Want to learn the secrets of life? Start a garden today
How can we connect the thousands of people in urban food lines with the farmers in the countryside who have food to pick but no one to pick it?
in my garden
When planting trees , turn the main vertical roots East & West , this will help the tree sustain high winds better to where heavy winds don’t just blow the tree over . You can’t use Cedar chips . They’re highly toxic and have nothing to offer plants plus when water runs off , it becomes an instant death sentence for Chickens . It has the highest level of toxicity of all trees ( that I’m aware of )
The moon
Many of the craters that litter the lunar surface have been named after people who have contributed to science, people that are recognized as some of the most brilliant minds in recorded history
The Supermoon Lunar Eclipse, As Explained By Astronomers
“The moon is spiraling away from Earth at a rate of about two-and-a-half inches per year.”
THESE IMAGES ARE OUTSIDE OF PRINT NEWSPAPER SUBSCRIPTION DEALS Mandatory Credit: Photo by Bertie Gregory “The west coast of Vancouver Island is home to an incredible ecosystem consisting of rainforest covered mountains which drop all the way down to a wave battered shoreline. Enjoy the harvest moon
And a recent picture Of birds passing my moon picture in
November 2020
a closeup
shot of the city
Getting dirty for Spring Gardening
“The role of the gardener is to observe what’s happening in the garden and look at what needs attention.”
Veggies Seeds to start in March
- Cool weather veggies go in now including:-arugula, broad beans, collards, corn salad, kale, Oriental greens, peas, radishes and spinach. Our robust veggie starts are generally in stock by early March.
Veggies Seeds to start in April
- In addition to the above March list you can also plant:- beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots (unless we are having a colder/wetter spring) fennel, green onions, kohlrabi, lettuce, onions, parsnips, swiss chard and turnips
Borders & Flower Gardens
- March is the month to feed your garden. Trees, shrubs, hedges, roses, perennials, vines, and small fruits can all be fertilized now. We stock a large selection of organic fertilizers which we know you will love! Our bulk ‘Organic Mix ‘ Fertilizer makes it easy and it is great for just about everything and is available in a large sack or in small amounts by the pound. Not sure what to use or how? Ask us and we will show you:)
- Rhododendrons, azaleas, heather, camellias, hedges and other acid loving plants can be fertilized with Plant Prod ‘Ever Acid’ liquid fertilizer for lovely deep green foliage and for the acidifying that they need
- Plant new trees, shrubs, roses, perennials, pansies, small fruits and hardy herbs. Include bonemeal, peat moss and manure or your own compost when planting and don’t forget to water new transplants frequently
- Hold off trimming down bulbs such as tulips and daffodils until the foliage is yellowing as this process is feeding the bulb for next Spring
- Prune summer blooming clematis back to about 3′. Leave Spring blooming varieties of clematis to prune, if necessary, after they flower as you would cut off the buds if you pruned these now
- Prune roses when the daffodils begin to bloom (usually early to mid March) and apply ¼ cup dry Epson salts around the base and scratch it in
- Prune Spring blooming shrubs such as Forsythia, magnolia and lilac after flowering
- Weed gardens before the weeds have a chance to flower and go to seed
- Compost or manure can be added to flower beds now
- Purchase summer flowering bulbs, roots, and tubers such as dahlias, lilies, hostas, glads and plant as packages recommend. Generally the winter hardy types like lilies and hostas are planted after March 1st and non-winter hardy types like dahlias and glads are planted after April 1st. Begonias are started indoors from February on but do not get transplanted outdoors until after Mother’s Day (same as most annuals)
- This is the time of year that the large shipments of new plants arrive and there is just about always something new at the Garden Centre! Drop in and we will show you!
Pond Care
- Clean out pond
- Repot and/or divide pond plants
- New water plants will be available at the Garden Centre in May
Lawn Care
- Control Moss in lawns if necessary (You will need two days of dry weather after it has been applied)
- Thatch lawn to remove thatch in older lawns and dead moss in lawns recently treated with moss control. (10 days after moss control)
- Lime lawns in preparation for fertilizing about two weeks later
- Feed lawn with a good quality Spring fertilizer. We like BC made Garden Pro 32-4-8 as it is made for our specific growing conditions
- Pull dandelions and other weeds from lawn before they flower and make need seeds
You can buy bags of topsoil at Home Depot for about $3 each or you can go to GardenWorks in Burnaby
and fill a big black garbage bag for about $4. Most suppliers of topsoil want you to order more than a yard. Delivery can cost $100, so you can end up paying $125 for a yard,
Grass is just like any other plant — it needs the right conditions to flourish.
If You have the wrong conditions. Moist, acidic soil and low light levels are perfect for moss.
Change the conditions and reseed with a mix that has a high perennial rye content.
forsythia?
It should be pruned for size and shape immediately after flowering. Take the shrub down by at least a third and remove any dead or old productive stems. Some gardeners use forsythia as a hedge and like it closely clipped; others like to shear it into a mound or leave it to grow loose and open. It obeys all its masters.
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#gardener #garden #gardening #flowers #nature #plants #gardendesign #gardenlife #gardens #gardenlove #green #mygarden #greenthumb #landscape #growyourown #flower #urbangarden #organic #homegrown #plant #growyourownfood #vegetablegarden #homegarden #love #gardeners #gardeninspiration #vegetables
A-Plus Gardening and Landscaping 29 years In North Vancouver And West Vancouver…
Japanese beetle has a taste for gardens to agricultural Food .✻ღ ♥*✿*•
A-Plus-Gardening-Landscaping Recommends to watch for the Japanese beetle and the New dump rules to
- Identify regulated area
- Restrict plant, soil, and landscape waste movement
- Permits for moving restricted waste
Japanese beetle has a taste for landscape plants, ornamental plants, fruit and vegetable gardens, nurseries, orchards, and agricultural crops. As such, these beetles pose a genuine risk not only to parks and gardens, but to agricultural production as well.
A subterranean pest for much of its life cycle, Popillia japonica’s eggs are laid and hatched below the soil where the larva feeds on plant roots in its early stages in life. This introduces an additional layer of difficulty to manage the pest, as it is hard to reach them underground. In the adult stage, it emerges from the soil and starts feeding on the foliage of the plants, and then spreads its wings in search of additional food sources
Temporary transfer station for green waste in False Creek area
This means you cannot move:
- Rooted plants and soil outside the area, year round
- Above-ground plant parts outside the area between June 15 and October 15, the season adult beetles fly
If you do not follow these rules, you will be fined by the CFIA.
$25: 1/2 pickup load
$50: pickup load even with the top of the bed
$75: pickup load heaped over the top of the bed
https://vancouver.ca/home-property-development/disposing-of-green-waste.aspx
.✻ღ ♥*✿*• A-Plus-Gardening-Landscaping
The green is growing and A-Plus is sounding toning.
@ A-Plus Gardening and Landscaping
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.
Call For More Help https://www.yellowpages.ca/bus/British-Columbia/North-Vancouver/A-Plus-Gardening-Landscaping/5956273.html
Bug out Beatles
Do you have crows, skunks or raccoons digging up your lawn? If so, you may have a European Chafer beetle infestation.
The European Chafer beetle (Rhizotrogus majalis) is a serious pest in Eastern North America and was first identified in the Lower Mainland region in New Westminster in 2001. It has since spread to many Metro Vancouver municipalities causing considerable damage to lawns, boulevards, medians and turf in parks.
Chafer beetles have a one year life cycle and populations build up quickly. The grubs feed on the roots of many different plants, but prefer the fibrous roots of turf grasses. In drier weather, the damage caused results in the appearance of brown patches in the lawn. Most of the serious turf damage is typically caused by birds and animals digging for Chafer beetle grubs. Damage by animals is most severe in the Fall and Spring when the grubs are rapidly increasing in size and feeding near the surface.
What Can You Do If You Have An Infestation?
The European Chafer Beetle is an exotic pest, so there are few natural predators to control its population. They are here to stay, but with healthy lawn care practices, alternative groundcovers and biological treatment, damage from this pest can be controlled on residential properties
Don’t cut your grass too short. Raise your mowing height to 6 to 9cm (2.5 to 3 inches), since Chafer beetles prefer laying eggs on closely cropped lawns. The taller grass also helps protect the soil surface from water loss and encourages deeper root growth
The key is keeping the lawn healthy,
call Alpus for help
I have all the equipment for doing a good job
call Rob 604 929 3017 A-Plus Gardening & Landscaping
http://www.yellowpages.ca/bus/British-Columbia/North-Vancouver/A-Plus-Gardening-Landscaping/5956273.html
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/chafer-beetle-mild-winter-lawns-destroyed-1.4597198
A Beautiful Garden landscaping to sweeten your pond…
No closures will be implemented within one hour before and after all events at the the bridge , Garden or Party, to minimize traffic impacts in the area. 
.( ͡°╭͜ʖ╮͡° ).
☻ (ღ˘⌣˘)❛رღ)
2018 AplusGardener North Vancouver and Gardening to the West Coast
garden soil
When growing plants, be very careful about where you plant different strains as well as which pollinators can create hybrids without your knowing. This includes bees which can carry pollen for miles as well as the wind itself which can transmit pollen from one field to another.
A hybrid seed is produced by artificially cross pollinating two genetically different plants of the same species, such as two different tomatoes or two varieties of corn. The crosspollination is done by hand, and a seed that is saved will not grow true to either parent. Thus the farmer or gardener has no choice
Genetically Modified Organisms or GMO seed have been altered using DNA from completely different species and organisms to give different traits such as resistance to herbicides and acceptance of chemical fertilizers. Some GMO corn, for instance, manufactures its own herbicide in its root structure. Some DNA donors have come from fish, frogs and bacteria. The major crops that are genetically modified are corn, cotton, soybeans and wheat. Sugar beets and alfalfa have recently been deregulated, and potatoes are being studied. Most common garden vegetables are not yet genetically modified simply because the financial return in the market is not present yet.
Two of the better known benefits of heirloom seed include adaptability and flavor. Some varieties of heirloom tomato have been known to adapt to a specific location within as little as 2 to 3 growing seasons, showing better vigor, better production, better flavor and increase disease resistance. This is a result of saving the seed and replanting it year to year. Many people come to heirlooms in search of flavors that they experienced as a child. One of the leading characteristics of heirloom varieties is defined by the depth of flavor that they produce. This single characteristic has been one of the major reasons for the preservation of specific varieties over great spans of time. This is probably one of the biggest reasons for the resurgence of heirlooms in home gardens in the past 10 years, as once people experience the amazing range and depths of flavors that heirlooms offer, they are hooked. Taste is once again becoming a viable characteristic in variety selection for the home garden instead of only production quantity, uniformity, and disease resistance.
People are celebrating the fact that taste trumps volume. It’s the classic quantity vs. quality conundrum, with quality making a comeback.
more in minds
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Or A-Plus
A-Plus Gardening and Landscaping 25 years In North Vancouver And West Vancouver…
Rob Heesterman 604 929 3017 … is ready to help at A-Plus Gardening and Landscaping
A-Plus Gardening and Landscaping
info http://www.underwoodgardens.com/what-are-heirloom-seeds/
Aplus ! If We don’t know, we’ll find out immediately.
David Tarrant’s favourite winter-blooming flowers brighten up the season’s bleakest days
Gardeners have many reasons to feel fortunate about living in B.C., and the ability to enjoy colourful blooms even in the depth of winter is certainly one of them. In fact, the southern coast and southern Vancouver provide ideal growing conditions for a number of winter-flowering plants. Those of us who live in these regions also know that our winter begins with the monsoons of November and ends in February, no matter what official dates the calendar may dictate. Because winter flowers bloom during the darkest days of the year, they are all the more precious and deserve a place in your garden that is not only sheltered, but that allows you to easily view the blooms from the comfort of your favourite chair indoors. To enhance the beauty of these winter gems, be sure to give them a dark backdrop, such as an evergreen hedge or dark-stained fence. This will allow every bloom to show up to perfection. Here are just a few of my favourite winter-bloomers, all of which have quite individual soil requirements. While some of these plants are hardy in Interior and northern gardens, keep in mind that they may not bloom in these regions until early spring. Viburnum x bodnantense is a cross between V. farreriand V. grandiflorum, both of which are quite lovely in their own natural forms. However the hybrid gets its name from the famous Bodnant Gardens in North Wales where it originated in 1935. It is a shrub that reaches about three metres in height and is hardy to –20°C. On the coast it often starts to bloom before its leaves have dropped in early November and continues on and off right through to late February. The sweetly scented flowers are borne in tight clusters at the tip of every branch and side spur. Plant one near an entry to your home so its fragrance can be enjoyed by everyone who comes and goes. The early winter flowers tend to be white whereas those that open from December onward are quite pink. Heavy frost can damage open blossoms, but there are so many flowers to follow that as soon as the temperature rises above freezing they start opening again. As far as soil goes, this viburnum isn’t too fussy. In fact, ours at the UBC Botanical Garden thrives in poor soil with absolutely no moisture retention. As with many woody plants, the best blossoms are carried on younger wood (in our case, two-year-old wood). With shrubs older than three or four years, don’t be afraid to prune out one or two of the oldest branches right to the ground soon after flowering has finished in the spring.
https://www.bcliving.ca/hardy-flowers-for-the-winter-garden
Always more info in Vancouver BC
For more garden stuff Contact me aplusgardener@gmail.com
A-Plus Gardening and Landscaping
North And West Vancouver BC For 25 Years As
❄ A-Plus Gardening and Landscaping… ❄ •*♪ ♫
Maple Leaf Garden Centre
Dykhof Nurseries
GardenWorks
Smell the Spring Flowers
The gooseberry 
A first flower is crocus. Crocus flowers are one of the brightest and earliest spring bloomers. Plant them in the fall and these easy-to-grow bulbs will light up your yard.
warm spring-like weather in Vancouver means many gardening enthusiasts have already got their hands dirty.
Veggies Seeds to start in March
- Cool weather veggies go in now including:-arugula, broad beans, collards, corn salad, kale, Oriental greens, peas, radishes and spinach. Our robust veggie starts are generally in stock by early March.
Veggies Seeds to start in April
- In addition to the above March list you can also plant:- beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots (unless we are having a colder/wetter spring) fennel, green onions, kohlrabi, lettuce, onions, parsnips, swiss chard and turnips
Borders & Flower Gardens
- March is the month to feed your garden. Trees, shrubs, hedges, roses, perennials, vines, and small fruits can all be fertilized now. We stock a large selection of organic fertilizers which we know you will love! Our bulk ‘Organic Mix ‘ Fertilizer makes it easy and it is great for just about everything and is available in a large sack or in small amounts by the pound. Not sure what to use or how? Ask us and we will show you:)
- Rhododendrons, azaleas, heather, camellias, hedges and other acid loving plants can be fertilized with Plant Prod ‘Ever Acid’ liquid fertilizer for lovely deep green foliage and for the acidifying that they need
- Plant new trees, shrubs, roses, perennials, pansies, small fruits and hardy herbs. Include bonemeal, peat moss and manure or your own compost when planting and don’t forget to water new transplants frequently
- Hold off trimming down bulbs such as tulips and daffodils until the foliage is yellowing as this process is feeding the bulb for next Spring
- Prune summer blooming clematis back to about 3′. Leave Spring blooming varieties of clematis to prune, if necessary, after they flower as you would cut off the buds if you pruned these now
- Prune roses when the daffodils begin to bloom (usually early to mid March) and apply ¼ cup dry Epson salts around the base and scratch it in
- Prune Spring blooming shrubs such as Forsythia, magnolia and lilac after flowering
- Weed gardens before the weeds have a chance to flower and go to seed
- Compost or manure can be added to flower beds now
- Purchase summer flowering bulbs, roots, and tubers such as dahlias, lilies, hostas, glads and plant as packages recommend. Generally the winter hardy types like lilies and hostas are planted after March 1st and non-winter hardy types like dahlias and glads are planted after April 1st. Begonias are started indoors from February on but do not get transplanted outdoors until after Mother’s Day (same as most annuals)
- This is the time of year that the large shipments of new plants arrive and there is just about always something new at the Garden Centre!
Lawn Care
- Control Moss in lawns if necessary (You will need two days of dry weather after it has been applied)
- Thatch lawn to remove thatch in older lawns and dead moss in lawns recently treated with moss control. (10 days after moss control)
- Lime lawns in preparation for fertilizing about two weeks later
- Feed lawn with a good quality Spring fertilizer. We like BC made Garden Pro 32-4-8 as it is made for our specific growing conditions
- Pull dandelions and other weeds from lawn before they flower and make new seeds
Ensure plants used in gardens will provide visual enjoyment all year long and meet the the sizes set out are set out front to back where visibility is a concern
In the garden.Garden accents can take the form of some serious statuary or be as delicate as a glass wind chime. Big or small, I believe such accents give the viewer information just as my card Does
A-Plus Gardening and Landscaping
has been Working on the North Shore 25 years
In North Vancouver And West Vancouver and the GVRD
A-Plus Lawn and Garden does it professionally with all the Good tools and experience that is needed.
From -Lawn care to Tree topping, Pruning trees and Shrubs & Trimming hedges. also paving stones …. pathways and retaining walls.
Drainage and Ponds, Sprinkler systems & Rubbish Removal
For more garden stuff Contact me aplusgardener@gmail.com
A-Plus Gardening and Landscaping
North And West Vancouver BC For 25 Years As
A-Plus Gardening and Landscaping… •*♪ ♫
aplusgardener 