Soils 101: Understanding Soil Health – Full Article
Submitted By: Egan Davis, Principal Instructor (UBC Botanical Garden) Have you ever been curious about your soil? Soils are teeming with life, physics and chemistry. By understanding a few general principles, you can make informed decisions about the soil in your garden. Soils are the foundation of plants and life…
Soils 101: Understanding Soil Health – Article at a Glance
Submitted By: Egan Davis, Principal Instructor (UBC Botanical Garden) Have you ever been curious about the quality of your soil? By understanding a few general principles, you can make informed decisions about the soil in your garden. In this summary, you will learn about what makes good soil, and why…
Lawn Watering Tips
By: Jay Soper, Communications Specialist (Metro Vancouver) Summertime is here! As the hot weather rolls in, it’s time to pull out the patio chairs and gear up for a season filled with holidays, camping, barbecues, boating, beaches, and quality time with friends and family. But along with the beautiful hot…
Creating a Pollinator-Friendly Garden
By Brian Campbell, Tara Moreau and Braela Kwan Pollinators are the various insects and animals that contribute to the reproduction of plants. These include many species of bees, butterflies, birds, flies, moths, wasps, beetles and other animals that move pollen between male and female flower parts to create seeds for…
Trading the Turf 4 Low Maintenance Lawn Alternatives
The hassles, expense, and time commitment is too much. And the results weren’t that great anyway. Sound like your grass lawn experience? For lots of people, the dream of a beautiful lawn can turn into an ugly reality due to weeds, bugs, drought, and extreme heat. But If you are…
The Bird-Friendly Backyard
How to turn your green space into a healthy avian habitat Autumn is a fascinating time for bird-watchers in our region. A wide variety of resident and over-wintering birds are regularly observed in Metro Vancouver throughout fall and winter. At places like Boundary Bay Regional Park and other seashore locations,…
Popularity of Lawn Alternatives Keeps Growing
The traditional turf lawn has been a mainstay of landscaping for many years. But lawn alternatives are catching on; for their ease of maintenance, low water requirements, and pest resistance. Popularity of Lawn Alternatives Keeps Growing A well-manicured, traditional turf lawn is a wonderful thing to behold. But that beauty…
The Low Down on Invasive Plants
English ivy, English holly, periwinkle, lamium, and daphne/spurge laurel are common plants in gardens and disturbed areas throughout the region. However, many people are surprised to learn that these plants are invasive, which means they can harm local ecosystems, human health, and the economy! Invasive plants are non-native plants that can…
Spring Into Action: 6 Top Tips for Spring Gardening
Submitted By: Egan Davis, Principal Instructor (UBC Botanical Garden) Spring is the busiest time of year for gardeners with a seemingly never-ending list of tasks. Is there ever enough time to get everything done? UBC Botanical Garden’s Egan Davis is here to help! Read his eco-friendly tips to save…
Wasting Time with Weeds
Submitted By: Egan Davis, Principal Instructor (UBC Botanical Garden) Weeding often seems like a never ending task, knowing that once it’s done, it is only a matter of time before the weeds grow back again. Not only is this annoying, but it is detrimental. Every time weeds are removed,…