a shawn cornell project » my gardens

may garden

shawn cornell — Tue, 25 May 2010 19:14:28 +0000

for those that like the newness and vigour that spring brings, vancouver might just be your place. at times spring seems almost never-ending here. with the micro climates in the city and the relative chill in the higher elevations it is easy to take a half hour drive and find budding tulips weeks after mine have lost their last petals or banana plants that have unfurled their first full leaves well before have shed their sad winter cloak. despite our mild winter it has been a relatively cool may and while there are some plants that aren’t happy with the chilly night-time temperatures, like my canna, there are others, like my chusan palms, that thrive in the temperate climate we have been enjoying this year.

here are a few shots that i have taken of the garden this week. i noticed my calla lilies are ready to bloom, i will be sure to post some pictures of that soon.

Spring Tulips

shawn cornell — Mon, 17 May 2010 16:34:56 +0000

it’s sometimes hard to remember in the misery of november (or even december!) when i’m wrist deep in soggy dirt planting bulbs for spring just how worth the discomfort is. yesterday i finally removed the last of a few remaining petals from these dreamy tulips that graced my tiny garden this year. i was amazed at how long they lasted – i credit it to the cool weather of our never ending spring – which seemed to start in november and is only now beginning to fade to summer. as i’ve mentioned before, our townhouses sit on the landscaped roof of a low-rise building in downtown vancouver. after taking the elevator up, visitors walk out into the park like setting, complete with magnolia trees, hedges, rosebushes, lawn, children’s playhouse and walkways , with our townhouses surrounding it. this year i have begun working on this garden, which is still rather ‘builder issue,’ and part of my plan is to include some drifts of tulips and other bulbs. so in the sunless, rainy cold afternoons of november when i am planting spring bulbs for 2011, my hands red and chapped and the rain streaming down my face – i will think of a few of this year’s successes – and have hot tea waiting inside.

march in vancouver

shawn cornell — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:00:48 +0000

Keefer Entrance

Originally uploaded by shawn cornell

despite hosting the winter olympics, vancouver has had one of the warmest winters on record. this has given an early start to the garden on all fronts. banana leaves are unfurling, bulbs are blooming and everywhere there are new green shoots. i have started planting more containers and planning the summer additions to the garden. more photos to come soon.

welcome back!

shawn cornell — Sat, 16 May 2009 03:31:01 +0000

i know it has been while since i have written anything or posted any pictures of the garden. i do apologise, and really i have no excuse other than the usual. as many of you know, vancouver didn’t have a stellar winter, and even now there are remnants of the destruction (how dramatic) it caused on our gardens. i still have not replaced the giant cordyline at the front door, and i still see mouldy flax in many people’s yards. it’s not coming back people, time to move on. but besides the ugly winter and the spring which just cannot move on – my garden is coming along just fine. i have created a new wire basket for succulents that i am now searching for. it will hang over the edge of the concrete in the front garden and will get sun all afternoon. in the winter i will be able to move the whole enchilada to the greenhouse more easily i was able to move the succulents last fall. i already have more plants than places to put them and it only may, so there will more ingenuity on my part to come.

winter garden

shawn cornell — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 19:16:13 +0000

one of the surefire signs that spring is just around the corner is the very early blooming hellebores like these double bloomed pink oriental cultivars in my front garden. i snapped this picture last night using my tripod. the twinkle in the background are the white lights that i wrap the trunks of the potted trachycarpus palms in the winter to add a little sparkle to a gray vancouver day. i have started playing in my greenhouse this month and have planted some seeds, re-potted some tender plants and won my first battle of the year with aphids – and it will not be the last! in the garden there are more signs of life other than the ultra hardy hellebore blooms – other plants that died out with the december frosts are already peeking their heads out of the ground again. we shall see if they are punished for their exuberance.

a fall day

shawn cornell — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 17:58:58 +0000

it feels like only yesterday that summer began and yet here we are already in fall – there’s a chill in the air to prove it! despite the cooler temperatures september is traditionally a decent month for sun in vancouver and yesterday (and today) it has graced us with its presence. i got a few shots that i am happy in the afternoon with the sunlight filtering through the bamboo.

i am experimenting with using flickr to host my photos – i think i like it, though it does take more time to post.

late summer colour

shawn cornell — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 17:42:52 +0000

no words for me today.

banana update

shawn cornell — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 01:22:20 +0000

in my small back garden it is the bananas that truly make it feel like a tropical oasis. my nanners sure have come a long way since their ugly winter stem-only days.

summer snippets

shawn cornell — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:19:47 +0000

there is nothing quite like a sunny day in vancouver. my garden is its happiest when amun ra graces us with his presence. you can practically watch the banana leaves unfurl and the canna reach for the sky. as for my own preference, i can think of nothing better than the sun on my face all day long. this past week i was lucky enough to catch a few sunny days camping in pacific rim national park on vancouver island’s westerly coast. seeing the sunlight filter through the giant trees of the temperate rain forest reflecting off the spanish moss would make even the most ardent city dweller (such as myself) weak in the knees and wonder would it would be like to give up the concrete and fumes for good. though i could never give up the amenities of city life in exchange for a life in the unspoiled wilderness, i am lucky enough to have my own little slice of almost tropical heaven to relax in and enjoy ‘nature’ my own way anytime i wish.

away from the garden…

shawn cornell — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 18:44:47 +0000

it seems that i have been away from my garden for a longtime – and it’s true! in mid-july we headed back to do some work on our place in toronto – i will not bore you with details, but in short, i hate drywall. the day we returned i was forced to moved all the pots in the front garden away from the fences so they could be powerwashed and painted – and that is how it stands to this day. thanks to my friends d & p the garden was kept well hydrated during my absence and as such the back garden is coming along tickety-boo with the plants being far too full to even consider painting those fences.

the banana plants continue to grow at phenomenal rates and are one of my most favourite plants in the garden. they have opened several new leaves since this photo adding at least a half metre to their overall height. you can see the first year’s growth of the giant cane bamboo – it is magnificent, and i am so glad we installed the rhizome barrier! the gunnera i planted this spring is happily growing ever larger leaves in the planter we built for it and has started really shielding the garden from a neighbouring building.