After a gloriously long summer (we had our longest dry spell in over a hundred years), autumn has finally arrived in Vancouver. While most of the active planting and harvesting is over til spring (garlic and favas excepted), there’s still lots to be done in the garden. We recently moved from our townhouse into a […]
Retail Therapy
Stuff a stocking with Sugar Snaps and Strawberries
Looking for the perfect gift for everyone on your list? I have just the thing. Use Sugar Snaps and Strawberries: Simple Solutions for Creating Your Own Small-Space Edible Garden as your inspiration and “cornerstone” gift. Of course the book (and by extension, you!) will be adored and appreciated all on its own, but you could […]
A wearable planter
It’s been a little quiet here at Heavy Petal, which is pretty much the opposite of the rest of my life right now. Where have I been? Not in the garden, that’s for sure! But I have been having fun promoting my book all over the Pacific Northwest. I spoke in Seattle at the Northwest […]
Coveted: air plant pods by Michael McDowell
How beautiful are these handcrafted air plant pods by ceramic artist Michael McDowell? Incredible, right? Available in matte and gloss white, as well as matte sand, these stoneware ceramic pods are designed to house a tillandsia (air plant) and can be hung—each pod comes with a natural hemp cord—or set right side up (upside down?) […]
Power Planter
Given my penchant for indoor containers with a dash of quirky cool, I had to share GAMA-GO’s Power Planter. The Power Planter is a small, porcelain, desktop planter in the shape of a nuclear power plant. It comes complete with organic soil and wheatgrass seeds, and is $16 at GAMA-GO. This would also make a […]
Lime green in the garden
I love green in the garden. Who doesn’t? It’s the colour of new growth. Photosynthesis. Good health. But that’s not the green I’m talking about here. I’m talking lime green. Pucker-yer-lips, jolt-to-the-system lime. I used lime green cushions in my back patio to add a punch of colour to an otherwise subdued palette. The lime […]
Confession: I buy plants from Big Box stores
Acer palmatum ‘Ao Shidare’, purchased from—gasp!—Home Depot. I realize that it’s deeply unfashionable to shop at such stores, and that my confession may come as a shock to some of you. After all, I’m a Hardcore Gardener, right? And Hardcore Gardeners are very clear in their disdain for Home Depot and their ilk (please see […]
Contest! Win one of three sets of reusable totes or mesh produce bags from Bag the Habit
A while back I wrote a post called Seven tips to make gardening “away” easier, which consists of—you guessed it—seven ideas for making it easier to garden at community garden plots, guerrilla gardens, or any garden that can’t be accessed simply by opening your back or balcony door. The main challenge with these “away” gardens, […]