Tip Toe... Through the Tulips...

Well, ok, there aren't any tulips on our entrance boulevard but there should be! A gorgeous path has been created by two of our dedicated members - David and Alison - to help us all with our weeding duties on our signature entrance garden. Perennials have been moved into a more pleasing placement to allow for the meandering path - and new scrumptious flowers have been planted.

Step One - the pathway was determined by literally 'walking the walk'... leveling the path and then laying the beach shells to form the base. Step Two - cold calling Northwest Landscape & Stone Supply for a donation of stepping stones. David spoke to Bill who kindly agreed to donate not only Bluestone stepping stones quarried from Vancouver Island - but also beautiful Oro Verde gravel and aqua and blue tumbled beach glass. It was like Christmas! There was enough that the Herb Garden also benefited. The Oro Verde has used to improve our flagstone pathway at the back. Thank you so much Bill for your generosity and also for the personal delivery - it was really inspiring. Step Three - laying of the stones on a rainy old Saturday afternoon... a one man job by David.

The boulevard will now be easier to access via our charming pathway - for our constant need to weed out the dreaded gout weed.

Thank you to David and Alison for creating our wonderful new path which will look fabulous rain or shine.

Spring 2010 Work Party - Gold!

The Kitsilano Community got off to a great start for the 2010 gardening season. The weather was AMAZING and we had an enthusiastic turn out for our Ma'nure and spring clean-up work party. Besides the distribution of our lovely organic manure, tons of other stuff got done - with mostly smiles all around! Some of the highlights... entrance boulevard cleanup... widening the main flagstone path...hobbit tree beautification... garden shed re-organization... weeding, weeding, weeding... did I mention weeding?
Kind thanks to Kevin at the 3515 w. 4th IGA and Lawrence at the 2948 w. 4th Starbucks for donating healthy snacks and coffee to keep everyone fueled and raring to go.

Fall Work Party

You wouldn't know it from the sunshine and warm temperatures but yes it was our Fall Work Party to prepare for the winter season ahead. That meant heavy duty weeding... will the gout weed every go away?

We turned and re-organized the compost bins and it looks like we are definitely going to reap some 'black gold' in the spring. The lead garden scrounge (said in a loving way) Alison found some nice round garden pavers which we installed in a lovely sunrise pattern in front of the wooden compost behemoths. Tools were cleaned, oiled and re-organized in the shed... and the fallen branches from our crazy windstorm a couple of weeks back were bundled up for the City to haul away.

All in all a great work party with much accomplished even though our crew was small. I guess the other members who didn't attend were at the Vancouver Film Festival or at the beach?!

Enjoy the last of the fall harvest!

Autumn Harvest... Fall Calls...

What a season. I don't know about you but our heatwave gave me the best harvest of tomatoes I have ever had... which is continuing to provide lots for the freezer! Along with zucchini's, the ubiquitous kale and red cabbages our '15-block diet' was a success. Oh, of course with a few retail stops at the fabulous new 'Jackson Meats' (love the chandelier... very NYC) and our beloved 'Capers'.

One of our garden angels donated some more gorgeous flagstones which has really made a wonderful impact around our tree-bench oasis... more beautiful blue mussel shells were added to the mix along with some diligent digging and setting of the stones.

Check out the picture of the little fatty I found right by the bench - the little guy must have fallen out of the cottonwood tree as he was munching on a leaf. I looked him up and he is a Tiger Swallowtail butterfly in his (her?) caterpillar phase. I wish he would eat the whole tree!

The fall seeds I planted to provide us with greens into October and beyond are already in full force and the dahlias are keeping us thinking too much about the cold weather to come. Personally I love the fall but since we had such a tropical summer that I was lucky enough to fully enjoy I feel a little wistful seeing and feeling the fall calling.

Happy harvesting everyone.

Summer 2009 Party

The summer breeze... the summer sun... and the perennial Kitsilano Community Garden work party and potluck lunch.










Lots of weeding, cleaning up and much needed compost management was accomplished by the members who attended. Their reward was the scrumptious variety of food provided by everyone - special mention must go to the homemade bread - yum!

April Work Party

Pretty good turnout for the April 2009 work party. Barb kept us organized and focused on the tasks at hand... and didn't have to use the machete even once!

The vertical garden special project has begun. Hopefully our Cottonwood 'stump' will be transformed into a magical 'Hobbit Tree' complete with a collection of bird houses on the top floor. If anyone has groovy birdhouses to donate, please leave them on the cherry wood rounds by the flagstone garden. If anyone has hens and chicks they can donate for the Hobbit Tree - let Deirdre know - or leave them on the rounds.

Pray for the sun to make a permanent appearance so we can plant beans and tomatoes!! This weather is certainly ideal for peas - but enough already.


Happy gardening!

'Ma' - nure Organic Compost

Over-wintered Arugula

Ahhh... yellow crocuses Primulas & purple crocus











Spring is almost sprung - which meant our annual delivery of compost to enrich our soil for the upcoming growing season. Compost delivery always ensures a good turnout of our garden members - over 33 peeps today!
Hellebores (Christmas Rose)

The members pitched in and did a good cleanup of the garden while waiting for the compost to arrive.

You want me to do what?!


What's especially special about this year's compost is that it's clean as a whistle... well as close to clean as possible for manure tee hee. Kudos to Barb for schmoozing Thomas Reid farm guy to give us a community garden price that fit within our budget and organizing the delivery.

The compost originates from organic chickens and it's absolutely scrumptious - no nasty chemi smells - just earthy, black, crumbly and no c**p in it! I could almost hear my arugula sighing with joy. My Salt Spring seeds this year will have a worthy platform in which to grow - now let's pray for more sun - not snow!!