Hydrangea heaven

Step into Tim Evans’ distinctive garden at any time during the growing season and it’s clear that he does not believe in doing anything by half measures. Every part of his garden on a quiet street in St. James is an elaborate feast for the eyes.

All the elements of a well-appointed garden were on display this summer — towering elm trees, fruit trees such as apricot, pear and plum, and collections of unique perennials, including some that have been grown from seeds purchased overseas. He grows several varieties of Thalictrum meadow rue. A favourite source is Plant World Seeds in England.

Evans brightened his shady front entrance this year with container arrangements planted exclusively with white flowers. The tall fence along the entrance to his backyard is densely covered in Virginia creeper vine. This summer, he hung hanging planters containing white angel wing begonias from large hooks that were completely concealed by the vine’s foliage so that it appeared as though the vine itself was blooming.

From the spacious multi-tiered deck organized into different seating zones that runs adjacent to Evans’ house, there are tantalizing views of the Assiniboine River which flows by the edge of the sloped property. An intriguing Victory Orangery solarium greenhouse perched near the top of the slope arouses curiosity. But we’ll go back to that later.

There are also beehives, birdhouses, arbors and a small pond. Unexpected elements include a collection of whimsical ceramic teapots mounted on a wooden trellis. An outdoor sound system discreetly tucked into trees and foliage fills the space with soft music. Asian-themed statuary blends seamlessly against the backdrop, reminding Evans of his travels to faraway places.

“I’ve been to Asia many, many times,” says Evans. “It’s so calming and peaceful.”

The fences that border his backyard have been transformed into lush living walls of climbing vines. A vigorous Beta grape cascades across one fence. Another fence area is draped in a stunning, white-flowered Manchurian clematis (Clematis mandshurica).

“One of my clients gave me some seedlings that she grew from two seeds she received from Germany. The plants just took off,” said Evans, who is a registered massage therapist. Evans is also the chair of The Prairie Garden, an annual gardening publication, and co-ordinates Nature Manitoba’s annual garden tour.

A gate near the bottom of his yard opens onto a manicured patch of lawn that grows right to the edge of the property where it meets the river. Apart from a leafy backdrop and a linear grouping of 10 rectangular-shaped black containers planted with annuals, this is the one minimalist area of Evans’ garden. There are two chairs around an open fire pit where Evans and his partner enjoy watching wildlife, including weasels and pelicans. The river has been very high this year, says Evans, and he is concerned about erosion. “This year, the water flooded all the way up to the gate. Last year, we could walk on the rocks all the way across without getting our knees wet.”

Evans is training John Davis rose, a climbing rose with double rose-pink blooms, to grow along the arched top of a metal arbour. At the top of the arbour is a metal sign that says Wits End. He grows several other roses, including tall, white blooming Oscar Peterson roses. Evans has ample space, too, to grow Persicaria polymorpha Giant Fleece flower as well as Elecampane Inula helenium, Verbascum, Veronicastrum, Flat Top White Aster Doellingeria umbellata, and Rudbeckia laciniata cutleaf coneflower. He clearly favours tall, statuesque plants and plans to add more martagon lilies.

“I like experimenting and trying unusual plants. If it fails, it fails, but it might also succeed,” Evans says.

An extraordinary Prairie Travelers’ Joy clematis grows against the back of his house, its thick woody vines reaching to the second storey. Developed by famed horticulturist Frank Skinner at his nursery in Dropmore, Man., Prairie Travelers’ Joy produces sprays of starry white flowers in August.

Evans’ landscape is infused with warmth, personality and the joy that gardening brings. Throughout his garden he creates exuberant groupings of containers filled with flowering plants angel wing begonias, mandevilla-dipladenia, geraniums, calla lilies — as well as an abundance of potted hydrangeas with bountiful blooms.

Evans loves hydrangeas. He grows several in-ground specimens of Annabelle smooth hydrangeas which have large, round-shaped creamy white blooms. He also grows several panicle hydrangeas such as Quick Fire. But by growing hydrangeas in pots, there are no limits to the number he can grow.

Overwintering potted hydrangeas in our cold climate requires careful attention to protect the root system from freezing temperatures. Once the shrubs are dormant, they can be moved into an unheated garage. It’s best to place the container on a sheet of plywood or other surface so that the bottom of the container is not in direct contact with a cement floor, as this can pull moisture away from the root ball. Some gardeners bring their potted hydrangeas into their garage once the plant is dormant, and wrap the container and entire plant in sheets of bubble wrap with an opening at the very top.

Evans takes another approach. Each October, he moves his expansive collection of potted hydrangeas into his Victory Orangery greenhouse, which receives full sun throughout the winter months. It was installed in 2015, and he has experimented with overwintering potted hydrangeas. But success came a few years ago when Evans used a low-wattage Lasko ceramic heater with an automatic adjustable electronic thermostat which he set at 1,500 watts.

Evans ensures the hydrangeas are well watered in the fall right up until the moment the containers are moved into his greenhouse.

“Low wattage is essential to keep the plants warm and keep the cold from freezing their root systems within the pots which normally would not happen if they were planted into the ground,” says Evans.

The potted hydrangeas are clustered closely together with the low wattage heater placed in the centre.

Evans typically waters the potted hydrangeas that are overwintering in his greenhouse once or twice in mid-winter. In December, around Christmas time, he hauls a hose outside from his basement. “I throw Miracle Gro Shake ’n Feed slow-release fertilizer onto the soil surface after watering. You don’t want the soil to go too dry during the winter. Roots which are allowed to go dry will freeze and cause the plants to die early.”

In spring, as outside temperatures start to warm above freezing and buds begin to appear on the hydrangea branches, Evans moves the hydrangeas from the greenhouse to his deck. He waters the pots deeply, adds slow-release fertilizer and waits until new leafy growth starts to emerge before trimming any of the branches — essentially pruning dead tips and removing any broken branches.

“A good number of my potted hydrangeas survive with this method,” he says.

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