Submitted by thegardener on Tue, 01/10/2017 - 00:00
Vancouver is different from Calgary in so many ways: from the gardening perspective
even a short visit illustrates this – wandering recently (in the snow and rain) around the
west end near Stanley Park I was struck by the lack of weeds. This is not due to a
widespread use of landscape fabric – quite the opposite in fact - I only saw one piece of
fabric. Although that area is largely apartment complexes, all gardens were well tended.
One reason for the lack of weeds was the widespread living ground cover, which gives
Submitted by thegardener on Fri, 12/30/2016 - 21:44
Raised beds – a different approach
Submitted by thegardener on Fri, 11/11/2016 - 00:00
Carrots are survivors: in this November they are still growing and tasty. Yes, I know this is the longest fall we have had for years, but in other years carrots have been harvested at this time. The recent popularity of non-orange carrots is a reminder that centuries ago, carrots in Europe and Asia had various colours and an assumption is that purple carrots came from around Afghanistan.
Submitted by thegardener on Sun, 10/09/2016 - 08:24
The Scarboro Garden Scene
Caterpillars – friend or foe?
The Scarboro Garden Scene
Marjorie Harris and Thomas Hobbs, and in-door plants
Lawns: love ’em or leave ’em
Lawns can have an important part to play in garden design and they have a long-standing feature of our landscape architecture. The idea developed over centuries in Europe as a status symbol … deer roaming in tree-dotted parklands … but that does not negate its attractiveness. However, with our increasing awareness of climate change, we are more concerned with the balance between our desires and our environment, certainly it is easier to find a good caretaker for our lawns than it is to find time or gain expertise in managing other types of vegetation.
Submitted by thegardener on Sat, 06/20/2015 - 00:00
I love the buzz of bees – and our plants benefit from the pollination that occurs as an adjunct to the bees’ nectar collection. Commercially there is great interest in their ability to fertilize crops. (Another mechanism for fertilization is wind - sorry allergy sufferers – pine and grass pollen are a real pain to you). Honey of course is a product many of us enjoy, and the honeybee (“Apis mellifera”, meaning honey-bearing bee) is important throughout the agricultural world.
Submitted by thegardener on Thu, 05/21/2015 - 00:00
Submitted by thegardener on Sat, 03/14/2015 - 00:00
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