Mike Lascelle

Summer aster.

Gardening: Please, please feed the bees

Make sure you have flowering shrubs and perennials.

Summer aster.
Cornus mas ‘Elegant’; Cornus kousa fruit; Cornus canadensis.

Gardening: Edible dogwoods, pick at peak ripeness

benefits to having a dogwood in the garden are the abundant edible berries or drupes that they bear.

Cornus mas ‘Elegant’; Cornus kousa fruit; Cornus canadensis.
Salmonberry fruits.

Gardening: As our native plants evolve

When spring arrives, what’s left of the natural forest comes into bloom.

Salmonberry fruits.
Iris ‘Eye Catcher’.

Gardening: Signs of spring after ‘Winterpeg’

Now that Maple Ridge has finally thawed out of this month-long deep freeze, we can walk through our gardens.

Iris ‘Eye Catcher’.
Mike Lascelle photos You can find an excellent planting chart in the front of the free West Coast Seeds catalogue, then you need your basic supplies, which include a sterile seedling soil mix and clean pots or trays to grow in.

Home: ‘Growing your own’ plants from a seed

There are pitfalls to ‘growing your own’ but with a little guidance you can avoid the worst of them.

Mike Lascelle photos You can find an excellent planting chart in the front of the free West Coast Seeds catalogue, then you need your basic supplies, which include a sterile seedling soil mix and clean pots or trays to grow in.
As far as 2017 is concerned, you can look forward to a few new fruit trees, berries and vines, including ‘razz,’ a blueberry with raspberry flavours.

Home: In your garden, a preview of 2017

We must resort to protecting tender trees and shrubs from deep freezes, like the one we just saw.

As far as 2017 is concerned, you can look forward to a few new fruit trees, berries and vines, including ‘razz,’ a blueberry with raspberry flavours.
Christmas fairy garden and a Princettia poinsettia.

Home: Christmas gifts for gardeners

It doesn’t take a lot of money or time to give a thoughtful gift.

Christmas fairy garden and a Princettia poinsettia.
'Who' Christmas trees are a popular trend this holiday season.

How to make a ‘Who’ tree

The goal is to create an unnatural looking live tree using a young evergreen, floral wire, simple decorations and a little imagination.

'Who' Christmas trees are a popular trend this holiday season.
Roufous hummingbird shown, Anna’s hummingbirds like Camellia sasanqua ‘Kanjiro,’ below. At bottom is Viburnum Dawn, also a nectar source.

Buddy, Dave, no fair-weather friend

British Columbia is the northern edge of the Anna's hummingbird wintering range.

Roufous hummingbird shown, Anna’s hummingbirds like Camellia sasanqua ‘Kanjiro,’ below. At bottom is Viburnum Dawn, also a nectar source.
Jim Rahe and his wife grow 50 cultivars of apples and 10 of pear at their Aldergrove orchard.

Growing apples the hard way

Jim and Mary Ann Rahe thought growing heritage apples would be an enjoyable retirement project.

Jim Rahe and his wife grow 50 cultivars of apples and 10 of pear at their Aldergrove orchard.
Jade Water Pavilion as viewed from park.

Gardening: Re-visiting Sun Yat-Sen

Cultural icon was designed by local architects Joe Wai and Donald Vaughan.

Jade Water Pavilion as viewed from park.
George Petkov is growing kiwi fruit north of the 49th parallel.

Bringing the South Pacific to the Valley

Abbotsford soil is rich and growing conditions are good.

George Petkov is growing kiwi fruit north of the 49th parallel.
Stephanie and Dave Captein in their viburnum berry crop.

Gardening: A local cut flower

Cut flowers have become a truly international business.

Stephanie and Dave Captein in their viburnum berry crop.
At Colony Farms Community Garden, plot after plot was festooned with old rubber boots or hikers, even a copper tea kettle, planted with Hens and Chicks.

gardening: The little plant that could

On a recent tour of the Colony Farms Community Garden I was grinning from ear to ear.

At Colony Farms Community Garden, plot after plot was festooned with old rubber boots or hikers, even a copper tea kettle, planted with Hens and Chicks.
Erna and Bill Dingwall at the Pitt Meadows Community Garden.

Gardening: Room to grow in Pitt Meadows

Unlike the local real estate prices, no one is going to be outbidding you for these spaces .

Erna and Bill Dingwall at the Pitt Meadows Community Garden.
Zdena and her farm gate stand.

Gardening: Proudly a product of Whonnock

It is a community that seems to attract free-thinkers, people who care about the environment who aren’t afraid to speak out.

Zdena and her farm gate stand.
Blue star creeper (left) and red creeping thyme.

Getting ready for chafer invasion

How to defend your garden against the European chafer beetle.

Blue star creeper (left) and red creeping thyme.
A cover for Mike Lascelle’s new book on edible ornamentals.

Gardening: Help build a better gardening book

I am really excited about this next project, which will be an in-depth look at edible ornamental plants.

A cover for Mike Lascelle’s new book on edible ornamentals.
Vegetarian spring rolls with wisteria blossoms can dress up a plate. Stay away from the wisteria vines, however.

Gardening: Incredible, edible wisteria blossoms

Wisteria blossoms have a sweet, nutty flavour but other parts of this common vine are toxic to some degree.

Vegetarian spring rolls with wisteria blossoms can dress up a plate. Stay away from the wisteria vines, however.
‘Italian’ prune plum and below, non-stinging mason bees.

Gardening: Questions of fruit pollination

Answer the short pollination questionnaire to find out why there is a lack of fruit in your garden.

‘Italian’ prune plum and below, non-stinging mason bees.