A brisk walk through UBC Botanical

The quintessential winter salad garden!

Happy New Year to you all. The 11th of January was a nice bright day, the kind of day for a winter walk with a pace slightly quickened by the cold air. The Botanical Garden at UBC is one of Vancouver’s ideal spots for such a walk, with lots of [...]

Exciting new things for 2012...

Well it’s been a shamefully long time since my last post. Happily, during that time we managed to get the 2o12 catalogue sorted and off to print. It’s now back from the printer and just starting to ship. I’ve also managed to review the  website, and bring everything up to date. I’ve finally had a [...]

Bees, bees, bees, bees, and more bees

I’ve made a commitment this summer to photograph as many bees and other pollinators as possible, inspired in part by my friend Nathalie Chambers’ earnest dedication to the Pollinator Enhancement Project with the Land Conservancy of BC. There are around 400 species of wild bees in BC – I must have counted about 30 in [...]

Rose Heaven

Some blooms are already open, but in a couple of weeks, it's going to be crazy!

There are a number of garden-related places around the Lower Mainland I like to visit several times a year. Some are relatively local, like the UBC Botanical Garden, and I may manage a couple of trips per month. Others [...]

More from UBC Botanical Gardens

What a difference a couple of weeks makes! So much more in bloom out at UBC. The magnolias are finished, but the rhodos are just warming up. And everywhere you look are more little blossoms appearing. In the last email newsletter from WCS, I mentioned the effect of photoperiodism on plants. How the length of [...]

Local Organic Farmers Needed!

The Environmental Youth Alliance is looking for 8 organic fruit and/or vegetable farmers in the Metro Vancouver are to participate in their Pollinator’s Paradise program. This Vancity-funded initiative seeks to assist local farmers and residents in building up native bee populations through habitat creation. Native bees are very effective at crop pollination and through minimal [...]

More spring colour from UBC

I can’t encourage you enough to get out and visit the Botanical Garden at UBC now, while their stunning magnolias are in bloom. Here are some more things in bloom right now at UBC…

UBC Botanical Garden in spring

I’ve had a couple of days off from our busy, busy, BUSY season – some much needed rest – and enjoyed a leisurely stroll through the UBC Botanical Garden this morning. It’s only April 7th, so it’s early in the season, but masses of plants are already in bloom. New foliage is appearing everywhere you [...]