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Gardening for everyone

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Heavy Petal

gardening for everyone

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Welcome to Heavy Petal.

Together we’re finding joy in the chaos and beauty in the dirt. Black thumbs welcome.

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Journal

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  • Curly kale close upGrowing Kale: The Virtuous Vegetable
    Kale can be planted as early as March for harvest in summer (sooner for baby greens), but it does best grown for the winter garden. For frost-sweetened kale, plant sometime between May and July (varieties like Lacinato and Winterbor take longer to mature, so plant them in early May; Red Russian and Redbor can be planted as late as early July) for harvest all through fall, winter, and next spring. […]
  • Colourful seed packets on displayA Reformed Slacker’s Guide to Garden Planning
    Get the most out of your small-space garden with these tips and resources for planning your most productive vegetable garden ever. […]
  • red garlicGarlic: good for garden and kitchen alike
    Learn how to plant garlic, how to grow garlic, how to harvest garlic, and how to store garlic. Also learn how to use garlic scapes and harvest green garlic. […]
  • Close up of several small green zucchinisZucchini: a love story
    Zucchini is, given the right conditions (sun, rich soil, space), dead easy to grow. No need to start it indoors, just poke a few seeds in the ground, water, and wait for the bounty. […]
  • Purple kale and cover crop growing in a raised bedHardy and Unusual Greens to Plant Now for Fall and Winter Harvest
    Plant these cold hardy and unusual greens in summer and harvest them all through fall and winter. Focus on seeding hardy greens that will establish quickly and stand up to the coming cool season. Lettuce? Of course. Spinach, chard, and arugula? Yes, yes, and yes. But also consider more unusual greens, both for the salad bowl and stir-fry. […]
  • bright red stalks of rhubarbRhubarb Jewel Cake: How to grow rhubarb and strive for balance through seasonal rituals
    Rhubarb is possibly the most popular and easy-to-grow perennial vegetable. I use mine to make Rhubarb Jewel Cake, a simple, but delicious spring dessert that's rich in flavour but not too sweet. […]
  • A pink-flowering shrub at the base of front stepsPlant profile: Why Daphne odora is my favourite evergreen shrub (and should be on your to-plant list!)
    Winter Daphne, or Daphne odora, is: evergreen deliciously fragrant a slow grower with a tidy shape a good choice for small gardens shade tolerant winter hardy attractive to hummingbirds doesn't require pruning […]
  • Senior woman with two girls in a garden with daffodilsGarden therapy: finding optimism and the will to persevere in the dirt
    Gardening requires optimism. You have to look forward with hope and see past the weeds and the voracious insects to the season of your favourite rose or the first snap peas. You have to persevere. […]
  • Shade tolerant plants along a brick path to a potting shedThe myth of the no-maintenance garden
    The rise in popularity of low- or “no-maintenance” (ha!) landscapes is part of a simultaneous trend: the one where you’re supposed to do everything perfectly, yet have it all look effortless. […]
  • Seeds sprouting in brown eggshells used as potsVegetable seeds to sow in early spring
    Wondering which seeds to start in Vancouver in February or March? These tips for getting your vegetable garden started apply across the Pacific Northwest and similarly mild climates. […]

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smallpatchflowers

Welcome the coming cozy season with a hands-on wre Welcome the coming cozy season with a hands-on wreath-making workshop from Small Patch Flowers. At this intimate gathering, you’ll: 

💚 learn techniques to make your own wreaths 
💚 work with fresh-foraged greens and gorgeously unique materials
💚 create a seasonal wreath to adorn your home for the holiday season and beyond. 

Details:

Date: Saturday, November 19 from 1 - 2:30 pm 🗓

Location: near Knight Street and King Edward Avenue, Vancouver. 🧭

What’s included: A hands-on, small-group lesson on wreath making, all materials, and a hot, seasonal beverage ☕️ 

Cost: $95 per person or $175 for you and a friend 🙎🏾‍♀️🙎🏻‍♀️ Spots are limited. 

DM for more details or to register. We can’t wait to create with you! 🥰

#workshop
#wreath
#wreathmaking
#christmaswreath
#funfunfun
#shoplocalyvr
#vancouverisawesome
#vancouver
#vancouverflowers
#grownnotflown
#vancity
#vancitybusiness
#supportlocalbc
#vancitybuzz
#eastvan
LAST OF THE SEASON! (Probably.) Dropping these bea LAST OF THE SEASON! (Probably.) Dropping these beauties at Figaro’s Garden this morning. It’s been a stellar fall for flower production and we’ve been able to make bouquets much longer than in past years. Thank you all who have supported us this year - either by purchasing a bouquet or blooms, attending a workshop, telling your friends about us, or through the ever-crucial emotional support! We love you 😘 Stay tuned for fall and spring workshops 🌱🌷
Dropped these beauties at the fabulous Figaro’s Dropped these beauties at the fabulous Figaro’s this morning. Shout out to this #EastVan institution for their support this year. 🙏🥰 Pop by today to pick up a bouquet (only six this week!) or tropical for your Thanksgiving table or host gift. DM for a custom arrangement or centrepiece 🍂🍁🦃💐
From our gardens to your tables (or night stands o From our gardens to your tables (or night stands or bathroom vanities! We do that, too). @amy.fell and I made nine pretty posies packed with dahlias, zinnias, and lots of exciting extras like amaranth and wild-and-wonderful grasses) last night (side note: it’s getting dark so early 😭)Now ready for pick up at Figaro’s Garden @figarosgarden 🌻🌼🌿 
#shoplocalyvr
#vancouverisawesome
#vancouver
#vancouverflowers
#grownnotflown
#vancity
#vancitybusiness
#supportlocalbc
#vancitybuzz
#eastvan
It’s been a slow start but the blooms are finall It’s been a slow start but the blooms are finally pumping out. These Madame Butterfly Bronze snapdragons smell just heavenly and make me so happy. We paired them chocolate dara and the dark foliage of ninebark and smoke bush for dramatic effect in this week’s bouquets for @figarosgarden #shoplocalyvr
#vancouverisawesome
#vancouver
#vancouverflowers
#grownnotflown
#vancity
#vancitybusiness
#supportlocalbc
#vancitybuzz
#eastvan
Announcing our first workshop of 2022: soil blocki Announcing our first workshop of 2022: soil blocking! 

We fell in love with soil blocks last year as a way to start an abundance of seeds in a tiny space. 🌱

Soil blocks offer many advantages aside from space savviness: they also eliminate the need for plastic and peat pots, and encourage healthier plants. 💚

Come learn with us and discover how you can fit a big garden into a small space. (You just need a 3x4’ space or equivalent in containers.) 🪴

We’ll show you all the basics of seed starting with soil blocks, from creating the right soil mix so that your babies can thrive to germination requirements and tips/tricks on how to best to use this method. 

Join us and start 20 plants to take home and enjoy in your garden this season. 🎉

We’ll also have a number of specialty cut flower starts for purchase. 🌸

Details:

Dates: Sunday, April 3 from 11 am - 12 pm and Sunday, April 10 from 11 am - 12 pm 🗓

Location: near Knight Street and King Edward Avenue, Vancouver. 🧭

What’s included: A hands-on lesson on soil blocking and seed starting, plus 20 soil blocks to sow with your choice of seeds (flowers, herbs, and/or veggies - we have lots to choose from!) and take home. Plus, instructions on how to replicate the effects of blocking - without the soil blocker! 🌱🌱🌱

Cost: $75 per person or $125 for you and a friend 🙍‍♀️🙍‍♀️

DM for more details or to register.  #flowerfarmer #vancouver #workshop #smallpatchflowers #grownnotflown #backyardbouquet #florist
Interested in experimenting with growing in soil b Interested in experimenting with growing in soil blocks? Join us for a soil-blocking workshop on Sunday, October 3rd from 10-11:30am. We will walk you through the ingredients, process and care we use to produce our specialty cut flowers in soil blocks. (Swipe to see what these look like, and the results!)

💐We will provide:
-soil blocking ingredients and soil blocker
-select cool season specialty cut flower seeds 

💐Benefits to using soil blocks: 
-start 20 plants in 3X4in of space in recycled containers
-healthier plants as roots are ‘air-pruned’
-reduce use of plastic containers
-perfect for small spaces

💐Bring:
-gloves! You will be working with wet soil. :)
-a small clear salad greens container
-clothing to stay dry and warm

💐Space in our East Vancouver garden is limited. There is a heated undercover area, if the weather is dreary. 💐DM for more information and to register.  #workshop #flowerfarmer #gardening #eastvan #cutflowergarden #vancouver
I once described zinnias as “pedestrian.” I sa I once described zinnias as “pedestrian.” I saw them as stiff and garish (we had a bright salmon variety dominating the patch that year). Since then, we’ve refined the varieties we grow, and I’ve learned to like them for their reliability, long vase life, and abundance. What about you? Are there any flower varieties that have grown on you? (Flower pun intended - heh heh) #farmerflorist #smallpatchflowers #vancouverflorist #grownnotflown #flowers #bouquet #zinnia
Couldn’t have hoped for a more enthusiastic, int Couldn’t have hoped for a more enthusiastic, interested, and FUN group for our first-ever bouquet workshop. We learned as much from you as we hope you did from us! Photo two: the bouquet bar - participants got to choose from a range of cut-that-morning blooms and the results were incredible. Photo three: @justjarcand ‘s gorgeous posy (smaller, second bouquet). So proud of you all! @amy.fell @scylla777 @justjarcand @kmacpreston @allison.__.h #flowers #bouquet #bouquetworkshop #eastvan #smallpatchflowers #grownnotflown #backyardbouqet #localflowers
Announcing bouquet workshops! 💐 Spend an evenin Announcing bouquet workshops! 💐 Spend an evening among flowers and learn how to choose and cut  blooms, play with texture and colour, and care for cut flowers. Make and take home your very own hand-tied bouquet! Held in a gorgeous East Vancouver garden, these small-group workshops are perfect for sharing with your mom, sister, friend, significant other (or just treat yourself to an evening of learning and laughter)! DM for dates and details. #bouquet #farmerflorist #eastvan #flowers #workshop #vancouver
Beauty and abundance. Love this time of year when Beauty and abundance. Love this time of year when the garden is at peak production and the bouquets practically make themselves. Get yours at @figarosgarden and @2ndnaturehome #farmerflorist #flowers #alittlebeautyeveryday #vancouver #vancouverflorist #grownnotflown #backyardbouquet #eastvan
A home-from-vacation, the-garden-is-exploding bouq A home-from-vacation, the-garden-is-exploding bouquet. (Who else gets into the garden first thing after being away, laundry and unpacking be damned? 😂) #farmerflorist #smallpatchflowers #backyardbouquet #grownnotflown #vancouverflorist #alittlebitofbeautyeveryday
Blue mood #delphinium #smallpatchflowers #farmerfl Blue mood #delphinium #smallpatchflowers #farmerflorist
Sweet, sweet sweet peas #farmerflorisrt #backyardb Sweet, sweet sweet peas #farmerflorisrt #backyardbouquet #grownnotflown #sweetpeas #vancouverflorist
Fashionably late? After what felt like many setbac Fashionably late? After what felt like many setbacks and a long cold (then hot!) spring, we finally have blooms! Peonies and anemones and irises and all sorts of loveliness. Bouquets beginning this week - find them at @figarosgarden and, soon, @2ndnaturehome in East Van #flowerfarmer #farmerflorist #grownnotflown #gardenflowers #backyardbouquets #vancouver #florist
If my cats dig up these babies, my next post will If my cats dig up these babies, my next post will be a plea for rehoming. I mean, not really, but I did spend several minutes searching “motion activated sprinklers” and “sonic pest deterrents” last night. You’d think the horizontal support netting would be off-putting to them, but no. Fingers crossed these snapdragon seedlings have a chance to establish quickly! #farmerflorist #grownnotflown #vancouverflorist #backyardbouquets #vancouver #smallpatchflowers
Blocked! Have you ever used a soil blocker for see Blocked! Have you ever used a soil blocker for seed starting? After learning about this technique from @gardenersworkshopfarm we had to give it a shot. Haven’t even added seed yet but we’re already sold on how many starts you can fit on one standard nursery tray (72!) Now to see whether the other purported benefits (reduced transplant stress, no root binding) come true. #farmerflorist #grownnotflown #gardening #flowers #backyardbouquet #vancouver #localflowers #slowflowers
Sweet peas were one of our favourite, most joyful Sweet peas were one of our favourite, most joyful (most deliciously fragranced!) cut flowers this year. Getting started on next spring’s blooms feels like a vote for hope and beauty. In a time when it feels like you have to look extra hard for things to look forward to, sweet peas make it easy. Wishing you all hope and beauty this week. #hope #beauty #locallygrownflowers #localflowers #vancouverbc #grownnotflown #sweetpeas
I almost didn’t want to let this one go 😍 #lo I almost didn’t want to let this one go 😍 #localflowers #grownnotflown #farmerflorist #vancouver #vancouverflowers #smallpatchflowers
Aaaaannnd, we’ve got sunflowers! 🌻 Ask for th Aaaaannnd, we’ve got sunflowers! 🌻 Ask for these bunches of sunshine at @figarosgarden  #flowerfarmer #vancouver #vancouverflorist #grownnotflown #slowflowers #localflowers #smallpatchflowers
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