A couple weekends ago, we visited friends of ours in Sooke, a small community on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. Sooke is known for a couple of things. For families and outdoorsy types, it’s all about the beaches and swimming at the Potholes, while the Sooke Harbour House is a must for the luxury […]
Why grow a rose?
A month or so ago, I asked readers to tell me why roses deserve a place in the modern garden. Under the (d)elusion that roses were finicky, spindly, high-maintenance wusses that didn’t belong in a environmentally-conscious garden, I couldn’t imagine why on earth I’d plant one. Then I heard from you. 71 of you – […]
Five reasons why container farming rules
I meet so many urban gardeners who long for land. Who dream of larger spaces to grow… well, more. Can’t say I’m completely innocent, either. I’ll admit it: I have yard lust. Whenever I walk through residential neighbourhoods and spot an expanse of lawn or concrete, I tear it up and replace it with abundant […]
Neglected, but not forgotten
Hello. Sorry I’ve been neglecting you. I know. It’s been a month. A month! What can I say? On top of the usual spring gardening frenzy, I’ve also gone back to work after a year’s maternity leave (yes, one full year. I’m Canadian, thank goodness.). And that’s only for starters. There’s been a lot going […]
Contest! Win tickets to the World Rose Festival and $100 in roses
I know very little about roses, and I don’t totally understand their appeal. (Gulp! I can’t believe I just admitted that on a gardening blog! I feel like the Rosarians are going to target me for a hit now. Better watch my back.) So when the fine people at the World Rose Festival asked me […]
Name that plant
Nickel herb markers from Nina Gibson Designs. $28 for four. There’s nothing worse than a garden littered with nursery plant labels. Where each plant has a little plastic tombstone. Sure, labels might come in handy if you’ve forgotten whether it was Euphorbia ‘Blue Lagoon’ or ‘Blue Haze’ you planted, but does every pansy need to […]
Home Outside winner!
So this contest closed a couple of days ago, and I’m finally getting around to announcing a winner. Sorry to keep you in suspense. And I’m still not going to name names (skip to the end if you’re impatient!)… because I wanted to say a couple of things about the entries. 76 of you entered, […]
Planning for a year-round harvest (or How I went from slacker to Serious Planner)
After months of dreaming, weeks of research, and a few nights of sketching and list-making, my veggie garden is planned out for the year. The permaculture course I just completed at an urban farm here in Vancouver inspired me to be way more organized about my planting this year. (More on this course and its […]