Many home gardeners and plant enthusiasts wonder whether it’s possible identify plants using a smart phone. In this article, learn about phone ID apps, how to use them and the important limitations of this technology. Can You Identify Plants with a Phone? The short answer is: yes, you can. Phone functions for plant ID can …
A wide variety of beneficial insects can be found on Vancouver Island and within the greater Pacific Northwest. These beneficial insects are key in supporting healthy garden ecosystems. And while most home gardeners are familiar with pollinators like bees, butterflies, wasps & flies, there are a whole host of other beneficial insects that act as …
Pollinators play an important role in supporting biodiversity. Pollinators are diverse and include insects such as bees, flies, butterflies, moths, beetles, hummingbirds, bats and others. Approximately 75% of flowering plants depend on pollinators for fertilization and subsequent production of seeds and fruit. One third (1/3) of these flowering plant products are consumed by people and …
What is Mulch? Mulch is a protective layer of organic or inorganic material spread over the soil. Choosing the right type of mulch for your particular landscape will depend on various factors (see the table below). The answer to which type of mulch to use is: it depends! Properties of Ideal Mulch Ideal mulches have …
Gardening Newsletterby Linda GilkesonOctober 18, 2026 With the very warm fall weather, thanks to an unusually strong El Niño, even vegetables that were planted late have been able to grow to a good size. I still have zucchini flowers setting fruit in my garden, which is a month later than usual, and with the ideal …
Gardening Newsletterby Linda GilkesonSeptember 10, 2026 As planting winds down and harvesting continues, here are some things to do this month: Tomato pruning: It is time to prune off new shoots and flower clusters on indeterminate (vining) varieties of tomatoes in the garden. Late flowers will set fruit too late to become mature tomatoes and …
Gardening Newsletterby Linda GilkesonAugust 13, 2026 With harvesting and preserving vegetables and fruit in full swing now, don’t forget to sow more seeds to keep the harvest going all winter. And also remember that seedbeds need careful attention to watering and shading at this time of year as well as protection from birds scratching up …
Gardening Newsletterby Linda GilkesonJuly 19, 2026 A higher than usual population of Purple Finches this year, at least in the Gulf Islands and Victoria area, is making the birds unpopular with gardeners. These finches have a taste for tender vegetable leaves, especially of Brassicas, and they also peck at broccoli heads, fruit tree flowers, pods …
Gardening Newsletterby Linda GilkesonJune 22, 2026 We are moving into the season when we start planting in earnest for winter harvests. If you are growing your own winter broccoli and winter cauliflower from seed, sow this week if you haven’t already done so. I went into varieties and sources in detail last year so I …
Gardening Newsletterby Linda GilkesonMay 21, 2026 The news of this spring continues to be the extremely dry conditions early in the season and the looming forecast of a hotter and drier than average summer due to the effects of a strong El Niño. After over a month without a drop of rain, some coastal areas …
