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Monday, September 24, 2018

Food For Thought

Food Security - Garden Planning & Beautiful Seeds

Burnaby Food First believes gardening is for everyone. Lots of food can be grown on balconies, and BFF has offered many workshops on how to grow vegetables and herbs in small spaces.

It’s a bit late for planting vegetables (except garlic and radishes), but it’s a fine time to enjoy beautiful seed catalogues and make plans for next year. Here are two great catalogues for every West Coast gardener. They’re both filled with beautiful pictures and lots of ‘how-to’ information for good growing.

And if you just want to grow flowers, these catalogues will help you choose ones that will attract bees and pollinators, essential for our food security.

West Coast Seed Gardening Guide 

This a terrific resource. The catalogue is available for free at garden centres, and it’s also available online 

Both versions have colour pictures to help you          

choose your plants. Who knew there were so               
many types of every vegetable! The catalogues 
also give detailed advice on how to grow each 
type of flower, vegetable and herb and whether 
it’s a good one for container growing.


The online Garden Guide has recipes, and a helpful Gardening Basics page for the new gardener who whats to start organic gardening.



Salt Spring Seeds

Salt Spring Seeds Heritage and Organic Heirloom Seed Catalogue comes from – you guessed it! – Salt Spring Island. The folks at Salt Spring Seeds are dedicated to developing seeds for our climate and helping people to save seeds. You can find their catalogue online or order a printed catalogue for $2. The online catalogue includes recipes, and articles on topics like ‘How to Save Seeds.’

Salt Spring Seeds is concerned with preserving heritage varieties and encouraging “pulses.”Dan Jansen, the person behind Salt Spring Seeds, says, “I have been growing and talking about the value of pulses—dried peas and beans, chickpeas, favas and lentils—for 30 years, and remain more convinced than ever that they could help renew the health of our planet.” 

Salt Spring Seeds also has seeds for medicinal plants and a section to help you choose flowers that are favourites with bees.

                                                                                                                                                                                               

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