With so many holiday events happening all across Vancouver in these final days before Christmas, it pays to be choosy when deciding which to attend. One event that never fails to deliver is the annual Festival of Lights at VanDusen Botanical Garden. Now in its 26th year, the Festival of Lights is a Vancouver holiday […]
Holiday
What a gardener really wants for Valentine’s Day
Forget the drugstore chocolate in the velvet heart, or even dinner at a swanky restaurant. What I want right about now are seeds. (When I think “Valentine’s Day,” I think, “time to plant peas!” not “better buy a card!”) Here are my picks for some vegetable seeds that would make great Valentine’s Day gifts. No […]
Best gifts for gardeners 2009
Wait—how did it get to be December already? We just finished the Halloween candy. Since there are obviously fewer minutes in an hour these days, I give thanks every time I click “add to cart” and check another name off my shopping list without setting foot in a mall. So here’s a little treat for […]
I’m scaaary…to aphids
Only a gardener would dress their child as a beneficial insect. Happy Halloween!
Pilfering my archives: Christmas gifts you can make now!
It’s snowing like mad right now (a rare treat here on the Wet Coast), which has nudged me, grudgingly, into thinking about the holidays (I know, I’m a little late to the party). I’m thinking, specifically, about crafting and decorating, and about the different ideas I’ve covered here over the years. Here’s a roundup of […]
Christmas cactus with different coloured blooms
I have had this rather neglected Christmas cactus for years. (So mistreated, in fact, that I call it a Christmas cactus when clearly it is a Thanksgiving cactus—a close relative of the Christmas cactus. This one, with its clawed leaves, is Schlumbergera truncata, while Schlumbergera bridgesii, the Christmas cactus, has notched—rather than pointed—leaf edges.) It’s […]
Looking for love? Plant a peach tree.
Happy Chinese New Year! It’s the year of the Golden Boar (or Fire Pig, which just doesn’t sound as catchy). It’s supposed to be an extra lucky year. Chinese New Year in Vancouver is huge. Because of our large Asian population, there are events and celebrations everywhere you go – even the Safeway had a […]
Merry merry
“May your days be merry and bright…” Merry Christmas, everyone!