Vancouver has had what feels like an unusually mild spring so far. We’ve already enjoyed plenty of summer-like days. As much as these soaring temperatures are pleasant, I also find them a bit discomforting. Each year seems warmer than the last. Flowers are blooming ahead of schedule. Our rhododendrons used to blossom in May; this…
Seeds you can start in February
Can you feel it? Spring is (almost) in the air. Walking to work each morning, I’ve been noticing the first signs of the world waking up from winter. Snow drops and crocuses are starting to bloom. In our garden, chard, arugula and kale seem to perk up every time the sun comes out. Our leeks…
What happens when you plant seeds in November?
Gardening is all about curiosity and creative exploration. Sometimes, I try things that break all the rules, just because it’s fun and interesting. Like planting seeds in November. Last fall, I pulled out our tomato plants and was confronted with an empty garden bed. The “normal” options were to either throw some mulch on it…
What gardeners eat in the fall
Gardening is a year-round activity for our family. Although many people traditionally think of growing food as a spring-time pursuit, the reality is that, in our mild hometown of Vancouver, vegetables can be harvested almost year-round. Cold weather improves the flavour of many crops. It sweetens carrots and reduces the summertime bitterness of spicy greens…
Seeds you can plant in September
Can you feel it? The chill in the mornings, the breeze in the air. Fall is on its way. Vancouver has experienced its first serious rain in what has been one of our hottest, driest summers on record. I, for one, am rejoicing. Rain means that my family and I don’t have to spend hours…
VIDEO: Save space in your garden with interplanting
Our garden is jam-packed right now. The tomatoes are showing no signs of slowing down and our summer kale is chest-high. We’re still planting salad greens each week. Our true winter crops, like curly kale, leeks, parsley and parsnips are happily coming into their own.
Winter is coming: five tips to plan your winter garden
June 21 marked the longest day of the year, with a sunset of 9:22pm in Vancouver. It feels as if our current hot weather could last forever. But six months from now, it will be dark by 4:17pm and the days will be cold and drizzly. Winter is coming. By growing food year-round — not…
DIY Wine box planters
Wooden wine boxes are free from my local liquor store, but that doesn’t mean they’re easy to get. They’re only available for a short time each year, usually in the fall, when the year’s Bordeaux wines are released. And there are usually only a few stores in Vancouver that carry fine Bordeaux in crates, meaning…
2014 garden in review: what worked
I love this time of year in the garden. There’s almost nothing to do, except for digging up frost-sweetened parsnips and figuring out what to do with the mountains of zucchini that inhabit our freezer. It’s the time to make a hot cup of tea, get cozy, and reflect on the year that was. When…
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