WCS Academy

Gardening advice, How To Grow Guides, and Seasonal inspiration.

Explore practical articles on seed starting, crop-specific growing tips, seasonal planning, pest management, and garden projects from the West Coast Seeds team.

498 articles Updated seasonally by West Coast Seeds

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Broccoli has quite a few close relatives and variations, and these are designated in botany by the use of “cultivar groups.” Kale and collards, Chinese...

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Broccoli has quite a few close relatives and variations, and these are designated in botany by the use of “cultivar groups.” Kale and collards, Chinese broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and kohlrabi all share...

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The wildflower seeds in our Knee High Meadow Blend produce a waist-high field of brilliantly coloured flowers that bloom over a very long period from...

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The wildflower seeds in our Knee High Meadow Blend produce a waist-high field of brilliantly coloured flowers that bloom over a very long period from spring to fall. This blend is best for areas...

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Many people in North America think of kohlrabi as being a distinctly European vegetable, but it is actually a staple ingredient in many international cuisines....

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Many people in North America think of kohlrabi as being a distinctly European vegetable, but it is actually a staple ingredient in many international cuisines. It is has been a popular crop, for instance,...

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Archaeological evidence suggests peas were grown as food crops in Neolithic Turkey, Syria, and Jordan, and in the Nile valley in Egypt as early as 4500...

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Archaeological evidence suggests peas were grown as food crops in Neolithic Turkey, Syria, and Jordan, and in the Nile valley in Egypt as early as 4500 BC. Dried peas remained an important foodstuff in Europe...

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We like to make distinctions that do not exist in the natural world. Bees are descended from wasps and are so closely related we should...

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We like to make distinctions that do not exist in the natural world. Bees are descended from wasps and are so closely related we should think of them as wasps with good PR. So,...

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Known since ancient Greece and Rome, the modern cabbage is a descendant of wild mustard. The Roman statesman Cato the Elder wrote of its medicinal...

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Known since ancient Greece and Rome, the modern cabbage is a descendant of wild mustard. The Roman statesman Cato the Elder wrote of its medicinal properties, “It is the cabbage which surpasses all other...

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  For optimal performance as a lawn alternative, Microclover should comprise approximately 5% of the total seed mix by weight. If your goal is a...

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  For optimal performance as a lawn alternative, Microclover should comprise approximately 5% of the total seed mix by weight. If your goal is a full lawn replacement, we strongly advise maintaining this ratio...

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The component seeds in our wildflower mixes are carefully selected using a number of criteria. We select for variety of colour, for length of bloom...

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The component seeds in our wildflower mixes are carefully selected using a number of criteria. We select for variety of colour, for length of bloom time, for uniform height, and overall performance. We also...

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This blend of annual and perennial wildflowers is selected to attract and feed a wide array of bumble bees. The Bumble Bee Blend Wildflowers are...

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This blend of annual and perennial wildflowers is selected to attract and feed a wide array of bumble bees. The Bumble Bee Blend Wildflowers are hardy to Zone 4, and are best grown in...

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The Biodiversity Blend provides the widest, most diverse combination of flower types in any of our wildflower blends. There are flowers to tempt every sort...

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The Biodiversity Blend provides the widest, most diverse combination of flower types in any of our wildflower blends. There are flowers to tempt every sort of pollinator, but particularly butterflies, wild bees, and hummingbirds....

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West Coast Seeds recently launched the hashtag #savetherustypatchbumblebee across our social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We have been encouraging our followers to...

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West Coast Seeds recently launched the hashtag #savetherustypatchbumblebee across our social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We have been encouraging our followers to re-share our post and tag a friend in an...

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Through April and May we enjoyed a very robust display of lupins planted around our farmhouse and over the septic berm. The blue and purple...

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Through April and May we enjoyed a very robust display of lupins planted around our farmhouse and over the septic berm. The blue and purple flowers were visible from the nearby overpass and painted...

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The plant above is spinach, and it’s getting ready to bolt. As we approach the summer solstice, the spring garden is transformed into something quite...

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The plant above is spinach, and it’s getting ready to bolt. As we approach the summer solstice, the spring garden is transformed into something quite different. Various plants begin to behave in new ways....

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Flea beetles are tiny, hopping, flea-like beetles of the genus Phyllotreta. To deal with flea beetles, it’s best to understand their life cycle. Adults emerge...

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Flea beetles are tiny, hopping, flea-like beetles of the genus Phyllotreta. To deal with flea beetles, it’s best to understand their life cycle. Adults emerge from the soil in spring and feed, laying eggs...

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It’s tempting to imagine, when planting a row of spring radishes, that they will be ready in perfect shape at harvest time, free from blemishes,...

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It’s tempting to imagine, when planting a row of spring radishes, that they will be ready in perfect shape at harvest time, free from blemishes, and wholly uniform in size and shape. Typically, though,...

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Gardening instructions can be full of peculiar phrases from British gardening traditions. “Potting on,” “pricking out,” and “hardening off” are all things we do with...

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Gardening instructions can be full of peculiar phrases from British gardening traditions. “Potting on,” “pricking out,” and “hardening off” are all things we do with seedlings to help them prepare for eventual transplanting out...

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The changing seasons, and the longer daylight hours in summer are a result of the angle of the Earth’s axis in relation to the sun....

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The changing seasons, and the longer daylight hours in summer are a result of the angle of the Earth’s axis in relation to the sun. It’s easy to forget how these changes can affect...

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Last summer I planted a few rows of fall and winter harvest leeks in our demonstration beds at Kirkland House here in Ladner. We chose...

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Last summer I planted a few rows of fall and winter harvest leeks in our demonstration beds at Kirkland House here in Ladner. We chose the varieties described as “winter harvest” since they are...

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This is a list of seeds to start in April for south coastal British Columbia and the US Pacific Northwest. Finally it’s April and we...

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This is a list of seeds to start in April for south coastal British Columbia and the US Pacific Northwest. Finally it’s April and we are past the last average frost date in the...

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It is thought that there are over three thousand heirloom tomatoes in cultivation, from the very well known Black Krim to the rather more obscure...

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It is thought that there are over three thousand heirloom tomatoes in cultivation, from the very well known Black Krim to the rather more obscure Sibirskiy Skorospely (Early Siberian). With modern bred open pollinated...

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Spring is the time for planting wildflower seeds. These little seeds can be direct sown from late March to early May. If you’re aiming for...

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Spring is the time for planting wildflower seeds. These little seeds can be direct sown from late March to early May. If you’re aiming for an annual flower garden, planting early will give you...

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Learn about keeping orchard mason bees. In late winter, hang your mason bee nest against a wall in a sunny location that has morning light....

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Learn about keeping orchard mason bees. In late winter, hang your mason bee nest against a wall in a sunny location that has morning light. Placing it about eye level is best. That way...

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There are loads of ways to start seeds indoors in the late winter and early spring. You can use really basic tools like egg cartons...

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There are loads of ways to start seeds indoors in the late winter and early spring. You can use really basic tools like egg cartons on a windowsill, and this will achieve a perfectly...

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Well it’s that time of year again… The 2018 Gardening Guide is out in the hands of many gardeners, and providing a glimmer of hope...

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Well it’s that time of year again… The 2018 Gardening Guide is out in the hands of many gardeners, and providing a glimmer of hope about the coming season. Winter is just about to...

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