I love the month of May.  I love watching new life poke its head through the dirt and reach for the sun. Seeds and seedlings planted in April have now grown above the boxes in our community garden, and high stalks with so many shades of tasty green leaves have emerged.  Diversity abounds here, as members have planted their favourite fruits, vegetables, and even flowers.  Mmm, nothing tastes as good as fresh from the garden.

Here a list of some edible garden flowers:

• Borage Blossoms
• Calendula
• Zucchini Blossoms
• Hibiscus
• Lavender
• Nasturtiums
• Pansies
• Roses
• Sage Flowers
• Violets
  

Do you have a favourite recipe using flower blossoms?  Share it in the comments section below!

If you need another excuse for eating fresh from your own garden, according to Harvard University, fruits and vegetables start losing their nutrition right after picking.  Makes me wonder how much nutrition that spinach from California actually has left after a 3-day truck ride!  Or that garlic from China.  Who knows how long it takes to get that here.

Mason Bees

Have you seen our little black bees gathering pollen from the blossoms in the garden?  We have about 100 of them pollinating our plants.  Please treat them gently.  They are very benign.  Thanks to Graham Hickling for the donation of the bees and setting up their little houses.

Having Trouble Harvesting?

May 2019 has been cool, but I still I noticed some plots that haven’t been harvested in time, and, sadly, going to seed.  If you are having trouble getting to the garden, please let me know.   We donate produce weekly to the Living Edge Market, a free market-style food distribution centre in Langford that helps feed our marginalized neighbours.  I will gladly harvest some of your produce to take with me!  

Volunteer Opportunity

On that topic, are you interested in helping me out?  The task involves going to the garden to pick the fresh produce around 9:30 Friday morning, and dropping it off at the market at Langford.  Done in an hour!  I will be away some Fridays, and need someone to fill in.  (To instead help through sponsorship or to make a donation, see our donate and sponsor page.)

Upcoming Events

***NEW Join us at the community garden Wednesday, June 19, 2019 to celebrate Garden Days BC from 6-8:30 PM. Get a tour, learn about how we give back, and try some fresh lemongrass tea!  

Bottle Drive: ongoing – email us to collect your bottles.  Or bring them to the garden June 19 from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm! May 2019 was our best month yet, let’s see if we can beat it in June!

It’s April and spring its coming, right?

So much to be thankful for this month!!  As I write this, the weather is dark and gloomy, with much-needed intermittent rain.  No complaints!  The sun has been so warm that many of us have been gardening in shorts and t-shirts.  But don’t get too excited!  Those tomato plants don’t go into the garden until late May, no matter what the sun says to you!

Here are some plants that can be planted now:

• Lettuce
• Beets
• Cabbage
• Corn salad (not corn stalks!  Corn Salad is a salad green)
• Garlic (for fall harvest)
• Kale and Collards
• Leeks
• Onions
• Pac choi and choi sum
• Parsnips
• Peas – both snap and shelling
• Radish 
• Spinach

Plenty of yummy veggies to satisfy you planting urges!!

If you have room indoors, this is the time to start:

• Asparagus
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Eggplant
• Leeks
• Peppers
• Tomatoes

Be sure they have plenty of direct sunlight, or a grow lamp.

Note – this information came from West Coast Seeds Planting Chart, and can be found in their seed catalogue, free at GardenWorks.  And while you are at GardenWorks, don’t forget to tell them you are a Colwood Garden Society Member, (you may have to show them your card) and get 10% off!  Email meif you don’t have a card yet.  

Speaking of seeds, I have many, many seeds left over from the Plant and Seed Exchange.  If you are planning on planting any of the following, please let me know, and I will put them in a plastic bag and leave them for you at your garden plot.

• Bush Beans
• Snap Peas
• Lattuga Lettuce
• Borage
• Carrots
• Corn
• Zucchini
• Black Turtle drying beans

The Plant and Seed Exchange was a success, in spite of the last minute change of venue.  We were unable to put the tents up in the wild winds, so we held the plant and seed exchange in our garage, and Lynda Dowling kept us quite captivated with her easy, conversation-styled talk about starting gardens, soil enhancers, and best practices for planting seeds and plants.  I think someone took notes, so I will transcribe and add them to my next blog.

One last thing to add — our bottle drive brought in $69!!!!   Let’s keep saving those bottles!  We will have another one soon!  In the meantime, if you end up with too many, email me and we will arrange something.

Big news!  Watch for our new and improved website coming soon!!

All the Best

Barbara Sibbald