2014 was a good year at the Ladner Community Garden. Crops were abundant and with the extended warmth of summer some gardeners were able to harvest two successive crops. We have been spoiled by two hot summers in a row. It makes me rethink my garden plantings for 2015. Will we have the nice weather again? You just never know. Planting to harvest in late September and even October has changed our views on when to plant seeds here on the west coast. Lets take a look at a few of the highlights at the garden in 2014.
We started our year hosting Ladner Seedy Saturday and Garden Expo 2014 and it drew a bigger crowd than ever. Watch for us again on February 21 and 22 in 2015. Seedy Saturday will be held in a new venue this year. It will be held at the historic Harris barn at Kirkland House, 4140 Arthur Drive in Ladner. For more information on this event click here for the story.
Our gardeners grow all sorts of crops but this planting of Amaranth took my breath away each time I saw it. This planting was grown by West Coast Seeds. Both the lower growing and tall plants are from the same family. I just want to incorporate this plant into my garden somewhere. The colour is amazing and I am sure the grain produced is as well. Oh so much to learn when it comes to plants!
This was also the first time that we had garden classes at the garden. We partnered with the Corporation of Delta to hold a few sustainable garden classes. Above I was getting ready to teach a class on growing vegetables in containers. The stumps in the children's garden were perfect for seating.
Residents of Delta learned how to transplant vegetables to take home. The best part was the garden classes were all free to residents of Delta.
The grade three class continued garden classes every two weeks. They had fun building a miniature village one day to celebrate the end of school. Children love to be outside and the garden is a wonderful environment in which to learn.
In 2014 we stepped back to see what our garden needed most. Right now we are trying to add some more shrubs and flowers to the garden. They help to attract the bees. Each year the children plant flowers to attract pollinators to the garden.
As we enter the new year we are busy getting ready for Seedy Saturday and planning our new gardens. Its such a time of rebirth and I am anxious like most gardeners to touch the soil once again. Its never to early to plan your vegetable and flower gardens. As seed catalogues arrive, make your seed lists and try something new in 2015.
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