Topics

Why eat local?

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 09:58:24 -0700

Paris Marshall Smith & Azreena Hamir

Currently, supermarkets provide consumers with a cornucopia of food that has been shipped in from around the world. While we enjoy the luxury of eating strawberries in December and apples in June, our food system is unsustainable. Food that is imported has a huge impact on the environment and provides little income to farmers who grow it.

Prune honeysuckle

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:23:18 -0700

Carolyn Jones

I have a Lonicera 'Belgica' that is three years old. It has not been pruned since it was planted as I wanted it to grow up to hide a neighbour's hot tub. Problem is, now it is over seven feet tall, four feet wide and top heavy. It is on a metal trellice that blows in the wind now. How much should I prune it back (ie. two thirds to the root, one third, etc). When should it be pruned? What would be another good way to support it?

Transplanting cedars

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 16:47:22 -0800

Carolyn Jones

I have several rootbound 4 - 6 ft cedars in large containers that I'd like to replant in the ground. I live in the Lower Mainland and would like to know when is the best time to transplant these trees and how to do so.

Planting large bulbs

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 12:38:20 -0800

Carolyn Jones

Can you tell me how deep one should plant large daffodil and tulip bulbs?

Getting a Mariposa Lily to Bloom

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 11:25:20 -0800

Carolyn Jones

I can't seem to find very much information on this plant. I received a piece of root as a gift and would like to find out how to successfully cultivate it. It seems to grow like a weed in Cuba but I have yet to have it bloom. I live in the Kamloops area and it does well out in a pot and then winters indoors.

Transplanting blueberry plants

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 11:17:54 -0800

Carolyn Jones

I have five mature blueberry plants, about five years old. They are producing lovely blueberries. We are moving uptown and I would like to take them with me. We live in Maple Ridge, BC and will be moving in late Nov. I thought maybe I could put them in containers, now that they have finished their production. Is this a possibility, or should I say good bye to my beautiful plants?

Sweet on sweet peas

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 18:42:14 -0800

By Sharon Hanna

Sweet peas have extremely tough, thick seed coats. Graham Rice, in The Sweet Pea Book (tons of information about all kinds of varieties, and beautiful images….a sweet-pea lover’s dream), recommends pre-soaking. Unsoaked seeds can have extremely variable germination rate – from one week to a month – by that time, a less patient gardener will have given up hope and tossed the soil back in the bucket, or into the compost…

The basics of pest management

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 14:51:22 -0800

By Kent Mullinix, PhD

With the current focus on the environment, information on pest management is a hot topic. Discussion of the subject is useful however, there is a great deal of confusion around some of the language associated with pest management.

Growing bulb fennel

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 10:09:06 -0800

Sheena Adams

I planted bulb fennel in the Spring and by Fall had some magnificent looking plants. Unfortunately they were almost entirely roots and fronds. There was really no bulb to eat although the top emerging from the ground looked as if was an edible bulb..They all went to compost. I checked the ph for the soil and it was 6.7 and it was well composted. I would assume the problem is not with the soil. Not enough heat and hours of sunshine is top of my list. Has anyone experience with this challenge? - It is a vegetable worth growing.

Tips on Growing Herbs and Edible Flowers

Mon, 13 Aug 2007 08:39:14 -0700

Here are tips on growing herbs and edible flowers.