On Gabriola, we have serious problems with invasive plants. Broom, daphne, honeysuckle, holly, English ivy, blue iris — these are just a few of our problems, and they’re spreading at an alarming rate. They Aren’t From Here. They take more resources than they should, and steal nutrients and water that native plants should be getting. They threaten — and sometimes destroy — whole ecosystems.

Many of these plants started off in somebody’s garden, then got out-of-hand and escaped into the wild. And now? We may never be able to fix the resulting problems.

native seedsGiven all that, I’m very concerned with the problems invasive plants cause on Gabriola, and I’m a huge fan of using native plants in one’s Gabriola garden. Native plants fit right in, after all, and offer beauty without fuss. They often need little water in the summer, for example. And some are stunningly attractive.

Last week in Nanaimo, this was my day-brightener: a whole seed rack devoted to native plants. Imagine! I came away with seeds for beauties like Blue Huckleberry, Ocean Spray, and Vanilla Leaf, all of which I love. I can’t resist seeing how they’ll do when sprouted from these seeds.

My only complaint? The full directions are inside the packet, so you won’t know that the directions say …we recommend sowing in late fall or early in the new year… until you’ve bought the seeds. In March. Well, whatever. I’m still inspired to see native plants getting the promotion they deserve.

(The seed rack full of native seeds is at Dig This in Nanaimo. The seeds are Native Canadian Seeds from NaturesGardenSeed.com. Now Dig This, by the way, is crazy expensive. A garden tool I bought online for 29.00 is 38.00 at Dig This, and that’s just one example. So do check around and compare prices before you buy anything there.)