Sharing ideas on gardening and life.
I think we're on day 8 of clear skies and a dominant high-pressure ridge that has kept the South Coast warm....even hot depending on where you are. My personal weather station recorded the last 6 days as over 22C with the peak on my son's birthday, Saturday, at 24.6C. What's equally surprising is that we... Continue Reading →
It's week 15. Check out what's in the garden, and in the greenhouse.
If you’ve read along with my previous three posts on attracting Beneficial Insects and Mites, I thank you. And I think you’re prepared for something a little more academic, regarding Economic and Cosmetic Thresholds as well as tolerance and patience. Really, it takes little to attract good bugs. A healthy garden is all. But first,... Continue Reading →
What’s Growing: Week 11, 2021 I just had a fantastic weekend! It actually felt - almost - like a non-covid weekend. We had an outdoor birthday to attend for our daughter, and an outdoor gathering with my family for some mutual birthdays. And for parts of Saturday and almost the entire day Sunday I spent... Continue Reading →
Lawns Lawn is a waste of space. I know, I know…I love it too. It’s green in the winter and cool in the summer it looks tidy and it keeps nature on the fringes. I grew up with a lawn for playing and sledding on. It is my dogs’ recreation space, and I intend on... Continue Reading →
It was a rainy night. Bob heard a commotion outside his third floor apartment and opened the blinds to look down at the street. Two people were huddled in alcoves of closed businesses. Bob thought to himself: Who are these people? Why are they not inside? One of these people was a man. Bob didn’t... Continue Reading →
Lesson Two: If you build it, will they come? This lesson will focus on structures that promote (or claim to promote) beneficial insects in your yard. Some structures in the garden have been proven to aid organic gardens in a variety of ways. Most notable and obvious is keeping honeybees to promote pollination of fruit... Continue Reading →
How to promote beneficial insects in your garden. Lesson 1: Flowers
What a weekend! Here on the Saanich Peninsula (just north of Victoria, BC), we enjoyed nearly full sun and a luxurious 12C. There is a pending cold-snap - in fact, it's here: woke-up to -2C. All that sun and the need to prep a few things for the cold meant that it was time to... Continue Reading →
It's going to be another difficult year for plant pests. It’s always a bit of a guess, and largely has to do with localized weather, but generally, those pests that develop chemical resistance are stronger every year. So, whenever you're reading this - it's going to be a bad pest year. But, before you head... Continue Reading →
