WCS Academy

January 21, 2021

No matter where you live, growing food in containers can be accomplished if you learn some basics. While some types of vegetables are simply better...

Growing Food in Containers

January 21, 2021

No matter where you live, growing food in containers can be accomplished if you learn some basics. While some types of vegetables are simply better suited to growing with their roots in the ground,...

Andrea Bellamy's Top Patio Picks

January 21, 2021

Author and blogger Andrea Bellamy recommends these varieties for container growing on balconies and in other small spaces. These seeds are perfect for the urban...

Andrea Bellamy's Top Patio Picks

January 21, 2021

Author and blogger Andrea Bellamy recommends these varieties for container growing on balconies and in other small spaces. These seeds are perfect for the urban grower or part-time farmer who lacks garden space, but...

Gardening for Birds

January 20, 2021

Gardening for birds is another way to build biodiversity in garden spaces. Like pollinators and other insects, wild birds are under pressure due to habitat...

Gardening for Birds

January 20, 2021

Gardening for birds is another way to build biodiversity in garden spaces. Like pollinators and other insects, wild birds are under pressure due to habitat loss, pollution, and ever expanding human settlement. By including...

Seeds for a Really Early Start

December 31, 2020

The weather outdoors is cold and gloomy. Here on the coast it is altogether wet — the ground is sodden and squishy. Elsewhere, the first...

Seeds for a Really Early Start

December 31, 2020

The weather outdoors is cold and gloomy. Here on the coast it is altogether wet — the ground is sodden and squishy. Elsewhere, the first blankets of snow are falling, and the ground is...

About Lavender

December 13, 2020

Lavender is a genus of the mint family Lamiaceae that includes 47 species and a great many cultivars. The genus name Lavandula is thought to...

About Lavender

December 13, 2020

Lavender is a genus of the mint family Lamiaceae that includes 47 species and a great many cultivars. The genus name Lavandula is thought to derive from the Latin verb lavare – “to wash,” and probably...

How to Grow Geranium

November 10, 2020

Black Velvet Rose Geranium seeds should be started indoors in early spring. Once the weather warms up in late spring to early summer, and night...

How to Grow Geranium

November 10, 2020

Black Velvet Rose Geranium seeds should be started indoors in early spring. Once the weather warms up in late spring to early summer, and night time temperatures are steadily above 10°C (50°F), the curious...

How to Grow Eutrochium

November 10, 2020

These are massive plants are highly attractive to butterflies and other beneficial insects. Here's how to grow Eutrochium from seed. LatinEutrochium purpureumFamily: Asteracea DifficultyModerately challenging SeasonExposure: Full...

How to Grow Eutrochium

November 10, 2020

These are massive plants are highly attractive to butterflies and other beneficial insects. Here's how to grow Eutrochium from seed. LatinEutrochium purpureumFamily: Asteracea DifficultyModerately challenging SeasonExposure: Full sun to partial shadeHardiness: Hardy to Zone 4. TimingStart...

About Broad Beans

September 29, 2020

Broad beans are likely the easiest garden vegetable to grow, and they’re a good variety for introducing children to gardening—though they may not be as...

About Broad Beans

September 29, 2020

Broad beans are likely the easiest garden vegetable to grow, and they’re a good variety for introducing children to gardening—though they may not be as much of a hit with a lot of kids...

Flower Arrangement Inspiration

August 16, 2020

One day this past summer several of us got together to photograph some of the flowers and produce from the trial fields in a more...

Flower Arrangement Inspiration

August 16, 2020

One day this past summer several of us got together to photograph some of the flowers and produce from the trial fields in a more studio setting. Jill, who normally works in customer service,...

Squash Pollination

July 13, 2020

Where bees are scant, or in settings like balconies that cannot accommodate flowers to attract bees, hand pollination is another option. The principle is fairly...

Squash Pollination

July 13, 2020

Where bees are scant, or in settings like balconies that cannot accommodate flowers to attract bees, hand pollination is another option. The principle is fairly straight forward: Pollen is transferred from the open male...

Plant Flower Seeds for Bees

June 22, 2020

With pollinator conservation in mind it’s a good idea to plant flower seeds for bees. But which are the best pollinator plants? Which bee flowers...

Plant Flower Seeds for Bees

June 22, 2020

With pollinator conservation in mind it’s a good idea to plant flower seeds for bees. But which are the best pollinator plants? Which bee flowers are the easiest to sow and grow? What flowers...

Improve Pollination with Phacelia

May 27, 2020

Purple Tansy is the common name for one of the garden’s supreme workhorses, Phacelia tanacetifolia. Gardeners who have had trouble with fruit setting on squash,...

Improve Pollination with Phacelia

May 27, 2020

Purple Tansy is the common name for one of the garden’s supreme workhorses, Phacelia tanacetifolia. Gardeners who have had trouble with fruit setting on squash, melons, or cucumbers need to learn how to improve...

All About Sunflowers

May 11, 2020

We’re going to tell you all about sunflowers so you can be a sunflower expert. Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) It is thought that sunflowers may have...

All About Sunflowers

May 11, 2020

We’re going to tell you all about sunflowers so you can be a sunflower expert. Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) It is thought that sunflowers may have been domesticated before corn, as early as 3000 BC...

Beyond Lettuce: A World of Salad Greens

March 25, 2020

For many of us growing up, lettuce represented the primary source of vegetable greens in our diets. Lettuce is absolutely standard in sandwiches and burgers, and makes...

Beyond Lettuce: A World of Salad Greens

March 25, 2020

For many of us growing up, lettuce represented the primary source of vegetable greens in our diets. Lettuce is absolutely standard in sandwiches and burgers, and makes a simple, inoffensive base for salads. Its flavour is...

Deer Resistant Plants

February 06, 2020

Grazing deer can be a major nuisance for gardeners in Coastal BC, on the Gulf Islands, and in the interior portions of the province. Vegetable...

Deer Resistant Plants

February 06, 2020

Grazing deer can be a major nuisance for gardeners in Coastal BC, on the Gulf Islands, and in the interior portions of the province. Vegetable gardens, full of tender greens and food, should be...

Beetle Bank Blend Wildflowers Ingredients

January 22, 2020

The ingredients in our Beetle Bank Blend Wildflowers combine to attract beneficial insects and provide them with habitat in which to shelter and reproduce. This...

Beetle Bank Blend Wildflowers Ingredients

January 22, 2020

The ingredients in our Beetle Bank Blend Wildflowers combine to attract beneficial insects and provide them with habitat in which to shelter and reproduce. This forms a natural environment that can be planted around...

10 Seeds To Start In January

January 01, 2020

The holidays are over but the weather outside is still pretty frightful. Here on the coast it is altogether wet — the ground is sodden and...

10 Seeds To Start In January

January 01, 2020

The holidays are over but the weather outside is still pretty frightful. Here on the coast it is altogether wet — the ground is sodden and squishy. Elsewhere, snow is falling, and the ground is...

List of Edible Flowers

December 29, 2019

Edible flowers can be used to add a splash of colour to all kinds of foods, from salads to desserts to fancy cocktails. A single...

List of Edible Flowers

December 29, 2019

Edible flowers can be used to add a splash of colour to all kinds of foods, from salads to desserts to fancy cocktails. A single borage petal, carefully placed, can really enhance a slice...

How to Grow Hordeum

September 10, 2019

Squirrel Tail Grass begins the season as a fairly unremarkable grassy plant, but once the warm weather and long days of summer arrive, it sends...

How to Grow Hordeum

September 10, 2019

Squirrel Tail Grass begins the season as a fairly unremarkable grassy plant, but once the warm weather and long days of summer arrive, it sends up remarkable, silky, silvery grey panicles on 60cm (24")...

How to Grow Aconitum

August 28, 2019

Monkshood is a very traditional perennial for the cottage garden. The plant is so well known for its toxicity that it plays a role in...

How to Grow Aconitum

August 28, 2019

Monkshood is a very traditional perennial for the cottage garden. The plant is so well known for its toxicity that it plays a role in ancient Greek mythology, and folklore from Europe to India....

Best Flowers for Honey Bees

August 21, 2019

Different bees and pollinators benefit from specific types of flowers. Whether a flower is deep or shallow, red or yellow, generous with nectar or stingy......

Best Flowers for Honey Bees

August 21, 2019

Different bees and pollinators benefit from specific types of flowers. Whether a flower is deep or shallow, red or yellow, generous with nectar or stingy... These all impact the attractiveness to different pollinators. We...

Pollinators and Seeds

August 13, 2019

Understanding the relationships between specific types of flowers and specific pollinators helps to explain why biodiversity is so important. The greater variety of flowers (including...

Pollinators and Seeds

August 13, 2019

Understanding the relationships between specific types of flowers and specific pollinators helps to explain why biodiversity is so important. The greater variety of flowers (including vegetables and herbs) in the garden, the wider range...

About Milkweed

April 09, 2019

All butterflies (including moths), as well as a wide range of bees, flies, beetles, and even hummingbirds, will feed on the nectar-heavy flowers of all...

About Milkweed

April 09, 2019

All butterflies (including moths), as well as a wide range of bees, flies, beetles, and even hummingbirds, will feed on the nectar-heavy flowers of all milkweed varieties. The Monarch, however, seeks milkweed out on...

Xeriscaping

April 03, 2019

What the heck is xeriscaping? Simply put, xeriscaping is a system of landscaping with water conservation as the priority. In areas that receive little rainfall...

Xeriscaping

April 03, 2019

What the heck is xeriscaping? Simply put, xeriscaping is a system of landscaping with water conservation as the priority. In areas that receive little rainfall in the summer, some thoughtful xeriscaping will allow flowering...

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