It may seem counter-intuitive for a gardener to actually plant what must be the world’s commonest weed. But dandelions have lots of culinary potential, they feed pollinators, and they cultivate the soil with their long taproots. Latin Tarataxacum officinale Family:...
Continue ReadingDo you run a market garden or a small organic farm? Are you growing any West Coast Seeds products? Send us some photos! Use your cell camera or your fancy SLR, but take some pictures and send them our way....
Continue ReadingIn our 2015 Growing Guide is Brian Campbell on Pollination and Bee Diversity: Lack of pollination is an unfortunate trend in the plant world. In the late 1960s, the first global review of pollination deficit was conducted. At the time,...
Continue ReadingFollow this how to grow Dahlias guide for summer bloom success! Plant your Dahlia tubers well after any threat of frost has passed. Preferably when the soil has warmed up to 14-15 ° C (58-60° F). Choose a spot in your garden with full...
Continue ReadingBelow is a list of the ingredients in our Beneficial Insect Wildflower seeds. This blend was designed to include the maximum number of flowers known to attract pollinators and predatory insects that feed on pest species. For instance, dill is...
Continue ReadingAmong the flowers in the Partial Shade Wildflower seeds ingredients are a host of plants that will do perfectly well in partial shade to full sun. None of these plants will thrive in full shade, but they will perform in...
Continue ReadingFeed wild and domestic bees with the Bee Garden Blend of Wildflower seeds. Honeybees have been in decline in recent years due to colony collapse disorder. Meanwhile, the habitat of wild bees like bumblebees, mason bees, and leaf cutter bees...
Continue ReadingPlease review the list below for the seeds that are included in our Pacific Northwest Wildflower seeds blend. These flowers will thrive in most garden settings, but they have been selected due to their performance in the Pacific Northwest. By...
Continue ReadingThe wildflower seeds in our Deer Resistant Blend were selected because, in most years of good forage, deer will wander past rather than graze on them. Many of these plants have texture, aroma, or flavour that is not palatable to deer – and other grazing mammals. If you’ve ever tried gardening in an area where deer pass through, you’ll know how frustrating it can be
Continue ReadingHere is a list of the wildflower seeds in our Alternative Lawn Blend. These are short growing flowers, primarily annuals, that will form a carpet of diverse colours that changes with the seasons. From spring to late summer, the wildflowers in this blend put on a dazzling show, and feed bees and butterflies.
Continue ReadingBulbs are easy to plant and easy to grow. Flower Bulbs are broken down into two very general groups – Fall planting bulbs benefit from sitting in cold soil. Spring planting bulbs do not require cold soil to trigger flowering....
Continue ReadingIt’s Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. We wake up to the dark; we drive home in the dark. We have vanquished the autumn leaves, laid to rest the garden beds, and wait for the seed catalogue to...
Continue ReadingAs 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...
Continue ReadingThis perennial is usually grown as an annual. It is often listed under its synonym name Cheiranthus cheiri or under its common name Agean Wallflower. It is to grow wallflowers from seed, just follow these instructions. Latin Erysimum cheiri (syn....
Continue ReadingVerbena is a perennial plant sometimes grown as an annual. It’s also known as Vervain, Purpletop, and Clustertop. Some references call this variety Brazilian Verbena, but this isn’t really correct, as the true Brazilian Verbena is Verbena brasiliensis. It is...
Continue ReadingIt’s September. The kids are back in school and the you can’t keep up with the number of zucchinis that just keep coming. But seeings as this is back-to-school time, it’s a good time to consider the future of a...
Continue ReadingThere are many combinations of plants for interplanting – which combination suits your needs the most? One way of maximizing the return from garden space is to interplant crops. This is the practice of planting one kind of crop, and...
Continue ReadingIberis umbellata is an easy-to-grow annual plant that is native to the Mediterranean region. It is a distant relative of the cabbage. The Latin name refers to the umbel flower form of the relatively flat grouping of many small individual flowers. As an umbel-forming plant, it is naturally attractive to a host of beneficial predatory insects. Continue reading below for tips on how to grow Iberis from seed.
Continue ReadingGaura is native to the southern United States, so it thrives in hot, dry environments, and is useful for xeriscaping. Latin Gaura lindheimeri Difficulty Easy Season & Zone Exposure: Full sun Zone: 6-9 Timing Start this perennial Gaura indoors 8-10...
Continue ReadingHere’s a bit of geeky plant science for you. David Bradbeer at the Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust sent me this great image of the roots of white clover. You can plainly see bumps along the roots that are called...
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