Ladner Community Garden

To all our allotment holders and fellow gardeners, our new composting program is now in effect. Even though we had lots of composters, the green waste was not being chopped up sufficiently enough to make decomposition work fast enough. Whole plants do not compost as quickly as ones chopped into smaller pieces. So what could we do?   We sent out a message asking gardeners if they wanted to take over a composter to make their own black gold. So far we have over eight composters that are being managed by allotment holders for their own use. You will know if the composter is for private use of that gardener by the numbers painted on top. This is also the same for West Coast Seeds who have their name on one large wooden composter.  You will also notice that several composters are displaying this sign. Please do not add green material to these composters as they are full of 'almost ready to use' compost which we hope to use for a new garden. It just needs a few...

Things are heating up at the garden and this is proving to be one of our best years yet. I think its that great soil we ordered from West Creek Farms. The plants are growing like crazy.  Thanks to all who signed up to water over the summer. It takes the load off of the directors who have been managing to water more than was expected. Now that our trees and shrubs are going in we have to make sure they gets enough water which is so essential during the first year of growth. Have you noticed the numbers on our composters? We are trying to start a management program so the composting is done properly. If you see a composter with a number on it , it corresponds to the allotment bed taking care of it. You can no longer just toss your trimmings just anywhere. We really want to make our own black gold. If you don't want to be part of the program, please use the large wooden composters. If you would like a composter, please contact a director.  Okay, I reall...

The community garden in Ladner is bursting with all sorts of great vegetables.We think this is going to be our best growing year to date. I came home with a huge handful of Russian Kale tonight for Sunday dinner. Did you know we have community meals at the garden? Yes, we try to have a community meal at the end of every month from June to September. Tomorrow, June 23 at 6pm is our first get together of the season and we hope to see lots of people come by. If you would like to join us, just bring a dish to share, your cutlery, dishes and a glass. We will supply some cold drinks. Its a great way to meet other gardeners. So much has been happening at the garden that I haven't had time to write. The pergola floor is almost done. Laying recycled cement pieces is no small job. Each has to be levelled carefully. Our next task will be placing a different floor between our two pergolas. Right now its a secret as to what is planned but hopefully it will be done by the end of summ...

Here it is almost the middle of May and once we get passed this patch of rainy weather it will be time to get our heat loving crops in the ground. Start to plan your garden and add vegetables such as beans, squash and  pumpkins. They can go in any time after May 15. Be sure to harden off your plants to prevent shock when setting them out. No one likes to go outside from a 25C greenhouse to a 10C garden overnight. Place your new plants outside for a few days giving them a bit more sunlight each day. If in doubt when buying new plants, ask your garden center staff if they have been hardened off. Towards the end of May, plants such as cucumbers, peppers, basil and corn can be started as long as the weather is consistently warm. I don't recommend planting Basil until the first week of June. It just doesn't handle the cold nights. Planting too early just sets your plants back.  Don't forget that when planting corn the soil needs to be around 15C for the seed to germina...

April has been a busy month at the Ladner Community Garden. We have a full allotment garden, with a few new gardeners this season. If you see someone you don't know in the garden, please take the time to say hello. If you have been at the garden in the last week, the pergolas are being prettied up. Gord and Jim are working on a new roof design and they finished the new arbor at the back of the garden. The fence has been pegged out along the back and sides of the garden. We are starting to plant the hedgerow along the front sides. We have plans to bring in some road base to fill in the wet area on the east side of the garden. As soon as that is done, we will hold our herb spiral class. The children have been busy planting in their garden. They have peas, broad beans and onions already up. Their next big project is the annual tea cup plant sale on May 9 at Southpointe Academy. Next week we will be planting up over 300 tea cups! Thanks to all for the donations o...

Now that spring break is over, the grade three class is returning to the garden. This week they will be planting the seed tapes they made in March. It was a great rainy day project for them to do. In all, they made 62 feet of seed tape. That's a lot of vegetables! They will be planting lettuce, spinach, spicy greens, radishes, carrots, beets, potatoes, onions, broad beans and peas in the one hour they are at the garden. Did I tell you there are 28 students this year so many hands make light work. The students come by bus from Southpointe Academy in Tsawwassen. They learn everything about gardening from starting seeds to harvesting and tasting their own vegetables. They usually start their day by spending time just observing in the garden. There is so much to learn by seeing the changes nature brings. From the buds that swell in spring to the light frost that covers kale in the fall, they learn to see the changes and identify the different seasons. When planting...

You sure can't beat this weather for the end of March. I don't recall having it quite so warm. It is definitely time to get our gardens growing. If you are unsure as to what to plant first ask someone in the garden or check out the handy chart from West Coast Seeds located in the front of the log book in the shed.  Our water has been turned on by the parks department and we didn't even ask. Thanks Delta! They must have seen the huge pile of soil we ordered last week. Its been a  busy couple of weeks in the community garden. We have had 38 yards of soil brought in for the gardeners that ordered and paid for it. It sure looks like great soil but I noticed it has dried out on top quite quickly. It must be all this sunshine. If you are planting seeds, be sure to water them after planting if the soil feels dry to the touch. Better yet, water the soil before planting to prevent washing the seeds away. Don't forget to label what you plant. You can save money by making ...