Margo Westaway

Partake in every feast for the senses

There is a 20-acre garden located in New Delhi titled, the Garden of the Five Senses.

Better use for food than landfill

Worldwide, we humans turf out about 30 per cent of our food – or roughly 450 billion tonnes of it – every year.

Putting pollen under the microscope

Many of us gardeners are becoming much more aware and concerned with the plight of our pollinators…

The pains, perfection and purpose of pollen

We always think of springtime as being a happy time because the coldest part of the year is finally over

Separating the dirt from soil

First, let’s get clear about the difference between “dirt” and “soil,” because just the sound of those words pretty well says it all.

Distinguishing plain old house dirt from rich healthy soil

Soil serves as valuable ecosystem and habitat to a variety of little dwellers.

Do the heavens and nature really sing?

Seeking out silence in this modern, noisy world can be a real challenge, but some things are under our control

Spring bulbs make their return

Ah, spring has sprung in the Shuswap and everything is awakening with life again.

Spring bulbs make their return

Spring has sprung in the Shuswap and everything is awakening with life again.

Unravelling winter robin mystery

When I spot a robin huddling in a snowy tree while out on my daily strolls, I often wonder why some of them are still hanging around

Unravelling the mystery of the robin in winter

Gardener wonders why some robins are still hanging around in the cold Canadian winters, rather than basking in warmer climes.

Anyone can become a gardener

Anyone can be a gardener and goodness knows, this poor old planet of ours could sure use a lot more of us…

A good time to turn a new leaf

Winter at last gives us a reprieve from our busy garden duties and allows us a quiet and peaceful time to just look out the window

Winter a good time to turn a new leaf

Winter at last gives us a reprieve from our busy garden duties…

A whole host of funny facts about the flea circus

I was absent-mindedly scratching my head, attempting to come up with something light or funny for the holiday column

Gardener explores Mexico

My mom and I had a week to spend with my daughter again for her school break, so a call to the travel agent…

Gardener takes early winter break on beaches of Mexico

The air was not perfumed like Hawaii with those heavenly-scented plumeria, but any gardener could get a pleasing eye-full…

Making a toast to the grape harvest

Spending a working holiday picking grapes in Bordeaux, France.

Making a toast to the grape harvest

The celebration of Thanksgiving dinner can often give us an opportunity to share our stories of the harvest from both young and old

Following the different faces of the Earth’s moon

This year’s September moon was a pretty big deal because it entered a rare occurrence in the planetary cycle…