garden

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Gardening; the Outdoor Version of Baking During the COVID-19 Pandemic

by Bevony on 13 May 2020 Comments Off on Gardening; the Outdoor Version of Baking During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Owner of Bloomsbury Designer Gardens, Kathy Friesen considers gardening the outdoor version of baking. With many people safe at home during the current COVID-19 Pandemic, we have quite a lot of time on our hands. As a result, many people are keeping themselves busy performing a variety of home-based activities. 

The truth is, that as you are going about your regular day to day lives it is hard to find time to do things at home. Between work, kids, and extracurricular activities it can all be a bit much. Now people are staying home, learning new skills and trying out new things to occupy their time. We now find many turning to gardening regardless of the space with which they have to work with. 

Turning Your Small Urban Spaces into Gardens 

If you don’t have a backyard space you can still engage in some gardening. Use your rooftop, patio, balcony, or an outdoor room that you may have. Most people who create a garden want a space that is calm and tranquil, something they have control over while they are living in this scary time that 2020 is proving to be.  

When you look at home ins many parts of Vancouver for example in Kitsilano you will find that most house lots are narrow and small with the houses spaced closely together. This doesn’t mean you can’t get out and get some gardening done. Don’t let the size of your yard or your limited outdoor space deter you from creating your garden. 

You just need a small space to plant vertical vegetables such a cherry tomatoes, kale, peas and beans. Small spaces are ideal for planting blueberries and a variety of strawberries as well. 

Increase Backyard Privacy 

If you have backyard space but find that going outside means being a part of your neighbor’s outdoor socializing, gardening can help provide you with some privacy. You can add privacy screens with evergreen vines on trellises. 

With no traveling for us in the near future, summer will be spent staying home, or should we say with “staycations”. This gives us even more time to spend on our outdoor spaces, tending to plants, and forging quality bonds with our immediate family members. 

What People Want 

Most people want items that are easy to grow. They want colors, many want to try their hands with vegetables since they have experience pay cuts and job losses making it hard for ends to meet. People want plans that will grow easily and with little maintenance. They also want plants that can be easily cleaned out when the winter season comes around. 

You want your home to comfortable and pleasant for you and your entire family. With us all spending more time together it can get a bit much. participating in hobbies can help to take the edge off and gardening is just one avenue you can use. No matter what amount of outdoor space you have, you can plant something. If it is even just a window box with some herbs. 

Tell us, What would you love to plant at home? What are you already planting?

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BevonyGardening; the Outdoor Version of Baking During the COVID-19 Pandemic

What you Missed at the B.C. Home and Garden Show

by Bevony on 26 February 2020 Comments Off on What you Missed at the B.C. Home and Garden Show

The British Columbia Home and Garden show was held from February 19 to 23, 2020. If you weren’t able to attend we have got you covered. We know that this winter weather has been unpleasant and we are all looking towards the change in seasons. The show gave attendees something to look forward to. There were lots of tips and ideas on how to spruce up your landscape.

The show was enjoyed by both attendees and presenters. All got the chance to check several horticultural boots sporting different themes. Some things you missed include;

  • Professional landscapes
  • Unique outdoor patio displays
  • Innovative ideas on growing
  • New and upcoming garden accessories
  • New styles of greenhouses.

What the BC Home and Garden Show is All About

The show is not just about outdoor living, it incorporates indoor living as well. It showcases collections of products and trends that are interesting, upcoming and relevant. You find everything from new styles of kitchens to art, the latest in sleeping comfortably to innovations in food preparation. You even missed some newer, more environmentally friendly cooling and heating units as well as a range of fixtures that can help your family to be more efficient with your water usage.

Presentations You Missed

The show included several informative seminars as well. These included the following;

  • On the 20th, there was a panel discussion on the Main stage at 6 pm. This was sponsored by the Homebuilders’ Association of Vancouver. Panelists included pros in the renovation and construction field and their topic was outdoor/indoor living with a major focus on outdoor living.
  • Victory Gardens’, Lisa Firoday presented on eco landscaping with a focus on how to make the most of your usable land.
  • Janis Matson from Shoreline Landscape Design did a presentation on “Drought Tolerant Gardening”. This provided useful information for when we get into the hot summer months and have water restrictions to contend with.
  • Alex Augustyniak from West Coast Seeds discussed how we can grow foods all year in our Canadian Climate.
  • Carissa Kasper from Seed and Nourish gave a presentation on “Seasons o Growth: The Future Garden”. She noted how changes in climates affect gardening practices and looked into the future of what gardens may look like a couple of years ahead.
  • Reiner Van de Poll from the Van de Poll Garden Design company did a presentation on how to create a natural patio setting.
  • Shelley Levis from Sow and Dipity presented on countertop gardens and the trends in this industry.
  • Leanne Johnson from GardenWorks explained plant parenting in her presentation on indoor gardening and the millennial generation.

BC Home and Garden Feature: GROW!

This year’s BC Home and Garden Show had a new feature called “GROW!” the feature was an interactive and informative one. It covered how to plant as well as what, where and when to plant. The feature was brought on by West Coast Seeds.

Gardening was not a major part of the show but there was a very significant gardening presence at the show. Art’s Garden Market had a range of plants on sale so that attendees could go home with something in hand. There was also a booth by B.C Nursery and Landscape Association.

We hope you didn’t miss the 2020 BC Home and Garden Show, and if you did, we hope to see you there next year.

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BevonyWhat you Missed at the B.C. Home and Garden Show