-
Gardening While Renting: An Early Farewell to Year Two
This was the second year that I’ve been attempting to garden while renting. I shared about the beginning of this year’s garden back in April. I had high hopes for my few little plants I was able to plant in my tiny place. This year hasn’t gone as planned in a large number of ways and my little garden is no exception. Gardening While Renting Year Two Recap For this year’s garden I chose to plant some things that I thought would be fun to grow. Dill Beets Kale Seed paper with a mystery plant I made a bunch of mistakes right from the start, such as not paying attention…
-
Backyard Garden: Surviving the Weather
Well, it’s been awhile since the last backyard garden update and a lot has happened this season! To set the stage for those who don’t live on the southwest coast of British Columbia: it’s been a wild year. We had a cold spring that ran quite late, which changed almost like the flip of a switch to a couple of very warm spells including a record-breaking heat wave that went above 40 C. That hasn’t happened here since recordkeeping began and the effect on the whole province has been profound. As you can imagine, the plants in the garden have reacted in varying ways – read on to find out…
-
How Your Garden Helps the Planet: Composting
We’re continuing our series on how your garden helps the planet this week by looking at composting. If you missed our other posts in this series, check them out here: How Your Garden Helps the Planet: Lawns How Your Garden Helps the Planet: Trees, Plants, and Garden Design. What is Composting? Composting is the process of taking your organic waste and turning it back into nutrient-rich soil. Compost is a fantastic addition to your garden beds or pots and you can make your own compost whether you have a yard or a small space under your kitchen sink! Gardening Know How states that “to understand the composting process, it helps…
-
How Your Garden Helps the Planet: Trees, Plants, and Garden Design
We’re continuing our series on how your garden helps the planet this week by looking at the elements of trees, plants, and garden design. If you missed our first post in this series, check it out here to find out about lawns and their environmental impact: How Your Garden Helps the Planet: Lawns. Ways Your Garden Helps the Planet What comes to mind when you think about a garden: carefully cultivated, visually appealing flowers? Shade trees and benches along paths? Perhaps a pond? Do you think about how you, your family and friends will use the space? In reality, there are many impacts that your space has on the natural…
-
How Your Garden Helps the Planet: Lawns
It surrounds our homes and buildings, lines our roads and sidewalks, and covers our parks. But have you ever wondered why or how we ended up with a flat green mat covering the dirt in our outdoor spaces? I hadn’t really thought much about it until watching the movie Biggest Little Farm. In the film, the plot that is eventually transformed into lush, productive land teeming with life begins as a former monoculture farm operation that has sapped the life and energy from the soil. It was inspiring to see what could be done, made me wonder what could be achieved on my little bit of land, and also made…
-
Gardening While Renting: The Start of Year Two
I’ve always loved the thought of having my own vegetable garden, but since I’m a renter without my own plot of land, I wasn’t sure it was possible. Last year, I decided to take advantage of my current front stoop and have my first attempt at gardening while renting. You can read all about how that year went in my recap post for the gardening while renting series. While I didn’t yield a huge harvest (as you can imagine in less than one square foot of space!) I still found gardening incredibly rewarding. That’s why I am diving in and giving it another go this year! Deciding to Plant Again…
