Garden Wisdom Blog

In this time of garden dreaming, you may be dreaming of a child’s garden as well, whether it’s for your own family or for a school or childcare centre. Or perhaps your budding gardeners are asking for their own copy of the seed catalogue. There are many starter seeds for kids out there, and some of them are particularly exciting for children. What should you choose for your child’s garden? What do they like to eat? Just as you would in your own garden, what your children plant will be determined by what they like to eat. Some very child-friendly...

For the best success with seeds, we need to understand them and how they work. Seeds come in as many different packages as the plants that produce them. They may be enormous and clunky or tiny like specks of dust. Some have extremely hard protective coatings, and others are soft and oily. The common link among all plant seeds is that they are dormant embryos that will, in the right conditions, germinate and sprout one or two tiny leaves and the beginning of a root. If favorable conditions persist, these seedlings will begin to take moisture and nutrients from the...

As the summer wanes and the fall rains come, our local animals are preparing for the winter. While some birds leave the premises for the winter season and fly south to warmer climes, other birds stay around, fluffing their feathers and seeking shelter from the winter storms. You can make your garden a haven for these winter birds, and it’s not all that difficult. You just have to do some gardening for birds. First, neglect some of that fall garden cleaning. Wild birds love wild seeds, and by keeping the seedheads on the plants, you’ll provide a rich source of...

The definition of “heirloom seeds” is a matter of debate. For our purposes, West Coast Seeds considers a plant an heirloom if it has been in cultivation for 50 years or more, although some people insist that 100 years is the magic number. Whichever period of cultivation is correct, it’s worth noting that modern industrial agriculture really began in 1945, following World War II. This was when farms in North America and Europe started growing more monoculture crops – one crop type growing in huge expanses of land. So in some ways, heirloom seeds can be considered “pre-war” varieties. “Heritage”...

Before the severe cold and damp of winter arrive, it’s a good idea to take a couple of steps to care for garden tools. With a bit of simple care, you can extend the life of a garden hose or hoe by years. We have assembled some tidbits of advice here, but would love to hear any other ideas from our legions of gardening friends. Please feel free to add a response to this article. Irrigation – Most importantly, don’t let water freeze inside your irrigation tools. Hoses should not be left attached to outdoor spigots during freezing temperatures. Instead,...