Growing Edibles in Vancouver, British Columbia: Vegetables in the Front Yard

Garden Ornaments--Animals

2012-02-14T21:08:00.003-08:00

These two brooding creatures are easy to spot in their gardens, but now try to find the fish, the rabbit, and the tiny raccoon.

These little creatures have a cozy home on a playful corner lot:

These two houses look cozy too. I'm surprised to see that someone lives in the blue house because it appears to have experienced one of our west-coast earthquakes.

And someone also lives in the pink house!

Signs in the Garden

2012-02-05T20:10:00.000-08:00

Are you smiling yet?

Garden Ornaments

2012-01-30T20:07:00.000-08:00

Since it's the middle of the winter, interesting front-yard vegetable gardens are hard to find. Let's take a break from all things practical and have some fun. I'm going to do a series of blogs on the creative garden ornaments and decorations that I've seen in my neighbourhood over the past several years. I promise--no gnomes or wishing wells! I like seeing the pottery when I walk on the back lane past this garage:

Oops, this chair has no seat anymore, but it's a colourful addition to the corner:This chair's rocking days are over:

More fun to come...

Airport Food at O'Hare

2012-01-22T19:37:00.018-08:00

In the bustle of Chicago's O'Hare Airport, it is easy to miss the new O'Hare Urban Garden. Its towers are a showpiece of growing edibles with the newest technology, successful enough to produce herbs and vegetables for some of the airport's restaurants. You can find the world's first vertical aeroponic garden in an airport in the rotunda between Terminals 2 and 3.

link to more information

What's Growing in December?

2011-12-28T16:44:00.002-08:00

The days are lengthening! With the current warmer spell, after the freezing weather in November and early December, some plants are looking more alive. Things to look for in these photos of front yard, boulevard, and lane gardens all taken in the Dunbar and Point Grey area of Vancouver: winter protection (or not), carrots, chicory, kale, kale, kale, cabbage, leeks, rye grass cover crop, green and red mustard, mâche, Brussels sprouts, radicchio, a blueberry bush, poppy seedlings.

This garden is known for nary a weed, but with the repetition of plants, I'm beginning to suspect that a fancy restaurant gets those tender greens.
A closer look at the radicchio:I know that this front-yard garden is a market garden:
And so is this large productive one, on the south-facing slope at the corner of Blenheim and West 41st Avenue, only a small portion of which is shown here:

Vancouver Edible Gardens Project on West 35th Avenue: A Young Teenager's Project

2011-12-02T11:29:00.004-08:00

The Vancouver Foundation provided funds for this Generation Green project in the age category of 13 to 17. On West 35th Avenue in Vancouver a number of residents have one, two, or even three uniform wooden planter boxes on their boulevard. I first spotted them on July 1. I spoke to one resident on the block who expressed disapproval of the disruption of the continuous flow of grassy boulevards in this staid and traditional neighbourhood. Even I was skeptical, not for that reason since I approve of changing the way we use urban land, but whether there would be much productivity from these modestly sized planters. But, see for yourself; here are photos of a box of onion plants taken on July 10 and September 4:

In September, there were boxes flourishing with beans, carrots, and a brassica of some kind, and, in November, peas.

One home has three such planters. You can see the growth of plants and replanting between July 10 and November 3:

In early November, the boxes featured three stages of kale, a good choice for this tree-shaded street. This type of kale usually winters over here; however, these boxes above the ground are more susceptible to the cold. We'll see!

Or maybe these are radish seedlings!

However, I was proven wrong on the productivity! Even though the planters are insufficient to provide any level of food security for this block, the modest size has proven to be successful, perhaps because it is not an overwhelming venture. It also provides the opportunity for neighbours to get to know each other and exchange gardening advice. This provides another kind of security for the neighbourhood. Read more here about this successful and inventive teen project.

Chafer Be Gone

2011-10-28T16:06:00.000-07:00

Driving on West 16th Avenue, I spotted some corn growing high above the street and thought to myself that there just might be more veggies growing there. Later, I dropped by with my camera and talked to the owners. It all started with those destructive chafer beetles. The owners constructed the sturdy raised beds in half of their sunny front yard themselves and had good soil brought in to fill the beds. It was obvious even though it is now late October that they had successfully grown a great crop of vegetables. In fact, they were still harvesting and were making a soup that very day with beets, onions and carrots freshly picked from the garden!

Here's the view of the other side of their front yard--they are considering expanding next year to be rid of this eyesore lawn.

My Front Yard Veggie Garden in Fall

2011-10-07T21:29:00.001-07:00

Spring is more exciting than fall in the garden because we usually think of spring as the beginning, with new life and all kinds of possibilities for the avid gardener. Harvesting is fulfilling in the fall, but otherwise it's a bit downhill in terms of thriving plants. In these photos from my front yard, the zucchini fruit may look grand but in reality is so small that anyone getting this two-inch wonder served to them on Thanksgiving in two days wouldn't even see it! The pea-sized Brussels sprouts are something to look forward to in 2012 (maybe). Only a couple of the red beets planted in early July survived, despite faithful watering; they now finally look alive with the cooler fall weather, but there may never be edible beets. The pea plants look awful, with powdery mildew, but the tips are still green and producing a few last edible pods. The ground cherry (physallis peruviana or cape gooseberry) production has slowed way down, but I appreciate every one of them more since I saw them being sold yesterday as "golden berries" (husked, not a great idea) from Peru at the Granville Market at $9.99 for a small box!

On the other hand, fall brings surprises and a bit of hope. The transplanted Swiss chard stands up straight. The volunteer fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) perseveres, but it's not a favorite of mine; I tolerate it for the insects. A shallot got left behind and sprouted. A volunteer cherry tomato plant is still toughing it out. With the recent cool and rainy weather, the hardy seedlings of mâche (corn salad, lamb's lettuce, repunzel), Red Russian kale, and Gotte Jaune d'Or lettuce are healthy and competing for space!

An offer from this messy gardener--does anyone want seedlings?

It might be easier to transplant some of this great surplus to your garden rather than "we plow the fields and scatter, the good seed on the land". For example, the spinach I painstakingly planted a month ago from commercial seed either didn't sprout or something ate it. These strong "volunteers" know when and where to grow.

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

Autumn Lane Display

2011-09-26T21:39:00.007-07:00

What a wonderful surprise to come across this display in a lane near my house! The white flowers are some type of allium. The mass grouping of this simple flower looks great with the echinacea. In the background is a climbing bean. This is quite an inspired approach to using marginal land.

The Corn Craze

2011-09-19T21:45:00.001-07:00

I grew up surrounded by fields of corn. Corn thrives in hot muggy weather, with a heavy humid haze. People don't thrive that well; your hair goes limp, you lose your energy, and you can't take enough showers. The combination of 90 degrees F and 90% humidity is great for corn. That kind of weather does not happen even in Vancouver's hottest summer. But people like corn and try to grow it in this cool coastal city.

It's always worth taking a peek at this consistent and neat garden right on Dunbar Street. (for more on that garden, see the Jan. 13, 2010 blog). On July 31, I spotted their great-looking corn.

On my walk to do shopping on Dunbar, I usually pass by this front garden. The following 3 photos of the growing corn were taken on July 7, July 22, and September 17.

This side-yard garden along Wallace Street has grown corn for the last two years. This summer must have stressed out the one stalk that developed its ear so close to the ground!
Last September followed a better summer, and the corn crop was taller.Going back in time, this is how tiny the transplants looked on June 8, 2010. Can you see them?

In early September a friend took a photo of this plot of corn growing near Van Dusen Gardens, in a neighbourhood with few front-yard-vegetable gardens. The corn looks great! These gardeners must have applied some nitrogen.

A Boulevard Statement

2011-09-04T21:53:00.004-07:00

This is the third year that this brave young mother has organized a garden on the boulevard for children. For previous years, see the August 9, 2009 blog entry and the September 6, 2010 entry. This venture is brave because it is more like something that would be seen in the more casual and creative Kitsilano area, than in this Southlands area of Dunbar, which has few front-yard vegetable gardens, let alone one that has children's art blowing in the wind. The other interesting thing is that the most expensive house for sale in the Dunbar area of Vancouver (as far as I know) is on this very block, $5,380,000.

As Easy as 1-2-3

2011-08-17T15:24:00.016-07:00

Despite this being near the end of the summer and Vancouver's dry period when watering every day is necessary, this gardener is creating a new boulevard garden, a raised bed in three parts. The three sections of this garden-in-the-making neatly demonstrate the steps needed.

1. Build the raised bed and collect cardboard to stop the grass from growing.

2. Spread soil on the cardboard.

3. Plant!

Here is the entire boulevard garden with its three sections:

P.S. This is a lot of work...

Front-Yard Vegetable Gardens in Portland, OR

2011-07-27T16:21:00.044-07:00

On the very warm afternoon of July 4, 2011, while staying at the Kennedy School, I took a walk in the neighbourhood looking for front-yard vegetable gardens. I came across many; these NE Portlanders have few compunctions about being creative in their front yards. My first stop was the well-kept Kennedy Community Garden, part of the original school grounds, but it was locked.
Now, on to the private gardens, many of which use boulevard land.
I liked the diagonal placement of these raised beds.Note the handy irrigation system for these blueberry bushes.
There were several types of trellises for vertical gardening.
For tomatoes--
Or simply use the house--
This gardener is just starting out with a new raised bed and has already eliminated the grass--
"Growing" Christmas lights on the arch in this front yard used expansively for vegetables--
Raised beds are everywhere. These people have at least 3--
This garden has used re-purposed lumber to build a grouping of 4 raised beds, each with 2 levels, a very clever and pleasing design.
Like Vancouver, Portland can have some cool weather, so the tomatoes in this hoop house may do quite well.I call this a "horse tank", but there's probably a better name--Are they forgetting to mow? I think they're growing these little plots of white and purple clover on purpose.
Portland does an interesting thing with its sidewalk dates, giving both the original date and the date of the newest sidewalk. Many of the houses were old; others were post World War II. Although Portland is a city where many people want to live, the economy is different from Vancouver's, and I didn't see any demolitions.

3 new plots on 11th

2011-05-29T10:56:00.008-07:00

West 11th Avenue in the Point Grey area of Vancouver is rife with front yard vegetable gardens. This one may be inspired by the next door neighbour's front yard vegetable garden of many years, which you can see bits of in the background on the left. It appears that plants are from another gardener or a store, rather than from seed. Some land is left to plant the warm weather plants when the weather gets better.

This new boulevard garden looks as if will prove quite successful. I like the design of the angled corners at the centre because they give the gardener more space to move about, and they simply look great. The brick path is a nice touch as well.

Why waste a south-facing garage door that is not being used? These folks built a trellis and a box and planted peas.

6 on 6th

2011-05-09T20:21:00.035-07:00

On Sunday, May 8, I took a walk along West 6th Avenue, in "Kits", looking for front-yard veggie gardens. I spotted six, two of which I'd seen before. They are neighbours to each other. The garden on the right is still bare. You can see a leafy green from last year that has gone to seed with a bright yellow flower. These flowers are often wonderfully fragrant, and leaving the plant there is good for birds and for lazy gardeners who then can have many such plants the next year without lifting a finger!
It is interesting to see a photo of the same garden taken in March 2010, when there was a successful winter cover crop.
Between the two houses are three young flowering fruit trees, along with colorful spring bulbs.

The garden on the left has slightly-raised beds, using bricks and wood. Note the hoops on the bed with the garlic and the leeks and on the bed in the rear. It looks like the kit of wire hoops and plastic that I purchased this spring from Lee Valley. The nights are warmer, even if we complain about the cold days, so the plastic may not be needed anymore, but it's there just-in-case.
In the bed in the rear, there is a good specimen of over-wintering Lacinto kale. Behind it, peas are emerging. The daffs are finished!
It is astounding to compare this year to last year. The gardener grew Lacinto kale in 2009/2010, and in this photo taken early March 2010 it had already gone to seed! The daffs are flowering in the background. Brian Minter of Minter Gardens remarked on CBC recently that we are 3 weeks behind this year. Maybe more??
The third garden is newly-constructed. I could not see what is planted under the plastic. The four raised beds are cleverly placed near the front sidewalk for maximum sun on this north-facing lot.
In contrast, the fourth garden is an older and established garden, and I could only get an unsatisfactory peak at it. I liked the trellis and saw what looked like actual grapes, but that seems impossible. Also facing north, this garden's trellis is a good idea because it gets plants up out of shade.

The rocking chair drew my attention to the fifth garden. The gardener must have decided that he/she has no time to sit and rock, hence the plant on the seat and the missing rockers. The plot to the right of the entrance looks well-established, but the one to the left, with the spade ready for use, appears to be in transition, perhaps due to the construction site next door.

The sixth garden is new this year and must have taken considerable time and money to design and construct. It is unlike any I've seen, but it follows a number of excellent principles. Due to the usual space constraints of Vancouver's city lots, it had to be quite small. Being right next to the public sidewalk, the fencing around it provides security from roaming dogs and unauthorized harvesters. It also slows down the wind, yet lets adequate air and light flow through. The back wall of solid wood provides privacy for the owner's front yard, and it allows for the sun to reflect back onto the plants. It will be a good support for climbing plants, such as the peas which are growing there. A few pots of veggies on the top ledge catch the sunlight; the trellis provides useful vertical possibilities as well. Note the square-foot gardening approach.

Unpaid political announcement: there were lots of NDP signs on this street!

A Cold Spring in Seattle, WA

2011-04-29T20:07:00.029-07:00

There is a curious cul-de-sac in Seattle probably dating from the 1920's, designed along a sidewalk instead of a street. Access for vehicles is limited to the lanes at the rear of the houses. So, perhaps this front-yard garden does not strictly qualify as a "front-yard" garden because there is no adjacent street. Although it is an unusual treat to walk on the public sidewalk and not have vehicular traffic next to you, this is not an upscale neighbourhood, and a rooster is often heard crowing several plots away. In mid March, the owner of this creative array of raised beds facing south had over-wintering kale growing, but little else.

During a walk up the sidewalk in mid April I found the garden's tulips nearly finished, the two blueberry bushes blooming (between the veggie plot and the sidewalk), and the kale larger. But we have had a delayed spring here in the Northwest, including cold nights, and the gardener has taken a precaution and covered the veggie garden with floating Remay cloth for protection. Probably it has been seeded with early vegetables.
Note the trellises in the background, ready for peas or beans.

Cold Snap Protection

2011-04-16T21:09:00.010-07:00

These photos are not that beautiful, but I hope you can see the resourcefulness of a front-yard gardener in the Point Grey area of Vancouver on West 11th Avenue. With the Federal election coming up soon, followed by a provincial bye-election for this area, we hear how this is one of the wealthiest districts in all of Canada. However, instead of spending money at a garden supply store, this gardener has used found objects and his or her ingenuity to protect two rows of peas from the cold. Cement blocks, lengths of wood, and a few other things support the plastic covers that appear to be attached to light wooden frames, an inexpensive do-it-yourself way to provide removable protection, expand the season, or deal with unexpected cold nights. These last few nights of near-freezing temperatures probably rival the elections in terms of grabbing the attention of gardeners.

Mâche Mania

2011-03-13T21:43:00.011-07:00

Veggie gardens are waking up in Vancouver. In my front yard, these things have sprung up or survived: shallots (the small green spikes), garlic (the larger allium on the right), varieties of greens, and mâche (the lettuce-like plants with the solid leaves). The greens and mâche have sprung up from seed.
I have more mâche plants that have sprung up along the rocks lining a path.
And how many are growing around this over-wintering kale?
And to think I left only one mâche plant go to seed in this plot...

Not to worry, this particular green is valued in Parisian markets because it is one of the earliest local ones!

Emerging Rhubarb

2011-02-23T15:06:00.003-08:00

The above photo of rhubarb, biding its time until warmer weather, was taken February 23 in the front yard of a house a few blocks from mine.

Seedy Saturday

2011-02-22T16:14:00.000-08:00

Coming up on Saturday, February 26 at VanDusen Gardens in Vancouver is the annual "Seedy Saturday". I find that it is interesting to meet other gardeners there. From VanDusen's web site:

Seedy Saturday, in Floral Hall from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Presented by the BC Master Gardeners Association. A celebration of heritage varieties and organic gardening featuring more than 30 growers, seed companies and exhibitors and Heritage Seed Swap. Admission by donation.

A Winter Stroll

2010-12-13T17:12:00.009-08:00

Although the temperatures are currently way above freezing, the cold and snow in November wreaked havoc with some plants, such as this previously thriving Brussels sprout plant in a boulevard garden.
However, right across the street, a nearby fence must have provided a different micro-climate. These Brussels sprouts did not freeze, and of course the hardy garlic is thriving.
This is the new front-yard garden, seen in my blog of May 22, 2010. It must be broccoli in the background. The pathways are obscured by leaves. Leaves may look messy, but they are an excellent ground cover during our soggy winter months.
This high raised bed with herbs on the boulevard isn't as striking as it was in the blog of September 23, 2010, but items can still be harvested.

It may be hard to see the leafless blueberry bush in this boulevard garden. It is mulched with cedar needles. Note the healthy parsley plant nearby.

I am featuring only one photo of kale, but it is in about everyone's garden. A couple of the kale plants seeded themselves outside the confines of this mixed veggie/ornamental front yard garden with a curved border along the sidewalk.

Now over to the garden of a retired librarian couple in my neighborhood. (For more on this garden see blog of October 6, 2009.) I don't usually take photos in back yard gardens, but they invited me to see this stunning January King cabbage that survived the cold in great style, unlike their more typical cabbages that turned to mush.

Going to their front yard garden, I found "Freckles" lettuce, trimmed asparagus stems, and leeks (note the pea plants used as ground cover behind the leeks).

Eating from a winter garden is definitely more thrilling than seeing photos of winter gardens. To avoid boring you further, I'm going to sign off until 2011, with this photo of a neighbour's new use for wire tomato cages:

Winter in November

2010-11-23T16:08:00.017-08:00

I'd been intending to do a blog on winter gardens, but I expected a greener more alive scene. La Niña struck the west coast with an early snow cover for Vancouver. The tomatillo plant in my boulevard garden was just beginning to drop ripe fruit, and now this...

The zucchini still had 1-inch zucchinis; it's now over for them. The kale will probably be OK despite temperatures not going above freezing for days.

The parsley is nowhere to be seen, so it's good to have the little marker for it!

The weather is a bit backward; as you can see, the snow came before the leaves fell.

Blenheim Street Garden

2010-11-12T19:24:00.010-08:00

When you see the two planter boxes of corn bordering the front sidewalk to a house, you know something more is going on in the front yard. I seem to remember seeing these boxes (only one of which is pictured here) on display at the "Backyard Bounty Market" (see my blog of October 2) held in September as part of the Dunbar Harvest Festival, but the corn plants were greener and more attractive then.

The front yard garden is not easily seen from the sidewalk, so my apologies for the inadequate photo. However, the garden is still thriving in late October; there is a keen gardener here.

At least some of the raised beds appear to built from recycled wood, especially the one in the left corner, perhaps from a drawer or a shelf unit? This is certainly fine to do (I've done it myself), and since we gardeners often change our minds about the design of our gardens, it is practical since little cost is involved. In order to be extra safe growing food, things to avoid are lead paints/varnishes, particle board, laminated wood from Ikea cast-offs, "treated" lumber, creosote finishes, maybe more. Our throw-away culture results in many items discarded in the lanes, and all the demolitions produce even more potential finds. We see this too often in our Dunbar neighbourhood:

Raised Beds on Corner Lot

2010-11-04T16:40:00.008-07:00

As a rule of thumb, if you see a picket fence, look for a veggie garden. The house is on a corner, so this veggie garden may not qualify as a "front" yard garden, but the raised beds are right out there for everyone walking on the sidewalk along the avenue to see. The first two photos are from October 2009; the third one from October 2010. To do justice to this garden, I would prefer to have photos from the height of the growing season, but even at this marginal time of year, you can see the variety of things that are being successfully grown in the two raised beds on the south side of this house and the change from one year to the next. What are those strings for?

The Bear's Front-Yard Edible Garden

2010-10-26T21:25:00.011-07:00

This black bear's front yard edible garden is Thornton Creek, near Ucluelet on the west coast of Vancouver Island. The creek is near a fish hatchery. He is a lucky bear!

Twin Raised Beds

2010-10-20T19:52:00.006-07:00

Two neighbours on West 16th Avenue coordinated their efforts in constructing identical raised beds in their front yards, but what they are growing differs. One has constructed a trellis for runner beans and there are leeks or onions, perhaps more.

The other has kale, tomatoes, chard, beans, and perhaps a blueberry bush.

These are the first raised beds that I've seen made from 4x4's. For those of you who are builders, here is a detail of the corner. These sturdy beds should last a long time.

Avoiding Tomato Blight

2010-10-09T20:04:00.012-07:00

In these photos, it is September 19, and the days are damp and rainy, but these gardeners are prepared. The tomatoes (and one bean plant) in their front yard are covered in plastic and the gardeners are ready to roll down the plastic with the next shower. Blight be gone...

Going around to the lane, I saw pole beans growing on the lane side of their back fence and much of their back garden wrapped in plastic, almost a shrink-wrapped garden!

Backyard Bounty Market

2010-10-02T20:01:00.009-07:00

Very little prevents me from shopping at the UBC Farm Market on Saturday mornings, but instead on Saturday, September 25, I took part in a local market in the vacant lot at the corner of Dunbar Street and 18th Avenue. This first-ever event in our neighbourhood featured vegetables and fruits grown in the Dunbar area and was sponsored by the Dunbar Village Harvest Festival. The proceeds of several hundred dollars will go to flood relief in Pakistan.

Volunteers getting set up:

Grown at a volunteer's home behind St. George's Senior School (two kinds of apples, oregano, potatoes, and sorrel):

More produce:

The sprouting broccoli seedlings blur with the strong winds on that sunny day.
These heritage Wolf River apples were grown at a Dunbar resident's second home on Salt Spring Island.

Dunbar Transition (part of the Village Vancouver Transition Initiative) had tables with books, non-disposable lunch pails, and a sign-up sheet for email.

And chickens of course!
Are we ready for the 10-block diet yet?

Raised Herb Garden on the Boulevard

2010-09-23T15:11:00.005-07:00

A big thank you to Buddy and his owner (SG) who walks him for spotting this lovely raised bed in a block right off Dunbar Street and pointing it out to me. The front yard is shady, but this raised bed on the boulevard is very sunny and quite productive. The height is about 16 inches, so it is easy to maintain.

I love how the thyme hangs over the south edge, and I couldn't resist taking a photo of the flowering rosemary. And for the herbally challenged, here alongside basil is a tangle of rosemary, lavender, and tarragon:

For those who want the details, here is what I saw growing: leeks, Swiss chard, sunflowers, lavender, basil, fennel, dill, a strawberry, bay laurel, tarragon, and several varieties each of sage, rosemary, and thyme. If this isn't remarkable enough for such a small plot, there may have been more earlier in the season, plus I may have missed something! Think about how good the food must be at that house, with all these fresh herbs available, most of which are perennials.

Mushrooms in the Front Yard

2010-09-20T20:00:00.013-07:00

When it rains and rains and rains, can a good thing come of it? Today I saw some fun results of this dreadful fall weather--mushrooms abound in our front yard--I counted 10 different kinds (although I could be mistaken because as the mushrooms mature, they change character). Here they are:

A postscript for those who want to know more: The last (10th) mushroom pictured is an Amanita muscaria, my favorite for its striking beauty and one which I'll be looking for daily in the next while. The 9th one is prolific in our front yard; I don't know how many there were or what they are called, so if you know, please comment. The 8th one is a sort of puff ball, and they are fairly common in our yard as well. The other mushrooms are much smaller, some quite small. Years ago we had boletus edulis, introduced to me by a knowledgeable woman from Eastern European who was searching for them under the birch trees of our street. We ate some ourselves! I have not seen them on my property for many years and probably will not because the birch tree in front of our yard was removed in 2007, which is where they like to live. I did see a large specimen in the next block last week. Perhaps some of the 10 types pictured could be safely eaten, but the last one is a poison. Mushrooms are most prolific in gardens of benign neglect, i.e., where no lime or fertilizer has been added and vegetation has been left to decompose.

Collingwood Street Garden

2010-09-16T07:56:00.006-07:00

Taking a walk along Collingwood Street, it's a pleasure to come across four raised beds between the sidewalk and street because they are so attractive, with both flowers and vegetables. The raised beds are constructed with one-inch boards, a cheaper alternative than two-inch boards; I'm also using some one-inch boards in raised beds in my back yard and wondering what their life span will be, maybe 8-10 years?

Here's a good-sized squash (along with a fall mushroom), and as of early September, a pea pod was still growing.

A Hot Garden

2010-09-06T21:10:00.007-07:00

I recently revisited a children's boulevard garden that was new last year, growing pumpkins and sunflowers. (The blog of August 9, 2009 shows the colorful "namestones" that the children made to decorate their garden.) This year, the pumpkin vines are slinking over to the street, and there is the addition of corn to the plot.

If you look carefully, beyond the corn, you can see a couple of black disks.

These recycled vinyl recordings that have been decorated by the children and planted in their 2010 garden!
The summer got a bit hot for this vinyl!

Apartment Gardening Plots

2010-09-06T12:07:00.007-07:00

Read this article about renters' transformation of ugly pieces of land around their apartment building into productive vegetable plots. Bravo, Sara and the rest of the renters! The article is in the last week's issue of the WestEnder, WE.

Church Grows Vegetables

2010-08-25T16:20:00.012-07:00

Over the winter, the Dunbar Heights Baptist Church had to dig up around the foundation of its building on Crown Street between 17th and 18th Avenues. Rather than re-landscaping in a nondescript way, they have taken a creative approach. The front of the building facing Crown is a very small space, but it is a friendly space, with paths and benches. The narrow strip along the lane could have been planted unimaginatively with grass or left to grow up in weeds but not so. In early July, you can see evidence of the sunflowers, mixed lettuce, and, as we shall see later, other veggies.

Not all the lettuce got harvested, and by the middle of August, the remaining plants had bolted.
But the green beans and striped squash are ready to eat.

This photo was taken at 7:45 pm, with the sun beginning to go down in the west (left of photo). Isn't this little strip an interesting and surprising asset to the lane?

A Courageous Boulevard Garden

2010-08-11T10:02:00.010-07:00

In this small city in middle America, in the midst of productive agricultural land, at least one intrepid individual grows vegetables on the boulevard/curbside of the city's main street. Perhaps the person is a renter who is not allowed to grow vegetables in other parts of the lawn. I did not get a photo in 2009, but there were zucchini or squash plants grown there then. This photo is from July 29, 2010. Click on the photo to see the corn stalks.
Is there production? Note the pumpkin...

The plants literally spill out onto the busy highway, State Route 15 through Goshen, Indiana.
There is a mysterious blue sign "81". Perhaps that has something to do with permission to grow something other than grass in this spot. Does anyone know?

Strathcona Community Garden

2010-08-03T21:15:00.006-07:00

Along with nearby Cottonwood Community Garden, Strathcona Community Garden also had an open garden on July 11. The sign pointing the way emerges from a thicket of blackberry bushes and morning glory.
This community garden has existed longer than the Cottonwood one, and the plots seem a bit larger. This plot is neatly cared for and productive.

Carpenter skills have provided a diamond-shaped structure for Swiss chard, all set in a larger plot with a low fence.

Vancouver's warm weather hadn't really begun, so milk cartons filled with water help warm up the tomato plants.

Gardeners are always changing things--this appears to be a plot under development. Or perhaps there are new gardeners for this plot.

An area given over to flowers--

I caught someone harvesting their garlic.

I had to severely restrain myself from picking these Alpine strawberries. They are the best!

Back to the wild, a space that runs alongside the gardens, this time a marshy area, rather than the blackberry bushes and morning glory that were near the sign to the garden. Retaining wild areas in an urban area is crucial in many ways.

Cottonwood Community Garden

2010-07-11T21:45:00.022-07:00

I didn't really need this sign to the Cottonwood Community Garden open house on July 11. I knew that I was at the correct spot when I saw white fluff from the tree covering everything, in this photo adding more mulch to the straw mulch!
The garden is situated next to some non-green industrial land. Think about all those hot and barren roofs. The garden has recently developed a new section with "really" raised beds for persons using wheel chairs or otherwise having difficulty in bending down.

There were countless photo opportunities, but I'll limit this blog to a small selection. Here is a typical scene although nothing is typical in community gardens--too many strong gardening personalities!

Not all is veggie...flowers abound. I liked these poppies.

Oops, these are chicory flowers. Everyone is going to have chicory in their plot next spring.

What a relaxing spot! But perhaps it's a bit too relaxing...morning glories were twining all over the plot, likely not appreciated by gardeners in the neighboring plots. Community life, like gardening, can have its ups and downs.
Next blog will cover the open house on the same day at the nearby Strathcona Community Garden.

Two Workshops by SPEC

2010-07-07T19:52:00.007-07:00

SPEC, the Society Promoting Environmental Conservation, has two Saturday workshops here in Vancouver that may be of interest:

July 10: Agriculture and Climate Change
July 17: Winter Container Gardening

Proceeds support their School Gardens Project. More details on their website.

This Whole Lawn is Edible...

2010-07-02T09:44:00.007-07:00

if you are a miniature horse.

Although Sonny does not live on the 4000 block of West 31st Avenue, he likes to come to the annual Canada Day block party. This year he gorged himself on a lawn that hasn't been mowed since 2009 in front of a soon-to-be-demolished house.

Jardins Jardin 2010 (in Paris)

2010-06-18T21:45:00.006-07:00

I enjoyed my second time attending Jardins Jardin in Paris, having been at the exposition in 2008 before I began this blog. I would recommend attending if you are ever in Paris during the weekend when it is held.

The first thing that caught my eye were these geraniums, named for our own city of Vancouver. Has anyone heard of these?

I couldn't resist taking a photo of this rooster, made in Africa from recycled metal if I remember correctly. A great addition to any garden!

More third-world interest was expressed by a demonstration garden showing how vegetables could be grown in the tropics on a small plot to feed many people.

Now to all things "potager"...Growing plants vertically is important when there is little space available, such as on a balcony or small patio. I saw two products that would make this easy to do, both made of heavy-duty plastic:

This company exhibited their square gardens, one with a border of lettuce and another with various veggies, eggplant, a yellow pepper, etc.

A more traditional approach was take by "Le Potager de Madame Cerise" with lovely wooden and mulched walkways and plants laid out in a beautiful and neat manner and colourful labels.

I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the exposition, especially some of the design ideas, although I was appalled with the tree trunks painted purple! The vegetable gardens on display, were charming, but I have to admit that I'm more interested in the "real" front-yard veggie gardens that many of you create in your own way, not one the same as another. Now that I'm back in Vancouver, I'll be scouting around for new gardens to feature on this blog.

Upon leaving, I spotted this rooftop garden over one of the food outlets and feeling homesick for fox gloves, I took this photo looking down on it . The typical metal chair is child-size, indicating the small scale of this charming garden.

Edibles and Urban Transformation

2010-06-12T11:16:00.008-07:00

Edibles growing in cars?? That is what a group is doing as a "collaborative act of urban transformation." One of their cars, a Toyota, is parked on the east side of Dunbar near 3oth, just south of Stongs. A fuji apple tree and two rhubarb plants are featured.

For more information see stick shift project

Champs Elysée in Paris

2010-05-26T13:31:00.012-07:00

Champs Elysée before:
Champs Elysée after:
Would over 800,000 Vancouverites spend a Sunday on a holiday weekend looking at vegetables and plants? Probably not...but in Paris they did on May 23, at Nature Capitale

Normally, this blog focuses on edibles in front yards and lanes, but with this entry I'm taking the liberty of extending the scope to include vegetables literally ON the street. Champs Elysee was covered with wheat and other edible plants, such as corn, lettuce, beets, garlic, peas, chard, and rape seed.

And to top it all off--an edible pyramid of raw veggies in sustainable wooden cases!

Metamorphosis--from Mud to Meals

2010-05-22T13:02:00.007-07:00

Along the front sidewalk is a colorful border of various plants and stones in this photo taken on April 22, camouflaging what may be happening behind it. I first noticed that this garden was undergoing a change last fall when the grass disappeared, and two apple trees were planted. The 6th photo on the blog of November 17, 2009 shows one of the apple trees with a yellow tag and a muddy-looking front yard.
Then intricate pathways of a contrasting mulch, and markings for plants were created, for what may very well be vegetables because of the short rows. The tiny areas will be easy to weed and harvest. Some plantings took place by mid-April. On the second photo, you can see the "whip" of one of the apple trees.

Maybe getting weary of all those dandelions, this gardener has decided to take on the additional project of removing the grass on the boulevard! The second photo shows the progress as of April 28. That may be another fruit tree, too. More on this (hopefully) edible garden later!

The Way of a Gardener--An Evening with Des Kennedy

2010-05-19T00:42:00.008-07:00

Those of you who live in the lower mainland of BC may be interested in The Way of a Gardener: A Life's Journey, a new book by Des Kennedy and/or the evening event on May 27 at Books to Cooks.

A New Boulevard Garden with Vegetables

2010-05-03T21:57:00.007-07:00

These avid gardeners have had plantings on the boulevard for many years, but in March 2010 they began a bold expansion to establish a garden on the entire boulevard across 1.5 lots in cooperation with their experienced neighbors. Two huge piles of soil are ready to be dispersed:

After much labor, the boulevard was leveled but not quite a blank slate due to the pre-existing plants (including a native salmon berry bush). However, an appreciably increased space for growing sun-loving plants has been created.

A few days later, cheerful flowers appeared, edging the beds.

With these hilled-up rows, it appears that vegetables will be planted.
Work over the weekend resulted in the transplanting of zucchini and carefully labeled rows of onions and other vegetables.

This new boulevard garden is definitely both a neat and attractive addition to the landscaping of this block.

Front Yard Garden Story in Courier

2010-05-01T17:31:00.008-07:00

City drops hammer on front yard garden

This is the title of an article in the April 30, 2010 issue of the Vancouver Courier about a front yard vegetable garden that was not tidy enough for some neighbors.

Converting Lawn to a Vegetable Garden--A Problem

2010-04-27T20:47:00.010-07:00

All is not roses in the new boulevard garden. The little lettuce transplants in the edible section have come onto hard times. (Of course, the kale volunteers are all thriving.) Note the crumpled appearance of the lettuce plant at the bottom centre:

A second plant succumbed in a similar manner a day later, with its main root cut. Digging down I discovered the perpetrators, wireworms! The only good thing about these creatures is that they are such a bright orange color that they're easy to spot. With their hard bodies, they are difficult to smash, so to avoid a time-consuming mass murder, I took a bunch of them over to a new home in the forest. Although quite small they can do a lot of damage, and unfortunately, they live for several years.

I found out later that two of the favorite foods of wireworms are lettuce and grass roots. Perhaps instead of turning over the sod and retaining it for extra humus, I should have removed it entirely. However, the wireworms may have been lurking lower in the soil in the colder months when I was digging up the grass. It's something to consider if you are turning your lawn into an edible space. There is helpful information from British Columbia's Robin Wheeler here: Wiley Wireworms.

A New Boulevard Garden on 31st Ave., Continued

2010-04-24T22:23:00.006-07:00

The March 10th blog about my new boulevard garden ended with a blank slate, and the future looked easy. But before planting, there were several tasks. To facilitate reaching into the garden without stepping on it, I divided my plot into two parts--one for flowering plants and the other for edibles (and a few flowering plants), separating the two plots with a path of stepping stones. Stepping stones along the curb are also a convenience for drivers parking on the street. As well, I wanted a bit of a stone barrier along the sidewalk for the part of the plot growing vegetables. I used a level to place the stepping stones (getting a curious comment from a male passing by wondering about a woman using a level). My neighbor installed paths of stepping stones also.

Making that initial decision about where to place plants is daunting. Two blueberry plants were the first to go in.
Along with the blueberry bushes, there is a pink dawn viburnum in the centre of the inedible plot. To the left are Rudbeckia plants, given to me by someone who says that they will get 8 feet tall. I don't believe him.
In this photo of April 14, even though a Brussels sprout plant, a couple lettuce transplants, and other plants were added, the plot still seems relatively empty. The little framed squares contain Nigella seeds.
Ten days later on April 24 the plantings look more established. My neighbor has planted groupings of lavender and heuchera, among other things.
As you round the corner from Camousun Street onto 31st Avenue, the new garden provides a welcome surprise from the usual boring grassy/mossy boulevard.
PS about kale. Despite the compost from the city being inert, two (or do you see more?) tiny rogue kale have established themselves in the inedible plot. Should I leave them there?

Dunbar Irrigated Garden

2010-04-15T21:18:00.006-07:00

An attractive rock retaining wall faces Dunbar Street with a carefully trimmed hedge high up on the slope. It's quite difficult to see the house. The only clue that there might be an interest in vegetables is the garlic interspersed between the bushes.
But there is a front-yard vegetable garden, tucked way up by the house--note how Dunbar Street appears far below. In February, there are still green veggies to eat that have wintered over. The blueberry bushes lining the walkway are mulched with sawdust.
The next two photos were taken on April 1. Because the garden has relatively few veggies left to eat, one can see the "bones" of the garden, an elaborate irrigation system, which was manufactured in Israel. There are raspberry bushes leafing out next to the house. The owners did a tremendous amount of work recently to create this garden, and their reward is excellent production from this sunny and automatically watered site. It is quite attractive even in winter because they keep it utterly tidy.
But that is not all! On the south-facing lane to the side of the house, the owners grew a few tomatoes in 2009. However, this year they've embarked on another major project, sifting out the rocks and getting a load of dirt. I wish I had a "before" photo from last summer. This photo was taken in February during the 2010 Winter Olympics, hence the flag!
By April, the terraced beds are beginning to take shape.
Work continues in mid April...additional soil had to be acquired. As with gardening in general, there's always more to do.

Winter Vegetables

2010-04-03T11:45:00.008-07:00

After returning from a week in the mid-west U.S. (OH/IN/PA), I realize why no one believes that vegetables can grow over the winter in Vancouver. It's not California here, but we can eat some things, mostly greens, from our gardens. On January 30, I spotted beets and what I think is arugula in the front yard garden that is growing veggies to sell:

The same day, I saw chard and kale in this front-yard garden.
On February 5, I spotted this plot near a sidewalk--perhaps these red-leaved plants are edible.
The raised beds in this front-yard garden have the ubiquitous kale, plus garlic. Note that the residents are expanding with two more raised beds to the left and to the rear. Photo taken on February 14.
Looking like a logged-over forest, this plot of kale plant stems was spotted on February 21:
Darkness descended on February 21, so I had to use a flash to get this photo of the lane garden that got into trouble with the city government because the garden encroached onto the lane. Everything got resolved, and growing continues. See blog of September 2, 2009.
If you're not too tired of seeing kale...here are the two popular varieties, the Russian Red in the foreground and Lacinato in the background, on February 28.
Here is what happens when you don't eat the Lacinato kale! Seen in a southern exposed front yard on March 7.
Here is what happens when you forget to dig up garlic, seen on March 29.
Also on March 29, I saw this Swiss chard plant; unlike kale, not all Swiss chard plants survived the Vancouver winter.
Broccoli in March? Yes, this is purple sprouting broccoli, a nice change from all that kale!
A salmon berry bush, a native plant, growing in a boulevard garden cheers passers-by with its sparse but lovely blooms.

Creating a Boulevard Garden

2010-03-10T20:17:00.008-08:00

Changes began to to the western end of 31st Avenue on February 8 when the the grass along the sidewalk and curb was dug out. Some of the dug-up sod was placed upside down in the middle to form a slightly raised bed. Cardboard was sourced in a nearby alley and placed over the site in order to discourage the grass from growing. A few leaves were scrounged to partially camouflage the cardboard and to provide additional organic matter. The area awaited the next dramatic phase.

On February 11, a city truck delivered a hot and steamy load of their compost to the block; one-half of it was dumped here.

Over the following weekend, the next door neighbours decided to create a boulevard garden, too.

Now there is a great big blank slate!

The Shadow of a Garden

2010-03-04T20:37:00.005-08:00

Here are two quotes from Joe Eck's and Wayne Winterrowd's, Our Life in Gardens, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2009:

"In the end, you cannot separate a mature garden from mortality, for on even the most casual stroll through it you are reminded of your own, in a tree grown to maturity or even a patch of snowdrops multiplied from one bulb into a hundred. One can learn to accept the fact that one's own demise and the demise of one's garden may be approximately simultaneous. Actually, that is our greatest hope, for it won't be at all pleasant to see the garden go before we are ready to. But great gardeners we have known have told us that you can get used even to that idea. We are working on it." (p. 277)

"...gardens always depend on the constant care and the vigilance of their creators. After that, they are shadows." (p. 312)

I began this blog in the fall of 2008 with the first front yard vegetable garden that I had seen in the west side of Vancouver. The garden was prolific and, with its substantial wall, resembled a Mediterranean locale. These two photos are from October 2008:

In May 2009, wooden stakes were ready for the tomatoes on the left and beans on the right. The winter cover crop was not yet entirely turned under. Peppers, planted in black plastic pots, were given a hot spot to grow on the wall.

Walking by in December 2009 and January 2010, I began to wonder about the gardener since the garden looked too empty.

In February, upon inquiring of some people on a nearby sidewalk, I found out from a teenager with a skateboard that the man who gardened there had gotten very ill and passed away. The teenager said that the gardener had insisted on using sheep manure as the best kind. Someone else said that the gardener had given vegetables to him. What a loss, of both this expert gardener and highly productive garden plot; both have no doubt inspired many people long before front yard vegetable gardens became so popular in urban areas.

Disappearing Front Yard Garden

2010-02-24T13:53:00.023-08:00

In October 2008, I spotted this raised bed, growing tomatoes and other vegetables, in front of what I like to describe as a "cottage" type house. I created blogs of this garden on January 16 and 31, 2009.

The snows of December 2008 and January 2009 buried the garden, but the winter cover crop was peeking out.

The cover crop was lush in late March 2009.

By mid May 2009 good-sized tomato plants had been installed at the back of the plot, under wire "cages".

Unfortunately, I did not observe this garden later in the summer of 2009, but this is what I found in February 2010:

The entire raised bed with its soil had been carted off! The red marks on the sidewalk and the IPR marker (RIP?) indicate that the cottage is being slated for demolition, the fate of many such cottages in this area of the city where the value of a lot is $1M. Do you think that the front yard of the new house will grow vegetables? Let's hope that all that fertile soil went to a good home.

Hidden Dunbar Street Gardens

2010-02-10T20:24:00.011-08:00

There is more traffic on Dunbar Street each year, so residents often use tall hedges and fences to muffle the noise. Brazenly peeking over fences or around hedges, I discovered three more front-yard gardens. This photo was taken in late August and shows a corner lot surrounded by a lovely brick and metal fence/wall with a small border vegetable garden. Near the car's red tail light, a bright red tomato can be seen (especially if you click on the photo to enlarge it), and a cucumber and a squash plant also soak up the heat from the bricks, which are exposed to the sun much of the day.

The following two photos are of one garden, the first photo taken in August, the second in February. The winter shot allows us to see the structure of the beds. The ones in foreground made with landscape logs are carefully constructed to provide a level planting area. The ones in the background are unusually high raised beds, perhaps to catch a bit of extra sun. All in all, an intensive use of a small area.

This third discovery is also a corner garden, bordered on Dunbar Street by the tall hedge in the right of the photo. It was only possible to view this garden from the side street. This larger lot allows 4 large raised beds, hard to see on the photo because I could not obtain a view from higher up. How many more vegetable gardens are there in front yards on Dunbar Street but impossible to see because of the hedges?

Dunbar Street Front Yard Vegetable Garden

2010-01-13T20:35:00.011-08:00

Situated on busy Dunbar Street, this front yard garden has been here for some years, protected behind a charming fence and gate.

Red dandelion (chicory) plants were probably transplanted, as seen in this orderly array in late August, for fall or winter consumption.

In early October, the Swiss chard showed evidence of being cut for eating, along with the red dandelions.

The south side had zucchini, basil, and parsley still thriving in mid October, next to the nicely edged walkway.

The owners do a marvelous job of keeping the garden tidy, and in January, it looks empty but neatly kept. This is the same view of the south side, where the zucchini was. In the foreground, you might see one of those dandelion greens struggling to grow, but the Swiss chard must have all frozen during the cold spells in November and December. The second photo shows some winter ground cover and is getting cheery, with snowdrops just on the verge of flowering (on January 10!). Unfortunately, the day was so dark that I had to use flash.

The Chafer Beetle Has Crawled Across Dunbar Street: You Can Now Have an Edible Front Lawn with No Effort!

2010-01-12T20:22:00.013-08:00

Unfortunately, the damage from chafer beetles, first seen in Greater Vancouver in New Westminster in 2001 and now commonly seen in many lawns in east Vancouver, is occurring on the west side. This is a January 10 view of a lawn on the west side of Dunbar Street, a few blocks from 41st Avenue.

A close-up view shows the extensive damage begun by skunks and raccoons and continued by crows, as they hunt for the tasty chafer grubs. You may not have an affinity for these grubs, but the local wildlife finds your front lawn edible.

This Dunbar Street lawn is near 33rd Avenue, as seen on January 10.

In October 2009, I saw this damage on W. 37th Avenue, east of Dunbar Street. A common pattern is damage beginning at the edge of a sidewalk and spreading from there.

Right next door to this house on a block east of Dunbar, there is extensive damage from the chafer beetle, so these owners are being proactive and removing the grass themselves! Maybe there will be a veggie garden?

Alas, this morning I opened the window blinds and looked with horror at my back yard, dug up overnight...

Boxing Day Harvest

2009-12-29T17:49:00.010-08:00

This harvest from the backyard (apologies about it not being grown in the front yard) consists of green onions, two kinds of Swiss chard, mizuna, red Russian kale, mache/corn salad, parsley, marjoram, and a mystery green. We ate this as a salad with our vegan Boxing Day feast. (photo by J. Evan Kreider)

Fruit Trees in the Front Yard

2009-11-17T21:01:00.005-08:00

One morning before 9 am there was a knock on our front door. It turned out be be a woman from Montreal, on a tour of British Columbia. As a child, she had moved into our house in 1942. We gave her the grand tour of this house that has seen few changes since it was built in the late 30's. I was most interested in her description of the garden that her mother had in the back yard. Along with a rose arbor and a "victory" garden, there were fruit trees at the south end of the lot. Alas, these trees have all disappeared as it is now too shady due to huge conifers in the immediate surrounds. However, one "heritage" apple tree remains. The owner prior to us transplanted it from his farm on Vancouver Island, perhaps in the 50's or 60's. We have enjoyed these tasty Cox's Orange Pippin apples for many years, but age and increasing dense shade have taken its toll, resulting in an unhealthy-looking tree:

At the UBC Apple Festival in October 2008, I met an expert at grafting. She took a twig of the old tree in the spring of 2009, grafted it onto semi-dwarf stock, and produced a "whip". In October in the sunniest spot I could find in the front yard, I planted the new Cox's Orange tree:

Coincidentally, there's another fan of Cox's Orange trees on 11th Avenue who planted two of them on the boulevard, perhaps last fall. This photo is from July:

Three fruit trees (perhaps apple) are newly planted on 30th Avenue, in a front yard that is being dug up. It's hard to see any of the trees, but look for the yellow label on one of them.

On 31st Avenue, east of Dunbar, a new cherry tree has been planted on the boulevard. I suspect that the landowner planted it since it is an edible variety--one of the coveted Rainier cherries!

Planting fruit trees on either side of the city's sidewalk can be a good option in terms of available sunlight, assuming the boulevard trees do not make too much shade. It can be a small beginning to creating an edible front yard!

Harvest of Tomatillos on November 10

2009-11-11T20:14:00.011-08:00

Tomatillos have been so great this year that next year I hope to plant some in the front yard! (These are from my back yard veggie garden.) Since colder weather has arrived, I decided to harvest all the more or less mature tomatillos to make a salsa and a salad. Two advantages of tomatillos over tomatoes are that tomatillos can tolerate some cold weather and they are not affected by blight.

(Photos courtesy of J. Evan Kreider.)

A Native Plant

2009-11-02T11:54:00.015-08:00

On November 1, I encountered these beautiful specimens of Amanita muscaria growing in a front yard on West 31st Avenue in Vancouver. Are these edible? According to Wikipedia, perhaps, but only under certain conditions. It's best only to admire them. I wonder how the animal feels that took a bite from the one in the left background.

In the same front yard, these more mature specimens are growing.

Vegetables and Flowers

2009-10-06T21:43:00.005-07:00

Some years ago, the back yard of this house was included in a garden tour, part of the Salmonberry Days Festival in the Dunbar area of Vancouver. It was obvious to me that the gardeners were very knowledgeable. A few years ago, they dug up one side of their front lawn, landscaping it with interesting plantings. In May, I was surprised to see them dig up the entire front and construct a fence with a trellis, yet another re-design! But this time vegetables were included along with flowers. Even though it was a new garden, the gardeners' expertise showed in that it was attractive from the beginning. Perhaps because they have vegetables and grapes growing in the back, there is ample room in front to spare for flowers, making this mix of edibles and flowers so attractive.

In mid May the garden looked promising but a bit stark, with the structure finished but little planted:

By July, there was a complete transformation. Sunflowers peeked over the fence, and a squash vine was growing on the trellis. Outside the fence, the transplanted rhubarb was feeling at home, and colorful poppies abounded.

In mid September the squash plant revealed itself as a pumpkin, kale transplants had been set out near the front sidewalk, feathery asparagus could be seen in the background, and a large zucchini plant was made almost invisible behind the dahlias, sunflowers, and cannas.

All this was achieved on the north side of this bungalow.

A Walk on 31st Avenue

2009-09-16T17:00:00.011-07:00

The marine cloud cover did not lift until noon on the mid-September day when I took a walk on the block where I live on, checking for edibles in each front yard. In my own I found Swiss chard, the ever-present kale, sprouting broccoli, lettuce, and coriander gone to seed.

The next door neighbors get extra points because their two edible plants are also native plants. But they didn't plant them--likely a bird dropped salmonberry seeds.

Growing on further down the street is another salmonberry bush that has sprouted in a boulevard display. It's great to see these native plants.

Across the street are the healthiest Brussels sprouts that I've ever seen. Seeing them, I'm fairly certain that my two disease-ridden plants are losers.

The garden with the Brussels sprouts faces south; this next photo shows the left side. The garden is L-shaped, along the front of the house and west border. It includes a peach tree and an apple tree, along with tomatoes and more Brussels sprouts.

Not to be outdone, the next neighbor also has healthy Brussels sprouts and tomatoes. The cucumber plant has been producing since before Canada Day.

Back across the street, these gardeners have zucchini near the sidewalk and scarlet runners near their house, similar to their last year's planting.

New this year is this gardener's attempt to grow a cucumber on the boulevard, using a tiny decorative trellis.

An eclectic combination is growing on the boulevard--next to the bush is a potato plant and a tomato plant. Judging by the size of the tomato plant, it could be a "volunteer".

Arriving at Crown Street, I decided to check out the next block. It does not have as many adventurous veggie gardens in front yards, but there were two interesting places to see. This unconventional front yard has an apple tree.

But it also has a pear tree, with lots of pears!

Directly across the street is a vegetable garden that is easy to miss because it is situated in a corner next to the house and almost hidden by a boxwood hedge along the angled sidewalk. It is a fairly productive plot, with more of those Brussels sprouts! Can you see the eggplant?

Arriving at Wallace Street, I noticed a raspberry hedge, reigned in by a simple bamboo fence, in a side yard.

Returning home through the lane on the north side of 31st Avenue I came across a back fence with several hand-painted metal signs with sayings about gardening. This is one:

Paved Lanes & Growing Vegetables

2009-09-02T21:07:00.012-07:00

Do you find the next two photos interesting? In Vancouver, it is legal to pave the lanes from fence to fence, limiting potential green space and providing what is a rather drab and sterile scene.

In a lane behind West King Edward Avenue, these gardeners have "taken back" their lane that is paved edge to edge, and they have created an attractive and productive space for vegetables.

However, the garden structures attracted the attention of the City, and the owners received a letter from the engineering services department asking them to remove the boxes. There is a tongue-in-cheek article in the July 31 Vancouver Courier and a letter to the editor in a later issue.

There are many "lane gardens" in Vancouver, with smaller or no structures, particularly on lanes paved only down the middle. Here is a typical one that has been going for some years, producing raspberries, zucchini, a cabbage, and more.

Pumpkin Garden for Children

2009-08-09T21:23:00.015-07:00

In January 2009, we wondered if the snow would ever melt. This photo taken on January 23 shows no indication of what is in store for this boulevard in a quiet, tidy neighborhood where few front-yard vegetable gardens are found.

In early April, the sod was being turned over.

By mid July, pumpkin plants were thriving. The secret was starting the plants indoors.

In August, the foliage has dried up a bit, and the pumpkins are recognizable and sizable. This must be quite a reward for the 13 children and two adults who identified with the pumpkin patch by placing "namestones" along the sidewalk and road.

A New Boulevard Garden--Before and After

2009-07-30T15:41:00.007-07:00

In early March, grass and stones were removed from the boulevard.

In early April, three boxes were constructed.

Tiny plants and larger ones were already growing in the middle of May. Silver whirly-gigs and bamboo were placed to keep birds and cats away.

A lush veggie garden, complete with a plot of corn, is thriving in mid July.

Dazzling Dill Displays

2009-07-20T08:47:00.009-07:00

Gardeners are often creative in changing displays from year to year. This gardener, is one of them, and has planted dill, now in its prime. The front yard has edibles mixed in with other plants--note the sweet peas in the left background.

The dill display is only one small feature of this stunning dry stone front garden that was built in 2008. As in the above garden, a mix of both ornamental and edible plants are grown in this south-facing front yard.

Rhubarb Solution

2009-07-13T11:34:00.014-07:00

Everyone likes to see rhubarb emerge in the early spring, predicting warmer days and the promise of more growth in the garden. However, a rhubarb plant takes up quite a bit of prime space, and who has only one plant? More gardeners in the Dunbar and Point Grey area of Vancouver are moving their rhubarb plants out of their back vegetable gardens. The next photo shows rhubarb transplanted in the spring of 2009.

This sunny corner plot appears to have new transplants as well. However, the plants are smaller; perhaps the soil is not as good.

The next two photos show rhubarb as part of attractive boulevard plantings that include mostly flowering plants and bushes.

I've seen numerous rhubarb plants along the lanes--here is one example:

Lastly, the prize for the largest leaves goes to this gardener, who said the secret is lots of coffee grounds from Starbucks!

Mystery Solved!

2009-07-06T14:07:00.018-07:00

In 4 previous blogs, (link to Spinach Lovers' Garden in the list of labels), I've had photos of this front yard garden that was growing what I thought might be spinach over the winter and other things in large quantities that I thought were not very practical for a home garden, and yet there was obvious expertise. The mystery is now solved! The garden is part of Kitsilano Farms, a project that converts donated front and back yards into intensive, productive micro-farms. Produce is sold at farmers' markets, sold through CSA programs, given to the land-owners, etc. A similar project on the east side of Vancouver is CityFarmBoy. In Gibsons, there is Backyard Bounty.

Urban Agriculture

2009-07-06T13:36:00.014-07:00

The New York Times Magazine of July 5 has an article entitled "Street Farmer" by Elizabeth Royte about Will Allen's inner-city farming project in Milwaukee. I liked these two quotes:

“We need 50 million more people growing food,” Allen told them, “on porches, in pots, in side yards.” The reasons are simple: as oil prices rise, cities expand and housing developments replace farmland, the ability to grow more food in less space becomes ever more important.

Allen predicts that because of high unemployment and the recent food scares, 10 million people will plant gardens for the first time this year. But two million of them will eventually drop out, he said, when the potato bugs arrive or the rain doesn’t cooperate.

This link should work this week: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/05/magazine/05allen-t.html?_r=1&ref=magazine

Two Boulevard Gardens on Collingwood Street

2009-06-27T08:02:00.009-07:00

On June 14, I visited two boulevard gardens on Collingwood Street, which runs north and south in the Dunbar area of Vancouver. What surprised me are the different growing conditions in these two gardens only 20 short blocks apart. The first garden is high on one of the rocky ridges running through the area. The second garden is in the "valley". Both gardens are west-facing, and enjoyed hot sun on this warm day.

The first garden, high on the ridge, is growing tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, rhubarb, garlic, and lovage (the tall plant with parsley-like leaves), and more. The red plastic "tomato craters" from Lee Valley will give the tomatoes a boost.

The garden has a artful border constructed from natural materials.

Here is a similar view of the garden, a photo taken in the fall of 2008. The blueberry bushes were a decorative red.

Going down the hill to the second garden reminded me of traveling down to the Jordan River after being in the deserts of Jordan--suddenly it was tropical! Along with the usual fruits, this lush garden has a healthy banana tree. Due to the heat, the rhubarb has gone to seed (seen to the left of the banana tree). Corn is another crop successfully growing in this location. This large boulevard garden is bordered on the street-side by boxwood and on the sidewalk side by a simple bamboo fence. However, there is no sidewalk here.

In addition to the temperature difference, the soil is clay, unlike the sandy soil on the ridge. Hopefully, you can detect it on this next photo. The gardener has added compost, but the clay remains prominent, and although it is more difficult to handle than a sandy soil, it is capable of being quite fertile. At least the rogue fennel think so!

Un Jardin Partage

2009-05-20T21:56:00.006-07:00

On May 10, I visited a "jardin partage" in Paris near the Boulevard de l'Hopital. This active allotment garden is surrounded by old stone walls and high-rise apartments, offering some shelter from cold weather. Plantings were well-advanced for the season.

In France, gardeners often wait until after the "ice saints"to plant the warm weather vegetables. The ice saints' (St. Mamertus, St. Pancras, and St. Gervais) days are on May 11, 12, &13 and folklore is that until after that, there is danger of a late frost. However, in this well-utilized plot, tomatoes, peppers, beans, and zucchini have already been planted by this folklore-defying gardener.

Birds are attracted to any green space in Paris and can be a problem in a vegetable garden, so this gardener has a netting over his lettuce and beans.

This creative gardener is repelling the birds with plastic bottle and CD technology:
Renting a plot for one year costs 100 Euros. The gardener of this plot growing fava beans acknowledged that it is only a hobby; one doesn't recoup one's cost. However, his family is trying to maximize production on the small plot. His wife has interplanted bush green beans between the rows of fava beans.

Borders are crucial in a shared garden area. Here perennial herbs are grown in a circular enclosure, but the mint is escaping!

Of the 4 gardens that I visited, this one was the most actively cultivated, showing community involvement. In fact, the gardeners were gathered for a pique-nique and offered us a glass of wine and home-made food!

Gardens involve work, too, like a clean-up of the garden shed.

Front Yard Gardens in France

2009-05-16T12:26:00.006-07:00

This blog has not had many recent entries because I have been in France for 5 weeks. In France, finding edibles growing in a front-yard is difficult because often a front yard does not exist, or it is behind an opaque wall or fence. So, I am going to expand the criteria for the blog slightly to include allotment gardens, edibles growing in public places, and edibles growing in the front of a house that has no front yard.

In Paris there are over 40 "jardins partages" (apologies for no accent--this software is not very friendly for the French language); in Canada we call them allotment or community gardens. I enjoyed visiting 4 of them and will provide some photos in future blogs. You can find a map of the gardens' locations here:

http://www.paris.fr/portail/Parcs/Portal.lut?page_id=7347

Spinach Lover`s Garden in mid-March

2009-04-17T12:10:00.010-07:00

A cloche is still covering the two rows of spinach, if it is indeed spinach, but rows of something in the onion family were added in early March, perhaps transplanted.

On the other side of the sidewalk, a leafy vegetable has made it successfully through the winter.

Now for a little garden philosophy--

(For more views of this garden, check the tag "Spinach Lover's Garden".)

Newly Dug Boulevard Gardens

2009-04-08T07:23:00.009-07:00

Much effort has been taken in digging these two new boulevard gardens, one on 36th Ave. and one on 11th Ave. The one being constructed as three raised beds will probably be for vegetables. The other one may be for pumpkins! Turning over the sod is no easy task. Photos taken April 5, 2009.

Crocus Creep

2009-04-01T22:24:00.005-07:00

Crocuses are so spectacular right now that I have to break the rules for this blog and include them even though they are not edible. (Saffron does come from a type of crocus however.) The early mauve variety naturalizes readily, both by seeding and becoming clumps. The later more colorful varieties do not seed as often, but their clumps become larger. Over the years, the one bulb that was planted turns into dozens. Sometimes gardeners plant bulbs in their lawn in a scattered fashion, but often there is "crocus creep" from seeds. The next three photos are from my back yard:

Evidence here points to crocus creep, of both mauve and white colored crocuses:

My hunch is that the gardener here purposely scattered crocus bulbs in the lawn:

Although the following front yard in Kitsilano is a bit derelict these days, long ago there must have been a keen gardener looking after it, who planted a few crocuses, not this many though!

Raised Bed Under Construction on Corner Lot

2009-03-23T21:09:00.004-07:00

Will this new raised bed be used for vegetables? Since there is a "Save the UBC Farm" poster on the front door, I'm voting for vegetables. The gardener is starting from scratch but is well on his or her way with the piles of leaves and bags of manure. Let's return to this garden later and see what is grown on this south-west corner.

Rhubarb in a Plot on the Lane

2009-03-14T19:40:00.010-07:00

Red tips of rhubarb are peaking through next to the lane--a sign of more edibles in this tiny spot? The photo was taken March 1, 2009.

Why do I include this seemingly inconsequential plot? It represents such a small endeavor to grow something edible. Perhaps it's because I resonate with the words by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, one of Britain's top TV chefs, in the New York Times Travel section, November 30, 2008, p. 10:

"Even a window box of herbs in central London is better than nothing...food-blindness is part of our post industrial alienation; we're alienated from our very plates."

Garden with Possibilities for Spring 2009

2009-03-04T18:46:00.006-08:00

This vacant lot sits next to a Mennonite church in east Vancouver. The lot is used occasionally for the church's overflow parking, but some young people from the church came up with a vision to open up the use of this land for growing vegetables by people in the church or the community or by refugee claimants who attend the weekly food bank. Permission from the church and creation of the plots took place too late for growing vegetables in 2008, so only a few flowers were grown. Soil was brought in from a construction job site and mixed with purchased compost. Some of the costs were covered by a government grant. The soil must be good because the dandelions were flourishing in November!

Behind the Blue Picket Fence

2009-02-23T19:25:00.005-08:00

It appears that a raised bed was constructed atop the paving stones in this south-facing garden almost hidden behind a blue picket fence. Are those leeks that survived the heavy snowfall?

Swiss Chard on a Restaurant's Sidewalk Patio

2009-02-17T20:55:00.005-08:00

Trafalgars Bistro on West 16th Avenue has edible plants (Swiss chard and rosemary) in these two decorative pots, along with pink-flowering witch hazel and spring flowers brightening up its sidewalk patio.

Boulevards, Good for Growing Vegetables? Photos

2009-02-07T21:25:00.009-08:00

All of the above photos were taken in the Fall of 2008 in Vancouver.

In Berkeley, CA, next to a street that looks as if it is partially blocked to traffic, there is a thriving boulevard garden.

Boulevards, Good for Growing Vegetables? Comments

2009-02-07T21:13:00.010-08:00

The boulevard (area between the sidewalk and the curb, called the "verge" in Australia or "parking-strip" in California) can be the sunniest location on a Vancouver lot. Unless there are too many mature trees, there is a significant amount of space on the boulevard that could be used for growing vegetables. Some Vancouver gardeners do this, and I have some photos of their plots on a separate blog. However, the Guidelines for Planting City Boulevards from the City of Vancouver state:

Contaminants from the roadway may affect consumables, therefore vegetable gardening is not encouraged.

This problem is something to consider in "lane gardens" also. However, lanes get less traffic, and even some side streets get little traffic. Herbs may be a better choice than vegetables, since one consumes sparingly of them. Putting the vegetables in containers with good soil would avoid planting in soil that has been contaminated over the years. The guidelines from the City also state: "It is recommended that soil or compost be mounded up to 20 cm (8") above the level of the previous sod. This ensures that there is adequate soil for plants to root and that underground services are not disturbed." Creating a raised bed as the City recommends would mean that shallow-rooted plants would not take in the older contaminants. Flower lovers, like myself, could consider transplanting their flowering plants to the boulevard, freeing up space closer to the house for vegetables. In any case, these are guidelines, not strict rules, and we can be thankful that the City has taken an enlightened approach in allowing plants other than grass to be grown in boulevards!

Just how contaminated boulevards can be would be interesting to know. Lead is the contamination most often mentioned. In 1990 lead in gasoline was banned in Canada, so there could be some residual lead contamination along the roads with heavy traffic prior to 1990.

There are other particulates in the air from vehicle exhaust and from industry. With our recent snowfalls not melting for a long time, the deposit of particulates from the air is easy to see. Snow piles get particularly grey near busy arteries. I do not know how much danger these particulates in the air pose for growing vegetables.

Plants vary in what contaminants they take up. Here are some sources of further information:

"What You Should Know about Lead in Soil" published by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment
http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/publications/6683e.php

"Home Gardening in Lead-Contaminated Soil" published as a Niagara Region Public Health Fact Sheet, Fall 2005
http://www.wdghu.org/tytler/docs/Gardening%20in%20Pb%20Contaminated%20Soil.pdf

Lead in Urban-grown Vegetables; research done at Cornell University using soils from contaminated areas of New York City
http://counties.cce.cornell.edu/schenectady/Master%20Gardener%20Website/projectdocs/factsheets/vegetables/Lead%20in%20Urban%20grown%20veggies.pdf

Uptake of heavy metals by vegetable plants grown on contaminated soil and their bioavailability in the human gastrointestinal tract
http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~db=all?content=10.1080/02652030500387554

Raised Bed--October View

2009-01-31T17:16:00.010-08:00

In my photo archives, I discovered this October 5 view of the raised bed featured in the blog of January 16. The onions are the only vegetable common to both views. Two small trees planted on the south side of this bed could make it a bit shady, but tomatoes were grown, along with beets and kale. With a plot this serious, no doubt other vegetables have already harvested.

Artists' Garden in Hoquiam, WA

2009-01-23T16:21:00.008-08:00

This amazing garden has been created by two artists; they work in painted ceramics and metal with a collaborative business called Gumaelius Studios. The first photo shows their self portrayal on a sign that is attached to the chimney. The location is Hoquiam, WA, about two hours by car west of Seattle and 30 minutes from the Pacific Ocean. The climate is coastal, mild and damp year around (even more so than Vancouver), permitting vegetables to flourish as late as November 22 when these photos were taken. The front yard has some non-edibles such as rhododendrons, but most of the land is devoted to vegetables. A peek into the north-facing back yard showed thick clover along with a greenhouse containing ripening tomatoes. The large sculpture is striking and a practical support for growing fennel. Note the metal "hoops" that define the borders of the garden and that allow plants to grow vertically on strings.

Two vegetables that thrive in the fall are shown in the next two pictures: mizuna (a type of Japanese mustard) growing in a clump, and the purple sprouting broccoli providing interesting color contrast. The last photo shows a thriving artichoke and creeping thyme, attempting to cover up the brick walkway.

Vegetables Growing (?) in January

2009-01-19T20:19:00.031-08:00

No, it's not a leek--it's a garlic, still alive after being covered by the heavy December snowfall. The size is small, so the five garlic plants can barely be seen in the next photo.

Mizuna and parsley are still alive but a little floppy in these raised beds in a south-facing corner lot. The next two photos show the "spinach lover's garden", now nearly snow-free. Note the raised rows mulched with finely chopped leaves. I wonder what will be planted there.

The "Intensive Front Garden plus Boulevard", the 2nd oldest entry in this blog, has kale emerging from the snow pile on the boulevard.
Thick fog for over a week prevented the snow from melting in their front garden despite its southern exposure. The tall Brussels sprouts probably escaped being completely covered by the snow. Note the handmade bamboo fence.
This leafy green vegetable appears to thrive in the snow. Does anyone know the name of it? It's the same plant as in the "Sunny Lane Garden".

The first dandelion of the season!! Found near the front of a house on West 16th Avenue.

Raised Bed--January View

2009-01-16T17:02:00.017-08:00

The snow is melting on this raised bed in a front yard. On the right edge, there is a row of onions. Peeking out on the other edges appears to be a cover crop of rye grass.

Growing Corn

2009-01-12T20:58:00.009-08:00

Vancouver does not have the ideal climate for growing corn, yet this garden in East Vancouver has an entire border of corn in its front yard, still looking surprisingly green on November 20.

On December 7, I spotted these brown cornstalks in the front yard of a house on the west side of Vancouver. There appears to have been a vegetable garden here. A more fastidious gardener would have removed the stalks, but that would have prevented the view of the corn stalks in the snow of December 24.

Sidewalk Garden of Basil

2009-01-03T20:53:00.008-08:00

Anyone familiar with Vancouver would know that this fascinating duplex is located in some other city. In fact, it is likely that the house was built before Vancouver existed. It is rented out to quite a number of residents, some of whom are interested in growing vegetables. Since the back yard is quite shady, and the front yard barely exists, one resident has taken to growing various types of basil in containers on the sunny front sidewalk. (The above photo taken in January does not show the placement of the pots of basil.) Remarkably, no one walking by disturbed the plants, although the gardener suspects that a tomato plant would provide more temptation.

Spinach Lover's Garden Under Snow

2009-01-03T20:37:00.013-08:00

You can barely make out the ridges of snow over the rows of cloches that are protecting the spinach. The gardener probably did not expect such a heavy snowfall to occur and to remain for so many weeks in Vancouver. Typically there is rain in December. Let's hope that the spinach survives! (Refer to previous blog: Spinach Lover's Garden Under Development.)

Back in 2009

2008-12-10T21:24:00.000-08:00

Watch for photos of more gardens in 2009!

Spinach Lover's Garden Under Development

2008-12-09T16:56:00.009-08:00

The first time I spotted this garden, it consisted of a large freshly dug area. By late October the small raised rows showed what looked like spinach seedlings (first photo). By mid November (second photo), the gardener had placed protective cloches over the rows.

The following photo shows another section of the garden. A south-west corner garden such as this one has an excellent sun exposure but double danger from wandering dogs!

Vegetables Growing in Unexpected Places

2008-12-06T20:47:00.010-08:00

There are very few empty lots in the Dunbar/Point Grey area of Vancouver, but I came across one next to the Pacific Spirit Park. Obviously, someone grew vegetables including pole beans on a support on this empty lot in 2008. It's all a bit scruffy at the end of the season, so it's difficult to determine the other plants that were grown. Was this guerrilla gardening?

This traffic-calming roundabout at 8th and Trimble contains chives. Are there other roundabouts planted with edibles?

The UBC Farm isn't the only area growing food plants at the University of British Columbia. The entrance to the campus bookstore has attractive Swiss chard growing in pots.