Garden Thing

life ain’t easy as we Grow ..

Down the line into the trees

 

– Back in the day, many of Vancouver’s homes had a veggie patch.

  “When temperatures are consistently 10 C at night, you can put out everything — tomatoes, basil, peppers.”]

strawberries, tomatoes, herbs and lettuce are excellent choices for growing in containers.

Early March: Sow radishes, broad beans, mustard greens and peas.
Mid- to late-March: Sow cabbage, salad blends, peas, beets, parsnips, radishes, onions and spinach.
April: Sow spinach, green onions, carrots, cabbage, lettuce and Swiss chard.
May: Sow bush beans.

We always recommended buying warm-season vegetables such as tomatoes, squash, peppers as seedlings at local nurseries and planting them out in late May or early June

We  recommend growing the following: zucchini (four plants), tomatoes (five plants, staked), peppers (six plants), cabbage, bush beans, lettuce, beets, carrots, spinach, radishes and marigolds (to discourage rabbits).

Zucchini

Yes, zucchini. The veggie that gives so much you’ll be handing them out to friends and family like hotcakes. People may start to hide at the sight of “gifts,” but you can always console yourself with the dozens of chocolate-zucchini cupcakes you’ll be able to make.

Tip: Pick zucchinis when they are small, as letting them develop into behemoths dilutes their bright taste.

Beans

Pretty much any type of bean (from bush to pole) will grow and produce like wildfire, so much so that you’ll be able to pick a couple of handfuls daily throughout the summer.

Pole beans will need some kind of support structure for the vine to climb and twine – make a sturdy teepee of long poles or sticks, or plant against a tall fence. If the bean vines reach the top of your structure you can always trail them back down again.

Tip: Plant the “bush” variety of beans if you plan to can or pickle your harvest, as the smaller more compact shape lends itself to jars.

Lettuce

There is something incredible about the taste of fresh lettuce from the garden, and a little lettuce seed goes a long way when creating a variety of different salads. You can practically just toss the seeds into your garden bed and heads of lettuce will appear in droves. Pick new growth as soon as it comes up, otherwise your little greens will bolt and become giant lettuce trees.

Tip: Lettuce likes a cooler climate so make sure to keep the soil moist during the growing season.

Peas

Just as prolific as beans, from snap to snow to the kind you shell before you eat, peas are a wonderful addition to any vegetable garden. They’re fun to watch grow (you can start them as early as the soil can be worked) and they produce pretty little flowers that attract bees. Peas also prefer a cooler climate and if it’s a particularly cool spring you can plant another set about three weeks after the first.

Tip: Be vigilant with your spray bottle of mild detergent as aphids can suck the life right out of your peas.

Onions

Growing onions is easy, and they’re definitely tastier than when you buy them from the grocery store. Bulb onions are readily available in a variety of flavours, from yellow to white to red.

Plant a row and in as little as two weeks you could be chopping some green onions into your salad; wait a little longer (until the tops start to fall over) and you will have fresh onions to add to your soups, stews and stir-fry.

Tip: Store your onions in a cool place covered with a mesh bag that allows air to circulate.

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