I am super passionate about gardening and have been since a young age - I remember spending hours in our greenhouse taking in all the natural smells and sneaking a cherry tomato whenever I could. My grandparents and family in Greece are farmers/gardeners and I have always loved the idea of stepping right outside my door and harvesting my home grown fruits and vegetables. There is something so special and so meaningful about caring, nurturing, and planning one's own garden. A garden project, at home or at school, is embedded within the BC curriculum. Gardening emphasizes hands-on and real world learning experiences, helps develop ties to the community, enhances one's appreciation for the natural world, is interconnected with First Peoples Principles, helps to develop an active and educated person, and provides learners the chance to learn to love and care for nature. It is important to highlight the reciprocal relationships that a garden can bring: what can we give the garden and what can the garden give us.
How to start:
Decide what you would like to plant: Keep in mind that you need to choose plants that grow in your region. (Vancouver, BC)
We have always started our planting in May and this year we are planting: Green beans, Radishes, Leaks, Onions (bulbs), Eggplant, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Peppers, Peas, Beets, Kale, Purple Kale, Lettuce(butter, red leaf, green leaf), Arugula, Zucchini, Herbs(Italian Parsley, Basil, Mint, Chives, Thyme, Sage, Rosemary, Oregano)
Some tips:
- Check out Succession and Companion planting
- Arugula is a perennial and will come back after the winter
- The easiest plants to start with are Radishes, Peas, and Lettuce. Potatoes are also a great plant to start with but they need a lot of room to grow
- Plant Marigolds and Alyssum around your vegetables as they help repel bugs from munching on our vegetables
-Plant many pollinator plants to help attract beneficial insects and improve yields (check out the pollination post for ideas)
-Rotate location of crops each year
2. Choose a location to start your garden
Keep in mind many plants need full sun for at least 5 hours a day, 8-12 hours of sun is best - make sure that your garden is close to a water source, easily accessible, and fenced in if you are near wildlife.
3. Plan your garden beds
Think about how many garden beds you will need (raised beds or sunken beds, container beds are good if you are limited on space)- make sure to leave space when planting as plants start out small but get very large and overcrowding is not good for plants - Start small and have fun!
You can even build your own garden bed!
4. Basic garden tools
Garden hoe, garden shovel, small hand shovel, garden clippers, garden rake
5. Soil
Soil should be a mixture of local soil, top soil, manure(we use mushroom), and compost organic material (coffee grounds, egg shells, vegetable peels) - each year the soil will become more nutrient rich
6. Care and nurture your garden
Gardening requires patience and time so start slow and make time for your plants, water when needed (make sure not to over-water)
7. Celebrate and enjoy your home grown harvest
Pick your crops as they mature for best quality (Herbs, chives, and greens such as lettuce, kale, arugula will continue to produce as long as you do not cut them at their root)
When you are more comfortable with gardening you can research transplant gardening from container to garden bed. Gardening is about exploring and making memories - I hope that you all start a garden and pass on your knowledge to others.
Discover, Wonder, Explore