The place to start when starting from seed
›› Heather Leary
While most of Canada is still in winter’s icy grip, gardeners on Vancouver Island are planning their spring, which officially starts with Victoria Seedy Saturday on February 16th. Running from 10am to 4pm at the Victoria Conference Centre, Seedy Saturday offers opportunities for gardeners—and the gardening […]
›› Lauren Gaultier
After many years of planning, the Vic High Learning Farm was a joint initiative prompted when a former faculty member reached out to Aaren Topley, Capital Region’s Community Animator, of Farm to School BC, for help in creating a sustainable farming program. With much behind the scenes effort, Topley was able to create […]
How to make sauerkraut the easiest way possible
›› Ruben Anderson
Fermented foods are an effective and delicious traditional way to preserve the harvest, and they contain probiotics that aid digestion and may even have larger benefits for people with various gut conditions. If you like sauerkraut, you will love home-made sauerkraut—but the big ceramic crocks are […]
Transitioning from summer to winter gardening
›› Alysha Punnett
A winter garden differs from a spring/summer garden in a number of ways:
Rate of Growth
Plants don’t grow at the same speed in colder months. Instead, the lower temperatures slow growth down to a snail’s pace, so think of your winter garden as outdoor cold storage.
Amount to Grow
Because you […]
›› Alysha Punnett
Happy spring gardening season, everyone! Many of you will be underway in your gardens already, but here are a few tips to get your garden started off right.
Cover Crops
Now is the time to chop your cover crops if you haven’t already. For backyard gardeners, it can be difficult to dig in all that […]
›› Alysha Punnett
Cover crops provide the same benefits as other mulches like straw, but are extra beneficial because they are living (see our Factsheet #7). The active root zone of the plant cycles nutrients and minerals, keeping them in the planting zone of your soil instead of washing away with the winter rains. The roots […]
Seasonal tips from Compost Education Centre’s Site Manager and Community Education Coordinator
›› Alysha Punnett
Fall is a great time of year for composting. Compost ingredients are abundant as you put the garden to bed, dried leaves are plentiful and things have all winter to slowly break down into your spring soil amendment. Below are some tips […]
Gallery
Gallery
Gallery
Gallery
Gallery
Gallery
Gallery