Wildflower warning and other potential garden disasters: plant carefully this spring

The P.E.I. Invasive Species Council is warning Island gardeners to do their research before they plant this spring. That includes taking a closer look at wildflower mixes, choosing carefully at plant swaps and not going for "instant gratification" ground covers.

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Wildflower mixes

This year, the Council is issuing a special caution about planting wildflower mixes.

"Often the wildflower mixes don't have really good labelling, sometimes they'll have common names but they can be confusing," explained Beth Hoar, chair of the P.E.I. Invasive Species Council.

"Really the way to know what you're talking about, what species, is to use the Latin name."

Hoar recommends looking for packages with both the common and Latin name for the species in the mix.

If it's not labelled, she says to ask for the names of the specific species and if they're not available, don't purchase the mix.

"It is better to buy a few, individual packages, of tried and true wildflower species that we know do not to spread outside of our gardens," said Hoar.

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Plant swaps

It's buyer beware at plants swaps, according to Hoar.

"We like to trade plants that are in our gardens with our neighbours and our friends, and often the ones that we want to trade are the ones that are fairly aggressive and we have a lot of them because they're taking over," she said.

She gives the example of bellflower as one that you may see at a plant sale.

"It's a fairly old variety but you would see it around old homesteads, it's likely one that people swap," said Hoar.

But it can become a problem. The Island Nature Trust had to deal with it on one of their properties in 2016.

Megan Harris, executive director of the Island Nature Trust, ran into a problem personally at a plant swap.

"I go to these sales, they're wonderful as fundraisers but things are often mislabeled," said Harris, who purchased a plant labelled as a Siberian iris that turned out to be yellow flag iris.

"It's very difficult to tell the difference until it flowers and then, at that point, you have to try and dig it up, put it in the black bin and hope that you've got it all."

Ground covers

"One of our faults is that we want to have things that grow quickly and so we want instant gratification in our yards," said Harris.

"Things that grow quickly are often invasives so they plant them thinking they're going to have something instantaneous and beautiful but then whatever it is that they planted tends to take over."

Ground covers are one area where gardeners can run into problems, says Harris.

"They want an alternative to lawn which is a great idea but a lot of the things that are an alternative are non-native and spread quickly," said said.

She gives the example of periwinkle.

"It will take over and there will be nothing else but periwinkle on the forest floor," she said.

"That's how a lot of goutweed establishes itself as well and they end up regretting it."

Everyone may have the best of intentions, says Harris, but it's best to think before you plant.

"I know that people have planted garlic mustard thinking it was lovely and that it would behave itself and stay in one place and it never does," said Harris.

"They are no longer in control of the situation, the plant is and they end up having to wrestle it for years to come."

The Island Nature Trust ran into a situation last summer with another invasive plant.

"People have inherited gardens and there has been giant hogweed," said Harris.

"Now someone like us has to be called in to try and control it and get rid of it and it becomes a huge headache for a land owner."

Informed decisions

"What we really would like people to do is make informed decisions about what they're planting.It might be a horticultural plant that we purchase, it's a good idea to do a little bit of research, especially in this day and age when we can purchase things online," said Hoar.

"Our ecosystems don't have the checks and balances that they would have in their native areas so that's why theybecome a problem."

Hoar says it's important not to assume that everything at the local garden centre is non-invasive.

"There are a few species out there that garden centres sell that are on a lot of invasive councils' invasive list so it's always a good idea to do your own research."

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