Articles

Articles

LETTUCE NOT FEED THE SLUGS: Blondes don’t have more fun

This year we managed to avoid buying lettuce from April to mid-November.  I still have some under the Reemay but with snow in the forecast, perhaps I am pushing my luck. Every year, I try ten to fifteen different varieties of lettuce but still prefer the Batavia (French crisp...

11/16/2011 - 16:00 in Vancouver | Read more
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MUSINGS: MULCH THOSE TOMATOES

Tomatoes are one of my favourite crops, but this year after a miserable cold spring and non-existent summer, I almost gave up on growing them.  Fortunately, we enjoyed a long, warm fall and even plagued by mildew, those twenty plants kept producing.  Fruits are still ripening on...

11/16/2011 - 16:00 in Vancouver | Read more
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NEW PUPPY OR KITTEN? BEWARE THESE PLANTS

A new puppy or kitten?  Plant lovers take note: a number of plants can be toxic, most especially to young animals at their most active and curious!  Though most of us have had pets and rarely had problems, you’ll want to keep a close eye on a young animal who wants to chew...

11/16/2011 - 16:00 in Vancouver | Read more
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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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PESTICIDE RESIDUE IN SOIL

Britain and the PNW- How do Gardeners’ Questions Differ? No surprise – British gardeners have many of the same concerns as do gardeners in the Pacific Northwest.  I recently took a look at the questions most commonly asked of the Royal Horticultural Society, and the similarity...

11/13/2011 - 16:00 in Vancouver | Read more
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PLANTS OF SOUTHERN INTERIOR BRITISH COLUMBIA AND THE INLAND NORTHWEST

This book is a comprehensive field guide to about 700 species of plants found in the area between the Rockies and Coast mountains. It is presented in a compact 5”x 8” size making it easy to carry with you in the field.  It has detailed descriptions of each species and is...

11/13/2011 - 16:00 in Vancouver | Read more
Articles

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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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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KOHLRABI - a great Winter Veg

Kohlrabi, another valuable vegetable from the Brassica genus, is a biennial grown as an annual.  Although it is often classified with the root vegetables, the above-ground bulb is actually the swollen base of the stem, which sits right at soil level. Its name is from old German...

11/12/2011 - 16:00 in Vancouver | Read more
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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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A QUICK PRIMER ON MULCH – the 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...

11/12/2011 - 16:00 in Vancouver | Read more
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WEBSITES TO CHECK OUT....

Discovering new gardening ideas or helpful information tools on the internet can assist a gardener immensely. Here are some interesting ones – please email your personal favourites to: NewsblogEditorMGABC@gmail.com MGABC DISCLAIMER Information provided on MGABC GROWING is...

11/12/2011 - 16:00 in Vancouver | Read more
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FABULOUS FASCIATED LILY

One lily stem produces 100 flowers!   Gwen Gore, MG, Vancouver Chapter, shares some stunning photos of this 'bouquet in a vase'.  Note the interesting woven, quilted pattern of the wide fasciated stem.  Unfortunately, the stem can't support the lilies alone, but make a stunning...

11/10/2011 - 16:00 in Vancouver | Read more
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WINTER ARUGULA - Everything you Need to Know, and a Recipe too!

  Arugula is an herbaceous annual, found wild in temperate regions on every continent, and has been collected in its wild form for its leaves and seeds since ancient times.  Garden arugula is recognized by its jagged, deep lobed oak-like leaves, similar in appearance and flavor...

11/10/2011 - 16:00 in Vancouver | Read more
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FALL GARDEN Q & A

Q:        Can I prune the Lavendula stoechas on my deck now? It is in a pot on my deck and is 2’ tall which too large for the spot. A:         In the fall you can only trim off old flower stalks but don’t cut into the plant stems themselves which can encourage new growth which...

11/10/2011 - 16:00 in Vancouver | Read more
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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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CELEBRATING COLOUR

Beauty is to be shared!  Enjoy several Fall photos from Jo Canning, Vancouver Chapter Member

11/09/2011 - 16:00 in Vancouver | Read more
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HOW TO FEED YOUR BULBS

Bulbs evolved on the fertile margins of harsh climates, and represent a unique botanical niche in our gardens.  The whole group – whether true bulbs, corms, rhizomes, tubers or tuberous roots –  evolved a double reproductive system as well as duplicate systems for storage and...

11/09/2011 - 16:00 in Vancouver | Read more
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COLD WEATHER TIP FOR TENDER PLANTS

One little thought now that frost is appearing... Brown paper leaf bags make great and inexpensive plant protectors for cold snaps, particularly for those plants in pots.  Tender plants can be grouped under one bag at night.  For larger plants, rip 2 brown bags down the side and...

11/09/2011 - 16:00 in Vancouver | Read more
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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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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
Articles

WINTER GREENS

Winter greens bring variety and zest to our cold weather meals. They've been cultivated for thousands of years from Japan to Western Europe and, as the list below shows, the majority are from the Brassica genus. Most of the European greens are fully hardy in our mild coastal...

08/23/2011 - 17:00 in Vancouver | Read more
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LINKS TO BLOGS and WEBSITES

Discovering new gardening ideas or helpful information tools on the internet can assist a gardener immensely. Here are some interesting ones – please email your personal favourites to: NewsblogEditorMGABC@gmail.com MGABC DISCLAIMER Information provided on MGABC GROWING is...

08/23/2011 - 17:00 in MGABC | Read more
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3 WAYS TO GROW VEGGIES WITH EASE AND ABUNDANCE

Growing your own vegetables is a very rewarding and delicious experience! When we excitedly peruse our seed catalogues during those long dark days of winter, this is our opportunity to choose which delicious edibles will suit our gardens and families best.  However, it is easy...

08/23/2011 - 17:00 in Vancouver | Read more
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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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