Leslie Cox

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EARLY GIRL TOMATOES are a genetically modified organism, at least according to a definition from the FDA and USDA departments in the U.S.

Is there a difference between GE & GMO?

Leslie Cox takes a look at what is new in the world of seeds, namely, in the genetic engineering sector

EARLY GIRL TOMATOES are a genetically modified organism, at least according to a definition from the FDA and USDA departments in the U.S.

Reducing waste with your garden

We need to be reminded of the importance of our environment and how irreplaceable it is should we destroy it

Giving thanks for your garden’s bounty

Imagine the taste explosion of sinking your teeth into one of your home-grown tomatoes... Yum. Something to look forward to...

WHO KNOWS WHAT these Royston tomatoes will taste like when they're ripe? Maybe we should have a tomato-tasting party and find out.

With the autumnal equinox comes tomatoes

Tomatoes are coming along faster now. John is valiantly trying to stay on top of them with his daily toasted tomato sandwiches.

WHO KNOWS WHAT these Royston tomatoes will taste like when they're ripe? Maybe we should have a tomato-tasting party and find out.

Beans, beans, beans — and tomatoes

Last spring, germination was sporadic in the bean patch due to the horrible weather. Many gardeners experienced the same problem.

OF ALL GERANIUMS, the Duchess of Dirt loves the 'Rozanne.'

Hardy geraniums, easy to grow and tough in heat

There is wonderful variation amongst the geranium species and cultivars

OF ALL GERANIUMS, the Duchess of Dirt loves the 'Rozanne.'
YELLOWJACKETS CAN STING, but they also devour insect pests.

Yellowjackets, friends or foes?

Many of us tend to view eusocial wasp species such as yellowjackets and hornets as nasty pests, but they are important too

YELLOWJACKETS CAN STING, but they also devour insect pests.

All about herbs, growing, storing and using

Herbs. The very plants that started us down the path to what our garden has become today

A ladybug makes a meal out of an aphid as part of her Earth Day celebrations.

How to garden in more earth-friendly ways

Just in time for Earth Day, Comox Valley garden guru Leslie Cox offers tips to be more earth-friendly in your garden

A ladybug makes a meal out of an aphid as part of her Earth Day celebrations.
THIS WHITE-FLOWERED Brunnera macrophylla ‘Mr. Morse’ graces the Duchess' garden.

All about Brunnera macrophylla

'Jack Frost' has gorgeous silver leaves thinly edged in medium green with the veins starkly etched in the same green

THIS WHITE-FLOWERED Brunnera macrophylla ‘Mr. Morse’ graces the Duchess' garden.
SCARLET RUNNER BEANS climb because Mother Nature has given them a fascinating method to do it.

Ever wonder how vines wrap themselves around something?

Most vines actually have a tendency to wrap themselves around a support in a counter-clockwise rotation.

SCARLET RUNNER BEANS climb because Mother Nature has given them a fascinating method to do it.
BANDED WOOLLY BEARS, a type of caterpillar, are bustling around these days, getting their fill of food and looking for a suitable hibernation site.

Banded woolly bear caterpillars easily catch the eye

It's autumn in the garden, and there are many sights to see, including a cute fuzzy caterpillar called a banded woolly bear.

BANDED WOOLLY BEARS, a type of caterpillar, are bustling around these days, getting their fill of food and looking for a suitable hibernation site.

No cure for powdery mildew — only prevention and a modicum of control

Powdery mildew is found throughout North America and is easily recognizable by its white to greyish, talcum powder-like circles that appear on leaves, flowers and fruits of various vegetables, fruits, perennials and shrubs.

Tomatoes one of easiest vegetables to grow for saving seeds

Chances of tomatoes not coming true from the seeds you saved are high unless you know that the tomato variety is an open-pollinated one.

SHELBY AND Molly pause in front of some giant, and highly toxic, hogweeds in Victoria.

Toxic hogweed plant found in Courtenay

Warning! A giant hogweed plant has been found growing in the Comox Valley in a garden on Third Street in Courtenay.

SHELBY AND Molly pause in front of some giant, and highly toxic, hogweeds in Victoria.
IF YOU WANT some bang for your buck, it is hard to beat Solomon’s seal for shady areas.

Sometimes gardeners can’t fight City Hall

A rare moment of fleeting sun one afternoon begged a few minutes spent sitting on the front deck sipping a cup of tea in the front garden.

IF YOU WANT some bang for your buck, it is hard to beat Solomon’s seal for shady areas.
MOLLY THE DOG has not yet flattened these cyclamens.

Cyclamens provide much-needed spiritual uplift

The cyclamens are blooming — safe from Molly the dog's "thunder paws" — and the pink flowers are giving a garden-starved enthusiast a much-needed boost to the spirit.

MOLLY THE DOG has not yet flattened these cyclamens.
Whatever the reason for the dwindling numbers of bees, it is important to start finding a solution to the problem. Photo by Leslie Cox

Time to turn attention to dwindling bee population

Fact No. 1: Bees are responsible for pollinating at least a third of our food crops.

Whatever the reason for the dwindling numbers of bees, it is important to start finding a solution to the problem. Photo by Leslie Cox
Raspberry Ripple is a lovely red-flowered, splashed-with-white cultivar that can revert to solid red. Photo by Leslie Cox

Seed catalogues firing gardener’s imagination

I can’t help it. The start of every new year gets me excited.

Raspberry Ripple is a lovely red-flowered, splashed-with-white cultivar that can revert to solid red. Photo by Leslie Cox