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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The Diamond Family, owners of West Coast Seeds, has acquired Pinebush Home & Garden Ltd. We’re excited to work alongside another environmentally-conscious company.   Founded over 8 years...

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The Diamond Family, owners of West Coast Seeds, has acquired Pinebush Home & Garden Ltd. We’re excited to work alongside another environmentally-conscious company.   Founded over 8 years ago by the Gerber family, Pinebush is an Ontario...

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All gardeners can appreciate a gift that is thoughtful and useful. From newbies to gardening veterans, we have a gift that any gardener will love....

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All gardeners can appreciate a gift that is thoughtful and useful. From newbies to gardening veterans, we have a gift that any gardener will love. Check out our favourite holiday gifts for gardeners, and...

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Horseradish belongs in the perennial food garden. Once the plants are established, they can be harvested at any time of the year, and the flavour...

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Horseradish belongs in the perennial food garden. Once the plants are established, they can be harvested at any time of the year, and the flavour is particularly good in winter, when cold temperatures bring...

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Here is a blend of flowers native to eastern North America that are adapted to survive the sometimes shifting weather of the Maritimes, New England,...

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Here is a blend of flowers native to eastern North America that are adapted to survive the sometimes shifting weather of the Maritimes, New England, and the St. Lawrence coast. This mix of fourteen...

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This blend of North American native wildflower species was selected for areas with cold winters and hot summers. The ideal region straddles the Rocky Mountains...

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This blend of North American native wildflower species was selected for areas with cold winters and hot summers. The ideal region straddles the Rocky Mountains and foothills, from BC’s central interior to Calgary, and...

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This is a list of the twenty-one component species of our Great Lakes Wildflower Blend, and it includes annuals, biennials, and perennials. While this blend...

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This is a list of the twenty-one component species of our Great Lakes Wildflower Blend, and it includes annuals, biennials, and perennials. While this blend will grow in nearly any garden, its components are...

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Please review the list below for the seeds that are included in our Southern Prairies wildflower blend. These flowers will thrive in most garden settings,...

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Please review the list below for the seeds that are included in our Southern Prairies wildflower blend. These flowers will thrive in most garden settings, but they have been selected due to their performance...

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The type of butterfly attracted to your flower patch will depend on where you live, but this mix includes flowers that are attractive to Monarch...

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The type of butterfly attracted to your flower patch will depend on where you live, but this mix includes flowers that are attractive to Monarch butterflies, swallow-tails, skippers, admirals, and many more. This blend...

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The wildflower seeds in the Hummingbird Blend are selected for the abundant nectar their mature flowers produce. These lure native and migratory hummingbirds to the...

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The wildflower seeds in the Hummingbird Blend are selected for the abundant nectar their mature flowers produce. These lure native and migratory hummingbirds to the garden to fuel up naturally. Grow them en masse...

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The wildflower seeds in our Xeriscape blend are intended for planting in any area where drought is likely during summer. Xeriscaping is landscaping with water...

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The wildflower seeds in our Xeriscape blend are intended for planting in any area where drought is likely during summer. Xeriscaping is landscaping with water conservation in mind, so once they are established, these...

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Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) This evergreen perennial herb is native to the Mediterranean region, where it still grows wild as well as domesticated. Its Latin generic...

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Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) This evergreen perennial herb is native to the Mediterranean region, where it still grows wild as well as domesticated. Its Latin generic name refers to the dew (ros) of the sea...

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About Amaranth: All Amaranths are annuals or short lived perennials with oval, pointed leaves of various colours, which are followed by minute flowers borne on...

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About Amaranth: All Amaranths are annuals or short lived perennials with oval, pointed leaves of various colours, which are followed by minute flowers borne on (sometimes drooping), tassel-like spikes that last until the end...

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With Mom’s special day fast approaching, we put together a simple Mother’s Day gift bag you can print at home. Cut it out from the...

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With Mom’s special day fast approaching, we put together a simple Mother’s Day gift bag you can print at home. Cut it out from the template and follow our instructions for folding and gluing...

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These instructions will help you plan your garden, making a cloche greenhouse configuration, choose your covering material and pipe frame. Then they will help you...

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These instructions will help you plan your garden, making a cloche greenhouse configuration, choose your covering material and pipe frame. Then they will help you set up your greenhouse and make the very best...

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These gastropods (Snails and Slugs) are a fact of life in damp coastal BC. Two factors, however, can be used to minimize their impact on...

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These gastropods (Snails and Slugs) are a fact of life in damp coastal BC. Two factors, however, can be used to minimize their impact on your organic vegetable garden. First, they shun sunlight, and...

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Winter is finally over, and spring has arrived. It’s time to plant seeds! Many gardeners make the mistake of thinking of seed planting as a...

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Winter is finally over, and spring has arrived. It’s time to plant seeds! Many gardeners make the mistake of thinking of seed planting as a one time, annual event, as though it was something...

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In nearly any gardening situation, we have the opportunity to mentor — and to be mentored. Growing food organically is a life-long learning curve. Newbie...

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In nearly any gardening situation, we have the opportunity to mentor — and to be mentored. Growing food organically is a life-long learning curve. Newbie gardeners sometimes feel shy about asking questions, but this...

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CSAs represent one of the ways that small organic farmers are changing the way we think about food, the way we access food, and how...

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CSAs represent one of the ways that small organic farmers are changing the way we think about food, the way we access food, and how we, as consumers, participate with food production. CSA stands...

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West Coast Seeds is a proud supporter of the amazing organization, Growing Chefs. These “Chefs for Children’s Urban Agriculture” bring food into the urban classroom...

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West Coast Seeds is a proud supporter of the amazing organization, Growing Chefs. These “Chefs for Children’s Urban Agriculture” bring food into the urban classroom in the form of raw ingredients that are completely...

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Food miles measure the literal distance in mileage between the producer and the consumer. They’re used to demonstrate the relative carbon footprints of conventionally farmed...

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Food miles measure the literal distance in mileage between the producer and the consumer. They’re used to demonstrate the relative carbon footprints of conventionally farmed and imported groceries. This isn’t an effort to make...

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If you ever find yourself tempted to purchase kale from a supermarket, you really ought to try growing it. By its nature, kale is one...

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If you ever find yourself tempted to purchase kale from a supermarket, you really ought to try growing it. By its nature, kale is one of the easiest, hardiest, and most productive of all...

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As we continue this Twenty-one Days of Green, planting trees seemed like an obvious choice. There are several fruit trees already growing on the farm...

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As we continue this Twenty-one Days of Green, planting trees seemed like an obvious choice. There are several fruit trees already growing on the farm at West Coast Seeds, so the idea came to...

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One of the amazing opportunities facing all gardeners and farmers is planting for wildlife — or, at least, growing food with biodiversity in mind. Organic...

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One of the amazing opportunities facing all gardeners and farmers is planting for wildlife — or, at least, growing food with biodiversity in mind. Organic gardeners understand that soil health is inherently dependent on...

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With just eight more days left to Earth Day, we thought it would be good to list some of the many Earth Day events planned...

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With just eight more days left to Earth Day, we thought it would be good to list some of the many Earth Day events planned for next weekend. There are some big events in...

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