Deadly Nightshade Plant...yuck!

What a surprise today, finding a 6-foot long vine-type plant reaching up through the weeping birch branches at the putting green.

Especially when we found out what it was.
Deadly nightshade!
A relative of the tomato family.

And, on looking further, we ended up finding more, and pulled out an entire large garbage bag of the stuff!

Seeds are apparently brought in by birds.

We'll keep an eye on that area in future as it seems to catch whatever's airborne from the west...mostly Scottish Thistles, thanks to the Ministry of Transportation not following Vernon and Coldstream's bylaws on Noxious Weed eradication on the south side of Highway 6 from 15th to Aberdeen Roads.

Thistles by the Thousands!

...and yet there's a Noxious Weeds Bylaw at both the City of Vernon and the Regional District.

Is it a case of Do as I say, not as I do?

Or is the City of Vernon and North Okanagan Regional District expecting area homeowners to go across their streets and spray thousands of Thistles with herbicides?

The first humongous invasion of Thistles, almost in full bloom, is on the steep slope on the South side of Hwy 6 (across from the Health Unit), between 15th Street (the 7/11) and about 500 metres past the Speed 80 KPH sign.

The second obvious invasion, albeit somewhat smaller, is further East on Hwy 6, on the right, just before the trees that abut the Search and Rescue Building beside the Regional District Building...at about the location of the "pond" (unaffectionately known to residents as Mosquito Heaven, or Haven).

Prevailing winds are westerly.
So, very soon, millions of thistle seeds will be airborne...heading into Coldstream and Lavington.

Instead of sitting at their desks writing law after bylaw, how about actually performing the duties you so succinctly state belong to homeowners...
especially since these lands are city/regional district lands.

Let's see the thinly-veiled bylaw threats (click text to enlarge)

from here:  http://www.rdno.ca/bylaws/2381_noxious_weeds_fees_charges1.pdf

 

 

Tale of Two Cities?

Okay, Coldstream is a municipality and not a city.
But it's right smack dab adjacent to the City of Vernon.
And that is the problem.

I give Coldstream credit for their recent effort in notifying the homeowner whose property abuts Howe and Mackie Drives.  Tall ugly--and ready to bloom, and spread throughout the valley on westerly winds--thistles lined the homeowner's fence.  Coldstream's Keri-Ann Austin not only immediately replied to my email reporting the thistles, but copied their Roads Supervisor, Mike Pethick.

One thistle...the beginning of thousands and thousands whose seeds spread on the winds.

 

City of Vernon?
Nope, not so much....turns out from their website, that they don't eradicate noxious weeds "for cosmetic reasons".

Interesting, though, that the City of Vernon is quick to have their residents comply, even asking residents to water boulevards...with that very expensive GVW water!

"Obligations of City residents 

City of Vernon Good Neighbour Bylaw # 4980, requires property owners and residents to maintain the boulevard(s) and lane adjacent to their property. The City does not provide this service and does not include any funds in the budget for such work. Most of this work involves landscape cutting, trimming, and watering of grass on the boulevards and lanes. The City encourages property owners and residents to maintain the boulevards for the beautification of our city and the enjoyment of all."

Excerpt from City of Vernon Weed Control page on their website.

While some folks may agree spraying noxious weeds for "cosmetic reasons" isn't a good idea, some weeds are so insidious that they shouldn't be in the same category.

Frankly, I think it's a cop-out by the City of Vernon.

Why?  

Because the City of Vernon Good Neighbour Bylaw #4980 doesn't take into account its adjacent community.  I mean Coldstream's residents, who work hard to keep properties and acreages presentable and free of noxious weeds.

So let's see what happened in Coldstream on Howe/Mackie Drive...this photo shows the neighbour obviously responded to Coldstream's request to not only spray the thistles, but REMOVE them and bag the seeds into the garbage:

thistles were not only sprayed, but their stems/seeds were bagged.  Thank you, Coldstream and Homeowner!

In Vernon?

Not so much, as the saying goes.

Look at these photos of the steep bank above Highway 6 (photo taken from Sarsons Road, just east of Middleton Way, looking north and northeast toward the condos west of Hillview Golf Course).  

Thousands and thousands of noxious thistles ready to blow a new population of thistles east...directly into Coldstream!

Maybe someone should tell the City of Vernon that their new and very expensive signage that welcomes visitors (from the east on Highway 6) needs some work already!

How much did these signs cost?  Already lost the letter "r".  Shoddy!

 

The above photo of "Ve non" was taken from Sarsons Road, looking northwest to the new welcome sign on Highway 6 at the edge of Hillview Golf Course.

"Good neighbour is a misnomer," Kia would've said, suggesting Vernon's bylaw should be called entirely something else.

Thanks, City of Vernon, for not giving a damn about the Coldstream valley.

And don't count on RDNO to care either, even though they have weed ID on their website.

Despite the regional district having an email address (at the bottom here) on their website for "weed control", no emails to them ever receive a reply!  So they might as well cancel that website page, despite it looking good!

Let's end the doublespeak!

The Plant From Hell

Yes, there are pressing issues in the North Okanagan.
Water, for one.
Over-governance for another.

But after reading "The Plant that's eating B.C." in the June 22, 2015 issue of Maclean's Magazine, it's time to add Japanese (and its three mutant hybrids) Knotweed to RDNO's Noxious Weeds Program.

Fast.
Faster.
Super-fast.

Think this is just a gardener's caution?
Nope.

Reports of being unable to secure a mortgage or house insurance are apparently not scare tactics.
They're reality.

The plant has crawled under 4-lane highways and weakened bridge infrastructure.

Wikipedia's report that it's one of the world's most invasive species is frankly frightening.


"Makes mountain pine beetle sound like a cherished pet by comparison," offers Kia.


Holy crap, as the saying goes!