nova Scotia, I can't say I prefer one area's winter over another's. I hate it when it's -5C, damp and windy, and I hate it when it's -15C dry and still. I hate any temperature below about +5C, no matter what else is going on. You couldn't get me out skiing for any amount of money!!!

BP

We've just had a big thunderstorm in Victoria. The lightning has caused damage and power outages in parts of Greater Victoria. WA state has also received storm damage. I'm leaving my Christmas ornaments that fell off the trees until the Pineapple Express is done with us. It is mild but more stormy weather can be expected. This winter thunderstorm was violent especially for us in Victoria who only get 2 or 3 on average per year.

Here's an unusual tree native to Canada. The Arbutus tree offers winter interest when the bark peels during winter months.

Cheers

Here is a link that might be useful: Arbutus native to BC

Evergreen prunus brings winter interest to gardens and provides shelter for those caught in rain during a winter walk in local parks. Prunus may flower before spring which is good for gardeners who can't wait for spring blossoms on their trees. There are other forms of evergreen Prunus. -Even dwarf cultivars.

Here is a link that might be useful: Evergreen Prunus in Canada

Yugoslava,

Keeping the compost hot in the winter came as a fluke last year. I pick-up 200-300 lbs of wet coffee grounds every week, and I get out to the winter pile once on Saturday or Sunday to add it and mix with leaves I've collected in the fall. I also surround the pile with bags of shredded leaves to keep the heat in and keep the leaves thawed for the next week. The coffee grounds really heat things up - still at 55C as of yesterday. Yay!

Seaweed is added every once in a while - sometimes the ice on the shores of the bay is too dangerous to walk through, and I simply can't get to it. But that usually only happens in the deep cold of February.

BP,

Got some rain for Christmas - again! My strawberry plants are fully exposed and the leaves are still so green!! So are the Crazy Daisies!

I would have prefered the snow... Just because it's great for getting the kids out. I'd rather have our daughter toboganing down the road (our's doesn't get plowed for 24 hours after a heavy snowfall and the kids have a hayday using the road as a sleighing hill), than inside saying she's bored while being stuck at the computer... There's only so much baking and crafts you can do in the span of a day if you're a child. LOL!!

Den,

I am not very fussy about the Arbutus tree. I'll take my White Paper Birch any day. When the snow white bark peels off, out comes a beautiful peach rose colour which inevitably turns silver before going white to repeat the cycle again. We have a really nice one at the end of the driveway, and a few others bordering the property. Love our White Birches!!

The Evergreen Prunus is a good looking tree!

How nice to be living in Victoria hey...I am in Edmonton Alberta and yes this winter has been exceptionally warm as well .Plus 11 on Christmas day...We are still in the plus's here and will be all week...
Well for me I am always busy also as I have a acerage east of Edmonton that keeps us busy.. Right now I am clearing some brush and making it into wood chips, composting..
The bigger stuff We will use for the wood stove...
What I did was stack 12 straw bales together in a Square and filled it up after going through the wood chipper shredder with leaves, grass, coffee grounds, pine cones, wood chips, more grass, straw, and spruce tree needles..
The straw will help retain the heat and it should compost over the nexts few months...But in the mean time here in Edmonton I am also turning over the compost bin here and keeping it warm as well....
I am a little worried about no snow cover as I have alot of lilies that may be lost if we get a real cold snap and no snow cover..I was thinking of bringing in some straw and covering them up but what a mess that would makes...
I am thinking of heading to Victoria or Vancouver to get a load of drift wood as well some some sea weed for composting...
But the drift wood I would sell or make things from...As of now I have a little bit of free time so travelling out west would be a mid winter getaway so thats why I am thinking of heading west for a week or two...It breaks the mid winter blues if it dose get cold here...

If we do get some snow then I am piling it up all along the flower beds to for winter protectiion...I also watered the spruce trees the other day so that they don't dry out from the cold....As we never really got a whole lot of rain in the fall here...

Plus I also keep busy filling the bird feeders here as well as out at the acerage ..They also have fresh water to bathes in as well...It's sure is neat watching the birds have a bath with snow all around them.. They must be part russian and getting ready for the NEWYEARS Polar Dip ..lol..

Happy Gardening to yea all...HAppy Holidays...Chatterbox Lyle..

Are you kidding? Winter hasn't even bothered to show up this year! I'm in zone 3/3a, and I *should* be hefting shovelfuls of snow just to get out the door...instead, I'm literally in shorts (it's around 3 to 8 degrees, yes I know: I'm wierd) and doing deck repairs in the back.

Not that I'm complaining. Well...not much. I love winter, love being blanketed in snow, waiting with the earth to wake up in spring; my DH, on the other hand, would happily move to Bermuda tomorrow. So HE's happy, and I just look at the dry grass and dead branches and water my perennials and biennials every chance I get.

Even starting my earliest seeds is a letdown: it just doesn't seem like last growing season had a real "END", if that makes any sense. But that's not important, it's just me whining...my real worry is the local farmers, and their ongoing drought and cold-spring problems. I hope this year is better for all.

So...anyone in the NWT got a little pocket blizzard for me? Preferably roughly the size of central Alberta? ;-)

Any chance I get I go outside to do garden related activities, which is not as often as I would like. Last week I dug up my Dahlia tubers and put them in storage. This weekend I plan on cutting up Christmas trees and covering the rosebushes. I should also plant my garlic bulbs. I maintain the compost pile through winter every year. I still have bulbs to plant in pots. The weather has been so mild that I'm tempted to dig up and relocate rosebushes and other shrubs or perennials.

Sharon

Merricat,

I know what you mean in terms of not getting a winter yet. Today it was a balmy 10C here in Nova Scotia. I do wish winter would come as this weeklong warm spell and lack of snow is starting to worry some of us here in the east. The ground has already thawed and feels mushy underfoot - NOT a good thing.

And I miss the snow. I am not a winter sport person, but I enjoy looking out my windows in the morning and seeing the snow in the woods behind the house.

It's bound to come though. Next week we could be talking about mounds of the white stuff!!

Sharon,
Just pulled out your dahlias??? Wow!! I'm in a zone 6, but I'd have to pull them out in late October/early November. And moving roses around after September is pretty much out of the question.
Amazing the differences even in the zones, eh?

+14C here yesterday! It was such a warm treat, chased every one of the winter blues away. I spent the afternoon puttering outside and tiding up my greenhouse.

Tiffy is right, the ground is not frozen here in NS, and it is starting to become a worry. The grass is turning green, my wild dogwood shrubs are starting to leaf. Eep. Unfortunately all this warm weather does have a bit of a downside.

I don't miss the snow a bit, however I'd like to see the temp. drop enough to keep the trees & plants in dormancy. We're all just waiting for the other 2ft snowy boot to drop. :D

Lilli

Did a walk-around today, e-gad, bulbs are up, shrubs are sporting full "spring like" buds, one primrose is blooming, ivy normally dorment at this time is going nuts with new grouth, holyhock and snapdragons are green and growing, malva has buds!!! I love the warm temps but not sure what my garden is going to make of it in the long run! M

Lilli,

My Japanese Quince has leaves!!!!!! Argh!! And the Forsythias have broken through their winter 'shells'. We could see very little flowering from schrubs which flower on old wood. And I have a lot of those...

And my Rubykins Pussy willow has pussies!!!!!

Yesterday I was putting more dirt around some young Rose of Sharons. They had heaved out of the ground and the roots were showing.

I don't remember seeing such a January thaw - ever!

Sure is nice on the heating bill though!

Tiffy, I was too busy to dig up the Dahlia tubers in November. All I could do was cover all of my beds with leaves. I thought I would loose them all, so was quite suprised and pleased to see that they were OK. Now I just hope they will make it through winter in storage.

You are supposed to be able to dig up roses any time that they are dormant and the earth is loose enough.

It is freezing here again so now I'm only going to cover the shrubs with pine boughs.

Sharon

Went out yesterday during another thaw and clipped some very lively looking lamium to propagate/root up inside - just before the next dumping of snow came and covered up the plants.