Succulents and More™

Time’s a-flying. It’s hard to believe it’s been three months since our Pacific Northwest trip. I’ve already covered all the gardens I visited; you’ll find my posts listed in this handy overview . But there was one unexpected find I haven’t written about yet: the serendipitous discovery of a charming water garden at a condominium complex in Victoria, British Columbia. The condo complex is called Harbourside and it’s located at 636 Montreal Street, near Fisherman’s Wharf. Some of the ground-floor units adjoin the “lake” that connects the two buildings. Rather than a blank expanse of water, it’s studded with a variety of aquatic plants. The design is so attractive, I spent a half hour taking pictures.

I know as much about water gardens as I do about growing orchids, but from reading posts on favorite blogs like It’s Not Work, It’s Gardening! and Danger Garden I have at least heard the word “duckweed.” It seems that for folks who have a pond or water garden, duckweed ( Lemna and other genera) is something desirable although in some circles it’s considered invasive . Yesterday I joined my friend Ursula for a walk through the UC Davis Arboretum , and we saw some pretty impressive carpets of duckweed in Putah Creek. According to signs posted along Putah Creek, gray water from campus is released into Putah Creek during periods of drought to raise the water level. Whatever is in that gray water sure is good fertilizer for duckweed!