The Haskap berry is another unique berry that I recommend home gardeners have alongside the blue blueberries and the pink blueberries. In Latin, the Haskap plant is known as Lonicera Caerulea. Sometimes you’ll see Haskap spelled in other ways such as Hascap, Haskaap and Hasukappu. The…
I highly recommend that every gardener have this tool on hand. The Fiskars Softouch Weeder. It’s also known as a dandelion weeder. This tool is specifically designed for the long, deep tap roots that a dandelion, thistles and some other weeds produce. However, it is…
The Garden Bandit is a Canadian made tool and is one of the best I’ve ever found. It’s a must have for every gardener and will become as important as pruners to you in no time at all. It’s a simple design but amazingly efficient…
Have you ever heard of a Pine berry? This is a berry that we all should be growing, it’s beautiful and different. It’s unique looking delicious little berry holds a special reward for those who grow them. This is my first year with them so I’ve only…
The Hummingbird Vine is a very beautiful, fast growing, deciduous woody vine that hummingbirds just love. This plant is also known as a Trumpet Vine because of the shape of the flowers it produces. Aliases Trumpet Vine Hummingbird Vine Star Glory Cypress Vine Trumpet Creeper Cow Itch…
What are Orcon Dellocate Snails? Orcon is a brand name, short for “Organic Control Inc.” and Dellocate snails are molluscs with the scientific name: Rumina decollata. They are a type of predatory snail that eats brown snails, slugs, other snail types and all of their eggs…
Have you ever seen a pink blueberry before? It looks like something that just shouldn’t exist! It’s bright pink and perfectly unique. If you don’t have any of these plants in your garden yet then I highly recommend adding a couple to the garden this…
This is a more complete list of the different types of raspberry cultivars that you might find in the local markets and nurseries in your area. Please note that not all varieties will be available in all areas. What is a Cultivar? A cultivar is…
It’s carrot seed planting time! It’s springtime, an exciting and rejuvenating time of year, seeds being planted, perennial sprouts emerging, spring flowers and summer flower buds are abundant everywhere. Well, what am I talking about then…carrot sprout carnage?? Back up a little while: Read about…
Almost any pallet can be modified to create a raised bed on a pallet. This is a pretty quick way to build a raised bed on a pallet. If you keep your eyes peeled when driving around the neighbourhood you will sometimes see unique pallets…
It’s almost June and summer is under way. The cherry blossoms have bloomed their dazzling spring beauty and are now almost gone. The immature cherries are just forming behind the flower petals as they blow away in the wind. But then disaster happens… The newly…
The Raspberry Crown Borer (Pennisetia marginata) and its larva are common pests of the raspberry plant. They are common throughout most of North America and are very common here on the west coast of BC and Washington. They are also known as Blackberry Clearwing Borer, as…
The adult raspberry cane borer (Oberea bimaculata ) appears in June. It is a slender black beetle about 1/2″ long. How to recognize it and its’ presence This pest is a slender, dark coloured beetle, about 12 mm long, with antennae as long as its body. It…
So I caved and actually bought a couple of basil plants from the store, I just wanted more of it and the season was passing quickly. There wasn’t enough time to sprout more seeds. You already know that there’s never too much basil! The plants are…
This is a deliciously simple recipe that can be made on short notice and is best with small home grown potatoes of any colour. This recipe can be made using tiny store bought “new” potatoes if you don’t have any left from the garden. They…
The garden usually rests around November in the Lower Mainland of BC, depending on the weather and when the rainy season returns. Usually the rainy season has long since arrived by the end of November and the gardeners of this area retreat to the dry…
