Gardening

Gardeners are starting to avoid peat potting soils because of the carbon footprint of peat extraction. Across the world, these gardeners are exploring how peat-free alternatives let plants flourish.

Alexander Reford has directed the Les Jardins de Métis (Reford Gardens), a 100-acre property nestled on the banks of the St. Lawrence River in Grand-Métis, since the 1990s.

No matter how much Megan Greig waters, her raspberries, peas, carrots, and beans won’t flourish this growing season.

Horticulturalists recommend 10 drought-resistant plants for your garden that will be able to survive the hotter summers on the horizon.

When the pandemic hit last spring, B.C.’s seed farmers experienced a tsunami of demand for seeds as the number of home gardeners surged and major U.S. seed companies stopped shipping to Canada. For many, growing and cleaning enough seed to fulfil the flood of orders was near impossible.

Most mornings, Jane Squier harvests an unusual crop from her Salt Spring Island backyard: Oranges, avocados, and dozens of other citrus fruits. 

Lucretia Schanfarber, who lives on the remote edges of a tiny B.C. island plagued by shaky internet service, has launched free, weekly Zoom gatherings to inform, inspire and connect gardeners worldwide.

Urban gardens are thriving worldwide, especially this year as pandemic-bound city dwellers have sought sustenance in gardens, parks and other green spaces.

Brent Harris’ bean crop relies on South American seed. He’s not alone. Commercial vegetable growers in the province like Harris — who owns an organic bean, pea, barley and potato farm in Delta, B.C. — depend on seed from around the world. And despite a pandemic-induced global rush on seed, that might not change.

Dawn Morrison has dedicated a large part of her life to educating around the unsustainability of the global food industry, which moved from local place-based foods and traditional harvesting, hunting and fishing after the industrial revolution. She says COVID19 should be a massive wake up call for people to stop placing profit over people, and to return to ways that nurture food sovereignty.

As people resume springtime recreational activities including gardening, the Nature Conservancy of Canada is urging them to help minimize the spread of invasive species.