With the general closure at the beginning of last spring, my hairdresser and her partner stayed at home and created a vegetable garden, with chickens. This year, they continued the rewarding project and added arbors, hanging baskets and many other flower planters.

Just before the last heat wave this summer, while I was getting my hair cut, Jackie said that this harsh summer revealed that petunias, of all the flowers they’ve planted, are by far the most resilient.

I am okay. In addition to the planters of basil and potted tomatoes and peppers on my south-facing patio, I almost exclusively grow petunias in bowl-shaped containers set on individual iron stands.

My regulars for the past few years have been Tidal Wave Silver (pale lavender) and Evening Scentsation (bright, deep blue), two award-winning strains. They never fail to provide a profusion of fragrant flowers on stems spread out all summer.

Every year I look for new and unusual petunias to try. This year, T&T Seeds introduced Tickled Blush, a climbing (or trailing) petunia with pale pink flowers. It grows in a planter installed in an old hammock.

One novelty that I noticed in the Veseys Seeds catalog is the Tie Dye, in the Shock Wave series. The small flowers of the spreading plants are blue-purple and white. My plants quickly covered with flowers that were initially all blue-purple before starting to display the striking bicolor.

Petunias are also a fascinating group of plants. These are the wild petunias, some appearing in the lineage of our modern varieties. More on them later.

Rhodo remedy. If your rhododendrons have suffered from the summer heat, Gail M. has a tip: “My poor rhododendron leaves were burning in the heat. A young gardener who helps me from time to time offered to cover the shrubs with burlap during the daytime heat. It was a great suggestion, and the practice saved the plants from further damage. I think I’ll try this if we have a cold snap this winter too.

Talk about a hawk. Gail added in her note a comment on a recent column that described the falcon activity in my backyard: “We also had a Cooper’s Hawk in our neighborhood, and it was fun reading your column.

Another reader was less than happy: “Thank you for your article on Cooper’s Hawks. I love birds, but trust me it’s no fun having hawks in my trees for two years now. They eat all the birds and small animals around. My garden is raining feathers and little wings.

Steve’s family had a different experience with hawks: “After reading your article, we thought you might be interested in our garden guests. A family of Cooper’s hawks taught their young to fly and hunt in our neighborhood. Nuthatches and small birds have adapted to their presence without noticeable loss. Our berry crops were not affected by robins and starlings as they kept a safe distance. “

This email answered a question I had had in mind since I started picking blueberries from my loaded bushes: why didn’t birds light up on the bushes for food? Usually I have to throw an old net over the plants. Perhaps the hawks in the immediate vicinity are sending the smaller birds to more hidden feeding sites.

Picnic in the gardens. The Pacific Horticultural Center, 505 Quayle Rd. In Saanich, is having a picnic in the gardens tomorrow (Sunday, August 29) with donation entry starting at 4:30 p.m. and live music from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Bring have a picnic from home or take out from a local restaurant. No alcohol is allowed. Bring a picnic blanket or folding chair and practice physical distancing. hcp.ca.

Exhibition and sale of art from the Abkhazian garden. Some of the artists in the “Artist in the Garden” program of the Abkhaz Garden will present and sell their works to the public on Monday September 6, Labor Day, in the garden from 11 am to 4 pm. After that, the art will be on display in the tearoom and gift shop until October 11. The proceeds of the sale will be divided equally between the artist and The Land Conservancy. Address: 1964 Fairfield Road. in Victoria.

VHS meeting. The Victoria Horticultural Society is hosting a Zoom Meeting on Tuesday, September 7, 7-8:30 p.m. Dr Ross Bayton, Deputy Director of Heronswood Garden, will present “A Heronswood Year: Five Season Gardening in the PNW,” Drop -The Fees admission for non-members is $ 5. To register, visit vichortsociety.org.

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