Learning Opportunity in Hillside-Quadra

 Merlot and Salad Bowl lettuce photo by Fiona Gilsenan.

Our neighbours in nearby Hillside-Quadra and North Park have a wonderful opportunity on offer from the Blanshard Community Centre. The Centre has applied for funding for an exciting program offering garden mentor support. Here's what they have to say,

If we receive funding, up to 15 households will receive free expert advice and information, workshops on gardening topics and seeds, seedlings, soil amendments, and tools.

Sounds like a good deal, so if you are interested, contact Marion and 250.388.7696 or e-mail admin@blanshardcc.com to have your household included on the list of possible participants.

-Fiona Gilsenan

Got Gardening Gear?

The Fairfield Community Association is holding one of it's fabulous clothing swaps tomorrow, March 5th from 10 am to 1 pm. Do you have a nice straw hat, pair of wellies, or a tweed jacket that you no longer use? Bring it to the clothing swap!

-Fiona Gilsenan

Fire at Glendale

 Photo from Glendale Gardens website.

Not sure how I missed this, but there was a fire at Glendale Gardens last week. The Times-Colonist story is here and Nourish Bistro's take is here. Glad nobody was hurt and good luck to all with the clean up. Even more reason to visit the Doris Page winter garden and show your support.

-Fiona Gilsenan

Love Tools?

 These lovely old pruners belong to Mathew Augustus

The Victoria Horticultural Society's monthly meeting takes place next Tuesday, March 1 @ 7:30. As always, it's help at the Garth Homer Centre in Saanich. They've have Ann Roy and Lynne van der Have talking about the yummy tools you can get from Lee Valley. I've always had a soft spot for Lee Valley because they are a Canadian-based company and because they sell these marvellous watchmaker's cases that are so handy for many things.

For VHS members, there's also free entry to the Doris Page Winter garden at Glendale Gardens next week. And as it actually is winter at the moment, it might be worth a visit.

-Fiona Gilsenan

Can you Grow a Row?

There's more than one row in this picture.

The Fairfield Community Garden gang (aka Jessica, Fiona, and Paula) had a great time at Seedy Saturday. We chatted with all kinds of people from the gardening and green community in Victoria. Everyone is very excited and supportive of our efforts to make a community garden happen in Fairfield. Hooray!

We heard about a few local events that Fairfield gardeners might want to check out. One of them is happening tonight (snow and ice willing) at the Fairfield Community Centre. It's the launch of the Grow a Row program, sponsored by the Compost Education Centre. Tonight at 6 pm in the Out of School Care Room there will be a meet-and-greet, then the official launch, followed by a workshop. You can read more about the program here. If the workshop tonight is full, they will offer another one next week. That's accommodating.

On Saturday, Feb. 26th, there will be a seed swap at the Compost Education Centre. Please call (250) 386-9676 or email office@compost.bc.ca if you are interested in attending or volunteering at any of these events.

-Fiona Gilsenan

Seedy Saturday is here!

We're off to Seedy Saturday to mingle with gardeners, buy some seeds, and find out what's new and exciting in the gardening world. Oh yes, and we'll be talking to people about the proposed Fairfield Community Gardens as well!

There are some interesting speakers at the event. Carolyn Herriot will be talking about the Zero Mile Diet, Dr. Michelle Gorman will tell us how to outsmart pests, and Lynda Dowling from Happy Valley Herbs is going to talk about --what else? herbs. There's a full list of speakers here. See you there!

-Fiona Gilsenan

Park Tour of Fairfield

Video by Augustus Productions.

We decided to do a little tour of the neighbourhood to look at all the available land in Fairfield that could possibly be used for community gardening. There isn't much! Here we walk through all the park spaces and comment on their suitability, uses, size, and more. Join us!

-Fiona Gilsenan