The Sunshine Coast Botanical Garden is offering two practical workshops: Sheila Watkins’ Success with Seeds this Sunday, March 15 at 1 p.m., and Elke Knechtel’s Vegetable Gardening on Saturday, March 28 also at 1 p.m.
Both instructors have many years’ experience to share basic tips to make work easier and ways to ensure healthy plants organically.
Growing plants from seed is one of the most rewarding gardening activities.
This Sunday, Watkins will start us on a path to success with seeds, including the basics of starting seeds, healthy harvesting and creating beautiful flower gardens. From the earliest radishes to brussels sprouts for Christmas dinner, we can sow seeds for harvest all year.
Annual flowers are often best sown directly into the garden, but some need a head start to bloom earlier. Growing from seed is great for children too. Learn to select suitable seeds, sow them indoors, plant the seedlings outdoors at the right time and protect them from predators and disease. Bring questions and a notebook. Admission is by donation, $10 to $15 suggested.
Some gardeners choose to grow vegetables already sown and ready to plant, a good way for time-strapped gardeners to get results.
Knechtel’s Red Barn Plants nursery in Maple Ridge specializes in vegetables ready to transplant, varieties that thrive in our coastal climate, offering an amazingly wide selection (over 50 types of tomato), many available in our local nurseries.
On March 28 she will give us plant-specific information for growing an abundance of healthy, tasty vegetables. Her workshops usually sell out, so this is a ticketed event. Tickets are $15 for Garden members or $20 for non-members, and are available at Coast nurseries and Sechelt Visitor Centre, or by calling 604-740-3969.
The Garden is open for spring hours, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday to Monday, with opportunities to view rhododendrons and early perennials in bloom, amphibian eggs in the ponds, and many busy birds. Visit www.coastbotanicalgarden.org to become a member or for more details.
