Herbs growing in a recycled wine box.
The cherry trees are blooming, the grass is growing, and those clever crows are getting really vocal. It’s springtime in Kitsilano and it’s also time to tend to your gardens, big and small. Here are 5 ways to get gardening in Kitsilano NOW. No matter what size your green space – a full garden or a few pots on the window sill – we’ve got you sorted.
5 Ways to Get Gardening in Kitsilano
1. Visit the David Hunter Garden Center
This garden center has been supplying seeds to Kitsilano residents since the 1960s. Not just seeds are available here though, as this West Broadway shop has everything you need for the garden including indoor and outdoor plants, shrubs, bulbs, fertilizers, soil, pots, tools, and more. For those with a small garden, you can pick up a dwarf fruit tree (choose from apple, cherry, or even peach!). For beginners, pick up some seed potatoes – this versatile tuber is so easy to grow and it can be planted right now.
David Hunter Garden Center, 2560 West Broadway, (604) 733-1534, Davidhuntergardencenters.com
2. Join a Community Garden
If you don’t have your own garden to muck around in, try getting a plot in one of Kitsilano’s Community Gardens. Most, if not all, having waiting lists but you could start with volunteering to help out with the common areas and participate in special garden projects. You may pick up a few gardening tips or even a few new friends.
3. Share a Garden
Would you like to grow your own food, but don’t have a garden? Do you have gardening space in your yard that you are not using? City Farmer, a local urban farming supporter, runs a free online program that matches people who are looking for space to grow a garden, with homeowners who have a backyard or garden plot that they would like to share.
4. Curb Gardening
Join the Green Streets club and become a volunteer to help beautify traffic calming spaces such as roundabouts and corner curbs. This is a City-run and City-funded initiative. Perks include free gardening supplies (seeds, plants, compost, etc.) for your spot, invitations to volunteer parties, and access to gardening experts. Learn more about Green Streets from our article here.
5. Keep it Simple
Sure, you could go all urban farmer-like and have rows of kale, mason bees, and backyard hens, but all you really need for a bit of gardening enjoyment are some edible herbs which you can grow effortlessly inside or outside. Check out West Coast Seeds, Salt Spring Seeds, or the Vancouver Seed Bank (not just for the bud) for non-GMO, heirloom, local seeds that you’ll feel good about planting and later, harvesting.
Last modified: April 2, 2014
