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10/30/2019 - 09:25 in MGABC | Read more
A QUICK PRIMER ON MULCH Gardener's Best Friend
Plants feed from the soil, and mulch develops the kind of soil that makes healthy plants. When we force our plants to rely on fertilizer rather than healthy soil for food, they become stressed from forced growing, incorrect balance of nutrients, and drought at the air-soil...10/30/2019 - 09:25 in MGABC | Read more
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03/10/2018 - 16:00 in MGABC | Read more
Master Gardener Basic Training Program
The MGABC Master Gardener Program welcomes enthusiastic gardeners with a willingness to share their interest and experience with the public. To become a Master Gardener you must take the Master Gardener Basic Training Program offered through a Master Gardener Chapter or an...03/10/2018 - 16:00 in MGABC | Read more
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09/01/2016 - 02:32 in MGABC | Read more
POWDERY MILDEW & APHID INFESTATIONS in early to mid fall
The following information has been provided by Linda Gilkeson. The fungus is among us, with powdery mildew top of mind for many gardeners. That's the white, dusty coating you might be seeing on leaves of squash, peas, and other plants. Different species of fungi cause 'powdery...09/01/2016 - 02:32 in MGABC | Read more
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02/24/2015 - 09:51 in MGABC | Read more
THE LOVELY LEMON TREE
This year, Christmas baking reached a new culinary high: lemon tarts filled with lemon curd made from lemons from my own 'Improved Meyers Lemon' tree. Not only is it an attractive and exotic-looking plant, especially in winter, it is relatively easy to grow and the fruit are an...02/24/2015 - 09:51 in MGABC | Read more
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05/27/2014 - 07:15 in MGABC | Read more
MG ADVANCED TRAINING : Shrubs ~ A Walk in the Garden
On a beautiful spring day at VanDusen Botanical Gardens, our enthusiastic instructor, Betty Cunnin, explains the characteristics of Rosaceae, the Rose Family. (The name comes from the type genus Rosa. Among the most species-rich genera are Alchemilla, Sorbus, Crateaegus,...05/27/2014 - 07:15 in MGABC | Read more
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01/12/2014 - 17:00 in MGABC | Read more
BC COMMUNITIES IN BLOOM Newsletter Jan 2014
Get Your Community on the Map this year! Transform & Engage yourCommUnity in 2014 Communities in Bloom is a program that provides a framework for community enhancement.Each year over 30 communities in British Columbia participate in the ‘in Bloom’ program that involves...01/12/2014 - 17:00 in MGABC | Read more
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02/09/2012 - 16:00 in MGABC | Read more
PUTTING FACES TO YOUR 2012 PROVINCIAL COUNCIL
We're showing our friendly faces, so you know who the members of MGABC's Provincial Council are this year. Every Chapter is represented, so do pass on your issues, suggestions and support to your Chapter Rep. We are working for you! As you move your cursor over each photo,...02/09/2012 - 16:00 in MGABC | Read more
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02/09/2012 - 04:29 in MGABC | Read more
ARE YOU PRACTICING S.M.A.R.T. GARDENING?
Many of us retreat to the garden during the growing season, finding in its toil a pleasure that connects us to the earth. Tending the rich soil, planting seeds, and placing new plants into our garden spaces can have stunning and rewarding results; however, some attractive plant...02/09/2012 - 04:29 in MGABC | Read more
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02/08/2012 - 16:00 in MGABC | Read more
NEW BOOKS AVAILABLE AT VANDUSEN LIBRARY
The following is a list of new books available at the Yosef Wosk Library and Resource Centre located in the new VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre. How to grow winter vegetables SB321.D69 2011 Dowding, Charles. Totnes, Devon: Green Books, 2011. 1 copy ref. Chicken...02/08/2012 - 16:00 in MGABC | Read more
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02/08/2012 - 16:00 in MGABC | Read more
GREETINGS FROM THE DISABLED GARDEN
Three and a half years ago, I was in a near fatal car accident. I am a C-3 tetraplegic, unable to use my arms or legs, as a result of the crash. I spent one month in Vancouver General Hospital and two months in a hospital in my home state of California. After begging,...02/08/2012 - 16:00 in MGABC | Read more
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01/23/2012 - 09:46 in MGABC | Read more
BULBS AND BOTANISTS
Visitors to VanDusen Botanical Garden and the public gardens of the West Coast may think of the glorious month of April as tulip season. For the professional gardener, though, there is another tulip season — the fall season of hard labour and planting that must precede spring. “...01/23/2012 - 09:46 in MGABC | Read more
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11/26/2011 - 16:00 in MGABC | Read more
WINTER PROTECTION FOR TROPICALS
There is a trend these days to plant trees, shrubs, and flowers that remind us of either 'the Old Country' or our recent vacation in the tropics. Some of these plants will survive (emphasis on SURVIVE!) our basic BC / Lower Mainland winter relatively untouched. Most, however,...11/26/2011 - 16:00 in MGABC | Read more
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11/23/2011 - 16:00 in MGABC | Read more
SHUTTERBUG ALERT - Winter Photography 101
In the November/December 2011 issue of Garden Design, Becca Bergman Bull profiles Photographer Karen Bell. Capturing a garden's vitality through a camera's lens can pose a challenge. Trying to do so in winter is even harder. Karen Bell has led seasonal photography workshops at...11/23/2011 - 16:00 in MGABC | Read more
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11/23/2011 - 16:00 in MGABC | Read more
OH THOSE WASTE WATCHERS!
Katie Mendelson, in the Garden Design November/December 2011 issue, introduces us to Robert Reed of Recology. For many gardeners who diligently save and compost leaves and other discarded plant material, the idea of keeping food scraps hanging around in the kitchen is fairly...11/23/2011 - 16:00 in MGABC | Read more
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11/21/2011 - 16:00 in MGABC | Read more
TIMELY ADVICE
Late planting your Spring bulbs? If you know in advance you won't be able to plant Spring Bulbs until very late, throw small tarps or leaf piles over proposed planting areas to keep the soil warm and workable until you are ready to dig. (GardenWise, Fall 2011) Winter Proof...11/21/2011 - 16:00 in MGABC | Read more
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11/13/2011 - 16:00 in MGABC | Read more
TIPS TO GROW A NON-INVASIVE GARDEN
Gardeners in BC enjoy some of the best growing conditions in Canada, allowing for a spectacular display of attractive exotic and native trees, shrubs, and flowers. As a result, horticulture is a vibrant and growing industry, but also a key pathway for invasive or 'unwanted'...11/13/2011 - 16:00 in MGABC | Read more
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11/13/2011 - 16:00 in MGABC | Read more
NEW BOOKS AT VANDUSEN
Here's a NEW book list from the VanDusen Josef Wosk Library and Resource Centre: QK98.5 .U6 B47 2011 Benoliel, Doug. Northwest foraging: The classic guide to edible plants of the Pacific Northwest. Fully revised and updated. Seattle, Wash.: Skipstone, 2011. 1 copy ref; 1...11/13/2011 - 16:00 in MGABC | Read more
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11/12/2011 - 16:00 in MGABC | Read more
WONDERFUL NATIVE PLANT WINTER GREENERY
Mention the word evergreen, and most people conjure images of trees, usually cone-bearing trees. But more than trees can be evergreen; shrubs, vines and herbaceous plants can also be green year round. And there are some gorgeous native evergreen plants that can be used to keep...11/12/2011 - 16:00 in MGABC | Read more
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11/12/2011 - 16:00 in MGABC | Read more
THE TRUE VALUE OF LOCAL FOOD
We're just wrapping up our first growing season here and as autumn takes hold, I'm finding myself with some much needed time for reflection on the past year. A recurring theme for us, and other new farmers has been determining and communicating the value of the food we produce...11/12/2011 - 16:00 in MGABC | Read more
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11/09/2011 - 16:00 in MGABC | Read more
FALL MESSAGE from VanDusen Botanical Gardens
Gardens in coastal California are lovely at most times of the year, especially to an envious northerner. Writing this article in a San Francisco coffee shop (husbands must amuse themselves as wives shop), I am filled with delight at the sights, sounds and tastes of the past...11/09/2011 - 16:00 in MGABC | Read more
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10/24/2011 - 17:00 in MGABC | Read more
THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT!
The September/October 2011 Garden Design Magazine has referenced a 'bumper crop of mobile apps for the gardener'. Their favourites, each indispensible in its own way, make for a handy trifeca for design, diagnosis, or just about anything you'll encounter in your backyard...10/24/2011 - 17:00 in MGABC | Read more
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10/24/2011 - 17:00 in MGABC | Read more
JAN'S PICK FOR CHRISTMAS 2011
Trying to find something for all the gardeners on your holiday shopping list? Lee Valley has just released their early Christmas Gift Catalog for 2011. There is something for everyone (even the children gardeners) in your family. And, it's not just for gardeners - but also...10/24/2011 - 17:00 in MGABC | Read more
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08/23/2011 - 17:00 in MGABC | Read more
GARDEN UPDATE FROM HARRY
Dear Friends, VanDusen Botanical Garden and Master Gardeners of BC have had a long and mutually beneficial relationship. If you think of us as forming a marriage, we have produced some rather amazing offspring – perhaps most significantly, Seedy Saturday. Little Seedy has done...08/23/2011 - 17:00 in MGABC | Read more
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08/23/2011 - 17:00 in MGABC | Read more
STOP TREATING THE SOIL LIKE DIRT!
Ever heard the saying “Oh, I was treated like dirt!” Well, really it should be a compliment! If you treat your soil the way it is supposed to be treated - like a living organism - you would treat it with care, love, and respect. A good soil is alive, thriving, and teaming with...08/23/2011 - 17:00 in MGABC | Read more
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08/23/2011 - 17:00 in MGABC | Read more
NEW BOOKS - VanDusen Library
Here is a small sample of some of the new books that have recently been purchased for VanDusen Library’s collection. The books’ call numbers and how many copies available are listed. The Global Forest GR785 .B47 2010 (2 copies circ.) Beresford-Kroeger, Diana. New York : Viking...08/23/2011 - 17:00 in MGABC | Read more