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After a cloudy, damp beginning, the inevitable warm summer weather of June will begin in earnest. As Greater Vancouver is already imposing serious water restrictions, we all need to mitigate the amount of water we use in our containers and landscapes. Selecting more drought-tolerant plants is certainly one way of dealing with this issue, but there is far more to it.

Water conservation in our gardens and landscapes requires strategic, long-term thinking and planning. It begins with a diversified approach. First of all, plants that have similar water requirements can be grouped and planted in such a way that they can help each other by providing shade and protection from drying winds.

Soil is perhaps the most critical element for all plants, especially in urban areas. So many new developments remove existing soil, construct their projects, and then plant using minimal amounts of good soil. Consequently, the soil in these new beds is often too shallow to support green space plantings and allow them to thrive. As the trees, shrubs, and lawns begin to grow, they require far too much water in the heat of summer to keep them healthy. Their limited root space causes many plants to go into stress, which renders them more susceptible to both disease and other pest problems.

The same is true of containers. Small baskets and planters dry out far too quickly, require watering far more often, and risk stressing out the plants, making their performance far less satisfactory.

Larger containers that have a critical mass of soil will need to be watered less often, making it easier for the plants to grow with less care. The addition of organic matter like Sea Soil and composted manures makes an important difference in the health of the plants and can significantly reduce the amount of irrigation required.

For all your plantings, be they in beds or containers, proper soil preparation is the key to success for all plants, from annuals to trees and shrubs. The planting hole you create should be twice as wide and deep as the size of the root system of the plant. Heavy soils can be amended with fine fir bark mulch and organic matter like Sea Soil, to hold the moisture around the new roots.

While composted manures are wonderful for vegetables, annuals, and perennials, most trees and shrubs are acid-loving, and manures are too alkaline for success. Fine fir bark, kelp and fish meal are the main ingredients of Sea Soil and are much better in helping to minimize water needs, while also aiding the roots to grow down deeper.

Cedar hedges have become a huge issue for care and watering over the past few years. Unfortunately, most hedges were never planted properly in the first place, with good, amended soil, and they are subsequently seldom adequately watered or fed. As a rule, their roots are shallow and as the hot summer weather dries them out, they struggle to survive. This is evident in late summer when we see so many dry brown trees in local hedges.

Older, more well-established hedges can sometimes be revived by working in some quality blended soils around the outside of the root zone of the trees. Try to do this on rainy days to ease the stress on the topmost roots. Work these good soil blends down about three to four inches. In addition, work in some time-release fertilizer like EverGro’s Evergreen and Broadleaf 14-7-14 fertilizer to provide much needed nutrient over a longer period.

Next, it’s important to water well and deeply. Finally, add a soaker hose or drip irrigation to help keep the soil moist going forward. Top dressing with a mulch will really help retain even minimal moisture. Drip systems are by far the most time efficient and are effective, however you must check the soil regularly to see how far down the moisture has penetrated — it can be deceiving with these systems, because you do need to water deeply to keep the roots growing downward. This is important if you want to turn even tired hedges into full, vibrant privacy screens. As a reminder, all trees and shrubs need to be watered at their drip line, which is the outer perimeter of the foliage.

Smart watering is one of the most effective ways to save water. The concept is to keep water off the foliage of the trees and keep it focused on the root zones. Pulsating sprinklers waste a good deal of water through evaporation and misdirected water spraying on sidewalks and roadways. For lawns, underground systems with efficient waterheads are the best ways to irrigate turf when allowed.

Soaker hoses are a great way to water vegetable, annual, and perennial gardens. When carefully placed, the water goes directly to the root zone, and less water is used.

Watering in the morning when the temperature is on the rise is by far the most efficient time to water. Evening watering results in plants transpiring moisture away, and essentially not making the best use of it. Watering in the heat of the day is not recommended because of the loss to evaporation and danger of burning the foliage.

Using plants in our gardens that are both more heat and drought tolerant is certainly important. They all need about six months to a year to become established well enough to minimize their watering requirements. We can all still use our favourite plants and pollinators, but we also still need to ensure proper soil preparation.

Some of my personal “go-to” drought resistant plants for summer colour include lantanas, portulaca, salvias and zinnias. For perennials, achillea, echinacea, gaillardia, lavender perovskia, rudbeckia and sedums are some of the best. While there are many sources offering additional suggestions, for a comprehensive list, be sure to check out the FireSmart B.C. Landscaping Guide. Not only does it offer proactive tips for keeping your garden FireSmart, it evaluates several annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs based on their moisture requirements once established. To view the guide, visit firesmartbc.ca/resource/landscaping-guide .

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In a city where renovations often go modern and open-plan, Caroline Haselden knew she wanted something different for her family’s circa-1926 Dutch Colonial.

“As much as I can appreciate and admire a West Coast modern esthetic, I knew that I wanted something to reflect more of who we are,” says Haselden. “Something a little more eclectic and mixed.”

Haselden and her family had moved from the U.S. a few years prior. They bought homes in Vancouver and Whistler around the same time, then turned to local interior designer Gillian Segal to renovate both.

“It was a really interesting and fun exercise, working with the same client on two projects in two different locations at the same time,” recalls Segal. The Vancouver house was plenty the project on its own: a 4,000-square-foot character home in the city’s Shaughnessy neighbourhood.

It was the kind of place that appealed right away to a family with a wide-ranging backstory and a soft spot for older homes. Haselden grew up in Mississippi, and her husband hails from Charleston, South Carolina. They’d also lived in New York for a decade before relocating to B.C.

“We’ve never bought or built a new construction, and we’ve done projects in various places in the 21 years we’ve been married,” says Haselden. “I just like the character … I think it makes spaces unique.”

Segal set out to bring the home up to “modern living standards,” making it more functional for the couple and their three children plus dogs, while holding onto the character they’d fallen for in the first place.

On the main floor, that meant forgoing an open plan: the home’s living and dining areas retain their original, partitioned configuration. Also intact are original oak floors with walnut inlays on the main level. “We wanted to keep the original floors, even though they’re not perfect … [Gillian] totally got that,” says Haselden.

To contend with an unusually long living room, Segal carved out two sitting areas that suit how the family likes to relax and entertain, creating a cohesive space with “conversational groupings.”

“When you have a party and you have 20 people over, you’re not sitting around in a circle; you’re having little offshoot conversations,” says Segal.

The first cluster centres around a custom fluted Masana Stone fireplace. A speckled velvet loveseat, veined marble side table and an almost medieval-looking metal sconce punctuate an otherwise soft palette of creams and greys.

The second grouping, backing onto the first, feels more playful, with an art deco-leaning maroon velvet sectional, rose-toned accents and a swooping Krane pendant light from Roll & Hill.

A sunlit lounge area extends off the living room, with four low-profile lounge chairs arranged around a round coffee table, bordered by bay windows. A custom buffet complements an antique iron garden cart — now a bar – which Segal spotted and picked up on a trip to L.A.

“Gillian loves to mix newer things with old things, and she was really good at finding vintage pieces,” says Haselden.

The interplay of old, new and offbeat continues in a tiny powder room, where chocolate-hued grasscloth wallpaper meets vintage Murano glass sconces. A starkly veined marble sink draws focus, set off with a matching window frame. “We only really had room for this teeny, tiny wall-mounted sink. So we decided to make it the most fabulous wall-mounted sink that we could,” says Segal.

The dining room injects a dose of colour, with millwork and mouldings painted a dusty green (Farrow & Ball’s Green Smoke), against a textured cream wallpaper. A slender Lindsey Adelman chandelier and striped Lawson Fenning dining chairs set off a weighty rectilinear dining table.

Upstairs, Segal and team reconfigured the layout to create more efficient spaces and storage. In the primary suite, custom millwork tucks into sloped ceilings. Low bouclé armchairs, breezy drapes, a muted geometric rug and over-draped bed linens give an air of unstudied calm.

Moving into the primary ensuite, the feel is more formal. Custom fluted plaster details echo the living room fireplace, adding texture to a layered palette of cream and gold. Bevelled quartzite countertops top traditional cabinetry with gold hardware, paired with art deco-inspired light fixtures.

Framed by a stone arch and enclosed with glass, the shower reads like a hidden alcove – a contemporary nod to the kind of built-in bathing niches found in some historical homes.

“Again, we really were just trying to strike this balance between a nod to the [character] of the home and traditional detailing through a more contemporary lens,” says Segal.

This balance holds throughout the home. A few years on, it’s what gives the design its staying power, says Segal: “I think it feels really timeless and fresh. So I feel like it has aged very well. To me, it still feels like we could have finished it yesterday.”

Project design:Gillian Segal Design

Project construction:Eyco Building Group

Project millwork:Sage Cabinetry

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Weekly roundup of three properties that recently sold in Metro Vancouver.

2711 Trinity St., Vancouver

Type: Six-bedroom, three-bathroom detached

Size: 2,545 square feet

B.C. Assessment: $1,815,000

Listed for: $1,850,000

Sold for: $2,170,000

Sold on: April 24

Days on market in this listing: Eight

Listing agent: Karley Rice PREC at Macdonald Realty

Buyers agent: Shannon McNulty PREC at Stilhavn Real Estate Services

The big sell: According to listing agent Karley Rice, the winning bidder for this six-bedroom East Vancouver property presented a subject-free offer for $320,000 over the listed price that sealed the deal. What contributed to the appeal? She cites a beautifully renovated character home that offers both charm and functionality alongside a location on Trinity Street within the popular Hastings-Sunrise neighbourhood. Add to the mix a longer-than-average fully fenced 127-foot lot, and a house that displays original architectural details from its 1930s beginnings including inlaid oak floors, stained-glass windows, and a wood-burning fireplace. There are two bedrooms and one bathroom on each of the home’s three levels (including a two-bedroom suite on the lower floor) with the main level also providing a conjoined living and dining room, and a custom kitchen with an eating area and far-reaching views. The upper floor has skylights and a bespoke diamond picture window that frames the West Coast views.

530 — 3563 Ross Dr., Vancouver

Type: Two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment

Size: 936 square feet

B.C. Assessment: $1,245,000

Listed for: $1,229,000

Sold for: $1,137,000

Sold on: March 28

Days on market in this listing: 30

Listing agent: Shafik Ladha PREC at ReMax Westcoast

Buyers agent: Michael Tudorie at ReMax Select Realty

The big sell: The Residences at Nobel Park were constructed by Polygon in 2020 within the award-winning master-planned community of UBC’s Wesbrook Village next to a treed greenway and parks, and surrounded by vibrant amenities. Comprising a mix of apartments and townhomes, the complex also provides a fitness studio and lounge for residents. This bright two-bedroom, two-bathroom south-facing corner home bathes in panoramic treed vistas from every room and features an open-concept floorplan with nine-foot-high ceilings, oversized windows, engineered wood floors, air conditioning, and premium stainless-steel appliances, a marble tile backsplash and a breakfast bar peninsula in the designer kitchen. Additionally, the home comes with a wraparound balcony, a parking stall in the underground garage, and a monthly maintenance fee of $427.25.

855 Pacific Dr., Tsawwassen

Type: Three-bedroom, three-bathroom detached

Size: 2,748 square feet

B.C. Assessment: $1,905,000

Listed for: $1,850,000

Sold for: $1,850,000

Sold on: Feb. 10

Days on market in this listing: Five

Listing agent: Aileen Noguer PREC at ReMax Westcoast

Buyers agent: Todd Hart at Macdonald Realty Westmar

The big sell: It took just five days to sell this three-bedroom Tsawwassen house for the full asking price. What was on offer is a 2,700-square-foot three-level 1960s home on a sizable 17,815-square-foot lot. According to listing agent Aileen Noguer, the residence had been meticulously cared for by the long-term owner who had completed updates to the roof, hot water tank, and furnace. Inside, the rooms are spacious with a 25-foot-long living room complete with stone-surround fireplace, a formal dining room, and a white kitchen with an adjacent eating area. All three bedrooms are located upstairs including a primary bedroom with a full ensuite bathroom and a southern-exposed balcony. The lower floor has a family room, a wet bar area, and a third bathroom. Outside, there is an oversized double garage accessed via an expansive semicircular driveway, and a garden with mature landscaping and multiple seating areas.

These transactions were compiled by Nicola Way of BestHomesBC.com.

Realtors — send your recent sales to nicola@besthomesbc.com

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Add patio shade to create a cool retreat so you can seek respite from the sun and enjoy your garden through the summer heat.